The whole of North America’s legal marijuana trade generated an impressive $6.7 billion in sales last year, according to a recent analysis by industry consulting firm ArcView Group.
That’s not a bad haul for a product that is still considered mostly illegal in the eyes of the United States and Canadian governments.
But it seems that not even the outlaw status surrounding the cannabis plant is enough to prevent a huge chunk of the population from using the substance. The latest National Survey on Drug Use and Health shows there is somewhere around 22 million Americans using marijuana every month, with as many as 37 million at least once a year.
There are now eight states that have legalized the leaf for recreational purposes, while Canada is on the verge of making it legal nationwide. So it goes without saying that the North American pot market is only going to get stronger as these newfound policies are put into action.
In fact, the report predicts the cannabis trade is presently on course to experience a 25 percent growth rate over the next few years, raking in a whopping $20.2 billion in annual sales by the year 2021.
“The only consumer industry categories I’ve seen reach $5 billion in annual spending and then post anything like 25 percent compound annual growth in the next five years are cable television (19 percent) in the 1990s and the broadband internet (29 percent) in the 2000s,” Tom Adams, editor in chief of ArcView, said in a press release.
While it might be hard to believe that a substance the United States government refuses to recognize even for its medicinal qualities is becoming one of the most rapid growing industries in American history, that is exactly what the report conveys.
“What broadband changed for the internet was a kind of remarkable parallel to legalization for cannabis,” Adams said in an interview with Business Insider. “We saw what had been a $5 billion industry — like this one — in North America take off at that point on new growth spurts.”
In legal states like Colorado and Washington, there was a 62 percent increase in consumer spending last year on cannabis products, according to the report. But now that California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada are set to launch a recreational sector in the next year or so, the growth rate of the U.S. pot market is expected to be comparable to the Internet access industry over the course of the next four to five years.
Himalayan salt is a delicacy, something you might have heard from your mother who ranted on and on about the benefits it provides to your health, how it slows down the aging process of your body, and its deliciousness when used in the kitchen.
Aside from its cool pink color and your mother’s ramblings, you might not know much about Himalayan salt and the many ways in which it can be used. We’d like to introduce you to some of the stuff out there, how varied they can be, and why people are freaking out over it. By the time you’re through with this list, you’ll be a connoisseur.
A photo posted by Himalayan Salt Factory (@himalayansaltfactory) on
Inhaling salt doesn’t sound like the most pleasant experience, but Himalayan Salt Inhalers are extremely popular among asthmatics and people with allergies due to the great benefits they offer, giving you the feeling of spending a runny-nose day on the beach.
2- Himalayan Salt Scrubs
Exfoliation and salt scrubs are kind of the bread and butter of spas, so this product isn’t so surprising. You could recommend this to your Yogi friend, and go off about the benefits the salt will have on their skin and soul.
Lucas has offered to build his museum in a major American city for free. Including construction costs, an endowment, and the value of the artwork, his organization says the total value of his gift is $1.5 billion. ‘It’s an epic act of generosity and altruism,’ says Don Bacigalupi, the museum effort’s president. ‘George Lucas, as with any person of great resources and great success, could choose to do whatever he wants to do with his resources, and he has chosen to give an extraordinary gift to the people of a city and the world.’
But art critics — or pretty much anyone who knows anything about art, for that matter — would call what he wants to fill the museum with “schmaltzy.” His collection is made up of kitschy art including original Flash Gordon comics, Mad magazine covers and shit from his own movies. Yeah, those movies people blame him for ruining with Jar Jar Binks and three terrible prequels.
His early vision for the museum also included 500,000 artifacts from the prequels. But no one wants to host his ode to all things Lucas, mysteriously: He’s tried to build it in San Francisco’s Presidio national park, Chicago’s waterfront, and Los Angeles, but no one’s biting.
Will your city please host George’s big fancy museum? Hopefully it won’t include any fan art of Jar Jar.
Matt Lauer wore a choker on “The Today Show.” That is a sentence that requires no introduction and no you didn’t read it incorrectly.
Matt Lauer wore a choker on “The Today Show.” That is a sentence that requires no introduction and no you didn’t read it incorrectly. This was a thing that definitely happened.
“I don’t know if you all knew this, but chokers for men are a thing too,” Lauer said during the Wednesday morning broadcast. “ASOS has a wide selection of male chokers—some in velvet, others in cotton. But they’re late to the game, because guys, I have been wearing a choker for years.”
