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Wake And Bake: The Breakfast Bowl Marijuana Pipe

TFT Editors
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Wake And Bake: The Breakfast Bowl Marijuana Pipe

A breakfast bowl can confer multiple meanings to a cannabis user. Like everyone else, the modern cannabis consumer uses breakfast bowls like anyone else: for cereal, oatmeal, maybe some ice cream if you’re feeling adventurous in the morning. But a breakfast bowl marijuana pipe? A wake and bake, for the ages.

Thanks to cannabis legalization, smoking and consumption technologies have boomed in recent years. Whether it’s tinctures or vaporizers or topicals, the industry has seen an explosion of creativity when it comes to enjoying marijuana responsibly.

For one man, though, there was one device missing: the breakfast bowl. Instead of something that was one or the other—either a cereal bowl or pipe—Ryan Hart concocted a device that was both. Priced at $89, now you can pack a bowl of marijuana and a bowl of oatmeal to start your mornings. Or if you’re more of a night owl, a bowl of ice cream and some indica.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BV4sRG7B-QX/?taken-by=breakfastbowlpipe

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVtp-mlDTOU/?taken-by=breakfastbowlpipe

“The Breakfast Bowl Pipe was in internet myth that we had to break,” reads the company’s website. “We saw all of the photos and followed all the links, but just couldn’t find a place to buy it. So we did the next best thing, we commissioned the production so we could share it with the world.”

You can purchase the Breakfast Bowl Pipe here.

Can You Guess What The Best Beer In America Is?

Jillian Peterson
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Can You Guess What The Best Beer In America Is?

It took eight years, but Pliny the Elder has been dethroned as the Best Beer in America.

The title now belongs to Two Hearted Ale, an IPA from Bell’s Brewery in Michigan.

Bells, along with fellow Michigan-based brewery Founders Brewing, are the only breweries to have more than one beer in the top 10.

RELATED: 11 Of The Best Cheap Beers In America, Ranked

This is all according to members of the American Homebrewers Association, and is specifically based on commercial U.S. beers that are available for public purchase. Results of the annual survey are published AHA’s Zymurgy Magazine.

Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, which has claimed the top spot for more than half of the survey’s 15 years, fell to second place.

RELATED: Beer Sales Looking At Loss Because of Marijuana

Here are the Top 5:

1. Two Hearted Ale

Bell’s Brewery, MI

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

2. Pliny The Elder

Russian River Brewing, CA

https://www.instagram.com/p/BVwE2-2loPM/

3. Breakfast Stout

Founders Brewing, MI

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

4. Zombie Dust

3 Floyds Brewing, IN

https://www.instagram.com/p/-CHLw0gGPr/

5. Bell’s Hopslam

Bell’s Brewery, MI

https://www.instagram.com/p/BOiR8NKAqbJ

Gossip: Duchess Camilla Bio Makes Strange Claims About Diana & Charles; Rob Lowe Thinks He Saw Bigfoot

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Duchess Camilla Bio Makes Strange Claims About Diana & Charles; Rob Lowe Thinks He Saw Bigfoot

Prince Charles was sad when Camilla decided to marry. Her new bio details Prince Charles’s sadness when Camilla decided to marry Andrew Parker Bowles in 1973. Although she and Charles had met two years prior and fallen in love, she was not deemed “sufficiently aristocratic” to be the future king’s wife. What’s more, she was not a virgin, which was then considered a prerequisite by Charles’s great uncle and close adviser, Lord Mountbatten.

Camilla dumped Charles by letter. “She wrote to Charles herself to tell him. Her letter broke the prince’s heart. In great distress, he fired off anguished letters of his own to his nearest and dearest. It seemed to him particularly cruel, he wrote in one letter, that after ‘such a blissful, peaceful and mutually happy relationship’, fate had decreed that it should last a mere six months.” Before the July 4 wedding, he made one “last-ditch” attempt to stop her from marrying Parker Bowles by writing her a letter, to no avail.

