Dr. Jane Goodall stopped by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s home at Frogmore Cottage, when Archie was just about a month old, BAZAAR.com reported yesterday. The famous anthropologist spilled details on the visit during an appearance with Prince Harry and young leaders from around the world at Windsor Castle this week.
Goodall recalled how excited Duchess Meghan was for their encounter: “She told me, ‘I’ve hero-worshipped you all my life. You’ve been my idol since I was a child.” Goodall also got to cuddle Archie, whom she described as “very cute, very gentle.
Well, well. Lifetime is about to cash in on that college admissions scandal involving Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman with an upcoming movie inspired by biggest scam to sweep the nation.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the network will premiere College Admissions Scandal this fall, per a press release. And in case you’re wondering, yes: the film sounds as juicy as the real deal.
“College Admissions Scandal will follow two wealthy mothers who share an obsession with getting their teenagers into the best possible college,” reads the statement. “When charismatic college admissions consultant Rick Singer offers a side door into the prestigious institutions of their dreams, they willingly partake with visions of coveted acceptance letters in their heads. But when Singer cooperates with the FBI and pleads guilty, the mothers who risked everything for their kids, must face the consequences of their crimes and the loss of trust and respect from their families.”
In case it wasn’t obvious, the “two wealthy mothers” are inspired by Loughlin and Huffman, who were among 50 people indicted back in March for their alleged participation in the college bribery scheme.
Loughlin and her husband Mossimo Giannulli have been accused of paying $500,000 to falsify their two daughters’ SATs and have them assigned as athletes to facilitate their acceptance into the University of Southern California. Huffman allegedly paid $15,000 to have the same done for her daughter.
Loughlin, who pled not guilty on charges of mail fraud and money laundering conspiracy, faces up to 40 years in prison. Huffman, who was among 13 parents to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, faces up to 20 years behind bars.
It’s little secret that despite the legalization of recreational marijuana in various states, a black market still thrives underneath the surface. Even in Canada this seems to be the case. Legalization does not automatically equate the erasure of a decades-long underground operations, which should exactly be a surprise here.
But the reasons why black markets survive in legalized states each have a different explanation. In California, what drives consumers to black market marijuana is simple—it’s cheaper. Not only is cannabis more expensive per gram in legal markets, high taxes also adds to the cost. In some cases, you’re not buying a premium quality bud, either. Think about it: When presented the opportunity, why wouldn’t you buy weed that was both cheaper and better?
One California company wants to disrupt the California black market, though. Flower Co. which calls itself the “Costco of Cannabis,” aims to do so by excising the middle man and directly connecting growers to customers. To achieve that direct access, however, customers will need to buy an annual $119 subscription with Flower Co.
As Tech Crunch reports, Flower Co. members save 40% in their weed purchase, which adds up when buying weight. Buying an ounce of the Forbidden Fruit strain will cost you $142 for a membership, but will run you $192 without one. The company’s goal is to persuade would-be black market consumers to go legit through their service. Accordoing to Flower Co. CEO Ted Lichtenberger, the regulated market is about a quarter of the size compared to the black market.
“We understand that we’re in the first inning of what’s probably a pretty long game, because this industry, as it goes federally legalized is going to have another massive transition moment just like it’s having right now as it’s getting legalized and regulated in California,” Lichtenberger told Tech Crunch. “So if we have a great understanding of our customers and stay focused on keeping them delighted, and then be nimble in the face of that change, then we can come out as the dominant player in the delivery market.”
These stories were referring to a recent study in the American Journal of Psychiatry that found a short-term course of cannabidiol (CBD) reduced cue-induced cravings and anxiety in drug-abstinent individuals who were recovering from opioid use disorder, specifically heroin addiction.
That said, there is a mismatch between these headlines and the accurate interpretation of the findings from the study. And this mismatch is not trivial.
Further, unlike its sister cannabinoid, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), CBD is largely non-intoxicating and therefore is thought to be non-addictive. It also appears to be relatively safe to use. It’s no wonder CBD has garnered so much excitement and positive attention.
Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from hemp and marijuana that doesn’t cause a high, is now added to an array of products, from drinks to skin creams. (Jennifer Lett/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP, File)
That said, scientific enterprise is a slow-moving and cautiously critical machine, and we still have much to learn about the medicinal uses of CBD. In fact, there remains a substantial gap between the hype surrounding CBD and the actual evidence guiding its medicinal use.
Participants already abstinent
In the study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, the researchers recruited 42 people recovering from opioid use disorder (specifically heroin) and randomly allocated them to either a treatment group (to receive 400 or 800 milligrams of CBD once a day) or a control group (to receive a placebo once a day).
