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No One Is Giving Your Kids Marijuana For Halloween

Your kid has a higher chance of being hit by a car or contracting ebola than receiving marijuana-laced candy on Halloween.

It seems like we go through this every year. In order to protect children on Halloween, local law enforcement agencies will post warnings on social media about weed-infused candies and treats. Instead of handing out fun-size Twix and Skittles, trick-or-treaters might receive drug-laced edibles, police warn.

We’ve already seen cautionary Facebook posts from cops in Johnstown, Pennsylvania regarding THC-infused Nerd ropes, and police in Florida have issued a similar warning.

RELATED: This ‘Hallo-weed’ Candy Pie Is Your New Favorite Holiday Tradition

“As Halloween approaches, always check your children’s candy!” reads a Facebook post from the Neptune Police Department. “536 grams of gummy-style soft candy laced with THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) was recently discovered during a traffic stop. This candy looks very similar to regular ‘gummy bear’ or ‘sour patch’ type products.”

its almost halloween heres a simple guide to pumpkin carving
Photo by Flickr user William Warby

To be sure, checking the Halloween candy your kids receive is always a good idea. Unwrapped treats or anything bearing suspicious labels should be examined more closely or altogether thrown out. But as marijuana legalization spreads to various states, one of the last things parents need to worry about on Halloween is someone handing their kids pot brownies.

According to the Washington Post, you’re more likely to contract Ebola on Halloween than get weed-infused candy dropped in your pumpkin while trick-or-treating. If anything, you should be far more concerned about your kid having an allergic reaction to chocolate bars with peanuts or pedestrians being hit by cars.

RELATED: How To Keep Your Kids From Getting Into Your Stash

But the most obvious reason, as both Slate and Orlando Weekly note, is that marijuana is downright expensive. A single 10 mg THC-laced gummy/candy starts for $3.25 at legal dispensaries and runs between $10-15 for gourmet chocolate products. On the black market, those prices go even higher. In addition, many legal states institute strict packing and labeling requirements. The “THC-included” logo that features a marijuana leaf can be found on many marijuana labels while Washington state requires an additional “Not for Kids” logo.

This a myth debunked again and again. But it will probably persist until full-blown legalization and regulation occur. Until then, make sure your kid doesn’t catch Ebola this Halloween. Because you don’t have to worry about any marijuana candies.

This Week’s Music: Selena Gomez, Beabadoobee And Cigarettes After Sex

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This week saw the return of Selena Gomez with two songs and accompanying music videos. There’s also Beabadoobee’s new single and Cigarettes After Sex’s intimate new song.

This Week’s Music is a weekly column that discusses the weeks’ best, worst, and most interesting songs. We try to select songs of different artists and genres to keep things interesting and to please a variety of music fans.

This week saw the return of Selena Gomez with two songs and accompanying music videos. There’s also Beabadoobee’s new single and Cigarettes After Sex’s intimate new song. Check them out!

Pop

Selena Gomez – Look At Her Now

Selena Gomez’s return to music was announced with two singles and two music videos, which are drastically different from the other. “Look At Her Now” is the most unusual one, channeling Gomez’s inner Lady Gaga. The song is another empowering anthem, following the trend set by Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus. Although it doesn’t reach the same levels of success, it’s still a good time.

 

Beabadoobee – I Wish I Was Stephen Malkmus

Beabadoobee’s new single has a rock tint and a 90s vibe that she pulls off amazingly, paired with an alien and eclectic music video that’s fun and expressive. At 19-years-old, the British singer is one of the most exciting artists of her generation, creating songs of widely different varieties. Her songs can be melancholic, fun and personal.

RELATED: This Week’s Music: Lindsay Lohan, Samantha Urbani And The Knocks

Indie

Cigarettes After Sex – Heavenly

Cigarettes After Sex is one of the most romantic and intimate bands there are, with their songs always featuring the same rhythms and context. Their music’s is basically if the phrase “get a room” was a song, which is kind of fantastic. You won’t get much variety with their sound but it’s hard finding a band that embodies a vibe so well.

