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Why The ‘Trailer Park Boys’ Bemoan Canada’s Cannabis Legalization

Brendan Bures
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Why The ‘Trailer Park Boys’ Bemoan Canada’s Cannabis Legalization

Each season of Trailer Park Boys, the goals of the characters are the same: Get rich, as quick as possible. Usually this involves a secret and illegal scheme to grow marijuana or bootleg alcohol, and almost always ends in failure. Their plans, for however hairbrained or absurd they become, are thwarted by a litany of characters, chief among them Jim Lahey.

The Canadian actors who play Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles are currently touring in Europe, performing in character at various theaters. To promote the show, they sat down with the UK’s Metro tabloid to share their thoughts on Canada’s upcoming legalization of cannabis on Oct. 17.

While discussing their love of Amsterdam, the boys said that “Canada is going to be just like that in October, so we’re pretty pumped.” Ricky, whose character claims to be a master dope grower, chimed in, “It’s going to put me out of a job, which will kind of suck.”

When asked by the paper about picking up some odd jobs or small work to subsidize his loss of income, Ricky replied, “I don’t work, so we’re going to have to think of something. I don’t want to get a job.”

In reality, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Thanks to the popularity of their show, the boys make plenty of money. They also stand to benefit significantly when cannabis goes legal in Canada thanks to their new weed line Trailer Park Buds, which was announced in a partnership with Organigram earlier this year.

Though there hasn’t been any update about the brand’s availability come Oct. 17, we trust that there will be plenty of demand for the product whenever it does become available to the Canadian masses.

New Marijuana Expo Reveals West Coast Trends And Products

Sara Somerset
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New Marijuana Expo Reveals West Coast Trends And Products

If you want to know what the latest cannabis trends are on the West Coast, look no further than the Hall of Flowers. The inaugural expo in Sonoma, California hosted a who’s who of cannabusinesses, both established and new. We were lucky to get a peek inside the event to discover the latest canna-trends and products. The trade show (Sept. 17-18) was an eclectic mix of authentic, old-school cultivators and corporate bandwagon jumpers offering a myriad of options to elevate the cannabis experience. Here are some highlights.

Photos courtesy of Ridge Production

Among the cannabis companies in attendance, there were a few trendy, unilateral themes on display. Sleep was definitely a topic on all the vendors’ lips. From established lifestyle brand Sunday Goods to brand new startup Zzz Natural, there were a plethora of cannabis-infused sleep products available to help alleviate insomnia due to stress, chronic pain and jet lag.

Photos courtesy of Ridge Production

Topicals are also on trend, with Apothecanna leading the pack. With an array of cheeky oils, from “sexy time” lube to a cannabis and arnica body oil, Apothecanna has topicals on lock. Having massage therapists on hand certainly made them a popular attraction.

 

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Papa and Barkley’s transdermal patches were also a big hit. Applying one to the base of the neck between the shoulder blades to alleviate computer cramp is highly recommended.

Naturally, there were oil cartridge and flower vaporizers galore on the show floor.

Photos courtesy of Ridge Production

The Ghost vaporizer features advanced on-demand, true convection heating technology. The unit keeps its removable ceramic chamber (the crucible)  cool between vapes and prevents material degradation for multi-use sessions by heating only the air that passes through the device when a draw is taken. While it is a bit heavy and clunky to be a true portable, it appears to be designed for portability with a kit that holds the drop-in flower cases. The Ghost features a customizable faceplate for a unique design.

And in other news, Mota is preparing to open a members-only cannabis workspace, like Soho House for cannabis users.

Photos courtesy of Ridge Production

The West Coast is popping off with cannabis brands and products. Rumor has it the next annual Hall of Flowers will be held in Los Angeles. Anyone interested in what’s happening on the cutting edge of the cannabis industry should check it out.

Why The US Led ‘Global Call To Action On The World Drug Problem’ Is A Bust

Mary Schumacher
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Why The US Led ‘Global Call To Action On The World Drug Problem’ Is A Bust

President Trump, in a rare trip to the U.N., called together leaders of 130 countries in order to sign a letter to agitate the War on Drugs. The leaders that made appearances and the ones that didn’t spoke volumes: many U.S. allies refused, including Germany and Spain. However, in a surprising turn of events, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada signed on.

Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark believes that both Canada and Mexico were coerced into signing the letter, citing NAFTA talks currently being held in Washington. “It’s giving in to bullying and extortion and it’s outrageous,” she said without mincing a word.

