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What We Already Knew: Cannabis Is Much Safer Than Cigarettes, Poll Shows

A new Gallup poll asked U.S. citizens about six different types of products, five of which were nicotine-based and one cannabis as a whole. With every substance it was asked if the consumer saw it as “very harmful,” “somewhat harmful,” “not too harmful” or “not at all” harmful. Though cannabis wasn’t seen as “not at all” harmful across the board, it is clear that public opinion about weed is much higher than that of cigs.

By far, cigarettes were perceived to be the most harmful, with 82 percent of respondents saying that they are very harmful, another 14 percent somewhat harmful and an outlying 1 percent who said that they are not at all harmful. The most surprising thing about these stats is that only 82 percent see cigarettes as very harmful. It’s a jump from the 1950s, when smoking was more the norm, but these days, the Truth Campaign has done due diligence and scared most of the population with their gruesome commercials

The most socially acceptable form of ingesting nicotine was not chewing tobacco or cigars, but e-cigarettes or vaping, which makes sense. There is also an argument being made on the cannabis side of things that vaping weed is a healthier delivery system than smoking it outright.

Though cannabis wasn’t broken down into categories in the poll, maybe it’s not quite time to ask America about their opinions on things like edibles, tinctures, salves, vaping and smoking respectively. There really hasn’t been enough research in those arenas to back up anecdotal evidence, mostly because of pot’s status as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has no medical use and a high potential for abuse, which is utter bull no matter how you take it.

The folks over at Gallup thought that cannabis in general was a fit for the survey, however, and the results, though mixed, showed that U.S. residents don’t see cannabis as being all that harmful and certainly not as harmful as cigarettes. 42 percent said not too harmful or not at all, leaving 29 percent with some concerns and 27 percent still pounding the drug war path with very harmful.

Some concern is natural, though, and the important thing to take away from this survey is that public opinion has changed drastically over the last two decades. Marijuana went from public enemy number one to a plant that not everyone’s quite sure about, but that is being seen in a brighter, clearer light that illuminates its not at all harmful qualities.

Here Are 5 Of The World’s Most Extreme Marathons

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. And those who are into extreme marathons are up for every one of those steps. These are the folks who participate in extreme physical challenges around the world to complete the most physical of tests. Okay, maybe not the test of 1,000 miles, but certainly the mental equivalent.


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The market for mega marathons has gone global, with countries on every continent creating challenges more extreme than the next. It seems every year the courses and qualifications become that much more intense, and that much more attractive to those looking for their next conquest. It’s actually pretty remarkable what humans can do when the put their minds to it, and you won’t believe some of the marathons mankind has made in this day and age.

Marathon des Sables

If walking 154-miles on concrete ground wasn’t hard enough, try doing it on sand. Every year for six-days a group of marathoners set out on a physical and mental challenge in the Sahara desert. The sand in southern Morocco is so fine that it consumes the foot’s momentum, and the temperatures during the April marathon reach well over 100 degrees. This route is in fact so dangerous that three runners have died on the route. To this desert journey we say: enter at your own risk.

Polar Night Half Marathon

From hot and dry to cold and icy, the Polar Night Half Marathon poses different kinds of challenges. For starters, the entire half-marathon is done in darkness. The event takes place in January during the Polar night-period, when the sun never rises above the horizon. Yes, that is a real thing. And If that wasn’t quite intense enough for you, the course is only lit by torches. It’s safe to say the Polar Night Half Marathon is no joke.   


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Jungle Ultra

Does a 142.6 mile run through the Peruvian jungle sound like a good idea to you? For Jungle Ultra marathon lovers, it’s more than a good idea, it’s something to look forward to all year. The five-stage, self-supported race will take you on a 10,500 feet drop to the jungle floor and over more than 70 rivers and streams. Which you will probably need to jump in considering the humidity levels that are known to reach 100 percent. If you’re ready to get your Rambo on, this could be the run for you.

The Great Wall of China Marathon

Running through nature can be overrated, so why not a run through history? One of the world’s largest and most famous monuments sets the stage for this 26.2 mile marathon. The Great Wall of China Marathon takes you on a journey through a structure so large it can be seen from space. Climbing up 5,164 steps has become so popular that it sells out each year, allowing an impressive 2,500 to take part per marathon.

Spartathalon

May the odds be ever in your favor. Welcome to the real-life Hunger Games-esque marathon. Modeled after the journey that Pheidippedes ran in 490 BC, the 153-mile course spans from Athens to Sparta. The only difference between runners and Pheidippedes is that they only have 36 hours to complete the course; and if they fail to make it to one of the 75 control points in time, they’re out. Spartathalon allows a mere 350 competitors to enter the race, and only the fittest will actually cross the finish line.


