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NJ Is Primed For Marijuana Legalization, So What’s Taking So Long?

Mary Schumacher
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NJ Is Primed For Marijuana Legalization, So What’s Taking So Long?

While New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy continues to push for broad legalization, lawmakers can’t seem to agree on passing a bill that would do so. Medical marijuana is alive and well and making new strides, but where is the promised recreational use?

It does seem to be coming, just ever so slowly compared to the first 100 days promise. Murphy says that once cannabis is legalized, he’d like to see sales on day one, which would mean permitting existing medical marijuana dispensaries to sell to the general public once they’d secured enough pot for their patients.

Opening up in dispensaries that are already here could easily cause a shortage problem for them and the patients that rely on them. And that could be a problem, but it’s not the holdup. One would think that in a predominantly democrat controlled state legislature that marijuana would have been a slam dunk for Murphy, but he couldn’t get it past recent budget hurdles, so we’ll see again come August when there may be a special vote.

There are also intraparty arguments going on and not everyone sees legalization as the answer. Senator Ronald Rice is the chairman of NJ’s black caucus and is of the opinion that decriminalization is a better route. Murphy fears, however, that decrim would be keeping the cannabis in the hands of criminals, even if it did keep nonviolent offenders out of jail.

“Decriminalization for me doesn’t get it done,” Sen. Murphy told The New York Times, “because it leaves the business in the hands of the bad guys, it leaves our kids exposed, and it leaves the industry unregulated and untaxed. So while social justice and protecting our kids might be of paramount importance, if there’s a way for the state at the end of the day to make some revenues out of this, we should accept that.”

“Some revenues,” is a grand understatement to boot. In Murphy’s projected budget, legalized cannabis is to create $80 million in yearly tax revenues for the state. Money that could go toward education, roads, law enforcement and more.

Trenton is where the New Jersey laws are made, and so far 19 separate interest groups have cropped up to push for recreational cannabis. Four other groups have formed in opposition.

5 CBD Coffees And Cold Brews To Help Chill

Amy Hansen
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5 CBD Coffees And Cold Brews To Help Chill

Morning coffee, that daily ritual that wakes us up and gives us a reason for living, is now also a major consideration for those who want to chill out big time. Coffee drinks infused with CBD are all the rage because while the non-psychoactive compound won’t get you high, it promotes relaxation — the exact opposite of what your morning caffeine routine is used to providing. CBD also has the power to decrease inflammation, anxiety, bad moods, and a host of other ailments, making it a favorite new superfood. Here are 5 CBD coffees and cold brews to help chill.

Chill Brew

Abracadabra coffee roasters out of  Woodstock, Vermont just released their first batch of infused cold brew, featuring 20mg of full spectrum CBD oil infused in a “super juicy Ethiopia Gedeb cold brew.”

According to Seven Days: “The new beverage is dubbed Chill Brew and packaged in a can combining artwork by Abracadabra artist friend Dang Olsen and local designer Andrew Plotsky. The beans come from a small farm in Ethiopia; the CBD oil, from Luce Farm in Stockbridge.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bk25CabDkKd/?taken-by=abracadabracoffeeco

Legal Espresso Mocha

From Mirth Provisions comes one of Seattle’s most popular drinks: coffee. While it doesn’t actually contain any coffee, it tastes like the real thing, albeit, with a lot of extra sugar. It’s easy to overindulge in this product, especially if it’s poured over ice, so be careful.

In addition to coffee, Legal makes some refreshing sparkling tonics, like Rainier Cherry and Lemon Ginger.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bea-X6OlQRv

Kickback 

This organic, no added sugar cold brew out of Los Angeles comes in several summery flavors: matcha, peach, coffee date, golden cashew, and the O.G. — regular cold brew. Each bottle contains 20mg of CBD.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjfkWlnB4PU/?taken-by=drinkkickback

Hellion Cold Brew

Speaking with Chicago Tribune, Hellion’s co-owner, Ben Houtkamp, said: “We all kind of agreed that CBD makes sense to go with coffee. It kind of sounds counterintuitive at first, but there’s a nice juxtaposition between the two, like getting the caffeine but without any anxiety or jittery-ness, because it can be easy to overdo it with caffeine.” Each bottle, sealed with a green wax stamp imprinted with a marijuana leaf, contains 30mg of CBD.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhwc3TtAyjl/?taken-by=hellioncoldbrew

Tommy Chong Reflects On 40 Years Of ‘Up In Smoke’

Danielle Guercio
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Tommy Chong Reflects On 40 Years Of ‘Up In Smoke’

Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke has definitely aged in the 40 years since its release, and so has the prohibition creating its environment for contextual comedy. Commemorating this anniversary as well as the first year of cannabis legalization in California, Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum is showing off the archives of Tommy Chong, Cheech Marin, and Lou Adler — the think tank behind the stoner comedy template.

