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4 Tips To Avoid Fake Vape Cartridges

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The string of diseases associated with vape pens has got users alarmed. Here’s what you can do to stay safe and minimize risks.

It’s been a crazy month for vape smokers. The CDC announced that there’s a lung injury outbreak associated with vaping, which has injured over 800 people and caused 12 deaths across multiple states. It’s an alarming set of statistics that have prompted rash decisions, with states outright banning vape products. With so much misinformation flying around, the least you can do is ensure that the product you’re vaping is legitimate.

Although there’s no foolproof method of protecting yourself against a tarnished product (this can happen to legitimate companies) there are many ways of cutting your risks.

Here are four tips that will help you stay safe.

Only purchase licensed products

If you stay away from the black market you’re eliminating exposing yourself to poor cartridges. Purchasing products from licensed sources guarantees that the cannabis used goes through strict testing. It’s also important to highlight that this vaping crisis has demonstrated no connections to cannabis. For the moment, there’s no immediate risk.

Watch out for ripoffs

Right now is not the time to experiment with strange products with too good to be true prices. It’s safer to spend some money and preserve your health. Buy certified products from dispensaries that have the appropriate licenses. Check the package of the cartridge and look for packaging date, lot number, batch number and date of manufacture. These details might not protect you completely, but they ensure that what you’re buying is legitimate.

RELATED: How To Tell If Your Vape Pen May Be Harmful

lets discuss marijuana vaping deaths and the larger problem here
Photo courtesy of New York State Department of Health/Flickr

Do your research

If you don’t live in a state with legalized marijuana, be careful with your purchases and do some research. Look up marijuana communities online and see what products people recommend. If you can get your hands on licensed products learn about brands and avoid experimenting. Look for brands that have been around for a couple of years, that are trusted by large amounts of people and that have an up to date presence on social media.

Quit vaping for a while

If you’re really concerned about this vape crisis, you can switch temporarily to smoking flower or consuming edibles, rosin or sift. Although vaping is extremely comfortable and discreet, it’s okay if your nerves are a little rattled. Luckily, there’s a lot of other cannabis options.

RELATED: The Dark Truth Behind The Recent Outbreak Of Vaping Related Illnesses

marijuana pipe
Photo by SharonMcCutcheon via Pixabay

Adele Reportedly Dating Rapper Skepta After Filing For Divorce From Husband; Justin Bieber’s Ex Attends His Wedding

Adele has found love again six months after announcing split from husband; Justin Bieber invited his ex to his wedding yesterday and she Instagrammed about it.

Adele Reportedly Dating Rapper Skepta After Filing For Divorce From Husband

Via iHeart Radio:

Adele has reportedly found romance with rapper Skepta.

Six months after announcing her separation from estranged husband Simon Konecki, the “Hello” musician has been spending a lot of time with the 37-year-old grime star, The Sun reported Monday (September 30). “Adele and Skepta have been there for each other a lot after both their relationships split up. They have a close bond and there’s definitely a special connection,” an insider told the publication.

The news comes weeks after Adele filed for divorce from Konecki.

Skepta, whose real name is Joseph Adenuga Jr., also hails from Adele’s native Tottenham, North London. Less than two weeks ago, the 31-year-old songbird supposedly appeared at the “Greaze Mode” artist’s birthday party at the Crystal Maze experience in London. “They’re spending more and more time together,” the source added. “Some of their friends are hoping and predicting they could end up being a great couple one day.”

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

Both stars are parents: Adele has a son, Angelo, 6, with Konecki, and Skepta became a father last November. Per the source, “They are both private about their love lives and they are both committed to their children first and foremost as well.”

Did we also mention the pair have been longtime friends?

“Adele texts me all the time and keeps me in check. She speaks to me about how things are going,” he once told ES Magazine in 2016. That same year, the “All I Ask” singer celebrated Skepta’s Mercury Prize win by posting a photo of him on her Instagram page captioned “Tottenham Boy” along with a heart emoji.

