It’s no secret that Richard Branson, tech billionaire and member of the Global Commission on Drug Policy, is unabashedly in favor of more progressive marijuana laws. And it’s no secret that he has been known to speak his mind about issues most business executives would gladly avoid.
Over the weekend, Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, put an exclamation point on his cannabis advocacy, declaring he was in the mood to “take a spliff or two,” and that the rest of the world’s citizens are too.
Speaking via Skype to an estimated 1,000 conference goers at the New West Summit in San Francisco, Branson gave the keynote address on “The Future of Cannabis, Now.” In the speech, Branson, discussed ways in which legalization is a global benefit. As quoted in CNET:
“That’s the only way of sorting out the problems that come with drugs by not regulating and leaving it up to the underworld to supply drugs. Our commission has worked really quite hard on that. We’ve had some successes and some massive failures, we’re going to keep going until we get governments to see otherwise.”
Will the serial entrepreneur get involved in the cannabis industry? Not now, he says. But, as a businessman, he sees the growth potential.
” If I was not part of the global drug commission, I certainly would be out there in this industry. It’s an industry with enormous potential, and it can do a lot of good.”
Cannabis is a $7.2 billion industry and growing nearly 30 percent annually, according to New Frontier, a marijuana-focused data company. According to New Frontier projections, it is expected to hit $20 billion in four years.
The Global Commission on Drug Policy is a 22-member coalition of world leaders advocating for the end of the international war on drugs, including:
Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the United Nations
Meet Ted Barrus. He’s a budtender at Dean Greenz in Portland, and kind of a masochist, it seems.
His YouTube stunts include reviewing absurd fast food items, talking to himself in cars, and rubbing hot peppers into his eyes.
For this installment of his meandering web series, Ted holds up the Guinness World’s hottest pepper, a Smokin Ed’s ‘Carolina Reaper,’ grown by the aptly-named PuckerButt Pepper Company. These little bastards reach 1,569,300 Scoville Heat Units, a scale used to measure a pepper’s spiciness. For reference, a jalapeño is between 2,500–5,000 SHU’s.
This is why Ted must take the Carolina Reaper on. It’s a personal affront to his manhood to allow such a majestic pepper to exist unchallenged. Why he needs to smoke it in a bong is unclear.
He tears a chunk off of the pepper and stuffs it into his bong bowl, after observing how oily it is. Yep, that’s the pain oozing out. “I dunno what’s gonna happen,” says the man who’s clearly already kinda high — and has done a lot of horrific things to himself with peppers. “You only live once, and this is the first time I’ve been scared to do something on YouTube.” Words to live by.
Don’t try this at home, or at your friend’s home, or at your auntie’s home. Don’t do it.
When the smoke reaches his mouth, our hero Ted starts speaking in tongues, looking pleadingly at the camera for some kind of help, like Lucifer himself has grabbed the lining of his lungs and won’t let go. Chugging water won’t help, buddy.
If he’s lucky, he got out of this without tearing a hole in his esophagus or damaging his lungs. We at least know that he lived to upload the video to YouTube, if he ever regained feeling in his arms.
Take a seat, food. When it comes to the top tweeted consumables, beverages take the gold and silver medals.
More specifically, coffee and beer.
The results are somewhat accidental, stemming from a year-long survey conducted by the University of Utah to test the temperature of the country’s health. According to NBC News, the team studied 80 million geotagged tweets from 603,363 unique Twitter users across the United States and found that less than two-percent of tweets were about physical activity. More surprising is that food didn’t fair too much better, making up only 5-percent of tweets.
Out of the top 10 food-related tweets, pizza ranks third, while chicken places a distant seventh, followed by barbecue, ice cream and tacos, which garnered fewer than 75,000 tweets.
Compare that to the 250,000 tweets mentioning coffee and more than 200,000 mentioning beer.
Granted, that doesn’t mean these tweeters are actually drinking coffee and beer. They could be playing beer pong, unearthing old photos of giants holding beer cans or using coffee as a threat.
Another fun fact about this survey: if there’s any truth to its trend filtering, bacon has been shown the exit and is slowly making its way out of 2016. It got less than 50,000 mentions, barely edging out…salad.
