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New Mexico Medical Marijuana Program Totals $106 Million in 2018

Debra Borchardt
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New Mexico Medical Marijuana Program Totals $106 Million in 2018

The New Mexico Medical Cannabis Program racked up $106 million in sales in 2018 for a 23% increase over 2017. Patient enrollment grew by 45% from 2017 to 2018 and now counts 67,574 patients in the system. It’s easy to see an imbalance here. The patient count grew faster than sales.

The largest provider in the system Ultra Health said that the problem is plant count limits combined with regulatory hurdles. The company was the largest provider in the state with a market share of 15.4% in 2018 and reporting $16 million in revenue for the year.

“Surpassing $100 million is a great milestone for the Medical Cannabis Program,” said Ultra Health CEO Duke Rodriguez. “However, the industry would have exceeded $212 million if patients were able to purchase an adequate supply of cannabis as allowed for similar patients in Arizona and Colorado.” The belief is that patients are being forced to seek medicine outside of licensed providers which is considered the black market.

RELATED: Cannabis Bills Filed In Missouri And Texas

Some of the restrictions include purchase limits, potency caps, no reciprocity with patients from other legal states and the inability of producers to offer savings for large purchases. The state’s top five producers accounted for 43% of the reported revenue in 2018 and there are 35 licensed producers. Only 12 grew faster than the overall industry’s pace, while 23 producers fell behind.

2018 Revenue  $ Increase 2017 % Increase
1.     Ultra Health $16,325,711 $5,787,168 55%
2.     R. Greenleaf $9,014,260 $320,555 4%
3.     Verdes $7,304,424 $1,192,124 20%
4.     Sacred Garden $6,445,460 $3,050,136 90%
5.     PurLife $6,177,973 $3,281,062 106%
        Total Industry $105,796,892 $19,593,808 23%

Ultra Health said that under the current medical marijuana program, revenues are projected to reach $131 million by the end of 2019 and patient enrollment is forecast to reach 87,500. The company said that if the program allowed patients to fully access medical cannabis like Arizona and Colorado, the industry could have easily hit $290 million in sales.

“Whether it’s for physical, mental or social well being, every adult presenting themselves should have the full legal right to choose the cannabis products they need, in the quantities they want, from the provider they prefer and at a price they can afford,” said Rodriguez.

RELATED: Less Than 0.01% Of Texas Patients Have Been Prescribed Medical Marijuana

A new report from BDS Analytics and Arcviews stated, “Despite inaction on calls to expand access by adding qualifying conditions, the state has made some small improvements to the cannabis program. State officials have simplified the application process for those seeking a medical cannabis card and made other changes to the application process to address complaints of long application backlogs that result in delayed card issuance.”

This article originally appeared in Green Market Report.

This Bot Is Ready To Answer All Of Your Embarrassing Sex Questions

Maria Loreto
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This Bot Is Ready To Answer All Of Your Embarrassing Sex Questions

Like most major companies, Planned Parenthood has worked hard to stay technologically relevant, devising texting and chat services that make their services readily available to patients and interested parties. Now they’ve introduced Roo, a bot specifically designed for teens, equipped to answer their most pressing questions.

Roo was developed by experts and psychologists who interviewed teens in order to build the necessary database for the app. Once their research concluded, Planned Parenthood and web design company Work & Co. agreed that the best way to reach teens would be through a chat bot, since this is the method of communication most high schoolers prefer. When accessing Roo through a smartphone, users will answer a couple of questions until they reach the chat box.

RELATED: No One Knows Why Drinking And Drug Use Is Declining Among Teens

From there on, the questions submitted will remain private and confidential. If teens are confused and don’t know what to ask, they can scroll through a list of prompts. Although there’s all sorts of information available online, Planned Parenthood believes that teens should get their information from verified and trusted sources.

“We know that many young people are nervous or embarrassed to ask questions about their sexual health,” said Leana Wan, president of Planned Parenthood, on a statement to Fast Company. “They often go online to get information and ask their questions anonymously. It’s important that our youth receive a reliable answer they can trust . . . we’re excited for Roo to be a credible, approachable resource to get the personalized answers they need.”

As is the case with most AI softwares, the more the bot is used and consulted, the smarter that it’ll become.

When compared to other bots, Roo is not the brightest, often misunderstanding users’ questions and redirecting them to its main list of queries. Still, the potential for growth is there, and getting answers from Planned Parenthood sounds like a better and more personalized experience than getting them from WebMD.