Delight Yourself With This Cannabis Crème Brûlée

A recipe like crème brûlée is not the best for an oil or butter infusion, so you’ll want to add either a decarboxylated concentrate or glycerin tincture in addition to normal sweeteners.

Sometimes you have had a rough or good week/day/moment and need a treat. Why not delight yourself with this cannabis. crème brûlée. This rich, creamy, custardy dessert with a hint of marijuana will be the ultimate crème brûlée and will leave your mind and taste buds happy.

This is where yummy recipes come in. With the right practice of working with basic infusions, you can apply those items into many recipes. If you have concentrates like hash and wax, you can actually straight dump them into nearly anything as long as you stay below a certain temperature (usually 300ºF-350ºF ).

A recipe like crème brûlée is not the best for an oil or butter infusion, so you’ll want to add either a decarboxylated concentrate or glycerin tincture in addition to normal sweeteners. Creamy things are lovely with hints of marijuana, and delicate vanilla flavors don’t disappear. The two flavors dance together in perfect, thick spoonfuls of dessert, scattered with smashed sugary bits.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Creme Brulee Jars

Adapted from Alton Brown
Makes 6, 9mg THC per serving estimated

  • 2 c heavy cream
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • ½ c sugar
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 Tbs glycerin tincture
Photos by Maria Penaloza


Preheat oven to 325ºF. Scrape the insides of the vanilla pod into a saucepan. Stuff the body of the vanilla into half of the sugar into a jar, shake, seal and put aside. Pour cream over the vanilla and bring to a light simmer. Don’t let it boil, especially don’t let it boil over. Put the cream off the heat to cool and start working on the rest.

RELATED: How To Make Highly Addictive Cannabis Carrot Fries

Now prepare the jars for baking by lining them up in a high sided oven safe casserole dish or roasting pan. Whisk together the sugar and egg yolks in a bowl. Add glycerin tincture and whip until just mixed. Slowly add the cream, little by little, whisking vigorously so the egg doesn’t cook. This will take about 3 minutes, so plan on whipping and adding more cream in 30 second bursts.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Once all the cream is added, pour into containers evenly. Add boiling water to the roasting dish, halfway up the sides of the jars. Bake for 20 minutes at 325ºF, Rotate once, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Check on the jars at this time, you want to see a little jiggle, but they should seem to have congealed a bit. If they look too fluid, bake for another 5 minutes at a time until it’s where it should be.

RELATED: This Is What You Need To Do To Marijuana Before You Can Make Edibles

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Let them cool and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. The last step is to take out of the fridge, sprinkle the remaining vanilla sugar you’ve put aside, and hit with a blowtorch. The mini ones are usually on hand if you are a dabber, so this isn’t too far fetched as equipment goes. It will make a delicious crust, and you can dig right in or refrigerate them for later.

*Cannabis Infused Glycerin Tincture

In an oven safe container double sealed with foil, decarboxylate 3.5 grams finely ground cannabis at 225ºF. Put cannabis in a mason jar or vacuum sealed bag, pour over 2 oz vegetable Glycerin and seal tightly. Place in a water bath at just under boiling for 1 hour. Strain and keep contents in a sterilized container. Cannabis tincture stores indefinitely in freezer.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

The best part about making your own crème brûlée other than having ganja in it is that you now have more than one. I hope you have self control, because I don’t. They’re like baked ice cream and the thick, luscious structure you get from this recipe is hard to resist.


Photos: Maria Penaloza

Dogs Of Instagram: The Pug

One piece of advice if interested in adopting a pug: pay close attention to its diet, as these little nuggets have a propensity to put on weight fast!

Originating in the Ming Empire, the mischievous, yet even-tempered and caring pugs were companions of Chinese emperors. Eventually the pug made its way to Western civilization in Holland, and today are adored by millions across the globe.

