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Dispensaries Can Open Immediately For Montana Marijuana Patients

Al Olson
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Dispensaries Can Open Immediately For Montana Marijuana Patients

In a resounding victory for the Montana marijuana program, a judge ruled on Wednesday that dispensaries can open immediately.

District Judge James Reynolds of Helena ruled the error that a drafting error in a voter-approved initiative should not delay implementation of the law.

“The folks that are maybe the most in need are the least able to provide, to grow their own,” Reynolds ruled. “I think speed is more important than niceties.”

The initiative, approved by voters in November, reversed a law passed by the Montana Legislature that limited medical marijuana providers to three patients each. The onerous limit took effect Aug. 31 after a five-year court battle, forcing dispensaries across the state to shut down and leaving thousands of registered patients left out in the cold.

The Montana Cannabis Industry Association, authors of the initiative, intended for the three-patient limit to be ruled illegal immediately.

But, according to the Associated Press, “a last-minute flurry of activity between initiative sponsors and state officials resulted in two new sections being added to the measure, changing the numbering of the sections in the initiative.” The language  that laid out the effective dates of the various sections of the measure was not updated to reflect the final changes.

The Montana Cannabis Industry Association took their case to Reynolds, who had twice ruled to block the three-patient limit. Reynolds said the effective date issue was a clerical error.

The judge also noted that federal and state laws regarding marijuana remain in conflict. “We’re in a morass here,” he said. “Folks are speaking with their votes.”

Kate Cholewa, lobbyist for the Montana Cannabis Industry Association, was pleased with the ruling. “The people who work providing marijuana in Montana were, let’s face it, they were jerked around quite a bit,” she said. “They are somewhat used to it and very good at coming back.”

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: One Man’s Journey In Pursuit Of The Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Myth Busting: Does Holding In Smoke Get You Higher? and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store.

Listen As Marshawn Lynch Narrates That Epic ‘Planet Earth II’ Iguana Run

Brendan Bures
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0
Listen As Marshawn Lynch Narrates That Epic ‘Planet Earth II’ Iguana Run

The greatest run ever witnessed on a grass field was performed by a beast. When he needed to dive deep within himself and harness the bestial fury within him, that’s exactly what Marshawn Lynch did.

If you’re even a casual fan of professional football, you recognize the run to which I’m referring. That would be former Seattle Seahawk Marshawn Lynch’s “Beast Quake” run in the 2011 NFC Wild Card Game against the New Orleans Saints. To quote the Indianapolis Colts linebacker, “That’s the greatest run I’ve ever seen.”

The clip above includes an interview from Lynch describing his memorable run. But that’s not the greatest run ever documented by a beast. That would instead be this clip from Planet Earth II, featuring an iguana escaping a valley of snakes. Because the internet is wonderful, a Reddit user synced the audio from Lynch’s interview with the Planet Earth II footage.

It’s stunning, it’s glorious, and most of all, it’s hilarious.

Watch as the iguana, running his favorite “Power” handoff, slips off tacklers from the would-be tacklers. Just when they think they’ve wrapped him, the iguana stays on his feet, churning those legs, until he pokes through. “Uh-oh, might be trouble,” the iguana’s thinking. But he stays up, as Tracy Porter—a real snake if you ask me—tries to bring him down. The iguana delivers a devastating stiff arm to Porter, causing him to collapse, ending his career (or something along those lines).

Without really knowing how he got there, the iguana found the end zone. Which in this case is not being eaten alive by snakes. Congratulations, iguana, on the best run and stiff arms the animal kingdom has ever seen.

 

The most essential daily news, entertainment, pop culture, and culture coverage. Want more? Check out “A Look Inside J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ ” “8 Current-Day Life Lessons From ‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ ” and “Here’s Why I Don’t Think The Gilmore Girls Actually Drank Coffee On The Show”

Did You Know That NBA Legend Phil Jackson Used Marijuana For Pain?

Al Olson
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Did You Know That NBA Legend Phil Jackson Used Marijuana For Pain?

New York Knicks President Phil Jackson made two admissions regarding marijuana Tuesday night: One about his personal use 47 years ago and the other, more importantly, about the league’s current culture.

Jackson, considered by many the greatest coach in league history, said that, like Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, he used marijuana to treat back pain. Jackson, who missed the entire 1969-70 NBA season after having back surgery, admitted he used cannabis as a pain reliever at the time.