Though the U.N. talks centered around opium and cocaine, there was no talk as to how prescription medications play into the opioid crisis. There was also no mention of how human rights play an enormous role in these already failed wars.

The War on Drugs has been bloody, brutal and ineffective since its start. It does very little but to ramp up competition between rival cartels and create more inventive ways of trafficking. But at the same time as Trump took over the U.N., there was a gathering of world leaders in Mexico City, looking toward the future of drug policy and what it could really be.

Known as the Global Commission on Drug Policy, the group includes 12 former heads of state, which has been trying to find an end to prohibition since 2011. Monday, they released a report requesting that governments abandon drug wars, mitigate and regulate lower grade drugs and contribute reform ideas as to international treaties, some of which would still need prohibition and some forms of punishment included.

Back in the U.S., cannabis was thankfully absent during the talks, which lends hope that the global progress that’s been made will continue on its upward trajectory. Plus, it’s highly unlikely that Canada or Mexico would have signed had cannabis prohibition been an issue.

According to Cannabis Wire, Nicky Haley had this to say about the revamped drug war efforts:

“Everyone knows someone who has suffered or died from abusing illegal drugs.” The country, she continued, “is confronting a rapid opioid crisis that is fueled by the rapid increase in the illicit supply of synthetic drugs, like Fentanyl.” Pointing to Latin America as the main culprit, finger pointing, bad policy and trumped up language are already in the works.

The Mexico City commission said in their report that the Trump administration’s Global Call to Action on the World Drug Problem “signals the continuation of inefficient, costly and harmful policies…The U.S. government, which tried and abandoned alcohol prohibition, and now faces an unprecedented opioid crisis, should know this better than anyone – especially at a time when numerous states are moving away from prohibition and towards regulation.”

Texas Rep. Pete Sessions: When Will His War On Marijuana End?

Mike Adams
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Texas Rep. Pete Sessions: When Will His War On Marijuana End?

It was once believed that U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions was the greatest foe of the cannabis legalization movement. But aside from getting under everyone’s skin and sandbagging medical marijuana research opportunities, he hasn’t done much to stifle the average cannabis industry.

But there is a man on Capitol Hill, bearing the same last name as the head of the Justice Department, who we are learning is the great saboteur when it comes to making progress with pot in the lower chamber of Congress.

That man is U.S. Representative Pete Sessions of Texas. This twisted hombre, who is the Chairman of the House Rules Committee, has gone out of his way throughout the years to ensure no amendments associated with protecting state-level marijuana laws makes it out alive. Over the summer, he blocked several amendments designed to give veterans access to medical marijuana. It is a run of interference that has three times prevented the House of Representative from so much as taking up a vote on the issue. It hasn’t since 2016.

But Sessions doesn’t just block votes; he professes his hatred for marijuana to the public every chance he gets. At a recent conference to discuss the national opioid epidemic, Sessions told those in attendance that pot isn’t a suitable alternative for painkillers because it is “300 times more powerful” than it was 45 years ago, reports the Daily Beast. This reactionary figure has also suggested that weed is more of a cause than a cure. At the conference, he claimed that marijuana was a gateway to opioid addiction, despite scientific studies and the federal government’s health agencies showing otherwise.

It was the National Institute on Drug Abuse that came out and said that “the majority of people who use marijuana do not go on to use other, ‘harder’ substances,” but rather it is “alcohol and nicotine” that “were more likely to inspire people to use harder substances.” Still, Sessions has conveniently disregarded this information.

It is encouraging, however, that Pete Sessions’ reign of stupidity might be at the end of its rope. The Congressman is up for reelection for the first time in over a decade and stands a distinct possibility of being knocked off his cross by Democratic opponent Colin Allred. This candidate, who served as a civil rights attorney and played with the NFL, is a cannabis supporter. He believes veterans should have access to medical marijuana as a means for treating PTSD and chronic pain.

But the political race has been neck and neck. A recent New York Times/Siena College Poll published earlier this week shows Sessions leading 48 percent to Allred’s 47 percent. Still, if the election goes a certain way, one Sessions is on his way home.

Now, if we could just a find a way to get the other one out of Washington, we’d be in good shape.

Neighbors Are Pissed At Chris Hemsworth For Building A Giant Mansion; Here’s Why Princess Anne Doesn’t Shake Hands

Naughty Gossip
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Neighbors Are Pissed At Chris Hemsworth For Building A Giant Mansion; Here’s Why Princess Anne Doesn’t Shake Hands

CHRIS HEMSWORTH UPSETS NEIGHBORS CONSTRUCTING MASSIVE MANSION

Chris Hemsworth and Elsa Pataky are building a monstrosity of a home in Australia … and the massive building is pissing off tons of people who say it’s totally out of place and looks more like a shopping mall.

