In just two years, North Americans will spend more on recreational marijuana than they do on medical marijuana, according to a new report from Arcview Market Research.
The biggest reason for the shift is, obviously, the increasing number of states and regions that will likely legalize recreational use over the next few years. Business Insider notes that both Canada and California could full legalize marijuana as early as July 1, 2018, which would change the ways millions of North Americans think about and purchase cannabis.
“There’s huge growth in the user base when you stop requiring people to get medical recommendations … when you have stores selling edibles and concentrates, and not just the dealer around the corner selling bags of weed,” Tom Adams, editor in chief of Arcview Market Research, told Business Insider.
Adams said that the cannabis buying experience wouldn’t change dramatically for those who already use medical marijuana. “They go into the same stores — or even nicer or bigger stores, now that there are a lot more of them — and they just shop at the medical cash register,” he said.
The major difference, he said, will be in how the product is taxed. For instance, recreational weed will be taxed at a rate of 15 percent when it becomes legal in California. In Colorado, recreational users pay on average 15 to 20 percent more than medical patients do.
Few expressions are more tender than the love a father has for his son. Depending on your background and upbringing, that declaration can take many forms from the silent acknowledgment, to playing catch, to a father saying outright, “Son, I love you.”
But if you’re DJ Khaled’s son, that love is shared the same way Khaled shares all of his feelings—with the whole world. You might think Khaled Khaled ridiculous with his inspirational sermonizing and never-ending lifestyle updates, but the way his social media obsession manifested with the love for his son is pretty special.
Khaled’s son Asahd has his own Instagram that receives fresh updates constantly. Here is Asahd on the set of Pitch Perfect 3. Here he is chilling with pal Kevin Hart (don’t forget his other pal Justin Bieber). Here he is pulling up to Atlanta on a private jet. These are all transparently written in DJ Khaled’s voice, who frequently comments on his son’s posts with adorable messages. He is perhaps the only parent posting about their child on social media who isn’t annoying.
DJ Khaled also made Asahd the executive producer of his upcoming album Grateful, and featured him as the album cover for “Shining,” a track with Beyoncé and Jay Z on it. Khaled went on Jimmy Kimmel to detail how Asahd picks tracks (apparently his puke and poops are “blessings”). This has led some to lightheartedly play with Asahd’s posts and his responsibilities as a 4-month-old to executive produce a record.
Anyways, Asahd and Khaled as father and son is a special relationship to see displayed across the internet. Somehow, it doesn’t feel exploitive. Khaled comments on Asahd’s posts with these sweet, goofy comments that showcase his love in a unique way.
On HBO’s excellent mini-series “Big Little Lies,” a supporting character gets in trouble for attempting to sell her virginity on line for a good cause. A similar situation is now reportedly unfolding in the real world, save for the “good cause” part: An 18-year-old, aspiring Romanian model has reportedly auctioned off her virginity to a Hong Kong businessman for a staggering $2.5 million.
The Star reports that Aleexandra Khefren announced the winner of her very personal auction this week. The man is “very friendly,” she claims, but just in case representatives from Cinderella Escorts—a German company that hosted the auction and will take 20 percent of her earnings—will accompany her to meet the man.
“I wanted to sell my virginity with Cinderella Escorts rather than giving it to a future friend who might have left me anyway,” Kheferen said, according to The Star.“And I think many other girls have the same attitude. How many would possibly forgo their first time in retrospect if they could have 2.3 million euros ($2.5 million) instead?”
Since news of Kheferen’s sale broke, Cinderella says it has received hundreds of requests from other women.
“Over 300 virgins send us a request for selling their virginity on our website,” a rep told the Star. “Girls from Australia, Europe, Africa, North and South America, from arabic countries and from Asia.The wish of selling somebody’s virginity is no exception.”
University of British Columbia scientists have scanned the genome of cannabis plants to find the genes responsible for giving various strains their lemony, skunky or earthy flavors, an important step for the budding legal cannabis industry.
