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Kick Coffee Time Up A Notch With Cannabis Infused Pistachio Biscotti

Biscotti is sorely underrated. This twice baked, biscuit-like cookie was a staple of my childhood, found at every family gathering, served with coffee and other desserts. One reason it likely dropped in popularity, besides the Stella D’Oro labor scandal, is that it’s not made by indie operations anymore, and mass produced doesn’t always taste as good, especially in the realm of Italian food. 

Considering how simple biscotti are to make compared to other more complex Italian pastries, it should be everywhere! It’s baked and sliced versus shaped, piped, or rolled like more difficult items. They’re a cookie/cake hybrid, and if you let them dehydrate completely, their unforgettable crunch makes your caffeine break exponentially better. It doesn’t take much explaining to see why having some cannabis in this mix would also be a great daily dose — cookies are among the most popular edibles. 

Pistachio Biscotti

Recipe adapted from Genius Kitchen

Estimated 14mg of THC per cookie

Ingredients

3 c Flour

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

½ c brown sugar

½ c confectioners sugar

½  stick of unsalted butter, softened

4 Tbsp cannabutter*

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract

Rind of ½ lime

1 cup pistachios 

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and set up your workstation. Cream the butters and sugar together in a bowl with either an electric mixer or a wooden spoon. In a separate bowl, mix the dry ingredients together.

Stir in the zest and extracts into the butter mixture, and mix in one egg at a time, without overwhipping. Fold in the dry ingredients and continue until a sticky dough forms. Add the nuts and use either your hands or a wide spatula to do the a final fold, incorporating the nuts into the dough without kneading it too stiffly.

RELATED: The Science Behind Combining Cannabis And Coffee

Roll out on a baking mat or parchment into a log that’s roughly 4 inches wide, it will spread a bit more after the first bake. Place the mat on a cookie sheet and bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through.

Remove from the oven and allow the log to cool for 30 minutes. Slice on a sharp diagonal into a ½” strips, then arrange back on the cookie sheet. Bake these pieces for an additional 10 minutes, turning once.

Allow to cool overnight before sealing in a container, this will allow them to dry and harden much better, but if you want a hint of moisture, seal up right away after they’ve cooled. Serve with coffee, tea, or improve any dessert spread with these beauties.

*Cannabutter

Decarboxylate 2 grams of finely ground cannabis or .25 gram of concentrate. Put material in lidded mason jar or vacuum sealed bag with cannabis and one stick of butter. Heat in water bath just under boiling for at least 1 hour. Strain and cool to use in recipes.

RELATED: How To Make Your Marijuana Edibles Taste Less Like Weed

Dip away to a whole new world, and don’t forget that pistachios can be the greatest of all nuts, especially when baked into a lovingly cut and crisped up biscotti toast.

Photos: Danielle Guercio

Meme Of The Week: Ellen DeGeneres Goes Dark On This Week’s Most Popular Meme

Daytime shows pride themselves on giving people free stuff and no one does this better than Ellen DeGeneres. The lovable talk show host doles out presents to audience members that are as simple as books and as luxurious as a million dollars (split between everyone, of course).

This week’s meme has no clear origin, but it pokes fun at the fact that when you go to an “Ellen” taping, you’ll likely meet your hero, leave with an unexpected present, or be scared to death by a someone wearing a clown costume. The first version of the meme, developed by Twitter user @cavedevice, set the dark tone of the joke.

RELATED: Meme Of The Week: Mom Dancing With Her Sons To One Direction Is The Latest Viral Hit

Other Twitter users expanded on the joke, adding their own twists and personal takes, but keeping the dark and depressing humor of the original format. It’s 2019 and the overall feeling of this meme is that no one has time to be cute and hopeful right now. Check out some of the standout tweets:

RELATED: Meme Of The Week: This Video Of An Auto-tuned Cat Is The Internet’s Favorite Thing

Bipartisan Legislators Introduce Federal Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

Ever since the Democrats took back control of the U.S. House of Representative, there has been a lot of talk about how 2019 is going to be the year that federal marijuana prohibition comes to an end. The idea is that with donkey-eared domination in the lower chamber, pot reform measures will have no issue finding the necessary votes when it comes time to push them through. It is for this reason that federal lawmakers are using every opportunity to drag cannabis legislation to the steps of the Capitol. The latest effort would legalize marijuana nationwide once and for all.

Earlier this week, Representatives Tulsi Gabbard and Don Young introduced a measure entitled the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2019, which would eliminate the cannabis plant from the confines of the Controlled Substances Act and give states the right to legalize the leaf however they see fit without concern about federal backlash. It is a push that would allow cannabis products to become a part of American commerce in the same way as alcohol and tobacco.

