The new-ish trend of someone pouring raclette cheese over a dish has achieved tons of notoriety, becoming one of the five most Instagrammed foods in Europe.
Food trends are big on Instagram, especially if the photos feature gooey and greasy items. (Really, anything a human person shouldn’t be consuming.)
Cheese is one of the most photogenic foods around (right?), so it’s unsurprising that it produces a significant amount of likes on Instagram. Kind of similar to ASMR videos and the type of clips that you can spend hours watching on a loop, the new-ish trend of someone pouring raclette cheese over a dish has achieved tons of notoriety, becoming one of the five most Instagrammed foods in Europe.
While raclette is a little less known in the U.S., the influence has grown steadily. There’s a restaurant in New York that specializes in serving these kinds of cheese plates and tons of people are curious about it, even if they don’t know what the dish entails.
Most videos featuring raclette consist of someone scraping off large chunks of cheese from the block onto a dish. The contents of the dish tend to be made up of proteins like steak and an assortment of veggies.
Raclette is originally from Switzerland. While it’s generally confused with cheese fondue, this dish serves the cheese on the side or on top of the food instead of acting as a dip. Both meals are delicious, but raclette seems to be the perfect food for Instagram. There’s something awesome and excessive about having so much cheese on your plate. The scraping process also works great on a boomerang.
Interest is exploding around cannabis research and careers. So how are universities around the nation responding to these demands?
What a tricky (and sticky) proposition universities around the nation find themselves in regarding cannabis. On the one hand, cannabis remains a federally illegal Schedule I drug. That means cannabis has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Schedule I drugs are notoriously difficult to study and scientists hoping to research marijuana at many preeminent universities must jump through numerous loopholes— while potentially risking federal grants — to do so.
On the other hand, cannabis is among the fastest growing industries across the nation. A Glassdoor report published earlier this year “found 1,512 cannabis industry job openings in the U.S. in December 2018.” That amounted to a 76% increase from the previous year, with 53% of those jobs looking for “professional and technical” workers. As the industry legitimizes and modernizes itself in the legalization era, where will businesses find such workers?
Perhaps in any other industry, that answer would be simple—at the top educational institutions in the country. Until recently, universities have been reticent to unveil programs and degrees aimed at ushering students into the cannabis industry. But the demand has reached a point where even Ivy League schools have answered the call.
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Earlier this summer, the University of Maryland announced a new graduate program around learning about the biochemical complexities of the plant, as well as treating potential medical patients through marijuana treatments. In addition, Cornell University revealed it was adding cannabis-focused courses around the plant’s cultivation and usage, while Clark University will now offer an online-only graduate certificate around cannabis regulation.
“I advise a lot of students in a lot of majors and they’re all like, this is going to be cool,” Antonio DiTommaso, Cornell’s program director for agricultural sciences, told The Wall Street Journal. “I think some of it is just a novelty, but it’s really going to be based on the cropping, the agronomics, the medicinal aspect, the chemistry, consumer attitudes and policy.”
While conducting marijuana research remains abhorrently difficult, thanks partly to the federal government’s monopoly on the cannabis available to scientists, universities have adapted to the changing ecosystem. Maybe next they could convince the federal government to do the same.
As well informed and aware Millennials may be, the stigma of being entitled and lazy still follows them to the corporations.
Millennials, and I am one of them, are the original digital generation that’s arguably the most informed generation that has ever lived. According to Forbes, this subset is expected to make up nearly 75% of the workforce by 2025. Thanks to technology and the unlimited amount of data Generation Y grew up with, they’ll have no recollection of life before Google Maps or Venmo. And this is something every company is going to have to contend with.