“The goal is to develop well-defined and highly-reproducible cannabis varieties. This is similar to the wine industry, which depends on defined varieties such as chardonnay or merlot for high value products,” said Jörg Bohlmann, a professor in the Michael Smith Laboratories and faculty of forestry at UBC. “Our genomics work can inform breeders of commercial varieties which genes to pay attention to for specific flavor qualities.”
The research is part of an ongoing collaboration between Bohlmann, graduate student Judith Booth, and Jonathan Page, an adjunct professor in the botany department who founded the cannabis testing and biotechnology company Anandia Labs.
They found about 30 terpene synthase genes that contribute to diverse flavours in cannabis. This number is comparable to similar genes that play a role in grapevine flavour for the wine industry. The genes the researchers discovered play a role in producing natural products like limonene, myrcene, and pinene in the cannabis plants. These fragrant molecules are generally known in the industry as terpenes.
“The limonene compound produces a lemon-like flavor and myrcene produces the dank, earthy flavour characteristic of purple kush,” said Booth.
They also found a gene that produces the signature terpene of cannabis, beta-caryophyllene, which interacts with cannabinoid receptors in human cells along with other active ingredients in cannabis.
Bohlmann says the economic potential of a regulated cannabis industry is huge, but a current challenge is that growers are working with a crop that is not well standardized and highly variable for its key natural product profiles.
“There is a need for high-quality and consistent products made from well defined varieties.” he said.
The researchers say it will also be important to examine to what extent terpene compounds might interact with the cannabinoid compounds such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that confer the medicinal properties of cannabis.
If you live in a major city, odds are you’ve seen people doing something called freestyle calisthenics or “street workouts.” Loosely defined, those workouts are when a person or a group of people use readily available objects in public—bars, benches, street signs, playground equipment, etc.— as a type of gym equipment that relies only on bodyweight. Participants use the objects for pull- and chin-ups, dips, ab workouts, and more. The movement has become so popular that it has inspired a documentary called Raise Up: The World is Our Gym. Rain Bennett, the film’s director, recently spoke to Men’s Health about the fitness trend and his movie.
When asked what made the sport so unique, Bennett pointed to its inclusivity. “It breaks down all barriers: Age, gender, race, sexuality, nationality, and most importantly, socioeconomic barriers.” he said. “This spoke to underprivileged people most of all. Freestyle calisthenics grew in popularity because literally anyone can do it.”
He also spoke about the power of extreme calisthenics to change lives and shape communities. “I don’t know that there’s a sports culture out there that does so much for people’s lives, in terms of getting them out of gangs, getting them off drugs, out of jail,” he said. “I’m sure basketball has saved someone’s life—I don’t doubt that for a second, but I don’t need a court to go do freestyle calisthenics. I don’t need a basketball to go do this. I don’t need to be a member of the YMCA to go do this. I can go to any park right now. Hell, I can go to the tree that I’m looking at outside my house and start doing pullups.”
“I don’t know why, but it is insane how freestyle calisthenics transforms the confidence, mentality, and spirituality of the people that participate in it,” he added.
There seems to be some concern among those involved with the movement that it will become too mainstream and lose some of what made it special in the first place. Bennett, however, remains cautiously optimistic. “I think at the end of the day, if we can maintain the heart and soul of the culture, which is bettering one’s self and bettering someone else, I think that’s going to keep the culture alive,” he said.
Read the rest of the Men’s Health with Bennett interview here and check out Raise Up: The World is Our Gym’s trailer below.
As far as sports go, golf is relatively safe. There are no large men in cleats chasing after you. But there is the occasional big-ass gator.
As far as sports go, golf is relatively safe. There’s no physical contact with anyone, so you don’t have to worry about broken bones or serious concussions. There’s no running, so no real concern about strained muscles or ruptured tendons. There are no large men in cleats chasing after you. But there are, on occasion, big-ass gators.