“She gassed me up. One day I was just chilling and she [tweeted] a picture that said ‘Tottenham boy’ and she’s from Tottenham as well,” he told IBTimes UK of her post. “I was actually going to quit music that day, that was one of the sickest things ever. She’s like the lady of Tottenham.”

Justin Bieber’s Ex Attends His Wedding to Hailey Baldwin

Via People:

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin‘s sunset South Carolina wedding boasted an impressive guest list that included the singer’s first-ever girlfriend, Caitlin Beadles.

Beadles, 25, documented the festivities on her Instagram Story, which show her raving over “gluten-free” cornbread at what appears to be the couple’s rehearsal dinner.

Beadles, who is the founder of Caitlin’s Vine of Bravery Dog Rescue, also shared a shot of herself and her brother Christian Beadles from the celebration.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3EUPsDCe6M/

For the special occasion, Beadles wore a soft pink lace dress and nude sandal heels while her brother opted for a navy blue blazer paired with tan trousers and sneakers.

Bieber, 25, and Beadles dated for one year, according to E! News, after meeting in 2008. The pair have remained friends ever since as Bieber even spent Thanksgiving with Beadles and her family in 2017.

Bieber and Baldwin, 22, officially tied the knot — for the second time — Monday evening at the Montage Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, PEOPLE confirmed.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B3EfGVGHiBA

The couple, who first got married in a New York City courthouse last year, said their “I Do’s” in front of 154 guests — including models Kendall Jenner, Camila Morrone and Joan Smalls, as well as Bieber’s manager Scooter Braun — at Somerset Chapel, a source confirmed to PEOPLE.

Just before the wedding, planned by Mindy Weiss, guests enjoyed pre-ceremony cocktails at the Inn lobby lounge.

5 Cannabis Body Butters That Help Winter Skin Issues

A great way to smooth out any skin issues standing in the way of your chilly yet cheery days ahead is to use a cannabis infused body butter.

It’s hard enough transitioning from the warm months of summer to the cold days of fall and winter. But add to that dry flakey elbows, itchy knees, and moisture deprived skin from just about everywhere else on your body, and you may start forgetting that winter is supposed to be idyllic: comfortable, cozy, seasonally uplifted and perhaps even jolly. An easy way to ensure your skin matches your spirit is by using a cannabis infused body butter.

Body butters are already a luxurious way to combat dry skin, but adding the anti-inflammatory properties of THC, CBD or a combination thereof is the cherry on top. Plus, the following companies are small batch, ecologically aware, source wonderful ingredients, and make their creams with love and dignity.

Luxury Unisex Ultra Strength Body Lotion

Lord Jones’ extra strength, high CBD, full spectrum body lotion is cooling on contact as well as being fast absorbing and a lifesaver for skin conditions. It penetrates deep and carries the scents of Lord Jones’ signature fragrance: fresh with notes of sage, mint and green citrus. This is definitely a unisex smell and has neutral packaging that edges on the luxury look, with majestic elk holding up information on the product and adorning the packaging and bottle.

RELATED: 6 Wellness And CBD Products To Get You Ready For Fall

 

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Hemp Body Butter To Rave About

This seriously highly concentrated Hemp Whipped Body Butter by Endoca, with 1,500 mg of CBD per jar of cream, will go straight to work on problem areas, causing any irritation, redness and swelling to subside. Though a little pricey (and currently on backorder), this 100 percent organic butter made with food grade ingredients is also packed with antioxidants. Shea butter, palm oil and cocoa seed butter are the carrier oils and are accompanied by beeswax, vanilla and vitamin E.

RELATED: What Is The Functionality Of CBD’s Presence In Skincare Products?

 

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Geisha Butter

To keep in the holiday spirit of giving back, shop the smaller brands with stellar products like Geisha Bath and Body’s Cannabis Rose Body Butter on Etsy. With all rave reviews, carrier oils like sunflower, jojoba and meadowfoam and with an extra little touch of goat’s milk for that super moisture, this cannabis infused butter is sure to sooth.