Charles was attracted to Camilla immediately. The attraction was “immediate . . . He loved the fact that she smiled with her eyes as well as her mouth, and laughed at the same silly things as he did. He also liked that she was so natural and easy and friendly, not in any way overawed by him, not fawning or sycophantic. In short, he was very taken with her, and after that first meeting he began ringing her up.”

Charles ignored Diana on their honeymoon. According to the book, Diana resented Charles for sitting for hours painting watercolors during their honeymoon onboard the HMS Britannia, so one day she destroyed his painting and his equipment.

The photo of Camilla. Junor claims Charles and Diana were consulting their schedules when a photograph of Camilla fell out of Charles’ diary. Later, Diana noticed the prince was wearing a pair of gold cufflinks engraved with interwoven Cs — which she took to mean Charles and Camilla. “It’s hard to believe that anyone as intelligent and well-read as the Prince of Wales could be so stupid — so utterly incapable of imagining what a new wife might conclude if her husband carried a photograph of his old girlfriend in his diary,” Junor says of the cufflink incident, according to the new except.

What an unnamed friend of Charles says about Charles & Diana: “He made a huge mistake. You can sympathize with Diana — oh God, yes. Put that way, he was the architect of the disaster . . . also he wouldn’t have had the sensitivity. He’s very interested in objective things, but not subjective, so he couldn’t have understood the complexities of her feelings.”

Reigniting his affair with Camilla. Camilla and Charles renewed their affair in 1986 after friends urged the prince to reconnect with Camilla after they grew worried about his happiness and possibly heading towards a nervous breakdown. According to friends, Camilla was “the only person who might be able to lift his spirits,” Junor claims. Diana, for her part, had already started her affair with cavalry major James Hewitt, Junor says.
[From People]

Rob Lowe Thinks He Saw Bigfoot

Rob Lowe wants to believe.

The actor will soon debut a TV series on A&E called “The Lowe Files” in which he and his two adult sons go in search of the paranormal. And, he claims that in some cases, they actually found it.
Lowe told Entertainment Weekly that he had an “incredible encounter” with a creature known as the wood ape, or the Ozark version of Sasquatch or Bigfoot.

“I’m fully aware that I sound like a crazy, Hollywood kook right now,” he admitted.

Lowe said he was terrified by the encounter.

“I was lying on the ground thinking I was going to be killed,” he said.
Since the wood ape encounter is in the show’s season finale, Lowe refused to reveal too many details about it. But he set the scene:

“We’re 100 miles from the nearest town. We spent 45 minutes on the most rugged, brutal mountain trails. It’s 1 in the morning. There are a lot of serious former military men with loaded weapons, then something starts approaching our camps that is defying their orders to stop and their warnings that [they were] armed.”

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

5 Refreshing Summer Drinks Made With Vinegar

Warren Bobrow
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5 Refreshing Summer Drinks Made With Vinegar

Before the advent of soda pop, you know that tooth-rotting stuff that everyone slurps down by the gallon, people around the world used more natural means for refreshment. Whatever the case may be, the addition of herbal bitters to craft cocktails have a rich history in healing the gut, just like drinks made with vinegar heals the gut after a night of too much revelry leading to a sour head and stomach.

To fully understand why we drink liquids for pleasure certainly dates back to the age of man and beyond. It makes perfect sense to drink water — it’s a necessary component to life. Drinking soda has a more integral reasoning. It tastes good, is (hopefully) refreshing and provides energy in the form of added sugar. In modern times, we have water purification, but imagine for a moment back when the water was poisonous. Water treatment required electricity and somewhat modern chemicals to purify what flowed downstream. Without purified water, stomach ailments abounded. That’s why people drank vinegar and also preparations containing herbs and spices, such as Angostura or Peychaud’s Bitters. There was alcohol in the mix, that is for certain- helpful in curing what ailed ye, but not only the alcohol, but the vague premise that the herbs and spices were doing the heavy lifting of healing.

