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Researchers Will Pay You $10 Per Hour To Smoke Marijuana

Mike Adams
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Researchers Will Pay You $10 Per Hour To Smoke Marijuana

A team of scientific minds from the halls of Washington State University is currently looking to employee a handful of enthusiastic consumers to smoke marijuana and get paid.

According to a report from CBS-affiliate KREM, researchers are willing to pay people $10 per hour to simply smoke marijuana and help them find a solution to gauging cannabis impairment. Although several prototypes from various companies have surfaced over the past several years, there is still no accurate breath detection device available for marijuana intoxication.

“We’re trying to create a roadside tool for law enforcement and businesses to detect if someone is inebriated or under the influence of marijuana… This is cutting edge – there is nothing in the world like this,” Research Assistant Nathan Weller told the news source.

In order to qualify for participation in the study, volunteers need to be at least 21 years old, a resident of Pullman, Washington and willing to submit to a series of preliminary testing prior to acceptance. Once the candidate has been approved, they would be given free reign to purchase any marijuana of their choosing from a neighborhood dispensary to smoke at home until the time comes for evaluation. At that point, researchers plan to send taxi cabs to gather the participants in an effort to prevent any of them from driving under the influence.

As it stands, more than half the nation has legalized marijuana in some form or fashion, but unlike with alcohol, there is no detection method available that can differentiate between someone who has smoked marijuana in the past week or within the past two hours.

However, Weller feels confident that his team’s work will lead to a solution.

“Law enforcement and businesses are struggling to enforce a no drug policy in legalized states. Often times, they have to wait for test results. This tool helps both government agencies and businesses get fast results to determine who is in fact under the influence,” Weller said.

In order to prevent innocent people from being tossed in jail, it is absolutely imperative that science finds an effective device for determining marijuana impairment. But that is easier said than done.

“We don’t have a consensus as to what levels of THC are consistently correlated with behavioral impairment,” Paul Armentano, deputy director for NORML, told Business Insider in 2016.

Anyone interested in getting involved in the study will need to act fast. Researchers are reportedly enrolling volunteers beginning this week, with the examination expected to last until sometime around mid-June.

Gossip: Sasheer Zamata, Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer Leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’; Who Gets Prince’s Estate Money

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Sasheer Zamata, Bobby Moynihan, Vanessa Bayer Leaving ‘Saturday Night Live’; Who Gets Prince’s Estate Money

Sasheer Zamata is leaving “Saturday Night Live” and will not return for the new season, multiple outlets reported on Sunday, May 21.

The 31-year-old comedian, who joined the cast of SNL during its 38th season in 2014, performed in her last show on Saturday, May 20 — the season 42 finale — according to “Entertainment Tonight.”

She leaves the show alongside Bobby Moynihan and Vanessa Bayer, who previously announced their departures.

Zamata joined the NBC comedy show at a time when the series was being criticized for its lack of diversity. She became known for her impersonations of Michelle Obama, Beyoncé and Rihanna.

While the comedian has not confirmed her departure and NBC is not commenting, Zamata posted a photo on Instagram on Sunday morning that showed her being lifted up by “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost and guest host Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

Who Gets Prince’s Estate Money?

A Minnesota judge has officially ruled that Prince‘s six siblings are the heirs to his estate.

via Page Six:

In a ruling made public Friday, Carver County District Judge Kevin Eide declared that Prince died without a will and that his sister, Tyka Nelson, and five half-siblings are his heirs.

There are people who filed appeals after their claims of heirship were rejected. Eide said that if the appellate courts send those cases back to him, he’ll still fully consider them.

Eide also said Prince’s assets won’t be distributed without a formal court order and that nothing will be distributed that might adversely affect the claims of those with pending appeals.

Eide had previously said he wouldn’t declare the siblings as heirs until those appeals had been decided. Attorneys for those who appealed said their interests would be harmed if the district court didn’t wait out the appeals process.

But lawyers for Prince’s siblings didn’t want to wait, saying further delays would have increased costs to the estate and impede its efficient administration.

Prince died April 2016 of an accidental drug overdose.

Court filings suggest his estate is worth around $200 million. Federal and state estate taxes are expected to consume about half the value.

Hopefully now everyone can stop fighting about it.