RELATED: Is FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s Resignation Good Or Bad For Marijuana?

Rather than focusing solely on the economic benefits of the bill, lawmakers say it is more about bringing an end to the failed War on Drugs.

“Our archaic marijuana policies — based on stigma and outdated myths — have been used to wage a failed War on Drugs. Families have been torn apart, communities left fractured, and over-criminalization and mass incarceration have become the norm,” Gabbard said during a press conference. “In 2017 alone, our country arrested 600,000 people just for possession of marijuana. Our bipartisan legislation takes a step toward ending the failed war on drugs, ending the federal prohibition on marijuana, and ensuring that our policies are guided by facts and the truth.”

Still, this is America and the freedom to engage in capitalistic endeavors without the threat of raids and prison is what it is all about, according to Young. He says it is insane that we have a multi-billion dollar industry operating in a number of states that cannot so much as get a bank account. Meanwhile, the IRS isn’t letting them off the hook. Most companies are forced to pay in upwards of 75 percent on their income.

Ending federal marijuana prohibition would allow these weed businesses to operate the same as any other.

“For too long, the federal government has stood in the way of states that have acted to set their own marijuana policy, and it is long past time Congress modernized these outdated laws,” he told reporters.

In addition, the two lawmakers introduced a separate bill called the Marijuana Data Collection Act, which “will allow us the opportunity to make sure we are governed by the truth and facts and not misinformation and lies,” Gabbard said. The measure would monitor the outcome of statewide legalization matters, and cut the head off the propaganda machine that has been keeping the issue buried for so many years.

RELATED: How Would Whole Foods Selling Marijuana Impact The Industry?

But lawmakers can introduce bills all day long, it still doesn’t mean that 2019 is going to live up to the hype when it comes to marijuana reform.

Although the House is set up to support these bills, the Senate is still not entirely on board. The biggest obstacle could be Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who still opposes nationwide legalization. And he’s a hellion when it comes to getting his way. Just this week, McConnell stopped a measure designed to expand voting rights because “I get to decide what we vote on,” he said. With this bullish attitude standing in the way, legal weed doesn’t stand a chance.

What’s Really Going On With Brad And Jen?; Alicia Keys Might Be Getting Her Own Talk Show

Jennifer Aniston & Brad Pitt ‘are still in touch & speak’ but there’s nothing romantic

Still a flame there? Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt are not letting their reconnection go to waste, though a reconciliation is not in the cards as of now.

“Jen and Brad are still in touch and speak, but there still isn’t anything going on romantically between them,” a source tells Us Weekly exclusively. The insider adds that Aniston “is also in touch with Brad’s mom,” noting that the women “are close and have been for a while.”

The Friends alum, 50, and Pitt, 55, made headlines in February when he was unexpectedly spotted at her birthday party in Los Angeles. “Jen spoke to Brad briefly. At one point she hugged him and thanked him for coming. … It didn’t seem like that big of a deal to Jen,” a source revealed to Us at the time. “The invite went out to a ton of people and he accepted. She was happy he was there, but that was it. She was busy making the rounds and excited to see so many people near and dear to her.”

The Fight Club star “didn’t stay all that long and ducked out before most people,” according to the insider.

The Alicia Keys Talk Show – EXCLUSIVE

CBS and The Recording Academyª announced today that 15-time GRAMMY Award¨ winner Alicia Keys will host the 61ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS, marking her first year as master of ceremonies for Music’s Biggest Night¨. The 61ST ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARDS will be broadcast live from STAPLES CENTER in Los Angeles Sunday, Feb. 10 (8:00-11:30 PM, live ET/5:00-8:30 PM, live PT) on the CBS Television Network. Photo: Jaclyn Martinez/Courtesy of AK Worldwide, Inc ©2019 AK Worldwide, Inc. All Rights Reserved

After doing an amazing job at the Grammy’s we might have another mentor from ‘The Voice,’ getting her own talk-show like Kelly Clarkson – that would be Alicia Keys.

“Alicia dazzled TV executives with the job she did hosting the Grammys. No-one knew she could do that. She is often thought of as just a brilliant musician and several CBS insiders were nervous that Keys wouldn’t have enough energy to host a TV show, but they all now admit that they were wrong,” sources tell STRAIGHT SHUTER. “Several networks are interested in Alicia and looking to do a show based around music and musicians rather than a traditional ‘Ellen’ type talk-show.”

Corey Feldman backtracks on Michael Jackson support

Corey Feldman is clarifying his statements from earlier this week that seemed to defend Michael Jackson.