“I don’t know about its medicinal ability,” Jackson told CBS Sports. “I had back surgery, and the year I was off, I was smoking marijuana during that period of time. I think it was a distraction for me as much as a pain reliever. But I’ve never thought of it as ultimately a pain medication for that type of situation. I know ocular things, stomach, digestive issues and other things, I think it is regarded quite highly.

But it is his comments about the current status of the league that is most relevant.

“We’re in a situation that’s in flux,” Jackson continued. “We have states — Washington, D.C., Colorado — have legalized marijuana. Those are going to raise issues. We also have a testing regimen that we go through in the NBA, so we’re kind of in conflict with what is going to be the law. I see that as a matter of a decision that — I don’t know if we can equate it to gay marriage or whatever else, but it’s a decision that’s going to be made by our population at some point. They’re going to come out and make that decision for us, I think, instead of legislatures trying to make the decision. I think that we have tried to stop it in the NBA. I don’t think we have been able to stop it in the NBA. I think it still goes on and is still a part of the culture in the NBA. I think it is something that we either have to accommodate or figure out another way to deal with it.”

When one of the league’s most respected executives says that marijuana is “part of the culture of the NBA,” it speaks volumes.

Earlier this week, Kerr admitted to trying marijuana to help with back pain following surgery. He also said players should not be punished for using marijuana for medical use.

Former players are also speaking out in favor of cannabis instead of opiates. In a story for the Players’ Tribune earlier this year, former Chicago Bulls guard Jay Williams said he became addicted to painkillers following a motorcycle crash that ended his NBA career.

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: One Man’s Journey In Pursuit Of The Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Myth Busting: Does Holding In Smoke Get You Higher? and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store.

Legal Marijuana Is Taking A Bite Out Of Beer Sales

Al Olson
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Legal Marijuana Is Taking A Bite Out Of Beer Sales

Legal marijuana is taking a bite out of beer sales.

Research firm Cowen & Company analyzed beer sales in Colorado, Oregon and Washington — states where both recreational weed is legal and the craft beer movement prevalent. In those states, beer sales have “collectively underperformed” over the last two years.

“In adult-use cannabis markets, there are clear signs that cannabis is weighing on beer category trends,” according to Vivien Azer, managing director and senior research analyst for Cowen and Company. Azer also noted that  “mainstream beers are the biggest drag, while craft is also slowing. Imports look the most immune.”

Is there a direct correlation to marijuana?

“While (marijuana) retail sales opened up in these markets at different points of time, with all three of these states now having fully implemented a retail infrastructure, the underperformance of beer in these markets has worsened over the course of 2016,” Azer wrote.

“This is perhaps not surprising, given that U.S. government data for the states of CO, WA and OR all show consistent growth in cannabis incidence among 18-25 year olds,” Azer added, “coupled with declines in alcohol incidence (in terms of past month use).”

Although the sales of craft beer have slowed, the “biggest drag” is on mainstream brands, with economy beer volumes down 2.4 percent and premium domestic volumes (including Bud Light and Coors Light) down 4.4 percent.

The beer-to-bud shift is most noticeable in the Denver metropolitan area, where beer volumes dipped by 6.4 percent. Government data demonstrates that 18 to 25 year-olds have increased cannabis use while decreasing its alcohol use.

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: One Man’s Journey In Pursuit Of The Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Myth Busting: Does Holding In Smoke Get You Higher? and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store. 

This Is What Happens When You Do A Mannequin Challenge With Guns

Taylor Berman
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This Is What Happens When You Do A Mannequin Challenge With Guns

As we’ve noted, the Mannequin Challenge is a very good meme that we’ve enjoyed seeing everyone from Paul McCartney to Michelle Obama to a bunch of cute 4-year-old kids try. Also caught up in the craze were a group of gun-owning Alabamans, who shared a Facebook video of themselves doing the challenge while holding a variety of handguns in a frozen drive-by shooting pose.

The good news for the crew is that their video was a minor hit, racking up a reported 80,000 views on Facebook and most likely tens of thousands more on other social media networks. The bad news is the clip lead to an investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, which ended in the arrests of two men and the seizure of weapons and marijuana.

AL.com reports that Kenneth Fennell White, 49, and Terry Brown, 23, were arrested early Tuesday morning. White has been charged with is charged with first-degree possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm by a violent felon, and Brown has been charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and loitering (once he was in jail, officers found marijuana in his clothing, so they tacked on a charge of promoting prison contraband).

