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Don’t Hold Your Breath For Marijuana Banking In 2019

While it’s not unreasonable that we will see the Safe Banking Act sail through the House yet in 2019, it means nothing in the grand scheme of taking care of business. The Senate isn’t going to touch this bill with a ten foot pole.

It has been said that the passing of the SAFE Banking Act is the first step toward marijuana legalization in the United States. The idea is that by finally giving banks the freedom to do business with the cannabis industry without the risk of federal prosecution, a wealth of opportunity will open up for the cannabis trade and lead the nation down the road to more comprehensive reforms. But while there appears to be enough support in the House of Representatives to get this thing done, conceivably before the end of the year, everyone seems to forget that the Senate is still standing in the way. So, regardless of whether the bill makes it through the lower chamber in the coming months, chances are it is not going the distance in 2019. 

It was earlier last week that the head cheese of the American Bankers Association (ABA), Rob Nichols, predicted that the House would pass the SAFE Banking Act before the end of October. During an interview with a podcast called Engage, he said that his organization has been working Congressional members to drum up support for this legislation and it was definitely coming to a head soon. 

“This is legislation that already passed in the House Financial Services Committee early in this calendar year by a huge bipartisan margin, and this is something that I predict…as early as September—probably no later than October—will pass the full House of Representatives by a bipartisan majority, which is exciting,” he said. 

Photo by OlegMalyshev/Getty Images

Although Nichols did admit that there were some challenges when it comes to getting the SAFE Banking Bill pushed through the Senate, he did not, however, drive home just how dead this legislation is once it makes it to the upper chamber.  

Despite an impressive number of Republicans that have signed on as co-sponsors in the House, there still isn’t much of a chance the bill will pick up all the necessary support in the Senate that it needs to make it to the desk of President Donald Trump. You see, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnellhasn’t gone anywhere, and he will destroy this legislation the second he gets a chance.

RELATED: What Will Congress Do With Cannabis Banking Following Initial Hearings?

The scenario might go something like this: The House will pass the SAFE Banking Bill soon, and the cannabis media will celebrate history in the making, as it will be the first time ever that concrete marijuana legislation makes it out of Congress. However, the victory will be short-lived once the bill is shipped to the Senate, where McConnell, the self-proclaimed “Grim Reaper” of Capitol Hill, will inevitably chunk it into the trash. 

Not only does McConnell call the shots with respect to the legislation that is discussed in the Senate, but he has also said time and time again that he is not interested in supporting any bill geared toward the legalization of marijuana. As far as we know, his attitude on the matter hasn’t changed.

We’re also going on an election year, one where McConnell stands to lose his seat for the first time since 1984, so he isn’t going to lend support to anything that serves to further the Democrat’s agenda. And that includes giving banks the right to do business with cannabis operations.  

RELATED: Meet The First Major Bank To Service The Canadian Marijuana Industry

“I would be shocked if Sen. McConnell wanted to spend a single second of floor time on weed,” one veteran lobbyist told Politico.

So while it is not unreasonable that we will see the Safe Banking Act sail through the House yet in 2019, it means nothing in the grand scheme of taking care of business. The Senate isn’t going to touch this bill with a ten foot pole. We don’t expect much will change until after the 2020 election. Let’s just hope the Democrats can take control over the Senate, which is possible, and McConnell gets dethroned as one of the most powerful lawmakers in the nation. Then and only then will marijuana legalization (or a banking bill) stand a fighting chance at happening in the United States.

Gwyneth Paltrow Was An Early Source For Those Harvey Weinstein Stories; Kelly Clarkson Says ‘Country Music Is Gone’

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A new book reveals that Gwyneth Paltrow was one of the first actresses to go public with her sexual harassment story about Harvey Weinstein; Kelly Clarkson says “weird rap” has replaced country music.

Gwyneth Paltrow Was An Early Source For Those Harvey Weinstein Stories;

Via CBS News:

In a new book, “She Said: Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement,” New York Times reporters Kantor and Twohey go into detail about what they uncovered, and how difficult it was to get women who said they had been victimized by Harvey Weinstein to go public.