Like many people, the Lost Boys star tuned in to watch HBO’s controversial documentary Leaving Neverland, which details disturbing claims made by James Safechuck and Wade Robson that Jackson sexually abused them for years as children. Feldman, who has said he was sexually abused by people in the industry as a child, appeared on HLN Wednesday explaining this has been “a very emotional time for me.”

“I ask people to put themselves in my shoes,” he began. “You’re a kid who has endured sexual abuse and during those times, I’m looking to somebody like Michael Jackson as a friend, as a big brother figure. And he was that person to me.”

The 47-year-old actor and activist continued, “However, as you’re friends with this guy, all of a sudden you start to hear more and more accusations being thrown around by various people and it comes to a point where — as an advocate for victims, as an advocate for changing the statutes of limitations to make sure victims voices are heard — it becomes impossible for me to remain virtuous and not at least consider what’s being said and not listen to what the victims are saying.”

Feldman said it is “important” that people give Safechuck and Robson a “voice.”

“We must allow them to speak and therefore, we must consider all sides of this, even as uncomfortable as that might be,” he explained.

One thing Feldman isn’t backtracking on is the nature of his relationship with the iconic singer. “Absolutely nothing inappropriate ever happened,” he maintained. “We were friends.”

How Cannabis Already Proved It’s The Next Great American Industry

If you work in cannabis, you’re part of the next great American industry. And if you need a job, or you just want a change in work scenery, there’s no other industry with as much growth and opportunity as those you can find in cannabis.

This is all according to a new exhaustive report from Leafly and the private firm Whitney Economics. The report concluded that by the end of 2018, there were 211,000 full-time workers in the cannabis industry spanning both the medical and adult-use side of things, with more expected growth to come.

“By comparison, there are currently about 52,000 coal mining jobs in the United States,” reads the report. “American beer makers employ 69,000 brewery workers. And 112,000 people work in textile manufacturing.”

RELATED: Report: Cannabis Industry Experiencing Hiring Frenzy

One dilemma researchers ran into while crunching numbers was the U.S. Department of Labor doesn’t track cannabis jobs due to marijuana being illegal on the federal level. Instead they utilized “state-reported data, industry surveys, on-the-ground reporting, Leafly’s proprietary data, and economic formulas devised by Leafly and Whitney Economics” to construct a representative picture of the cannabis industry.

The report also found that 68,000 new jobs were added in the cannabis industry in 2018. Researchers expect another 40,000 legal marijuana jobs to come in 2019 alone, which would account for 110% total jobs increase since 2017 alone. In 2018, Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Nevada made up the largest jumps in jobs while researchers believe Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Florida, Arkansas, and California, Massachusetts will see the biggest leaps in 2019.

RELATED: Why Unions Might Hit The Cannabis Industry Soon Enough

“The numbers we’ve discovered lead to one inevitable conclusion: We are witnessing the birth of the next great American industry,” reads the report.

You can read the full report here.

Why Do We Like Instagram Posts Of Hot And Famous People

Social media gives us the chance to show off to friends, family and strangers, bringing us closer to them despite the distance. Instagram, specifically, has created booming new career paths for users, inspiring hundreds of Gen-Z and millennials to become bloggers, lifestyle coaches, fitness gurus, and more — all with the intent of delivering the most pleasing looking profiles. Instagram has had a big effect on celebrity culture, bringing us closer to them and showing us a glimpse of their lives.

The app’s emphasis on a curated and filtered out lifestyle has made it the best place for us to spend hours thirsting (and stressing) over celebrity looks and lifestyles. Just take a peek through the comments of any notorious Instagram personality to see how many people lavish them with heart-eyed emojis, praise and marriage proposals.

RELATED: The Queen Just Posted Her First Instagram Pic!

 

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A post shared by Kendall (@kendalljenner) on

Although there’s nothing wrong with spreading positivity and complimenting people, a ‘like’ or a comment amongst thousands isn’t going to get you noticed, so it’s interesting to see why we still do this.

The Huffington Post spoke to social psychologist Frank T. McAndrew, who explained that there is some biological explanation for this kind of behavior. “Because these are people that we know in common with others, they become topics of conversation. These people worm their way into our social world.” In our hearts, the act of looking at your celebrity crush’s posts, liking them and leaving comments, does bring us a little closer together, even if we know in our brains that this isn’t the case.