However, as well informed and aware as this generation may be, the stigma of being entitled and lazy still follows us to the workplace; employers think they need only to provide bean bags and kale chips to keep us captivated. The good news is that there is a land of untapped opportunity in the millennial workforce pool. Here are three things that millennials actually want from their employers:
Millennials Want To Connect And Invest Their Energy In An Organization With Purpose
In order to really keep us engaged, employers need to give us a path to important ideas and source of energy we want to invest into the future. What most people fail to realize is that us jumping from one job to another isn’t entitlement, but our urge to be a part of something that brings value and let’s us connect to the world on a deeper level. Therefore, since we are concerned with organizational ethics and social responsibility, so should be the corporations w work with.
The extent to which you can satisfy these concerns will determine the kind of genius you will be able to attract to your talent pool in order to fight for your company and not your neighbors.
Feed Our Desire For Freedom Of Expression And Achievement
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It’s no secret that millennials are the most entrepreneurial generation that has ever lived. They are highly educated, career-driven, and politically engaged people who see that old structures no longer work. The downside? Our unrealistic expectations for advancement and impatience to put in work like our parents did in pre-Uber times.
As an employer, don’t be afraid to add on another task and remind your young talent what a valuable asset they are to the company. After all, we are known for being the generation who got medals for participation. Lastly, as the company that we work with, be the ethical organization that we will be proud to fight for on the battlefield.
Keep Them In The Loop, Tell Them Why
Even when it comes to food, many of us will do our research before buying a certain organic superfood that is non-GMO, locally grown, gluten-free, non-dairy, non-sugary… you get the idea. This is a normal routine for us. We want to know what we are consuming, but most importantly why. When it comes to our career it will be no different. You must stay as transparent as you can with the generation of been bags and soy lattes, so we feel like we are in the loop.
Tell us why the company wants to take a certain direction and approach and the reasoning behind a longer wait time for career advancement. By being open with us, we will stay open to the idea of longer hours compromising our work life balance to be a part of something that gives us a sense of belonging and self actualization.
Also, it can’t be said enough: Stop referring to Millennials as if they’re all the same. Keep the “M” word out of the workplace and let your younger workers know they are being judged on their performance and character, not their generation.
Over 90% of people under the age of 25 post personal information on social media, including their date of birth and the names of their pets.
There’s an entire industry devoted to pet Instagram accounts. These animals are very cute, and super famous, with millions of fans that allow them to earn thousands of dollars per post. These accounts are among the only positive parts of social media, well, until you realize that posting this type of content could make you vulnerable to fraud.
CNBC reports that over 90% of people under the age of 25 post personal information on social media, including their date of birth and the names of their pets. While this sounds like a harmless thing that everyone does, this personal information tends to pop up in security questions and even passwords. CNBC learned that 1 in 10 people choose the name of their pet as a password for one of their accounts.
Photo by Krista Mangulsone via Unsplash
The bank Santander was in charge of leading this survey, calling attention to celebrities and how they should be more responsible. Celebrities are some of the biggest oversharers and have millions of young fans that copy their behavior.
“Make sure you get the balance right and don’t give fraudsters an easy ride. Check your privacy settings are on, stay vigilant and consider what you’re giving away before hitting post,” says Chris Ainsley, head of fraud strategy at Santander.
According to social media expert Jodie Cook, pets, maiden and middle names, date of birth and other types of family insight are among the most common bits of information that could lead to fraud and online exposure. While that doesn’t mean you can’t post pictures of your pet anymore, maybe it means that your settings should be set to private and that their name should never be in your password.
The DEA announced plans to grant licenses to additional growers for marijuana research. In three years, no license has been approved.
Don’t expect people in power to back up their promises, kids. This week marks three years since the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced it would administer additional licenses for marijuana cultivations specifically designed for research purposes. While in previous years, blame was placed squarely at the feet of former Attorney General — and noted prohibition evangelist — Jeff Sessions, the excuses have run thin.
Legislators at the state and federal level have credited a lack of research for the reasons why they wouldn’t push through decriminalization or legalization measures. In addition, the marijuana currently available to researchers is grown by the National Institute of Drug Abuse at the University of Mississippi. Scientists have complained that NIDA’s cannabis is sometimes moldy and often comprised of blended marijuana flower, leaves, and stems, which isn’t ideal to conduct specific research.
