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What’s Happening With Traffic Searches In Legal Marijuana States?

Mike Adams
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What’s Happening With Traffic Searches In Legal Marijuana States?

In states that have legalized marijuana in a manner similar to alcohol, law enforcement agencies are conducting fewer roadside traffic searches, according to the latest data provided by the Marshall Project and the Center for Investigative Reporting.

For decades, the criminalization of marijuana has been a feather in the cap of police departments all across the nation. Since the herb is the most commonly used illicit substance in the world, it has been relatively easy for cops to establish probable cause to search vehicles for drugs during routine traffic stops.

From personal experience, highway patrols in areas of prohibition have been able to use the presence of items such as a French fry (thinking it was a joint) as a means to conduct a search.

However, in states like Colorado and Washington, where marijuana is now legally sold to adults 21 and older, police officers no longer have as much incentive to shakedown motorists in an effort to pull weed off the streets.

“After marijuana use was legalized, Colorado and Washington saw dramatic drops in search rates,” the study’s authors wrote. “That’s because many searches are drug-related. Take away marijuana as a crime and searches go down.”

But this doesn’t mean that every citizen is in the clear – racial disparities in these legal jurisdictions still exist. The report finds that while it is essentially safe to be a white driver in legal states, blacks and Hispanics are still being subjected to vehicle searches at a much higher rate. There is speculation that the situation is even worse in urban areas.

Although marijuana advocates often argue that legalization is necessary in order to bring an end to these kinds of injustices, legal experts say this policy change alone is simply not enough.

“Legalizing marijuana is not going to solve racial disparities,” said Mark Silverstein, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Colorado. “We need to do a lot more before we get at that.”

The latest data is consistent with other studies showing a decrease in marijuana-related arrests in states where it is legal. In fact, a 2016 report from Colorado’s Department of Public Safety shows that arrests for marijuana have dropped off by almost half since weed became a part of taxed and regulated commerce. Yet, blacks are still getting busted at a rate of nearly three times more than whites.

A report from the ACLU shows that 88 percent of the drug arrests in the United States are for marijuana possession. This means that legalizing the leaf at the national level may be the most common sense approach to combating the war on drugs.

Gossip: Alden Ehrenreich Needed ‘Acting Coach’ During Han Solo Movie; Duchess Kate Is Hiring ‘Super Nanny’ To Deal With ‘Tantrums’

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Alden Ehrenreich Needed ‘Acting Coach’ During Han Solo Movie; Duchess Kate Is Hiring ‘Super Nanny’ To Deal With ‘Tantrums’

You can read the THR piece here. Here are the highlights:

Kennedy tried to support Lord and Miller by adding extra helpers. Anxious to avoid an outright rupture, Kennedy is said to have made attempts first to support and eventually to supplant Lord and Miller to some degree, as happened with Gareth Edwards on the troubled Rogue One. In that case, screenwriter Tony Gilroy took on significant duties with the cooperation of Edwards; in this case, sources say, Kennedy attempted to cast Lawrence Kasdan in that role. Unsurprisingly, Lord and Miller were less accommodating than Edwards, still a novice, had been.

Lord & Miller were always a “mismatch” for the Star Wars universe. Some insiders say that while the talent of Lord and Miller is undeniable, nothing in their background prepared them for a movie of this size and scope. These sources say they relied too heavily on the improvisational style that served them so well in live-action comedy and animation but does not work on a set with hundreds of crewmembers waiting for direction. “You have to make decisions much earlier than what they’re used to,” one of these sources say. “I don’t know if it’s because there were two of them but they were not decisive.” Production department heads began to complain. While the pair appeared to listen when told of festering problems, this person says their approach did not change.

Alden’s Han Solo isn’t good enough. Matters were coming to a head in May as the production moved from London to the Canary Islands. Lucasfilm replaced editor Chris Dickens (Macbeth) with Oscar-winner Pietro Scalia, a veteran of Ridley Scott films including Alien: Covenant and The Martian. And, not entirely satisfied with the performance that the directors were eliciting from Rules Don’t Apply star Alden Ehrenreich, Lucasfilm decided to bring in an acting coach. (Hiring a coach is not unusual; hiring one that late in production is.) Lord and Miller suggested writer-director Maggie Kiley, who worked with them on 21 Jump Street.

