Saturday, December 20, 2025
Home Blog Page 1386

NBA Coach Says He Tried Medical Marijuana For Back Pain

Al Olson
-
0
NBA Coach Says He Tried Medical Marijuana For Back Pain

Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr made headlines over the weekend for speaking out in favor of medical marijuana.

The surprise, really, is why his comments are all that controversial. After November’s historic election, 29 states now have medical marijuana programs in place and another six states (plus Washington D.C.) have fully legalized adult recreational use.

But when a prominent sports figure goes against the grain of league protocol, eyebrows get furrowed.

“I guess maybe I could even get in some trouble for this, but I’ve actually tried [marijuana] twice during the last year and a half when I’ve been going through this pain, this chronic pain that I’ve been dealing with,” Kerr told host Monte Poole on a podcast.

“A lot of research, a lot of advice from people, and I have no idea if I would — maybe I would have failed a drug test. I don’t even know if I’m subject to a drug test or any laws from the NBA, but I tried it, and it didn’t help at all. But it was worth it, because I’m searching for answers on pain. But I’ve tried painkillers and drugs of other kinds, as well, and those have been worse. It’s tricky.”

Kerr, 51, underwent two back surgeries in 2015, causing him to miss nearly half of last season.

“I’m not a pot person. It doesn’t agree with me. I tried it a few times, and it did not agree with me at all. So I’m not the expert on this stuff. But I do know this: If you’re an NFL player, in particular, and you got lot of pain, I don’t think there’s any question that pot is better for your body than Vicodin,” Kerr said. “And yet, athletes everywhere are prescribed Vicodin like it’s Vitamin C, like it’s no big deal. And there’s like this perception in our country that over-the-counter drugs are fine but pot is bad. Now, I think that’s changing.

“You’re seeing that change in these laws that you’re talking about in different states, including California. But I would just hope that sports leagues are able to look past the perception. I’m sure the NFL is worried that their fans are going to go, ‘All the players are potheads.’ ”

Kerr’s experience with chronic pain was so severe, he said he would try just about anything.

“I know enough, especially over the last couple years, having gone through my own bout with chronic pain, I know enough about this stuff — Vicodin is not good for you,” Kerr said.“It’s way worse for you than pot, especially if you’re looking for a painkiller and you’re talking about medicinal marijuana, the different strains what they’re able to do with it as a pain reliever. I think it’s only a matter of time before the NBA and NFL and Major League Baseball realize that.”

The NFL continues to ban cannabis and players testing positive for the drug are in direct violation of the league’s substance abuse policy. But the NFL Players’ Association is considering the possibility of its use for pain management.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told GQ magazine that “it’s our strong preference that our players do not consume marijuana” but conceded that the league is focused more on human growth hormones than marijuana. As for coaches?

“All of our coaches are drug tested each season,” Silver said. “Marijuana is included on our banned substances list. There are medical exceptions to our policy but, in this case, it’s not relevant because Steve said he did not find marijuana to be helpful in relieving his back pain.”

On Saturday, Kerr said he was surprised by the attention his comments received.

“The conversation was really about pain relief in professional sports,” he said. “The context of our conversation and my response to your question was about how professional sports should handle pain relief for players. I thought it was … interesting. Because of the way the world works, the way the media works, what is a very serious conversation about pain relief turn into the headline, ‘Kerr smokes pot.’ So, I guess that’s the world we live in. That’s fine. But I’m actually kind of glad it became an issue. It’s a very important issue to talk about. Having gone through a tough spell over the last year with my own recovery from back surgery, and a lot of pain, I had to do a lot of research. You get handed prescriptions for Vicodin, Oxycontin, Percocet, NFL players, that’s what they’re given. The stuff is awful. The stuff is dangerous. The addiction possibility, what it can lead to, the long term health risks. The issue that’s really important is how do we do what’s best for the players.”

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.  