“At 5:02 this morning,” Capt. Mike Salomonsky said at a press conference. “The Madison County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team, the City of Huntsville Police Department SWAT team, and also ATF were present when we executed the search warrant at that residence.”

Salomonsky also confirmed that his office began investigating after seeing the video. “You have a lot of people with firearms at one address,” he said. “And you have to ask yourself the question, ‘Why?’ and the second question you have to ask yourself: is it a public safety issue?”

It should be noted that the group’s video did not include Rae Sremmurd’s “Black Beatles,” which in addition to being one of the best songs of the year is also the unofficial soundtrack to the Mannequin Challenge. Perhaps that was the source of their bad luck.

Visualize The News: Bob Dylan Curves Nobel Prize Again, Kylie Jenner Starts War On Christmas

Brendan Bures
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Visualize The News: Bob Dylan Curves Nobel Prize Again, Kylie Jenner Starts War On Christmas

Within our hyper-accelerated news culture, it can be tough to keep up with everything. But maintaining an informed populace remains vital to our culture. So for those stories that don’t quite need your undivided attention, we’re helping you digest stuff with GIFS, pics, and whatever qualifies as a quick fix. Remember: Knowing is half the battle. The other half: Laughing at funny memes. 

Bob Dylan Friend Zones Nobel Prize

Watching the Nobel Prize committee’s continued courting of Bob Dylan, you wish they’d realized they were in the friend zone. But they have not and Dylan keeps teasing the prestigious award committee, leaving little breadcrumbs that maybe, alternately, possibly he’ll bestow them with his presence, and give them the honor they deserve.

The latest: Dylan still will not attend the ceremony, but has now submitted a speech to be read as his acceptance.

Sigh. You’re better than this, Nobel Prize committee. In addition, Patti Smith will now perform a special arrangement of Dylan’s 1963 record “A Hard Rain’s a-Gonna Fall.” The arrangement will fill also feature Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with Swedish conductor Hans Ek.

However, we at The Fresh Toast would like to share an exclusive excerpt of Dylan’s acceptance speech. A high-placed source sent this to us by underwater walrus mail. Here is a small sampling of what Dylan prepared for the Nobel Prize committee.


via GIPHY

Kyle Jenner Declares War on Christmas

Now this is an example of our prestigious literal journalism here at Visualize The News. We bring you the story other outlets who have much better things to do won’t. Like how much Kylie Jenner hates Christmas.

We know, we know. It’s a slight on humanity what she did there. Don’t worry, the internet rose up and did what it always does: aggressively target microscopic causes against celebrities who don’t care about them.

A normal investigative enterprise team would stop there, but Visualize The News doesn’t stop there. Move over, Spotlight. Your time in the—(don’t let him say spotlight, don’t let him say spotlight)—limelight is over.

Because what we discovered here at VTN was that Kylie Jenner’s war on Christmas started long ago on an underground program called Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Don’t believe us? Look at these clips.


via GIPHY

You can’t see him, but off-screen is Billy Bob Thornton. But Kylie can only see him as his Bad Santa character. Which means Kylie only sees a drunk, shitty Santa Claus that she wants to punch in the throat.

Case in point: Kylie Jenner hates Santa Claus.


via GIPHY

In the above clip, she’s looking at Christmas trees, fantasizing about burning all the evergreens in the planet.


via GIPHY

As everyone knows Pinkberry is the catnip for elves. The callous carelessness with which she treats such an elvish delicacy—to steal the words from her mouth—is literally repulsive. If only she knew the damage she was doing to the elves with such a sentiment. Stop attacking Christmas, Kylie. Hasn’t your family done enough?

https://twitter.com/misfitmadisyn/status/805406788766023680

Donald Trump and the No Good, Very Bad, Windy Day

Unless it isn’t clear, Donald Trump has taped—as in like Scotch tape—his tie together. Maybe that explains his hair.

 

The most essential daily news, entertainment, pop culture, and culture coverage. Want more? Check out “A Look Inside J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ ” “8 Current-Day Life Lessons From ‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ ” and “Here’s Why I Don’t Think The Gilmore Girls Actually Drank Coffee On The Show”

Let’s Talk About Florida’s $1 Billion Medical Marijuana Market

Mike Adams
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Let’s Talk About Florida’s $1 Billion Medical Marijuana Market

Florida is destined to become one of leading medical marijuana markets in the United States, generating more than $1 billion in sales within the next three years, according to the latest report from New Frontier Data and Arcview Market Research.

