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Study Suggests Cannabis Users Experience Noisy Brain

Mary Schumacher
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Study Suggests Cannabis Users Experience Noisy Brain

When getting ready to hit the hay, the last thing a cannabis imbiber usually does, besides check their phone, is smoke a little weed to get in that dreamy mood. Indica has been lauded for its ability to help people — especially the very ill — get much needed rest. A new study, however, shows cortical activation during times of rest, compared to sober individuals.

One of the implications of what’s been termed “noisy brain” is that cannabis users exhibited increased synchronization — or activation — of most of the different brain waves. The scientists make the connection between the “noisy brain” activity in cannabis users in repose to similar results that happened with the addictive use of other drugs, like heroin and cocaine.

RELATED: People Who Use Weed Also Do More Of Another Fun Thing

Whenever a new study comes out, though, the first place to look is where the funding is coming from. Because of cannabis’ status as a Schedule I drug in the U.S., getting money to research it takes a lot of work, and often the kind of work that aims at furthering drug war propaganda. Think, “This is your brain on drugs.”

In the case of the study titled, “Increased cortical activation in cannabis users’ brains in resting state, research suggests,” published September 5 in Science Daily, researchers were funded through a grant by the National Institutes of Health. One quick visit to the NIH website shows their blatant stance on marijuana; they go so far as to suggest people visiting their site continue to research cannabis further on the National Institute on Drug Abuse site. True tell.

However, the real conclusion of the study was that more studies are needed, and that part is true. More studies need to be done, without the bias of dollars, where they came from, and what they seem to imply: Seek negative results or forget funding.

Related: CBD Is Entering The Mainstream Through Beauty Products

Then again, perhaps these are truly concerned scientists who just aren’t quite sure if “noisy brain” is detrimental or not. They are likely correct when they say that it takes a little extra time to wind down when the popular sativa dominant strains are used. Maybe even with potent indica, the strains do stimulate thought, but to imply that having extra activity in the brain is intrinsically bad is to do a disservice to the research as a whole and its many implications.

More research is happening around the world as cannabis eases its way into the full spotlight. Our own government is unquestionably behind the times with their federal ban on cannabis, whilst 31 states and the District of Columbia have legalized or medicalized in some form, but as the herb continues to garner attention, perhaps the administration will see the green light, drop the scheduling and thus give the go ahead to researchers across the board.

The Queen’s Favorite Part Of Prince William’s 21st Birthday

Patricia Wallace
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The Queen’s Favorite Part Of Prince William’s 21st Birthday

Special celebrations have been surrounding the Royal Family all year. First, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry tied the knot in May. And next month, it’ll be Princess Eugenie‘s turn to wed. There was also the birth of Prince Louis and his subsequent christening, not to mention Duchess Meghan’s first birthday as a Royal. The most important person in all of this? The event planner. That title carries some hefty weight around the Royal Palace.

Johnny Roxburgh, who’s spent the last 30 years working for royalty, organizing everything from weddings to milestone birthdays. And you might be surprised by what his favorite event to plan was.

RELATED: Princess Diana Got Prince William A Boob Cake For His 13th Birthday

Roxburgh told Tatler that it was “the fancy-dress 21st birthday party of Prince William” that he loved most.

The Prince was charming beyond belief – handsome, fun and wonderful to work with. We created an African jungle at Windsor Castle with full-size elephants made from palm husk, table centers that would shame a Lion King headdress, a giant ice vodka luge in the shape of an elephant’s head (which The Queen loved). I realized then that our future king is a very cool young man.

He said the biggest issue of any big event is security. “Sniffer dogs, endless checking of names and in this age of camera phones there is often the need for a telephone concierge,” said Roxburgh, who revealed that a special “in case of emergency” phone number is sent to guests before they arrive, since their phones will be confiscated.

Ahead of the day, guests are sent a telephone number they can give to babysitters, family etc to call in an emergency – this is manned by our team of staff and in return they relinquish their phones and thus the families protect the images that are put online to safeguard their privacy. Not every bride wants her photos to be all over the net and sometimes they will have done a deal with a magazine which means the pictures need to be protected.

He says protocol plays a huge part in everything, including Princess Eugenie’s upcoming nuptials.

“I often wonder how it feels when HM The Queen is your Grandmother? We will never know, but judging by the smiling faces at previous weddings, I suspect it’s rather marvelous,” said Roxburgh. “She is such an inspiration and it’s her presence that defines all the protocol. Despite the need for protocol, the modern royal wedding is essentially a family event with the added gloss of a huge choir, an orchestra and The National Anthem.”

 

Poll Finds Michigan Residents Ready For Recreational Cannabis

Mary Schumacher
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Poll Finds Michigan Residents Ready For Recreational Cannabis

In November, residents of Michigan will vote on a ballot measure as to whether or not the state should allow adult use marijuana. According to a recent poll by WDIV/Detroit News, the likely voters who participated were in favor of the measure and the majority said that they would be voting yes.