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

Bobby Moynihan Is SNL’s Character Comedian Genius And Here’s His Most Hysterical Sketch

Brendan Bures
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Bobby Moynihan Is SNL’s Character Comedian Genius And Here’s His Most Hysterical Sketch

You’re not supposed to notice Bobby Moynihan. Though he’s been on “Saturday Night Live” for nine seasons, he disappears on screen, slipping fully into whatever character he plays or creates. A character comedian on level with Will Ferrell and Amy Poehler, able to wholeheartedly become someone else before your eyes, Moynihan is.

Those characters of his own making are singular and singularly-minded. Drunk Uncle, Anthony Crispino, Retail Employee Niff. All woefully ignorant, tunnel-visioned creatures, unable to see the disparity of their perceptions and reality, which is where the comedy comes from. Even his impressions—Chris Christie, Guy Fieri, Snooki—operate in that same manner. It’s possibly why Moynihan can mine fresh jokes out of these public figures on the butt of so many already.

With all these characters he isn’t mean, but empathetic, often underscoring these larger-than-life personalities with a layer of loneliness or sadness, reminding you his characters only act in an obnoxious manner because they want to be loved yet know they’re not. And while Kenan Thompson will forever remain the SNL king of jump-cut reaction shots, Bobby Moynihan is a close second in making you laugh solely by the look in his eyes or shape of his face.

It was recently announced Bobby Moynihan is officially leaving SNL following nine seasons on the show. As legendary as the comedians who have rolled through Studio 8H, no one has made me laugh harder than Moynihan. At least when we’re discussing his best sketch, his laughs per minute rating is a 99+ and as silly as anything the show has ever done. When watching this live, my roommates at the time burst into the living room, worried over my safety because I was howling, giggling, and crying. To quote Louis C.K., I thought it was “hilarious.” That sketch would be Kirby and his kitty Fuzz Alrdin.

https://www.hulu.com/watch/409945

This is the first of two appearances Moynihan made as Kirby. You know how some episodes of South Park, Trey Parker and Matt Stone will hit you with a funny gag, then pound that gag into the ground, only to resurrect it by episode’s end and it transform into something funnier than it was originally? Think of this sketch following that same pattern as Moynihan plays a flamboyant astronaut part of a crew on a mission that is humanity’s only hope. But he won’t stop talking about his kitty cat.

Moynihan commits all the way for this sketch. At first you’re unsure how to accept Moynihan’s Kirby, he seems too weird, too out there. But he wears you down through pure repetition of stating, “I miss my little kitty cat.” This sketch disarms you, solely because of Moynihan, and you’re wholly unaware where this is all going, if anywhere at all. The popular and culturally influential SNL sketches exist in this world, and you can usually anticipate the comedy. While still funny, they aren’t gut-bursting like Moynihan’s Kirby because you with someone like this you can’t predict the punchlines. You’re eating out of Moynihan’s hands—and Fuzz Aldrin’s paws—willing to follow him wherever he so chooses.

https://www.hulu.com/watch/544706

If you don’t fall for dumb animals puns like “Tom Cruise Cat in Frisky Business” and “Kitty Purry,” that’s fine. This sketch isn’t for you (neither is BoJack Horseman perhaps). Both of Moynihan’s Kirby and Fuzz Aldrin sketches are delirious and nonsensical and won’t be the first mention in his SNL history bio. But it showcases why I love watching Bobby Moynihan throughout his run on Saturday Night Live. He knows he’s ridiculous, but Moynihan bores full steam ahead regardless, content to let the whole world think of him what they will. I’ll miss him. And his little kitty cat.

Banned In School: Are Fidget Spinners Helping Or Just Annoying?

Maria Loreto
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Banned In School: Are Fidget Spinners Helping Or Just Annoying?

Fidget spinners were introduced as a tool for treating ADHD and autism, but have become a distraction, according to schools in New York and Florida.

The spinners are usually small discs with three round edges that produce a calming effect (and annoying hum) when spun. People use them because they soothe, and there’s no shortage of YouTube videos of them in action. These devices promise greater concentration, especially for those that battle with some type of attention disorder, which is apparently everyone on the planet these days.

Because scientists and doctors disagree that the gadget actually creates any real progress for those who suffer from ADHD or anxiety, schools have banned the device from class rooms  in Florida and New York after being overrun with students spinning in class.

So Fidget Spinner, are you a good thing, or just another way to annoy adults?

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Are ICE Agents Using Marijuana As An Excuse To Arrest Immigrants?

Drug Policy Alliance
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Are ICE Agents Using Marijuana As An Excuse To Arrest Immigrants?

On Wednesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reported a nearly 40 percent increase in immigrant arrests in the first 100 days of the Trump administration compared to the same time period in 2016, including a nearly 20 percent increase in ICE arrests of immigrants convicted of a criminal offense from 25,786 people in 2016 to 30,473 people this year.

It is unclear from the data made available by ICE on Wednesday what proportion of these convictions stemmed from drug charges. However, a 2014 Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University report showed that nearly 250,000 — one-quarter of a million — people were deported for nonviolent drug offenses from 2008 to 2014. A nonviolent drug offense was the cause of deportation for more than one in ten (11 percent of) people deported in 2013 for any reason — and nearly one in five (19 percent) of those who were deported because of a criminal conviction.

Advocates stress that these numbers can be expected to continue to rise dramatically and are the latest sign that the Trump administration threatens to exploit drug war policing and prosecution tools to target and deport large numbers of immigrants for drug law violations, even in cases where drug charges are dismissed or possession is lawful under state law.

“The Trump administration is seeking to escalate the failed war on drugs as a means to further criminalize immigrants and people of color,” said Jerónimo Saldaña, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs. “Not only are immigrants more likely to be entangled in the criminal justice system for engaging in the same practice as whites, but the threat of deportations equates to an unconscionable double punishment.This double standard, along with hateful rhetoric that targets ‘felons not families’, inflicts serious harm on countless communities. ”

Last month, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly announced that the Trump Administration would continue to use marijuana possession as a reason for deporting immigrants. “ICE will continue to use marijuana possession, distribution and convictions as essential elements as they build their deportation removal apprehension packages for targeted operations against illegal aliens living in the United States,” he said. Marijuana is currently illegal under federal law, but eight states have legalized it for adult use and 28 states have medical marijuana laws. Individuals following state law would be exposed to deportation. In 2013-2014, more than 6,600 people were deported just for personal marijuana possession, and overall, nearly 20,000 people were deported in 2014 alone for simple possession of any drug or drug paraphernalia.

“The Trump administration has made it plain they will even target immigrants who are lawfully using marijuana under state law, including for medical use. It’s outrageous and deplorable to think that our criminal justice system would subject anyone following medical advice under state law to the destructive forces of deportation,” said Jerónimo Saldaña, Policy Manager at Drug Policy Alliance’s Office of National Affairs.

Reports also surfaced this week that Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke is expected to be appointed by Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly to an assistant secretary position charged with coordinating DHS enforcement activities with local law enforcement. Clarke has a track record of advocating hardline and inhumane tactics against communities of color and immigrants including the use of stop-and-frisk and police round ups of immigrants. Clarke has also come under fire for the deaths of several people incarcerated in the local jail under his watch.

According to the Immigrant Defense Project, one out of every four “criminal removals” – over 250,000 deportations – involved a person whose most serious conviction was for a drug offense. Human Rights Watch released a report in 2015 on drug deportations, noting that, “Thousands of families in the United States have been torn apart in recent years by detention and deportation for drug offenses.” In 2016, the ACLU released a report noting that veterans who have served the country as lawful permanent residents have been “subject to draconian immigration laws that reclassified many minor offenses as deportable crimes, and were effectively banished from this country.”

There have also been moves at the state level to prevent law enforcement from documenting misdemeanor drug crimes and therefore exposing immigrants to harsh deportation proceedings. The New York State Assembly passed legislation that creates a process for sealing the criminal records of people arrested for simple possession of marijuana in public view, providing a measure of protection for immigrants by making it difficult or impossible for immigration authorities to meet their legal burden of proof for a judge to find a lawful permanent resident deportable. Often these arrests were the result of stop-and-frisk encounters targeting young people of color, and immigrant New Yorkers with minor records have already been deported by ICE under the Trump Administration’s crackdown.

WATCH: The 7 Most Memorable Cherry Pie And Coffee Moments In ‘Twin Peaks’

Jillian Peterson
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WATCH: The 7 Most Memorable Cherry Pie And Coffee Moments In ‘Twin Peaks’

Two of the most notable characters in “Twin Peaks” are uncredited: coffee and cherry pie. They play a huge part in defining the characters and backdrop of the hit ’90s series, which woefully only lasted two seasons. Fortunately for everyone who has been limping along without this twisted show for more than two decades, Showtime has picked up the lifeless body, performed CPR and is now reviving the cult oddity on Sunday.

In anticipation, here are some of the most memorable scenes involving the Double R Diner (played by Twede’s Cafe near Seattle, which would really appreciate it if  you knew they serve many other flavors of pie) that’s referenced just as often, if not more, than the actual human actors when tripping down memory lane. Also noted: a suspicious number of bumblebee references.