RELATED: 5 Social Media Cues Your Significant Other Is Not Into You

Is it creepy to ‘like’ and comment on every photo your celebrity crush posts? Maybe, but it’s also common and a side effect of today’s culture. There’s nothing wrong with if it makes you happy and possibly a little horny. Still, the most important thing to do when it comes to Instagram is to take care of your health. If seeing someone’s perfect photos and lifestyle makes you feel inadequate, then it’s not worth it.

NFL Could Give Players Access To Marijuana Sooner Than Later

Rumors have become reports, as the National Football League is prepared to make concessions around its substance abuse policy in its next Collective Bargaining Agreement with players, according to NBC’s ProFootballTalk. Whispers of the NFL loosening its regulations on players using cannabis stretch back as far as two years ago, when former football player Eben Britton told The Fresh Toast his belief the league would use cannabis as a “bargaining chip” in CBA negotiations.

PFT’s Mike Florio reported that it remains undecided to what degree the NFL would allow players to use cannabis. He didn’t rule out a “complete abandonment” of any cannabis regulation whatsoever, leaving players to their own discretion regarding marijuana usage. The biggest concern regards players in states where cannabis remains federally illegal, and how does the league respond if they received marijuana possession charges.

RELATED: How Would Whole Foods Selling Marijuana Impact The Industry?

“A delicate balance may be required,” Florio writes. “It the law of the land becomes ‘smoke at will as long as you’re in a weed-legal state,’ plenty of free agents will flock to teams in states where it’s legal. So maybe the best approach would be to simply dump marijuana from the list of banned recreational drugs, and move on.”

Part of the league’s leniency involves the changing culture around cannabis. The plant’s essentially mainstream now. Virtually every 2020 Democratic presidential candidate has backed federal marijuana legalization and been applauded for doing so. Quietly removing marijuana from the NFL’s banned substances list likely won’t result in serious backlash from fans. We also know owners like Jerry Jones don’t care anymore, as the Dallas Cowboys owner said the NFL should “drop its prohibition on marijuana use” two years ago.

You might be wondering why if the NFL doesn’t care anymore about cannabis, why not just drop it now? Well, as Britton mentioned, the owners don’t want to give up the “bargaining chip” they have. Sadly, giving players access to medical marijuana that could provide pain relief from addictive opioids and could possibly alleviate concussion symptoms isn’t enough. This is a business decision as much as anything.

RELATED: The Super Bowl, Football, And Cannabis All Benefit Each Other

Via ProFootballTalk:

The problem is that the NFL can’t start abandoning its rights without a concession from the NFL Players Association, and the NFLPA will make no concessions when it comes to a once-per-year marijuana testing procedure that most players are able to navigate successfully. Thus, the best way to back off would be to pitch the cannabis issue into the broader stew of back-and-forthing that will happen in connection with full-blown CBA discussions.

No matter what, we’re sure cannabis will be a point of discussion in the upcoming CBA negotiations. Until then, NFL players will have to continue pretending like they don’t already use cannabis.

4 CBD Products Marathon Runners Should Add To Their Training ASAP

Marathon runners are no strangers to pain. After all, you don’t have the grit to train for 26.2-mile races without running with sore muscles, tightness, and the occasional black toenail along the way. Still, if you’re passionate about running, you push through any and all pain until you’ve met your goals.  

But if there’s any way to ease your running aches, you should embrace it, of course! That means regularly getting massages, using your foam roller, and now, adding some CBD to your training routine. CBD may help runners by reducing inflammation, soreness, and pain. Here are a few ways to incorporate it into your training so you can up your running game.   

CBD protein powder  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsI7uEQF8Ph/

RELATED: THC-A: A Better Anti-Inflammatory And Neuro-Protectant

You might already enjoy a protein-powder drink or shake after your runs, but we bet you haven’t tried a CBD-infused protein powder just yet. They are worth a try, though, because protein powders with CBD can help your muscles recover thanks to the protein and they are also are anti-inflammatory. That can help reduce soreness quicker. Plus, in flavors like chocolate and vanilla, you won’t mind drinking up.  

CBD balm  

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bto1Sj2BZpW/

healing balm can be a runner’s best friend: Helping with everything from knee pain to soothing tired and achy feet. An oil-based CBD balm is quickly absorbed into the skin, so you’ll feel some relief almost immediately. Try rubbing it on your knees, feet, and hamstrings (or anywhere you feel tight) after a training run. You can also try it on chapped skin or blisters to start the healing process.    

