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Marijuana Legislative Roundup Week of July 30

Alec Engber
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Marijuana Legislative Roundup Week of July 30

Here is the marijuana legislative roundup for the week of July 30. Although Congress has adjourned for its August recess, last week saw a number of significant legislative developments in relation to marijuana reform, including: a call by state legislators nationwide for the freedom to regulate cannabis, and the announcement of a new panel to draw up a bill to legalize recreational cannabis in New York state and some noteworthy policy decisions in California.

National

On Wednesday, state lawmakers from across the nation passed a resolution directing Congress to allow states to regulate marijuana without federal interference. The resolution, which was drafted by Oregon delegates and passed by the National Conference of State Legislators, notes that a majority of states have now legalized medical marijuana and that a growing number have also legalized recreational marijuana for adults. It then urges Congress to remove the threat of prosecution for businesses engaged in state-legal marijuana activities and allow them access to banking services.

To facilitate these objectives, the directive calls on Congress to remove cannabis from scheduling under the Controlled Substances Act. While the measure has no binding effect on Congress, it offers an indication of the broad support marijuana reform enjoys and could help to convince members of Congress who are uneasy about taking steps toward legalization due to political concerns.

New York

On Thursday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced his appointments to a new panel tasked with drafting comprehensive legislation to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. The 20-member task force, comprised of criminal justice and drug reform advocates, law enforcement, teachers, academics, substance abuse counselors, and other stakeholders. The move comes in the wake of the release of a New York Department of Health report commissioned by the governor in January to study the impact of a regulated cannabis on public health, criminal justice, and the economy. The report, released in June, found that the positive effects of legalization would significantly outweigh the negative, which was the basis for Como’s convening of the panel.

California

On July 25, the California Cannabis Control Commission released a memo expressing its stance that the production and sale of marijuana-infused alcoholic beverages remains illegal under state law. While this had been assumed prior to the memo, it had not been stated explicitly as a matter of policy.

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday withdrew a ballot proposal to increase taxes on marijuana-related sales. The ballot question would have increased taxes on retail cannabis sales by 1 percent in the city, and imposed a $5 surcharge on tickets to marijuana events and on cannabis lab tests. The move comes as the city began accepting its second round of applications for marijuana business licenses.

How This Army Veteran Cashed In On The CBD Market

Mike Adams
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How This Army Veteran Cashed In On The CBD Market

U.S. Military veterans may still be prohibited from using medical marijuana by the federal government, but that doesn’t mean they can’t strike it rich in the cannabis industry. Craig Henderson, an Army vet who served in Iraq, is one of those soldiers going this route, building a multi-million dollar company through the distribution of cannabidiol-infused products. His business, Extract Labs, which is based in Boulder, Colorado, was launched in December 2016. It now employs 25 people and recently opened a second location in Louisville, Kentucky, according to a story from Military Times.

Cannabidiol (CBD) is the non-psychoactive component of marijuana. This means it is still considered a Schedule I dangerous drug with “no known medical value” in the eyes of the federal government. But it has been shown to have a variety of medicinal functions, including helping people with depression, insomnia and epileptic seizures.

Last year, the World Health Organization published a report suggesting that CBD be removed from its Schedule I classification because its use “could have some therapeutic value.” In June, the U.S Food and Drug Administration approved the first ever CBD-based pharmaceutical drug for distribution in the United States. This move could lead to a CBD reschedule on the Controlled Substances Act, according to Forbes.

As for Henderson, he got into the business of slinging CBD after “watching a bunch of marijuana documentaries” and “following the laws changing in Colorado and California.” His first thought was to get a job in the cannabis industry, so he began “emailing people my resume and calling different companies.”

“But no one called me back,” he said.

He was eventually pulled on to work with Ohio-based Apecks Supercritical, where he spent several years “teaching people how to process marijuana with CO2.” It was during that time that Henderson recognized a unique opportunity working with hemp farmers and decided to go out on his own. Extract Labs was created.

Henderson’s company deals in hemp-based CBD products, like tinctures, creams, shatter and vape juice. Because these items are not derived from the cannabis plant, many hempsters, like Extract, have been raking in the sales because patients in prohibition states can get their hands on these remedies without the threat of legal repercussions.