Then, boom, Lauer flexed his neck muscles, popping that annoying top button from its thread, ripped his tie off, and revealed his secret choker. (Maybe only part of that happened.) Gender binaries aren’t real, Lauer was seemingly screaming with his fashion statement. Stop pretending otherwise.
As we happen to agree with Lauer, we thought up some other throwback fashion pieces Lauer should try, considering how quietly fashion forward the man is. He is trendy. Oh, and he should wear these on the Today Show, or some other highly public setting. Because Matt Lauer, you should be proud of who you are. You don’t need to fake it anymore.
Platform Shoes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO5vwuND1mX/
When Rihanna’s Puma “Creeper” platform shoes won Shoe of the Year, it confirmed that platform shoes, in their multiple variations, were back. Some men aren’t brave enough to wear a women’s shoe designed by such a powerful, fierce woman like RiRi. But most men aren’t Matt Lauer. Wear some platforms, LauLau.
Body Suits
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO7mthvDQWF/
Truthfully, I wasn’t aware that body suits were a thing again. That is because most women wear them tucked in, and they look like stylish shirts. Lauer could change the bodysuit awareness for men worldwide. He could show the trend is real and isn’t just for women. Men can tuck it in, if they want. More than once, too.
Sexy, Tousled Hair
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNNnxzABzrp/
Let those hairs grow, Matty! Stop adhering to such tight hair trimmed sharp. It doesn’t matter that you’re (sort of) balding. That you’d be willing to put it on the line with this fashion statement while balding only shows how far ahead you are fashion-wise than the rest of us. Better start practicing those hair flips, boy.
Iridescent Makeup
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLm36q8gugf/
You can always glow up, Matt. You can glow as bright and shiny as you want. Like, we already know you wear makeup. Some iridescent eye shadow could make all the difference. Plus, you can pair it with your choker.
Crop Tops
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO5kUvSA8-t/
Hope you didn’t indulge too much these holidays, Matt. The people want to see some midriff. And as EPMD might instruct, you gotta give the people what they want.
High-Waisted Shorts
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNmSb3sBBz-/
Just kidding. This is a trend that’s already out of control. We don’t need to see those goodies spilling out, Matty. Keep something for yourself.
This is why combining coffee and marijuana is so great: It could be said that never before in the history of edibles have consumers been presented with more options. To be frank: a trip to a dispensary is an introduction to a staggering variety of edibles. The world of THC and CBD related-consumables has traversed great distances since the days of homemade brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Today, at any dispensary worth its salt, you can purchase lemonade, granola, gummy bears, bon bons, macaroons, raw sipping cacao, truffles, olive oil—the list goes on and on—all of them tinged with some degree of weed-derived euphoria.
And it is only the beginning. Every day new companies emerge, with a new spin on the edible product. Every day, some new aspect of daily life and daily eating, previously untouched by marijuana, is coupled with cannabis. Though many of these items seem to conflict with the stereotypes behind smoking or ingesting weed, as the market broadens, and customers and America become more and more used to marijuana as a daily product, these stigmas will eventually fade. At least this is what a small, but growing, group of weed entrepreneurs are hoping, because what they’re trying to sell isn’t a product commonly associated with weed.
What they’re trying to sell is a combination of weed and coffee — hot or cold, whole bean or otherwise — but it’s more than that; they’re looking and hoping to incorporate THC and CBD into a beloved daily ritual.
After herniating two discs in his spine in a brutal snowboarding accident, Colorado-based Steep Fuze co-founder, Devin Jamroz, found himself waking each morning both groggy and in serious pain. “For months,” Jamroz says, “I was drinking homemade THC tinctures and then chasing them with coffee.”
Month after month I was waking up tired and stiff, and the combination of coffee and weed dealt with both.
There was an ah-hah moment for Jamroz, sitting there sipping his coffee post-tincture, the realization washing over him that he was one of many who woke each morning tired and in pain.
From this, with the help of his partner Ben Glennon, Steep Fuze was born—a CBD-infused whole bean coffee intended not for wake-and-bakers looking for a full day of being stoned, but for those who wanted to alleviate chronic morning pain while enjoying an excellent cup of coffee. And that, the quality of the coffee, was crucial in terms of what Steep Fuze wanted to do. “It’s not that hard to drop a glob of oil into a a cup of coffee,” Jamroz says, but Steep Fuze strives to improve upon the product by incorporating the CBD-oil during the resting portion of the roast process, allowing them to incorporate into the whole bean along with its own natural oils. “Anyone is going to tell you,” he says, “the best coffee comes from freshly roasted, whole beans.”
