Apple Is Working On A Foldable Smartphone

Maria Loreto

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February 21, 2019

Apple Is Working On A Foldable Smartphone

Apple and Samsung continue to battle it out, with one company popularizing ideas of their own and the other picking up on it and giving it their own spin.

Although this has been the case for years with interactive emojis and cellphone functions, The Independent reports that Apple has recently submitted a patent for a foldable smartphone. This idea was one popularized by Samsung, the only large cellphone company that’s been openly working on a device that blends the features of smartphones and tablets.

According to experts, foldable smartphones are the next tech big trend, having the capability of larger than average screen that’s also practical to carry around on the go.

The patents of Apple’s foldable smartphone show a screen that’s capable of bending in different directions and at different angles, allowing the device to fold in the shape of a pyramid, possibly allowing people to view content even if they’re standing across from each other. The submitted patents don’t directly apply to iPhones and could serve as blueprints for Apple’s upcoming iPads, Macbooks or whatever they’re planning to release next.

It’s unknown if Apple will release a foldable device any time soon; most people predict that the company will focus on developing new generations of their current iPhones. If we see a foldable device from them, experts believe it’ll be announced by 2020.

For the time being, the only company that will have a foldable phone is Samsung with their Galaxy Fold. The device has a starting price of $1,980 and will be available for purchase this April.

Kamala Harris’s Father Scolds Her Jamaican Weed Joke, Labels It A ‘Travesty’

Brendan Bures

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February 21, 2019

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Kamala Harris’s Father Scolds Her Jamaican Weed Joke, Labels It A ‘Travesty’

The silliest political controversy of 2019 refuses to go away. In a Breakfast Club interview, 2020 presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) admitted to previously using cannabis—“I did inhale,” she said—while also making known her Snoop Dogg affection and Jamaican heritage.

“Look, I joke about it and have joked about it,” Harris said when asked about past recreational cannabis usage on the radio program. “Half my family is from Jamaica, are you kidding me?”

This joke did not go over well with Harris’s Jamaican father. In a statement he submitted to Jamaica Globe Online, Donald Harris slammed his daughter for “fraudulently stereotyping Jamaicans and accuses her of playing identity politics,” declares the Jamaica Globe headline.

“My dear departed grandmother … as well as my deceased parents, must be turning in their grave right now to see their family’s name, reputation and proud Jamaican identity being connected, in any way, jokingly or not with the fraudulent stereotype of a pot-smoking joy seeker and in the pursuit of identity politics,” said Harris, an economics professor at Stanford University.

“Speaking for myself and my immediate Jamaican family, we wish to categorically dissociate ourselves from this travesty.”

According to Politico, Donald Harris made the statement on his own accord and was unsolicited by the Jamaica Globe. In an email interview Donald submitted to Politico, he said he was uninterested in discussing the matter any further.

“I have decided to stay out of all the political hullabaloo by not engaging in any interviews with the media,” he wrote.

Kamala Harris’s campaign had no comment on her father’s statements. Harris’ parents separated then divorced a few years later when she was young. “Though Donald Harris remained a part of his children’s lives, Kamala Harris and her sister were raised by their mother,” writes Politico.

New Jersey Agrees On High Marijuana Tax, Still Not Closer To Actual Deal

Mike Adams

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February 21, 2019

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New Jersey Agrees On High Marijuana Tax, Still Not Closer To Actual Deal

Although legalizing marijuana is a relatively easy task — a state eliminates the prohibition standard and orders its police forces to stop busting people for weed — establishing a taxed and regulated system for the cannabis plant and its products has proven difficult for lawmakers in some parts of the country.

New Jersey has been battling it out for the past year over what legal weed should look, but it has been the issue of taxes that has prevented this move toward progressive territory from, well, actually moving. But there is a purported deal on the table right now between Governor Philip Murphy and legislative Democrats that could usher in legalization in the Garden State sometime this year. The only caveat, however, is the tax rate for tokers could be around $42 an ounce.