Vegan Body Butter

For a fantastic vegan option, try Hollywood Handmade Cannabis Body Butter made with sandalwood essential oil. According to Amazon, “Sandlewood [sic] has therapeutic benefits and works to help: mental clarity, relaxation & calming..[and it is also made] with Shea butter to make a magical healing body butter. Our Cannabis factor is hemp oil which has magnificent agents that help aid a…variety of conditions…You can use the CBB as a moisturizer or a breakthrough pain reliever…It’s up to you!”

DIY Hemp Body Butter

Hemp oil has a wealth of Vitamins E and A and Omega 3 and 6 essential fatty oils. “Because of these skin-strengthening properties, hemp oil allows the body to better resist infection and has been shown to be an effective treatment for eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, and acne,” touts hempsly.com, which then proceeds to instruct on an easy DIY method of making your very own butter where you know where the products were sourced because, well, you DIY.

Photo by Linda Prebreza via Pexels

 

Sanjay Gupta Shared Marijuana And Autism Update

Leading marijuana researchers now believe a cannabis compound could treat autism symptoms.

When Dr. Sanjay Gupta unveiled his investigative series on marijuana in 2013, he legitimized the plant’s therapeutic and medical capabilities in the mainstream. Nowhere was this more prominent than Gupta’s focus on how cannabis treats seizures, specifically in children. He introduced the world to Charlotte’s Web, a popular CBD oil for patients that drastically reduced the number of seizures patients like Charlotte Figi experienced. As a 3-year-old, she had 300 seizures a week; by taking Charlotte’s Web she only had two to three seizures a month while also eliminating all other anti-seizure pharmaceuticals.

RELATED: What Scientists Are Saying About The CBD Boom

In his latest report, “Weed 5: The CBD Craze,” Gupta directly examined the wellness trend he had a hand in starting. “We are in an age of wisdom, but also an age of foolishness,” he declared. The foolishness because “CBD has been hijacked by unscrupulous actors peddling crooked, corrupt and contaminated products.” But the wisdom comes from the work done by GW Pharmaceuticals.

Gupta was given exclusive access to a GW Pharmaceuticals during his report, which included a clinical trial on cannabidivarin, a marijuana compound more commonly known as CBDV. The study, conducted at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, focused on the effects CBDV could have on the “irritability and repetitive behaviors in children with autism spectrum disorder.” Similar to CBD, CBDV is non-psychoactive and does not cause users to get “high.”

GW Pharmaceuticals investigated the effects CBDV could have following the success of its cannabis-based medicine Epidiolex had in treating epilepsy.

5 differences between cbd and hemp
Photo by Anatoliy Sizov/Getty Images

“When you look at these—loss of cognitive function, poor socializing skills, poor language skills—what you’re looking at is a phenotype very similar to autism,” GW founder Dr. Geoffrey Guy told Gupta. “In my mind, epilepsy and autism-type presentations are on the same continuum.”

Due to the range and variety of symptoms seen in autism spectrum disorders, some experts warn caution in pinning hopes to CBDV. Currently, there is no known cure for autism. Dr. Eric Hollander, the lead scientist on the trial, has more than 30 years of experience researching autism spectrum disorder. Like Dr. Guy, he believes autism and epilepsy could share underlying causes, and will focus his research on treating the associated symptoms caused by autism.

RELATED: Cannabis, CBD Oil, and Autism: What Do We Know So Far?

“In some of the animal models that are similar to autism, it was found that CBDV had important effects on social functioning, on decreasing seizures, on increasing cognitive function, and in reducing compulsive or repetitive behavior,” Hollander said. “So for that reason, we wanted to apply that to autism.”

That said, don’t expect results anytime soon. The double-blind clinical trial won’t conclude until June 2021, with results finalized by September 2021.

The Essential Guide For The First-Time Cannabis Tourist

Before booking your trip, review the rules governing cannabis in the state where you will be visiting. These laws will clue you in regarding the basics of how much cannabis you can buy.

As more states legalize recreational cannabis, the number of those trying this plant for the first time or resume a habit they gave up after college continues to grow. For those who don’t live in a state where cannabis is legal, traveling to a state with legalized cannabis has become a destination vacation.

