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Florida Man Strikes Again, Breaks Into Home To Pet A Cat

Sam Jones
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Florida Man Strikes Again, Breaks Into Home To Pet A Cat

Florida Man gets a bad rap. He seems to always be off riding manatees, stabbing the wait staff, humping innocent trees or doing… whatever you would call this.

This is bizarre behavior, but it’s not another one of those stories. This Florida Man just saw a cute cat and did what most of us would do in the situation: Try to pet it. The only problem was, the cat was inside of someone’s locked house. And it was 3:30 a.m.

Jasper Fiorenza broke into Brittney Cline’s Petersburg home; She woke up to him standing at the foot of her bed, where her cat was.

Cline told ABC Action News:

“When I opened my eyes I could see the shadow of a man standing at the end of my bed. He was standing perfectly still, I said ‘hello’ and when I said hello he dropped very slowly down to the ground. And as soon as I saw the shadow move down to the ground I knew somebody was there.”

She credits the cat for alerting her to the intruder, when it jumped from her bed and woke her up. When she panicked, he calmly said, “Hey,” and then left.

He came back two weeks later and repeated the creeping, before cops found his fingerprints on a baby gate and connected his new rash of break-ins with a database of past charges.

Messy breakups, deranged antics, pets gone wild. The Internet car-crash you can’t turn away from. Want more? Check out “Kanye West Released From Hospital, But Reportedly Living Apart From Kim Kardashian,” “Why Is Chris Pratt Cropping Jennifer Lawrence Out Of His IG Posts?,” “Here’s Why I Don’t Think The Gilmore Girls Actually Drank Coffee On The Show“

Father Christmas Hands Out Dick-Shaped Bracelets To Children

Sam Jones
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Father Christmas Hands Out Dick-Shaped Bracelets To Children

South West England is the picture of Christmas cheer. The charming markets, the pudding, the cobblestone streets—and of course, Santa handing out elastic bracelets shaped like dicks.

Described as a “cock up” by those closest to the incident, the fated night started with a Santa’s Workshop grotto put on by the Salvation Army. It wasn’t long before parents realized that the bands—which lose their shape when wearing them but form images when they’re off the wrist—were especially well-endowed. Father Christmas really dicked them over on this year’s presents.

Salvation Army Officer Nicholas Ward wrote an apology, according to the Bristol Post:

“It has come to our attention that some children received inappropriate toys from Father Christmas at tonight’s ‘Santa’s Grotto.’ We are very sorry for this and will take this issue up with the Christmas Lights committee, who provide the toys for Father Christmas to distribute. That said, we would like to thank Santa for his time and for all the families who shared in our Winter Wonderland. We hope you had a good night and please accept our apologies for any offense these toys might have caused you and your children.”

Most parents were calm and collected about the mix-up, taking the chance to make penis puns while accepting the apology. One delivered this sick burn: “Don’t worry, if the kids are old enough to recognize what they are, they are too old to be visiting Santa anyway. No harm done :-).”

Next time, hopefully Saint Nick will leave the holly berries and branches at home.

Messy breakups, deranged antics, pets gone wild. The Internet car-crash you can’t turn away from. Want more? Check out “Bad Santa: 9 Super-Sketchy St. Nicks That Have No Jolly,” “Duh Files: Teen Busted For Doing Donuts In Police Station’s Parking Lot,” “Foul-Mouthed Parrot May Testify At Michigan Murder Trail” 

8 Ways To Have More Sex

Rachel Krantz
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8 Ways To Have More Sex

No, but really — how does a person have have better sex or a better relationship? The Fresh Toast has enlisted Rachel Krantz, a sex writer and proud canna-enthusiast, to help readers out with some answers as its sex columnist. 

This column is all about 8 ways to have more sex!

Q: I’m in a happy relationship. We’ve been together for four years now, and while we’re still in love, the sex has definitely slowed down. It’s not that we don’t want to anymore — it’s that we’re so busy. It seems like by the time we both think to do it we’re too exhausted at the end of the night. I’m wondering if you have any tips for getting us back on track so we can have sex more than just once a week.

A: I love this question, because it is so relatable for me! I’ve been with my partner two years now, and while we both love each other and love to get down, I know firsthand that if you don’t prioritize sex in a sometimes less-than-romantic way, you can find yourself not having as much sex as you’d like. Here are some tips I’d recommend for ensuring you keep things frequent and fun.