After peeking the Grammy Museum’s selection with curator Nwaka Onwusa, we got the vibe that this exhibit had a message for the millions of tourists who visit Los Angeles: This is a part of the local culture, not just a blip, but an entire keystone of many forms of comedy — the slow breakdown of prohibition, and California’s place in this paradigm.

Related Story: Cheech & Chong Say Stoner Comedy And Cannabis Culture Is Over

Onwusa showed us details that are not apparent at first glance, such as the Bambu album with a giant rolling paper, or the jacket that was actually smokable paper. One of the best points Onwusa and the Grammy team curated was a sense that this was the foundation of their work, the work of so many others, and that comedy as a recorded format used to be the only way it made it into our lives. Stand up recordings were bestselling media, and Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong were Grammy winning comedians, despite being entrenched in the cannabis taboo.

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Linking with Tommy Chong after seeing all of this, we had to ask what his favorite piece of memorabilia in the exhibit was,

“There were some roach clips in there that we presented Virginia Graham, we went on her show, “The Virginia Graham Show”.  She didn’t know what they were, they’re Cheech and Chong heads with [clips], and so we had to explaIn it to her,” said Chong.

There’s so much merch out there from this movie franchise, but seeing counterfeit stuff really gave them a kick. Chong remembers, “There’s so many bootleg shirts out there, I would take pictures of them if i could then copy the bootlegs and put them out ourselves.”

When the subject turned to cannabis history, Chong’s lifelong advocacy informs his discussions. After noting the historical importance of cannabis to make canvas sails, rope, and other vital exploration supplies, Chong really illuminates the long term context of cannabis as a commodity of the ages, “Here’s a little tidbit for you. The word drug store, ever wonder why they call it a drug store? The word drug comes from the Dutch word droog which means ‘to dry’. So what they would do is they would harvest cannabis, and take it to the drug store to dry it out before they sold it. So cannabis has been a part of our life forever, we don’t even realize it.”

Photos by Maria Penaloza

Chong also speaks freely and openly about politics like all comedians should, dumping on Trump & co’s latest indictment batch:

“FBI, they’re like Comey, think about it. They’re professionals. All they do in their life is to figure out how to put criminals away. They’re experts at it. So when they meet a Trump who lies like Trump does, and is as crooked as Trump is? Trump confesses everything on twitter! He confesses, he can’t help it! He’s only good at one thing and that’s destroying himself. That’s the only thing he’s good at.

By the way the rest of the people that were supporting Trump like Nunez and Pence and all those guys, they’re dirty too. They’re going to go down too, because think about it, if, and they know already that Manafort has been colluding with the Russians and paying off people like Sean Hannity. The Russians have been paying him and paying him cash money, laundered money, and all of this all gonna come up probably with [Michael]Cohen, the papers that Cohen’s got. They’ve probably got a list of payments from Russia. All of those guys are going to be indicted. They’re going to go to court. They’re going to flip on each other and they’re going to go jail. So we’re riding very high right now.”

Riding high is a great way to put both Chong’s outlook and hopefully the future of the US, may they legalize it ASAP.

Photos: Maria Penaloza

How To Stay Within The Lines Of Oklahoma’s New Medical Marijuana Program

Mary Schumacher
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How To Stay Within The Lines Of Oklahoma’s New Medical Marijuana Program

As Oklahomans wait for the voted medical marijuana laws to go into effect on July 26 under State Question 788, questions as to what is and isn’t allowed under the program’s rules are tricky to navigate. Here are some basic do’s and don’ts of Oklahoma medical cannabis.

The “Oklahoma Medical Marijuana Authority” is under the state health department’s umbrella and thusly the rules that are set forth are pretty much written in stone.

Any licenses – excluding patient and entity – must have applicants 25 years or older. This means growers, dispensary owners, edibles makers and other entrepreneurs will have to be at least 25 to ride. If you’re not 25 yet and have a great idea, yesterday was the time to start, so get on it so that you have a fleshed out plan as your birthday present to yourself.

Criminal history background checks will be conducted on any dispensary, grower, processor, transportation or researcher applying for a license to do so in the cannabis sphere.