“We are still working through the process and those applications remain under review,” DEA spokeswoman Katherine Pfaff told STATS News.
But the actions from these federal departments reveal a contradictory nature. In a statement to STATS News, NIDA said “there has been no major increase in the level of demand for cannabis by researchers in recent years.” But just this month NIDA announced plans to grow its largest crop for marijuana research in five years and will also produce strains with varying levels of CBD and THC content, which wasn’t available previously. At the same time, the number of researchers who received NIDA marijuana totaled nine in 2010. But that number rose to 21 in 2017 and 20 in 2018, reports STATS News.
So are there more researchers who need more marijuana or not?
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This all explains in part why one doctor who received NIDA marijuana is suing the DEA. Dr. Sue Sisley recently completed a landmark study on the effects cannabinoids have on veterans with PTSD. Her report will be published later this year, but Dr. Sisley fears her study’s results were compromised due to the quality of NIDA cannabis.
“Most scientists end up with this mishmash of different strains (including stem sticks, leaves etc)—all of it seems to get thrown into a grinder in overzealous effort to standardize the study drug batches for clinical trials,” Dr. Sisley said in a statement. “I’m arguing that by doing that, they’re overprocessing the plant and decimating the natural efficacy contained in the flowering tops.
Further, in controlled trials we issue patients the study drug by weight,” Sisley added. “So if the weight of study drug is being augmented with this extraneous plant material instead of just the dry flower/bud, common sense suggests how this dilution could harm the outcomes of efficacy data.”
Dr. Sisley argues in her lawsuit that the federal government has essentially created a monopoly around cannabis made available to researchers. If this cannabis isn’t to the quality found at dispensaries nationwide—which is the quality many patients following the conclusions of cannabis research will be using—then these federal organization are acting unlawfully.
“Maintaining only one federally legal drug supply for any clinical trials in the US has been a huge impediment to research because it’s not allowing scientists access to necessary options,” Dr. Sisley said. “We can’t just study from one supplier who seems to be limited from purchasing new genetics. And when there’s a monopoly for this many decades, it tends to breed apathy.
“That’s why I spend so much time educating about the limitations of this monopoly and the fact that if we could ever license other growers for research and have options for scientists, it could create a renaissance of cannabis research in the US,” she added. “We could regain our rightful place at the helm of the most important cannabis clinical trials in the world.”
When was the last time you got bitten by a mosquito at Disney World? The answer is “never.” And if that’s not the answer, someone is getting fired. After all, it wouldn’t be the Happiest Place On Earth if you were eaten alive by insects. For a theme park that’s built on a swamp in Florida, you’d think there’d be a mosquito or two, but you’d be wrong.
Actually, there are lots of mosquitos at Disney World, but you likely will never seen one. Vlogger Rob Plays delved into the subject on Neatorama to explain this seemingly supernatural phenomenon.
For one, Disney World — which is twice the size of Manhattan — is responsible for making sure guests don’t die. And that includes getting rid of anything that could potentially carry a deadly disease.
According to the World Health Organization, a million people die every year from mosquitos, specifically the diseases they carry (like Zika or the West Nile viruses). The park gets rid of these pests with a process that includes spraying the park with insecticides, growth regulators and maintaining natural predators.
And who can we thank for this pest-free zone? A man named Major General William “Joe” Potter, an MIT graduate who, according to Reader’s Digest, had previous experience serving as governor of the Panama Canal Zone (i.e. he knew his way around malaria-carrying mosquitoes). And according to According to Christoper Lucas, author of Top Disney: 100 Top Ten Lists of the Best of Disney, Walt Disney met Potter at the 1964 World’s Fair and hired him on the spot to keep the mosquitoes out of sight.
