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It’s Official: More People Die In SWAT Marijuana Raids Than Cannabis ODs

Sam Jones
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It’s Official: More People Die In SWAT Marijuana Raids Than Cannabis ODs

The number of marijuana-related SWAT raids in the last seven years that have resulted in someone’s death: Twenty. The number of people who’ve died from using marijuana, in the history of forever: Zero.

Something here doesn’t add up. According to data compiled by the New York Times, the victims in SWAT raids range from people dealing dangerous drugs, to police officers, to innocent people or those who only have a very small amount of marijuana in their possession. No one is exempt from risk during a raid.

The Washington Post reports:

The list of fatalities includes small-time dealers and people who sold the occasional joint to a friend, as well as people suspected of dealing in more serious drugs like crack or meth, but who were found to be in possession of only marijuana after the fact. It also includes four police officers who were killed during the raids, intentionally or otherwise. The deadly raids are a reminder that an activity that’s legal and celebrated in some states — selling weed — can get you killed in others.

Among those who’ve died in raids are a 29-year-old who had less than a joint’s worth of marijuana in his house and a man who sold 1.8 ounces of marijuana to an undercover cop.

Some SWAT officers maintain that the measures are necessary, and that bursting into someone’s home in riot gear, weapons drawn, is the correct response to a “dope house next door.” As states start legalizing both medical and recreational marijuana, and more studies show that cannabis isn’t a public health risk after all, the basis for justifiable raids gets more shaky.

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Watch: Kid Meeting The Pope Snatches Souvenir From Pontiff’s Head

TFT Editors
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Watch: Kid Meeting The Pope Snatches Souvenir From Pontiff’s Head

For Catholics around the world, it’s a dream to get to meet the pope. The head of your church, right there for you to shake hands with or, if you’re lucky, have bless you. For one intrepid youngster, however, a handshake or prayer wasn’t enough; she wanted the pope’s hat—and she got it.

The below video was posted and filmed by Twitter user Mountain Butorac. “Took my Goddaughter to meet the pope,” he wrote “She stole his hat!”

The video shows just that: A cute little girl, probably three or four, being lifted up to greet a smiling Pope Francis, who kisses her on the cheek just as she reaches up to grab the hat—known as a “zucchetto”— from his head.

https://twitter.com/MountainButorac/status/844505243538931714

“Right before she went up she was a little nervous,” Butorac told CNN. “Then she stole his hat. It was hilarious, everyone was laughing including the Pope.”

“It’s her first full day in Rome, who knows what she will get up to tomorrow,” he added.

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This Stray Dog Is Welcomed As Monastery’s Cutest New Friar

Brendan Bures
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This Stray Dog Is Welcomed As Monastery’s Cutest New Friar


The Franciscan monastery of Cochabamba, Bolivia recently announced their newest member named Carmelo. This is of special significance because Carmelo is an adorable, furry pup. After joining the sacred group, Carmelo earned a new name. Now they call him Friar Bigotón, which is Spanish for “mustache.”

According to the Dodo, Friar Bigotón previously lived as a stray until the monastery took him in. Not only is he happier running around and playing, Friar Bigotón has important duties as well.

“[Here’s] Brother Carmelo preaching to the fish,” wrote Franciscan Kasper Mariusz Kaproń on Facebook.

Check out more of the adorable pictures embedded below.

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This Is What Lyft Is Doing To Keep People From Driving High In Colorado

Al Olson
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This Is What Lyft Is Doing To Keep People From Driving High In Colorado

If it hasn’t been drummed into your head by now, here is a public service announcement: Don’t drive drunk. Don’t drive high. Don’t drive under the influence of any mind-altering substance. Got it? In an effort to reinforce the obvious, Lyft has partnered with the Colorado Department of Transportation to help combat driving under the influence of marijuana.

