Nevada’s idea to use its medical marijuana market to temporarily service the recreational crowd is supposed to launch sometime within the next month. So far, the state has received more than 140 applications from companies wanting to sell weed in a manner similar to beer.
Once the state gets the details of its “early sales” scheme hashed out, adults 21 and older would be allowed to walk into select dispensaries and purchase up to an ounce of marijuana without a being required to show proof of their medical marijuana affiliation.
The goal is to get recreational pot sales up and going in just enough time to beat the summertime tourism rush that is set to start building momentum in the coming weeks.
Las Vegas alone is expected to see as many as 43 million visitors this year.
While early pot sales could certainly become a boon for the state in terms of maximizing its overall tax revenue, there is still a distinct possibility that the whole plan could be sabotaged by the alcohol industry.
It seems that when voters approved recreational marijuana last November, they gave area alcohol distributors the monopoly on retail pot sales for the first 18 months. Although state officials say they have not received that much interest from these types of companies wanting to get into the business of slinging weed, a small gang of green-eyed distributors have made enough noise to cause early pot sales some real trouble.
This is a controversial issue because no one is actually stopping the alcohol industry from applying for licenses to sell weed. The problem is around 13 alcohol distributors want to take over early sales exclusively, not allowing anyone else to get involved – not even those medical marijuana businesses that already have the experience and infrastructure to perform the task at hand.
For now, no one is sure exactly how the judge’s order will affect the recreational marijuana application process.
Nevada’s recreational cannabis industry is expected to generate $7.5 billion in economic activity within the first seven years. With nearly 13 percent of the state’s gross domestic product coming from the tourism trade, it is absolutely imperative for the state to address this snag in order to stay on track with those projections.
It was the bombshell announcement that never was. The Woulda Shoulda Coulda of the Obama Administration. According to HuffPost, some officials in Barack Obama’s drug czar office wanted to dramatically shift the federal marijuana policy, but backed off for political reasons.
“ONDCP [the Office of National Drug Control Policy] was in favor of decriminalizing but not legalizing,” former deputy director A. Thomas McLellan, who worked in the White House office during Obama’s first term, told HuffPost in a story published on Tuesday.
According to the report:
Such a policy shift could have given a shot of momentum to efforts to relax marijuana laws across the country. But it never happened, in large part because officials were worried it would consume the office at a time when they needed to focus on the more pressing issue of the opioid epidemic.
The Office of National Drug Control Policy, which is more commonly known as the drug czar’s office, also determined that it couldn’t publicly support decriminalizing marijuana because of a provision in the legislation that authorized its existence.
The controversial provision claims that “the legalization of illegal drugs is an unconscionable surrender in the war on drugs.” Despite scientific research to the contrary, this clause, written in 1988 during the height of the Reagan era War on Drugs, put the ONDCP in a difficult position. Since it was incumbent on the drug czar’s office to “oppose any attempt to legalize” marijuana, there was very little room for compromise, according to Michael Botticelli, the former director of the ONDCP.
“It forced the office to take a policy position that it may or may not agree to,” Botticelli told HuffPost. “[It] hamstrings you into a policy position that might be the policy of the day but that might change.”
Botticelli and other agency officials pushed internally for more federal funding for cannabis research and attempted to create a more balanced, scientific approach to the issue. But, according to Botticelli, the cost in political capital was just too expensive.
“You have to figure out if the juice is worth the squeeze,” he said.
In a “6o Minutes” segment aired in 2015, Botticelli declared the war on drugs a failure. “We can’t arrest and incarcerate addiction out of people,” he said. “Not only do I think it’s really inhumane, but it’s ineffective and it cost us billions upon billions of dollars to keep doing this.”
Fast forward to 2017 and the chances of a more lenient position on marijuana seems unlikely. Attorney General Jeff Sessions began reversing reforms begun under Obama.
Those changes are “very alarming,” Botticelli told HuffPost. “It seems like we are moving backwards instead of forward,” he said. “And to a position that I think doesn’t have a lot of science and evidence. We’ve tried that approach for a very long time, and it doesn’t seem to really have made a significant difference.”