Ron Howard is trying to be a nice guy about it. Stepping in to replace directors who have been fired is not something that many filmmakers would want to do. Ron Howard is probably one of the few who could and would — at least, in this particular set of circumstances. Insiders say he was concerned about how Lord and Miller would react and has been emailing with them; another source says the two have been “very supportive, very elegant.” Howard arrives in London on June 26 and shooting, which began in February and was supposed to be completed in July, will continue into the first week of September as Howard captures new material. Still, an insider says much of what Lord and Miller shot will be “very usable.”
[From The Hollywood Reporter]

Duchess Kate Is Hiring ‘Super Nanny’ To Deal With ‘Tantrums’

Prince William and Kate Middleton have hired a ‘super nanny’ for George and Charlotte, just three months before George starts school, according to Grazia magazine. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have previously described their son in interviews as ‘a little bit of a rascal’.

And sources have now reportedly told Grazia that Will and Kate have hired a ‘£250,000 super nanny’ for Prince George, 3, and Princess Charlotte, 2. The new nanny, who’s yet to be named, will work alongside George and Charlotte’s current nanny, Maria Borrallo, the source revealed.

The decision has come three months before George starts at Thomas’s School in Battersea, South London. The source told Grazia: ‘The new nanny is a graduate of Bath’s prestigious Norland College. She’s fluent in six languages and will speak to the children in French and Spanish, as well as using her skills as a qualified child behavioural specialist to help Kate and William deal with tantrums and other issues.’
[From Grazia via NetMums]

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

Is Smoking Marijuana Bad For Your Eyes?

Maria Loreto
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Is Smoking Marijuana Bad For Your Eyes?

Bloodshot eyes are probably the easiest way to tell if someone’s been smoking marijuana. The THC in cannabis has a role in lowering your blood pressure, which then dilates the blood vessels and increases blood flow throughout your entire body. Your eyes aren’t exempt from this, which is why they get really red.

A lot of people worry about their eyes when they consume marijuana, wondering if this can lead to broken blood vessels or other problems. The truth is not quite like that; marijuana dilates the vessels in your eyes, but it doesn’t increase the risk of them breaking. If you do have a broken vessel in your eye, smoking marijuana will definitely delay the healing process because of the increased amount of blood that’s circulating, so avoid cannabis while you’re healing. Strong coughing fits and sneezing are known causes for broken blood vessels, so when smoking marijuana be sure to inhale only as much smoke as your body can handle.  

https://giphy.com/gifs/tom-cruise-nicole-kidman-eyes-wide-shut-c60HGapXhQiic

While these symptoms seem innocent enough, we wanted to know if there were any other ways in which cannabis affects or impairs your eyesight:

Peripheral Vision Is Impaired After Smoking

This issue is only temporarily, lasting for a couple of hours, but the presence of cannabis in your system definitely influences the corners your eyesight, making your retinas take a longer time to process their surroundings. Driving and other activities that require you to be aware of the environment are not recommended.

It Takes More Time For Your Retinas To Process Information

Several medical journals claim that regular cannabis use leads to a 10 millisecond delay for our retinas to pass along information to our brain. These changes are minuscule though, and other things that we encounter in our day to day lives, like lack of vitamins and looking directly into the sun, present a larger threat for our eyesight.

Unconventional Medicine: Cannabis Suppositories

Al Olson
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Unconventional Medicine: Cannabis Suppositories

When it comes to cannabis delivery systems, is the posterior superior?

The answer to that question depends on your ailment and what pain you are hoping to alleviate. If you just want to get high, this approach is not for you. But cannabis suppositories are an excellent option for patients suffering from:

  • Crohn’s disease
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Prostate cancer
  • Irritable bowel disease
  • Endometriosis
  • Kidney diseases

The rectal administration of cannabis is effective because the active ingredients (THC and CBD) present in the suppository absorbs quickly as it travel through the local rectal and pelvic veins and lymphatics, according to Dr. Allan Frankel.

Oral administration (marijuana edibles, beverages, smoked or vaped matter) needs more time to travel through the body before arriving at the damaged area. Suppositories allow the membranes to absorb and deliver the cannabinoids more effectively.

Before cavalierly placing a federally illegal substance up your rectal cavity, there are some important caveats to consider:

  • If you want to get high, you will be sorely disappointed. These products are loaded with CBD — the non-psychoactive component of cannabis — and are low in THC — the intoxicating cannabinoid. So if getting a buzz is your desire, you’ll be disappointed.
  • Do NOT use a suppository that has not been tested. It should be obvious to most adults that a black-market product should not go anywhere near your posterior, let alone inside it. Mold, pesticides or other foreign compounds can make whatever you are suffering from even worse. So it is advised that you find a legitimate product from a licensed provider.

Since cannabis remains a Schedule 1 drug by our federal government, the FDA cannot and will not sanction the medical efficacy of this method. But anecdotal evidence suggests this is an emerging market for the medical marijuana field.