It has been Governor Murphy’s mission since he took office – legalize marijuana like beer and reap the benefits of the tax revenue. It’s a scheme that has been implemented and is working in several other states, including Colorado and California. Yet, when it comes to New Jersey, nobody seems to agree on how marijuana taxes should add up. Murphy says it’s “complicated” because the state has to create “an entire industry from scratch.” It’s a situation that is getting closer to being resolved. He told reporters this week that feels “optimistic” that the deal will get done soon.

But it might not be embraced by cannabis consumers.

The agreement would tax marijuana purchases by weight — $42 per ounce — instead of setting a percentage. This is apparently the middle line between a proposed 12 percent tax and Governor Murphy’s idea of somewhere closer to 25 percent. This shakes out to be around 14 percent for a $300 ounce or a 21 percent tax on a $200 ounce.

“Weight by volume is probably the way to the future in terms of how cannabis is going to be taxed,” Senator Nicholas Scutari told the New York Times.

While this tax scheme may be the way for lawmakers to get a recreational marijuana law on the books finally, it will do very little to snuff out the black market, according to a report from the New York Post. For that to happen, marijuana needs to be taxed more in line with how the state handles alcohol — 12 cents on beer, 85.7 cents on wine and $5.50 per gallon on hard liquor.

“Why would anybody buy the legal stuff?” wrote NY Post columnist John Crudele. “That’s especially true since having marijuana in your possession will be legal. At that sort of markup for the legal stuff, the street dealers are not only going to stay in business but also prosper,” he added.

But the votes are not necessarily in place yet to make this compromise a done deal. Most Republicans are still opposed to legalization, yet the proposed tax scheme is apparently swaying some to the other side. Governor Murphy says the bill is still in the works, but “we are machining it to get it over the goal line.”

If lawmakers can come to terms, allowing Murphy to sign a bill, there is hope that the transition from medical marijuana to recreational will be seamless. There is a proposal on the table that would allow dispensaries to begin slinging weed to adults 21 and over as soon as Murphy’s ink is dry. “If people can go to a legalized facility and buy it on Day 1, we’re going to encourage that to happen,” Senator Scutari said.

Jameela Jamil Slams The Late Karl Lagerfeld For Body-Shaming; Jussie Smollett Attack Was All About…Getting A Raise?

Naughty Gossip

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February 21, 2019

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Jameela Jamil Slams The Late Karl Lagerfeld For Body-Shaming; Jussie Smollett Attack Was All About…Getting A Raise?

“Brutally Honest” Oscar Voter Reveals His Votes: Star Is Born Massively Overhyped…Roma Slow And Indulgent

A male member of the Oscar voting academy shares his picks with the Hollywood Reporter:

Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star Is Born are films whose adulation I can’t even begin to fathom — I found them to be ordinary. Bohemian Rhapsody is a standard-issue biopic with a really nice last 10 minutes; had it been a great film, I probably still wouldn’t have voted for it, because I don’t want to do anything to reward Bryan Singer, who is a pariah now and needs to stay that way. A Star Is Born is a fourth remake with nothing new to say — it was massively overhyped.

Green Book also misses my top five. People describe it as a redux of Driving Miss Daisy, and that’s not terribly far off — it’s more sophisticated and has a better sense of humor, but there is not one interesting shot in the whole film, there’s a giant plot twist right in the middle that is never discussed again, and the performances are very expected. The controversy around it didn’t affect me at all — I don’t think that Viggo [Mortensen], who’s a friend, necessarily did anything wrong using [the N]-word in the context that he used it, and his contrition for it is fine with me.

My No. 5 is Vice — it would be higher on my list, but it stands no chance whatsoever, so if you’re trying to vote strategically for what you’d like to see honored, you have to drop some of your darlings.

After that is Roma. It’s beautifully crafted and looks fantastic, but ultimately, I was wondering where the entertainment or even intellectual value is in this movie. To me, it’s a very slow and rather indulgent film — the most expensive home movie ever made. As far as the Netflix thing, what is our job as Academy members? We are trying to promote great films for audiences to see. When we gave our award to The Hurt Locker or Moonlight, we were getting people to go to theaters to see them; Roma is this brilliant work, visually speaking, on a big screen, but it becomes greatly diminished when you watch it on television, which is what 95 percent of the people that want to watch it have to do. I’ve spoken to several of my peers who watched it at home, and they were out after 20 minutes.