Board registered physicians must file a registration with the department and be in good standing with the licensing board. There must be an, “Establishment of a bona fide physician-patient relationship in which physician has ongoing responsibility for the assessment, care and treatment of a patient’s medical condition or an aspect of the patient’s medical condition,” as well as other provisions laid out in SQ788.

Patients under 18 must have recommendations from two doctors, both of whom must either be pediatricians or pediatric subspecialists. The recommendations must be for the same diagnosis and be within 30 days of each other. The physicians cannot work together in any capacity.

All smoked or vaped cannabis falls under the same restrictions as tobacco, the rules of which are commonly referred to as “Smoking in Public Places and Indoor Workplaces Act.” So no smoking in public places or around minors.

Here’s the doozy: “Medical marijuana product may not be dispensed to a patient or a caregiver in flower, dry leaf or plant form.”

Being able to make one’s own edibles, tinctures, oils, salves, rubs and other infusions should not be illegal, nor should smoking the cannabis flower, which in its long existence has never killed a single person. Maybe it’s a sign of the times, that flower is getting to be a less profitable commodity and only craft growers will exist at some point in the future.

‘Bon Appétit’ Is Freaking Out Over These CBD Strips

Mary Schumacher
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‘Bon Appétit’ Is Freaking Out Over These CBD Strips

You know cannabis has gone completely mainstream when Bon Appétit is writing about CBD strips. Yes, it’s true, pretty much everyone is buzzing about cannabis’ non-psychoactive cannabinoid CBD, but to get into one of Condé Nast’s behemoth glossies is a feat.

The reporter Aliza Abarbanel is clearly already a CBD fan, as she admitted to keeping CBD tinctures at her desk to abate stress throughout the day. However, she also pointed out that other high-anxiety moments, like waiting on a crowded subway or sitting in traffic, aren’t exactly conducive to fumbling with a dropper. Hence these little, easy to carry, individually wrapped sublingual strips.

Kin Slips have 10mg of CBD and 1mg of THC in every strip. Though there’s little to no chance that the 1mg of THC will get you high, there is a very important factor to cannabis called the entourage effect, where the combination of cannabinoids, even in low, low doses, create a much more effective product.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjITnS2F_tv/?taken-by=kinslips

Abarbanel reported, “I find that it helps ease some of the sensations of anxiety—tight chest, tense back, clenched stomach—that I tend to feel in high stress situations. A sense of calm sets in behind my eyes, and the sharp, anxious edges of my mind soften.”

It’s high praise for the CBD strips and she also says that she loves the flavor, which is predominately mango with some tumeric added for an “earthy” kind of flavor. Abarbanel hasn’t stopped using her droppers, though.

CBD is most effective when used daily, so the Bon Appétit writer still relies on the tinctures throughout the day. The tincture is a whole flower California offering of CBD and was also featured on the pages of the same magazine in an article by Martine Thompson titled “This CBD Tincture Makes Me Super Productive… In A Chill Way.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BjNw_B1F9ei/?taken-by=kinslips

Of course the tincture is also infused with all natural lemon and mint flavors, making it delicious as well. Bon Appétit is certainly on the cutting edge when it comes to CBD, and that’s a great thing for newstands and browsers everywhere. For a full list of the magazine’s cannabis articles, click here and enjoy the delicious reading materials.

Here’s How You Can Stop Snoring And Finally Allow People To Get Some Sleep

Maria Loreto
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Here’s How You Can Stop Snoring And Finally Allow People To Get Some Sleep

Snoring is one of the most common and annoying problems your bedtime can encounter. You’ve probably snored once or twice, or have slept next to someone whose chest rumbles like a dying old car. According to a study that surveyed thousands of people, around one fifth of them snored regularly. Even though this problem is very typical, if it’s particularly strong, it can affect your sleeping habits, which in turn affect your overall health.

Popular Science reports that snoring occurs when the tissues in the back of people’s throats obstruct their airways, vibrating as they inhale and exhale and producing that low rumbling sound.

While snoring is different than sleep apnea, the former is a symptom of the latter. Sleep apnea is much more serious, and it occurs when peoples’ airways close completely, leaving their brains depleted of oxygen for a few seconds which then jars them awake. The more this brain shutdown occurs, the larger the damage is.

According to sleep physician Neil Kline, differentiating sleep apnea from common snoring can be done by paying attention to certain factors. “If you have snoring accompanied by excessive daytime sleepiness, witnessed pauses in breathing during sleep, gasping during sleep, or the presence of other health disorders, a visit to the doctor is recommended,” he says.