Schedule A Date To Do It


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It sounds really unromantic, I know — but it’s actually kind of fun to schedule sex dates. We have the idea that sex always has to be spontaneous to be exciting or authentic, but that’s just not the case. You can make a date to have sex a few days or even a week in advance, and it will help take the pressure off wondering whether you’re going to get around to it.

I did this the other night – and just making the date for the next day got me so unexpectedly excited that I ended up initiating sex five minutes later, even though we’d originally both thought we were too sleepy.

Sext More


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You don’t have to be an expert sexter to build the anticipation. You also don’t even have to be that dirty. I define a sext as anything from, “You looked so hot this morning, I keep thinking about you today and wanting you,” to, “Your dick looked a little hard in those sweats this morning. As soon as I get home, I want you to take them off and use it to f*ck me over our couch.” See? Lots of range. You can send sweet Bitmojis, or elicit photos. It really doesn’t matter how dirty you get — just that you state your intention and build the romantic anticipation. Check out this list of example sexting ideas for more inspiration.

Embrace “Slorny Sex”


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One of the biggest obstacles to having sex when you’re in a long-term relationship isn’t necessarily being bored of each other — it’s just having lots of sh*t to do! Maybe you have kids, or you’re building a home, or are just exhausted from work. That’s why I think it’s important to also embrace sleepy, lazy sex — or as I like to call it, “Slorny Sex.” That’s sleepy+horny, and I’m guessing you know the feeling well.

When slorniness strikes, just be honest about it. Say you’re slorny but don’t expect them to spend any energy on foreplay — instead, start touching yourself with your hand or favorite vibrator. Whatever your personal hack is, break it out, and have sex spooning, or whatever else is sleepiest. It’s not lame. In fact, it can be kind hot and liberating to realize it doesn’t always have to be a cinematic production.

When You Netflix & Chill, Make It Sexy


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Another problem people have is that they watch more TV than they have sex. I get it, but if you’re going to Netflix & Chill, you shouldn’t forget the chill part. Pick a foreign film or anything else in the “steamy romantic” category — go for that softcore porn that slips through the cracks. Here’s a list of some of the hottest stuff you can find on Netflix.

You can even up the ante by reaching over in a heated moment and groping them through their clothes. You’ll feel like horny teenagers all over again.

Be Naked More

Being naked has a host of health and mental benefits, and one of the greatest ones is that the more you’re naked, the more you’ll remember to have sex. Watch TV naked. Show up to dinner naked. Do yoga naked. Sleep naked. Whatever it is, even if you’re insecure at first, you’ll love your body more and more, and your partner will be in a constant state of sexy. You don’t need to look like the woman above for it to be hot. Promise.

Have A Standing Date Night Where You Stay In


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While going out is fun, I always feel most romantic when my partner and I just make the time to roll a J, put on some music, and hang out all night talking. If you make a standing date to do just that, not only is it a cheap way to make quality time for each other, but you’ll be more likely to have sex at the end of the night. You’re already home! Again, you can put it on the calendar if you’re worried about accountability.

Have An Honest Conversation About Your Ideal Frequency


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Another problem people in longterm relationships have is that they think they have to be having as much sex as they were in the first few months. (Guilty!) It’s just not realistic. If we kept having sex at that rate for years, we’d never have time to do all the other important couple things. That said, sex should always be a top priority — it is crucial for most couples to stay in love and bonded.

Get stoned one night, put on your mutually-favorite music, and start an honest conversation about what both of your ideal amount of sex at this point in your life and relationship would be. If it’s incompatible, talk about how you might meet in the middle. If you settle on an amount, challenge each other to see if you can meet that goal for the next month — and maybe even set those Google calendar alerts for sex dates to remind you. It feels silly, but if you have a sense of humor about it, it can be a lot of fun.

Keep The Quality/Quantity Ratio Flexible


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If you want to have only high-quality, spontaneous, uber-romantic sex, you’re probably going to have to compromise on frequency. If you’d just like to be having more sex, you can embrace the idea of having occasional romps that are more about just getting it done and involve minimal effort and maximum pleasure hacking.

For me, since I like to hit it at least two or three times a week, I’m cool with the reality that one or more of those times will likely be more of a slorny quickie, and that maybe the longer, more romantic sesh will happen on a weekend. It’s OK to keep adjusting the quality/quantity ratio that feels right for your relationship, and to take a holistic approach to all this. A relationship is always changing, which means your sex drive will too. That’s OK! So if you set a goal and it just doesn’t feel right or brews fights, have another honest conversation and reevaluate an amount that will feel like fun rather than pressure. Sex is supposed to be fun — never forget that.