Here’s how it usually goes down: Winners are invited to attend the Nobel Prize Awards Ceremony in Stockholm, where they receive their Nobel Medal, as well as a Nobel Diploma and a document from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden authorizing the prize. Like any good party host, the Nobel Committee has reached out to Dylan to confirm his RSVP, but he’s apparently treated them like a Tinder date and gone ghost.
According to The Guardian, the committee has all but given up in their efforts to reach out to Dylan and his team. They aren’t sure if Dylan will attend, as he hasn’t responded to their emails or phone calls.
“Right now we are doing nothing. I have called and sent emails to his closest collaborator and received very friendly replies. For now, that is certainly enough,” the Nobel committee’s permanent secretary, Sara Danius, said to state radio SR Monday.
While Dylan’s attendance might be expected, the Committee plans to have a raucous time without him, Danius said.
“If he doesn’t want to come, he won’t come. It will be a big party in any case and the honor belongs to him,” said Danius. She also added, “I am not at all worried. I think he will show up.”
For now, Bob Dylan remains on tour and will continue to do so until Nov. 23. So on the plus side, if he does checkmark Yes to the Nobel’s RSVP, he will be able to attend.
With moments like this past weekend, when Beyoncé ripped her earlobe during a TIDAL performance and continued like nothing happened, you’re reminded just why her fans love her so. Not only does she tower as a revolutionary queen through her art, but nothing will stop her from delivering a great show.
So too was the attitude of police officer Deuntay Diggs, who made viral rounds when he performed the choreography of Beyoncé’s “Formation” for students at North Stafford High School this past Friday. No joke, dude nails the moves. Impressing high school kids ain’t easy but they love Diggs’ routine, bouncing and moshing around with the police officer.
My sister teaches at a high school in Virginia and she just sent me this video of their county lieutenant dancing to formation @ a pep rally pic.twitter.com/2jaXnFgYrC
Saying he learned the choreography to inspire the kids, Diggs is the first openly gay deputy in the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office and was the first openly gay cadet at the Virginia Military Institute. The 31-year-old police officer has served in Stafford County for eight years.
“The reason I’m doing this is to show kids that they can make it, that they can survive, that they can be successful,” Diggs told Buzzfeed. “I’ve been very fortunate, at this time when people look negatively upon law enforcement, that I’m able to change that narrative and open up some conversations and engage with people.”
If you’ve been following the promos for Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg’s new VH1 series, Martha & Snoop’s Potluck Dinner Party, you’re going to love this. An official trailer has been released, announcing the premiere date.
On November 7, we can all take a break from our chronic pre-election heart palpitations and imbibe in some serious mind numbing entertainment by way of unlikely BFFs Martha and Snoop. The trailer is basically another cut of the initial teaser, but with a new, more fitting soundtrack. And more champagne. And grinding. Take a look.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-LGjivWXPM
The basis of the series is really an excuse to cook and drink with some of their celebrity friends. We already know the guest list includes the likes of 50 Cent, Robin Thicke, and Keke Palmer. And Martha herself admitted she’d enjoy a little edible action “for scientific purposes.” We see your plate of brownies, Martha. You big tease.
It’s one of those headlines that doesn’t scream out at you and demand attention. And yet the announcement last week from the British government’s health regulator that a compound in cannabis is medicine will have a ripple effect sure to hit American shores.
The UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency ruled that CBD has a “restoring, correcting or modifying” effect on “physiological functions.”
CBD, or cannabidiol, is the ingredient in marijuana that provides many of the plant’s therapeutic effects. It is non-psychoactive, unlike THC.
The MHRA said it decided to act on the issue because some companies were making “overt medicinal claims” about the efficacy of cannabis products. Its decision to classify these products as medicine means manufacturers must now prove CBD products meet safety standards.
Like its American regulatory counterparts, the UK’s decision puts agencies in a bind. On the one hand, it is clear from the science that cannabis has medicinal value, And yet the herb is not recognized by statute as having therapeutic value. In fact, citizens using cannabis, even for medical reasons, could be charged and arrested with possession.
In last week’s statement. the MHRA said:
“We have come to the opinion that products containing cannabidiol (CBD) are a medicine. Products for therapeutic use must have a medicines’ licence before they can be legally sold, supplied or advertised in the UK. Products will have to meet safety, quality and effectiveness standards to protect public health.”
What does this mean for the U.S.?
As more nations rule in favor of cannabis treatment as viable medicine, it puts U.S. regulatory bodies in a scientific bind. And as more companies produce medicine that is proven to be effective, how can a government prevent citizens from buying it?