Rihanna’s Newest Shoe Collection Is “So Stoned” And Wonderful

Brendan Bures
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Rihanna’s Newest Shoe Collection Is “So Stoned” And Wonderful

Rihanna is our preeminent celebrity stoner leading the way in normalization of cannabis. She has also endorsed cannabis luxury brands like ASCHE Industries. Recently Rih Rih announced her third and final shoe collection with Manolo Blahnik will be called “So Stoned.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVnQzICjqF8/

The delightful euphemism is only something Rihanna could get away with. The collaboration will be a collection of bejeweled sandals, hence “So Stoned.” The collection will launch in July and follows up on previous collections Denim Desserts and Savage.

Rihanna already gave fans a tease of the collection in DJ Khaled’s “Wild Thoughts” music video, where she wears the Poison Ivy sandals.

The limited-edition collection ranges in price from $1,325-$2,325 and includes three other models: Purple Chalice, Bajan Princess, and Spice. Each are studded with Swavorski crystals and gems, stones you’d normally wear anywhere else but your feet. But when has Rihanna ever worried about playing by the rules?

Check out more of the “So Stoned” collection preview below.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVnzKx_DMBo/

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVn9VNDjmdr/

Facebook Update: Mark Zuckerberg Just Learned What A Truck Stop Is

Brendan Bures
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Facebook Update: Mark Zuckerberg Just Learned What A Truck Stop Is

Mark Zuckerberg, he promises you, is not campaigning at the moment. If you haven’t heard, Zuckerberg is traveling through all 50 states as an effort to learn and listen to various folks about their lives and worries over the future. It is part of Zuckeberg’s annual lifestyle challenge he sets for himself. Other years have famously included learning Mandarin and only eating meat he killed.

Previous iterations of the Annual Zuck Lifestyle Challenge have focused on personal improvement, the gains focused only on his own health and skills. These stateside adventures, however, have caused some healthy suspicion because what Zuckerberg is doing reminds so many in the press of a presidential campaign. With possible 2020 election rumors swirling, it seems dubious Zuckerberg aims to connect with fellow Americans just for “spiritual connectivity”—though that would be very tech bro of him—or whatever bullshit excuse the most influential man in tech might provide.

Since the 2016 election, others in Silicon Valley have attempted to demonstrate a greater participation politically and socially in their communities and nationwide. They still care is the message. No need to disrupt Silicon Valley’s idyllic brand of saving humanity through tech just yet.

Zuckerberg’s mission falls in line with that, though his is supposedly different because he’s breaking out of his bubble. On some level, this is worthwhile. Zuckerberg’s personal history swims in privilege, the boy wonder able to avoid the banal terrors of suburban struggle and inner-city coldness. The son of a mother psychiatrist and father dentist, he attended the uber-exclusive Phillips Exeter Academy instead of public high school, and had the luxury of dropping out of Harvard.

So learning about people from flyover states and backcountry America is a constructive endeavor for Facebook’s CEO. But that’s the problem—it’s more invaluable an experience for Facebook’s CEO than Zuckerberg himself. Dismissing the results temporarily, Facebook played an instrumental role in the 2016 election. Many have questioned the tech company in how they will respond to monitoring their product and curbing the virality of #fakenews and false reports. To do that, Zuckerberg must better learn of the people using his product and their tendencies.

Former Ticketmaster CEO Nathan Hubbard delivered a useful tweetstorm regarding Zuckerberg’s lifestyle challenge/campaign that isn’t a campaign. Here’s condensed paragraphs of what he wrote:

Zuck woke up on Nov 9th acutely aware that FB had facilitated a new shift he didn’t foresee or understand; that’s terrifying to a founder. He’s the head of product. So he’s ventured out into the world beyond his bubble to do field research and inform how FB will evolve again. Yes, these pictures we are seeing of Zuck meeting people look like outtakes from Forrest Gump meets The 40 Year Old Virgin…

[…]

We have rightly vilified founders of late who could not personally learn, grow and evolve to lead their companies and products forward. So I admire a founder who, however Machiavellian, cares enough to understand the people using the platform he created.

Zuckerberg is selling himself in the way presidential hopefuls might do, but he’s selling Facebook’s brand instead. For if its founder and CEO can show the compassion and (buzzword alert) connect with various people from walks of life, why can’t you do the same on Facebook? Just within the past week or so Zuckerberg has visited a Chicago public school, ate dinner with Somali refugees, and visited the Pride Festival in Omaha.