No. 3 is Black Panther. Look, it’s a Marvel comic book movie, and it’s not much better than any of the others, but you have to applaud it for its massive social impact and the pride it has given to so many people. I know that’s not a reason to vote for a movie, so that’s why it’s in third place rather than second or first. For those spots, I was torn between The Favourite and BlacKkKlansman. The Favourite is an unbelievably delicious film, and I was completely entertained from beginning to end — its humor and sexuality turned me on. It’s a better movie than BlacKkKlansman, but I have no idea what it was trying to say. I prefer to reward a movie that is solid and has something of social importance to say, like BlacKkKlansman. The Charlottesville footage at the end of it sealed the deal for me — it reminds us that things really haven’t gotten better.

My Vote:

1. BlacKkKlansman

2. The Favourite

3. Black Panther

4. Roma

5. Vice

Jameela Jamil slams the late Karl Lagerfeld for body-shaming: ‘A ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist’

In the hours after news of Karl Lagerfeld’s death, celebrities and fashion industry leaders alike took to the internet to honor the legacy of the artistic director of Chanel, Fendi and his own namesake line. However, amid the outpouring of images, anecdotes and expressions of admiration for the fashion icon, “The Good Place” actress Jameela Jamil called out Lagerfeld for his long history of body-shaming women. According to E! News, Lagerfeld had made negative comments about Meryl Streep, Adele, Princess Diana and other high-profile public figures.

“I’m glad somebody said it. Even if it is a little too soon,” Jamil tweeted on Tuesday. “A ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist shouldn’t be posted all over the internet as a saint gone-too-soon.”

“I call out bullies. And I’m not sorry,” she added.

https://twitter.com/jameelajamil/status/1098005640461586432

Wow! This was all about getting a raise?

The Police Superintendent just expressed his outrage at Jussie Smollett for allegedly betraying the African American and LGBT communities to further his career in a “publicity stunt.”

The Superintendent just said Smollett created the ruse because “he was dissatisfied with his salary.” The Superintendent also said Jussie sent a “false letter” — presumably the letter that was sent to Fox Studios 8 days before the incident.

Well, the only raise he will be getting is UNEMPLOYMENT

Poll: Democrats In Favor Of Marijuana Legalization More Than Ever

Brendan Bures

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February 21, 2019

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Poll: Democrats In Favor Of Marijuana Legalization More Than Ever

We’ve already seen how front and center cannabis will be in the upcoming 2020 election. One of the prominent questions candidates have been asked in early interviews is where they stand on cannabis reform. (Or they’re asked whether they have smoked cannabis before or not, as Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) was, resulting in the dumbest political controversy of 2019.)

While the Democratic party is generally considered the liberal party compared to Republicans, who are more associated with conservative attitudes, a range of conservative liberal ideologies lies amongst each party. But according to a new Gallup Poll, an overwhelming majority of all Democrats now support cannabis legalization at the federal level.

Part of that is because more Democrats associate with a liberal political ideology than ever before. Gallup documented this shift by pinpointing three different recent time periods and watching how attitudes have changed over that time. The breakdown of periods goes like this: 2001-2006, 2007-2012, and 2013-2018.

“The percentage of Democrats identifying as politically liberal averaged 32% in the first period, 39% in the second and 46% in the third,” writes Gallup. “At the same time, the percentages identifying as conservative and moderate fell equally.”

Between 2001-2006, only 27 percent of moderate Democrats supported marijuana legalization. The number sharply rose between 2007-2012, when 53 percent of moderates identified as supporting marijuana legalization. That number continued to rise and reached 62 percent in 2013-2018.

More than half of liberal Democrats supported marijuana legalization throughout each time period. The number did receive a jump from 2001-2006, when 69 percent believed in marijuana legalization, to 2013-2018, when the number reached 81 percent. Conservative Democrats saw a less significant jump, with only a 15 percent increase since 2001-2006, when 29 percent of conservative Democrats supported marijuana legalization.

A Gallup Poll last year stated that two in every three Americans now supported cannabis legalization. As we approach the 2020 election, those Americans will likely make sure their voices are heard.