You can judge for yourself … but it’s easy to see why the Internet is going crazy over Thor’s new fortress. There are endless amounts of concrete, a huge chunk of forest missing and it dwarfs everything else in Byron Bay.

Chris and Elsa have been building their dream house for nearly a year — they’ve reportedly poured $8 million into the project — but the colossal compound has become a nightmare for neighbors.

The sprawling estate is expected to feature a huge swimming pool, steam room, gym and a luxury spa.

PRINCESS ANNE DOESN’T HAVE THE TIME TO SHAKE YOUR HAND

There’s a good reason why Princess Anne doesn’t shake hands during royal walkabouts — she’s keeping with tradition!

“We never shook hands,” the 68-year-old daughter of Queen Elizabeth II explains in a sneak peek from the upcoming HBO documentary Queen of the World. “The theory was that you couldn’t shake hands with everybody, so don’t start. So I kind of stick with that, but I noticed others don’t,” she remarks with a laugh. Anne then goes on to explain that while “it’s not for me to say that it’s wrong,” royal walkabouts have changed significantly since the Queen began the custom in the 1970s.

“It’s become a shaking hands exercise rather than a walkabout,” she remarks. Anne went on to explain that nowadays, it can be hard to actually see who you’re interacting with because of all the technology people bring with them to document the moment.

“Phones are bad enough, but the iPads — you can’t even see their heads,” she remarks. “No idea who you’re talking to. I either don’t bother or just say, ‘Look, if you want to ask…I suggest you put that down.’ It is weird. People don’t believe they’ve experienced the event unless they’ve taken a photograph.”

KIM KARDASHIAN TALKING ABOUT KANYE WEST’S PENIS

It seems like the reality star was feeling a little playful with Kanye West Tuesday night because she left a cheeky comment on one of his Instagram photos that raised everyone’s eyebrows

The photo was simple—West snapped a picture of his leg in gray sweatpants. Well, it caught Kim’s eye.

“Grey sweat pants challenge? Lemme see,” she quipped with a laughing emoji.

The #GreySweatpantsChallenge started trending a few years ago with guys taking to the Internet to photograph their—ahem, junk—in…grey sweatpants.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoK-_0DlrhL/?utm_source=ig_embed

 

Canadian Marijuana Market Set To Hit $1 Billion In 3 Months

Mary Schumacher
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Canadian Marijuana Market Set To Hit $1 Billion In 3 Months

A new figure is out regarding Canadians and cannabis, and it’s a doozy! Statistic Canada estimates that Canadians could spend up to $1 billion by the end of the year once marijuana is legalized October 17. The agency is also predicting a steep decline in purchases via the illegal market.

Even more amazingly, that $1 billion valuation only includes recreational sales. Add the quarter billion or more in medical sales and you have beyond a burgeoning market.

Depending on the province or territory, persons must be 18 or 19 years old to legally purchase cannabis. The estimations made are done so utilizing statistics and census population data from the National Cannabis Survey. Said survey provides stats on how many illegal users will likely switch to the legalized market, how many non-users will try cannabis now that it’s legal and so on.

With all the data at hand, it’s estimated that around 5.4 million people will purchase cannabis in this fourth quarter and that they will add up to the billion dollar mark, if not surpass it. According to the breakdown, the illicit market would fall to 24 percent of the total cannabis sales in Canada — a steep decline from previous years.

The survey, which depends on self-reported use admissions, estimates household consumption expenditure and in the past people have favored the illegal market for non-medical purposes. That’s been the case for decades. Now, since October 17 of this year, legal cannabis has come to Canada and the numbers have been turned on their heads.

According to the full report, there are 29,892,021 people now eligible to consume cannabis. Of them, nearly 15 percent currently use cannabis, 49 percent of whom are definitely switching to the legal market and a little over 25 percent more who might make the switch. That leaves about a quarter of the market still obtaining weed illegally, but is still a huge shift in methods and in a positive direction.

As the $1 billion per quarter is bound to rise with time, at least incrementally, Canada is looking at a sharp shot in the arm of revenue. It may take some time to totally disrupt the black market, if that’s even possible, but what’s going to be coming in is going to be miraculous to the places it lands. From funding healthcare to specifically fighting the opioid crisis, there will be boosts that will do wonders.