This avocado trend has officially gotten out of hand. Or rather, too much in hand. More people are getting hurt from avocado-related injuries, and not just from surge pricing, it’s the dreaded “Avocado Hand.”
The invent of avocado toast and avocado smushed on everything has created an Inception-like trend within a trend: avocado hand. It’s what happens when you fail at cutting an avocado, specifically removing the pit. It happened to Meryl Streep back in 2012 (she had to have surgery), so it could happen to any of us!
Avocado hand even has its own hashtag on Instagram, because of course it does.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BT9834qgBqc
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUm3gwIAMOa
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The Times of Londonis calling avocado hand a “global phenomenon,” and states the British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons wants safety labels on the fruit to avoid the growing number of trips to the ER.
Unless you can convince your Instagram followers that those red splashes on your top-angle avocado toast pic is hot sauce, here’s a super simple and safe way to remove an avocado pit. Step away from the sharp objects until you’ve watched this.
Some really smart people at MIT just invented pasta that sprouts into 3D shapes when added to water. Think of it as “edible origami.”
According to MIT News, the flat discs of gelatin can also be wrapped around “beads of caviar, similar to cannoli, as well as spaghetti that spontaneously divides into smaller noodles when dunked in hot broth.”
This new technique has the potential to save on food costs, as retailers will be able to fit more pasta into packaging containers.
“We did some simple calculations, such as for macaroni pasta, and even if you pack it perfectly, you still will end up with 67 percent of the volume as air,” says MIT research scientist Wen Wang, “We thought maybe in the future our shape-changing food could be packed flat and save space.”
According to the Baltimore Sun, Circuit Judge Barry Williams ruled that the process of issuing medical marijuana growing licenses in Maryland be halted until June 2. The reason isn’t opponents of medical marijuana legalization in the state, but comes from another potential grower.
Alternative Medicine Maryland, as well as the Legislative Black Caucus, claim that the process unfairly excludes owners of color. Fifteen preliminary licenses were awarded by the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission, none of which have black owners. From the Baltimore Sun:
A state law required the commission to “encourage” participation by minorities and to “actively seek to achieve racial, ethnic and geographic diversity when licensing medical cannabis growers.” Although the commission used geographic diversity as a selection criteria — albeit in a way that’s subject to another lawsuit — the commission did not inquire about, nor consider, the racial or ethnic identity of applicants.
None of the 15 companies granted preliminary approval to grow the drug are led by African-Americans. Alternative Medicine Maryland, which is led by an African-American doctor from New York, was not ranked by the cannabis commission among the top 15 companies seeking a growing license and filed a lawsuit last fall challenging the award process.
Diversity in Maryland’s issuing of licenses has been a topic of controversy since last year, as the Washington Post reports:
A spokeswoman for the Maryland Medical Cannabis Commission said there will be future opportunities to expand minority participation when the agency awards dispensary licenses and when it considers issuing more cultivation licenses in 2018 if supply doesn’t meet demand. Businesses must also submit annual reports on the racial breakdown of their ownership and workforce, providing a more comprehensive look at the industry’s diversity.
As DrugPolicy.org reports, 70 to 80 percent of arrests for cannabis possession happening in communities of color, while less than one percent of the legalized market is owned or operated by individuals of color.
After June 2, Judge Williams will revisit whether to extend that ban until the conclusion of the lawsuit.
Jennifer Garner hasn’t started dating since ending her marriage because she “isn’t ready.”
The actress, who filed for divorce from Ben Affleck on April 13, is “doing okay, This has really been the most difficult decision for her. But it’s time to focus on the future.”
Sources Close To JLO Say Kids Are Not Fans Of A-Rod
An insider says, “Alex has made a huge effort to get to know her kids, but they are not having it ……. When Alex tries to talk to them, they both sit there and stare in silence.”
NDTV reports the video was posted by Nashik resident Chandrashekhar Galgale, who, in one of his Twittere replies, pinpointed this specific stall as being on Marine Drive in the city of Kochi.
Imagine a scenario where you had to explain fidget spinners to someone who had absolutely zero reference point. You couldn’t use your phone to show pictures or videos either. Through just your words, what do fidget spinners exactly do?