Although the FDA recently approved CBD-based Epidiolex for certain kinds of epilepsy, companies like Extract Labs cannot “make specific claims” about the medical powers of their CBD products. They are not FDA approved. Still, this has not stopped the cannabis entrepreneurs, like Henderson, from cashing in on high demand. The CBD market pulled in around $820 million in 2017. It is expected to grow 700 percent within the next the two years.

People Are Searching Bigfoot Porn Thanks To A Republican

Maria Loreto
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People Are Searching Bigfoot Porn Thanks To A Republican

Out of a scene from a movie, Virginia’s Democrat Congressional candidate Leslie Cockbun accused her Republican opponent, Denver Riggleman, of being a “devotee of Bigfoot erotica.” No one expected this seemingly random comment to have an effect on the real world or, you know, Pornhub.

Pornhub, loving every opportunity to make fun of someone through the use of porn, reported that the number of searches containing the word “Bigfoot” skyrocketed 8,037 percent within the 24 hours after the news broke. It’s completely understandable, people were curious. What does Bigfoot porn even mean?

Related Story: This App For Saving Water Can Help You Get Free Porn For A Week

In a statement to Mashable, Alex Hawkins, VP of xHamster, explained that Bigfoot porn has been around since the 1970s, when the creature first entered our collective unconscious. “In many ways the scenario — an ape ravaging an innocent woman — dates back to the 1930s with King Kong.”

Pornhub explained that there was a big difference between the local searches of the word “Bigfoot” and the nationwide searches. Virginia residents were 38% more likely to search for “Bigfoot” than other states.

Other porn sites reported that Bigfoot was also a pretty big hit after the Congressional Candidate’s accusations broke out.

Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a large and hairy human-like mythical creature alleged by some to inhabit forests in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, despite scientific consensus. Bigfoot is an icon within the pseudoscience of cryptozoology, and an enduring topic within popular culture.

At least we know that people, no matter what sort of porn they’re into, are interested in the news.

5 Things You Should Do During This Summer’s Mercury Retrograde

Maria Loreto
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5 Things You Should Do During This Summer’s Mercury Retrograde

Three or four times a year, Mercury leaves its orbit. Some believe this moment is the perfect time for energies, relationships and, for some reason, electronics to go crazy. In the midst of all this turmoil, your life can hit a rut — at least, that’s what some people say.

This year’s second Mercury retrograde began on July 26, and the period will end by August 19. Before you go and hide for almost an entire month, remember Mercury retrograde is a great opportunity to heal and improve yourself during tough times. Bustle compiled a list of all the things you could do during this period of time to make the most of Mercury’s annoying wanderings. Check out five of our favorites:

Use your journal

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Journaling is great, especially in times of stress and turmoil. This tool works best when you feel like something is off in your life and can’t find the source or the imbalance. Write out your feelings for a few days and you might start to notice a pattern.

Buy cute notebooks and pens to help you get inspired and commit to spending a few minutes a day with your new journal.

Spend time in nature

Since you can’t trust your electronics, try going outside and unplugging from them completely. Hikes and walks are great ways to stay in shape while also providing scenery that’s not as boring and repetitive as hitting the gym. These spots are also great for reading or self-reflection.

Make resolutions

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It’s like New Years except it’s not. Try to think about your past resolutions and whether you accomplished any of them. If you did, that’s awesome. If you didn’t, welcome yourself to the club and try  one more time. It’s never too late to improve and to work for your goals, no matter how difficult they might seem at first.

According to Bustle, Mercury retrograde can help you find honesty, which is great when you’re making resolutions that are realistic and helpful for your life.

Figure out your real passions

Take a look at your life and see if everything you’re doing and everything you’ve achieved is something you truly want and feel passion for, or if it’s simply where life has taken you. You don’t have to quit your job or do anything extreme; try a new hobby, or find something new that makes you happy and fulfills your life in one way or another.

Keep track of your finances

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It’s hard to log into your bank account and take a deep breath and look into where you spent your last paycheck, but Mercury retrograde is the perfect time to be honest about your expenses without experiencing any judgement. Set limits for yourself if you’re spending too much money. Make a list of all the expenses that aren’t necessary and that do more harm than good.

Oprah Explains Her Perfect Date Night And It’s So Oprah

Maria Loreto
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Oprah Explains Her Perfect Date Night And It’s So Oprah

Oprah, one of the richest humans on the planet, is treasured in all corners of the world. People love her show, her magazine, her movies, her cooking. They also want her to be president (even though she never asked for that). Among all of her talents, Oprah is also treasured for her advice. It’s no surprise then that on a recent Instagram Q&A, she was asked for her idea of a perfect date.