Here’s a list of suggestions for first-time cannabis tourists looking to try recreational cannabis.

Do Your Pre-Trip Research

Before booking your trip, review the rules governing cannabis in the state where you will be visiting. These laws will clue you in regarding the basics of how much cannabis you can buy, as well as where you can consume cannabis. Check out Kush Tourism for listings of cannabis tours and cannabis friendly lodgings if you want an in-depth cannabis experience.

Bring Your ID and Cash

Be sure to bring along some form of government issued identification. No one under 21 will be permitted to enter a recreational dispensary. Everyone will be checked at the door regardless of how old they may look. Also, leave the pets at home as only service animals will be allowed to go inside. As this is still a cash only business be sure to bring along enough cash for your purchases. Most dispensaries have an ATM on site but it’s better to be safe than sorry.

RELATED: 4 Things You Need To Know Before Visiting A Marijuana Dispensary

Photo by Scott Eisen/Stringer/Getty Images

Give Yourself Time

This isn’t like going into a 7-11. At a quality dispensary, the budtenders give each customer personalized attention, and the lines can get a bit long at times.

Honesty is the Best Policy

There’s no stigma to being a newbie cannabis user or only smoked bad weed during your college haze. Budtenders are used to dealing with first-time cannabis users, and enjoy helping someone have the best experience possible. So let them know you’re new to the current cannabis scene, and ask them for their recommendations for first time users.

RELATED: Let Your Friendly Neighborhood Budtender Help You

Photo by A_Melnyk/Getty Images

 

Be Mindful of Your Money

It’s incredibly easy to get carried away and walk out with a lot of expensive paraphernalia that you may never use after your trip. A pre-rolled joint is the cheapest option to consume cannabis. For those who don’t like smoking, another inexpensive option is a disposable vape pen that comes fully loaded and ready to use. However, do not skimp out by buying bad weed, as poor quality cannabis will not produce the desired effects you may be seeking.

Follow The Law

Be mindful that cannabis cannot be consumed legally in public, and that hotels, restaurants, and bars do not allow smoking of any kind. Also, Federal law prohibits transporting cannabis across state lines or flying with recreational cannabis. A qualified budtender will not give you recommendations regarding how you can circumvent the laws pertaining to recreational cannabis, so don’t ask. Edibles, vape pens, and topicals are ways one can consume cannabis in a discrete manner that won’t draw attention like smoking.

RELATED: How To Not Get Busted Smuggling Marijuana Into A Prohibition State

CBD Oil
Photo by AHPhotoswpg/Getty Images

Start Small

Take a short hit from a vape pen or pre-rolled joint. Then sit back and chill for 15 minutes. Then take another hit if you want a stronger sensation. Repeat this process until you have the effect you’re seeking. If you are taking edibles, start with a small 5mg dose. Wait half an hour, and then take another 5mg if you want a stronger hit.

Set the Mood

Clear the schedule so you don’t have to be somewhere within a limited time frame. You don’t know how your body will respond. Even if you don’t go to sleep, you’re liable to be too mellow and relaxed to get behind the wheel.

Have an Emergency Kit on Hand

Before consuming any cannabis have some water or other non-alcoholic beverages readily available as cannabis often produces dry mouth. Also, have some munchies around as certain strains of cannabis can make one hungry. Include pistachios in your munchie mix, as they can come in handy should one consume too much cannabis.

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Does Cannabis Help With Muscle Building Workouts?

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Cannabis’s effect on workouts has been hotly debated, with some people loving it and some hating it. Here’s what you should know about cannabis and the effect it has on bodybuilding.

A lot has been said about marijuana and its effect on workouts, with some fitness enthusiasts calling it the thing they’ve been missing, and others calling them crazy. As is the case with most things cannabis, the effect of the plant largely depends on your relationship with it. There’s also no scientific research out there proving if it works or not.