Back in the early days, these vinegar based liquids were called Shrubs. No, not those things that your grandparents planted in front of the house at the Shore. These shrubs contain fruit, vinegar of some kind and sugar. There is a rudimentary form of fermentation, in the form of the sugar breaking down the enzymes of the either fruit or vegetable, the vinegar acts to preserve the delicate fruit for months on end. A shrub is quite refreshing, enjoyed in the hot sun or when afflicted with a belly-ache. In Vietnam, they are doing much with vinegar and I’m leading off these Five Drinks Made with Vinegar with a tasty little cocktail of my own devise.

Buôn Mê Thuột Fizzy

  • Coconut water ice (freeze a quart of coconut water in the large sized cube trays made of silicon with a frozen leaf of cilantro in the center)
  • ¼ oz. Freshly Squeezed lime juice
  • 1 oz. Sweet Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 oz. Turbanado 2:1 Simple Syrup
  • 2 oz. Botanical Gin (such as Hendrick’s)
  • Splash of Grapefruit Soda (made with cane sugar, NOT corn syrup)
  • Lemon Zest/Lime leaf sliver cut with a scissor

Add all the ingredients with regular bar ice into a shaker tin. Cap and shake hard for 15 seconds. Double Strain into pre-chilled rocks glasses with large coconut (and cilantro) ice cubes are resting. Splash the grapefruit soda over the top. Garnish with Lemon Zest and Lime leaf sliver.

This next drink reminds me of those early energy drinks that died out once soda pop took over. They are called Switchel’s. They have a touch of maple syrup in the mix and I’m thrilled by them, especially this one (following) that is crisp, aromatic and very, very refreshing. It just happens to be made with Rye Whiskey from a boutique producer named Barrell. I would say order some today for next year. It’s that hard to get. Insider Tip: Order the Rye today for Christmas. Yup, you heard it here first!

The Ashtray Situation

  • ¼ oz. Dark Maple Syrup
  • 1 oz. Light Balsamic Vinegar
  • 3 oz. Barrell Rye Whiskey
  • 1 oz. Ginger Beer (I used Pickett’s Syrup)
  • 1 oz. Seltzer Water
  • 3-4 shakes Peychaud’s Bitters

Place all the ingredients (except the seltzer) in a tall glass with large cube ice. Stir to combine. Then add the seltzer. Add a tall straw and dot with the bitters. Delicious!

The next drink is built like a Negroni, which is three ingredients: gin, Campari (or like) and Sweet Vermouth (I love Carpano Antica Formula). Imagine for a moment that along with the Carpano Antica Formula, you add about a thimble full of well-aged Balsamic Vinegar? I would drink this in a heartbeat.

Stair One, Level B3

(this cocktail is a 1:1:1:1)

  • 1 oz. London Dry Gin such as Beefeaters Gin
  • 1 oz. Campari
  • 1 oz. Carpano Antica
  • 1 oz. Acieto Balsamico (Aged Balsamic Vinegar)

Add all ingredients to a cocktail mixing glass filled ¾ with ice. (Pro tip: Stir Stir Stir but don’t dilute! Practice!). Strain into a coupe glass, no ice, but garnish with an ultra-luxe style Luxardo Maraschino Cherry (if you are using those red things in the fridge, throw them out!)

Where would I be if I didn’t include at least one Rum cocktail? I’m massively interested in the richly expressive rum that is distilled in Massachusetts named Privateer Rum. Perhaps it’s the fact that Massachusetts has a long history of distillation, so much that Privateer Rum tastes remarkably like rum that comes from that slice of time in our national identity.

Whatever the case may actually be, when I drink rum that is made with as much care as Privateer is obviously crafted with, I cannot do much to it. Perhaps that is the charm. When you start with something really good, it becomes something even better with some simple and robust ingredients added that may have made their way to Massachusetts. Back in the day at least. And I’m using a special syrup also from Massachusetts made with cranberries for a hint of acidity and mystery in each sip.