The pug has a smaller muscular build and a distinct wrinkly, short-muzzled face, and curled tail. The breed’s three color variations are silver or fawn with a black mask, and all black. One piece of advice if interested in adopting a pug: pay close attention to its diet, as the breed has a propensity to put on weight fast.

Here, we admire five of the cutest Pugs of Instagram.

Lou Lou

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hw86Sg0b3/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: The Affenpinscher

Lucien Et Son Vin

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrKiDi9nJMd/

Batman The Batpug

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvLVZiB4Q9/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: The Greyhound

Friday Brewster Barry

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

Chico Maru

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3PUTucljv-/

6 Cooler-Than-Thou Gadgets For Marijuana

With the legalization of marijuana, there’s been a rise in products and gadgets that tailor to all kinds of users.

There are a million different tools that exist to enhance your marijuana experience. You don’t have to limit yourself to smoking a basic joint that you made with some crappy rolling paper; if you’re willing to explore and invest a little money, there are plenty of gadgets that will improve your high and that’ll help you make the most out of your cannabis.

Here are 6 cooler-than thou gadgets for marijuana enthusists which will open your world to a million cannabis possibilities.

Puffit 2 Vaporizer

This sneaky vaporizer looks just like an asthma inhaler which makes it a perfect option for carrying it around and consuming on the go, paying no mind to what others may be thinking. It has a removable concentrate attachment that’s sleek and perfect for vaping concentrates, dry herbs and that also makes it super easy for cleaning and maintenance. Puffit’s batteries are recharged via USB, so you can charge anywhere and always have your cannabis at hand.

RELATED: 6 Game-Changing Rolling Papers That Will Give Joints New Life

https://www.instagram.com/p/6d0I52x4cR/

Stashlogix

This stash box is the ultimate storage place for all kinds of marijuana users, having dozens of compartments, a lock seal and an odor-less design. Stashlogix is also customizable, which makes it a great option for at home use or for carrying on the go.  

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2zLrArgtZC/

The iHit  

While it looks like a regular and sturdy iPhone case, the iHit is also a small and odorless stash box. You can keep your joints, or some rolling paper there for when you want to smoke in places where you normally wouldn’t want to be so open about it.

Keep one rolled for all your smoke worthy occasions with the iHit phone cases??theiHit.com

A post shared by iHit Stash Phone Cases ? (@ihit24_7) on

 

Elementium Lighter

The Elementium Lighter is another iPhone case that includes a bottle opener and an electric lighter that’s wind and water resistant, so there’s no stopping you from toking up.

https://www.instagram.com/p/yEVkd_ktB8/

Smoke Buddy

This device is the perfect companion for when you want to smoke at home with your parents, or any other place where you want your marijuana to remain unnoticed. Designed with a carbon filter trap, there’s no way for any smell or smoke to escape from the Smoke Buddy.

RELATED: 3 Ways To Be A Conscientious Cannabis Consumer

https://www.instagram.com/p/B22ThSuHJj1/

Mota Pot

For those who are willing to explore some more and be a little adventurous, there’s the Mota Pot, which allows you to create your own marijuana-infused oils. It has a simple three layer design that’s easy to use and lets you be creative with the oils you’ll be making. If this seems a little intimidating to you, fear not, Mota Pot’s website has some recipes that are certified to be fresh and delicious.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BPlNmkBh7y3/

Let’s Break Down How Bernie Sanders Will Legalize Marijuana

The senator’s new policy represents the most ambitious and detailed plan of any presidential candidate thus far.

One of the biggest takeaways from Bernie Sanders’ newest policy announcement is also the goofiest. This strategy, which details the steps Sanders would take as president to “ensure permanent legalization of marijuana,” was released at 4:20 p.m. Apparently politicians still think this little bit of weed humor is still cheeky and original in 2019.

