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.
This week’s column is all about cats and dogs. There’s a cat confused by its own reflection, a cat who’s snuggled in a sink, a dog whose owners think he’s the Lion King, a dog inside a box, and a dog being scratched by four different scratchers. Check them out!
Videos of animals freaking out over their own reflections never get old, with this one in particular having a special charm over how dramatic the cat is.
A cat inside a sink
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz8Qo9lgUAQ/
Cats love boxes, sinks and small spaces that keep them snuggled. This cat is giving himself a bath but looks spooked over the prospect of being splashed with real water.
The Lion King
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0BCTpOnWJa/
“The Circle of Life” is one of the most iconic songs of all time. Featured in The Lion King’s amazing opening, it’s also the moment where baby Simba is introduced to the world, just like the dog in the video. Kind of. At least he stays very still.
Puppies don’t know how to bark, resulting in them making those adorable quasi-howling sounds. The little guy in this video has an Instagram account called @thatgoldenwaffle that features tons of adorableness.
A frenchie and four scratchers
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz5yqQAAe-5/
This Frenchie looks more confused than pleased over being massaged in four different directions, looking at each of the scratchers and wondering what the hell they’re doing.
CBD research hasn’t quite caught up to the compound’s rapid rise in popularity. Experimentation in the lab is just beginning, putting consumers in the awkward position of knowing that the compound produces powerful therapeutic effects that remain shrouded in mystery. While it is proven to have done well, there are CBD questions we need researcher to answer.
Now that legalization is in full force and CBD is primed to become one of the largest industries in the U.S., it’s the perfect time for government, large companies and researchers find the data around some pressing questions about the compound.
One of the biggest questions that plague CBD users is finding the right dosage in order to treat whatever is ailing them. There’s not much data or research on CBD available, making people rely on an estimate of how much they should consume with no consideration for their body type and experience with the drug. As long as there’s no data, there can be no accurate way of obtaining the right dosage, and people will continue to use trial and error as a way of self-medicating.
One of the best aspects of medical marijuana is the variety of consumption methods, which affect ailments in different ways. For example, for the treatment of muscle pains many doctors and experts recommend transdermal patches, which target the area more accurately over smoking flower. There’s no such knowledge on CBD, which can be vaped or consumed in an edible with no apparent difference for the pain or ailment that’s bothering people.
Cannabis compounds have a way of interacting with each other, altering the effect on our endocannabinoid system. While some studies say that, when consumed together, CBD makes THC less psychoactive and more therapeutic, not much else is known about it’s effect with other compounds. The few CBD studies that are being conducted tend to isolate the product. There’s also the fact that many companies are trying to sell it on their own as a wellness or beauty product, separating it from cannabis (mainly THC) and the possible controversies that surround it.
CBD is advertised as a sort of cure all medicine, which is great, but leaves us with a lot of questions and room for companies to take advantage of people and their lack of information. By labeling it a miracle drug, information about CBD remains vague and easy to manipulate. Once more research and data is acquired, users may finally learn CBD’s real properties and its true therapeutic capabilities.
On July 20, 1969, an estimated 650 million people watched in suspense as Neil Armstrong descended a ladder towards the surface of the Moon.
As he took his first steps, he uttered words that would be written into history books for generations to come: “That’s one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.”
Or at least that’s how the media reported his words.
But Armstrong insisted that he actually said, “That’s one small step for a man.” In fact, in the official transcript of the Moon landing mission, NASA transcribes the quote as “that’s one small step for (a) man.”
As a linguist, I’m fascinated by mistakes between what people say and what people hear.
In fact, I recently conducted a study on ambiguous speech, using Armstrong’s famous quote to try to figure out why and how we successfully understand speech most of the time, but also make the occasional mistake.
Our extraordinary speech-processing abilities
Despite confusion over Armstrong’s words, speakers and listeners have a remarkable ability to agree on what is said and what is heard.
When we talk, we formulate a thought, retrieve words from memory and move our mouths to produce sound. We do this quickly, producing, in English, around five syllables every second.
