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5 Nifty Fitness Gadgets That Will Move You Forward In 2017

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Getting fit is no easy feat. If that group chat you created to motivate you and your friends failed miserably, perhaps relying on different types of technologies might do the trick. Fitness tech was all the talk in 2016, and 2017 is poised to be a year of advancement.

While tech companies further their reach on the fitness industry, perhaps you’ve been getting further behind on the goals you’d set yourself. Although we as consumers know there are products to help us out there, they haven’t made their way into our lives in quite the same ways those apps that haven’t really worked out for us have. Whether it’s accessibility or pricing, for the many of us still looking we haven’t found the support we need.

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To make things slightly easier, we dug deep into the interweb to find what new technologies people are saying actually works. From hydration to performance and sleep aids here are five of the best products on the market in 2017.

Motiv ($199)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPEcEfyBkk_/?taken-by=motiv

Need a ring to get committed? If a ring can be the ultimate form of commitment in love, according to Motiv it can also represent the same sense of forever in fitness. Their new Motiv Ring is the latest in wearable tech that seeks to track your activity and keep you working towards your set goal. In transforming bulky fitness trackers into a ring, Motiv is hoping that you won’t have to take it off, allowing them to track your fitness behaviours 24/7. It is poised to be the most accurate and active fitness technology on the market.

Skulpt ($99)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCWPqo_HXDj/?taken-by=skulpt_me

Personalization is the name of this year’s game and Skulpt has got it covered. The Skulpt Performance System is able to analyze your physical strengths and weaknesses, and therefore provide you with workout and nutritional guidance based on your unique physiology and goals. Skulpt uses science-driven techniques that were previously available only to elite athletes, and is making them easily understandable and accessible to all of us.


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Sense ($149)

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Is all the fake news keeping you up at night? If you find that getting a good night’s sleep is getting in the way of fitness, your problem has a great new solution. Introducing Sense, a mini spherical gadget that sits on your nightstand and communicates with a tiny device that you stick inside of your pillow. I know what you’re thinking, as if I need another piece of technology sleeping in my bed. Well, unlike your phone or other devices that hinder your sleep, Sense is helping your sleep. It monitors temperature, noise, light and movement and will wake you up at the optimum time with gentle alarms and a glowing ambiance. Going one step further, it will also tell you why and how you slept the way you did.

Smith’s Lowdown Focus Mpowered by Muse ($350-$400)

Perhaps a lack of focus is failing you in your fitness regimes. While Google and Snapchat were busy building content creating eyewear, Smith built brainwave measuring eyewear. They look like any normal pair of sunglasses, except Smith’s Lowdown Focus Mpowered by Muse, was designed to relax your mind. You can then see data on an app and try different forms of mediation practices based on the brainwave measurements your glasses are reporting. Smith’s sunnies will be available this September 2017.

Thermos Connected Hydration Bottle with Smart Lid ($89.99)

https://www.instagram.com/p/99hKtGQJEH/

Ask any fitness expert and they’ll tell you that hydration is paramount to getting fit and losing weight. While most of us already know this, it can be a difficult task to keep on top of. Here to help you set and keep your hydration goals is Thermos’ newest creation. With an integrated hydration calculator you can determine a suggested daily amount based on your personal data and track your progress with an easy to use app.


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WATCH: Showtime Releases Wonderfully Odd ‘Twin Peaks’ Coffee Teaser

Hidden amongst all the Super Bowl ads was this awesome teaser for the upcoming Twin Peaks revival on Showtime.

The network posted the video Monday —  a perfect little feel-good supercut for fans of the 90s short-lived series.

It’s nothing more than a montage of coffee being poured, consumed and talked about during the course of the original series — no new footage — which Showtime will re-air as a precursor to the resurrection: May 21.

Included in the compilation is a cameo from show creator David Lynch, who wonders aloud “if I might trouble you for a cup of strong black coffee.”

Pass the creamer, because here are some damn good cups of coffee for your viewing pleasure.

According to Mashable, who interviewed Kimmy Robertson (aka Lucy Moran), the coffee was really only “damn good” for Dale Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) and Lynch.

Robertson recalled a lot of coffee consumption on set between the cast and crew. While the regular brew for staff was “pretty good,” Lynch and MacLachlan each had their own specific type of special coffee. Unfortunately, Robertson didn’t know what exactly that damn fine coffee actually was.

Let’s hope the cherry pie wasn’t a ringer, too.