We mention that because that small note up top because that weed pun from Sanders’ campaign is potentially the only piece of his policy that wasn’t considered to its fullest extent. The marijuana legalization plan Sanders released this week is among the most ambitious, step-by-step pieces of marijuana policy we’ve seen in some time.

RELATED: Beto O’Rourke Will Provide Drug War Reparations Through Legal Marijuana Taxes

“Too many lives were ruined due to the disastrous criminalization of marijuana,” Sanders tweeted. “Today I am releasing my plan to: Legalize marijuana with executive action, expunge past marijuana convictions, [and] invest in communities most affected by the War on Drugs.”

Sanders first hinted at his plan on the Joe Rogan podcast: In his first 100 days in office, Bernie Sanders would direct the attorney general to declassify marijuana as a controlled substance. This act would effectively legalize cannabis by removing marijuana’s Schedule I drug status, which qualifies as any drug that has no established medical benefit and is considered a highly addictive substance. Both Beto O’Rourke and Elizabeth Warren have promised to deschedule marijuana through executive action, but only Sanders promised to do so within the first 100 days of office.

The Majority Of Americans Support Decriminalizing Drugs
Photo by Darren415/Getty Images

This plan is also the most detailed of any candidate. Revenue generated by the legal cannabis industry would go back to supporting communities disenfranchised by the War on Drugs, specifically communities of color. Included in that would be a $20 billion grant program positioned inside the Minority Business Development Agency with the intention of supporting “entrepreneurs of color who continue to face discrimination in access to capital.” In addition, Sanders’ plan would create a $10 billion grant program designed at funding businesses located where the effects from the War on Drugs is felt most acutely.

“When it comes to ending prohibition, we cannot go forward without looking back,” Queen Adesuyi, National Affairs Policy Manager for Drug Policy Action, said in a statement. “It is not enough to just legalize marijuana. We must do it the right way, and that means reinvesting in the communities that have been most harmed by the cruel and inhumane policies brought forth through the war on drugs.”

Under Sanders’ direction, there would be a review of all prior marijuana convictions at the state and federal levels. Any current marijuana sentences would be reconsidered by an independent clemency board with the intention of early release. Any old convictions would be expunged.

RELATED: Why Marijuana’s Illegal Classification Is Based On Politics, Not Science

But nowhere does Sanders separate himself from other presidential candidates than in the world of cannabis business. The senator would urge marijuana businesses not to follow the same path as Big Tobacco, by urging them to become more like non-profits and less like corporations. Any companies “guilty of deceptive marketing” or have produced cancer-causing products like cigarettes would be banned from participating in the cannabis industry. It would also create franchise caps and set forth a network of federal regulations to ensure safety for consumers.

“As the country moves to recognize marijuana and drug use in general as a public health issue, it is crucial that communities directly impacted by criminalization are not left to continue suffering from collateral consequences of convictions or left out of legal economic opportunities,” Adesuyi added. “For other candidates to not consider these components in their platforms would be to deny the harrowing history of how communities of color have been targeted by these policies for the last century.”

Cannabis Edibles, Extracts, And Topicals Are Now Legal In Canada

Although these products are now legal for sale, they will likely not be available to consumers until mid-December, and in limited quantities at that.

A year after Canada’s national legalization of cannabis, on October 17, 2019, the Government of Canada’s new regulations for edible cannabis, cannabis extracts, and cannabis topicals went into effect. The first round of regulations under the Cannabis Act went into effect on October 17, 2018, and allowed adults who are 18 or 19 years or older (depending on the province or territory) to possess up to 30 grams of legal dried cannabis, or its equivalent in non-dried form and grow up to four plants per residence for personal use. During the first year of legalization in Canada, only dried cannabis products were actually legal.

Now, phase two of the implementation of the Cannabis Act is in place, and the production and sale of edible cannabis, cannabis extracts and cannabis topicals is now legal for provincial and territorial retailers and federally licensed sellers of cannabis for medical purposes. However, although these products are now legal for sale, they will likely not be available to consumers until mid-December, and in limited quantities at that.