The process for listeners is equally complex and speedy. We hear sounds, which we separate into speech and non-speech information, combine the speech sounds into words, and determine the meanings of these words. Again, this happens nearly instantaneously, and errors rarely occur.
These processes are even more extraordinary when you think more closely about the properties of speech. Unlike writing, speech doesn’t have spaces between words. When people speak, there are typically very few pauses within a sentence.
Yet listeners have little trouble determining word boundaries in real time. This is because there are little cues – like pitch and rhythm – that indicate when one word stops and the next begins.
But problems in speech perception can arise when those kinds of cues are missing, especially when pitch and rhythm are used for non-linguistic purposes, like in music. This is one reason why misheard song lyrics – called “mondegreens” – are common. When singing or rapping, a lot of the speech cues we usually use are shifted to accommodate the song’s beat, which can end up jamming our default perception process.
But it’s not just lyrics that are misheard. This can happen in everyday speech, and some have wondered if this is what happened in the case of Neil Armstrong.
Studying Armstrong’s mixed signals
Over the years, researchers have tried to comb the audio files of Armstrong’s famous words, with mixed results. Some have suggested that Armstrong definitely produced the infamous “a,” while others maintain that it’s unlikely or too difficult to tell. But the original sound file was recorded 50 years ago, and the quality is pretty poor.
So can we ever really know whether Neil Armstrong uttered that little “a”?
Perhaps not. But in a recent study, my colleagues and I tried to get to the bottom of this.
First, we explored how similar the speech signals are when a speaker intends to say “for” or “for a.” That is, could a production of “for” be consistent with the sound waves, or acoustics, of “for a,” and vice-versa?
So we examined nearly 200 productions of “for” and 200 productions of “for a.” We found that the acoustics of the productions of each of these tokens were nearly identical. In other words, the sound waves produced by “He bought it for a school” and “He bought one for school” are strikingly similar.
But this doesn’t tell us what Armstrong actually said on that July day in 1969. So we wanted to see if listeners sometimes miss little words like “a” in contexts like Armstrong’s phrase.
We wondered whether “a” was always perceived by listeners, even when it was clearly produced. And we found that, in several studies, listeners often misheard short words, like “a.” This is especially true when the speaking rate was as slow as Armstrong’s.
In addition, we were able to manipulate whether or not people heard these short words just by altering the rate of speech. So perhaps this was a perfect storm of conditions for listeners to misperceive the intended meaning of this famous quote.
The case of the missing “a” is one example of the challenges in producing and understanding speech. Nonetheless, we typically perceive and produce speech quickly, easily and without conscious effort.
A better understanding of this process can be especially useful when trying to help people with speech or hearing impairments. And it allows researchers to better understand how these skills are learned by adults trying to acquire a new language, which can, in turn, help language learners develop more efficient strategies.
Fifty years ago, humanity was changed when Neil Armstrong took those first steps on the Moon. But he probably didn’t realize that his famous first words could also help us better understand how humans communicate.
It can’t be easy transitioning from a commoner to a member of the royal family. And even though the Duchess was less of a commoner than most of us before she married Prince Harry last May, the road to being a Duchess has been a bumpy one for the former Hollywood actress. The prince has tried to be helpful. An example is Prince Harry’s advice to Megan Markle about being a royal mom.
Harry is hugely supportive of his wife, even while she bucks protocol left and right, but according to a royal insider, Harry has recommended that Meghan “move with ease.”
“It’s hard for Meghan in London because the press is so vicious to her there,” the insider toldUS Weekly. “This is her life. But her mentality is like, ‘Well, if this is what it’s going to be like, I’m going to do what I want to do. I won’t play by these rules.’”
Meghan has been embroiled in judgment since she started dating Harry. Most recently, she was mom-shamed for the way she carried her baby at a charity polo match, how she dressed at Wimbledon, and how she can’t seem to keep a nanny because of “control issues.”