Drink Up: Celebrate Repeal Day With These Two Classic Cocktails

Jillian Peterson
-
0
Drink Up: Celebrate Repeal Day With These Two Classic Cocktails

December 5, also known as Repeal Day, is an important day for bartenders and drinkers. It marks the day that prohibition was repealed back in 1933. Prohibition banned the production and sale of alcohol in 1920, believing that alcohol was the cause of crime and basically everything wrong with society. Today, two of our favorite New York bartenders share their favorite Repeal Day recipes. Now, do your civic duty: Go forth and drink!

From Pete Vasconcellos at The Penrose, NYC:

“The pre-prohibition era cocktails are the DNA of The Penrose’s cocktail program. Almost all of our most popular on and off menu drinks are either direct copies or slight tweaks on the influential cocktails of that era; some of our most popular drinks that we have house-specific recipes for include the Daiquri, Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Negroni, Manhattan, Sidecar, Dry Martini, Bobby Burns, Bee’s Knees, Bramble, De La Louisiane and French 75 (as well as its cousin, the French Seven Point Five).

With a few exceptions, we make all of these drinks with a nod to the Sasha Petraske school of bartending. We acknowledge the agreed upon ‘best practice’ specs of these drinks in the modern era. For the most part, the Milk and Honeys of the world sifted through the varied specs of the pre-Prohibition era and set the new standard for bars like ours in the early 00’s.

In the instances that we have further tweaked these drinks to our own specs — for instance, our Negroni — we have tested and re-tested each drink with different combinations of modern brands to find the drink that we think tastes best. Our negroni, therefore, specifies Bombay Dry Gin, Cocchi Vermouth di Torino, Punt e Mes vermouth and Campari. We garnish with an orange twist. It’s the best Negroni I’ve ever had.”

Photo by Kristy Richman, courtesy of The Penrose
Photo by Kristy Richman, courtesy of The Penrose

The Penrose Negroni

  • 1.25 oz Bombay Dry Gin
  • 1 oz Campari
  • 0.5 oz Cocchi di Torino
  • 0.5 oz Punt e Mes

Add all of the ingredients to an Old Fashioned glass and fill with ice. Stir until cold. Garnish with an organic twis.

From Mike Di Tota at The Bonnie, Astoria, NY:

“We are currently serving the Gin Fizz as part of our Liquor Cabinet Cocktail program, through which we highlight classic recipes using a top shelf spirit. The first printed reference to the drink is from Jerry Thomas’s ‘Bartenders Guide’ in 1876, and back in the day, fizzes were almost a remedy — something to sip when your stomach was upset. I love egg white drinks, fizzes in particular, because you get a sweet, citrusy, sour-like drink, as well as that nice foamy froth from the egg whites. You get a multi-layered drinking experience. And I’m still fascinated that someone thought to put a raw egg white into a cocktail and drink it.”

Photo by Mike Di Tota, courtesy of The Bonnie
Photo by Mike Di Tota, courtesy of The Bonnie

Gin Fizz

  • 2 oz Farmer’s Botanical Organic gin
  • 0.75 oz simple syrup
  • 0.75 oz lemon
  • 1 egg white
  • Club Soda

Add all ingredients to shaker (except soda) and shake without ice for about 10 seconds. Add ice and shake vigorously until shaker is ice cold. Strain ingredients into a collins glass and top with soda.

Live On The Fresh Toast Stage: Andrew Joslyn

TFT Editors
-
0
Live On The Fresh Toast Stage: Andrew Joslyn

This is the first video and single from Seattle multi- instrumentalist/composer, Andrew Joslyn. Best known as Macklemore’s orchestra leader for the past several years, Andrew is a very in-demand arranger and collaborator for some of the top artists in the world. He just finished scoring his first feature film, American Violence starring Bruce Dern & Denise Richards, scheduled for release in early 2017. Plastic Heaven features the vocals of Tacoma’s fine soul/r&b singer, William Jordan, who was nominated for a Grammy for a song he co-wrote for Nikki Minaj and Rhianna called “Fly.” The song is from Andrew’s forthcoming full CD, Awake At The Bottom of the Ocean, scheduled for a February 10, 2017 release.