Well the chefs at Houston-based Reef demonstrated a more practical usage of fidget spinners in the culinary world—plating food. It turns out the toy is deceptively useful at painting artistic patterns across a plate’s surface. Just look.
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The above video is kind of a response to Chef Eric Rippert’s publicized move of banning fidget spinners from his kitchen. He posted an image of a fidget spinner in the Le Bernadin kitchen with a giant piece of paper stating, “CONFISCATED.”
So that’s why the chefs at Reef captioned their fidget-spinning masterpiece with the caption, “Don’t confiscate elevate!” As Eater pointed out, fidget spinners have become a giant distraction in kitchens, and might soon pass smartphones in that regard.
But quite possibly, if other chefs embrace the trend, it could be newest culinary tool to hit kitchens countrywide. We doubt it, though.
Marijuana is becoming more and more normalized as it slowly gets legalized throughout different states. This hasn’t always been the case, and it has forced some cannabis companies to come up with ingenious and creative ways of creating an easy to disguise product, which in turn has led to some quirky and strange things that range from asthma inhalers to some cannabis infused pizza sauce.
While cannabis is no longer as taboo as it used to be, some of the craziness has still stuck around. Here are 10 of the weirdest cannabis products we could find:
This is clearly not for asthma, but it’s a smart device that’ll allow the user to be discreet and to be able to smoke in front of everyone without attracting any attention.
While slightly dangerous, these sleek cufflinks will surely make you the coolest person at a fancy party. If you don’t set yourself on fire, of course.
This air freshener is for your car, so you can carry around the smell of marijuana everywhere you go. Just be sure to use it on states where it’s legal.
A post shared by Dope On A Rope Soap (@dopeonaropesoap) on
While the name may imply otherwise, Dope On A Rope is innocently just a bar of soap. A really good one that moisturizes your skin thanks to the cannabis in it.
Meet the marijuana couture brand ASCHE Industries, a modern cannabis smoking accoutrement and small leather goods line born out of New York’s fashion scene. ASCHE’s owner and founder, Molly Kavanagh, is a former model leading the modern cannabis smoker in their quest to purchase accessories with style, design, and fashion not found at your typical smoke shop or bodega.
Photo courtesy of ASCHE
ASCHE’s products vary from highly functional pendants that double as grinders to a small collection of classic odor-free handbags. The brand has become the go-to cannabis couture of Rihanna and prides itself on being equal parts practical and fashionable. ASCHE recently debuted their new Summer Safari collection, which includes a ‘White Elephant’ scent-controlled pouchette and an 18K gold vermeil elephant roach clip with emeralds. A proceeds of the sales will be donated to the African Wildlife Foundation.
To learn more about ASCHE’s new collection and its company, I called up Kavanagh to learn how the business started and her views on the modern cannabis smoker.
How long did you have this idea for a luxury cannabis fashion line?
I’ve been a smoker for a very long time and it kind of just hit me 2014 Christmas time. It took me a couple years to develop the company and the product and all of that. I looked online and at the time there weren’t any other elevated companies providing any higher end accessories.
Photo courtesy of ASCHE
The bag came first, the scent-controlled pouchette. There just wasn’t anything me or any of my friends wanted to carry. We’d carry our pot in those little Mexican souvenir bags and it was like, “What are we doing here?” Then I started doing research on different technology and fabric and ways to block odor and combinations of all these things together. That took a really long time.
I was working with a designer that did accessories for Marc Jacobs and a few other major brands. We should help me on the side. We made some things and I would pass them out to my friends and different people and wear-test them. Make sure the bag works and all that. Everyone really wanted something super sleek to put in their bags or their backpockets.
How would you qualify that initial reaction to ASCHE versus to its bubbling popularity now where celebrities like Rihanna are wearing it?
It was a slow start because nobody wanted to talk about the industry or pot. No one wanted to admit they smoked it, really. Everybody did, they just didn’t want to say it. Of course when you’re with your friends, you talk about it and everyone is cool with it. But to other co-workers or whatever you didn’t want to talk about it.
When I first launched I couldn’t get a PR company at the time. It was really difficult. In the northeast we’re farther behind than the west coast [in terms of the stigma surrounding marijuana]. This one PR guy told me, “You don’t want to tell anyone this product is for cannabis. Just let them figure it out.” I was like, “What?”