It’s moments when Zuckerberg visits a truck stop in Iowa that raises eyebrows. In his obligatory Facebook update, he explained what a truck stop was, because as he clearly didn’t, you might not know what a truck stop’s really about. “It’s like a small city where truckers on long trips can take a break, get something to eat, get a haircut, do laundry, get their truck washed — or their dog washed! — and even go to the dentist.”

Isn’t this all so fun? Isn’t this so humanitarian? (Shhh. Don’t tell Zuck truck drivers are routinely exploited and exhausted. Don’t want to dirty his Silicon Valley-branded cape on his way out.) But how is he helping any of these people? What impact is he truly having? Any? It seems painfully obvious Zuckerberg is using social media in the way so many of us do—to paint a prettier, filtered picture of what’s really going on. Still a good look for Zuckerberg and Facebook, but a fake one at that.

I guess you could say Zuckerberg is on the campaign trail, but he isn’t after your votes. He wants your likes.

This Kentucky Town Voted A Dog As Mayor For The Fourth Year

Brendan Bures
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This Kentucky Town Voted A Dog As Mayor For The Fourth Year

Only in small towns would you find a story like this. The Kentucky town of Rabbit Hash is so small, they’re of little use for a full-time mayor. Still they elect one, just in case. Their latest mayor is named Brynneth Paltrow. She is a dog.

Brynneth, or Brynn for short, is a 3-year-old rescue pit bull. The election wasn’t given to her, however. Brynn had to compete against Stella the cat and Higgins the donkey in the election. She won in a landslide, amassing more than 3,300 votes.

“She’s a lover, she’s such a sweet dog. She is a pit bull rescue and she’s going to be quite the ambassador for that breed,” Bobbi Kayser, who is on the board of directors for the Rabbit Hash Historical Society in Kentucky, told People.

This is the fourth time in a row Rabbit Hash has elected a dog as mayor. Residents use the election as a fundraising opportunity. Each vote costs $1 and residents can cast as many votes as their wallet allows. The proceeds went to the The Rabbit Hash General Store, which was devastated by a fire last year. Some voting may have been caused by an early happy hour.

“We encourage drinking at the polls,” Kayser told People. “[P]eople tend to donate more if they’ve had a few.”

Brynn won the position last November and was “indawgerated” (seriously) in January. Brynn ran on a platform of “peace, love and understanding,” as Brynn’s owner, 23-year-old Jordie Bamforth, told the Cincinnati Enquirer.

“Brynn has declared to be peaceful with any human or animal that comes through Rabbit Hash, especially the cats,” said Bamforth, who adopted Byrnn from a local shelter. “Brynn does like to chase the cats around here, but has pledged to refrain from it as much as possible.”

Gossip: Beyoncé And Jay-Z Can’t Afford Their Dream House; Britney Spears Opens Up About 2007 Meltdown

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Beyoncé And Jay-Z Can’t Afford Their Dream House; Britney Spears Opens Up About 2007 Meltdown

Beyoncé and Jay-Z aren’t as rich as we thought.

Though the couple — who recently welcomed a pair of newborn twins — are spending their summer in a rented Malibu mansion for $40,000 a month, Bey and Jay are said to be having down problems locking down a Los Angeles mansion within their price range. In fact, the parents-of-three’s hunt for the perfect family estate has come to a halt due to money problems.

Via TMZ:

Our real estate sources say the Carters have been frustrated because their search — which has gone on for several weeks— has hit a stumbling block, and the stumbling block is cash.

We’re told their budget is around $75 million, give or take a few mil. It sounds nuts, but they can’t find a place they love for the amount they’re willing to spend. As one well-connected source puts it, “They want a super baller, crazy estate, and the ones they love are going for $150 mil.”

Our sources say the Carters have seen just about everything that’s on the market and nothing in their price range is floating their boat.

Britney Spears Opens Up About Her 2007 Meltdown

“My life was controlled by too many people and that doesn’t let you be yourself. I was lost and didn’t know what to do with myself. I was trying to please everyone around me because that’s who I am deep inside. There are moments when I look back and think ‘what the hell was I thinking’.

“I had to give myself more breaks and take responsibility for my mental health.”

Spears admits that despite the fact that she still finds fame overwhelming at times, she’s reached a good place in her life.

“All this fame is way too much for me, as it’s really hard to grasp its magnitude. When you’re young and in the beginning of your career it’s understandable that you’ve just stepped into this world. I have these moments where I just want to dress up like a normal person and walk in the street. It goes through my mind quite a lot.

“Each and every one of us that starts at a young age needs to take account that you’ve gotta be balanced in order to stay in this industry and to manage your personal life. Sometimes that’s very challenging. I think I was very different back then, younger, not always knowing what’s good or bad, very instinctive.