You’re Talking About Memories

  • 2 oz. Privateer Dark Rum
  • 1 oz. White Balsamic Vinegar
  • ½ oz. Cherry Heering
  • 1 oz. Pineapple Juice
  • 2 oz. Fruitations Cranberry Soda and Cocktail Syrup
  • 1 oz. Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
  • Coconut Water Ice Cubes for the glass

Add all the juices, the Cherry Heering and the rum into a Boston Shaker filled ¾ with bar ice. Cap and shake hard for 15-30 seconds. Pour over coconut water ice cubes and served with a tall and colorful straw. This cocktail reminds me of the music of Bill Monroe, the brilliant mandolin player from back in the day before you were born!

Mule Skinner Blues

  • 1 oz. Barrell Bourbon Whiskey
  • ¼ oz. Dry Vermouth
  • 1 oz. Roasted Peach Muddle (slice peaches, sprinkle with the 2 oz. of balsamic vinegar, roast for an hour until nicely caramelized @ 350 degrees)
  • 2 oz. Balsamic Vinegar for the peaches and another 2 oz. of Balsamic Vinegar for the cocktail
  • Bunch of fresh mint

Muddle the roasted peaches with the balsamic and the vermouth until the liquids start to come out. Add the Barrell Bourbon Whiskey. Add some more of the balsamic roasted peaches. Muddle some more, add a bit of well washed fresh mint, muddle a touch more, lightly, just to reveal the juices. Add the Barrell Bourbon. Pour the muddled peaches, bourbon and mint into pre-chilled rocks glasses. Serve with a sprig of mint and a tiny fork to eat the salubrious peaches soaked in mint, balsamic and bourbon.

Landrace Strains: These 12 Types Of Marijuana Started Everything

Terry Hacienda
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Landrace Strains: These 12 Types Of Marijuana Started Everything

Here are a few known landrace strains (by no means a complete list). What you will find is that many of the names are indicative of the region in which they flourished.

Consumers love choice and nowhere is that more true than in the cannabis world. All you have to do is visit a marijuana retail store and you’re head will spin (and that’s before you smoke it)!  Sweet Island Skunk, Purple Urkle, Jedi Kush … the list goes on and on and on. But back in the beginning, before humans began crossing one kind of cannabis plant with another and giving it obscure names, there were only a handful of types. Welcome to the time when landrace strains were all that existed.

Think of landrace strains as the forefathers of cannabis. Before green thumbs, botanists and mad scientists began cross-breeding cannabis, consumer choice was limited my Mother Nature. Back in 2900 B.C. or so, the cannabis plant and humans lived together on this blue dot called Earth and the relationship was mutually beneficial. It is believed that the very first cannabis plant sprouted from the ground in Central Asia. The seeds first spread to Southeast Asia, Africa and the Middle East. As humans became more nomadic, the herb followed along.

The cannabis plant started to experience genetic and botanical changes depending on the climate. Over time, a set of landrace strains were developed and identified in the major regions where cannabis thrived.

According to Wikipedia:

A landrace is a domesticated, locally adapted, traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural environment of agriculture and pastoralism, and due to isolation from other populations of the species.

With today’s explosive cannabis growth, these landrace strains are become an afterthought. But if you are a cannabis enthusiast, it’s important to keep these “pure” types of cannabis alive and well.

According to Rick Pfrommer, a cannabis expert and director of education at Harborside Health Center:

“Original landrace and other heirloom strains are often lost in today’s hyperkinetic world of breeding. Our constant desire for new strains leads breeders to continually cross and re-cross existing strains looking for the next big thing. There is, however, a small but growing contingent of cultivators who are returning to our cannabis roots and propagating old landrace and heirloom strains.”

Nobody knows exactly how many landrace strains exist and experts love to argue about what is and isn’t included in the rare list.

Here are a few known landrace strains (by no means a complete list). What you will find is that many of the names are indicative of the region in which they flourished.