Roadside searches dropped by 70 percent in one local Vermont police department. But legalizing marijuana can also focus police’s attention to more …
Earlier this month, a study found that legalizing recreational marijuana discouraged teenage use of cannabis. Other research has shown this isn’t the only positive impact marijuana legalization can have. Legal cannabis can also make workplaces safer and can raise the property value of your home. According to a new report, legalizing marijuana also protects your civil liberties in a direct way.
Data from the Burlington Police Department, Vermont’s largest local law enforcement, shows that traffic stops have dropped 70% since the state’s legal marijuana legislation went into effect. Local news station WCAX reports that roadside searches have plummeted for all races as well. In their report, which will be fully released later this week, Burlington PD admits that police searches are down compared to other years due to legal possession of cannabis.
Vermont isn’t the only state where this has happened, either. An analysis of data from the Stanford Open Policing Project found that roadside searches were almost cut in half following marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado in 2012. As NBC News reported, the data still found that Hispanic and black minorities are still searched at a higher rate than whites in those states. While in some cases traffic stops are just police doing their job, it can also lead to disruption of trust amongst different communities.
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“Searches where you don’t find something are really negative towards a community,” Jack McDevitt, director of Northeastern University’s Institute on Race and Justice, told NBC News. “Have a police officer search your car is really like, ‘Why are they doing this to me?’ And you get more pissed off. If you’re trying to do relationship building, it’s not a good thing to do a lot of searches.”
Not only does the reduction of searches have a positive impact on civil liberties, especially for minority populations disproportionately targeted by roadside stops, it can also direct police attention to more serious crimes.
A 2018 study, as reported by Marijuana Moment, found that when marijuana possession arrests dropped, police made more arrests for violent crimes, burglaries, vehicular theft, and property crime in Washington and Colorado. Published in the Police Quarterly journal, the researchers concluded that allocation of police resources away from marijuana-related crimes was an overall positive development.
“While our results cannot specifically explain why police clearance rates have increased in Colorado and Washington, we think the argument that legalization did in fact produce a measurable impact on clearance rates is plausible,” the researchers wrote. “Our models show no negative effects of legalization and, instead, indicate that crime clearance rates for at least some types of crime are increasing faster in states that legalized than in those that did not.”
The new data reveals a changing perspective on smoking tobacco, a number that has dropped from 45% in the 1950s to 15% in 2019.
Although the legalization of cannabis has been a slow moving process, a new Gallup poll suggests that young Americans might be reaping some of the benefits. The poll finds young Americans are turning to marijuana over tobacco.
Over the past four years, the amount of Americans who consume marijuana has been at a steady 12%. The new data reveals a changing perspective on smoking tobacco, a number that has dropped from 45% in the 1950s to 15% in 2019.
Those aged between 18 and 29 are more likely to smoke marijuana over cigarettes and changing the landscape. This change is a result of many factors, such as the evolving conversation surrounding marijuana and the new found support for its medicinal value. At the same time, it’s also a tough moment for the tobacco industry. Aside from the undeniable negative side effects that come with smoking, the tobacco industry has also received negative criticism over their marketing strategies and the fact that they target neighborhoods of lower incomes.
“The once commonplace habit of cigarette smoking has dwindled to the point that fewer than one in seven Americans smoke,” Gallup explains. “And although smoking has long been associated with lower socio-economic groups, smokers are now an exceedingly rare breed among upper-income and highly educated Americans.”
The poll points out that despite marijuana’s legal status, adults under the age of 30 still prefer it over smoking cigarettes. Adults over this age don’t share this perspective, being more likely to smoke cigarettes than marijuana.
The future of the U.S. tobacco industry continues to grow more complex, with a large focus on the e-cigarette industry, which only recently began to be regulated by the FDA. While many believe e-cigs are a safer alternative than tobacco, authorities are concerned by the amount of teens that are partaking, and the ease with which these tools can bypass security measures.
How does one go about getting his or her minor marijuana conviction erased from their permanent record? Here are the basic details.