The latest portrait of the U.S. cannabis industry shows the Sunshine State will easily grow to the second largest medical marijuana state by 2020. This means of all the cannabis being sold in the 28 states that have legalized it for therapeutic use, Florida alone will hold a whopping 14 percent of the market share.

Interestingly, the rapid pulse of the marketplace, estimated to swell by 140 percent once medical marijuana is finally available, is largely due to Florida being home to the largest percentage of senior citizens (65 and older) in the nation, a prime demographic with respect to individuals living with health conditions for which marijuana can provide relief.

When voters approved United for Care’s Amendment 2 in the November election, legalizing a full-scale medical marijuana program, it created enormous opportunity for the cannabis industry. The language of the law allows the participation of patients with a wide variety of health issues, ranging from cancer to just about any other condition, as long as a licensed physician believes the herb could do some good.

One of the latest snippets of research from the New York University School of Medicine indicates the older generation, specifically Baby Boomers, could be one of the largest customer bases for the medical marijuana industry. The study, which was published earlier this week in the journal Addiction, finds that people 50 and older are increasingly more apt to embrace the use of marijuana for its medicinal properties.

Although Florida’s Amendment 2 is set to become law at the beginning of 2017, it is expected to be at least another year before the state is prepared to launch the program.

Let’s face it – state officials do not exactly have a reputation for being expeditious in these types of situations. It took them well over a year to get the regulatory affairs in order just to roll out a simple low-THC program for patients with cancer and epilepsy.

Nevertheless, once the program does finally get up and running, it will undoubtedly bring about the creation of thousands of new jobs and vastly contribute to the state’s over economic foundation – a benefit that many other states with legal marijuana are set to experience, as well.

The report predicts the entire scope of the national marijuana market will be worth more than $21 billion by 2020, as long as President-elect Donald Trump’s selection for U.S. Attorney General doesn’t stop the cultivation and sale of cannabis dead in its tracks.

So, Chris Pratt Possibly Ate Off Your Plate When He Was A Server

Jillian Peterson
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So, Chris Pratt Possibly Ate Off Your Plate When He Was A Server

Andy Dwyer didn’t happen overnight. In fact, Chris Pratt was so broke and hungry when he moved to Hollywood that, like most struggling actors, he waited tables for extra cash. And along with waiting tables ultimately came eating scraps off of other people’s plates.

On a recent episode of  “The Graham Norton Show,” Mr. Anna Farris described the day a woman came in for lunch and how he sweet talked her into ordering a big Porterhouse, because he knew she wouldn’t be able to eat the entire thing. He was right, but he couldn’t have predicted the stunning turn of events that led him to an early Christmas.

Consume is an essential source for food and beverage news, trends, tips, original recipes and everything in between. Want to read more? Try these posts: Cheese Lattes Are Now A Thing,                9 Of The Best Pumpkin Beers In America, and What I Ate Today: Coquine’s Katy Millard.

Grammy Nominations 2017: Reactions, Surprises, Snubs

Brendan Bures
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Grammy Nominations 2017: Reactions, Surprises, Snubs

The 59th Grammy’s announced their nominees Tuesday morning, pleasing everyone with their unanimous selections, as usual. Just kidding. While the Grammy’s did surprise with their choices this year, there were also snubs. Here’s a quick breakdown of the possibilities and disappointments with this year’s awards.

The Leaders

Beyoncé led all artists with nine nominations, while Drake, Kanye West, and Rihanna tied with eight nominations each. Those choices ring very indicative of pop music in 2016, because those artists commanded our collective attention, in surprisingly various ways. Though each of the nominees carry radio hits, each of them retreated within their musical worlds, demanding audiences find them, instead of the other way around. (Drake is the lone exception with hits-chasing VIEWS.)

Drake vs. D.R.A.M.