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How Texas Cannabis Activists Are Battling Stoner Stereotypes

Promoting medical marijuana and educating skeptics can be tough anywhere across America, including legal states. Advertisement restrictions are vast, and politicians routinely turn toward social media to advertise marijuana initiatives. But how do you target a different type of voter, one with entrenched attitudes toward cannabis, in areas like rural Texas?

The answer: A man in a cowboy hat. He’ll tell you what’s on his mind and it’s simple. “Medical cannabis isn’t legal for most Texans, and that’s just not right.”

Such a man exists and he’s part of a political ad campaign from Foundation for an Informed Texas and its executive director Jax Finkle. The group is fighting to have the state’s cannabis laws expanded. Under the Compassionate Use Act, only patients suffering from intractable epilepsy may access low-THC cannabinoid oil to treat their symptoms.

“So we’re working on an education campaign focused on rural Texas so that we can go to people in rural areas so they can understand what kind of program we have in Texas and then understand what medical cannabis really is,” Finkle told Texas Public Radio.

Hence the man in the cowboy hat. He goes unnamed throughout the video, as we watch him fix a tractor and attend to this country homestead. He relates tales of dealing with pain after working in the oil and renewable energy industries, and how he was prescribed opiates, which didn’t work for him. That’s why he turned to cannabis.

“It’s important to understand that it really is a medicine—it’s a plant-based medicine,” he says. “I like to work outside; I want to hunt; I want to fish; I like to be out on the farm. It truly improved my quality of life.”

The goal of the advertisement, according to Finkle, is to combat negative attitudes Texans may hold against legalizing cannabis ahead of the state’s 2019 legislative session. Whether Texas politicians will respond to such an initiative remains up for debate, but these are the workarounds activists must pursue in a large state like Texas. With its neighbors to the north in Oklahoma legalizing medical marijuana recently, and Texas Republicans and Democrats adding medical marijuana to its party platforms, medical marijuana in Texas could be closer than we think.

Ryan Reynolds Is Producing A Stoner Revival Of ‘Home Alone’

In basketball we have what’s called a “heat check.” The premise is simple: A player gets “hot,” swishing every basket he shoots, and momentarily appears unstoppable. The confidence becomes contagious and said player actually believes he can’t miss. To test his own surging momentum, the player will fire any shot from anywhere on the court. Usually this involves a “bad shot,” like being guarded by three defenders, or launching a shot just after passing the half court line. This is the “heat check” moment — if he makes the shot, the player truly is an unstoppable superhero like Superman, but if he misses, he returns to Earth as a mortal, the miss representing a suggestion to stay in his lane.

Ryan Reynolds is having a heat check moment. Following his career reinvention as Deadpool, and the commercial success of Reynolds projects like Life and Hitman’s Bodyguard, you’d be forgiven for thinking the actor can’t miss. Reynolds is in that rare moment in a movie career where an artist can make any content they want and someone will give them the money necessary to do so.

So what’s Reynolds doing? An inspired revival of Home Alone, one of the most successful comedies ever, but instead of the adorably sadistic Macauley Caulkin stopping the would-be robbers, defending the home will be…a paranoid stoner. The R-rated movie, no joke, is called Stoned Alone.

Here’s the description from Deadline:

Stoned Alone is reminiscent of that hallowed comedy classic. It centers around a twenty-something weed growing loser who misses the plane for his holiday ski trip. He makes the best of things by getting high. Paranoia sets in and he believes he hears someone break into his house. Turns out thieves have broken in. Fully stoned and fueled by paranoia, he tries to thwart the thieves and defend his castle.

While Reynolds remains renowned for his boyish looks and antics, he doesn’t appear to be starring in Stoned Alone. Instead, Reynolds will produce the film through his production banner at Fox. Directing will be Augustine Frizzell, whose debut film Never Goin’ Back will premiere later this year.

Veterans Still Fighting For Legitimate Access to Medical Marijuana

Millions of U.S. military veterans could benefit from using medical marijuana, according to survey from the Department of Veterans Affairs. That is, if they were allowed to. The VA still mostly prohibits patients from participating in statewide medical marijuana programs since cannabis is illegal under federal law. The department even refuses to conduct research to explore its potential therapeutic benefits.

Vets could easily be one of the largest patient sectors for this alternative medicine. Anyone who needs proof of this should look no further than the compassion programs happening on the west coast.