Landrace Strains

  • Thai: Sativa from Thailand.
  • Panama Red: Sativa from Panama.
  • Hindu Kush: Indica from the Kush Mountain range on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
  • Afghani: Indica from the Afghan area.
  • Durban Poison: Sativa from Durban area of South Africa.
  • Punto Rojo – Sativa from Columbia.
  • Acapulco Gold – Sativa from Mexico.
  • Lamb’s Bread – Sativa from Jamaica.
  • Malawi – Sativa from Malawi, Africa.
  • Luang Prabang – Sativa from Laos.

 

New Summer Tradition: The Turkey Testicle Festival

Sam Jones
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New Summer Tradition: The Turkey Testicle Festival

This summer, you can take your pick of one of the testicle festivals happening around the country—if you have the balls, that is.

Testicle festivals generally celebrate the testes of turkeys. They’re located inside the bird’s body cavity (which explains why you’ve probably never seen one, um, raw). They’re grilled, deep fried, and celebrated alongside tons of other barbecue delicacies and down-home treats.

As the LA Times reported from the festival in Dunlap, California:

Cary Forehand bragged that his deep-fried turkey testicles were outselling the classic grilled ones, 8 to 1. It took a while to get the recipe right, Forehand said. He finally settled on cornmeal, flour and three kinds of salt: garlic, Lawry’s and Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning. Signs warned that they were fried in peanut oil. At least 200 people were there, playing horseshoes, dancing to country music and browsing through booths selling items like the pink hat with “Keepin’ It Rural” handwritten in silver glitter-glue. Organizers said heavier advertising had brought in what they considered to be a big crowd this year.

You might catch a bikini or best mustache competition, depending on the one you’re lucky enough to attend.

If you’re ready to get nuts, there’s a chance you have one near you: Places known for their testicle festivals include the oldest-running fest in Byron, Illinois, as well as others held in Deerfield, Michigan; Olean, Missouri; Tiro, Ohio; Oakdale, California; Huntley, Illinois; Stillwater, Oklahoma; Salmon, Idaho; Clinton, Montana and Fargo, North Dakota.

It still doesn’t beat Japan’s festival of the penis, but it’s slightly more tempting than Colorado’s Frozen Dead Guy Days. At least these balls are warm.

Gossip: Katy Perry Says Orlando Bloom Wanted Her To Go Paddleboarding Naked, Too; John Lithgow Loves Being Naked

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Katy Perry Says Orlando Bloom Wanted Her To Go Paddleboarding Naked, Too; John Lithgow Loves Being Naked

“He asked me if I wanted to be [naked] and I was just like, it’s one of those things where I was like, Oh nah,’” Perry, 32, recalled. “Just not in the mood.”

I’ll pass! Katy Perry opened up about ex Orlando Bloom’s infamous naked paddleboarding photos in a new interview with KIIS FM’s Kyle and Jackie O.

“He asked me if I wanted to be [naked] and I was just like, it’s one of those things where I was like, Oh nah,’” Perry, 32, recalled. “Just not in the mood.”

John Lithgow Loves Being Naked

Actor John Lithgow doesn’t mind filming nude scenes at all and unlike some, more modest actors, john bares all when it’s time to drop his pants.

“I was completely naked when filming the bath scenes in Dexter,” John tells Straight Shuter on WAKE UP WITH TAYLOR! “It was harder for the young actress than for me. I lost all sense of modesty years ago.”

John adds that finding great roles isn’t as easy as it seems even if he is willing to show everything.

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

Inside Florida’s Stifling Medical Marijuana Program

Mike Adams
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Inside Florida’s Stifling Medical Marijuana Program

While it is legal for medical marijuana cardholders to purchase weed from dispensaries, growing a few marijuana plants at home for personal use remains a serious offense.