Tiny 20 Seat Restaurant With $60 Tasting Menu Is Named World’s Best

Amy Hansen

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February 20, 2019

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Tiny 20 Seat Restaurant With $60 Tasting Menu Is Named World’s Best

They say the best things come in small packages, and that seems to be the case for a little-known restaurant that only takes a handful of diners at a time and is completely affordable, by most fine-dining standards.

Wolfgat, an unassuming seaside eatery located in Paternoster, a historic fishing village on the West Coast of South Africa, was recently awarded the title of Restaurant of the Year at the World Restaurant Awards.

At Wolfgat, which means “wolf cave,” the focus is on indigenous cuisine, like seafood, lamb, venison and foraged plants. And get this, none of the staff have any formal culinary training under their belts. There’s no traditional hierarchy; there’s no distinction between chef, sommelier and front of the house staff.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf3qGx3llM1/

According to the restaurant’s chef/owner, Kobus van der Merwe, Wolfgat couldn’t exist anywhere else. “It’s intrinsic to its environment and we collect things that you can only find around these parts.”

Travel + Leisure says dishes “rival noted eateries across the globe,” with the restaurant’s seven-course tasting menu clocking in at about $60 per person, “offering visitors an intimate experience coupled with fresh ingredients at a low price.”

Bookings are capped at an intimate 20 diners or so, since the staff is so small and the menu needs to be sustainable. But that only adds to its charm.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BiHavAFlY_4/

Representatives of the awards panel wrote:

If mother nature erected a sign saying ‘build restaurant here’, it would surely point to Wolfgat. Chosen from all the inspected big plates, our inaugural Restaurant of the Year is a small, remote haven of purity and good taste in every sense.

According to the New York Post, in order to get to Wolfgat, “hungry gourmands will have to fly into Capetown and rent a car for the 2.5-hour drive along the coast. The tasting menu costs about $60, and wine pairings can be added for an extra $40.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BffuQiyA832/

Not sure if you want the hassle? Here’s how one Restaurant Awards “inspector” described the restaurant:

“The place is super simple, rustic yet perfectly elegant. We sat by the fireplace. The restaurant is directly on the beach with an ocean view. We could watch the fishermen go out, come back and empty the catch from their brightly coloured boats. The village of Paternoster is stucco white, like somewhere in Greece, charming and not touristy. Essentially, it’s a dream of perfect balance, unspoilt charm and accessibility. You know that feeling you get when you feel that you are among the first people to discover a place?”

[h/t Travel + Leisure]

Which Oscar Nominees Will Eat The Edibles In Their Luxury Swag Bag?

Brendan Bures

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February 20, 2019

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Which Oscar Nominees Will Eat The Edibles In Their Luxury Swag Bag?

Another year, another opportunity for the cannabis industry to flood the Oscars with marijuana treats. Yes, in what’s becoming an ongoing trend, top Academy Award nominees will receive a luxurious swag bag, reportedly worth close to $100,000, that will include THC-infused chocolates, CBD skin care products, and more.

By the way, this is not a ringing endorsement of cannabis from Hollywood. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has nothing to do with these swag bags that nominees receive. The party favors are instead put together independently by Los Angeles-based company Distinctive Assets, which was actually sued by the Oscars for copyright infringement a few years back.

Here’s a list of the cannabis-related items nominees in the acting and directing categories will receive, per The Independent:

Coda Signature premium cannabis-infused edibles, topicals and concentrates
Age Interventionist Renee Lynn’s CBDRxSupreme protocol
High Beauty High Five Cannabis Facial Moisturizer and High Expectations Cannabis Facial Oil Instytutum skincare products
An annual VIP membership to MOTA, LA’s first cannabis-friendly social club

“With our California debut just a few months away, Coda Signature is thrilled to partner with Distinctive Assets and take part in this classic Hollywood tradition,” Mark Grindeland, the Co-Founder and CEO of Coda Signature, said in a statement. “We celebrate creative artistry in everything we do at Coda Signature, and we hope that the nominees enjoy our products as much as we enjoy their exceptional contributions to the world of film.”