This isn’t about just getting my CBD fix in, it’s about doing so while enjoying a really good cup of coffee.
It’s about elevating the daily ritual of coffee consumption to something even more beneficial; Jamroz argues that Steep Fuze coffee not only helps with pain management, but allows for the effects of caffeine without the headaches or jitters often associated.
More than that though, Jamroz and Glennon hope that by creating a product that strays from the psychoactive effects of THC (CBD comes from hemp, not marijuana) that they’ll open the doors to CBD’s positive effects to a much wider audience. Says Jamroz:
Edibles have a scary connotation, but there’s something familiar and normal about your morning cup of coffee. It’s far more accessible to people then having to smoke or ingest and then deal with the recreational benefits.
Steep Fuze hopes to not only move the needle on the coffee-weed combo, but to invite in a whole new customer base. Jamroz cites an MMA fighter in Ohio who uses their product and the general surge of fitness-related CBD consumption. “It’s getting a lot of fringe users interested in CBD,” he says,”people who think this would be great for my mom or my aunt.”
It’s everything you want out of a cup of coffee, but more than you get.
We’ve so long associated marijuana with glassy-eyed hippies, late-night Taco Bell runs and laying half-naked in a grassy field while music swirls above you, convincing non-potheads to see it as a way to start a productive day of doing, well, whatever, may seem difficult. Up-and-coming, San Francisco-based weed entrepreneur Chris Schroeder sees the introduction of coffee-marijuana hybrids as a push-back towards the current trend in weed consumption of what he refers to as “mega-dosing.” As Schroeder says, “The whole trend right now is dabs, shatter, concentrate, oils — basically, getting the most high possible using a very small concentrate.” He believes that by incorporating marijuana into average, daily rituals, like coffee drinking, that he’ll play into a longterm trend of micro-dosing.
It’s right intersection between something personal — your morning cup of coffee — and something social. We all enjoy meeting friends out for coffee, so from a social standpoint, it’s something I see just getting bigger and bigger.
Schroeder is currently working with a major speciality coffee brand on his own product, with the hope that by partnering with a well-known name, it’ll give more legitimacy to a product he believes would be beneficial, and enjoyable, for everyone. “It’s estimated that 14 million people are going to try cannabis for the first time in 2017,” Schroeder says.
Having a major brand step up and say, ‘we’re making a cannabis product’ is going to help consumers on the fence say, ‘this isn’t just for stoners.’
Beyond creating a product that’s approachable to everyone, he wants to up the ante on the current crop of coffee products. “One of the amazing things about consumables,” he says, “is that it’s not about who gets to the market first, it’s about execution.” Schroeder and Steep Fuze both want to create a product that not only gets you your weed fix, but one that tastes more than good — one that tastes incredible. To do so, Schroeder is treating his product like any fine-tuned specialty coffee: creating roast profiles, sourcing excellent green beans, going through round after round of taste-testing and in doing so, creating not just a product, but a brand that veterans and newbies to the world of marijuana can be comfortable with; a brand that people can trust like they trust their favorite clothing line or beer.
Both Steep Fuze and Schroeder believe that CBD or THC infused coffee products could be the gateway for many non-marijuana users to try and enjoy without the fear that comes with the current megadose mentality. And they aren’t alone. Steep Fuze’s Jamroz alluded to “10 or 11” products currently vying to join a handful of others already permeating the market. Schroeder also mentioned a handful of products he’s found through his research. And beyond the stiff competition that any potentially lucrative product brings, not everyone is as excited about the prospect of coffee and marijuana as Jamroz, Glennon and Schroeder are. Kevin Reed, the founder of San Francisco’s Green Cross dispensary, said frankly, “No, I do not see there being a market for this. Several people in California have tried it and already failed. As a retailer of these edible products, I can only say that they do not sell.”
But what Reed is talking about are the products currently on the market, the first pancakes of coffee the weed hybridization (if you’ll excuse the odd metaphor), stabs in the dark at a previously untouched industry. The slow, state-by-state legalization of marijuana is creating never before tested markets, and as more and more entrepreneurs try to make their fortunes with these markets, the quality of products will improve as the competition stiffens.
And with thoughtful vendors like Devin Jamroz, Ben Glennon and Chris Schroeder approaching weed-enabled coffee products with an eye towards expanding the customer base as well as making delicious, gourmet beverages the future, if not foreseeable, is brighter than it has ever been before.
The long and tedious year that was 2016 is finally over. Will 2017 be any better? Let’s hope so! But no matter how it turns out, politically or otherwise, we can do our small part by finally honoring that New Year’s Resolution and getting in shape. Here are what we predict will be the top fitness trends of 2017.