East Coast Weed: Rhode Island Wants Rec Marijuana, Vermont To Decrim

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In November, two New England states — Massachusetts and Maine — voted to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana. Neighboring states, eager to tap into the revenue stream and put an end to a costly war on drugs, are quickly following in the footsteps.

  • Rhode Island lawmakers have proposed a bill that would allow for the recreational use of cannabis for those 21 and older.
  • Vermont, while not as bold ad Rhode Island, will attempt to decriminalize cannabis. The proposals would remove all civil and criminal penalties for possessing up to two ounces of dried marijuana for adults and would allow for modest home cultivation.

Rhode Island Has ‘Momentum’

“On the heels of Massachusetts, Maine, Nevada and California, we think this year is a really great opportunity for us to get the bill passed,” said Jared Moffat, director of Regulate Rhode Island — a group supporting legislation to regulate and tax adult marijuana use. “It’s certainly not a guarantee, but we do have more momentum than we’ve ever had before,” Moffat said.

“With Massachusetts right across the border, it makes sense for Rhode Island to get its system running at the same time,” Moffat added.

The Rhode Island measure would:

  • Include mandatory product testing and labeling
  • Restriction on advertising
  • Funding to law enforcement
  • Limits on THC quantity per product
  • Mandatory reviews for all sale products.
  • Allow cities and towns to have some control over the operation of marijuana establishments within their jurisdiction by voter approval

Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo has remained mum on the legislation.

According to recent polling, 55 percent of Rhode Island voters support legislation to regulate and tax recreational cannabis use.

Vermont Takes Smaller Steps

Vermont lawmakers introduced a bill that would decriminalize cannabis, putting an end to jailing non-violent cannabis drug offenders.

H.170, “an act relating to possession and cultivation of marijuana by a person 21 years of age or older,” is a decriminalization measure and does not regulate or tax the production or sale of adult-use cannabis.

“We went that route last year, and we got turned down,” said Rep. Thomas Burditt, one of the bill’s sponsors. “I’m a supporter of legalization,” Burditt said, “but the constituents aren’t.”

We Break Down The Hilarious T-Mobile And Verizon Twitter Beef

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Though T-Mobile aired not one, not two, but three commercials during the Super Bowl Sunday, it wasn’t where the company made the biggest impact. In fact their ads were part of an overall disappointing slew of commercials this Super Bowl, possibly affected by declining football ratings and exorbitant airtime prices.

Playing off a purposefully cringing 50 Shades of Grey parody ad staring Kristen Schaal, the official T-Mobile Twitter account and Schaal enjoyed some teasing back and forth. They were reinforcing the message across platforms, as they say, trying to raise its stickiness.

https://twitter.com/TMobile/status/828312524730757121

https://twitter.com/TMobile/status/828428887281381376

https://twitter.com/TMobile/status/828437055503949827

Obviously a playful exchange. Though Verizon was a target of sorts, it’s nothing egregious compared to other commercials between mobile service provider companies previously.

Only Verizon decided not to see it that way and took T-Mobile a little seriously. Way too seriously.

https://twitter.com/verizon/status/828425999121530882

https://twitter.com/verizon/status/828433480841297920

Not only that, Verizon’s Support team reached out to Schaal asking how they could help, not realizing this was all a prank.

So what’s the point of all this? And what might it indicate? Throughout the night, this exchange instigated serious interest from the media and populace alike, not the commercials themselves. While this was a historic Super Bowl, it doesn’t entirely explain why the commercials were largely forgettable.

It perhaps indicates a shift in strategy. T-Mobile’s commercial is a memorable commercials due to the response it caused, not its contents. The side action was the real action. Social media allows brands to act and sound like humans. Aesthetically speaking, no difference exists between my posts and that of T-Mobile’s. Their presentation is indistinguishable.

But I am (mostly) a real person. @TMobile is not. They are a company trying to win you over and sell its product. Thanks to this little spat, it represents one service provider as hip and progressive and the other as old and stodgy. It also shows our ongoing fascination with the most boring of contemporary marketing tools—beef.

Having beef is the quickest opportunity to gaining attention on the internet. Fans and onlookers who didn’t care or understand what a bar was followed Drake and Meek Mill’s “beef” with intensive curiosity. Drama is content. Anyone who watches reality TV intuitively accepts this. And it’s not anything revelatory to consider social media’s pull as a giant TV screen airing all of our individualized reality TV programs.

What’s different and possibly concerning is how we now regard multi-million and –billion dollar brands with the same attention and language as we do ourselves. Social media is humanizing giant corporations, albeit in ways we don’t consciously realize. It’s just plain unsettling we care so much about some phone companies sniping at one another.