But who do we expect amongst the nominees will indulge in the cannabis products. Not sure if Bradley Cooper would, but his A Star Is Born character Jackson Maine definitely would. We all know Lady Gaga gets down with the weed. Sam Elliott, in a role where he was basically playing himself, toked up with Nick Offerman in The Hero, a movie that was actually marketed in many California cannabis dispensaries.

Wait…this is like the whole cast of A Star Is Born! Did they just light up at the end of shoot days?

Other notable suspect who could use the cannabis in their gift bag: Emma Stone, who likes to eat pot brownies then go to Disneyland; Rachel Weisz smoked a joint in that Bernaldo Bertolucci movie Stealing Beauty; Spike Lee is known to support cannabis reform; Kathy Bates admitted her and Melissa McCarthy smoked “some good shit” while filming Tammy; Christian Bale defended Michael Phelps when he got caught smoking weed; Rami Malek was part of that infamous Met Gala bathroom cigarette break in 2017, where I’m 95% positive cigarettes wasn’t the only substance available; Reddit is pretty positive Viggo Mortenson imbibes the green based on a head nod on Bill Maher’s show; and Willem Dafoe shared a joint in Platoon.

My leader in the clubhouse though is Adam McKay. You really think the guy who made Anchorman and Stepbrothers wouldn’t indulge? He even wink-winked about having pot during a Stephen Colbert appearance. Outside the Star is Born triumvirate, McKay seems most likely to partake if he found himself suddenly in possession of edibles. I hope he enjoys them. How else would you expect for the man to get through the four-hour awards ceremony?

Karl Lagerfeld’s Spoiled Cat May Become World’s Richest Feline

Maria Loreto

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February 20, 2019

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Karl Lagerfeld’s Spoiled Cat May Become World’s Richest Feline

Karl Lagerfeld, creative director of Chanel and legendary fashion icon, died yesterday in Paris. The designer was known for his many accomplishments, eccentricities, prolific career, dark shades and the deep love he had for his cat, Choupette.

Elle speculates that Choupette, an Instagram star and probably one of the world’s most famous cats, is set to inherit a large piece of Lagerfeld’s $170 million fortune.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Choupette Lagerfeld (@choupettesdiary) on Dec 18, 2018 at 11:25am PST

Choupette has over 200,000 followers, has attended the most exclusive and fashionable events and has also modeled with Gisele Bundchen. In 2015, she (Choupette, not Gisele) made over $3 million with two modeling jobs — one for a Japanese beauty product and the other for a German car company. Choupette supposedly has an iPad, two dedicated maids, and meals served at the dinner table. According to Lagerfeld, she is also very polite and well behaved. “She has lunch and dinner with me on the table, with her own food,” he said back in 2012 , “She doesn’t touch my food.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BmhUGuSgv8x/

We hope whomever inherits Choupette treats her just as well as her former owner and ensures that her modeling career continues to blossom.

Politicians Ask FDA For Guidance On CBD By Friday

Debra Borchardt

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February 20, 2019

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Politicians Ask FDA For Guidance On CBD By Friday

A letter to the (Food & Drug Administration) FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb was penned by a group of politicians requesting guidance with regards to CBD (cannabidiol). The letter referred to New York City’s ban on food products containing CBD and enforcement actions happening in the states of Maine and Ohio.

Representative Chellie Pingree posted the letter on her Twitter feed. It acknowledged that the FDA had posted a response with regards to CBD following the passage of the2018 Farm Bill. The letter also noted that there is a “tremendous amount of confusion among product manufacturers, hemp farmers and consumers.”

The letter said, “We are calling on the FDA to swiftly provide guidance on lawful pathways for food products with CBD.” The group asked that answers to the following questions be provided by Friday, February 22.

When will FDA provide guidance on lawful pathways for food products containing hemp-derived CBDin interstate commerce? For example, the GRAS Notification program seems as though it is one such pathway.

When will FDA hold a public meeting on the regulation of food products containing hemp-derived CBD in interstate commerce?

New York City’s Health Department has confused food producers and restaurants as well. The group initially banned all CBD food products, but then reversed course last week and delayed the ban until July 1. The information was sent out in an email to restaurant owners.