If you’re experiencing some traditional good old snoring, there are a few things you can do to help you stop it or control it a much as possible. Changing your sleeping position can help, especially if the snoring is mild. Most snorers sleep on their backs. Consuming alcohol also increases the likelihood of snoring, especially when consumed before bedtime, so try to avoid doing that if you’re sleeping with someone and they’re exhausted of the sounds you make while sleeping.

Other factors that influence your snoring is being overweight because more tissue surrounds your airways, causing stronger vibrations. There are also anti-snoring mouthpieces, which won’t make you look cute, but will widen your airway and help manage your breathing.

Ohio Medical Board Adds More Doctors To Medical Marijuana Program

Sara Somerset
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Ohio Medical Board Adds More Doctors To Medical Marijuana Program

The Ohio State Medical Board recently added 46 more doctors to the approved medical marijuana program list.

It seems the physicians are being put in place more quickly than any other aspect of Ohio’s medical marijuana program.

It will be several more months before any dispensaries open. A registry where patients can sign up for the medical marijuana program is still not in place yet either.

However, local media Cleveland.com offer a database where aspiring patients can find a local participating doctor to consult with, regarding joining the program. However, it is better for aspiring patients to see if their current doctor is a participant, rather than attempt to pick a new doctor out of a database, just for certification.

When recommending cannabis for their patients, participating doctors must certify they have an actual, authentic doctor/patient relationship. They must also attest that the patient has a legitimate, qualifying condition. Doctors are required to look up the patient in the state’s controlled substances database to review their history with narcotics, to reconcile any potential red flags of substance abuse.

Substance use disorder (opioid or heroin addiction) is not a qualifying condition. Medical Marijuana cannot be prescribed to treat withdrawal symptoms, or help provide harm reduction to patients seeking to transition away from narcotics.

Doctors are also required to discuss the positive and negative aspects of marijuana use with their interested patients; however, it is debatable whether they are in a qualified  position to accurately do so.

It is quite easy for any doctor in Ohio to become a certified medical marijuana provider. Doctors must complete only two hours of continuing education credits regarding cannabis, and which medical conditions qualify to receive it.

Perfunctory knowledge of cannabis strains is outside the scope of the total training necessary for certification.

A self-medicating marijuana user based in Ohio, who wished to remain anonymous, candidly told Fresh Toast that he and many others who share his views are not interested in Ohio’s budding medical marijuana program.

“It is pretty easy to get marijuana now, so you will never get me to go the legal route. I won’t pay a higher price in the store. The new medical marijuana laws that still haven’t affected me as a patient or a user. I use cannabis because I have anxiety, which isn’t even a qualifying condition.

“There is a category of people who use it, and don’t know why it is helping them; it just does. Some people use it recreationally, but know it helps them for undiagnosed, underlying conditions. They know herb makes them feel better, and they’re never going to go to a doctor to get it. Is a doctor even going to know the difference between an Indica and a Sativa?”

He went on to say that his compatriots do not trust the state’s medical marijuana program. “I don’t need to have a card, or to be put on a watch list, to use marijuana.  I’ve heard rumors that, once you go on their [medical marijuana program] list, you can’t ever qualify for a loan or join the army,” he said.

By his estimation, perhaps only 18 percent of cannabis users obtain it from a doctor.

John Erminio, Cleveland native and co-founder of Artisans on Fire, a cannabis-focused marketing agency, thinks it is critical for future patients to know that products purchased on the regulated market are tested for quality and safety. “The price points will certainly be higher, but you’re purchasing a higher quality product that goes through a stringent testing program and eliminates the chances of consuming any harmful matters such as yeast, mold, heavy metals or pesticides,” he said.

The medical marijuana doctors’ database is updated monthly, after the state medical board approves new physicians, according to Cleveland.com. The recent approval of 46 physicians brings the current total to 185 doctors approved since April.

Cher Announces Album Of ABBA Covers; Are Ariana Grande And Pete Davidson Getting Married In A Month?

Naughty Gossip
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Cher Announces Album Of ABBA Covers; Are Ariana Grande And Pete Davidson Getting Married In A Month?

During an interview promoting Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, Kathy Lee Gifford from “The Today Show” asked Cher what is exciting her right now. Cher answered, “After I did ‘Fernando,’ I thought, it would really be fun to do an album of ABBA songs, so I did. It’s not what you think of when you think of ABBA because I did it in a different way.”