Duh Files: Teen Busted For Doing Donuts In Police Station’s Parking Lot

Taylor Berman
-
0
Duh Files: Teen Busted For Doing Donuts In Police Station’s Parking Lot

Whenever you worry about the future of this world, you should remind yourself that at this exact moment a teen is somewhere doing something incredible and awe-inspiring. There are 15-year-olds selflessly volunteering at homeless shelters, 16-year-olds studying U.S. history so they can one day become country-changing politicians, 17-year-olds writing great songs that will move our culture forward, 18-year-olds studying medicine and science in the hope that they’ll someday invent life-saving drugs, and 19-year-olds who are doing sick donuts in the parking lots of police departments in Canada.

One such 19-year-old was, unfortunately, arrested and charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle after officers at the Ontario Provincial Police station in Sudbury heard “an engine revving and tires squealing” in their parking lot, as sudbury.com reports.

The officers walked outside of their department and spotted the teen speeding in circles in the parking lot, with his window down so he could shout obscenities at the officers. As soon as he slowed down, the cops arrested the man, who hasn’t been identified. The heroic/dumb teen is due in court December 21.

Obama and Rescheduling Marijuana: Last-Minute Executive Magic?

Mike Adams
-
0
Obama and Rescheduling Marijuana: Last-Minute Executive Magic?

There has been a lot of discussion lately in the trenches of the marijuana reform movement that President Obama might perform some last-minute executive magic toward the end of his term intended to reschedule marijuana.

Some of the movement’s most vocal advocates have even gone as far as to suggest that the recent comments from White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, in which he used the phrase “at this point” when discussing the President’s latest word on national cannabis reform, may imply Obama is on the verge of flipping the kill switch of nationwide pot prohibition.

“The fact that Earnest used the phrase “at this point” to qualify the statement that this president isn’t announcing any specific marijuana moves gave advocates some hope that the administration still might have something in the works before Donald Trump is inaugurated on January 20,” wrote Tom Angell, chairman of the Marijuana Majority.

What Earnest was referring to when telling reporters, “I don’t think the president at this point was trying to signal any specific policy change,” was an exit interview published last week by Rolling Stone magazine, where Obama said he believed marijuana should be regulated in the same manner as two of the most popular drugs in the world— alcohol and cigarettes.

“I am not somebody who believes that legalization is a panacea,” Obama said. “But I do believe that treating this as a public-health issue, the same way we do with cigarettes or alcohol, is the much smarter way to deal with it.”

Although President Obama has commuted more sentences for non-violent drug offenders than the past several presidents combined, he has maintained for years that the legalization of marijuana in the United States should be an issue handled by Congress — giving no indication whatsoever that he plans to exercise his pot power and push for the herb to be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act.

Still, Angell seems to think that it is possible that Obama could have a change of heart in the final days of his administration and lobby for the cannabis plant to be removed from the confines of its Schedule I classification.

“It is also possible that Obama could direct the attorney general to pass cannabis rescheduling proceedings before leaving office,” Angell wrote, adding that this would likely be a fruitless effort, as the Trump Administration would be faced with making the final decision.

President-elect Donald Trump, who has said he supports states rights and medical marijuana, is currently recruiting a cabinet that is, so far, less than progressive when it comes to marijuana reform. As it stands, Trump’s selection for U.S. Attorney General, Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions, and his pick for secretary of Health and Human Services, U.S. Representative Tom Price, both adamantly opposed to marijuana legalization, would likely snuff out any petition Obama put into motion in the next month aimed at rescheduling marijuana.

So will any major changes come to the grand scheme of marijuana reform before President Obama leaves office? Probably not.
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.