Lyft, a rideshare service Lyft has partnered with the Colorado Department of Transportation to help combat driving high for those under the influence of marijuana.competing with Uber across the country, made the unique announcement on Tuesday. According to the company:

Seven percent of DUIs in Colorado involve cannabis consumption. With this in mind, CDOT and Lyft want to encourage people to plan safe rides before consuming marijuana. To contribute to this, from March 20 to April 20, Lyft and CDOT will be offering discounted ride codes. At 3:20 PM every Sunday until 4/20/17, people can visit www.320movement.com to claim their discounted ride code.

Along with providing ride codes, we’ll be spreading awareness by wrapping 17 Lyft cars in the Denver area in green with the slogan “plan a ride before you’re high.” Passengers can look forward to free rides (up to $10) if they are picked up in one of these cars the week before 4/20.

A publicity stunt? Perhaps. But Lyft is serious about public safety.

“There’s an awareness among people who are going out and having a good time with alcohol, but we are now in the early stages of creating that same proactive safety-first attitude when it comes to cannabis consumption,” said Gabe Cohen, Lyft’s Denver general manager.

Cohen’s point was echoed by CDOT spokesman Sam Cole. “People think about getting a Lyft when they’re drunk, but they don’t necessarily think about getting a Lyft when they’re high. Impairment is impairment,” Cole said.

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Good News Everyone: Bestiality Just Became Officially Illegal In Ohio

TFT Editors
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Good News Everyone: Bestiality Just Became Officially Illegal In Ohio

Bad news for animal lovers in Ohio: The state’s bestiality ban officially went into effect on Tuesday, the Dayton Daily News reports.

The Ohio General Assembly passed the ban in December, following failed attempts in 2011 and 2015. Under the law, bestiality is now a second degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 90 days in jail and a $750 fine. Anyone found guilty will lose custody of their animal and could be ordered to undergo a psychological evaluation.

“I think this is something that is sickening and perverse and we don’t want Ohio to be the place you can come and have sex with an animal,” State Senator Jim Hughes told the Daily News.

Somewhat surprisingly, bestiality remains legal in eight states and Washington D.C.

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Gossip: Kris Jenner To Produce OJ Simpson Reality Show; Beyoncé Turns Down $1 Million For Baby Pics

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Kris Jenner To Produce OJ Simpson Reality Show; Beyoncé Turns Down $1 Million For Baby Pics

With talk of OJ Simpson getting out of jail as early as this fall, Kris Jenner has already been mouthing off about producing a new reality show based on the disgraced football player.

Related Story: Gossip: Justin Bieber Hates Fat, Unattractive People; Brad Pitt’s Hygiene Improves Post-Angie

“No one knows reality TV better than Kris Jenner. Kris is the brains behind the super successful Kardashian reality franchise and now is looking to get into a business with her old friend OJ,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “Kris was a long time friend with OJ’s murdered wife, Nicole Simpson, and has known OJ for years. She knows how to handle him and his show and make sure the tone is right so that both a potential audience and advertisers are not turned off.”

Insiders reveal that Kris has been talking about the project with family as well as network friends but has not yet committed.

Beyoncé Turns Down $1 Million Offer For Twins’ First Pictures

The birthdate for Beyoncé’s twins is clouded with mystery, but that isn’t stopping photo agencies from offering big bucks to get those first pictures.

“Beyoncé has been offered over $1 million for the first photographs of the twins,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “She has turned down all the offers and plans to let the world see her babies when she is ready and on her own social media pages. She wants to control the pictures and everything else about the announcement. When she is ready to show the world, she will do it herself.”

Related Story: Inside The Game Of Thrones Bar Serving Dornish Wine And Sansa’s Lemon Pies

And don’t expect any lucky photographer to stumble across the new mommy with her babies. Insiders reveal that after they are born, the twins will all be escorted to a private residence where security will be presidential-tight. Remember when Brad and Angelina Jolie got paid $14 million for their twins’ pictures?