Local growers there have been donating portions of their crops to former military service members who prefer it to the prescription drugs doled out and paid for by the federal government. So far, thirty states have legalized marijuana for medicinal purposes. Yet veterans in those areas, at least those who exclusively lean on the VA for medical care, are getting jammed up when it comes to getting their hands on medical marijuana.

The herb is a Schedule I dangerous drug in the eyes of Uncle Sam. This means the plant has “no known medical value,” putting VA doctors in a position to bypass this option when consulting with patients. The problem, many physicians say, is a lack of research. Although the VA has conducted a number of studies to expose the negative sides of pot consumption, not much research has been done to reveal its therapeutic potential.

There is a push in Congress to change that. A proposal introduced earlier this year in the House of Representative would force the VA to find out more about the medical powers of cananbis with respect to the treatment of chronic pain and PTSD. Still, lawmakers on the Hill seem to have forgotten that they hold the key to ending this on-going debacle. All they have to do is eliminate from the Controlled Substances Act and the attitude of the VA would change. But forcing the VA to conduct research will do very little to increase access for vets, Curt Cashour, a spokesperson for department told The New York Times.

“The opportunities for VA to conduct marijuana research are limited because of the restrictions imposed by federal law,” Cashour said. “If Congress wants to facilitate more federal research into Schedule 1 controlled substances such as marijuana, it can always choose to eliminate these restrictions.”

As it stands, the VA is conducting a couple of smaller cannabis-related studies. It is looking into whether cannabidiol (CBD), the non-intoxicating compound of the cannabis plant, might be useful for patients suffering from PTSD. It is also examining the use of cannabis is hospice.

Former Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin believes the government should be doing more. “We have an opioid crisis, a mental health crisis, and we have limited options with how to address them, so we should be looking at everything possible,” he said.

With or without permission from the government, veterans are going to continue using marijuana. A VA survey found that close to 10 percent of vets have used pot in the past year—half of them for therapeutic purposes. Still, these men and women need the federal restrictions to be lifted so they can have legitimate conversations about medical marijuana with their doctors. Unfortunately, lawmakers are passing the buck.

“You may be a big advocate of medical marijuana, you may feel it has no value,” said Representative Tim Walz of Minnesota. “Either way, you should want the evidence to prove it, and there is no better system to do that research than the VA.”

Jeff Sessions Threatens Federal Law Trumping State Marijuana Legislation

Jeff Sessions couldn’t stay quiet for long, could he? As marijuana legalization continues on an upward trajectory, with Oklahoma recently legalizing medical marijuana, you can’t imagine Sessions would sit out contently. During a press conference in Massachusetts Thursday, the Attorney General asserted that while states may legalize, the Department of Justice will enforce federal prohibition policies.

“Personally, my view is that the American republic will not be better if there are marijuana sales on every street corner,” Sessions said. “But states have a right to set their own laws and will do so.”

Sessions was in Massachusetts for an unrelated press conference on fraud prosecutions. During the conference, a reporter asked about the federal stance in regard to legalization in Massachusetts. Though voters legalized recreational marijuana two years ago, legal sales have yet to begin, though they are expected later this year.

“We’ll enforce the federal law,” Session said in response to the reporter’s question. “I mean, the federal law remains the law of the United States.”

Sessions’ comments appear to be fangless, however, as a Department of Justice spokesperson clarified to MassLive this wasn’t a change in policy for the Attorney General. Attorney Andrew Lelling, a top federal prosecutor who reports to Sessions, said in a statement that the feds remained focused on prosecutions that would stop the opioid epidemic. Despite Sessions rescinding the Cole Memo—the Obama-era policy that instructed federal prosecutors not to pursue marijuana-related cases in legal states—Lelling said regulators were acting like the policy was still in full effect.

Federal reform also appears on its way. Momentum is building for the STATES Act, which would recognize states’ marijuana laws and make it impossible to prosecute those compliant with their state laws for marijuana-related offenses. Donald Trump voiced support for the bipartisan bill earlier this summer as well.

How To Choose The Perfect Wine For A Wedding Present

In case you don’t happen to be at the time in your life when weddings are a seemingly-weekly occurrence, allow me to clarify: it’s wedding season! While I’d go beyond the purview of this column to talk about what you should wear to your second cousin’s all-day pig roast, I did want to talk about one specific element of weddings, namely buying wine as a wedding present.

While of course shopping off a registry or just forking over some cash is easier, it’s also a great deal less fun. Besides, no one remembers a year later who bought them the citrus reamer or the fish knives, but if you get them a great bottle of wine, they will damn sure thank you when they open it…which hopefully isn’t that night when Aunt Lucy is showing off what she learned at her salsa classes.

What’s Their Taste?