Does Trump’s New AG Represent An End To Administration’s Reefer Madness?

Mike Adams
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Does Trump’s New AG Represent An End To Administration’s Reefer Madness?

The Trump administration is turning over a new leaf concerning the cannabis culture in the United States, and that may begin under the guidance of a new Attorney General, William Barr. During his confirmation hearings, Barr said he would not go for the jugular of the cannabis industry like his predecessor, Jeff Sessions, did while overseeing the Department of Justice. Instead, Barr told members of the Senate Judiciary Committee that “to the extent people are complying with the state laws in distribution and production and so forth, we’re not going to go after that.”

Barr, who has yet to be confirmed as attorney general, has since put his promise in writing. The gist of his pledge is to reiterate that he has no plans to target cannabis operations compliant with states laws.

“As discussed at my hearing, I do not intend to go after parties who have complied with state law in reliance on the Cole Memorandum,” he wrote.

RELATED: Denver Dispensary Caught Red-Handed Trying To Have Its Cake And Eat It Too

The Cole memo, as it is often referred, was a non-binding guidance issued by the Obama administration that gave states the freedom to experiment with marijuana legalization with little federal interference. The memo had been in effect for several years up until former AG Sessions trashed it at the beginning of 2018. For many members of the cannabis trade, this was a sign that a crackdown on legal marijuana was coming, and everyone had sort of grown comfortable with the idea that weed was mostly overlooked by the government started abandoning ship.

In the end, a marijuana crackdown never came. It was all just psychological warfare Sessions used to discourage the cannabis movement from making strides while he was holding the reins.

But Barr’s approach will be to leave legal cannabis alone. Although he has not yet said whether he intends to replace the Cole memo with an updated initiative, Barr wants to cannabis trade to know he was no intention of upsetting what is now underway in over half the states in the nation.

“I have not closely considered or determined whether further administrative guidance would be appropriate following the Cole Memorandum and the January 2018 memorandum from Attorney General Sessions, or what such guidance might look like,” he wrote. “If confirmed, I will give the matter careful consideration.”

Still, temporary memos promising to keep out of state legal marijuana businesses can only go so far.

RELATED: Could Democrats Use Trump Shutdown Strategy To Decriminalize Marijuana?

Barr is no friend of marijuana, and, as he stated during his confirmation hearing, he believes “we should…have a federal law that prohibits marijuana everywhere.” Yet, his main gripe is not states legalizing the leaf, it’s that Congress is dragging its feet on the issue. “If we want a federal approach, if we want states to have their own laws, let’s get there and let’s get there the right way,” he said, suggesting a move needed to be made to legalize nationwide.

All this really means is that, if Barr is confirmed, the Department of Justice is not likely to target members of the cannabis industry that adhere to policies outlined by their respective states. This reassurance, however, could create some peace of mind for banks and other non-cannabis-related operations concerned about potential prosecutions for dealing with the pot trade.

Still, the only real way to protect the cannabis industry is for Congress to come together in 2019 and bring state and federal pot laws more in line with each other. Until this happens, there will always be an opportunity for the gates of hell to be opened. The only solace, at this time, is that the key will not be turned by William Barr.

5 Of The All-Time Most Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Maria Loreto
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5 Of The All-Time Most Memorable Super Bowl Halftime Shows

Football is a big deal, but deep down we all know that what makes the Super Bowl the Super Bowl is the halftime show. This event is the second most-watched sporting program in the world, an incredible feat considering that no one even watches football outside of the US.

There’s so much build-up surrounding these mini-concerts that 70 percent of the time there’s some aspect that’s disappointing about the show, whether it’s the selected artist or the performance in itself. Despite all of this, Super Bowl halftime shows have a lot of staying power, legitimizing artists and cementing their status as legends.

Check out 5 of the most memorable Super Bowl half-time shows of all time:

The Rolling Stones

CBS wasn’t a fan of The Rolling Stones’ Super Bowl performance where Mick Jagger didn’t bother to censor their lyrics and danced in his Mick Jagger way. Compared to other Super Bowl performances, The Rolling Stones’ show was kind of tame in comparison, but it definitely became an important part of Super Bowl history.

RELATED: 6 Ads That Made You Want To Watch The Super Bowl

Katy Perry

Despite a string of poor songs, Katy Perry has traditionally been a fun and positive performer, one who developed a keen awareness of her talents and target audience. The dancing shark is one of the best memes of all time but there’s so much more in this Super Bowl half-time show, which also gave us Lenny Kravitz and the much awaited return of Missy Elliott.