Prince Harry’s advice to Megan Markle is something she should consider. Fortunately, she does get to revisit her entertainment roots every now and then, which must help her feel a little more “normal.” Recently, she attended the London premier of “The Lion King” and got to hang a bit with Beyoncé and Jay-Z, who told her and Harry to “always make time for yourself.” Whether he was talking about individually or as a couple, we think it’s sound advice. And timely.
Previous studies have shown that both marijuana and CBD could be used as a potential exit drug out of opioid addiction, with other, less widely used options like buprenorphine and methadone also available for those struggling with opioid dependency. But for those with cannabis use disorder, the available strategies have been far more limited.
Now, an Australian study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine demonstrated that one substance that could potentially curb cannabis dependency is cannabis itself. This doesn’t mean patients should consume more marijuana or anything like that. Instead, Australian scientists used a cannabis-based medicine called nabiximols to provide the first evidence that “cannabinoid agonist medication” targeting receptors in your brain can diminish the rate of relapse.
In a series of experiments, researchers tested regular marijuana smokers with two different substances. One group was given nabiximols, which is a spray placed underneath your tongue and comprised of equal parts cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The other group was given a placebo. The study found those on nabiximols smoked 18.6 less days than those on the placebo.
“We’ve never had the evidence before that medication can be effective in treating cannabis dependency—this is the first big study to show this is a safe and effective approach,” said Nicholas Lintzeris, Ph.D., the lead study author and addiction medicine specialist at the University of Sydney School of Medicine.
“The principles are very similar to nicotine replacement; you are providing patients with a medicine which is safer than the drug they’re already using, and linking this with medical and counselling support to help people address their illicit cannabis use,” he added.
Lintzeris said an important element of the study was recruiting only cannabis users who had previously attempted to lower their marijuana usage but could not on their own. Another key component was adding cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) as well as therapeutic support to elicit a more holistic approach.
Said Lintzeris, “Our study is an important step in addressing the lack of effective treatments—currently, four in five patients relapse to regular use within six months of medical or psychological interventions.”
While Congress and activists met for the first time to discuss ending marijuana prohibition in the United States last week — there was plenty of “disagreement and debate,” reported Marijuana Moment — all signs continue to point toward federal legalization remaining a ways away. Though many Democratic presidential nominees favor the reversal of prohibition and two in three American support legalization, other politicians remain reticent to embrace such change so quickly.
Those over in the U.K. face a similar predicament, if a recent poll can serve as indication. Conducted by YouGov, the poll represents a “clear and growing appetite” for reforming drug laws in the UK, says the Conservative Drug Policy Reform Group, which commissioned the study.
Numbers, as they say, don’t lie. The poll shows a vast majority support medical marijuana legalization in the UK (77%). Meanwhile, those who support legalizing adult-use cannabis double the number of those who oppose it (48% compared to 24%). That’s an increase of 5%, according to Dazed Digital.
“This survey shows the government and politicians are significantly behind the public’s thinking,” Rob Wilson, CDPRG’s chief executive, told The Independent.
“It illustrates the widening gulf between the stubborn, decades-old policies of blanket prohibition and the developing attitude of millions of voters willing to apply new approaches focused on improving harm reduction and healthcare outcomes,” he added.
Whether this results in widespread change remains debatable, though that is the goal of CDPRG. The U.K. legalized some forms of medical marijuana last year, but remains difficult to access for many families due to bureaucratic and financial burdens. Wilson hopes these number could incur change in the country.
“The findings of this survey demonstrate the urgent need for policymakers and government to start to rethink policy as part of an open, fully informed and evidence-based debate on the future of drugs policy,” he said.