When Illinois legalized marijuana for recreational use, not only did the language of the law give adults 21 and over the freedom to buy the herb from retail outlets just as they have done for decades with beer, it also provided those people with pot-related convictions the opportunity to have their records wiped clean.
The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act include a provision that gives people with low-level convictions for marijuana possession the right to petition the court to have their records expunged. It’s all part of the state’s reparations package designed to make up for years of marijuana prohibition. But who qualifies for expungement? More than that, how does one go about getting his or her minor marijuana conviction erased from their permanent record?
Expungement is an exciting process, as it gives people with certain types of convictions the right to have their criminal records destroyed or returned to them and banned from public record. In the case of Illinois, the law now allows those who were convicted of possession of between 30 and 500 grams of marijuana this right. The provision even includes convictions for manufacturing and intent to deliver. As long as there was no violence associated with the offense, cannabis convicts can ask the court for clemency. Some of the latest data shows that Illinois could end up clearing the records of around 800,000 pot offenders as a result of this portion of the law.
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How To Get Your Record Expunged
If a person believes they qualify for expungement, they will first need to file a petition with the circuit clerk in the county where the arrest happened and the charges were filed. So if you live in Wabash County but got busted for marijuana possession in Cook County, the petition will need to be filed with the Cook County Circuit Clerk. And let’s say you were one of those unlucky folks that have been convicted of petty pot charges in multiple counties. Well, a petition will need to be filed for each. As with anything involving the courts, petitioners must pay a small filing fee. It would be necessary to pay this fee for each county where a petition was filed. In some cases, however, if the petitioner’s income falls below the federal poverty line, the cost can be waived.
From there, the clerk will make either the State’s Attorney or the prosecutor in the case aware that a petition for expungement has been filed. The law enforcement agency responsible for the arrest will also be notified. Although these officials have the right to object to a petition to expunge, it is unlikely in the case of minor marijuana possession that there would be any push back. Not since the state is motivated to clear these records as part of its reparations program. But if a person’s marijuana crime also involves a weapons charge, we wouldn’t be surprised to see an objection. Any protest to an expungement petition would need to be filed within 60 days of the clerk’s notice.
The petitioner will then have to appear before a judge. As long as there are no objections, the court will likely grant the petition. But if a police agency does contest the petition, the judge would take those complaints into account before making a decision. Either way, it is entirely up to the judge’s discretion whether or not a petition is granted. Sometimes a request can be denied even when there is no question of eligibility. But again, the state wants to clear pot convictions. Any person who feels like their case might be contested for whatever reason should give serious consideration to hiring an attorney. They’ll give the petitioner a better chance in court.
The differences between sativa, indica, and hybrids and their various effects can be confusing for first timers and old heads alike. Thankfully this video will help explain what you should shop for at your next dispensary visit?
If you’re buying marijuana for the first time, it can be overwhelming to step inside a dispensary. Legal cannabis has opened the floodgates for consumers with various delivery options like shatter, edibles, tinctures, and on and on. Just buying flower doesn’t necessarily simplify the process either. The differences between sativa, indica, and hybrids and their various effects can be confusing for first timers and old heads alike.
Thankfully our friends at the GrowthOp have a new video to assist you in the flower department. For decades we’ve associated indicas with more sedative, couchlock effects while sativas produce an uplifting, warm sensation. Hybrids, meanwhile, lie somewhere in between.
But as GrowthOp explains, there isn’t a ton of scientific evidence to back this up. Thanks to interbreeding, these characteristics that have long defined sativas and indicas aren’t as true as maybe they once were. If you’re using cannabis for medical purposes, you shouldn’t so much focus on sativas and indicas at all. Instead you should worry about cannabinoids, terpenes, and other profiles found in specific strains.
How do you know what these different cannabinoids and terpene traits will affect your high? Watch the video below to find out.
Photo by Flickr user Matty Ring