The NYC Hospitality Alliance said it has requested the DOH to provide guidance but has received no answers to its requests. “This aggressive enforcement is another example of New York City’s regulatory approach: issue fines first, and educate last. Issuing a violation for using CBD in food and drink is especially ironic to happen when New York is seriously considering legalizing marijuana. Enough is enough. The city must stop finding ways to fine our city’s small businesses.”

One manufacturer of CBD edible products said he was operating “business as usual” apparently unconcerned about the confusion created by the FDA.

This article originally appeared on Green Market Report.

Wisconsin Governor Is Seriously Pushing Marijuana Reform

Mike Adams

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February 20, 2019

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Wisconsin Governor Is Seriously Pushing Marijuana Reform

There was once a time when the only way to legalize marijuana in any given state was through expensive voter initiatives. However, these types of campaigns were typically fought tooth and nail by local and state political figures and given only a fifty-fifty shot at becoming law. Even then, there were no guarantees the state would get behind them with full support. But now, the latest trend in the legalization movement has less to do with traditional advocacy groups pushing a boulder uphill and more to do with state officials attempting to guide the legislative process from the top.

Wisconsin is one of those places where the call for marijuana legalization is coming from highest state office.

Governor Tony Evers said earlier this week that he was including a couple of pot-friendly proposals in his latest state budget – one intended to decriminalize pot possession in small amounts and other aimed at legalizing marijuana for medicinal use. This push, he says, would bring the state’s pot policies more in line with what is happening in more than half the nation, while also giving a heavy nod to those local jurisdictions who voted recently in favor of non-binding referendums supporting pot reform.

“People shouldn’t be treated as criminals for accessing a desperately needed medication that can alleviate their suffering,” Evers said.

The governor’s medical marijuana program is comprehensive in design and would service tens of thousands of patients. It allows state-licensed physicians to write recommendations for patients suffering from cancer, glaucoma, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain, severe nausea and seizures.

In addition, Evers is calling for the decriminalization of marijuana in amounts of 25 grams or less. He also plans to drum up an expungement program soon that would allow those people convicted of small-time pot offenses the opportunity to get those stricken from their criminal records.

“It’s not just about access to health care, it’s about connecting the dots between racial disparities and economic inequity,” Evers said. “Too many people, often persons of color, spend time in our criminal justice system just for possessing small amounts of marijuana. That doesn’t make our communities stronger or safer.”

Although the governor’s plan sounds great to cannabis advocates, the world on the street is that it has little to no chance at going the distance in the Republican-dominated legislature. The state is just not yet ready to venture into legal cannabis territory, according to Republican House Speaker Robin Vos.

“Without having specific details, his proposal appears to go too far,” he said. “It makes it easier to get recreational marijuana and provides a pathway to full legalization, which I do not support. I’m open to medical marijuana when it’s prescribed by a doctor but it has to be done in a targeted way without allowing recreational use.”

The upper chamber share that sentiment. Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald, who opposes medical marijuana, doesn’t believe the governor’s proposals will make it out alive.

The Fresh ToastThe most trusted name in cannabis

Apple Is Working On A Foldable Smartphone

Kamala Harris’s Father Scolds Her Jamaican Weed Joke, Labels It A ‘Travesty’

New Jersey Agrees On High Marijuana Tax, Still Not Closer To Actual Deal

Jameela Jamil Slams The Late Karl Lagerfeld For Body-Shaming; Jussie Smollett Attack Was All About…Getting A Raise?

“Brutally Honest” Oscar Voter Reveals His Votes: Star Is Born Massively Overhyped…Roma Slow And Indulgent

Jameela Jamil slams the late Karl Lagerfeld for body-shaming: ‘A ruthless, fat-phobic misogynist’

Wow! This was all about getting a raise?

Poll: Democrats In Favor Of Marijuana Legalization More Than Ever

Tiny 20 Seat Restaurant With $60 Tasting Menu Is Named World’s Best

Which Oscar Nominees Will Eat The Edibles In Their Luxury Swag Bag?

Karl Lagerfeld’s Spoiled Cat May Become World’s Richest Feline

Politicians Ask FDA For Guidance On CBD By Friday

Wisconsin Governor Is Seriously Pushing Marijuana Reform

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