With the whole of 56.2 percent saying they will vote yes, and with the 6 percent of undecided voters — many of whom are likely to either not vote on the issue or to vote yes — make Michigan becoming a fully green state this year a very good possibility. The poll found that the only age-based voting block opposed to the measure was made up of those 65 and older.

On the other hand, younger voters were all for legalization. Eighteen to 29 year olds answered 79.2 percent in the affirmative, leaving very little doubt that the future of cannabis is in the hands of many pro-pot individuals. As long as they run for office when they can, our country will be in marijuana legislature supportive hands.

Thirty to 39 year olds were also in high favor of legalization, with 71.6 percent in favor. Not far off from the younger block, but a gaping 14.6 percentage points away from the next age group of 40-49 year olds.

Though pot continues to show itself as a bipartisan issue in general, this poll found that democrats were more likely to vote yes than republicans. The dems clocked in at 70.3 percent in favor, while republicans approved in the minority.

If Prop 1 passes, it will mean legalized, taxed and regulated cannabis for all adults 21 and older. It will make Michigan another state to flip policies in the direction of social equality, with fewer arrests, fewer students losing school funding over a simple joint and with tax revenue to boot.

The poll affirms what many polls nationwide have been saying the past few years. As pot is normalized and its stigma lifted, more people are in favor of its legalization — the majority of people, in fact. And it turns out that financial incentive is a big winner. This era of cannabis explosion across a market that is illegal at the federal level is unprecedented, but it’s raking in the bucks and hasn’t been called the Green Rush without reason.

Will Michigan cash in and support social change simultaneously? Only the final November results will tell.

Here’s Why You Need To Stop Multitasking Immediately

Maria Loreto
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Here’s Why You Need To Stop Multitasking Immediately

Despite the fact that psychologists and experts keep on saying that multitasking is less productive than doing one thing at a time, people still think they’re the exception to the rule. The truth is that multitasking is very complicated, with some experts claiming that it doesn’t even exist in the first place.

According to Popular Science, psychologists believe the right term for multitasking is rapid task switching. This process occurs every time you stop doing something in order to pay attention to something else, like when you’re watching a movie and answer a text on your phone. Paying equal amounts of attention to different tasks is very difficult, especially when they demand some thought.

Real life studies show that workplace interruptions cost around $650 billion dollars a year, and that’s only in the U.S.. These “interruptions” can be anything from receiving a phone call in the middle of your work day to having a conversation with your coworker. According to the University of California, it takes an average of 25 minutes for a person to get back to a task once they’ve been distracted, so distractions have a real effect and cost in productivity.

As a rule, the more you’re interrupted and the more you get distracted, the larger cost it has on your productivity. The situation changes when you’re doing things that are more intuitive, such as working out and listening to music. In this case, tests show that a distraction actually helps people work out more vigorously.

In order to boost your productivity, cognitive scientist Jim Davies suggests splitting your day in half hour chunks. Spend your half hours doing only one thing, without checking emails, accepting phone calls, or getting distracted. When done correctly, this method allows you to accomplish several things throughout your day, avoiding boredom and making you feel productive.

Legal Marijuana Means Lower Property Taxes in NJ

Mary Schumacher
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Legal Marijuana Means Lower Property Taxes in NJ

New Jersey has notoriously high property taxes, and though they vary address to address, as a whole, New Jerseyans pay 2.4 percent tax compared with the national average of 1.19 percent. Apparently, that statistic has a lot of Garden State residents in the mood for legal weed. To add to the perks, legal marijuana means lower property taxes in NJ.

According to a private survey obtained by NJ Advance Media and conducted for Nuka Enterprises, a marijuana-based food products company, 44 percent of those polled were in favor of legalizing cannabis, whereas 31 percent were opposed. That was in general.

When the surveyors upped the stakes and asked if people would support legalization if it meant lower property taxes, 53 percent shot up in favor and those opposed went down to 24 percent. As bills are being written and rewritten to legalize marijuana in New Jersey, legislators would do well to remember these stats when drafting.

A large part of Phil Murphy’s gubernatorial platform was legalizing cannabis for New Jerseyans. He envisioned fairer law enforcement, taking a bite out of the black market and bringing in revenue for the state. However, his proposed state budget back in March estimated that the initial revenue from the taxing of recreational cannabis would be $60 million. Not a high number comparatively, should lawmakers go that direction.

But, although Murphy campaigned on revenue, his real focus was social justice and the disproportionate amount of black and brown persons being arrested when numbers show that — white, black or brown — we all use cannabis at about the same rate.

In the recent survey, however, when asked if the person thought that minority populations are most impacted by drug laws, only 39 percent responded that they strongly agreed with that assertion. According to the ACLU, “Despite roughly equal usage rates, Blacks are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana.”