After a legislative sideshow full of compromise and negotiations, Florida Governor Rick Scott finally got the opportunity last week to put his signature on a bill that allows the implementation of the medical marijuana program that voters approved last November. But despite the initial language of Amendment 2, which was designed to establish a comprehensive program, state lawmakers have done everything in their power to ensure Florida’s stifling medical marijuana program comes off as limp as possible. For starters, the new law does not allow patients to smoke marijuana. It only permits herbal consumption through cannabis products, like edibles and oils.

However, this aspect of the law is expected to be challenged soon by Orlando Attorney John Morgan, one of the key players in the campaign that brought the issue of medical marijuana to the voters in the first place. Morgan says the original language of Amendment 2 was intended to give patients the freedom to smoke their medicine.

He plans to sue the state in an attempt to change the law.

“I don’t know why they would object to anyone on their death bed wanting to use what they wanted to relieve pain and suffering,” Morgan told the Associated Press. “If they were really concerned about smoking, why don’t they heavily tax cigarettes?”

As we have seen with similar laws, the no-smoking rule means there is also no home cultivation. So, while it is legal for medical marijuana cardholders to purchase weed from dispensaries, growing a few plants at home for personal use remains a serious offense.

This part of the law is also being challenged.

Last week, Tampa strip club owner Joe Redner, who suffers from Stage-4 lung cancer, said he plans to sue the state for the right to grow up to 20 cannabis plants. His argument is that patients should be permitted to cultivate cannabis because the state’s definition of medical marijuana includes “all parts of the plant.”

Another major downer with the program is that it provides absolutely no protection for patients that are part of the workforce. This means people using medical marijuana can still be refused employment and even terminated from a position for submitting a positive test for cannabis.

”If you get tested positive for THC in your system, you may lose your job and it’s not fair to the people that have voted to use this as medicine,” Thomas Quigley, a medical marijuana advocate, told Fox News 13. “You could take 10 or 12 Percocet in a day and show up to work the next day and nothing’s wrong, but if they consume a little bit of cannabis the night before and test positive, they could lose their job.”

On the bright side, patients can immediately begin consulting with their doctor about the use of medical marijuana as part of their treatment plan. However, physicians are required to go through an online training course before they can write recommendations.

Everything You Need To Know About Traveling With Marijuana

Terry Hacienda
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Everything You Need To Know About Traveling With Marijuana

The Fourth of July weekend is upon us and for most Americans, it’s likely you will hit the road. According to AAA, a record-breaking 44.2 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more. Roughly 85 percent of the roadtrippers will make their trip by car.

Not only is this holiday one of the busiest for road travel, it is the also one of the most dangerous. More people die in motor vehicle crashes on July 4 than any other day of the year, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. A study by the  IIHS found that  an average 118.4 people die in crashes on the nation’s birthday, 28 more fatalities than an average day.

One of the biggest factors in the fatality rates is alcohol. The National Highway Traffic Safety Association estimated that 40 percent of all highway deaths between 2007 and 2011 were caused by drunk driving over the Fourth of July holiday.

Related Story:

With those sobering statistics staring you in the face, let’s discuss the matter of traveling with marijuana. How should you do it? Should you do it? Here’s what you need to know:

Rule For The Road

For the vast majority of you, this will be your mode of transportation over the holiday weekend. In most legal marijuana states, it is permissible to travel with up to one ounce of cannabis. But most states require the cannabis to be stored in a sealed container and inaccessible to the driver. So, basically, pack less than an ounce, put it in a sealed jar and place it in your trunk. An open baggie the passenger seat is not the wisest course of action.

Be careful in states bordering legal states. Patrol officers in Idaho, which borders both Washington and Oregon, are known to pull over out-of-state vehicles. Same with Nebraska, which borders Colorado.

If you are traveling from one legal state to the next (California to Oregon, for example), chances are you will be OK as long as you are not over the legal possession limit.

As for driving while impaired, please don’t. Booze accounts for 4 out of every 10 highway fatalities this holiday. Don’t make it worse by driving if you feel impaired. It’s just not worth it.