In the past few weeks, we’ve shared a story about a golfer who panicked after nearly stepping on a gator he thought was a rock and a story about a huge gator walking across a golf course as he calmly ate a large fish. Now we have another gator tale for you.
As Fox 4 reports, last week Daniel McNamara and his partner were playing a round of golf at a course near near Port Charlotte when McNamara’s partner hit an errant shot, sending a ball right into the head of gator chilling by a pond near the course’s third hole. You think a gator might scamper off into the pond after being hit by the ball, or simply ignore it.
After being struck, the gator quickly turned its head and crawled towards the offending object, which he examined for a second before taking it into his mouth and slinking back into the water.
One of Marvel’s biggest mysteries of the past three years was revealed in the 5th and final issue of The Unworthy Thor. Jason Aaron’s Thor run has been seminal since his start with Thor: God of Thunder and as one story concludes we can only pray another begins anew. Thor spoilers are below so if you are not current on the Asgardian’s comings and goings, to reading further, I say thee nay.
Cover Art via Marvel
Way back in Original Sin #7 (August 2014), Nick Fury whispered something to Thor. Whatever it was he said to the Thundergod, it instantly made him unworthy to wield his mythical hammer Mjolnir. This sent Thor into a deep depression and an even deeper drinking bender. Being in such a state, he even lost a fight to Malekith and got his arm cut off. But when your dad is the All Father, you receive incredible health coverage and Thor (now going by the name Odinson) is outfitted with a prosthetic arm made of black uru.
Meanwhile Mjolnir decided to start seeing other people and called out to Jane Foster. She became the new Thor and has had adventures aplenty. Unfortunately for her, she has cancer. And although her prognosis is hopeful, every time she lifts Mjolnir to transform into Thor, her chemo treatments are nullified, so that when she transforms back into Jane, it’s as if she’s received no treatment and she’s getting worse everyday. But the 10 realms need a Thor so she persists, despite the fact transforming into Thor is killing her.
Just before the death of the Marvel Universe, Odinson found that he could pick up a Mjolnir from another universe. This hammer had an opposite enchantment that allowed only the “unworthy” to wield it. (Seems like a poor enchantment, like just about anybody could pick that thing up.) Soon though, as the universe was dying, Odinson tried to lift his unworthy hammer one last time to battle a horde of Beyonders with his BFF Hyperion. Only to find that he was now worthy again and could not lift it. After a hearty laugh at his circumstance and fate, he was killed.
Cover Art via Marvel
But as luck would have it, (comic bookery in action) the Marvel Universe was born anew, combining a few of the more popular/profitable universes together to make and All New All Different Marvel Universe. The Odinson is alive again and seeks yet another Mjolnir. Not just any Mjolnir mind you, but the one from the Ultimate universe. It was cast into the void by Ultimate Thor (confused yet?) during the Secret Wars: Thors event. And the Odinson really wants that damn hammer.
Unfortunately, after finally locating it, he finds it is housed in the private collection of the Collector. So he and his old friend Beta Ray Bill try to get their hands on it, but end up as part of the Collector’s Collection. Upon their escape they find that they’re not the only ones seeking this hammer, but that Thanos himself wants it. After fighting tooth and nail against Thanos’ Black Order, Thor Odinson finally gets his hands on the Ultimate Mjolnir, only to face Thanos himself in a final battle.
Three years, two hammers, and a handful of Thors later, when Odinson is presented the opportunity to claim the Ultimate Mjolnir, he refuses. Odinson accepts that the hammer isn’t his to wield, and really what he wanted was the weighty purpose something like Mjolnir delivers. And it’s not that Odinson believes just himself unworthy of the hammer, but that all Asgardian Gods are.
Cover Art via Marvel
As it were, the words Nick Fury told Thor was that “Gorr was right.” The God Butcher had launched his assault on the gods, believing they’d abused the mortals’ faith below them far too long and their end was fast approaching. Though Odinson opposed Gorr, deep down he knew Nick Fury was right as soon as heard it. That’s why he believes no god is worthy of Mjolnir, including himself.