On O, The Oprah Magazine‘s Instagram, the famous TV personality discussed a ton of things, which you can find on the magazine’s profile highlights.

The video that went viral featured her reply to the perfect date question, where she explains that on her perfect date, she’d cook for her long time partner, Stedman Graham, who loves everything she makes.

“My favorite date night is to make him black-eyed peas and cornbread as a surprise for dinner,”she says, explaining that nothing too fancy is needed. “Me cooking, and then it’s on.” Oprah’s certainty is a little bit intimidating because it’s just cornbread and peas, right? How good can they be?

If you want to be a master of seduction just like Oprah , you can check out some of her recipes on her website. Specifically, take a peek at the cornbread and black eyed peas because we have to know what’s in those.

Different Ways You Can Consume Cannabis

Anthony Washington
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Different Ways You Can Consume Cannabis

With so many new ways to consume cannabis evolving around every corner, we decided to break down the most tried and truly reliable methods.

Smoking And Vaping

Smoking, vaping, or otherwise inhaling marijuana is the quickest way to feel its effects. Users feel euphoria envelop them within minutes of consumption. However, regardless of what is said to the contrary, smoking or vaping anything is not healthy for the lungs. Smoking cannabis in its pure flower form is healthier than smoking a cigarette that contains tar, nicotine, hydrogen cyanide, formaldehyde, lead, arsenic, ammonia and hundreds of other cancer-causing chemicals — but that does not mean smoking cannabis is healthy.

While there are few long-term studies, which determine how unhealthy it can be, it has not been proven safe.

Some patients feel the benefits outweigh the risks, or the ends justify the means. The same way many pills produced by Big Pharma have unpleasant side effects, which nefariously lead to taking more pills (For example, a person covered in hives may be willing to accept heartburn as a side effect of antihistamines), having a coughing fit after a bong or bowl hit has become an acceptable, cultural norm. Inhaling is definitely not recommended for anyone with asthma. Enter sublingual tinctures and edibles.

Edibles

Edibles take anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes before a patient begins to feel the effects of consuming cannabis orally. Taking a second helping has led to incalculable, epic edible fails. Tales of a friend who was cautioned to eat only one cookie, brownie (“space cake”), or gummy, but ate more because he did not feel the effects yet, are the stuff of suburban legend.

While the effects of consuming edible cannabis take much longer to kick in, the feeling also lasts hours longer than smoking cannabis. Additionally, there is the discretion factor. No one’s clothes, hair, and skin will stink (from several feet away) like Cheech and Chong, from eating a pot brownie.

RELATED: Differences In Marijuana Highs: Flowers, Edibles and Concentrates

Fledgling edible consumers should proceed cautiously. When eating a pre-packaged pot-infused product, adhere to the recommended serving suggestion.

The “high” that users experience by eating marijuana is more of a “body” buzz, rather than a cerebral one. Too much consumption will turn even an experienced consumer into a couch or bed potato.

Another difference, besides how long the effects take to kick in, and how long those effects will last, is that the energizing and sedative differences between Sativa and Indica strains are usually not present in edibles. Unless a manufactured edible specifies which strain(s) of cannabis it contains, chances are most edibles are made from “shake.” Think of shake as the ground beef of cannabis. Who knows what is really in it? It is the leftover scraps, trimmings and weed dust, not the best commercially-viable, juicy bud.

Candies

Another category of cannabis consumption is candies and lozenges. Neither work as fast as smoking or vaping cannabis, but usually work slightly quicker than eating other edibles; although, it is somewhat counter-intuitive to consume medicine in a sugary piece of candy, especially at night.

Sensi Chew has a whole line of CBD “candy,” from chocolate chews to gummy bears. However, as Dr. Anna Folckomer, a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist, points out, “Regarding eating sugar at night, your insulin cycle follows circadian rhythms and light exposure. We are less sensitive to insulin at night, and it is hypothesized that timing meals with insulin sensitivity would be a game changer in the onset of diabetes. Your body knows how to use glucose for fuel during daylight hours, but due to decreased sensitivity at night, it tends to store it for later.”