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

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Holy S***! Brewery Makes Surprisingly Good Beer With Recycled Sewer Water

Jillian Peterson
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Holy S***! Brewery Makes Surprisingly Good Beer With Recycled Sewer Water

Sewer water probably doesn’t conjure up images of quenching one’s thirst, but Stone Brewing out of San Diego is trying to change that.

Good luck, right?

In a surprising twist, the brewery successfully made a limited amount of craft beer using treated water from the city’s Pure Water demonstration plant in Miramar, according to Times San Diego. It was  clearly a brilliant publicity stunt on the part of the city. Mayor Kevin Faulconer exclaimed, “It is fantastic!” Convincing? Maybe. A bit shocking? Certainly. But there is a point to all of this.

With California’s drought, it’s tough for breweries, like Stone Brewing, to source a consistent water supply for their beer, because they have to source it from several location. It becomes a challenge in continuity.

Besides being the equivalent of a cringeworthy Top Chef Quickfire Challenge featuring sewer water, last week’s demo drew attention to the city’s $3 Billion plan to get  one third of its drinking water from recylced wastewater, with a goal of 30 million gallons per day by 2021.

Stone Brewing Senior Manager of Brewing and Innovation, Steve Gonzalez, told KGTV he was skeptical at first, but that among the pale ales he’s made, the sewer beer is “probably in the top three.”

Here’s Gonzalez taking a swirl.

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This Congresswoman Is Demanding Federal Marijuana Decriminalization

Al Olson
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This Congresswoman Is Demanding Federal Marijuana Decriminalization

The drumbeat of federal cannabis reform continues to echo throughout the nation’s capital, but it remains to be seen if there is any action behind the clamor. Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard on Tuesday urged Congress toward federal marijuana decriminalization, introducing bipartisan legislations to to remove— not reschedule — the drug from the federal controlled substances list.

The Democratic congresswoman, along with Republican Virginia Rep. Tom Garrett, introduced the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act (HR. 1227), urging Congress to update its “outdated drug policies.” If passed, the law would take marijuana off the federal controlled substances list — joining alcohol and tobacco.

On the House floor, Gabbard implored:

“FBI reports have shown that in 2011 alone, an individual in the United States was arrested for marijuana use, sale or possession every 42 seconds—every 42 seconds—mostly in poor and minority communities. Our current laws are turning everyday Americans into criminals, sending them to jail, ruining their lives, tearing apart families and wasting huge amounts of taxpayer dollars to arrest, prosecute and incarcerate people for marijuana use — a drug that has been proven time and time again to be far less dangerous than alcohol, both for individual consumers as well as for the people around them.

Dr. Donald Abrams, who is the Chief of Oncology at San Francisco General Hospital, has talked about how in the 37 years that he has worked and served as a physician, the number of patients that he’s admitted to his hospital with marijuana complications are zero. The number of patients that he’s admitted due to alcohol use is—quote—’profound.’ “

Currently, the FDA classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 classification, along with heroin, LSD and other dangerous drugs.

Although decriminalization is a step in the right direction, according to Gabbard, she ultimately is fighting for full federal legalization of cannabis as part of her overall effort toward criminal justice reform.

Last month, Gabbard visited correctional facilities throughout Hawaii, meeting with inmates, criminal justice advocates and experts, health professionals, educators and others to discuss reducing recidivism.

She called for all House members to put their biases aside and consider the social impact on the current drug laws.

“So whether you personally think that marijuana use is good or bad, whether you would choose to use marijuana or not, the question is, should we really be sending people to jail and turning them into criminals for it? The answer is no. The fiscal impacts, the social impacts of our current policy, are having devastating ripple effects on individuals and our communities and are only continuing to perpetuate the problem.”

Gabbard served as vice-chair of the Democratic National Committee until resigning to endorse Senator Bernie Sanders for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination. She was first elected to the House in 2012, becoming the first American Samoan and the first Hindu member of Congress. She served in a combat zone in Iraq.