“Gwyneth Paltrow was a source early on, much earlier than I think I realized from reading the articles,” said CBS correspondent Erin Moriarty.

“She did play a much more active role than anybody’s ever known,” said Kantor. “But it was hair-raising for her, because Harvey Weinstein had been such an important influence.”

Gwyneth Paltrow Goop Kelly Osbourne Addiction
Photo by Ian Gavan/Stringer/Getty Images

The story Paltrow told the reporters began with a meeting with Weinstein in a hotel room when she was in her early twenties.

“She had a fax from her agent saying here’s where you need to show up,” Kantor said. “So, she went to the hotel room. The meeting was pretty unremarkable. But at the end of it, she says he actually put his hands on her and said, ‘Let’s finish in the bedroom.”

Paltrow says she refused, and later confided in her boyfriend at the time, Brad Pitt. After Pitt confronted Weinstein, Paltrow told the reporters that Weinstein became enraged.

“He essentially said, ‘You are going to screw up your whole career if you tell people about this,’” Kantor said. “It was so uncanny because so many of them would tell variations on the same story.”

“And all of these women with jobs at stake?” asked Moriarty.

“Yes, exactly,” said Twohey. “They were either there to discuss potential roles as actresses, or they were junior employees in his company who were there to basically assist him in the course of the work day.”

But initially most, including Paltrow, wanted their stories to remain private. Kantor said, “There are so many good reasons not to go on the record with a story like this. The famous women often felt like, This will become a sleazy, Hollywood sex story that I don’t wanna be a part of. Women who were unknown said, This will be the first Google search result for me for the rest of my life. I’ll be tainted by this forever.”

Some women who wanted to talk couldn’t. Weinstein silenced accusers with financial settlements including non-disclosure agreements.

Twohey said, “I think people would be astounded by how incredibly restrictive these settlements are. I mean, women can’t tell each other what happened. They can’t tell their husbands. If they tell their therapists, their therapists have to promise to never tell anybody.”

Irwin Reiter, then a company accountant, had long been deeply troubled by his boss’ behavior. He met Kantor regularly inside a restaurant just blocks from the Weinstein offices.

“He gave us some really essential information, and one document in particular that helped us finally break the story,” said Kantor.

The document was an internal memo written by a company literary scout on November 3, 2015, who described her own harassment and what she heard from other employees. “Female Weinstein employees,” she wrote, “are essentially used to facilitate his sexual conquests of vulnerable women who hope he will get them work. ”

The note is proof, say Kantor and Twohey, that when company officials learned about Weinstein’s behavior, they did little to stop it.

“They ended up being so focused on just this sort of limited view of liability of the company that they sort of ignored the broader moral problem that was in front of them,” Twohey said. “And in the end, the company was destroyed by that moral problem.”

Kelly Clarkson Says ‘Country Music Is Gone’

Via iHeart Radio:

Kelly Clarkson has some thoughts about the state of today’s country music and she is NOT afraid to share them.

During a Q&A to promote her new show, The Kelly Clarkson Show, the “Broken & Beautiful” singer went on a bit of a passionate rant about the music genre during a game where she was defining Internet slang terms. “Country music doesn’t sound country anymore,” she lamented. “Country music is gone, like, I don’t know who’s making it but there might be, like, four people ’cause now it’s, like, weird rap… weird word rap.”

She continued: “Country music doesn’t even sound country anymore and I’m not even in the country music industry… I just love country music,” she said. “I don’t want to feel like I’m at some weird rock show where they start rapping… what? Why are you rapping in country music? There’s a lot of y’all and it’s bad.”

Photo by Christopher Polk/Staff/Getty Images

The American Idol alum made a point to say that she’s not a country artist and isn’t trying to make it in the country world but is voicing her thoughts solely as a huge fan of the music genre.

Her biggest gripe with the genre may be that she misses the music of the ’90s and wishes more women were represented in country music — the latter something, I think, we can all agree on. Proving her point, she goes on to list the incredible and inspiring women of ’90’s country like Trisha Yearwood, Reba, Martina McBride and more.