RELATED: Marijuana Dabs 101: A Guide to Your First Time

One tiny THC-infused bon-bon at night might not be critical; but why not avoid the sugar before bedtime altogether, and take pure sublingual drops?

Sublingual Drops

Some restricted medical marijuana dispensaries only carry sublingual drops, which make them a patient’s go-to, by default. Drops are pretty powerful, but are not as fast-acting as inhaling, but faster than other edibles. Drops are best consumed about an hour before bedtime. A dropper full of liquid held under the tongue for 90 seconds is the best method of consumption. Merely swallowing it, without waiting for at least a minute, will dilute its effectiveness, because stomach acid will destroy the effectiveness of the dose. Allowing the infused liquid to assimilate into the body via the mucosa under the tongue’s frenulum will provide delivery more rapidly and effectively.

Drinking

With all the beer and liquor companies rushing to cash in on cannabis (to neutralize their biggest recreational competitors), pretty soon a whole slew of cannabis beverages will be on the market. For now, pioneering companies like Keef make THC-soda and sparkling water.  Keef Life contains 100mg of THC, with a built-in dosing cap. It can be added to any (non-alcoholic) beverage, or consumed by itself.

Finding a preferable method to consume cannabis is always a personal choice.

Rapper Tyga Teases New Weed Strain

Brendan Bures
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Rapper Tyga Teases New Weed Strain

You may be wondering at this point in time if there are any rappers left to join the cannabis industry, but it appears that none other than Tyga is ready to take his turn in line. Tyga’s career is experiencing a second wind, thanks to the Offset-assisted single “Taste,”,  which you’ve undoubtedly heard on the radio. Recently, rapper Tyga teases a new weed strain, a tie-in to the song also called Taste.

Tyga posted a picture of himself inside a grow room with the caption, “Lil babies @tastekush coming soon.” The Instagram page Tyga links to is for what looks like a new cannabis business.

Filling the page are pictures of a similar-looking grow room that Tyga appears in. In fact, the first post from the company back on June 26 features Tyga as well, with his arms over his head, and a caption that simply reads, “#TasteKush.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bl_t9DqHrvO/

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

Scrolling through the company’s Instagram page reveals other possible clues. “Everyone stay tuned @tastekush is coming strong, exclusive taste kush strain only by us, and the first drop will be coming very soon,” reads one post, which is tagged ADCC Dispensary, hinting where interested parties might find the upcoming Taste Kush.

Another post reads, “The future is looking green. #Tastekush dropping soon,” while Tyga’s “Taste” single plays in the background, solidifying the relationship between the two.

Rappers establishing their own cannabis strains isn’t exactly new, however. Wiz Khalifa, Freddie Gibbs, and Cam’ron have all experimented with one-off weed strains that bear their brand. But Tyga could also follow in the footsteps of Berner or Paul Wall, who used a cannabis strain to build a complete brand line of products around. Whether Tyga goes this way or not remains to be seen.

Study: Adolescents Who Use E-Cigs More Likely To Use Cannabis Later On

Mary Schumacher
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Study: Adolescents Who Use E-Cigs More Likely To Use Cannabis Later On

The Journal Pediatrics conducted a study this year to see if younger teens who used common tobacco products were more likely to use cannabis a couple years later. The results showed that heavier e-cigarette use meant higher odds of heavy cannabis use down the line for younger adolescents.

The study abstract conclusion was this, “E-cigarette use predicts subsequent marijuana use among youth, with a stronger associations among young adolescents. Reducing youth access to e-cigarettes may decrease downstream marijuana use.”

There are many factors at play, however, and one thing holding us back from coming to any conclusions on the real dangers and factors at work here is that cannabis is federally considered a Schedule I drug, which means that from flowers to vaping to comparative studies, we won’t learn nearly enough until it’s freed from its restrictive status.

We’re in an era of vaping, however, mostly e-cigarettes as far as population ratio is concerned, but also deeply in the cannabis community. Vaping is simply all the rage and when a substance becomes popular in our culture, it’s conceivable that impressionable and curious adolescents and teens are going to experiment and use them whenever they can get their hands on them.

While the use of cannabis is not encouraged in the minor population, unless the kid has a malady that requires the herb’s medical benefits, nicotine, even in an e-cigarette, has proven to be far more addictive than cannabis could ever be. It also causes lung cancer, whereas cannabis is shown to reduce cancer cells. There has also never been a case of lung cancer or COPD that was associated with cannabis use alone.