With ‘Starboy,’ The Weeknd Finally Shows His True Colors

Brendan Bures
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With ‘Starboy,’ The Weeknd Finally Shows His True Colors

Any first encounter with The Weeknd and his ravishing, raw falsetto takes on the air of a surreptitious affair. This is certainly true if you listened from his delirious first mixtape House of Balloons, relating—or more likely, fantasizing about relating—with “bring the drugs, baby, I can bring my pain,” those guitar strings sounding more like plucks on out-of-tune heartbeats. Or if the inescapable “The Hills,” from 2015’s Beauty Behind The Madness, punctured your pop radio speakers, its menacing warble both alluring and alarming.

Either way, The Weeknd’s music felt like a secret, and not one you were necessarily supposed to know. Whereas the most beloved art incites wonder into audiences, questioning, “How Is This Possible?” The Weeknd’s sound on first listen instills dread, the dilemma instead, “Should This Be Possible?”

By now it’s obvious just how appealing we all find consuming something we possibly shouldn’t. In that way they always tend to fail, parental warnings and respectability politics only invited you further into The Weeknd’s sordid fantasies. You always wanted more: more sex, more self-loathing, more of his sleazy songs.

This was a design. Like all controlling lovers, The Weeknd withheld. Even within the engineering of his records, like “The Hills,” his voice layers from high up, like he’s on top of the mountain that is his music. He’s perpetually distant, and with that trembling vibrato, it makes you reach out because a) we want what we can’t have or b) he sounds damaged, like if he could only find the right person, he’d be healed.

Now this is where some would call total and utter bullshit. The Weeknd’s a phony, they’d say. A put-on character who only pretends like this sadomasochistic pussy hound. Someone who never even hints within the contradictions of his music—like, bro, if you want love so bad, maybe stop playing such a douchebag. If he leaned into this, maybe his act would be forgivable, and possibly fun.

A fair conceit. His 2013 album Kiss Land revealed a singer stuck in repeat. It prompted a naked and necessary reinvention through Beauty Behind The Madness, an uber-engineered, marketable stylized pop behemoth. It created this persona as The Weeknd as a millennial Michael Jackson, mostly because that’s exactly what he and his team wanted you to believe. If you’ve heard “Can’t Feel My Face” you know what I mean. But another short example: In an NYTimes profile around the time, The Weeknd described “In The Night” as a pop compromise he was willing to make for global stardom. It’s a complete “Billie Jean” rip-off. Ron Perry, president of Songs Music Publishing, ecstatic about its smash record possibilities, exclaimed in the same profile, “It’s ‘Billie Jean!’ It’s Billie [expletive] Jean!” He meant this positively.

On some level, I feel contradictory making that criticism. The Weeknd’s new album Starboy isn’t only phenomenal, space opera splendor. It’s also a glorious reboot of all things 80s pop, disco, and electrowave. But instead of acting like some previous star, he funnels all those influences through a persona familiar yet refreshing.

Those who’ve never understood The Weeknd’s character miscalculated its appeal: Never is it about The Weeknd himself, but how he serves as cypher for you to assume a sensually desired and—yes—sexy role. He pinpoints the void, you fill it. All it requires is a 45-second investigation into dude’s Instagram to unmask his cornball temperaments. But who cares? We’re all somewhat cornballs underneath. Music’s supposed to make your forget as much as remember.

As he proves on Starboy, floating over beats as raw and pulsating as ever while also caressing sweet, soothing melodies, The Weeknd is one of three current pop singers who can sing any chorus and it vibrate perfectly. (Rihanna and Frank Ocean are the other two. I’d listen to any of them croon the damn tax code.) But he also dips into electronica hip-hop with titular track “Starboy,” boasting “I come alive in the fall time,” a more succulent bar than 90 percent of rap released this year.

Starboy marks an evolution, with records like R&B bop “True Colors” and the bare wailing on “Die For You.” He’s even anticipating a true lover on the Daft-Punk-assisted funk jam “I Feel It Coming,” an album standout. That he even desires genuine emotions strikes as almost revelatory. Often The Weeknd’s perceived vulnerability curved a manipulative nature. On Starboy, he finds loves, even if it remains distant and unattainable to him, causing him to slip into his old, House of Balloons ways.