These are numbers that need to get out to the public if they are to vote with their hearts as well as their pocketbooks. Money talks though, and in the age of the Green Rush, it’s no wonder that New Jersey residents are so ready to change their tune on cannabis if it means lower property taxes. Now it’s a waiting game to see what legislation comes about and if Jerseyans will have a true green state in the near future.

Canada Dedicates $100 Million For ‘Nuanced’ Marijuana Education

Brendan Bures
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Canada Dedicates $100 Million For ‘Nuanced’ Marijuana Education

Over the past several decades, any public health campaign regarding drugs, including marijuana, touted a clear directive. From D.A.R.E. to Above the Influence, the message was simply not to do drugs. It’s a pretty easy statement to make when marijuana is illegal, but how does a national health department educate its people when the drug in question is legal?

That’s the proposition facing Canada at the moment. With many in the U.S. watching how Canada handles legalizing marijuana in its multiple components, Canada is launching a six-year, $100 million “nuanced” campaign that focuses on reducing potential harm and instilling situational awareness to when using marijuana is not a good idea. The campaign will specifically target youth and young adults.

“Inevitably, that communication and education is going to be more nuanced and subtle,” Professor of Public Health at the University of Waterloo David Hammond told CBC.

“We’re seeing an evolution in the type of messages and if you really want to connect with consumers, don’t tell them whether they should or should not do it. Give them information that will inform their decision,” Hammond added.

About $62.5 million of the budget will be dedicated to supporting indigenous groups and community organization working to educate their locals about cannabis. Drug Free Kids Canada has also developed a pamphlet mainly for parents that will help start conversations with their kids about cannabis.

Marc Paris, who serves as executive director for Drug Free Kids Canada, says parents have been “keeping their heads in the sand” for too long regarding cannabis legalization. Instead, they need to start an “ongoing conversation” with their kids and guide them in the same way they would alcohol.

One advertising campaign that is already seeing some success is also the simplest and most obvious: “honest facts.” Collating questions the general public has asked about cannabis, Canada assembled cannabis experts to deliver the “honest facts” and post them on their website. They’re also disseminating the information throughout places where they can reach teens, one of their primary demographics, like music festivals, sporting events, and fairs.

Said Hammond, “You’re going to see that some of these campaigns are going to fall on their face and some of them will do quite well, but they’ll all contribute to the discussion and that’s a good thing.”

Jimmy Buffett Makes A Move To ‘Marijuanaville’

Brendan Bures
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Jimmy Buffett Makes A Move To ‘Marijuanaville’

Apologies in advance, but I am contractually obligated to make the following and very corny joke—ahem: Looks like Jimmy Buffett is leaving “Margaritaville” and moving to “Marijuanaville!” Instead of that lost shaker of salt, he’s now searching for his, er, lost shaker of shake! He’s still watching the sun bake, though.

Jokes aside, Jimmy Buffett will license his Coral Reefer band name and brand to place on cannabis products ranging from vaporizers to edibles. The licensing deal is through medical cannabis giant Surterra.

“I have followed and studied with keen intensity the recent evolvement of the medical marijuana story and the path towards the simple common-sense conclusion that cannabis is good medicine,” Buffett said on Tuesday.

You might be familiar with Surterra’s recently appointed chairman — William “Beau” Wrigley Jr., the former CEO and heir to the Wrigley chewing gum empire. Buffett partnered with Wrigley on the deal. According the Wall Street Journal, Buffett was approached by other startup companies to use his brand name, but ultimately sided with Surterra because of its medical focus.

A New York Times profile earlier this year noted that “Jimmy Buffett does not live the Jimmy Buffett lifestyle” anymore. The party icon of old “has been replaced with a well-preserved businessman.” He doesn’t do carbs or sugars, and doesn’t smoke marijuana anymore. Instead, he vapes oils “only sometimes after work,” like a responsible 71-year-old rock star.

So Buffett’s decision to side with Surterra is understandable. However, it’s worth noting that Wrigley told Bloomberg last month that he aims to move Surterra into the recreational cannabis space eventually and soak up some of the $5 billion market that recreational marijuana is anticipated to produce across nine legal states. In other words, don’t expect Marijuanaville to stay small for long.

App Gives Recipes Based On Your Food Photos

Maria Loreto
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App Gives Recipes Based On Your Food Photos

If there’s one thing that hasn’t yet been invaded by artificial intelligence, it’s food. But PixFood plans to fix that. The new app give recipes based your food photos. It will allow users to know exactly which ingredients make up a plate, while also giving them personalized recipes. Because that’s what we all need, especially on a lazy day.

How the app works is pretty straightforward: take a picture of food and the app tells you which ingredients are involved in the making of the dish, while also giving recipes based on the food you have in your fridge.