An important aspect of the study is that participants were already abstinent, not actively using heroin, and not experiencing heroin withdrawal. In other words, the participants were in recovery and CBD was not used to treat their withdrawal or maintain tolerance. It was instead used to help treat cravings for heroin and anxiety that were experimentally induced (for example, by showing participants videos and objects related to heroin use) that could lead to relapse.
The researchers concluded:
“CBD’s potential to reduce cue-induced craving and anxiety provides a strong basis for further investigation of this phytocannabinoid as a treatment option for opioid use disorder.”
It is worth reiterating and highlighting that the study compared CBD to a placebo group, and did not compare to other opioid agonist treatments, such as therapy with methadone (Methadose) or buprenorphine (Suboxone).
Additionally, and importantly, the participants were abstinent and not in active withdrawal.
Opioid agonist treatments are particularly helpful for the mitigation of opioid cravings and withdrawal. Another therapeutic effect of opioid agonist treatments is that they help people in recovery maintain some level of tolerance to opioids, which is helpful for preventing overdose in the event of relapse.
One particular opioid agonist medication, buprenorphine, even blocks stronger opioids like heroin from working as effectively. CBD, on the other hand, does not provide these important protective effects.
The findings from the opioid study are certainly important. Investigations into novel therapies that can help people manage cravings to use drugs such as opioids is a major advancement. If future studies can replicate these findings, especially among people who are experiencing difficulties with management of cravings, then this would lend stronger support to the idea that CBD could be used as an adjunctive treatment to opioid agonist therapies among people who are experiencing opioid use disorder.
Crucially, this means that we need many more studies and funded research to fully understand exactly how CBD might play a role in the treatment of opioid use disorder.
Despite what some headlines might have implied, this study does not indicate that CBD should replace first-line, evidence-based opioid agonist therapies such as methadone and buprenorphine.
These conceptual distinctions are not trivial because they may yield devastating consequences. When it comes to articulating the implications of scientific results that involve medical treatments, language matters. And so do headlines.
The phrase “royal protocol” almost has a life of its own. There’s a protocol for hairstyles, for outfits, for how family members sign autographs, for how they wave hello. There’s also a royal protocol for baby strollers, which is the strangest and nitpickiest addition to this list.
Architectural Digest reports that the royal household has always had their stroller of choice. The Silver Cross stroller has been the royal preferred brand since the 1920’s, carrying every royal baby from the Queen to Prince Louis, the latest addition to the family before the birth of Archie.
This brand of strollers is known for their timeless designs and for being one of the oldest company of strollers around. If you’re into Prince William and Kate Middleton’s stroller, it’s available if you’re willing to pay the hefty price of $2,300. Silver Cross strollers look like really fancy horse carriages and aren’t the most practical, so, unless you’re planning on marrying into the royal family, it seems like the type of purchase best left for kings and queens.
With the birth of Archie, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry decided to break yet another protocol, choosing to stroll their baby around in a Bugaboo Fox. According to The Mirror, the stroller was a present from one of their close friends, and, unlike the Silver Cross, it’s a practical and sturdy device that allows for walks.
In conversation, the source revealed that Meghan enjoys to take the baby out for long walks across the Windsor state, especially since her home, Frogmore Cottage, is currently under construction.
“She looks great and she’s enjoying these precious new-born weeks. The new pram is great and perfect for her long walks trying to get Archie to sleep,” says the source.
For those who still want to buy a baby stroller that’s worthy of royal blood, there are a few options that are more functional and economic. They’re all over the $500 range, though.
There’s no better pick-me-up than the one you get when you see a clip of an animal acting silly, which is why we’ve compiled this weekly column. These short videos feature all sorts of animals, providing you with that much needed rush of endorphins.
This week’s column features all sorts of animals: there’s a couple of great videos with dogs, a charismatic squirrel and a little cat that looks like half plushie and half feral. Check them out:
This little guy, some sort of lynx, wild cat or baby lion, is held by the scruff of its neck with as much ease as if it were a plushie and didn’t weigh a pound. It looks too cute and adorable to be real.
Flying pitbull
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0TU7fWH2tA/
This perfectly realized video shows us a pitbull leaping through the air and somehow making a perfect landing on the passenger seat of the car. All shot in slow motion, it’s one of those videos you’ll have to show to your friends.
A squirrel bribed for a photo
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0RMxwugV2K/
I don’t know if squirrels make for great pets but this tiny rodent makes me believe that they are more than up to the task. His name is Peanut and he appears to be happy to pose around with his human just as long as it gets a snack out of it.
Sometimes you feel lazy, and when you feel lazy, you don’t want to walk. Unlike us, dogs tend to wear leashes, preventing them from getting lost and giving them the opportunity to be dragged around whenever they don’t feel like walking.