Then again, as exciting as the expansion of The Weeknd’s sound is, fans still crave his darker inclinations. I do. That flippantly callous attitude on “Sidewalks,” crackling through auto-tune, “I ran out of tears when I was 18,” invigorates. As do accusatory taunts like “Six Feet Under” and “Attention.” Somehow, outside Rihanna’s ANTI, The Weeknd’s produced the most versatile pop album this year, suited for background party noise, club hits, and booming car records. He’s (finally) given it all to you.

The Weeknd doesn’t so much create records about love, but records for those who want to be in love. Either they aren’t or can’t, identifying some deficiency internally. That attitude bubbles beneath much of The Weeknd’s work. At times, that falls flat, too forced. It doesn’t (mostly) in Starboy. He seems more at ease, more comfortable within his presentation as pop’s dark prince. That he needed the Starboy character to locate that self isn’t a shortcoming. To assume the characters we so desperately wish to be, look at how much we use The Weeknd.

 

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”

8 Vital Facts That Will Affect How You Smoke California’s Legal Marijuana

Mike Adams
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8 Vital Facts That Will Affect How You Smoke California’s Legal Marijuana

With the passing of California’s Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA) not to mention the recent approval of Proposition 64, an initiative creating a fully legal cannabis trade, there has been a lot of confusion among the business community as to what can and cannot be done with respect to operating inside the realm of legitimate commerce.

According to Above the Law, the legislation responsible for creating MCRSA along with Proposition 64, which was established to put a leash on what has been called the “Wild West of Weed,” is just a framework to the newfound marketplace. The report, which was penned by attorney Hilary Bricken, goes on to say that state officials will soon begin to “fill in the “blanks” with respect to the cannabis industry as a whole – making it difficult, at this point, to predict exactly how the new laws are going to play out.

For those planning to get involved with the California cannabis industry in the near future, Bricken says there are eight crucial, yet undetermined, factors that are destined to play a significant role in eligibility: residency, for-profits, financing, priority licensing, licensing limitations, distribution, licensing fees, and license applications.

Although the new medical marijuana rules do not yet have a definitive residency requirement, Proposition 64 does. Yet there are some missing variables in the equation that are expected to shape the personality of the marketplace once they are hashed out.

“If licenses begin to issue in 2018, California legal marijuana has a three-year residency requirement,” Bricken wrote. “However, regarding a licensee entity, it’s the “controlling persons” that must be residents. Notably, “controlling” isn’t defined in the initiative, so the state will need to address this in its rule-making. How the state defines “controlling” will likely determine whether out-of-staters (including residents of foreign countries) can participate in California’s adult use marijuana industry as owners of a licensed business.”

When it comes to whether the new medical marijuana law will allow the participation of “for-profit” businesses, Bricken anticipates that “it will,” but she remains uncertain about whether it will permit “existing non-profit medical marijuana collectives to just convert to for-profit companies, or whether it will instead force collectives to wind down before and start brand new for-profit companies.”

There is nothing written in the language of MCRSA or Proposition 64 that properly addresses the issue of financing – making it the state’s responsibility to work out at some point in 2017. This decision could have a heavy influence on the way the entire industry takes shape.

“If California borrows from Washington, Colorado, or Alaska, financing for California cannabis businesses will likely be hamstrung by residency,” Bricken wrote. “If California takes its financing page from Nevada, Illinois, or Oregon (all of which have no residency requirements), cannabis investments in California will likely explode.”

Both the state’s medical and recreational marijuana laws come equipped with priority licensing thresholds – giving individuals and facilities in good standings with local jurisdictions first priority with respect to licenses. However, as Bricken points out in her analysis, neither law tells “us much about what priority status will actually mean or the detailed standards for proving it.” This aspect of the law is not expected to become anymore clear until rule-making is complete.

There will also be licensing limitations issued under the new medical marijuana plan, yet exactly what those restrictions will look like remains to be seen. Proposition 64 includes language that prohibits large-scale cultivators from getting involved within the first five years of operation, which is the only licensing limitation for that sector thus far. But Bricken says “that could change once the state begins to rule make.”

Some of the distribution rules changed earlier this year with respect to medical marijuana, forcing the industry to obtain product through a “licensed distributor.” There are still some additional rules with respect to this portion of the MCRSA that will need to be addressed by the state. Nothing even remotely close to this will be a concern for those operating under Proposition 64, as the businesses affected by these rules will not be allowed to exist for at least another five years. Yet, Bricken expects the true definition of “distributor” to be ironed out in the coming months during the rule making process.

No one has any idea what the licensing fees will amount to with respect to both laws. Although these types of fees are typically much higher in medical marijuana states, California’s recreational law is designed to include the businesses already operating in the medical sector.