However, T-Mobile’s social media feeds succeeded where their commercials failed—it was entertaining.

Will The Trump Admin Be The Reason Congress Reschedules Marijuana?

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While much of the cannabis community is concerned about whether the Trump Administration will put a stop to the cultivation and sale of marijuana in legal states, there is a distinct possibility that the uncertainty surrounding this supposed crackdown may be exactly what is needed to get Congress to roll up their sleeves on the issue.

In a matter of weeks, a group of lawmakers will form the “Cannabis Caucus,” and march up to Capitol Hill to revive marijuana reform in the 2017 session. The goal of this caucus, according to its members, is to finally pull Congress together on the issue in an effort to ensure the new administration or any other that comes after will no longer have the power to deconstruct decades of marijuana progress.

Now that eight states have legalized marijuana for recreational purposes, this enthusiastic pack of federal lawmakers is hoping it can make some advancement at the national level.

One of those proposals set to be re-introduced is the “Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act,” which was initially filed by Representative Jared Polis of Colorado back in 2015. The bill would eliminate the cannabis plant from the confines of the Controlled Substances Act and put marijuana in a position to be sold nationwide in a manner similar to beer.

Although Present Donald Trump said throughout his entire campaign that he would respect states rights when it came to the issue of marijuana legalization, his selection for U.S. Attorney General, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, is perhaps one of the most anti-pot politicians on the Hill. The concern is that, without any concrete laws protecting the sanctity of the cannabis trade, the nation’s new law enforcement hammer might unleash the dogs on its proprietors and allow it to be ripped to shreds before it ever really has a chance to get started.

Still, members of the caucus, which also include Representative Jared Polis, Representative Dana Rohrabacher and Representative Don Young, say they believe the Trump Administration has too much on its plate already to give legal marijuana a second look.

“This is a struggle and will continue to be, but this is something where I honestly don’t think the new administration, which has probably enough controversy on its hands, is going to knowingly pick a fight with what, almost without exception, was approved by local voters,” said Representative Earl Blumenauer from Oregon.

Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions believes Congress needs to take action on the issue if they are worried about the Trump Administration imposing a crackdown.

“I think one obvious concern is that the United States Congress made the possession of marijuana in every state and distribution of it an illegal act,” Sessions said during his confirmation hearing. “So if we need to…if that’s something [that] is not desired any longer, Congress should pass a law to change the rule. It is not so much the Attorney General’s job to decide what laws to enforce. We should do our job and enforce laws effectively as we are able.”

Overall, those with a finger on the pulse of marijuana reform in the nation’s capital say they are not too afraid Sessions will create upheaval among the cannabis community, mostly because the man will act under the orders of President Trump. However, they are quick to point out that the cannabis industry continues to linger in a “dangerous place” until there are federal laws on the books that make it an official part of American commerce.

Op Ed: Better Solution Than A Border Wall? End Marijuana Prohibition

Regarding immigration, I’m no expert on that matter. That said, according to the Pew Research Center in a five-year period from 2009 thru 2014 there was a significant decrease in the number of Mexican migrants residing in the U.S. Instead of a border wall, why not end marijuana prohibition instead?

According to the 2014 Mexican National Survey of Demographic Dynamics, between the same period of 2009-2014, roughly one million Mexican nationals and their families including their American-born children, left the U.S. for Mexico. These trends continue today and according to the William C. Velásquez Institute, “the southern border with Mexico has experienced near zero or zero net migration since 2007, thus there is no rational basis for a border wall.”

Yes there’s activity on the border, but to argue that immigration to the U.S. is out of control only to support his political position is simply wrong.

With regard to the idea that building a wall to stop the flow of drugs, well that’s perhaps twice as naïve, if not outright stupid. Notwithstanding the role of the American appetite for drugs, the existing walls along the border have done absolutely nothing to stop the flow of drugs, other than to motivate more creative methods of transport.

Since 2006 more than 80 underground tunnels have been discovered. The tunnels have become so popular that homeland security and other local law enforcement are working together in a special task force called the San Diego Tunnel Task Force.

These sophisticated tunnels cost an average $1 million and usually the very first load pays the cost associated which include among others lighting systems, air ventilation, pulley carts on tracks, and water pumping equipment with generators for some of the buildings. One recent tunnel discovered last April was nearly 800 meters long – the length of more than 8 ½ football fields.