RELATED: The Sad Reason Marijuana Research Hasn’t Exploded In Canada

Licensed manufacturers must provide 60-days’ notice to Health Canada of their intent to sell any new products, hence the projected timeline for availability in mid-December. It will likely be some time before a broad range of edible and extract products are actually available for purchase by consumers.

Many of the restrictions placed on cannabis manufacturers in Canada will be familiar to those in most U.S. markets. Some of the highlights of the new regulations include the following:

  • Products cannot contain nicotine or alcohol;
  • Cannabis extracts cannot contain sugars, sweeteners or sweetening agents;
  • Edible cannabis products must not contain any ingredients other than food and food additives;
  • Edible cannabis products cannot contain caffeine unless that caffeine is present via ingredients that naturally contain caffeine and the total amount of caffeine in each container does not exceed 30 mg;
  • Edible products that must be refrigerated are not allowed;
  • Edible cannabis products may not contain a quantity of THC that exceeds 10 mg per immediate container;
  • Cannabis extracts and accessories that contain cannabis extracts cannot be promoted in a manner that could lead consumers to believe that the product has a flavor other than the flavor of cannabis;
  • Cannabis products cannot be promoted in a way that could associate the cannabis with an alcoholic beverage (making collabs with alcohol brands unlikely). The same prohibition goes for tobacco products.
do cannabis products over promise and under deliver
Photo by Jamie Grill/Getty Images

RELATED: Canada’s Legalization Of Weed Edibles Is Another Global Social Experiment

In addition to the foregoing, the Cannabis Act contains testing requirements and restrictions on marketing, advertising, and labeling that will look familiar to many in the U.S. markets, although some of the Canadian regulations are notably more stringent that what we’ve seen here in California. The following restrictions on product wrappers are a great example of the level of detail and extent of the restrictions faced by cannabis manufacturers in Canada:

The interior and exterior surface of a wrapper must

(a) not display any brand element;

(b) not display any image or information;

(c) be one uniform colour, which may be different for each surface;

(d) not be fluorescent, have fluorescent properties in the ink or have pigments that absorb ultraviolet energy and transmit it as a longer wavelength, such as the Pantone 800 series;

(e) have a smooth texture without any embossing or decorative ridges;

(f) not include any hidden feature that is designed to change the appearance of the wrapper, such as heat-activated ink or a feature that is visible only through technological means; and

(g) not be capable of emitting a scent or sound

With these restrictions in place, we’ll be curious to see how the introduction of cannabis edibles, concentrates, and topicals goes in Canada, and anticipate that it will be a relatively slow ramp-up.

Alison Malsbury is an attorney at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog

Meme Of The Week: ‘Joker’ Inspires Hundreds Of Ridiculous Memes

This week’s meme started the way many other memes have started before — by making fun of someone’s tweet.

Few films in recent memory have caused as much debate as Joker. Starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips, the film was the natural outcome of many years of films following the tried and true superhero format: an art film packaged for mainstream audiences. It’s also a meme goldmine.

RELATED: Meme Of The Week: ‘No Guy Has All Three’ Meme Incorporates Tons Of Pop Culture References

This Joker meme started the way many other memes have started before — by making fun of someone’s tweet. The original post highlights one of the Joker‘s many dance scenes and calls it “The dance of freedom. The death bells. The rising of the Joker,” which is pretty hilarious. So people had to jump onboard and add scenes or music that improved on the original, providing a wide variety of hilarious versions.

Check out some of our favorite responses:

RELATED: Meme Of The Week: Kylie Jenner Sings And Social Media Makes Memes

Marijuana’s Effect On Sore, Aching Muscles

The cannabinoids in marijuana not only assist in blocking nerve pain, but they limit the side effects of typical prescription drugs. 