Lady Gaga

Opening up with a touching rendition of “This Land Is Your Land” and a swarm of drones that lit up as the colors of the American flag, Lady Gaga kicked off her Super Bowl half-time show with a bang and didn’t slow down for the rest of her 13-minute set. Two years later, Gaga is now an Oscar nominated actress with a Las Vegas residency. For her the Super Bowl was just a step in a much grander staircase.

Beyoncé

There’s no performer like Beyoncé, who record after record continues to prove that she is the ultimate pop star. Her combination of powerful vocals, amazing dance moves, charisma, and empowerment have given her carte blanche to do whatever the hell she wants. Her Super Bowl performance is not even the best among her live shows; that’s just her default.

RELATED: Touchdown: Cannabis Consumers Prefer the NFL Over all Other Pro-Sports

Justin Timberlake and Janet Jackson

Ask around about the Super Bowl and eventually someone will say something about 2004’s Nipplegate. Janet Jackson and Justin Timberlake’s performance was running smoothly, featuring the singers’ most famous songs until the last second when Timberlake vigorously pulled on Jackson’s shirt and left her topless. This wardrobe malfunction was widely discussed and cost CBS hundreds of dollars. It banned Janet Jackson from the 2004 Grammy Awards and made her the most Googled person of that year and the next. You can’t even see the nipple guys, come on.

Why Does It Feel Good To See Someone Fail?

Shensheng Wang
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Why Does It Feel Good To See Someone Fail?

In the Pixar animated film Inside Out, most of the plot plays out inside protagonist Riley’s head, where five emotions – Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust and Anger – direct her behavior.

The film was released to glowing reviews. But director Pete Docter later admitted that he always regretted that one emotion didn’t make the cut: Schadenfreude.

Schadenfreude, which literally means “harm joy” in German, is the peculiar pleasure people derive from others’ misfortune.

You might feel it when the career of a high-profile celebrity craters, when a particularly noxious criminal is locked up or when a rival sporting team gets vanquished.

Psychologists have long struggled with how to best understand, explain and study the emotion: It arises in such a wide range of situations that it can seem almost impossible to come up with some sort of unifying framework. Yet that’s exactly what my colleagues and I have attempted to do.

Schadenfreude’s many faces

One challenge continues to plague those who research schadenfreude: There’s no agreed-upon definition.

Some think it’s best to study the emotion in the context of social comparison, so they’ll tend to focus on the way envy or resentment interacts with schadenfreude.

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Others view the emotion through the lens of justice and fairness, and whether the sufferer deserved his or her misfortune.

Finally, the last group thinks that schadenfreude emerges out of intergroup dynamics – members of a group deriving joy out of the suffering of those outside of the group.

In our view, the different definitions point to multiple sides of schadenfreude, each of which might have distinct developmental origins.

The blossoming of schadenfreude

Perhaps the writers of Inside Out, when deciding to jettison “Schadenfreude,” thought that it would prove too difficult for children to grasp.

There’s evidence, however, that children begin to experience schadenfreude early in life.

For example, at four years old, children found someone else’s misfortune – like tripping and falling into a muddy puddle – funnier if that person had previously done something to hurt other children, such as breaking their toys.

Researchers have also found that two-year-old kids primed to be jealous of a peer experience glee when that peer suffers a mishap. By the age of seven, children feel more pleased after winning a game if a rival lost than when both won the game.

Finally, in a 2013 study, researchers had nine-month-old infants observe puppets interacting with one another. Some puppets “enjoyed” the same types of food that the infants enjoyed, while others had a different set of tastes. When some puppets “harmed” the other puppets, the researchers discovered that the infants would rather see the puppets who didn’t share their tastes be hurt over the ones who did share their tastes.

Bringing it all together

Together, these studies show that schadenfreude is a complex emotion that seems to be deeply ingrained in the human condition.

Psychologists Scott Lilienfeld, Philippe Rochat and I wondered if there could be a way to unite the multiple facets of schadenfreude under the same umbrella.

Eventually, we settled on seeing schadenfreude as a form of dehumanization – the act of depicting and viewing another person as less than human.

When most people hear the term “dehumanization,” they probably go to the worst-case scenario: a complete denial of someone’s humanity, a phenomenon relegated to torture chambers, battlefields and racist propaganda.