Currently, seven of Canada’s top ten cannabis patent holders are major multi-national pharmaceutical companies, according to a joint research project by Washington D.C.-based New Frontier Data and London-based cannabis bio-technology firm, Grow Biotech. The list includes Ciba-Geigy AG (Switzerland) with 21 patents; Pfizer Products (United States) with 14; and Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson (Sweden) with 13. Merck Sharp and Dohme Corporation, the fourth largest pharmaceutical company in the world, has 11 cannabis-related patents, and recently announced a partnership to pursue collaborations with Intec Pharma Ltd., a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company that has developed a propriety oral drug delivery system for delivery of CBD and THC in treating pain. This got me wondering: why are the mega companies choosing to file their cannabis patents in Canada as opposed to the United States?
With cannabis now legal in Canada for both medical and recreational use, as well as legal for medical use in 33 states and D.C. and recreational use in 11 states and D.C., it’s no secret companies are ramping up their R&D and rushing to pursue patent protection. As we’ve referenced before, data shows that the number of U.S. cannabis patent holders has nearly quadrupled since 2016. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued 127 patents containing the words “cannabis” or “cannabinoid” in their claims in 2018. Similarly, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) issued 22 such patents in 2018. While numbers on both sides of the border are growing, it could be that the pharmaceutical titans are heading to Canada because the status of “marijuana” in the United States as a Schedule I substance creates patent-related issues that mega companies want to avoid (such as giving sworn statements to the USPTO that the company is, in fact, possessing marijuana in conjunction with its patent application).
On a much simpler, practical note though, they’re probably heading there because it proves to be cheaper and quicker to obtain cannabis patents in Canada. Given how rapidly the cannabis industry is evolving, obtaining patents in the cannabis field first presents several advantages (such as being able to assert your patents against competitors or using your patents with definitive claims to improve your negotiation position during business transactions).
Looking into the process, it may be a year after the request for examination is made before CIPO issues a first Examiner’s Report in a Canadian patent application. In some cases, the subsequent Examiner’s Report or Notice of Allowance may issue in about six to nine months after the applicant’s response. This means it may take a little less than two years (or more) from the time of requesting examination to obtaining a Canadian patent, which is comparable to the timeline in the United States. But! The Canadian patent system offers an excellent option for accelerating examination via a request for Special Order. A Special Order may usually be obtained without difficulty upon payment of a government fee of CAD $500 (at the time of writing this article, that’s USD $382.31). In comparison, a similar program in the United States for accelerating examination, namely the Track 1 examination program, has a filing fee of USD $4,000.
Under CIPO’s current service standard, a Special Order will get the applicant a response within two months from when the correspondence is received. Therefore, by using a Special Order, it may be possible to significantly shorten the length of time from requesting examination to patent grant.
One thing to note is that in Canada, certain subject matter is excluded from patentability. One major example: plants. Plants are not patentable in Canada because its laws provide that “higher life forms” (which includes plants and animals) are not patentable subject matter. In contrast, a cell of a higher life form, methods of making higher life forms, as well as use of a higher life form, may constitute patentable subject matter. So, in order for a breeder or grower to obtain a patent, they must be able to show that the new cannabis cultivar can be identified by technical features (like genetic modifications).
Since it’s possible to obtain patents for inventions related to cannabinoid formulations, etc. in both Canada and the United States, maybe the best approach is to build a balanced Canadian and U.S. patent portfolio. This would allow a company to protect its assets and maximize its shield against competition in both jurisdictions.
During the first night of her two-night concert series at Madison Square Garden, J. Lo surprised U.S. women’s national team star Carli Lloyd with a celebratory lap dance on stage.
“I don’t know if you’re ready for this. I got a little present for you,” Jen told Carli after she was brought on stage and seated in a chair that was shaped like a heel, per a fan-shot video. In the clip, Carli is then shown sitting down while J. Lo’s back up dancer’s dance around her. Seconds later, the one-and-only Jennifer Lopez walks up from behind her and begins her sexy, celebratory dance, which lasted for a few songs, including, “Birthday Sex” and “If You Had My Love.”
“.@CarliLloyd from the #USWNT just got a lap dance from @JLo at Madison Square Garden and it was everything #JLoMSG #JLOItsMyParty,” a fan, who shared the dance footage, wrote on Twitter.