Despite this, there’s plenty of scientific evidence regarding some of the benefits of cannabis, which could translate well to workouts, specifically those where muscle building is involved.

The process of building muscle is a simple one: in order to build muscle mass, you have to tear the muscle and allow it to rebuild itself, resulting in stronger and bigger muscle fibers. Rest days and a high protein and carb diet is very important for bodybuilders, which is why so many people are quick to suggest cannabis as a solution.

RELATED: 3 Main Differences Between CBD Oil And Hemp Oil

is marijuana workout fuel for the gym
Photo by rawpixel.com

The use of cannabis has a few scientifically supported connections with reducing inflammation and treating pain relief. These effects would allow people to get back to the gym faster, reducing stress and painful post workout cramps. Another positive side effect for bodybuilders using marijuana is the munchies. Bodybuilders on strict schedules sometimes don’t have the time or appetite to go through all of their necessary meals; the munchies would solve this problem swiftly, especially if there’s some self control and the fridge is stocked with the proper food.

RELATED: 13 Types Of Marijuana That Will Improve Your Workouts

As for negative side effects, there are a few which could pop up and derail your training sessions. If you’re a cannabis newbie, it’s a bad idea to try out smoking a joint right before a workout session. Using cannabis is a process that demands some trial and error, and a period of time where you get accustomed to the plant’s effects. The gym is not the right place to try this out.

For experienced athletes and marijuana users, experimenting with the plant before hitting the gym is worth a shot. Although the experience may not end up being a positive one, at least you’ll be safe and say you tried out something new. For newbies, it’s best to get used to the plant and then get fancy with it.

Mike Tyson Will Bring The ‘Davos of Cannabis’ And Marijuana Tourism To Caribbean

By teaming up with Tyson Ranch brand, the Caribbean will become a major powerhouse in tourism, marijuana-related or otherwise.

By the looks of it, Mike Tyson wants to become the Walt Disney of cannabis. The former boxer bought a 40-acre farm in California and transformed the land into Tyson Ranch, a fantasia that revolves around marijuana and features the world’s longest lazy river. As soon as possible, a.k.a. as soon as legalization laws change, plan exist to build another Tyson Ranch along the Florida-Georgia border.

But Tyson isn’t stopping there either. Tyson announced plans this week to deliver marijuana tourism to the Caribbean, with another marijuana theme park in the islands of Antigua and Barbados. The Tyson team intends to introduce a major marijuana conference as well, which will become the “Davos of cannabis” and launch in April 2020.

RELATED: Your Ultimate Guide To West Coast Cannabis Tourism

Lose His Virginity
Photo by Thomas Lefebvre via Unsplash

The tourism will drive relief efforts to the Caribbean islands still reeling from damages caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Through this collaboration, Tyson believes Antigua and Barbados will become a dominant player in tourism spaces once again.

“Absolutely, I think that with your association with Tyson Ranch that it would be a far good conclusion that we accomplish that and make this a powerhouse,” Tyson told reporters. “It will be good for the country and will bring in much-needed funds to help your economy.”

These plans and boasts aren’t just coming from Tyson’s team—the government of Antigua and Barbados are on board, too. Tyson met with Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, earlier this September to discuss conceptualization of the project. According to Browne, the plans Tyson and his team are developing “goes beyond marijuana products or hemp products.”

RELATED: 5 Hotels That Allow You To Consume Marijuana

“They are also looking at the whole area of entertainment and leisure and one of the most exciting projects that they will establish within the next nine months is the establishment of an annual marijuana conference here in Antigua,” Browne said at a press conference.

“It will be like the Davos of cannabis; it will take place on an annual basis and will bring stakeholders from throughout the globe for that matter right here on Antigua to discuss various opportunities within the industry.”

Americans Are Finally Eating Healthier

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New study says that Americans are changing their outlook on food, consuming less processed food, even if it’s taking them awhile.

Despite the doom and gloom that is the current news cycle, it appears that Americans are finally getting one thing right: they’re eating healthier, even if they’re changing their habits really, really slowly.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) says that gradually, Americans have been changing their outlook on food, becoming more informed and choosing to consume healthier options.