TechCrunch reports that the main difference between PixFood and other food apps is the fact that the former is personalized and creates a profile for you that’s singular and unlike anyone else’s. “After you take a photo, the app instantly sends you tailored recipe suggestions! At first, they are more or less the same for everyone, but as you continue using it, it starts to learn what you precisely like, by connecting patterns and taking into consideration different behaviors,” said Martin Tonnesson, CEO and founder of PixFood.

The next step in the recently launched app is to connect itself to restaurants and delivery services, so you can order something your craving or the items you need in order to cook whatever the app is recommending.

Mark Wahlberg Reveals His Insane Schedule And Social Media Has Questions

Maria Loreto
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Mark Wahlberg Reveals His Insane Schedule And Social Media Has Questions

The name Mark Wahlberg is usually associated with music or movies, or even Wahlburgers, the burger joint he owns with his brothers Paul and Donny. But lately, the name elicits confusion over some strange remarks the actor made on social media.

Last year, Wahlberg, who is now a devout catholic, dropped a bombshell saying he regrets acting in Boogie Nights despite the fact that the film basically launched his acting career. And now, he’s making headlines again for revealing that he keeps the world’s most bizarre schedule.

The actor posted his typical daily schedule in an Instagram story, where he claimed that he wakes up every day at 2:30 a.m. and that he has breakfast by 3:15 a.m.. There’s also family time scheduled at 11 a.m., suggesting that his kids don’t go to school or that they’re home schooled. Wouldn’t be surprised.

Wahlberg also goes to bed by 7:30 p.m., something that has confused people from all over the Internet and has Vanity Fair suggesting that maybe he’s just a muscled and colicky baby.

Congress Eliminates Medical Marijuana Provision For Veterans

Mike Adams
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Congress Eliminates Medical Marijuana Provision For Veterans

Regardless of how progressive some federal lawmakers believe Congress has become with respect to nationwide marijuana reform, there seems to be less evidence of this everyday. The latest bungle comes at the hands of a congressional conference committee and shows nothing but ill intent toward U.S. military veterans.

Earlier this week, a panel connected to the U.S House of Representatives eliminated a temporary provision tucked inside a budget proposal for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs designed to give its doctors the right to recommend medical marijuana to their patients.

The concept of allowing veterans access to medical marijuana in states where it is legal has been a hot topic of discussion as of late. It is one that has been tried and failed through the legislative grind year after year, even after the issue gains some initial traction.

But 2018 looked like it could be the session to get it done. After all, more Republicans, many of which opposed cannabis in the past, are now starting to embrace the idea of legal weed. Unfortunately, none of them seem to be the ones with any power or influence.

Over the summer, the Senate approved the bill almost unanimously. It only need concurrence from the House to be included in the VA funding for Fiscal Year 2019 – making it the first time ever VA doctors were legally able to discuss cannabis treatments as part of their patients’ overall health care plans. But House Republicans were not having it. The committee did not even allow the issue to be put up to a vote. It simply scratched the provision from the proposal before moving it forward.

Some of the same lawmakers who have tried to convince the public that opinions toward marijuana are rapidly changing on Capitol Hill seemed surprised by the House committee’s decision to turn their backs on the men and women who have served the nation at times of war.

“Denying veterans the care they need by the doctors they trust is shameful,” Representative Earl Blumenauer of Oregon said in a statement.

“The Senate passed this amendment. It has broad bipartisan support in the House. This should have been a no brainer,” he added. “Yet, Republican leadership has once again stymied progress toward fair and equal treatment for our veterans. Their continued neglect of commonsense and the will of the American people is a disgrace.”

Two years ago, similar language was well received by both chambers, but an independent panel ultimately removed the provision from the bill. The consensus seems to be that as long as marijuana is illegal at the federal level, Uncle Sam (or at least his Republican controls) is not about to allow American soldiers to use cannabis, even if it is for medicinal purposes.

But more permanent legislation is needed anyway. There was a bill introduced last week aimed at giving veterans access to medical marijuana, but will likely to be met with the same level of resistance. Congressional leadership still adamantly opposes all things marijuana.

Of course, the blatant disregard for vets and their freedom have serious conversations with their doctors about cannabis medicine has advocacy groups up in arms.

“This decision of Republican leaders flies in the face of science, compassion, and overwhelming public support,” reads a statement from the Veterans Cannabis Coalition. “The Republican conference has steadfastly voted to send millions of other people’s sons and daughters to fight in endless wars while fighting tooth-and-nail to prevent the study of something that provides relief and healing to those injured in military service. Leadership can’t claim to care about veterans health and well-being while refusing to even discuss cannabis. Enough hypocrisy. We call on House Republicans to listen to the literally tens of thousands of veterans who have benefited from cannabis access, negotiate in good faith, and allow votes to take place.”

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