Now there’s whole creative agencies geared to the cannabis industry and branding companies and this whole new wave of creative in cannabis. It’s unbelievably cool and really exciting because we’re just in the beginning of everything.
Photo courtesy of ASCHE
It’s funny because you hear stories of celebrities at the Oscars openly consuming and I think you identified a market that had just been sitting there for a long time. Can you speak on that?
I believe most artists whether they’re musicians or fashion designers…the creatives have been smoking forever. I think the celebrity status have a little bit of an issue admitting they’re users, but Rihanna has basically come out and said she doesn’t give a fuck, right? It’s allowed other people now to say I don’t care either.
They’re a few of the older generation still stuck on that idea of needing to be a bit conservative or they don’t want to say anything. The Susan Sarandon types. She’ll say she smokes occasionally, but it’s different from generation to generation.
I think for all creatives it’s another outlet for them to be open and to use it in their artwork. The cannabis ritual inspires them and gets them creative.
Photo courtesy of ASCHE
For you in your personal life did you see a mixed bag of reaction when you announced this was something you were pursuing?
[laughing] Yeah. Most people that I hang out with…I’ve been in the fashion business for 13 years and I would talk about the company and they would think it was really exciting. They couldn’t wait to see the next sample being made. But yeah, me telling my conservative family that are Republicans was interesting. That was a funny Thanksgiving topic. But everyone seems to be less concerned with it now and everyone’s really excited for it.
I’ve had a positive response for the most part, though.
Would you say your trend line has gone up in correlation with how public views and legislation have changed toward cannabis?
I do agree with that. Even though our legislation here in New York is behind, we are a fashion-forward city. Whether the cannabis industry likes it or not, it is fashion, it is on trend. New York pushes that forward, too, with fashion.
Who would you say your product is for and it is that going to change as you move forward?
I actually have a meeting with a company called Blunted Objects, which were collaborating and they’re at a more approachable price point. I like to be accessible to all ASCHE fans. You know, I have interns that want to be able to purchase the products. I do want to open up to a younger audience, but the majority of who I sell to are ages 25-60 and they’re mostly women. Or men buying for women.
Photo courtesy of ASCHE
I do sell a lot of the nickel-sized black bag to men. They use them as wallets and to carry their stash. It’s funny with the pricing because I’ve had people say they want it less expensive which—it’s made in America, it’s made in New York City, there’s’ really not a lot of room because of the quality and the materials that go into it. On the flip side I’ve been asked if they could get the whole entire key covered in diamonds. The safari collection I’m offering with emeralds or you can get crystals to make it a lower price point. But people want that higher end more so than the cheaper foreign company.
So you’re not fast fashion basically.
No, I’d say we’re quite the opposite. We’re more slow fashion [laughing].
Your business is part of this bubbling movement of luxury cannabis products and I’m wondering as we see more of this stuff and you guys produce different types of products, do you ultimately believe this will help usher a more legitimate move of cannabis and move us away from the stoner stigma?
Yeah I think we should have more designers and more brands and more elevated markets. You’ll see companies replacing their whole packaging, going to amazing creatives to redo their whole packaging for their strains and things like that. They know the market is growing and changing. It’s moving towards that.
The less the stigma, the less the stoner attitude [the better]. I also think that’s generational, too. That’s part of the hippy, people who are in their 50s, 60s, or older, they’re kind of still like that. It’s also where you live in the country. There are parts of the country are more inclined to that green lifestyle, that hippy lifestyle. But I think the majority is the direction of more modern, elevated packaging and accessories.
I was talking with one of the girls from Beboe and she said, “You wouldn’t put your really expensive wine you’re sharing with a dinner party in a plastic cup, right? So why would you do that with your expensive cannabis?” You don’t want to serve it in a crappy bong or whatever. I think it’s all moving in that modern direction.
It also helps when one of our most public—if you want to call her this—stoners is Rihanna, who is the most antithetical to what previously existed. I would say that definitely helps.
Yeah, she’s leading the way of not caring and being you. Being real.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