RELATED: ‘Urine Therapy’ Is Trending And Here’s Why

But this is a misconception. Psychologists have shown that people often view their own group in more human terms, and – in subtle ways – can deny the full humanity of those outside of their group.

In our review, we hypothesized that the more empathy someone feels toward another person, the less likely they are to experience schadenfreude when that person suffers.

So in order for someone to feel schadenfreude toward another person – whether it’s a rival, someone in an outgroup or someone who’s committed a crime – they’ll need to subtly dehumanize them. Only then does the sufferer’s misfortune become rewarding.

This theory hasn’t been tested yet, so at the end of our review, we suggest ways schadenfreude’s early origins and individual differences can be placed under scientific scrutiny to study this novel hypothesis.

Linking schadenfreude with dehumanization might sound dark, especially because schadenfreude is such a universal emotion. But dehumanization occurs more often than most would like to think – and we believe it’s behind the pang of pleasure you feel when you see someone fail.

Shensheng Wang is a Ph.D. candidate in Psychology at Emory University.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Why You’ll Never See Kevin Smith Wear His Iconic Hockey Jerseys Again

Brendan Bures
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Why You’ll Never See Kevin Smith Wear His Iconic Hockey Jerseys Again

If asked to create a mental image of Kevin Smith, you’d likely picture him wearing one of his giant hockey jerseys with his “Fatman” podcast logo. But following the massive heart attack Smith suffered last year—in which marijuana might have saved his life—he has since lost a ton of weight, rendering most of his clothing, hockey jerseys included, too big.

Yes, Kevin Smith is retiring his iconic baggywear that defined his look for so long. Smith made the announcement following a segment on Bill Maher’s Real Time program, where Maher doubled down on his criticisms of comic book fans, while making Smith and his hockey jerseys a punchline. To his credit, Smith took it all in stride.

Comic book artist Joe Quesada, a legend in his own right, also came to the defense of Smith and comic fans everywhere. In a Twitter thread deconstructing Maher’s mean-spirited takedown, Quesada started by acknowledging the healthy evolution Smith has undergone.

RELATED: Kevin Smith’s Doctors Say Marijuana Saved Him From Heart Attack

“I’ve watched @billmaher from time to time, been in the audience as well. I don’t agree with everything he says, I don’t always find him funny and no one’s happier than me that @ThatKevinSmith is done with those damn hockey jerseys (m’boy’s looking sexy these days),” Quesada tweeted.

Then came the shock no one expected.

Don’t worry, true believers, Kevin Smith is doing just fine otherwise. In fact, he’s “pleased as a pot-head to announce that the good folks at SABAN and UNIVERSAL have given the green light” to the Jay and Silent Bob reboot. Shooting will begin on February 25, the one-year anniversary of Smith’s heart attack.

Stress Can Kill You: Marijuana Can Help Kill Stress

Trey Reckling
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Stress Can Kill You: Marijuana Can Help Kill Stress

It is well-traveled quote from none other than Tommy Chong. Maybe he is right. “All marijuana is medical marijuana,” Chong has said. 

I heard him say it in Seattle a few years ago at the Cannabis Summit. There were a few chuckles in the room but even more knowing nods. His logic followed that even when people are not using marijuana for a particular ailment, they are likely using it for recreation. The purpose of recreation is to unwind, to relax and rejuvenate both body and mind.

RELATED: Trying Cannabis For The First Time

After all, based on scientific studies, we do know this much:

Stress is a killer. According to the American Psychological Association, stress affects the musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine, gastrointestinal, nervous systems as well as both the female and male reproductive systems. It contributes to the six leading causes of death.

Outside the occasional over-consumption of the herb, which can be frightening and cause anxiety for some, not even by the most rabid prohibitionist would accuse marijuana of causing stress. That runs counter to its nature.

Research has shown the beneficial effects of “medical” marijuana use for inflammation and joint aches, neuropathic pain, chronic pain, anxiety, insomnia and as a remedy for lack of appetite.

People are making decisions based on their improved quality of life and voting with their wallets.  Based on the number of people using marijuana over their prescription drugs, one study found that if all 50 states had legalized medical marijuana in 2014, Medicaid could have saved over $1 billion to date. 