This annoying little tail
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0LT_edH_zG/
This very patient dog is happy to lay around on its back and ignore the tail that’s annoyingly being wagged right on top of its face. How long until someone gets angry and a fight breaks out?
It’s not even 2020, but the 2020 Election is already turning personal and combative between presidential candidates for the Democratic nomination. This week saw Sen. Cory Booker aim directly at former Vice President Joe Biden, who released his extensive plan for criminal justice reform, which included Biden’s proposal to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II drug.
Many within cannabis circles expressed disappointment that Biden’s plan didn’t go far enough. Among Democrat presidential candidates, Biden is the least progressive on marijuana reform with his views barely evolving since 1989. Meanwhile, many top-tier candidates have proposed federal decriminalization of cannabis, including Booker, who has firmly entrenched himself as a leading voice in federal marijuana reform.
All of which might explain Booker targeting Biden after the latter released his criminal justice platform.
“For a guy that helped to be an architect of mass incarceration, this is an inadequate solution to what is a raging crisis in our country,” Booker said to reporters following an appearance at an NAACP forum for presidential candidates.
As part of his criminal justice reform rollout today, Joe Biden’s campaign confirms he would not support legalizing marijuana for recreational use. Makes him an outlier in the Dem primary pic.twitter.com/FwmQzye404
On the same day Biden announced his criminal justice reform, Sen. Kamala Harris announced her proposal for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. Teaming up with House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), the MORE Act would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level and create a grant program to assist those disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs.
“Joe Biden had more than 40 years to get this right,” Booker added. “The proud architect of a failed system is not the right person to fix it.”
It’s not enough to tell us what you’re going to do for our communities, show us what you’ve done for the last 40 years. You created this system. We’ll dismantle it.
But Biden didn’t allow Booker’s accusations to go unanswered. In an email blast sent by Biden’s campaign, the former VP took the gloves off and questioned Booker’s credentials on criminal justice. Criticism included Booker’s time as Newark Mayor and the ineffectiveness of his policies.
Damn Biden is really hitting back on Booker over criminal justice. From an email blast: pic.twitter.com/PZZly5cUOU
Here’s one thing we know for certain: Biden and Booker will have a chance to go at it at the upcoming Democratic debates next week. Maybe this time they’ll let Booker discuss cannabis reform.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are once again being called out for how they honored one of their fellow royals’ birthdays on social media.
Just over a month after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were slammed for their “cold” birthday message to Prince William, the couple is in hot water with royal watchers for how they commemorated his son, Prince George’s, sixth birthday on Monday.
After Kensington Palace shared exclusive new photos taken by George’s mom, Kate Middleton, in honor of his big day, Harry and Meghan commented on one of the posts via the Sussex Royal Instagram account, writing, “Happy Birthday! Wishing you a very special day and lots of love!”
Naturally, people criticized them for not sharing an actual post for George’s birthday.
“You’re not earning any respect with your comments,” one person wrote, calling back to their comment for William’s birthday.
“Why so disrespectful?” another user replied, while another had a request for the couple: “Please include ‘HRH Prince George’ next time as sign of RESPECT to the future King.”
“One day Prince George will teach you how to be respectful, you will remember this Day,” another critic responded.
John Oliver just spilled the beans on that cast photo for The Lion King.
As you know, Oliver, who voices the character Zazu in Disney’s live-action remake, appeared in a promotional image (see below) alongside the film’s star-studded cast. Among his famous co-stars to feature in the group shot include Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, Billy Eichner, John Oliver, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and of course, the one and only Beyoncé.
However, there’s been a conspiracy going around alleging Queen Bey’s presence in the photograph was a product of photoshop. So what gives, was she ever really there?
Believe me, it felt even weirder to be in this photo than it is for you to look at it right now. #LIONKING is out next Friday! pic.twitter.com/rvukM5vqLp
Well, Oliver, who was positioned next to the musician herself, officially put the rumor to rest during his recent guest spot on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.
“She wasn’t there,” Oliver admitted. “I think almost everybody else was there. I remember Chiwetel [Ejiofor, who voices Scar] — we were setting up the shot and Chiwetel was sitting in the front and he said, ‘You need to be careful where your foot is.’ I looked down and there was just this piece of tape on the floor with Beyoncé’s name written on it.”
“Just the future presence of Beyoncé was so intimidating — if you look at my face in there, I look really intimidated,” Oliver joked. “That’s because what I’m doing is imagining that I am about to be put into a photo with Beyoncé one day. And that was nerve-wracking enough.”
Meghan Markle’s adventures with food are infamous. She’s had a long running health blog and has reportedly transformed Prince Harry’s health life with her disregard for smoking and her love of veggies. Now, the couple plans on raising their baby vegan and the Queen has some concerns.