There was more to come from Unworthy Thor’s final issue, like the introduction of “War Thor,” which sounds delightful (and not just because it rhymes). As always in comic book, just who the identity is of this new Thor, we’ll have to wait until the next months to find out.
Fifty-seven percent of Americans now support legalized marijuana, according to the newly-released results from 2016 survey by the General Social Survey. That figure is up five percent since a similar survey was conducted in 2014.
The Washington Postreports the numbers are even higher among younger people. Two-thirds of people 18 to 34 support legalization, while people the majority of people surveyed between 35 to 49 and 50 to 64 support it.
As you might expect, only old people oppose it—only 42 percent support legalization, according to the survey.
There is room for hope though, even for the olds: In 2008, just 21 percent of people 65 and older supported it, so perhaps in another eight years the majority of our elders will have changed their minds (or at least have died off and been replaced by younger—and more weed friendly—baby boomers).
There was a similar divide between Republicans, Independents, and Democrats. Over 60 percent of Independents and Democrats said they favored legalization, compared to just 40 percent of Republicans.
Insiders stress that the Grammy winner has not made a decision regarding the film yet, as the star is pregnant with twins. But since it’s a voice-acting role, sources say the studio and director will do whatever it takes to accommodate her schedule. The songstress announced her pregnancy in early February and dropped out as a Coachella headliner by month’s end. Lady Gaga will replace the “Single Ladies” singer at the desert music and arts festival next month.
Donald Glover is on board to voice Simba and James Earl Jones is reprising his role as Simba’s father, Mufasa.
Favreau is directing with Jeff Nathanson writing. The film is being fast-tracked, even as Favreau begins development on his sequel to the recent hit “The Jungle Book.”
“Lion King” was originally released in 1994 and is one of the highest-grossing animated films of all time, ultimately hauling $968.5 million worldwide.
The studio’s emphasis on live-action adaptations follows the successes of “Alice in Wonderland” (2010), “Maleficent” (2014), “Cinderella” (2015), and, most recently, “Beauty and the Beast.”
This would mark Beyonce’s first film role since lending her voice to the Fox animated film”Epic.” Her other major movie credits include the 2009 thriller “Obsessed,” 2006 movie musical “Dreamgirls,” and 2002 Mike Myers comedy “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”
“Katy found out he was cheating and dumped him. Orlando can’t keep it in his pants,” sources tell NAUGHTY GOSSIP. “She was out the second she found out what he was doing.”
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The bill allows for 15 growers and 60 dispensaries in the state, with the possibility to increase both if there is a demand for them. People with prescriptions will be allowed to grow two plants in their own homes.
Alongside the signing of Senate Bill 386, the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Commission was set up to “develop policies, procedures, guidelines, and regulations to implement programs to make medical cannabis available to qualifying patients in a safe and effective manner,” according to the Charleston Gazette-Mail, as well as a Cannabis Revenue Fund that will allocate 10 percent to safe cannabis use and substance abuse and alcohol recovery programs.
The bill signing on Wednesday was an emotional moment for many advocates of legalized marijuana. Rusty Williams, a man who’d been diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2012 and credits medical marijuana for his recovery and remission, “burst into tears” at the signing, the Gazette-Mail reports:
“I wish I could properly put it into words,” [Williams] said. “I don’t know how to describe it — to know that something got me through the most hopeless I ever felt in my life … to know there’s an illegal flower that can get you through that,” his voice trailed off, before he thanked a “small, dedicated group of people” for their work on the issue.
Cancer patients will be far from the only people to benefit from this bill: West Virginia is known as the “epicenter of the opioid crisis,” with the highest rate of deaths from overdoses of any state. As legal weed gains traction in the U.S. and shows potential for easing the opioid crisis, medical marijuana in West Virginia could be welcome relief for a variety of pain sufferers.