Cannibalism Won’t Nourish Your Body, Says Award-Winning Scientist

Brendan Bures
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Cannibalism Won’t Nourish Your Body, Says Award-Winning Scientist

Look, everyone already knew that eating other humans was not cool. Like, it’s just something we all know not to do. But maybe you get curious sometimes. Maybe you watch Mike Tyson biting that one dude’s ear off and intrigue fills your pores, sweat starts pouring from your glands, and, hey, maybe a little bite won’t hurt. Well guess what? If you did that, not only would you be super not cool, you’d also be not nutritious.

That’s according to Dr. James Cole, an archaeology lecturer at the University of Brighton, U.K., who won the Improbable Research Ig Nobel Prize for his research on the nutritional value of eating human meat. The Ig Nobel prize is given to otherwise eclectic research that “first make people LAUGH then make them THINK.”

Cole’s now award-winning paper demonstrates that human cadavers have significantly lower caloric value when compared to what our Paleolithic ancestor consumed to survive. His deadly serious conclusion was that cannibalism most likely evolved for cultural and societal reasons, not because human meat was the best nutritional option around.

“When you compare us to other animals, we’re not very nutritional at all,” Cole told National Geographic.

This, you may not know, was not a universally held opinion in the scientific community.

Via The Inverse:

Previous researchers had asserted that cannibalism was probably nutritional in nature. For example, in a 2010 paper published in Current Anthropology, a team led by Spanish archaeologist Eudald Carbonell, Ph.D., argued that the number of cases of cannibalism in the archaeological record suggested that humans were hunting other humans were food. A paper published in 2016 in the Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory also echoed this point, but it admitted that researchers were divided on the idea.

Glad we now have that settled! Don’t eat humans. Noted. We’re definitely not worth the calories and (probably) not at all tasty.

The Woman Who Almost Came Between Prince William And Kate

Amy Hansen
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The Woman Who Almost Came Between Prince William And Kate

As their love story has been known to be told, Kate Middleton and Prince William met during college (university if you’re fancy), dated, then briefly broke up in 2007 before getting hitched in 2011. But there’s a caveat that’s usually left out of their Disney-like relationship timeline. Before the breakup, But what about the woman who almost came between Prince William and Kate? The heir had a monster crush on another woman, reportedly influencing the couple’s brief separation.

Her name is Isabella Calthorpe, and she hasn’t shed a tear since turning down William’s advances more than a decade ago. The 38-year-old went on to marry the son of business magnate and Virgin founder Richard Branson. Sam Branson is a different kind of heir. They type that’s going to inherit billions of dollars when his pops either passes away or retires. Whichever comes first.

RELATED: Eerie! Watch Kate Middleton’s Future Predicted When She Was 13

But Isabella’s pedigree isn’t too shabby. She’s the daughter of banking heiress Lady Mary Gaye Curzon and John Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, (the son of Sir Richard Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe, 2nd Baronet). According to Marie Claire:

Royal expert Katie Nicholl wrote in her 2010 book William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls that William visited the Anstruther-Gough-Calthorpe family home in Chelsea to see Isabella that summer and even contributed to Will and Kate’s decision to take a trial break from their relationship at that time.

Will reportedly tried very hard to woo Isabella, but was unsuccessful. She turned him down.

Doesn’t look like she’s too upset.

https://www.instagram.com/p/XWiJ9vL-KF

Back in 2007, a royal source told the Daily Mail:

He had fallen for her in a huge way and wanted to be with her. He propositioned her several times that summer and although Isabella was single, she knocked William back and said it would be too damaging for her and her career. She is a name in her own right and on her way to becoming hugely successful. In her view, being affiliated with William in a girlfriend capacity would be damaging for her.

Did we mention Isabella is an actress? She can’t let some “royal” ruin her rep. Her IMDB isn’t long, but she’s starred in a decent number of films such as How to Lose Friends & Alienate People, Night Wolf and the TV series Trinity.

RELATED: That Time Prince William Said He And Kate Shared A Dirty Sense Of Humor

You may actually be more familiar with her half-sister, Cressida Bonas, who famously dated Prince Harry from 2012 to 2014. It runs in the family! Isabella also runs with other royals. She’s BFF with Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, both of whom attended her 2013 wedding.

It’s been reported the Isabella is the only woman Kate has ever really been jealous of because she knew how much William was into her. Going back to royal expert Katie Nicholl, she revealed in her book that Kate actually banned Will from contacting Isabella after their short break-up.

It was obviously the break that William needed, and by Christmas they were back together again, although Kate had a condition. Word had reached her of William’s visits to Isabella, and Kate insisted that William was not to contact her again.