The Sun reports that although the couple has had some liberty with how they raise their child and the private lifestyle they’ve chosen to embrace, the Queen wonders if it’s healthy to raise a baby vegan.
“Meghan keeps pushing the boundaries with the Royals and it’s not being well-received, least of all by Her Majesty,” reports a royal insider. “Bringing up the baby as a vegan simply won’t be tolerated by the monarch.” The insider also says that this decision has created a rift between the couple, with Harry wanting to avoid angering his grandmother and with Meghan wanting to stand her ground.
Despite the Queen’s concerns, The Daily Mail spoke to a nutritionist in order to figure out if raising a baby vegan is healthy. According to Dr. Justine Butler, senior representative of Viva! Health, raising a baby vegan is perfectly healthy and the conversation surrounding the topic has grown tiresome and ignorant.
“All parents need to ensure good nutrition for their children, regardless of diet, but a vegan diet is linked to a lower risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Establishing healthy eating patterns early in life can help protect against these and other diseases,” Dr. Butler explains.
Meghan Markle’s preference for healthy food and habits has been one of her primary topics of interest throughout her life. There’s no reason to believe that the health of her baby will be any different.
On the same day when his opponent Sen. Kamala Harris announced a progressive marijuana decriminalization proposal, it appears former Vice President Joe Biden will respond with cannabis reform of his own. Most Democratic presidential candidates have already endorsed or expressed interest in substantial reform at the federal level around marijuana.
Biden remains out of step from his opponents in stating unequivocally that he would not legalize marijuana. But in a plan released by his presidential campaign, Biden released a criminal justice plan that includes expungement of all past marijuana use convictions. This plan would remove cannabis from its Schedule I classification, which characterizes a drug of having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.” Heroin, LSD, and MDMA are also classified as Schedule I drugs.
Again, many top-tier presidential candidates have called for the total declassification of cannabis. Instead Biden intends to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule II drug, which would put on the same level as fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamines. This would serve as an important step, as it would open the federal government to research cannabis more freely.
“He very much believes that we need more research and study the positive and negative impact of cannabis use,” an aide, speaking anonymous, told VICE News. “There are a number of negative side effects of cannabis or side effects that we don’t fully understand. But he is here saying no one should be in jail because of cannabis use.”
That said, Biden wouldn’t stand in the way of states legalizing recreational cannabis and would support the legalization of medical marijuana at the federal level. According to his plan, Biden would also follow in Obama’s footsteps by commuting the sentences of non-violent drug offenders.
In addition, his proposal would call for the end of sentencing criminals for drug use alone. Instead federal court would be required to divert those convicts to drug courts, where they’d receive referrals for treatment options. State courts would also be encouraged to do the same, thanks to a federal grant worth $20 billion that Biden would offer.
In 2010, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) served as San Francisco’s district attorney and was campaigning to become California’s attorney general, a position she’d go on to win. At the time, Harris was clear in her opposition to cannabis legalization, even laughing at the possibility to a reporter. Over time, Harris’s stance has evolved and when running for U.S Senate in 2015, she admitted to having no “moral objection” to recreational use of marijuana.
Now, Harris is teaming up with House Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) to introduce sweeping legislation that would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. Though other Democratic presidential candidates like Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, and Cory Booker have proposed similar bills, Harris’ legislation adds a provision that would create grant programs designed at assisting those disproportionately affected by marijuana possession convictions.
Photo by Simah via Pixabay
The bill, named the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement, would also allow Congress access to 50% of all annual tax revenue generated by the cannabis industry. This tax revenue would be used to create an Opportunity Trust Fund, which would fund the aforementioned programs aimed at rehabilitating the damages caused by the War on Drugs.
“Times have changed—marijuana should not be a crime,” Harris said in a statement. “We need to start regulating marijuana, and expunge marijuana convictions from the records of millions of Americans so they can get on with their lives.”
Marijuana, like alcohol and tobacco, does not belong as a federally scheduled substance under the Controlled Substances Act. Descheduling cannabis would permit states to establish their own marijuana regulations absent undue federal interference. #WeDeserveMOREpic.twitter.com/yytKFMAH5f
— Drug Policy Alliance (@DrugPolicyOrg) July 23, 2019
University of Denver law professor and marijuana policy expert Sam Kamin told Vox Harris’ plan represented one of the most progressive options offered by a 2020 candidate. In addition, the legislation already has support of advocacy players like ACLU, the Drug Policy Alliance, and NORML. Approval from those organizations seemed unfathomable for Harris years back, but her evolution on cannabis policy has also changed the rest of the cannabis community views her candidacy.
“As marijuana becomes legal across the country, we must make sure everyone—especially communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs—has a real opportunity to participate in this growing industry,” Harris added.