Speaking of Drake, that was a neat paperwork trick he pulled by including “Hotline Bling” to VIEWS. Reportedly, it was a big behind-the-scenes controversy last year when Drake didn’t receive a nomination for “Hotline Bling.” Apparently, the blame lays with a paperwork mishap (someone didn’t file the necessary paperwork), but now “Hotline Bling” for Best Rap Song and Best Rap/Sung Performance. The latter category includes D.R.A.M.’s “Broccoli” with a Lil Yachty assist as competition. Drake’s “Hotline Bling” possibly/maybe/definitely remixed D.R.A.M.’s “Cha Cha,” without giving D.R.A.M. any credit whatsoever. This category could feature some serious karmic payback. Also, Lil Yachty is officially a Grammy-nominated rapper. Put some respek on his name.

The Revolution Will Be Streamed

A big discussion preceding the Grammy’s included whether streaming-only albums/mixtapes would qualify to be nominated. The poster child for this movement was Chance the Rapper and his mixtape Coloring Book, who helped push the committee to adapt its rules to our new music environment. His reward for his efforts? Seven nominations, four for Coloring Book and three for his work on Kanye’s Life of Pablo.

Rihanna’s ANTI isn’t recognized fully

What felt so revolutionary about Rihanna’s ANTI was that it demanded we consume her music within a body of work, instead of our previous manner of three-minute monster singles. And while RiRi did receive a high number of noms for her work work work work, ANTI only received recognition in Best Urban Contemporary Album. It should be up for Album of The Year.

https://twitter.com/AndersonPaak/status/806172987774746624

First-time nominees

The Best New Artist category indicates a hotly contested field, and also includes first-time nominees Chance the Rapper and Anderson .Paak. It feels like both have been around too long to be deemed Best New Artist, but they aren’t the most surprising first-time nominees. That would be Blink-182 and hit-maker Mike Will Made-It. Yes, the punky rock group, now without co-founder Tom DeLonge, hasn’t received a Grammy Nomination until this year’s California Best Rock Album nod. Meanwhile, Mike Will Made-It, who just earned a No. 1 record with Rae Sreummurd’s “Black Beatles,” gets his nomination through Beyoncé’s “Formation.”

 

The most essential daily news, entertainment, pop culture, and culture coverage. Want more? Check out “A Look Inside J.K. Rowling’s ‘Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them’ ” “8 Current-Day Life Lessons From ‘Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer’ ” and “Here’s Why I Don’t Think The Gilmore Girls Actually Drank Coffee On The Show”

Which Company Just Donated $1 Million To Fight Marijuana Prohibition?

Al Olson
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0
Which Company Just Donated $1 Million To Fight Marijuana Prohibition?

Like most cannabis entrepreneurs, Adam Bierman was elated with last month’s string of Election Day victories for marijuana reform. 

But Adam Bierman, CEO of MedMen, a California-based marijuana consulting and management firm, is not resting. Despite election victories in eight states, Bierman knows the battle to end prohibition is just beginning. 

“The fight is not over, and it is important for us to remember how we got here. This would not have happened without the tireless work of anti-prohibition advocates, fighting to reform our broken drug laws.” 

Last month, Medmen launched a national campaign to fuel marijuana policy reform with revenue raised by the marijuana industry. 

The first-of-its-kind Pledge 4 Growth campaign asks marijuana businesses to commit 0.420 percent of their annual gross revenue to supporting the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), the nation’s largest marijuana policy reform organization. MedMen will be a founding donor to Pledge 4 Growth.

“MedMen has been a huge supporter of MPP’s work since our inception and we want to ensure that the progress made by MPP is able to continue,” Bierman said. “There is a dire need for a national campaign that brings together both the advocacy and business sides of the industry, and Pledge 4 Growth will do just that.”  

During the cannabis industry’s largest business conference of the year in Las Vegas last month, MedMen presented MPP with a check for $1 million to aid in the group’s ongoing advocacy against Prohibition. MPP led the recent campaigns in Massachusetts and Maine, co-led the Nevada campaign, and helped pass measures in California, Florida and North Dakota.

 “MedMen is really stepping up here, and we hope other members of the marijuana industry will join them,” said MPP co-founder and executive director Rob Kampia. “With the support of the broader marijuana business community, we can end prohibition in a dozen more states by 2019.”

Highway is an essential source for cannabis science, how-to stories and demystifying marijuana. Want to read more? Thy these posts: One Man’s Journey In Pursuit Of The Truth Behind Marijuana Prohibition, Marijuana Myth Busting: Does Holding In Smoke Get You Higher? and A Drag Queen’s Visit To The Cannabis Store.  

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