Whether it’s after a long workout or a moving injury, soreness and stiffness can complicate anyone’s life, but they don’t have to. With the rise of opioid addiction, is it possible that marijuana and CBD can alleviate some of the symptoms of sports and back injuries? 

study published in 2017 in Health Affairs found that this is precisely what’s happening in states with medical cannabis laws: Prescriptions for opioid painkillers in these states dropped by 1,826 per doctor as patients found their alternatives. 

Weed offers pain relief

Marijuana is recognizable as an option for pain relief. In fact, the FDA has approved pharmaceutical CBD and THC for the treatment of chronic pain associated with AIDS and chemotherapy, while offering an alternative for opioid addiction.

RELATED: 4 Ways That Medical Cannabis Can Ease Chronic Pain

The National Center for Biotechnology Information shared insights from the book Marijuana as Medicine on how THC counters pain. 

“Cannabinoids have shown significant promise in basic experiments on pain. Peripheral nerves that detect pain sensations contain abundant receptors for cannabinoids, and cannabinoids appear to block peripheral nerve pain in experimental animals. Even more encouraging, basic studies suggest that opiates and cannabinoids suppress pain through different mechanisms. If that is the case, marijuana-based medicines could perhaps be combined with opiates to boost their pain-relieving power while limiting their side effects.” 

Cannabis Users Exercise Much More Than You Think
Photo by rawpixel

In short: The cannabinoids in marijuana not only assist in blocking nerve pain, but they offer a way to boost the power of other medicines as well as limiting side effects of typical prescription drugs. 

RELATED: Study: Three Puffs Of Marijuana A Day Will Combat Chronic Pain

But will it work on your injury? Cannabis appears to work on chronic and acute pain that often accompany sports or back injuries. In 2017, the National Academies of Sciences Engineering and Medicine offered a large-scale report  on pain, which shared, “The committee found evidence to support that patients who were treated with cannabis or cannabinoids were more likely to experience a significant reduction in pain symptoms.” 

As with any addition to your healthcare regimen, it’s always best to discuss options with your doctor.

5 Easy Halloween Costumes That Are Fun And Stress Free

Here are 5 simple costume ideas for Halloween, because Halloween is stressful enough.

Sure, dressing up is fun, but it’s mostly stressful. Unless you have a lot of time to think about your perfect costume, you’ll most likely end up going to a Halloween party in your pajamas. Luckily, there are a lot of great costumes out there that aren’t all that expensive, doing the job and eliminating most of the Halloween-induced stress.

Here are 5 simple costume ideas for this year.

5 surprising movies americans watch on halloween
Photo by BarbaraALane via Pixabay.

A skeleton

Skeletons are very popular Halloween elements while also being super easy to adapt to your needs. If you’re good with make-up, you can go all out on your costume. If you’re not artistically inclined you can simply buy a skeleton onesie and call it a day. There are plenty of options on Amazon, fitting different budgets and styles.

Dog costumes

If you’re not a costume person but still want to share the Halloween spirit, dog costumes are your best bet. There are thousands of them, all of them cuter than the other. You want your dog dressed up as a pineapple? There’s a costume for that. Maybe your dog will hate you for a day, but isn’t it worth it?

RELATED: 5 Creative Ways To Improve Your Lame Halloween Costumes And Decorations

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

An avocado

Is there a more millennial icon than an avocado? No, there isn’t, which is why there’s hundreds of costumes out there, from the DIY to onesies.

Regina George from Mean Girls

While you could choose to dress up as a Plastic, there’s not a more iconic nor easy look than a basic tank top with the boobs cut out. Genius.

RELATED: Last-Minute Halloween Costumes For The Cannabis Lover

https://giphy.com/gifs/mean-girls-rachel-mcadams-uzSR4YuoeYR2M

Ketchup and Mustard

Is it the most original idea in the world? No. Does it work? Totally. There are hundreds of Ketchup and Mustard costumes available for sale online. These costumes are also some of the easiest ones to make on your own.

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