There are many other more creative methods of successfully smuggling goods.  Those include an improvised mobile PVC pipe truck-mounted cannon that shoots bundles of drugs over the wall, a smaller hand-held version which is a modified t-shirt shooter like those found at sporting events.

If that’s not simple enough for you then we have one of my favorites: the catapult. We also have the ultra-light remote control drones, some of which can carry up to 300lbs of goods.

There also are ramps designed to drive over the walls and submersibles, which continue to grow in popularity. So building a “fortified” wall is as stupid a solution as is walking around with a cardboard umbrella in a thunderstorm.

So what’s the solution? Legalization. Yes, legalize marijuana, which is the No. 1 producer of wealth for the cartels. End the federal prohibition, reschedule cannabis, invest in research and infrastructure, support medical advances and improve upon the nation’s economy all the while ending the war on drugs and dismantling the illicit market, which thrives on prohibition.

In places like Colorado and other legalized states, we are already see a decrease on cartel activity and soon California will follow. With nothing more than responsible legislation and a signature drug law reform can help dismantle the drug trade and be infinitely more effective than any wall ever has been or will be.

Armando Gudiño is a policy manager at the Drug Policy Alliance based in California

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‘Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee’ Gets Cannabis Makeover

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The premise for Jerry Seinfeld’s hit series ‘Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee’ couldn’t be more simple: Get two comedians. Put them in a classic car. Drive to a coffeeshop. Drink caffeine and have a conversation. Hilarity ensues.

Michael Stusser, the brain behind Higher Ground, took Seinfeld’s concept but substituted the mild intoxicant: Instead of coffee, Stusser thought it would be interesting to try cannabis instead. The results? Comedy gold.

Stusser an award-winning filmmaker (“Sleeping with Siri”), launched Higher Ground a few years ago as the “worlds first entertainment and news program highlighting the revolutionary cultural and political changes related to the legalization of marijuana.”

Still unclear of the concept? Stusser says: “Imagine The Daily Show meets The Soup meets The Situation Room – just without that annoying Wolfe Blitzer fellow.”

Comedians In Cars Smoking Cannabis was released last year, featuring a beat-up 1965 VW van and comedian Lauren Weedman (The Daily Show, HBO’s Hung and Looking, Curb Your Enthusiasm). But since it was announced last month that Netflix and Seinfeld have joined forces in a massive exclusive deal, we thought it would be worthwhile to show this hilarious parody of the show. Who knows, maybe Stusser will get a call from Netflix.

Right before Election Day last November, the Seattle-based Higher Ground released “The World’s First Pro-Cannabis Commercial.”

“We’re really trying to elevate the dialogue about cannabis,” Stusser says. “And we’re using humor and social media to not only normalize the use of marijuana – but put it in context. People like weed – and they’ve been smoking it forever; time to make it legal.”

On Thursday, the latest episode of Seinfeld’s show was released, featuring Christoph Waltz.

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V-Day: 6 Marijuana Gift Ideas For Getting High With Your Honey

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Whether you believe it’s an over-hyped commercialized holiday or not, V-Day is a chance to get extra-thoughtful with your romance game.

If you and your sweetheart are marijuana enthusiasts, give them one of these extra-thoughtful gifts and share in the endorphin — and cannabis — high, together.

DIY Stashimal

Yep, it is what it sounds like: A stuffed animal that’s meant to stash your weed. Don’t buy any ol’ stuffed bear to show your cuddly side. Turn it into a useful place to store your favorite plant with this Instructables guide. You’ll have to decapitate a cute toy and pull its cotton guts out, but it’s worth it in the end. Just don’t forget to fill it up with your fav strain, first!

Cannabis Chocolates

Don’t show up with a heart-shaped box from the clearance section of your nearest bodega. It’s not a good look. Raise your game with edibles! Like these beauties from Zuma Chocolates, that come in flavors including peanut butter & pecan, frosted red velvet cupcake, and coconut + dark. Check out more drool-worthy canna-chocolates, here.

https://www.instagram.com/p/9Sh1CeKvTf/

Super-Luxe Boozy Desserts

Cake is great no matter what, but cake made with Hennessy or Baileys is a thousand times better. Give one of these recipes for booze-filled baked goods a shot, pair it with a sexy strain, and have yourselves a sweet night.

Related: Get It On In 2017: 13 Ways To Make Sex Feel New Again

Wake And Bake Coffee Mug

A romantic breakfast in bed is even better if it comes after getting baked in bed. This coffee mug turned bowl is exactly what your bedhead sweetheart ordered.