The first thing to take into consideration are of course the tastes of the married couple, because buying Chardonnay for those who would rather drink battery acid doesn’t make a good impression. Yet I wouldn’t fret too much about that, as even people who don’t regularly drink a type of wine will, inevitably, find a time and place for it.

What’s Their Storage Sitch?

More importantly, you should think about time and (storage) space. When I give wine as a wedding present, I often write something on the bottle like “Happy 5th Anniversary!” While the thirsts of the newlyweds might foil even the best-laid plans, I do find it helps to offer some guidance.

If the recipients don’t have any kind of wine collection, I wouldn’t give them something to hang onto for decades, as it will either be consumed quickly or forgotten about and stuck somewhere to (proverbially, I hope) rot.

Suggested Wines To Buy

That said, let’s talk about what kinds of wine to buy. Assuming you’re looking for age-worthiness, the key factors will be acidity and tannins, as both act as preservatives to keep the wine protected as it ages. With white wines, that typically means a few varietals (like Riesling and Chardonnay) from cooler climates like the Mosel Valley or Burgundy, while with reds there are a wider range of options.

Bordeaux is a classic selection, but the good (and great) wines get real expensive real fast. I’d look at less-heralded regions like Rioja in Spain, where you get tremendous complexity and ageability for a fraction of the price.

Bubbles Are Your Friend

Finally, don’t sleep on sparkling. Besides being a great wine for celebratory purposes, Champagne and other high-quality sparkling wine can actually age for a very long time, becoming more complex and nuanced over time. Plus, having a great bottle of bubbles stashed away is a must for any couple, because you never quite know when an emergency might strike.

How Important The Temperature Control On Your Vape Is

If you had to choose, what’s your go-to cannabis consumption method? For some, it’s inhalation via smoking or vaping. For others, it’s oral consumption via edibles or infused capsules/tablets. Then, there’s those who prefer topically administering cannabis if their intention is to achieve localized relief. Let’s not forget about sublingual consumption though, which is gaining more popularity amongst children and older generations.

However transdermal cannabis products have started to earn a name for themselves recently, which deliver long-lasting effects. Regardless of your go-to cannabis consumption method, there are ways to control cannabis’s effects aside from the particular strain you choose. Read on to find out how maintaining proper temperature control plays a role in regulating cannabis’s effects.

Complexity of the Cannabis Plant & Its Compounds

So far, it has been found that the cannabis plant contains over 70 recognized cannabinoids. As time goes on, more cannabinoids and Phyto-cannabinoids are being discovered. In general, each cannabinoid possesses its own medicinal value and effects. Some cannabinoids are non-psychoactive meaning that they don’t deliver psycho-active effects. A few of these cannabinoids include Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabinol (CBN), and Cannabigerol (CBG). Whereas, Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the cannabinoid responsible for delivering psycho-active effects known as a cerebral ‘high’ feeling. Regardless of each cannabinoid’s effects, they all contain their own medicinal benefits.

In addition to cannabinoids, within the cannabis plant, there are other compounds known as terpenoids (terpenes) and flavonoids. Each of these compounds possess their own effects and medical value too. Then, some of these compounds have an affect on others, which is often referred to as the ‘entourage effect’. What’s the meaning behind all this though?

Purpose of Different Temperatures 

When lighting up a joint, bowl, or blunt, what are you really doing? When smoking cannabis, the bud is heated up until it hits a combustion point. The herb is literally set on fire. Once cannabis is burned, all the compounds within that strain are immediately released. With this being said, temperature plays a vital role when it comes to consuming cannabis. In general, individuals can utilize different temperatures to release certain compounds and cannabinoids within the cannabis that’s consumed. How does this process work, and what should you know about various temperatures regarding cannabis consumption?

Overall, each cannabis compound and cannabinoid contain their own boiling point. This means that a particular compound or multiple compounds are released out of the herb once it reaches a certain temperature. Because of this, an individual can control (to a certain level) the effects that cannabis produces and delivers. If users regulate the temperature at which they consume the herb, they can regulate the compounds that get released in substantial quantities through their particular boiling points.

Optimal Cannabis Consumption Methods

Although smoking cannabis has been a commonly-used consumption method for years, it’s not necessarily the best way to consume cannabis. Instead, some may think that edibles are an ideal way to control cannabis’s effects. However, this isn’t the case either. The longer one heats cannabis, the value placed on boiling points lessens. As time goes on, the highest heat-resistant cannabis compounds begin releasing themselves from the herb. One main issue with edibles is that they’re normally exposed to heat for extended periods of time (much longer than that of vaping).