Weekly Delight: Animals Being Jerks While Maintaining Their Cute

TFT Editors
-
0
Weekly Delight: Animals Being Jerks While Maintaining Their Cute

Last week, we told you all to follow the excellent Instagram account AnimalsBeingNice. While we stand by our recommendation, we feel as though we’d be doing you a disservice if we didn’t remind you about all the wonderful photos, videos, and GIFs of cute and funny animals being jerks to each other.

For example, here’s a nice little kitten rudely swatting at his yawning dog friend’s tongue.

For some reason, this woman thought she can enjoy her ice cream cone in peace with her cat and dog looking on. She thought wrong. What’s most impressive is that both pets attack at nearly the exact same time.

That’s a nice ice cream cone ya got there, hooman…

We wonder what this mischievous bird was thinking when he pushed his turtle friend off of a ledge and into a trash can. It’s of course hard to know everything from a short GIF, but based on the little evidence we have it seems as though this bird is rude as hell.

 

AnimalsBeingDicks
AnimalsBeingDicks

Even dolphins can be dicks, as evidenced by this one who knocked his bud out of the air. Very inconsiderate, though perhaps it was an innocent mistake.

dolphin-punch
AnimalsBeingJerks

This lil pup learned the hard way that if you try to steal your bigger dog friend’s prize box, you might get peed on.

“Mine now, bitch” – dog.

When you have a dog with ball running around, you’re not going to be able to spin like 60 hoola hoops around for very long.

Sure the cat looks cute and relaxed here, like he wants you to scratch his belly, but we should all know by now that such a posture is a clear and obvious trap.

I know it’s a trap, but I can’t resist.

For even more examples of rude animals, check out AnimalsBeingDicks.com, where several of these GIFs came from, and /AnimalsBeingJerks on Reddit.

 

Foul-Mouthed Parrot May Testify At Michigan Murder Trial

Taylor Berman
-
0
Foul-Mouthed Parrot May Testify At Michigan Murder Trial

Last year, police say Glenna Duram shot and killed her husband, Martin Duram. There were no witnesses to the murder, except for one: An African grey parrot named Bud, who may be called upon to testify during Duram’s trial this month.

Bud now lives with Martin Duram’s first wife, who says video she shot weeks after the murder shows Bud mimicking Martin’s voice saying “Don’t fucking shoot.”

“He’s using Marty’s voice,” she told WOOD TV, adding that Bud repeats the phrase at least once a few times a week. “It’s intense when it happens,” she said. “My house turns cold.”

“[Bud] was there to see it all,” she added. “And he heard it. It imprinted in his brain. He can’t let it go. And that’s awful.”

Bud was well-known for having a good memory…and a way with expletives. “That bird picks up anything and everything,” the victim’s mother, Lillian Duram, told NBC News in June. “He’s got the filthiest mouth around.”

The prosecutor in the case has told local news outlets that he hasn’t ruled out calling on Bud to testify.

“This is unusual,” NBC analyst Lisa Bloom said Friday. “We don’t often have an animal being called to come in and testify as an eyewitness to a murder.”

WATCH: Man Punches Kangaroo In The Face To Rescue His Dog

Taylor Berman
-
0
WATCH: Man Punches Kangaroo In The Face To Rescue His Dog

Australia is a dangerous place filled with all sorts of wild, fearsome animals. There are dick-biting spiders, drug-uncovering crows, fake doctors responsible for botched testicle surgeries, and—based on the video below—at least one man unafraid to punch a big-ass kangaroo directly in the face.

The clip shows a man riding in the back of a pickup truck through what appears to be the Australian Outback. A few seconds into the video, the truck stops and the man leaps out and runs towards a kangaroo, which has a dog in a headlock. The man tries to scare the kangaroo before the two face each other as if they were about to box. The man throws a single punch, striking the ‘roo in the face, then turns around and gathers his dog.