And while adolescents will be adolescents, which means a good deal of that good ol’ fashioned experimentation, we don’t want our kids smoking or vaping anything at such a developmental age. The study, however, only shows us the data, not the solution (aside from the advice that we reduce youth access to e-cigs).

Many people believe that vaping nicotine is a safer method of smoking because of the lack of carcinogens and chemicals associated with smoked cigarettes. However, there needs to be more studies done on the effects of e-cigarettes and how they affect lungs of all ages. As for vaping cannabis, well, again, we don’t want our kids vaping at a young age, but there are a lot of “buts” when it comes to cannabis and once it’s taken off its Schedule I, we can study its many facets without impediment.

Inside Jimmy Kimmel’s Dr. Quinn, Medicinal Marijuana Woman

Brendan Bures
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Inside Jimmy Kimmel’s Dr. Quinn, Medicinal Marijuana Woman

Reboots are all the rage these days, whether it be in TV or movies. Heck, even The Karate Kid got rebooted on YouTube as Cobra Kai. The key to a successful reboot is shifting a few key variables that updates the original premise to contemporary settings, but doesn’t corrupt its nostalgic allure. A new one could be on the way – Jimmy Kimmel’s Dr Quinn, Medical Marijuana Woman

In that spirit, Jimmy Kimmel decided a certain TV series needed a green-thumb tweak of sorts. “Frasier Crane isn’t the only TV doctor from the ’90s who deserves new life,” Kimmel says. Enter a faux-promo for Dr. Quinn, Medicinal Marijuana Woman, a spoof on the Jane Seymour vehicle popular in the ’90s for its progressive themes and historical setting.

“New trails are about to get blazed,” Seymour narrates in the spoof.

We watch Seymour reprising her Dr. Quinn role as a traveling weed dispensary, reminiscent of The Guy from HBO’s “High Maintenance.” Dr. Quinn rides into tow to treat a man experiencing “so much cholera.” To combat his ails, we see her “Best in the West” medicinal marijuana. Names include Cornbread Kush, Calamity Mary Jane, Wyatt Earple Haze, Pineapple Pony Express, Doc’s Holiday, and more.

Asked on Buzzfeed News’ “Profile” about an actual reboot, Seymour responded enthusiastically: “We wish!…They have brought back absolutely everything, I have no idea why they wouldn’t bring this back…people all over the world, all cultures, love ‘Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman’…It’s so relevant to today, it could not be more relevant.”

People Are Now Getting Plastic Surgery To Look Like Snapchat Filters

Amy Hansen
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People Are Now Getting Plastic Surgery To Look Like Snapchat Filters

Welcome to the future, where instead of using photo filters where they belong (on social media), people are using them as a template for what they want to look like IRL.

It’s called “Snapchat dysmorphia” and according to a study published in the journal JAMA Facial Plastic Surgery, the desire to look like a filtered version of oneself is a growing trend.

Today, with apps like Snapchat and Facetune, that same level of perfection is accessible to everyone. Now, it is not just celebrities propagating beauty standards: it is a classmate, a coworker, or a friend. The pervasiveness of these filtered images can take a toll on one’s self esteem, make one feel inadequate for not looking a certain way in the real world, and may even act as a trigger and lead to body dysmorphic disorder (BDD).

The article, written by doctors from Boston University School of Medicine’s department of dermatology calls this an “alarming trend because those filtered selfies often present an unattainable look and are blurring the line of reality and fantasy for these patients.”

The paper notes that plastic surgeons first identified this trend in 2017. Current data show that 55 percent of surgeons report seeing patients who request surgery to improve their appearance in selfies, up from 42 percent in 2015.

Researchers say that while adding flowers or animal ears to a photo can be innocent fun, other edits may actually increase pressure to attain an unattainable look.

It can be argued that these apps are making us lose touch with reality because we expect to look perfectly primped and filtered in real life as well. Filtered selfies especially can have harmful effects on adolescents or those with BDD because these groups may more severely internalize this beauty standard. It is important for clinicians to understand the implications of social media on body image and self-esteem to better treat and counsel their patients.

The cure for this type of insecurity is not surgery, which could actually worsen any potential underlying BDD. Instead, researchers suggest psychological interventions, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as medications, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (which are often used to treat depression and anxiety), often in combination.
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