Don’t Smoke Bon Iver’s Weed, According To This Musical Collaborator

The marijauna Bon Iver secured for producer Wheezy Beats was the “worst weed” he’s had in his life.

In the likely scenario that you ever find yourself in a remote recording studio with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon, a word to the wise—don’t smoke his weed. Yes, although Vernon is into LSD and DMT now, proselytizing its therapeutic and creative values, you should not ask him to secure you any cannabis. Otherwise, you’ll learn the same lesson that hip hop producer Wheezy Beats did.

Wheezy’s story comes thanks to a new episode of the New York Times excellent video series “Diary of a Song.” The Times video focuses on the five-year gestation process Bon Iver’s new song “iMi” underwent. But in a unused interview clip Times reporter Joe Coscarelli posted on Twitter, we learned how Wheezy was given “the worst weed in my life.”

RELATED: Robert Downey Jr. Was Once Busted For Smoking Weed At Disneyland

At one point while recorded at Bon Iver’s remote Wisconsin studio, Wheezy Beats ran out of cannabis. Vernon, hospitable man he is, went out and bought his fellow musician “a pound of weed.” Sadly, it wasn’t any good.

Photo by Marcus Ingram/Stringer/Getty Images

“The weed was like grass,” Wheezy said. “I was grateful, ‘cuz they went and searched and really got it out in the middle of nowhere, but it was so fucking bullshit… He was doing me a favor, but man, that is the worst weed I had in my life.”

You can check out the full story below.

Finding The Perfect Cannabis Dose: Where Are We Today?

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The perfect dose is no one-trick pony. A combination of technologies, all working together, is what may finally crack the dosing code.

It’s no secret that the “perfect dose” has long been among the most sought-after requests of cannabis connoisseurs and medical advocates. While legalization blooms, dose control becomes an even more important hurdle to overcome as new markets open and new customers cast a curious eye on the plant. But historically, it has been difficult if not impossible to ensure a consistent dosing experience with cannabis. But that may all be changing.

Most vaporization products currently on the market approach dosing purely through an inhalation lens, either by forcing a timed inhalation or by measuring a dose by volume of air inhaled. Still, many experts question whether either of these approaches provides a consistently accurate and repeatable dosing experience.

The concept of a timed inhale falls short for one very obvious reason: Every individual inhales at a different rate. One person may inhale in a very strong, consistent way throughout the inhalation, while a different person may inhale at a very slow or weak rate. Despite both people inhaling for the same several seconds, it’s impossible to guarantee they’ll ingest the same dose. While vaporizers utilizing a timed inhale (for example, Pax, Dosist) may provide a vague barometer for consumers to use as a personal dosing guideline, a timed inhale simply does not provide accurate dose control from person to person.

RELATED: Marijuana 101: The Conundrum Of Cannabis Dosing

On the other hand, the technology of devices (such as Ryah, Indose) using volume of air inhaled as the metric to define a “dose” has its own drawbacks. While seemingly providing a more accurate measurement than a simple timed inhale, this approach also creates huge variances that cannot be overcome. Once again, the strength of the inhale varies from person to person, creating a different “pull” during any individual inhale. In addition, the temperature used during the inhale can vary from dose to dose, and even the amount of oil remaining in the device or cartridge can impact the vapor concentration that’s created. With these variables in play, there is virtually no way to ensure a consistent concentration of vapor across the entire inhalation process from dose to dose.

Marijuana 101: The Conundrum Of Cannabis Dosing
Photo by SageElyse/Getty Images

In a white paper published in Frontiers in Pharmacology, board-certified neurologist and psychopharmacology researcher Dr. Ethan Russo suggests that “a cannabis delivery system with reliable intermediate onset, allows dose titration without pulmonary dangers, relieves symptoms, and is biochemically uniform and defined would engender confidence of all parties.”