As portable and wearable technology gets more and more advanced, we’ll be able to better track our movements and workouts to keep a precise record of our advancement. Fitbits and the iWatch Series 2 are two of the best examples of wearable technology. But don’t let this fancy tech distract you from actually doing the work required to get in shape.
Running
Photo via Whologwhy/Flickr
One of the great secrets about fitness is that there are no new real tricks to help you get in shape; just hard work using mostly time-tested techniques, like running. Arguably the best part about jogging is the minimum investment required. You don’t need a gym membership, and you don’t need any special equipment other than running shoes and semi-flexible shorts: You just need motivation.
Much like jogging, sit-ups and push-ups have been around forever because they get the job done. Why don’t you stop reading and do 20 of each right now. We’ll wait. There, don’t you feel stronger already? 2017 is already off to a great start!
If you hate exercising in gyms and doing solitary workouts like running, then a sports league might be for you. In 2017, there are dozens of options in most major cities for practically any sport you can think of: baseball, softball, football, hockey, soccer, and even dodgeball in some places. Just pick a sport and Google its availability in your city. Also: There are likely leagues that take into account your skill level, so don’t worry if you’re a novice or if you’ve lost a step since your high school glory days.
If you do decide to go the gym route, you should consider a personal trainer if you can afford it. A professional can help you stay motivated, recommend and supervise exercises you might not have considered before, and keep you on a routine that will likely provide superior results to one a novice might achieve. And, as philly.com notes, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics, the personal training industry is expected to grow 8 percent in the decade between 2014-2024, increasing the likelihood that you’ll be able to find the perfect trainer.
Earlier this week, a Salt Lake City woman walked to her car to pick up her children from school and noticed something unexpected all over her white vehicle: human feces that apparently fell from the sky.
“At first I thought, ‘Wow, some bird really took a dump on my car!” Bethany Bowker told KSL. But she soon realized she was dealing with human poop. “This is undeniable.”
So she did what any outraged person would do in 2017: She took a video of the poop and uploaded it to Facebook.
“It’s like they dumped all the poop out of the airplane and it landed in my drive way,” she says in the video, scanning her camera over the human waste. “It’s all poop. Human poop…It’s on my car. Splattered everywhere.”
Making things worse, Bowker says this isn’t the first time an airplane has dumped crap on her property. It also happened several years ago, too, she told KSL. “But this is the worst I’ve ever had it,” she said. “I’m tired of it.”
“It just makes me sick,” she added.
KSL reached out to the FAA, who released the following statement:
“The FAA periodically receives reports of blue ice (frozen wastewater) falling on a house. If the person can tell us (the FAA) exactly when and where it happened, we can try to run radar replays to see if an aircraft flew overhead around that time. We don’t provide any advice on how to clean up blue ice.”
According to Bowker’s Facebook page, local authorities arrived at her house yesterday afternoon to clean up the poop.
There’s at least some silver lining for Bowker. “I’m just glad I wasn’t outside when it happened,” she told Deseret News.
Chuck E. Cheese’s is a fun and exciting place to host a child’s birthday party. There’s greasy food, arcade games, and weird animatronic robots everywhere. But, as we’ve noted, it’s also a magnet for all sorts of terrible behavior from parents there with their children. Over the years, there have been dozens of fights and brawls at the pizza chain in at least nine different states. But why? We have some theories.
Something In The Sauce?
Photo via Paul Lewis/Flickr
According to its menu, Chuck E. Cheese’s Red Sauce contains tomato, salt, spices, citric acid, garlic, and onion. That sounds common enough but perhaps there’s something bout the ratio of “spices” to “citric acid” that brings out the worst in parents? Just a theory…
Animatronic Robots Have Mind Control That Makes Us Violent?
Watch the video above. Now watch it again at a louder volume. Now watch it again at the loud volume with children running and screaming all around you. Robot dogs and birds and rats “playing” instruments and “singing.” Do you suddenly want to fight someone/thing? Uh, us neither… But if you/we did, the clearly evil robots are almost certainly to blame. If you need more evidence, check out the singing rat below
Arcade Game-Induced Madness?
Who doesn’t love a good arcade game? But if you play too many at a place like Chuck E. Cheese’s, it’s possible you might get something we just made up called Arcade Game-Induced Madness. All the digital games at Chuck E. Cheese’s, like Superspin and Speed Demon and Harpoon Lagoon and Stack-It, can, in our opinion, induce a sort of psychosis that could lead you to a fight another parent. Our advice? Stick to Skee Ball.