Read full transcript of Rep. Tulsi Gabbard’s speech

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Recreational Marijuana In Illinois? Get Ready Because It’s Happening

Mike Adams
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Recreational Marijuana In Illinois? Get Ready Because It’s Happening

On Wednesday, a couple of state lawmakers marched up to the Illinois State Capitol to introduce a piece of legislation to the General Assembly aimed at establishing taxed and regulated recreational marijuana indusry that would allow adults 21 and over to purchase pot from their neighborhood dispensary.

The measure, which was filed in both the House and Senate, also comes strapped with a home cultivation clause that would give adults the freedom to grow up to five plants at home for personal use.

All in all, the proposal is designed to create a recreational cannabis industry similar to what is currently underway in Colorado and Washington. Some of the latest data from the Marijuana Policy Project shows the state could generate somewhere between $350 million to $700 million per year by implementing this progressive reform.

But lawmakers say they are not pushing the bill solely for its potential economic benefit.

“Marijuana prohibition is a quagmire that creates far more problems than it prevents,” said Representative Kelly Cassidy, one of the bill’s sponsors. “Several states have adopted sensible alternatives to prohibition, and it is time for Illinois to develop its own exit strategy.

“Regulating marijuana and removing the criminal element from marijuana production and sales will make our communities safer,” she added.

It is not yet known if the bill stands a chance at being allowed a hearing. So far, House Speaker Michael Madigan has not given any indication on whether he plans to put the issue of legal weed on the schedule this session or if he will let it linger in political purgatory.

If the bill does get brought up for debate, however, law enforcement agencies are expected to come out in protest. The Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police has said it does not support the concept of legalization, as they believe it to be a threat to public health and safety.

Nevertheless, the two lawmakers responsible for the measure (Illinois State Senator Heather Steans and Illinois State Representative Kelly Cassidy) say their intention this session is not to get the bill brought up for a vote. Instead, they want to get the issue on the table in an effort to draft a more passable version in 2018, reports the Chicago Tribune.

Additional reports show that House Speaker Madigan or Senate President John Cullerton has no interest in pursuing the marijuana debate until the beginning of next year.

“This is going to take some time to get negotiated between all the different stakeholders,” Dan Linn, executive director of the Illinois chapter of NORML, told the Chicago Reader. “We’re talking about potentially a very large industry coming into Illinois.”

As it stands, eight states have legalized the leaf for recreational use.

Some of the latest national polls show the majority of the population (consistently around 60 percent) believes marijuana should be handled similar to alcohol and tobacco.

Gossip: Justin Bieber Hates Fat, Unattractive People; Brad Pitt’s Hygiene Improves Post-Angie

Naughty Gossip
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Gossip: Justin Bieber Hates Fat, Unattractive People; Brad Pitt’s Hygiene Improves Post-Angie

Justin Bieber has been caught on tape in Australia so grossed out by a female fan getting too close that he told her: “Look at your respect level. Look at you. You make me sick.”

“Justin does not like fat, unattractive people and doesn’t want them touching him,” a source tells Straight Shuter. “Justin tries to keep as far away from his fans as possible. That is why he cancelled all the meet-and-greets backstage. He dates models, not regular-looking people. He keeps himself in great shape and doesn’t understand why other people don’t go to the gym too.”

The girl’s mother told Melbourne’s Herald Sun, “My daughter was bawling her eyes out…she was dying to meet him and then he humiliated her.”

Brad Pitt’s Hygiene Improves Post-Angie

Brad Pitt is not only in a much better mental place after his divorce proceedings started with Angelina Jolie, he’s in a better physical place too. PHEW!

“Brad is happy again and seems much better now. He has started working out again and has hired a private chef to prepare healthy meals. And he is taking much better care of himself,” sources tell Straight Shuter. “When he was married he was known to sometimes smell a bit. And I swear he would forget to wear deodorant and brush his teeth. Post-Angie he smells like heaven again. It is like literally saying goodbye to a bad smell.”

Ironically, he isn’t the only one with a new smell. Jolie just launched a new fragrance campaign for French beauty brand, Guerlain.

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

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