Steven Stubenrauch posted the video to Facebook yesterday morning. My buddy from Australia sent me this,” he wrote in the caption. “Them roos are wild as hell.”

The video has since been viewed more than 3.5 million times.

 

 

The Week in Hot Messes: Gorilla Suits, Sheep Fat, And A Literal Jail Bird

TFT Editors
-
0
The Week in Hot Messes: Gorilla Suits, Sheep Fat, And A Literal Jail Bird

Welcome back to The Week in Hot Messes, a round-up of the wildest and weirdest news stories of the past seven days. This week we covered animal fat hidden in British currency, macaws posing for mug shots, drunkards in white gorilla suits, brazen ATM thefts, a heroic teenager busted for doing donuts in the parking lot of a police station, and more.

We’ll start with the heroic teen, who for some reason decided it was a good idea to do few donuts in his car in the parking lot of a Canadian police station while yelling obscenities at the no doubt baffled cops. Alas, the 19-year-old was arrested and is due back in court later this month.

Speaking of bold criminals, a man in Queens tied a rope around a gas station’s ATM and ripped it from the wall with his Jeep in broad daylight Friday morning. It’s unclear how much money the man made off with, but he remains at large.

We also covered a lot of animal news this week, including an apparently rare photo of two giant tortoises having sex. In less sexy animal news, the Bank of England found itself in hot water after animal rights activists and other concerned Brits demanded that the bank remove the traces of animal fat from its new £5 notes, which were just introduced in September. So far, more than 100,000 people have signed a petition protesting the notes.

In Kansas, a local police department heard rumors of mountain lion sightings, so they set up a couple of trail cameras near a local park. When they reviewed the footage, they didn’t discover evidence of mountain lions…but they did spot a handful of humans dressed as gorillas, Santa, monsters, and Big Foot posing for the camera. Not surprisingly, at least one of the humans appeared to be drinking.

Also, police in Oregon allowed a concerned macaw owner to pose for his mugshot with his beloved pet bird.

Washington County Sheriff's Department
Washington County Sheriff’s Department

Meanwhile in likely hoaxes, a Boston-area woman erroneously claimed CNN accidentally aired porn during an Antony Bourdain Parts Unknown marathon Thanksgiving night, and a terrible YouTube star’s car’s front windshield was smashed in by what appears to be an angry New Yorker during a photo shoot.

Friendly Sheriff’s Office Lets Man Pose With Pet Bird During Mug Shot

Taylor Berman
-
0
Friendly Sheriff’s Office Lets Man Pose With Pet Bird During Mug Shot

When Craig Buckner went to court on Monday in Oregon, he brought along his pet macaw—appropriately named Bird—because he thought his appearance would only take a little while. With Bird stashed in a tree outside, Buckner quickly realized the process was taking longer than he expected and began to worry about the well-being of his 4-year-old pet.

KOIN reports that kind-hearted Washington County deputies went to retrieve the macaw but were unsuccessful; apparently, Bucker had trained Bird to only leave the tree for his owner. So deputies escorted the 38-year-old outside to get his pet bird. After caring for Bird in the booking area—where the two took a memorable mugshot together—one of Buckner’s friends arrived to birdwatch while the deputies finished processing Buckner, who was in court because of a failure to appear on previous theft and drug charges.

“Our sheriff’s office has very strong core values of doing the right thing,” Deputy Shoana McKelvey, who cared for “Bird”, said in a press release, according to CBS News. “Mr. Buckner was already in a stressful position and did not need the additional stress and worry of his loved pet, Bird!”

Washington County Sheriff's Office
Washington County Sheriff’s Office
1...1,3851,3861,387...1,460Page 1,386 of 1,460

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Fresh Toast is an award-winning lifestyle & health platform with a side of cannabis. We work hard each day to bring uplifting and informative information about culture, weed, celebrity, tech and medical marijuana.

© Copyright @2020