“It’s unlikely California will make its licensing competitive and cost prohibitive,” Bricken writes.

Finally, not much is known about what the state will require in its licensing applications. Yet, industry hopefuls should, at bare minimum, be expected to divulge information regarding finances and personal background, annual budget, proof of insurance, transportation plans, etc.

One thing is certain — the elusiveness behind California’s new “legal” cannabis industry will give way to some clarity in the next few months, as the state’s Bureau of Marijuana Control and various other state agencies begin to work out all of the details within the crevasses of law.

It’s going to get interesting.

Live From The Fresh Toast Stage: Radio Raheem

TFT Editors
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Live From The Fresh Toast Stage: Radio Raheem

Radio Raheem, Seattle’s coolest soul/funk/rock band, musically,somewhere between Sharon Jones & The Dap KIngs and the Talking Heads. They are fantastic live performers with lead vocals from powerhouse singer, Josephine Howell and her daughter Chyree. This video of the first single off their latest CD, Time Code Exile, and is called 2 Live for the City. The video was filmed late last summer on a flat bed truck tour of three locations in Seattle during lunch time: Seattle Waterfront, Westlake Park and the Amazon Campus.

19 Times Kids Kept It Too Real With Their Parents

Brendan Bures
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19 Times Kids Kept It Too Real With Their Parents

What do we mean when we say “kids say the darndest things?” Well it’s about a child’s often breathtaking, refreshing honesty. Kids don’t understand social decorum or manners. They don’t realize you shouldn’t insult grandmas’ apple strudel just because it tasted like burned trash.

No one keeps it realer than a child. They are the physical embodiment of the red 100 emoji. So often you’ll hear from a family member involving the phrase, “You won’t believe what [Insert Child’s Name Here] said yesterday.” And so often you laugh at these stories.

As funny as these moments are, you’re kind of limited to the stories within your own family. But thanks to some wonderful, hilarious parents on Twitter, that’s no longer the case. These are parents capturing their children at their raw, unfiltered selves. See if you don’t recognize a child you know in these tweets.

https://twitter.com/ashleyaustrew/status/726893403972198400

https://twitter.com/bourgeoisalien/status/743472310628286464

https://twitter.com/outsmartedmommy/status/743215400264011776

 

The most essential daily news, entertainment, pop culture, and culture coverage. Want more? Check out “ ‘Arrival’ and ‘Nocturnal Animals’ Showcase Amy Adams As One Of Our Best Actors” “Here Are The “Best” Black Friday Fight Videos of 2016” and “5 Singing Dogs To Make You Feel Better About Life”

Too Close For Comfort: Marijuana Vote Recount Begins In Maine

Kelly Barbieri
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Too Close For Comfort: Marijuana Vote Recount Begins In Maine

Marijuana was the big winner in the November vote, declaring victory for medical in Florida, Montana, North Dakota and Arkansas, while voters in Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada and Cali said “yes” to recreational weed.

The call is Maine, however, was tight. So tight that voters are calling for a recount.

The Press Herald reports:

“The rare statewide recount could take more than a month to complete and cost $500,000. It started at 9 a.m. in the Florian Room of the Maine Department of Public Safety in Augusta.

Question 1, which appears to have passed by a slim margin, legalized recreational marijuana for adults. Opponents requested the recount after unofficial results showed the question passed by a margin of less than 1 percent. The marijuana question passed by 4,073 votes (381,692 to 377,619), according to unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office.

Opponents say that with such a slim vote margin and seriousness of the new law, it’s important to make sure the results are accurate. Supporters of legalization say a recount will not change the results and the focus should instead be on implementing the new law.”

Maine’s Question 1, is a marijuana legalization measure that will legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana.

A medical marijuana program has been in place in Maine since 1999. Controversial Gov. Paul LePage was an ardent opponent of the initiative.

California’s law went into effect the day after the election. Nevada’s initiative will take effect on January 1st, and Massachusetts will take effect on December 15th. Under normal circumstances, Maine’s initiative would take effect 30 days after the election results were certified and signed off on by Maine’s Governor.

If the recount shows weed wins again, Maine is poised to make a lot of cash in tax revenue. The Alaska Department of Revenue estimates that it will receive $6 million in 2017 and $12 million in 2018 from marijuana sales. That is a huge jump from the an earlier projection of between $3.7 million and $7 million a year.