The Friendly Skies

If you are flying to your destination, keep in mind that policies — both official and unofficial — vary wildly depending on the state. But keep this in mind: Air travel is federally regulated by the FAA and the agency is crystal clear that cannabis is not permitted on board any aircraft.

So the best advice is to leave it at home. Seriously. It’s the safest way to avoid a crappy weekend. But if you are a chronic rule breaker, there are a few things to know.

The TSA is focused on catching passengers with explosives or weapons. The TSA security officers are not in the business of looking for weed. According to TSA:

TSA security officers do not search for marijuana or other drugs. In the event a substance that appears to be marijuana is observed during security screening, TSA will refer the matter to a law enforcement officer.

Whether or not marijuana is considered legal under local law is not relevant to TSA screening because TSA is governed by federal law. Federal law provides no basis to treat medical marijuana any differently than non-medical marijuana.

So if you get caught trying to bring cannabis with you on your flight, you won’t deal with the federal government, you will deal with local authorities. If you live in states that have a strict marijuana laws (you know, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, etc.) expect a hassle and probable arrest.

Some airports, such as LAX, are more, well, lax. The L.A. police officers assigned duty at LAX follow state laws, meaning it is legal for adults to possess up to an ounce of marijuana.

At Denver International Airport, it is illegal to possess marijuana on airport property, even though Colorado is a legal state. If you get nabbed with nugs, you will be kindly asked to place your weed in one of the “amnesty boxes” before getting on the plane.

If you insist on flying with cannabis, just be careful. Use common sense. Bring a small amount. But if you are risk averse or paranoid, just leave it at home.

Italian Patients Say Yes To Marijuana For Chronic Pain

Trey Reckling
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Italian Patients Say Yes To Marijuana For Chronic Pain

A group of scientists in Italy are pretty convinced that marijuana for chronic pain is a good idea. At least that is what they are saying in a recent study based on patient practices.

While not definitive, the stats were a bit more skewed than they probably anticipated. Before we get to the results, let’s take a step back and appreciate the path that delivered the opportunity.

The story of marijuana for medical purposes in Italy has been interesting but hasn’t always been smooth sailing. Since 2013 some patients in Italy have been allowed to use marijuana for medical purposes for a handful of most serious conditions. But the prices were steep. Because the country had been importing its medical marijuana from the Netherlands, Italian patients could expect to pay as much as $42.50 per gram for a period of time.

A year later, the Italian government announced that medical marijuana would be legally produced by a group they trusted to produce high quality, clean product: the Army. A military base in Florence houses the cannabis farm and a colonel is charged with overseeing its production and protection. They intended to rock the market by producing a substantial amount of marijuana. They planted a measly 135 plants. Still, it’s progress out of prohibition. 

Italian researchers hoped to contribute to that progress by shedding more light on the efficacy of marijuana for chronic pain. Their retrospective study that was the first of its kind examining cannabinoid therapies practiced in Italy. They compared the medical records of a patient population of 659 patients in the city of Pisa living with chronic pain and being treated with oral or vaporized cannabis. Nearly all were on other painkiller medications as well.

Interestingly, the most common method of ingestion was in the form of cannabis tea. The first and following dosages varied a great deal from patient to patient.

What was striking was the percentage of patients who chose to continue cannabis use as part of their pain therapy after one year. Three out of four of those patients (76 percent) continued cannabis use to help alleviate their pain. Less than 15 percent discontinued use due to mild side effects. Those are dramatic results.

The researchers concluded, “From this initial snapshot, we determined that the treatment seems to be effective and safe, although more data and subsequent trials are needed to better investigate its ideal clinical indication”

A review previously conducted at Harvard Medical School examines several studies of the efficacy of cannabis for chronic pain. It found that it’s use “is supported by high-quality evidence” and concluded that, “physicians should educate patients about medical marijuana to ensure that it is used appropriately and that patients will benefit from its use.”

No single study will change hearts and minds. But research begets research, especially when the results are as dramatic as this coming out of Italy. For patients with chronic pain that is a real reason to be hopeful.

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