GW Pharmaceuticals, a UK pharmaceutical giant, has concluded a Phase 3 clinical trial demonstrating the efficacy of CBD. The company is awaiting a ruling from U.S. regulators.
Jena Friedman doesn’t intend to offend you, but she can’t help it if you are. The stand-up comic and former Late Show with David Letterman writer has made a career out of probing the uncomfortable and the confrontational. For example, her latest special out on Seeso TV Oct. 20, is named “American Cunt.” It’s a name both provocative and informative: there will be political and dark humor that will make you laugh and cringe that you’re laughing at this type of subject mattter. And if not, at least Friedman warned you.
But politics is very much on Friedman’s mind. She served as a former Daily Show field producer under Jon Stewart, and has a featured role in Undecided: The Movie, a political satire following two undecided voters across the country out Oct. 18 on iTunes. As mind-numbing and infuriating as this election cycle has been, Friedman can still find the funny in it.
“I think one of the greatest satirical comedians right now is Donald Trump,” she says. “In the sense that he doesn’t apologize, and even though it’s inhumane and fucked up, he’s gotten away with so much by just never apologizing. And it’s creepy. It’s terrifying, but it’s also fascinating.”
She also added, “What he did do is break up the Republican party and expose the racism and misogyny in America that we thought we could ignore for so long. That’s why I think he’s a culturally powerful performance artist.”
Ahead of the release of her special, Friedman chatted with The Fresh Toast over the phone about her comedy style, offending audiences, and how she considers herself more of an activist than an artist.
Photo by David Szymanski, courtesy of Jena Friedman
The Fresh Toast: Everyone kind of describes your humor as pitch-black, and you always try to put a darker spin on certain subjects. I wanted to know why you decided to take that route with your comedy? Jena Friedman: I was always interested in dark stuff. I had a very healthy, loving childhood. My dad was a doctor and would always give me dark things to read, like Roald Dahl and Edward Gorey, and I always thought it was funny. I remember we saw Dracula when I was little. My sister, who’s four years older than me, was like terrified of it and I loved it. I just kind of always liked dark, macabre things.
Being Jewish, you have an inherent anxiety and at some point I thought comedy was a good way to like—I don’t really have a lot of anxiety. I don’t know when I first discovered that you can joke about things that we’re afraid of and are scary. I think a lot of my stand-up that isn’t political falls into that category. And even the stuff that is—like right now, politics is so insane and terrifying, we can’t talk about without comedy because it’s in the realm of the absurd already.
Your comedy reminds of that. You seem to put out these almost confrontational ideas but it comes from this very honest place. Are you ever worried about people not getting the joke? I’m not worried about it, but it’s definitely happened a lot. It’s fine. There’s enough people consuming this stuff that if people don’t get you, [it doesn’t mean] you don’t have enough of an audience that does. I think more frustrating is people taking it out of context or not really understanding what’s behind what you’re saying.
And a lot of the stuff in the show is confrontational. Actually what I’m saying is pretty mild, but if it’s about abortion, someone might freak out because it’s abortion, but they’re not listening to what you’re saying. That’s always the risk when you talk about those things.
Is there any topics you think are off-limits? No. I think it’s finding way to do it responsibly. I know this sounds vague, but have humanity. I don’t like talking about people’s looks, you know—unless there’s a point to do it, not just saying something to be shocking. It’s tough because the subjects I cover are shocking, but I’m not trying to shock, if that makes sense.
Well, naming your special something like “American Cunt” is something some people will say is just shocking. I don’t think it is. It captures what you’re going for with your political tone and the feminist bent that you have. But how did that name come about for you? The special came out of an earlier version of a show I did for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. And in the UK, “cunt” is a term of endearment, it’s a very innocuous term. The show was specifically for a British and Scottish audience. I remember thinking, “They don’t know who I am. I want to talk about things without having to offer a disclaimer. If I call the show that, then it gives me license to say what I want.” Because worst-case scenario, someone’s going to be like, “Who’s this American cunt coming over here?”
Also, it’s good because if you call the show that, then you immediately weed out people who wouldn’t want to see that. I don’t want to preach to the choir, but I don’t want to make people feel bad. That’s not the goal. I remember even during the Edinburgh show—which is different than the version that’s coming out on Seeso—I had walkouts during the show.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3welkzWgzA
I had this joke about cancer. Not making fun of people with cancer, but talking about how we can all joke about it because everyone’s going to get it. The basic idea was like, we all know someone who has cancer. If you don’t know someone with cancer, like, get out there. Live a little. Meet people.