The study analyzed the diet of 44,000 Americans over the age of 20 and concluded that, overall, they were consuming 3% less highly processed foods.

RELATED: Like Elvis, We Turn To Food For Comfort, But Why?

Photo by Jose Soriano via Unsplash

“These positive trends are likely to reflect an increased public awareness of the health risks associated with high added sugar and low whole grain consumption,” said Fang Fang Zhang, co-author of the study and professor at Tufts. Aside from exposure, Zhang also mentioned how important the role of education is when it comes to diets. “People with less than a high school education or living below the poverty line not only ate a worse diet than those with a higher level of education or income at any given cycle, they also did not improve their diet quality over time.”

Other research finds that people are now consuming more high quality carbohydrates and plant protein. One bad thing the study found is that 42% of energy intake came from mostly low quality carbs like refined grains, starches and added sugars.

RELATED: Here Are 3 Methods That Can Help You Stay Healthy Once The Munchies Hit

Although the improvement of America’s eating habits has been slow, researchers from the study claim that the existence of this data can only highlight positive things, instructing people on how to eat better and on which areas of nutrition they should be focusing on. The study also highlights the differences between communities, making it easier for the people in charge to address these discrepancies and take the necessary measures.

This Week’s Music: Alicia Keys, Diplo And Tegan And Sara

Alicia Keys and Miguel deliver their much anticipated collaboration, Diplo and the Jonas Brothers band together, and Tegan and Sara release a new album.

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, Alicia Keys and Miguel deliver their much anticipated collaboration, Diplo and the Jonas Brothers band together, and Tegan and Sara release a new album. Have a listen.

Pop

Alicia Keys & Miguel – Show Me Love

A collaboration between Alicia Keys and Miguel sounds too good to be true, so it’s disappointing that “Show Me Love” is so… flat. The song, a throwback to romantic R&B ballads, is about sex I guess, but there’s not much going on aside from the obviously impressive vocals from both performers. There’s no depth there, no romance, just a song that kind of works because of who’s singing.

Diplo & Jonas Brothers – Lonely

RELATED: This Week’s Music: Angel Olsen, Brittany Howard And Caroline Polachek

If you didn’t know that Diplo livestreamed Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner’s wedding, well, now you know, because there’s a 2:30 minute music video detailing the whole thing. Using cheap knock off lyrics and a production that was cool during the early aughts, “Lonely” will surely be a hit just because it’s Diplo and the Jonas Brothers. That’s kind of sad but that’s also what happens with 70% of pop music.

Tegan and Sara – Don’t Believe The Things They Tell You (They Lie)

Tegan and Sara are one of those bands that people love faithfully over the years. Being a staple of queer pop and rock music, listening to Tegan and Sara is like hanging out with old friends. Their new record is called “Hey, I’m Just Like You,” and it’s a curious experiment. The twins found some old songs that they wrote while in high school and decided to produce them now as adults. The result is a meta exercise that’s hopeful and melancholic and that appeals to old and new fans. Although the lyrics are raw, young and filled with anguish, the production is layered and glossy. Cliche as it may be, life does get better out of high school.

Dogs Of Instagram: The Basset Hound

Bassets are instantly recognizable with their low and sturdy stature, enormous paws, long velvety ears, and drooping melancholy eyes. Here are some of our favorites.

It is said that no other breed other than the Bloodhound has a more accurate sense of smell, which makes the Basset Hound the perfect hunting companion. The breed is not known for its speed, rather its endurance and deliberate manner. Bassets are instantly recognizable with their low and sturdy stature, enormous paws, long velvety ears, and drooping melancholy eyes.

Here, we find five Basset Hounds of Instagram with the most woeful eyes.

Hank

https://www.instagram.com/p/BozXyA4AcfP/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: The Australian Shepherd

Woody

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

Louie

https://www.instagram.com/p/BpzaB91gd5f/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: The Greyhound

Bernie

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

Big Al

https://www.instagram.com/p/BrGu59VgKj2/

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