Coconut water  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BsbQhl5lD9o/

RELATED: 7 Great Health Benefits Of Hemp Protein Powder

You come back sweaty and exhausted from your runs, and the first thing you want to do is re-hydrate as quickly as possible. If you like to reach for coconut water (which is a smart choice because it is filled with electrolytes!) it’s time to add some CBD to your favorite hydrating beverage. This unique coconut workout supplement just needs to be mixed with water (and if you want, add lots of ice) and because it’s a drink, you’ll absorb the benefits quickly. This is also a smart choice if you tend to get nauseous after long runs, because CBD can help you with nausea, too.  

Muscle and joint relief cream  

https://www.instagram.com/p/BufBikyg2ZK/

Once you’ve crossed the finish line and the race is over, unfortunately your pain may only be beginning. It can take several days or even weeks to recover after a marathon and to get over the soreness and achiness you’re feeling. A CBD cream works topically to help with any pain and help muscles and joints relax. Plus it is infused with menthol, which will have a nice cooling effect on any areas feeling hot or inflamed.   

Royal Milestone: The Queen Just Posted Her First Instagram Pic!

You have to hand it to The Queen. At 92-years-old, when many grandparents consider themselves too old to grapple with technology, she is embracing it.

During a visit to the Science Museum in London to launch the new Smith Centre, Her Majesty posted an image to Instagram to @theRoyalFamily in front of a cheering crowd, who got to see, first hand, history being made.

The Instagram pic is actually a photo of another photo — a letter written in 1843 to her great-great-grandfather Prince Albert, credited as the world’s first computer pioneer.

RELATED: Prince William Says He’s ‘Allergic’ To This Annoying Instagram Trend

Posted earlier today, the caption reads:

Today, I had the pleasure of learning about children’s computer coding initiatives and it seems fitting to me that I publish this Instagram post, at the Science Museum which has long championed technology, innovation and inspired the next generation of inventors.
Elizabeth R.

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

As The Guardian points out, the Science Museum was also the site of the Queen’s first tweet back in 2014:

The Guardian also reminds us that back in 1976, long before anyone knew what an email was, the Queen became the first monarch to send an electronic message during a visit to the Royal Signals and Radar Establishment (RSRE) in Malvern using ARPANET, which eventually morphed into what we now know as the internet.

Is FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb’s Resignation Good Or Bad For Marijuana?

The cannabis industry is in a bit of a panic right now over the news that Scott Gottlieb, the commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is resigning from his post and moving back to Connecticut. Their concern is that his desire to pack-it-up and vacate his position with the Trump Administration will slow down the progress further of sorting out the confusion surrounding hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD). It was just last month that Gottlieb promised to hold public hearings in April to try and figure out how to properly regulate the substance. Now, no one seems to know whether these meetings will go down as planned or be cast aside.

Ever since Congress legalized industrial hemp production at the end of last year, cannabis companies have been trying to use the law to step up the distribution of hemp-derived CBD products. Although there is very little scientific evidence that this non-intoxicating compound is genuinely beneficial in treating a variety of health conditions or promoting wellness, CBD has become the next best thing since sliced bread in the eyes of Americans. Wall Street analysts predict it will become a $16 billion market by 2025. No kidding, they predict even Starbucks will enter the game.

RELATED: What Does The FDA Really Think About Medical Marijuana?

But the FDA swooped in and tossed a wrench in the wheels of the CBD craze earlier this year when it said companies purporting the medicinal benefits of CBD must go through the agency’s approval process. It took this a step further by advising that not even CBD used in edible products, a popular trend in the wellness market, was not allowed since the compound has not yet been giving the green light for food application. The main takeaway way was that CBD producers must be held to the same standards as other companies that manufacture food and medicine.

The FDA’s comments sparked some CBD bans in local and state jurisdictions. Yet, Gottlieb’s CBD hearings were the first step to sorting out the problem.

But no meeting was ever scheduled.

RELATED: Senators Urging FDA To Update Rules On CBD Products

Although Gottlieb said the FDA would hold public hearings on the CBD issue, no specific date was ever mentioned or made official. So, it is not likely there is a giant calendar smack dab in the middle of the agency’s offices in Washington D.C. with “CBD Hearings” written down somewhere in the month of April for the next commissioner to jump into when he or she steps in. Nope. Rest assured, no one is sitting around the FDA today making a plan to address CBD regulations.

In fact, some reports indicate that all of the initiatives supported by Gottlieb are in jeopardy of falling by the wayside upon his departure. In other words, it is probably going to take some heavy-handedness on the part of the cannabis advocacy community (and possibly Congress) before the question of whether unapproved hemp-derived CBD products can be used with upsetting the feds. So is this good or bad for the marijuana industry? We’re going to say it’s mostly bad, as it will probably continue to jam up those companies trying to profit from industrial hemp.

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