That joke I felt was pretty innocuous, but a woman walked out. I had some stuff I was talking about with Ebola at the time and all sorts of other things, and she lasted through that. But the cancer thing, she just walked out. It’s sad—she obviously had her own stuff going on—but it’s fascinating you can call the show that, and you can still get people walking out.
As a satirist yourself, how do you approach making fun of a guy like Donald Trump? In the show, I talk about him. I talk about how he’s not funny. It was really fascinating, writing that show. It changed throughout this year. There was one point, last year in Edinburgh, I mentioned Trump’s name and it got such a big laugh, I felt like cheap or guilty of it. I was like, don’t even talk about him. He’s gonna be a non-issue, so don’t even write any jokes about him.
Six months later, I had like 15 minutes on Trump, where people were still finding it funny. And I was like, it’s not funny anymore. It felt really powerful to do it, and it was really working, but then one day, he stopped being funny. None of the jokes worked. So I had to change the whole show in relationship to how we were viewing him.
How would you approach someone close in your life, or someone you know who said they were pro-Trump or voting for him? I have a relative, two of them, who live in a swing state. They haven’t said they’re voting for Trump, but they did not want to support Hillary. This was three or four months ago so I think it’s changed. But really it hurt our relationship. I send them every article I can, articles from the
Centrist-right wing endoresements to Hillary. I don’t think they’re pro-Trump, but I think they’re of a different generation and have been exposed to a lot of criticism of Hillary and it’s changed their view of her. But it’s devastating. I’m still close with them and I emailed them recently, and I think they’re voting for her, I hope, but it did get to the point where it messed with our relationship.
I have a dear friend who has a grandmother—I met her grandmother once like a decade ago at graduation. And I literally called her grandmother trying to get her to vote for Hillary. But yeah, it’s unconscionable at this point [to vote for Trump], as it’s been since he started running. No one with half a brain or any sense of morality can vote for him. The people who want to vote Gary Johnson or Jill Stein—I just would urge people if they can’t vote for Hillary, just don’t vote. It’s tough.
Would you consider an activist or is activism just an inherent part of art? I always felt like more of an activist. I know every comedian—like Jon Stewart and Oliver—would be like, I’m a comedian. But I’m, like, an activist. It’s funny, but I don’t care. I’ve gotten into arguments with people, but I don’t know. Maybe it’s not as strategic to wear your heart on your sleeve that way, but yeah, I would say, I am an activist over a comedian because that’s just what I’m passionate about.
So considering your activism stance, how do you feel about marijuana legalization and how that will shape moving forward? It’s great. I’m not like a big stoner. I have smoked pot. It kind of just makes me hungry. Yeah, I’m totally for it. I think that hopefully as the industry expands that it will take a note from other industries and be very egalitarian in terms of gender and really respect workers and make sure people aren’t exploited. That’s my biggest concern with any industry, right? But yeah, I’m all for it.
*This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
During last night’s Tidal X charity concert in Brooklyn, Beyoncé ripped her earlobe while performing. Despite the gruesome- and painful-seeming injury, Bey simply touched her ear, inspected her finger for blood, and then—after confirming her wound—continued singing “Haunted” like nothing happened.
It should come as no surprise that Beyoncé is unflappable on stage. In 2004, she appeared nonplussed after her Destiny’s Child bandmate Michelle Williams fell onstage during a performance on 106 N Park.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrMef70Nm0U
Earlier this year, her leotard ripped as she was performing “Halo” during her Formation World Tour at Citi Field. She held it together, preventing a major wardrobe malfunction, with such grace that you probably wouldn’t have noticed if you were at the show.
And of course, at the Super Bowl in February Beyoncé nearly stumbled but recovered to finish an otherwise perfect show.
https://vine.co/v/i1n1EltQHVp
In other news from the Tidal show, Nicki Minaj had a few things to say about Donald Trump and his wife Melania.
Sometimes it’s important to pause and ask yourself the important questions: Is there a God? Why are we here on Earth? Am I living a fulfilling and meaningful life? And why is this duck chasing this dog around and around a big rock?