Medicated Massage Candles

What’s sexier than a oiled-up massage? A cannabis infused massage, of course. California-based WOW Candles claim to give pain relief in the form of massage oil candles made from coconut oil, organic palm wax, essential oil blends, and infused with one gram of cannabis concentrate.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BE7LiGBvI7V/

Take A Romantic 420 Trip

February may be the worst month — no major holidays for time off work, short days and long, cold nights before a hint of spring arrives — but that doesn’t mean you have to shuffle through it. Take your partner on a canna-getaway to one of these locales off the beaten path.

 

TFT Vape Review: The New Ebbu Genesis For Anxiety

Sometimes you need something reliable to get you through the day when you have anxiety. For some, that’s calling up an old friend, or putting on a much-beloved record, or bingeing a favorite TV show. For others, it’s chilling out with a joint on the back porch.

But the thing is, marijuana isn’t always reliable. Because there are just so many different types out there, you might get a nice, light get-you-through-the-day blaze one day and then melt-into-the-sofa high the next. Cue ebbu’s latest product, Genesis–a vape pen that delivers the same type of high each and every time.

Cannabis research and development start-up ebbu has a goal to make their products as predictable as possible. This line of thinking is innovative in the cannabis industry, and is sure to appeal to many consumers.

This goes double for folks who use cannabis to treat anxiety, since certain strains can minimize the disorder while others can exacerbate it. ebbu, who have been around since 2013, have spent the past two years doing extensive research with a team of scientists and 400 volunteers. By isolating three essential cannabinoids and three terpenes that amplify the potency of THC in cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1), ebbu has created a formula that makes for an experience that is at once relaxing yet free of the fog that can often accompany other cannabis products. It’s an approach that ebbu’s chief scientist, Dr. Brian Reid, believes sets the company apart.

Photo courtesy of Ebbu

The Genesis vape pen comes in a pleasantly-packaged container, complete with a cartridge full of ebbu’s well-engineered canna-oil. The pen itself is sleek, black, and lightweight–much like a regular pen. Hold the button down until the light around the button turns green, then take a hit. I knew to be cautious with the product as it boasted 500mg of THC, which is unheard of from my usual flower purchases. However, Genesis also includes a high percentage of CBD, which must minimize some of the effects of the THC.

There’s a distinct flavor upon exhalation, reminiscent of cloves, but it quickly dissipates. For those looking for a discreet high, though it certainly does not smell like cannabis, anyone around would notice at least some sort of aroma in the air momentarily.

Immediately after the first hit, I caught myself staring at some distant porch lights, mesmerized, and realized that the high had hit me instantly. There was no need to wait, or even take a second hit. What followed was a few hours of an incredibly relaxing high, with zero anxiety. This is definitely a product that works well for daylight hours as you’re able to maintain a pretty clear head throughout the high.

After using it a few times, I noticed that it does almost motivate me into more patient and creative states of mind. That said, I would tread lightly with this product. Though I am a frequent consumer, when taking more than one hit, I find it to become more on par with hitting a standard flower vape. My advice: take one hit if you’ve got work to do, and two if you’re set to simply catch up on some Netflix or sleep.

Move Over Craft Beer, Craft Marijuana Delivery Comes To Oregon

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Oregrown Industries, Oregon’s premier farm-to-table marijuana company, will offer home delivery of craft cannabis products and locally made glass pipes from its flagship store in downtown Bend, Oregon, beginning next week.

“Home cannabis delivery is coming to Bend, and Oregrown is your door-to-door connection,” said Oregrown cofounder Aviv Hadar.  “We have worked very hard to make the Oregrown store experience the best in the state, but even so, there’s something magical about placing an order and having top shelf, craft cannabis delivered right to your door.  Now we can make that happen.”

Under Oregon law, recreational cannabis stores can deliver between the hours of 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. to residential addresses within the store’s jurisdiction. One delivery per day is allowed to any single address or customer.  Deliveries must be made to the individual who placed the order, who must be 21 or over.

“Our location in downtown Bend means that we can deliver anywhere in the city, any time of year, including to a lot of properties that are primarily vacation rentals,” said Hadar.  “We like to think that Oregrown is already enhancing the Bend experience for locals and visitors alike.  Now we can do it even more conveniently.”

Hadar said Oregrown’s delivery vehicles will be discreet, and their drivers as friendly and professional as their retail staff.

“What could be better than visiting or living here in Central Oregon? Having the best cannabis delivered right to your door,” Hadar said. “Now you really can have it all.”

For more cannabis business coverage, visit the MJ News Network

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