1. Dale Cooper’s introduction to the “best in the tri-counties” cherry pie, which he subsequently orders two more pieces of. “You must have the metabolism of a bumblebee,” says Sheriff Harry Truman when Cooper orders two more slices during the show’s second episode.

 
2. Series creator David Lynch, who plays FBI Regional Bureau Chief Gordon Cole, falls in love with RR’s famous dessert…and the waitress, Shelly Johnson. Upon gazing at her beauty he says, “I feel as though my stomach is filled with a team of bumblebees.” Initially wanting “a steak so rare you could sell it at Tiffany’s,” he takes Johnson’s advice and orders pie — in “massive, massive quantities.” Later, he asks shouts for a piece of paper and a pencil so he can write “an epic poem about this gorgeous pie.”

 
3. Agent Cooper declares his famous “a damn fine cup of coffee” line right before he meets Audrey Horne for the first time while eating breakfast at the Great Northern Hotel. He tells the server, “I’ve had…I can’t tell you how many cups of coffee in my life and this…this is one of the best.”

 
4. In dictation to his secretary Diane, Agent Cooper  professes that “the true test of any hotel…is that morning cup of coffee.”

 
5. Agent Cooper’s trippy dream sequence coffee date with a dwarf in the Black Lodge during the show’s final episode.

 
6. Dale Cooper shares one of his secrets to living a good life with Sheriff Harry S. Truman. “Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. It could be a new shirt at a men’s store, a cat nap in your office chair or…two cups of good, hot, black coffee.” Like Christmas.

 
7. Gordon orders three pieces of pie for himself and Shelly before asking Shelly, “do you mind if we share?” It’s the same scene where they also share their first kiss.

 

Is Miley Cyrus Really Done Being A Marijuana Advocate?

Sam Jones
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Is Miley Cyrus Really Done Being A Marijuana Advocate?

When Billboard visited her Rainbow Land recording studio in Malibu, California, they found a different Miley than we’ve come to know through her recent albums. She’s twerking a lot less these days, and getting less high.

The 24-year-old singer said it’s “crazy” that she “hasn’t smoked weed in three weeks,” claiming that she’s quitting “for a second:”

“I like to surround myself with people that make me want to get better, more evolved, open. And I was noticing, it’s not the people that are stoned. I want to be super clear and sharp, because I know exactly where I want to be.”

She goes on to explain this break later in the interview, responding to would-be criticisms that this is just another “phase” in her image:

I ­fucking hate it when people can’t adjust. I used to [resist changing]. But I haven’t smoked weed in three weeks, which is the longest I’ve ever [gone without it]. I’m not doing drugs, I’m not drinking, I’m completely clean right now! That was just something that I wanted to do.

Miley also denounces the idea that her weed-smoking image was all for attention and shock value:

It’s easy, dude. When I want something, it’s fucking easy for me. But if anyone told me not to smoke, I would have not done it. It’s because it was on my time. I know exactly where I am right now. I know what I want this record to be. And not in the sense of manipulation — wanting something from my fans or the audience, like some slimy thing — “How do I get attention?” I never thought about that.

There is, of course, nothing wrong with taking a break from marijuana use or trying new ways to express yourself, even for a chart-topping artist. But the switch from wearing pot leaf covered jumpsuits to announcing that you’ve moved past marijuana can be skewed by opponents of legal, safe weed. As CelebStoner.com points out:

That’s all well and good for her, but the media perception is another thing. It leads to articles like, “Miley Cyrus Quits Pot, Other Celebrities Renounce Marijuana,” by groups like Parents Opposed to Pot.

What Will Be The Name Of Joe Biden’s New Ice Cream Flavor?

Jillian Peterson
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What Will Be The Name Of Joe Biden’s New Ice Cream Flavor?

Former VP Joe Biden is no stranger to a good scoop of ice cream. During his tenure in the White House, he was often snapped holding a cone or shake, most notably while wearing his aviators and making it rain. He even declared his love for the cool treat during a press conference in 2016.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BNDQxS7DgM9

Now comes word that your cool uncle Joe is getting his own ice cream flavor. In honor of his Cornell Convocation address on May 27, Cornell Dairy has created a chocolate chip flavor, Biden’s favorite. While the flavor has been determined, the name has not.

Out of 150 suggested names, only 5 contenders remain: Biden’s Chocolate Bites, Bits n’ Biden, Big Red, White & Biden,Not Your Average Joe’s Chocolate Chip, and Uncle Joe’s Chocolate Chip.