RELATED: The Truth About CBD For Your Pets

While we must always ground our cannabis knowledge in solid research, folk wisdom has its value. Before there were medical schools, police departments … even before Stonehenge was built, our ancestors used marijuana, most likely for medical and ceremonial purposes. Knowledge is passed from one generation to the next. My grandmother never attended a day of college, but I am wiser for the words I heard her speak. Experience teaches lessons books can’t.

So, thank you Tommy Chong. As some other folk icons have reminded us, “Once in awhile you get shown the light. In the strangest of places if you look at it right..”

How New Yorkers Are Fighting For A More Diverse, Inclusive Legal Weed Scene

Danielle Guercio
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How New Yorkers Are Fighting For A More Diverse, Inclusive Legal Weed Scene

With the recent movement New York has experienced in the cannabis space, all eyes are on this massive market and its potential profits, trends, tax generation, and cultural impact. It’s no secret many companies and investment firms are primed to make their moves once the legal doors open. New Yorkers know this too, which is why activists have also prepared plans and possible regulations to prevent a hostile corporate takeover.

It’s not that people don’t love the low prices bigger dispensaries can negotiate. Rather it’s where their money goes after the purchase: is it spread amongst labor along the entire supply chain or funneled upward to the board? The fear is it will be the latter, resulting in limited reinvestment in the community, growers and processors getting pinched, and whether workers lacking access to the benefits of a cooperatively owned independent business, like receiving equity.

New York City Mayer Bill de Blasio is even speaking out about the circling corporate buzzards, and the worry their capital power could quickly flood the city before homegrown shops and brands can take root. So far little is known about what to expect other than a 100-day time frame for announcement of the regulations from Governor Andrew Cuomo. 

RELATED: Minorities Accounted For 90% Of New York Marijuana Arrests In 2018

Regulations are an essential part of society and keep things running smoothly. However, in a rush to lock down what can seem like a good idea, a governing body can deeply misunderstand the inner workings of the functions they oversee, especially in the case of a new or budding industry. In a rush to do what may seem safe and prudent, cannabis laws can potentially neuter some small businesses and bog them down with costs only bigger operations can afford. Just look at California for how harsh regulations can encourage growers to remain illegal in service of better profits. 

Cannaclusive, an organization designed “to facilitate fair representation of minority cannabis consumers,” is working to ensure New York City and state can get it right in this new beginning. But Cannaclusive co-founder Mary Pryor believes the time for talking to your government representatives is rapidly running out.

“Corporate cannabis has one agenda and that’s to monopolize and control the market as much as possible, especially in New York State, which will be a major consumer of cannabis post legalization in Spring,” she says. “Capital and access to capital for all citizens, especially people of color, is the biggest item needed, along with job training and incubator programs.”

Photo via Flickr user Cannaclusive

Any big companies planning to operate in New York State and city must accept their social responsibility to help marginalized New Yorkers establish operations and flourish in the coming cannabis renaissance.

“Support for equity initiatives is a major first step that should run right alongside the start of adult use,” Pryor says. “A lack of corporate capital—or any capital, period, keeps ownership opportunities away from everyone. Given that corporations are selling cannabis while people sit locked up in jail or prison for similar activities is a huge conflict of justice and equality.”

Kassia Graham, the National Project Lead for Cannaclusive, thinks speaking with your dollars will make a difference once businesses are up and running.

RELATED: New York Restricts CBD-Infused Food And Beverages

“Cannabis advocates must support people of color—100%. Spend your money with cannabis businesses created by and operated by women and people of color; especially those who are Black and Latinx because they have been more adversely affected by racist drug laws than others,” Graham says.

Sarah Remesch, New Yorker and founder of New Highs CBD and 270M agency, backs the mayor’s independent and small business strategy.

“An industry with independently owned businesses allows for participation from all communities at multiple levels within cannabis from seed to sale,” she says. “Opportunities will open up not only to establish healthy businesses but to join in on existing businesses that want to be inclusive.”

Many New Yorkers are on board with these ideas, but have yet to see them implemented or hinted at in the coming legislation. Paying close attention to how laws and economies developed in other states without determined input from the citizenry reveals how corporate donations and lobbyists can control the outcome more than we think.

RELATED: How Gov. Andrew Cuomo Might Legalize Marijuana In New York

“There are several states that have missed the mark one way or another,” Graham says. “New York should learn from the missteps made by Ohio, Colorado, Oregon, and New Jersey. Ohio dropped the ball on their promise to provide more opportunities to communities hit hard by the war on drugs. All that talk of equity seems as if it was a ruse to get the buy-in of activists, people of color, and the poor. Arrests of Black adults and youths in Colorado went up after legalization. Why are they still imprisoning people when the drug is legal—rehabilitate, don’t incarcerate.”