She didn’t detail when fans can expect her to release the album. But in June, she tweeted that she is expecting to release her new album sometime in September.

Are Ariana Grande and Pete Davidson getting married in less than a month?

There’s speculation that Ariana and Pete are going to pull a Beyonce and Jay-Z and get married on a date that’s significant to them, which would of course be August fourth of this year, coinciding with Pete’s late dad’s badge number.

More Violent Crimes Solved Under Legal Marijuana

Mike Adams
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More Violent Crimes Solved Under Legal Marijuana

It has been said legalizing cannabis gives police forces more time to focus on real crime. Considering that some the latest national data shows that cops spend most of their days dealing with drug offenders, while a large portion of violent crimes, like rapes, go unsolved, it stands to reason that pulling officers off marijuana cases would give them no choice but to do real work. Well, there is now some data to support this claim. The study reveal more violent crimes solved under legal marijuana.

It seems that police are solving more non-drug-related crimes in states that have legalized marijuana. A new study published in the journal Police Quarterly shows that this phenomenon is most prevalent in Colorado and Washington, the first two states to end pot prohibition several years ago. It is there that cops are now more efficient at bringing violent offenders to justice, as well as those criminals connected to theft and burglaries. In other words, police is legal states are starting to do their jobs.

“While our results cannot specifically explain why police clearance rates have increased in Colorado and Washington, we think the argument that legalization did in fact produce a measurable impact on clearance rates is plausible,” researchers said, according to journalist Kyle Jaeger.

“Our models show no negative effects of legalization and, instead, indicate that crime clearance rates for at least some types of crime are increasing faster in states that legalized than in those that did not.”

The study shows that violent crime was experiencing an uptick before marijuana was legalized in Colorado and Washington. But the situation has improved post-legalization. The findings suggests “that right around the time of legalization, clearance rates trends seemed to increase for violent crime in general for both Colorado and Washington, though no similar shifts are noted for the country as a whole.”

When it comes to property crime, the citizens were also better served following legalization. The clearance rates for these types of crimes in Colorado and Washington increased while the nation experienced a decline.

Although researchers say they cannot prove that police departments are doing better at their jobs solely because weed is legal, it is certainly a major factor.

“We cannot offer with absolute certainty that these changes are entirely the result of marijuana legalization, though we are quite certain that legalization has not unduly hampered police performance, at least as measured by clearance rates,” researchers said. “Moreover, in the absence of other compelling explanations, the current evidence suggests that legalization produced some demonstrable and persistent benefit in clearance rates, benefits we believe are associated with the marijuana legalization proponents’ prediction that legalization would positively influence police performance.”

You May Be Jinxing Your Relationship By Playing Hard To Get

Amy Hansen
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You May Be Jinxing Your Relationship By Playing Hard To Get

If you’re familiar with the phrase, “like is attracted to like,” then you will understand the theory behind why playing hard to get in a new relationship is utter nonsense.

Business Insider spoke to relationship expert Claudia Duran, a Miami-based matchmaker. She says in order for a relationship to work, both partners need to be vulnerable. And that means letting each other in on your feelings, even if doing so makes you totally uncomfortable.

“Even if you’re smart and successful and beautiful, we all want to be liked,” Duran said. “It’s just human nature.”

Duran says the most common complaint she hears amongst her clients is lack of communication entirely, whether it’s “He [or she] hasn’t called” or, “Why hasn’t he [or she] made a date?” —  all of which could be cleared up with a simple admission of interest.

“People like that, and they respond well to that,” she said.

Easier said than done, right? Most people out in the dating world have a hard time admitting their feelings for someone out of fear of rejection or looking stupid. Duran says you need to suck it up, pointing to dating apps like Tinder as a “nice excuse to hide behind because it’s safe and we don’t have to feel rejected and we don’t have to be accountable.”

According to Business Insider, there is research to back up this “admitting feelings” thing.

As for romantic contexts, Business Insider’s Lindsay Dodgson reported on a 1973 paperfrom the University of Wisconsin that explores the nuances of “playing hard to get.” As the authors write, “a woman can intensify her desirability if she acquires a reputation for being hard-to-get and then, by her behavior, makes it clear to a selected romantic partner that she is attracted to him.”

…A 1979 paper published in the Journal of Research in Personality found that people who are discriminating but indicate that they like you are seen as more appealing.

So there you have it. If you have a crush on someone, let them know. If they don’t share your sentiment, move on. It probably wouldn’t have happened for you anyway. Plus, their loss.

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