Student Can’t Stop Giggling At Teacher’s Name And Neither Can We

Brendan Bures
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Student Can’t Stop Giggling At Teacher’s Name And Neither Can We

As much as some otherwise deny the fact, we were all children once. We cried, we whined, we ran into walls and fell down. Being a child involves a two-dimensional view of the world, often leading to hilarious, breathtaking honesty.

The abstract is a concept for boring adults.  For example: In the abstract, as adults, we know it’s kind of rude to laugh at a schoolteacher, or any woman, whose unfortunate draw in last names meant children would call her Miss Butt. We’re too empathetic, perhaps. A student, on the other hand, has no problem laughing at their schoolteacher Miss Butt. Why? Because Miss Butt is a really, really funny name.

This was the dilemma mother Priscilla Terumalai faced when her daughter Annalise admitted she couldn’t stop laughing at her teacher’s name, the aforementioned Miss Butt. When Priscilla later met Miss Butt—yep, still laughing over here—she admitted her daughter’s childish ways. Just an example of kids being kids, and Priscilla claims the teacher dismissed it and seemed otherwise fine.

But Priscilla soon received a call to attend a meeting involving the head of year, the school manager, and another reception teacher regarding her daughter’s giggling behavior.

“When I received a call from the school, I was appalled at how pathetic and petty it was,” Priscilla told the Daily Metro. “I wasn’t making fun of her name at all. I wasn’t happy about being reported.”

Though this started from a child laughing at a silly, truly hilarious nickname, it’s ballooned into serious troubles for the family. Miss Butt and Priscilla are no longer on speaking terms, and the mom is worried about her daughter’s educations, and if she’s being treated fairly and equally as a result.

“Annalise is too young to notice if she is being treated differently and I am disappointed about the disruption to her learning,” Priscilla said.

She’s trying to convince the school to let her transfer into another teacher’s classroom, but the request has so far been denied. Until then, Annalise will sit in Miss Butt’s, trying not to giggle. Good luck.

 

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”

It’s Repeal Day! Lessons That Will Help Us Fight Marijuana Prohibition

Al Olson
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It’s Repeal Day! Lessons That Will Help Us Fight Marijuana Prohibition

Today is National Repeal Day — a day to remind ourselves of how sweet is the taste of freedom. On this day 83 years ago, the 21st Amendment was ratified, ending Prohibition, a costly, disastrous, 13-year experiment.

The website RepealDay.org urges celebrations of the “return to the rich traditions of craft fermentation and distillation, the legitimacy of the American bartender as a contributor to the culinary arts, and the responsible enjoyment of alcohol as a sacred social custom. It’s easy! You don’t have to hold a party. Just go to a bar or liquor store and have a drink.”

Yes, it’s a day to celebrate freedom and liberty. It’s also a day to learn from history.

In 1924, during the middle of America’s failed social policy, the legendary social critic H.L. Mencken wrote:

“Five years of Prohibition have had, at least, this one benign effect: they have completely disposed of all the favourite arguments of the Prohibitionists. None of the great boons and usufructs that were to follow the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment has come to pass. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic, but more. There is not less crime, but more. There is not less insanity, but more. The cost of government is not smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished.”

Three years earlier, Albert Einstein wrote:

“The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. … For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced.”

When comparing alcohol prohibition with America’s failed war on marijuana, the similarities are stunning.

Follow The Money

Prohibition ended ultimately because of economics. America was gripped by The Great Depression and income tax revenues were plummeting.Cash-strapped states needed money. Politicians began asking why the government was foregoing all that tax revenue and jobs from alcohol sales and production.

Marijuana: Sound familiar.

Some States Just Ignored The Law

Sure, Eliott Ness and the Feds were making headlines across the country as it cracked down on “the bad guys.” But may cities (Pittsburgh, Kansas City, New York) openly violated the law and dared the federal government to do something about it.

Marijuana: Sound familiar.

But It’s Medicine

Yes, there as medical alcohol during Prohibition. Sure, there were some unusual — and dubious — reasons for the need for medicinal booze, but it was one way to skirt the law.

Marijuana: Sound familiar.

Racism And Bigotry

After World War I, Germans were Enemy No. 1 in the U.S. And it was German immigrants who owned and operated the majority of breweries. Slogans such as, “Sobriety is the bomb that will blow kaiserism to kingdom come” were common at the time. Catholics were also a target of these stereotypical rants.

Marijuana: Sound familiar.  Today, it may not be Germans or Catholics, but there is certainly a racist element to the War on Drugs.

 

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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