As all eyes are on this world leading metropolis, doing cannabis right could be their biggest triumph yet, especially when considering the serious failure of New York City’s cannabis policing. Here’s hoping the program reaches far and benefits the communities of color that prohibition has harmed first and foremost, before the first nugget is sold.

Denver Dispensary Caught Red-Handed Trying To Have Its Cake And Eat It Too

Mike Adams
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Denver Dispensary Caught Red-Handed Trying To Have Its Cake And Eat It Too

Members of the legal cannabis trade can sometimes still find themselves jammed up in the criminal justice system when they let greed get the best of them.

Just last Friday, three Denver dispensary owners were sentenced to a year in prison after facilitating marijuana sales intended for the black market. It is a case that officials are calling the first local prosecution of a legal marijuana operation in the United States, according to the Associated Press.

After a yearlong investigation, prosecutors determined that the Sweet Leaf dispensary chain was engaged in an illegal activity called “looping.” This is a practice in which a customer is allowed to purchase the maximum amount of weed allowed by Colorado law several times throughout the day. That marijuana is then distributed illegally in prohibition states. In the cases of Sweet Leaf, the dispensary is responsible for pouring nearly 2 tons of legal marijuana into the black market.

RELATED: Colorado To Clamp Down On Marijuana Home Grows

Matthew Aiken, Christian Johnson and Anthony Sauro all entered a plea agreement that will have them serving the next 12 months in prison. After that, the men will spend a year on parole and another year of probation. More convictions are expected to come. Denver prosecutors are still busy building cases against at least 10 more people accused of looping in connection with Sweet Leaf.

It is important to understand that this case is not the rule, it’s the exception, according to Denver District Attorney Beth McCann. Most legal cannabis businesses “are reputable and responsible and strive to obey our marijuana laws,” she said.

Still, there is little doubt that legal marijuana is finding its way to the black market. Although prosecutors in Colorado haven’t locked down any other outlaw dispensaries, law enforcement sources indicate that legal green has created an uprising in illegal drug activity.

“[Post legalization] we have seen an increase in the black market because the marijuana… is being shipped out of state,” Lieutenant Andrew Howard with the Denver Police Department said in a September press release.

RELATED: Canada Can Combat Marijuana’s Black Market By Following California’s Lead

Of course, this is only a problem because of conflicting marijuana laws. Colorado says weed is legal, the neighboring states continue to ban it and so does the federal government. This provides criminal organizations with plenty of opportunity to capitalize on this crop. It’s just one of the reasons why some states in the Eastern United States—where weed is legal (or headed in that direction) in bordering states—are moving toward the end of prohibition this year. Places like New York do not want to deal with the inevitability of illegal weed being smuggled into their neck of the woods. They would rather use the tax revenue from legal sales to benefit the state.

As part of the plea deal, all of Sweet Leaf’s 26 licensed have been revoked and none of the men are permitted to work in the Colorado cannabis trade for 15 years.

Genius Makes Earrings Out Of Airpods So They Won’t Get Lost

Maria Loreto
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Genius Makes Earrings Out Of Airpods So They Won’t Get Lost

The Airpods are inventive and practical but they’re also easy to lose. Although no one is a fan of chords and tangles, Apple struck a nerve when they decided the future was wireless, eliminating audio ports from their smartphones and forcing those who still can’t let go of their headphones to carry around an adapter.

Gabrielle Reily, a paralegal who is also very crafty, came up with the perfect solution: transforming your Airpods into earrings. This way you’ll never lose them and you’ll also carry around a perfect icebreaker. The post quickly went viral.

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“I absolutely refuse to lose them. My cat ate through two pairs of Beats bluetooth earphones, and all my other earphones,” she said in an interview with Buzzfeed, sharing the struggle of millions. “I made earrings. I also have a chain necklace that I used to connect them. It took me maybe around an hour to make the earrings because I had to custom make the piece that connects the AirPods to the earrings.”

Reily’s Airings (get it?) are available to purchase online and have a detachable part, allowing you to still have earrings if you decide that you want to listen to music.

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Reily recognizes that Airpods have become a joke of sorts and the reception of the Airings has been mixed. “For most people I feel like the earrings are a joke. And they kind of are to me. But, a functional joke,” she says.

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