“Today I’m at a better place in my life. My kids shaped my personality and filled me. They made me not worry about what was happening to me,” she added.

Love the fresh dirt we bring over daily from Naughty Gossip? Let us know in the comments!

4 Long-Term Effects Marijuana Use Has On The Brain

Brendan Bures
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4 Long-Term Effects Marijuana Use Has On The Brain

One common refrain among cannabis legalization activists is that the drug’s current classification as a Schedule I drug inhibits meaningful research of the long-term effect marijuana has on the brain.

Though the research is limited, we are starting to understand how marijuana use affects the brain. In numerous ways the brain can adapt to chronic marijuana usage in surprising ways. Here’s how.

Reward Systems In The Brain

People who use marijuana consistently over a long period of time can experience changes to their reward systems. One study found that users who had smoked marijuana for 12 years on average showed more activity in their brain’s reward system when seeing pictures of smoking paraphernalia versus pictures of their favorite fruits.

“This study shows that marijuana disrupts the natural reward circuitry of the brain, making marijuana highly salient to those who use it heavily,” study author Dr. Francesca Filbey, an associate professor of behavioral and brain science at the University of Texas at Dallas, said in a statement.

While you might balk at the study’s variables—testing fruits against weed for longtime cannabis users seems like an obvious losing battle—it does demonstrate how the brain’s natural reward system can alter due to cannabis use.

Changes In Brain Size And Connectivity

This one’s interesting. Scientists wanted to test how smoking marijuana daily affects specific regions of the brain. So they tested 48 users who smoked three times a day every day, against 68 control subjects. They discovered those who’d smoked daily for more than four years had a smaller region of grey matter in an area called the orbitofrontal cortex, commonly associated with addiction.

In addition these users demonstrated greater connectivity across different brain regions. Connectivity measures how information well information can travel in the brain. The scientist who conducted the study suggested that the decreased grey matter could explain the increased activity.

“Neural Noise”

Marijuana’s main psychoactive compound THC could be the cause of “neural noise,” as one study showed. (Neural noise is considered random neural activity.) Researchers administered cannabis to participants via an IV and afterwards recorded increased neural noise. This included participants reporting symptoms of altered perceptions to reality and disorganized thoughts.

“At doses roughly equivalent to half or a single joint, [THC] produced psychosis-like effects and increased neural noise in humans,” senior study author Dr. Deepak Cyril D’Souza, a Yale School of Medicine professor of psychiatry, said in a statement.

Weed And The Adolescent Brain

Currently there is conversation around if cannabis enacts long-term changes to the teenage brain. A pair of studies in 2016 showcased that smoking cannabis did not cause a long-term decline in IQ. The studies were performed on twins, which allowed for scientists to closely distinguish between environmental influence and genetic factors.

These studies showed that while cannabis-smoking participants scored a lower IQ, the same decline was seen in their non-smoking counterparts. Though it should be mentioned a 2014 study did demonstrate a change in white matter among chronic teenage cannabis users. This, scientists said, could lead to difficulties with attention and impulsivity. The white matter changes, however, were not seen in users over the age of 16.

These Poppy Seeds Won’t Make You Look Like A Drug Addict

Jillian Peterson
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These Poppy Seeds Won’t Make You Look Like A Drug Addict

It’s actually less of a particular type of poppy seeds and more of a blend.

Some geniuses over at a global ingredient supply company in London (FDL) created a proprietary mix of Eastern European poppy seeds recognized for having low levels of morphine — which often creates a false-positive for heroin in drug tests —  and cheaper poppy seeds from the UK that have a higher amount of the opioid.

While there is a drug test that factors in poppy seeds, produced by the opium poppy plant, eating too many can still inaccurately peg you as a heroin addict.

In 2013, a Pennsylvania woman won a nice chunk of change in a settlement after the state took away her newborn when she failed a hospital mandated drug test after eating, you guessed it, a damn poppy seed bagel.

The lawsuit claimed that “Elizabeth Mort never imagined that the last thing she ate before giving birth to her daughter —  a poppy seed bagel —  would lead to the loss of her newborn, but that is exactly what happened…”

FDL’s Dr. Gareth Elwin tells FoodNavigator that the company’s blend has residual morphine levels below 20 parts per million compared to the 900 parts per million for average poppy seeds in the UK.

Elwin says FDL has already scored a deal with a big bread maker to begin selling their hybrid poppy blend and thinks other bread companies will follow suit, as none of them want their image associated with being a drug test buzzkill.

No word when these low-narcotic poppy seeds will be available stateside.

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