RELATED: Why Patients Should Always Start With Microdosing Medical Marijuana

In other words, the perfect dose is no one-trick pony. A combination of technologies, all working together, is what may finally crack the dosing code. Companies like Strainprint, Ryah and Indose are creating multi-faceted hardware solutions in an attempt to control dose — and Gofire is taking a “kitchen sink” approach by integrating a host of technologies together to identify, measure and track dosing. Of these companies, Gofire seems best poised to capture the dosing prize, and its technology has already been successfully tested as accurate measurement tools for clinical cannabis trials at Colorado State University. The company’s approach uses a precise measure of the liquid medicine extrusion in customizable 2.5 mg increment doses, then tracks the medicine’s exact chemical profile and outcomes via a phone app.

For some, the concept of dose control boils down to the need to manage cannabis intake to avoid overconsumption or discomfort. But for many others, the best way to an accurate dose will be the method that enables medical professionals to confidently recommend cannabis for certain conditions. As the industry grows and products proliferate, the approach to dose control that leads to real, reliable outcomes will win.

Here Are 4 Of Kate Middleton’s Favorite Foods

If you could peer into the kitchen of the Duchess of Cambridge, what do you think you’d find? Cooking Light shares details about what Kate Middleton eats on a daily basis, including when she’s pregnant.

Who doesn’t love to peer into the private lives of celebs? Not only do we want to know who they’re dating, who they’re wearing and whether or not that flowy top is hiding a baby bump, we want to know what they eat! And royals are no different.

We already know that Meghan Markle loves mac and cheese and French fries. And Prince William loves a good roast chicken or steak (on the bloody side, preferably). Oh, and the Queen loves her some alcohol. And now it’s Kate Middleton’s turn. By royal standards, it’s pretty predictable, but she does get points for eating a heavy plant-based diet.

Cooking Light went down the rabbit hole on this one, piecing together a food history of what the Duchess likes to consume when she’s pregnant and when she’s not (which isn’t often). Here are four of her favorites.

Chicken

The royals and their damn chicken. Every single one of them has gone on record to say it’s the dish they love the most. And Kate is no exception. A 2012 profile inVanity Fair reveals that Kate is known to make the dish for her family whenever she has the chance. A friend of Kate’s is quoted as saying that: “Kate was…carrying a shopping bag with a chicken in it that she was taking home to cook for William’s supper. That’s their idea of the perfect night.”

Curry

During a trip to Canada in 2016, according to the Mirror. Kate and William made a stop at the famous Vij’s and, according to the chef himself, they ordered “Maharaja Style Coconut Curried BC Vegetable Curry With Basmati Rice and Wine marinated BC lamb popsicle.” Asked if Kate liked cooking, she replied “Yes, especially curries.”

Plants

During her pregnancy with George, Kate had a rough go of it and turned to plant-based foods to counter her morning sickness. SELF reports  the Duchess ate avocados, berries, and oatmeal.

RELATED: Prince William Reveals The Dish He Loves To Cook

Photo by WPA Pool/Pool/Getty Images

It reportedly helped soothe her morning sickness, and the healthy staples have since become part of Middleton’s daily routine, according to Cooking Light.

Ceviche

The Daily Mail reported that Middleton turned to raw foods to lose a little weight, achieve glowing skin and perhaps even boost fertility. Kate’s favorites include tabbouleh, watermelon salad, goji berries, gazpacho, and almond milk. But her favorite is ceviche—raw fish “cooked” in the acid of fresh squeezed citrus juices and spices.

RELATED: Eat Like A Royal: 5 Of Meghan Markle’s Favorite Foods

It should be noted that the Royal Family is forbidden from eating shellfish. As previously reported by the BBC, those in line to the throne are banned from eating shellfish because it contains a high risk of foodborne illness. That means no lobster, no shrimp cocktails, and no mussels. But ceviche is okay.

Data Says Marijuana May Help Anxiety, Depression, And Stress

New research utilizing a data-centric approach showed that marijuana significantly reduced the effects of these mental illnesses.