But none of that shade stopped Isabella from attending Kate and Will’s royal wedding. That’s right. Just like Prince Harry’s exes (Cressida and Chelsy Davy) witnessed his vows to Meghan Markle, Isabella also watched her former suitor wed another woman.

If this isn’t a royal fairytale, nothing is.

Medical Cannabis Can Help You Heal From Hepatitis C

Richard Faulk
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Medical Cannabis Can Help You Heal From Hepatitis C

Although Hepatitis C can be treated effectively, and may even clear up on its own, there is evidence that cannabis can help heal the liver. But it’s vague. A 2005 review of the medical literature concluded that cannabinoids “appear to be involved in several aspects of acute and chronic liver disease.” Another review from that year was both more upbeat and less precise: Cannabis, it said, presents “an exciting interventional landscape.”

Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver. Its symptoms are so mild that it is frequently undiagnosed, which is bad, because chronic Hepatitis C and lead to life-threatening conditions, such cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C is spread through blood, so the primary channels are having sex (particularly if you already have an STD) and sharing needles.

Newer Hep C drugs work well and have mild side effects, but the traditional treatment can cause anxiety, depression, nausea, and diarrhea. If you’re lucky, you’ll just get flu-like symptoms.

But one interesting vein of research shows that the primary benefit that cannabis provides hep C patients is not medical but motivational.

A study from 2006 observed that the primary risk group for Hepatitis C is illicit drug users are. Not to trade in stereotypes, but that population, practically by definition, is one that is marginal and has little support. Accordingly, it’s easy for them to drop out of treatment—particularly when that treatment can be physically and emotionally grueling.

The study concluded that cannabis can calm the ill effects of hep C treatment, much as it does the side effects of chemotherapy. But also, it just makes people feel better. And if they feel better and more hopeful about their lives, they’re more likely to continue treatment.

The study ends with this endearing attempt at nerd humor: “It may in fact be an ironical truth that those persons who contracted HCV [i.e. hep C] through a form of illicit drug use may be aided in ridding themselves of this, potentially fatal, virus by the use of another drug in addition to their HCV therapy.”

On Ecstasy, Typically Loner Octopuses Just Want To Cuddle

Brendan Bures
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On Ecstasy, Typically Loner Octopuses Just Want To Cuddle

Octopuses are not creatures we would characterize as being a good hang. Their abilities as escape artists, chameleonic shape-shifters, and all-around intelligent invertebrates withstanding, octopuses are loner maniacs. You know Travis Bickle, Robert DeNiro’s character in Taxi Driver? Imagine him as an octopus. Now you know what an octopus is usually like.

To help understand the intelligence octopuses have, scientists decided to give the creatures MDMA. Yes, the party drug that goes by names like ecstasy, Molly, and E. They wanted to understand how the animals would respond to the psychoactive drug. The study, published last week in Current Biology, showed that MDMA made loner octopuses want to cuddle. High on the drug, they became social, “essentially hugging.” Seriously.

“The brains of octopuses are more similar to those of snails than humans, but our studies add to evidence that they can exhibit some of the same behaviors that we can,” said Gül Dölen, M.D., Ph.D., an assistant neuroscience professor at Johns Hopkins and the lead researcher on the study. “What our studies suggest is that certain brain chemicals, or neurotransmitters, that send signals between neurons required for these social behaviors are evolutionarily conserved.”

Though our brains might be wired differently, the research could present promising findings about how social behavior is neurologically managed. Humans and octopuses have almost identical genomic codes for the transporter that binds serotonin, which is often associated with mood and depressive disorders. Because octopuses are separated by “500 million years of evolution from humans,” Dr. Dölen believes it represents an intriguing case study the relationship between serotonin and MDMA.

Judit Pungor, a neuroscientist at the University of Oregon, told NPR: “They have this huge complex brain that they’ve built, that has absolutely no business acting like ours does — but here they show that it does. The fact that they induced this very sort of gentle, cuddly behavior is really pretty fascinating.”

Scientists gave the octopuses MDMA by inserting them into sweater with doses of the drug. When the dosage was higher, the octopuses became super vigilant, changing colors frequently and angling themselves into the corner. But when the dosage was low, an amount more similar to the amount a human might take, the octopuses became more social, interacting with one another in a way they normally only do when matting. Scientists observed the effects the low dose of MDMA had on them was comparable to how humans might act on the drug.

The study could eventually lead scientists to discover treatment methods using MDMA to help those with PTSD or other depressive disorders.

“We need to be taking full advantage of these compounds to see what they’re doing to the brain,” Dr. Dölen told the New York Times.

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