After the concert, Carli reacted to the moment on Twitter. “A first for everything,” she wrote in a retweeted post of the video.
On Sunday (July 15), the “No Guidance” rapper showed off his killer jump shot, while giving a look inside his 35,000 square-foot Toronto mansion. In the first of two Instagram videos, Drake gave a glimpse at his OVO-themed court from the glass window atop his roof. While the clip was enough of a flex to make most people do a double take, it was the second clip that really took the cake. In the video, Drake is shown taking, and making, a shot from his second-floor living room (yes, living room) onto his basketball court below. (You know, casual.)
“Basketball, dinner, @euphoria on a Sunday,” Drake coyly captioned the insane videos, shouting out his HBO series Euphoria.
According to The Blast, the 32-year-old rapper and businessman bought the 6.7 million property in Toronto’s Bridle Path neighborhood back in 2015. Since then he’s torn down the original mansion and built his own, equipped with an indoor, custom-designed basketball court.
With the onset of summer, there are many places that experience really hot weather, which is great for several reasons, but also creates a new set of problems. Among the many perks of summer, outdoor workouts are some of the most enjoyed. They’re (more or less) fun, cleansing and physically demanding. While these exercises tend to require more effort, which results in more burned calories, they also demand far more attention and hydration.
Here are five things you should know about working out in this type of weather.
The symptoms of heat exhaustion are many, with nausea, profuse sweating, thirst, light headedness and rapid breathing being among the easiest ones to spot. Aside from making you feel awful, heat stroke can lead to organ failure and complications when left unattended. Prevent this by finding shelter and cooling your body if you’re working out in the sun and begin to experience any of the symptoms listed above.
If you’re working out outdoors, avoid the hours of 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which is usually when the sun is at its peak. If you want to take advantage of the sunlight and the warm weather, experts recommend completing your workouts early ing morning. If it’s too hot (over 89 degrees), it might be best to skip it or to workout indoors.
It’s always important to stay hydrated while doing anything physical. When it’s hot out, it’s even more important to drink water and to keep your potassium and sodium levels in check. This means that you should also monitor what you eat and avoid having diuretics like coffee and alcohol before your work out.
While working out with uncomfortable clothes is always a pain, when it’s hot out it transforms into something unbearable. Be prepared and wear your best and most comfortable clothes. You don’t want to be pulling your underwear as you’re worrying over drinking water and trying to find shelter from the sun.
Part of maintaining yourself hydrated means that you’ll have to monitor your electrolyte and salt levels. Focus on eating healthily and in having a drink of water every 15 minutes of your workout, even if you’re not thirsty. Don’t overdo it, because you’ll feel sick, but don’t underestimate the heat.
What happens when two pairs of pop culture royalty come together? They talk about their kids, of course. And Jay-Z has parenting advice for Harry and Meghan.
That’s what happened When Harry Met…Beyonce and Jay-Z over the weekend at the London premiere of The Lion King. Conversation between the couples naturally shifted to baby Archie, whom Beyonce described as “so beautiful” to new mom Meghan Markle.
According to PEOPLE, at one point during the mutual fawning, Prince Harry revealed that Archie had recently mastered lifting his neck up.
Harry also said Archie is “not so little anymore” as he looked at Meghan, who we can only assume nodded in agreement, while thinking to herself, “he didn’t feel little while I was carrying him in my stomach for 9 months, either!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bz6YJvGF9wK/
With Jay-Z and Beyoncé having three kids of their own — 7-year-old Blue Ivy and 2-year-old twins Rumi and Sir — the rapper was eager to share some advice to the royal couple.
“The best advice I can give you, always find some time for yourself,” he told them.
And when Harry inquired about where their twins were during their mom’s big movie premier, Beyoncé’s replied, “We left them at home. They would loved to have been here.”
When the two couples departed, Beyoncé said to reporters, “They are so sweet.” And Jay-Z has parenting advice for Harry and Meghan, and we guess a ton more about dealing with the public.