Chuck E. Cheese Parties Are Actually Meet-ups For A National Ring of Secret Fight Clubs
This probably isn’t true, but you never know.
Science
The most boring answer but probably the only correct one: David Schwartz, a psychologist and professor at the University of Southern California, told ABC News in 2012 that birthday parties are often “really emotional situations.”
“There’s frustration and provocation,” he said. “A parent will never be more ready to defend somebody than when they’re with their child.”
Add in some booze, insane looking robots, and bad pizza to the stress, and you’ve got the ideal situation for a Chuck E. Cheese brawl.
It’s New Year’s resolution season: The gyms are packed, there are lines waiting for the treadmills, and your social media feeds are most likely stacked with people posting their latest accomplishments in fitness.
If you think the Facebook friend who posts every sweaty mile of their workout routine before you’ve even had your morning coffee seems a little too into themselves, a new study shows you might be right.
Researchers from the Brunel University in London found that people who post frequently about their exercise routines are more likely to have narcissistic tendencies. The need for constant validation is the fuel to their workouts. That’s not passing judgement — most people need and deserve to feel validated, and if it encourages a healthier lifestyle, so be it — but the narcissistic component means that their flaunting of what they’ve got might not be as appreciated as they think. And as long as they’re raking in the likes, they have no idea not everyone’s loving it.
Psychology lecturer Dr. Tara Marshall, from Brunel University London, said:
“Although our results suggest that narcissists’ bragging pays off because they receive more likes and comments to their status updates, it could be that their Facebook friends politely offer support while secretly disliking such egotistical displays. Greater awareness of how one’s status updates might be perceived by friends could help people to avoid topics that annoy more than they entertain.”
If you’re hitting the like button out of politeness and hoping they’ll get enough and lose interest, the opposite is probably happening: More likes encourage more bragging posts. If you hate seeing their every 5 a.m. 5K run, perhaps make it your own resolution to use your likes more sincerely.
I’ve spent a lot of time drinking beer on weeknights.
Hanging around my friend’s apartment or basement after college, we’d have little to do and plenty of time to kill. Cherished were the weekends when we knew more people would be free and the bars would be full, but during the week — with some of us between jobs and others with employment that allowed for late mornings — we spent a lot of time inventing games and drinking beer.
In my later years, between shifts at the bar I was tending, I spent plenty of hours sipping craft beers and distinguishing between the best. What I’m trying to say is: I know beers, cheap or otherwise. With that, here are five choice brews for when you’re wondering what to drink on a weeknight.
Sunday
https://www.instagram.com/p/BOk5A9eDVTf
You likely had the day off — something like 2/3 of the American work force has weekends off — so by evening, you may be winding down after a fruitful two days off. But that’s no reason not to crack a beer. Since the high-energy weekend is just behind you, we suggest a can — a tall can — of IPA. Perhaps Redhook’s Long Hammer IPA. This will give you some high quality beer, essential for a fine Sunday, but also make you feel like the party isn’t over. Heck, crush the can when you’re done with it if you wanna!
This day is often known as the most boring day of the week but it doesn’t have to be! Try something new: a dark beer. Perhaps a Guinness if you want something low alcohol or if you want something with some punch, try a Stout, Porter or even a Brown Ale, like Newcastle. The dark brew will warm your insides and remind you not everything is monotony.
Tuesday
https://www.instagram.com/p/BO3G09TgnTY
After two days of drinking heavier stuff, it’s time to break that “In Case of Emergency” glass and go for a cheap, light beer. Domestic favorites, like Rolling Rock and Miller Lite, though in every region there are local versions (and there’s always the overseas Stella Artois). Go easy on yourself with these inexpensive options.
Wednesday
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDhAJLdAdFp
Time for a flavor explosion. Time to get down on a Red Ale! If you live on the west coast, shoot for Odin’s Ruby or Double Mountain’s IRA. If you want a national brand, check out a bottle of Arrogant Bastard or Killian’s Irish Red. These are the most confection-like flavor-boom brews. Turn Wednesday into Funsday!
Also known as “Little Friday” (go with it), there’s no reason to act small. Thursday is often a good sports day, if you’re into that, which can make it a good day to get together in a group. Either way, get out of the house and have something on draft. Try a Session IPA, a Citra IPA, a Fresh Hop Pale Ale or something else fresh. On Thursday, you want flavor and excitement, but you don’t want to get bogged down in too much heft. So, go for a Sierra Nevada Snow Wit White IPA or their Torpedo Citra.