Plenty of anecdotal evidence exists to suggest cannabis alleviates symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. In addition, scientists working under serious limitations due marijuana’s federally illegal status, have hinted at links between cannabis and mental health ailments. A 2015 rat study found the plant “could potentially help” offset the symptoms of stress-induced depression. Other animal studies also demonstrated that CBD could in part relieve America’s depression problem.

But one Washington State study utilized a data-centric approach using human test subjects to reveal marijuana’s efficacy in treating depression, anxiety, and stress found in everyday life. Published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, the study concluded that “[c]annabis reduces perceived symptoms of negative affect in the short-term, but continued use may exacerbate baseline symptoms of depression over time.”

Utilizing information provided by the marijuana app Strainprint, which helps medical users tracks their cannabis doses and strains, researchers were able to examine how subjects used cannabis within the comforts of their home. As lead author on the study Carrie Cutler told Health Europa, that approach is a departure from previous research around mental illness and cannabis.

RELATED: Is New Marijuana Breathalyzer Technology On The Way?

“Existing research on the effects of cannabis on depression, anxiety and stress are very rare and have almost exclusively been done with orally administered THC pills in a laboratory,” Cutler said. “What is unique about our study is that we looked at actual inhaled cannabis by medical marijuana patients who were using it in the comfort of their own homes as opposed to a laboratory.”

Photo by Image Source/Getty Images

According to their analysis, the researchers found that marijuana low in THC and high in CBD was most effective at reducing depression symptoms, while high-THC/high-CBD cannabis “was best for reducing perceived symptoms of stress.” Interestingly, the data also showed that women responded with larger decreases in anxiety after marijuana consumption than men.

RELATED: 5 Things To Do If You Often Wake Up Anxious

More specifically, 89,3% of all session saw significant drop-offs with depression symptoms after smoking marijuana. However, 3.2% of sessions had those symptoms exacerbated while 7.5% of session elicited no change. For session tracking anxiety and stress, more than 90% of sessions had significant reduction in those symptoms. Whether marijuana increased symptoms of anxiety and stress, or played no role at all, followed similar statistical patterns as the depression numbers.

“This is to my knowledge one of the first scientific studies to provide guidance on the strains and quantities of cannabis people should be seeking out for reducing stress, anxiety and depression,” Cutler said. “Currently, medical and recreational cannabis users rely on the advice of bud tenders whose recommendations are based off of anecdotal not scientific evidence.”

This Week’s Music: Camila Cabello, Death Cab For Cutie And Post Malone

Camila Cabello’s new single is out, Post Malone has a new album and Death Cab for Cutie releases a new EP.

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 sees the release of Post Malone’s much awaited new album, Camila Cabello releases Shameless, and Death Cab for Cutie releases a new EP.

Pop

Camila Cabello – Shameless

“Shameless” and “Liar” were released on the same day, and are a part of “Romance,” the name of Camila Cabello’s upcoming album. Cabello has had a busy year, contributing with Shawn Mendes and Mark Ronson on hit songs, but these are her first solo work since her 2018 critically acclaimed LP.

Post Malone – Circles

RELATED: This Week’s Music: Lana Del Rey, The 1975 And Charli XCX

There’s a lot going on here. For starters, it’s always nice to see the side of Post Malone that isn’t singing about money and “beautiful boobies”. “Circles” is a surprisingly affecting earworm about the mess involved in the end of a relationship. Then there’s also the fact that the video is set in medieval times and Post Malone plays the part of a knight. So you get a good song with a big side of ridiculousness, but I guess that’s always been Malone’s M.O.

Indie

Death Cab For Cutie – Blue Bloods

Released along with a live studio video recording, “Blue Bloods” is the headliner for Death Cab’s new EP. The record features the songs that didn’t make it on to last year’s “Thank Your For Today,” the band’s last album. “Blue Bloods” shows off some of what Death Cab does best, indulging a bit with instruments and resulting in a surprisingly affecting experience.

Dogs Of Instagram: Hairless Chinese Crested

The Chinese Crested dog breed originated in  Africa and was domesticated in China as early as the 13th century.