“We don’t know why [Biden] loves ice cream so much, but there’s always been social media posts about ice cream and him, so we thought this would be a unique way for Cornell to welcome him,” Convocation Committee Chair Matthew Baumel told The Cornell Daily Sun.

Biden’s camp gets to green-light the final name, which students get to vote on, and there are plans to serve the ice cream at convocation.

Which flavor name do you prefer?

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Washington State Will Be The First To Do What With Cannabis?

Al Olson
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Washington State Will Be The First To Do What With Cannabis?

Cannabis consumers in the state of Washington state will soon be able to confidently purchase their herb free of pesticides and fungicides. Gov. Jay Inslee earlier this week signed a bill that creating a system that will certify organic marijuana.

The new law “creates a voluntary program for the certification and regulation of organic marijuana products.” It is believed to be the nation’s first official organic cannabis program.

According to Ann Rivers, the Republican state senator who sponsored the bill, this policy was driven by consumers who wanted a choice in the marketplace to buy with confidence.

“As we have moved forward in the legal marijuana market, we’re hearing people say, ‘We don’t want any pesticides, fungicides, none of that stuff in our weed.’ ”

Up until now, individual growers were allowed to claim organic methods in their farms, but there was not a governmental body regulating or testing for accuracy or compliance.

The organic cannabis system will be administered by the state’s agriculture department. Kathy Davis, a spokesperson for the department, said that the process could “take several months to as long as a year. No certifications will be issued until the rules are complete and have been adopted.”

It is anticipated that retail shelves won’t have organically grown cannabis on the shelves until late next year.

What will constitute organic? How will growers be certified and tested? All that needs to be worked out by the state regulators. But one wrinkle in the plan: The state will have to come up with a different label than organic.

Only the federal government — specifically the USDA — is legally allowed to certify organic products. And since cannabis is still federally illegal, well, you see the problem.

From the USDA website:

USDA certified organic foods are grown and processed according to federal guidelines addressing, among many factors, soil quality, animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and use of additives. Organic producers rely on natural substances and physical, mechanical, or biologically based farming methods to the fullest extent possible.

Produce can be called organic if it’s certified to have grown on soil that had no prohibited substances applied for three years prior to harvest. Prohibited substances include most synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. In instances when a grower has to use a synthetic substance to achieve a specific purpose, the substance must first be approved according to criteria that examine its effects on human health and the environment.

So in addition to creating a first-of-its-kind organic program, the state of Washington will have to also create a new name for it.

Gossip: Fox News Fires Host Bob Beckel For Racist Comment; Elite Private School Letting Boys Wear Skirts

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Fox News Fires Host Bob Beckel For Racist Comment; Elite Private School Letting Boys Wear Skirts

Variety reports:

Fox News Channel is parting ways – again – with Bob Beckel, the co-host of its prime time program, “The Five.” “Bob Beckel was terminated today for making an insensitive remark to an African-American employee,” the network said in a statement. The dismissal opens – or perhaps closes – another chapter in an off-and-on relationship Beckel has had with the 21st Century Fox-owned cable-news outlet over the years.

Beckel, a longtime political consultant as well as a former campaign manager for Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale, joined Fox News in 2000, and had a years-long tenure on “The Five” when it aired in the late afternoon. Indeed, he was one of the program’s original co-hosts. Beckel leaves after Fox News made “The Five” part of its primetime lineup just a few weeks ago, part of an effort to realign the most-watched part of its schedule after O’Reilly’s departure last month.

Elite Private School Letting Boys Wear Skirts As Part Of New Gender-Neutral Dress Code

An elite private school in the UK is set to establish a new gender-neutral uniform policy that will allow male students to wear skirts.

North London’s Highgate School decided to make the change to better support its gender non-binary, transgender and gender-nonconforming students.

The current dress code allows female students to wear pants, trousers and blazers, but doesn’t allow boys to wear the school’s standard pleated skirt. Under the new policy, students will be permitted to wear whatever article of clothing from the uniform set that they wish.

“This generation is really questioning being binary in the way we look at things,” headteacher Adam Pettitt told The Times.

“[Some people] write in and say, if you left children to their own devices they would grow up differently and you are promoting the wrong ideas,” he said. “[But], if [students can] feel happier and more secure in who they are, it must be a good thing.”

He concluded: “We will need to become understanding of what is a sensible reaction to this at different ages.”

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

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