If you’ve ever come across a Chinese Crested dog, you know they’re a bit unusual looking, yet somehow elegant in their demeanor — especially the hairless variety.

These dogs, which originated in Africa and were domesticated in China as early as the 13th century, typically only grow hair on the head, tail, and lower legs. This lack of natural protection is why the hairless Chinese Crested must be kept warm with sweaters and other safeguards in cold temperatures. Otherwise, this hairless toy breed will freeze its little behind off.

Here, we showcase some of the most regal Chinese Crested dogs of Instagram.

Holger

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_tO3ugNMP/

RELATED: The Truth About CBD For Your Pets

AJ

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TVZYEIkJ1/

Amie

https://www.instagram.com/p/By-JrbAIrVb/

Melayora

https://www.instagram.com/p/B00g3hxDakW/

RELATED: Dogs Of Instagram: Welsh Corgi

Bazinga

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0zggUmjeFr/

Erle

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0yldlOgKI3/

Pinky

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0ydxbcKBip/

Meghan Markle Is Not Allowed To Wear This During The Day

Duchess Kate and Duchess Meghan aren’t allowed to just wear jewelry whenever they feel like it. There are strict rules in place for women of royalty and it’s not all diamonds and pearls.

Forget everything you imagined royal life to be. It turns out, marrying a prince doesn’t entitle you to walk around wearing crown jewels and other perks of a monarchy. The harsh reality is that women of the British Royal Family are not allowed to wear diamonds in the daytime.

Etiquette expert Myka Meier, founder of Beaumont Etiquette, told News.com.au that both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle have a “team of aides” to help them dress.

RELATED: This Is Why Kate Middleton And Meghan Markle Are Not Called ‘Princess’

Photo by WPA Pool/Pool/Getty Images

“They have a team who know what is appropriate for the event they’re attending, and Meghan especially would be given a lot of advice on (what to choose),” said Meier.

She explained that the Duchesses not only have to accessorize based on the occasion, but also the time of day, explaining:

Before 6pm, you’ll see metallics, gemstones, pearls, sapphires. At night, you’ll see the diamonds come out, and that’s in order to not come across as flashy in your appearance.

Two exceptions, however, are wedding rings and royal weddings. If you recall, Markle flashed diamond stud Cartier earrings for hers in May 2018. She also sported an understated Cartier diamond bracelet.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi9gWgrAKM8

As we’ve learned over the years, odd royal protocols are nothing new, and this diamond thing is one of the lesser head-scratchers, to be honest. The act of a Duchess removing her coat in public is considered trashy and unladylike, which is also why prominent female royals may not wear nail polish, be seen in public with messy hair, or forgo nylons with a dress or skirt. Sounds fun to be a woman in the Royal Family! Where do we sign up?

Weedstagram: ‘Highly Devoted’ Connects Cannabis Enthusiasts With Potential Romantic Partners

Promoted as a matchmaking site that also sells products and conducts events, Highly Devoted  appears to do a little bit of everything.

Instagram is home to all sorts of accounts (good and bad) that cater to a vast range of people with different interests. In order to help you weed out all the garbage, this column highlights the best Instagram marijuana accounts, whether that means they’re entertaining, informative, or just fun to look at.

At first, it’s hard to understand what Highly Devoted is all about. Promoted as a matchmaking site that also sells products and conducts events, the business appears to do a little bit of everything. But the thread that unites it all is cannabis.

Highly Devoted wants to bring an awareness to the plant, while uniting people with similar interests. The site, which is free to join, connects you to people who you have at least one thing in common with: curiosity around cannabis.

We’ve included some of our favorite posts below.

RELATED: Weedstagram: People Of Cannabis Is An Account That Highlights People Of Color

 

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Monday Funday ? #highlydevoted #laborday #mondaymotivation #connectovercannabis photo via @shopallume

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RELATED: Weedstagram: ‘Budding Mind’ Is An Account For People Who Are Looking For A Serious And Interesting Take On Cannabis

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