Generally, vaping cannabis is the best way to control cannabis’s effects. In the past decade, vaping cannabis has evolved into a huge trend. Vaporizers have existed for more than ten years, however, the increased demand for vaping has led to advanced vaporizer technologies. Nowadays, most vaporizers contain built-in temperature control features. Therefore, users can properly adjust their vaping and cannabis consuming experience.

Overall, though, vaping is the optimal consumption method that allows users to control cannabis’s effects via temperature control. This is the case because the specific temperature range that cannabis is vaped at is the same exact temperature range that almost every cannabis compound begins releasing in large quantities. Also, the temperature range is the same in which users can dodge toxic by-products that can arise from combustion.

Temperature Range Guidelines

Furthermore, to understand the differences in effects of cannabis compounds, it helps to keep these temperature ranges in mind when vaping:

Low-temperature range (320 Fahrenheit/160 Celsius—356 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius):

Light mental/cerebral medication, subtle physical effects, and strictly medical effects of THC

Mid-temperature range (356 Fahrenheit/180 Celsius—392 Fahrenheit/200 Celsius):

Moderate to strong mental and physical medication, clear mental and physical effects, and Cannabidiol’s medicinal effects become clearer (if the cannabis strain contains a significant CBD content)

High-temperature range (392 Fahrenheit/200 Celsius—446 Fahrenheit/230 Celsius):

Intense mental and physical medication, strong bodily effects, and medicinal effects of all terpenoids and cannabinoids become clearer

All in all, it’s suggested to start off in the lower temperature range, and work your way up. Utilizing all temperature ranges in a single medicating session is one way to vape cannabis depending on your reasons for usage. However, if your goal is to effectively medicate and conserve on the amount of cannabis you use, vaping is an ideal way to go. Next time you consume cannabis, think carefully about the best consumption method for you.

Is Mexico About To Legalize All Drugs?

Mexico’s President-elect Andrés Manuel López Obrador is considering legalizing all drugs in a creative effort to combat the violent crime and cartels in the country. Obrador, affectionately nicknamed AMLO, has given incoming Interior Minister Olga Sanchez Cordero the freedom to do “Whatever is necessary to restore peace in this country,” according to El Pais.

Cordero was speaking at a seminar to speak on narcotics-related violence when she mentioned that his instruction included a possible reevaluation of drug legislation.

“He knew perfectly well about my lectures and my articles in the press about the decriminalization of drugs,” Cordero said. “On the subject of decriminalizing drugs, Andres Manuel told me, and I quote: ‘Carte blanche…. Let’s open up the debate,’” she said.

Little headway has been made against the War on Drugs. Since 2006, when Mexico unleashed its army to fight drug trafficking, violence has steadily climbed. The militarization policy resulted in more than 200,000 murders and there is expected to be more than 30,000 murders in 2018. Cordero, who served on the Mexico supreme court for 21 years, said the military action violated the constitutional statute civilian authorities have to public safety.

“What no one can deny with hard data is that, at least in the past 10 years, the Mexican government has been incapable of stopping violence and responding to it with institutional mechanisms,” Cordero insisted.

Via Deutsche Welle:

The future interior minister also spoke about her plans to propose legislation in Congress for a so-called “transitional justice system,” that would include reduced sentences for criminals who cooperate with authorities on unsolved crimes. This would be an attempt to make headway in solving the tens of thousands of missing persons cases currently in Mexico.

But it would also include Lopez Obrador’s controversial proposal to provide legal amnesty for certain drug crimes. In her appearance on Tuesday, Sanchez Cordero clarified that those responsible for “grave human rights violations” would not be eligible for the proposed amnesty.

She also added, “A transitional justice system for Mexico is possible and urgent, not just for the victims of the violence but for all of Mexican society.”

5 Tips For Ordering The Healthiest Cup Of Coffee

Ordering coffee can take up a good portion of your day. By the time your drink is actually made, it’s almost time for another cup. There’s so many things to consider: coffee origin (Kenya, Costa Rica or Ethiopia?), milk preference (soy, whole, or nut?), syrups (simple, vanilla or mocha?) and size (short, tall or venti?). Not to mention hot, iced or blended. And you wonder why the line at Starbucks is so damn long. But how do you know your getting the healthiest cup of coffee you can?

Dr. Bob Arnot is here to the rescue.

He’s written a book, The Coffee Lover’s Dietin which he examines all of those confusing studies on coffee and its effects on our health. Not to mention, he and his team performed more than 40 studies to reach their own conclusion as to which beans and best.

Dr. Arnot emphasizes that the most important part of our coffee ritual is the level of polyphenols, the anti-inflammatory, antioxidant-rich micronutrients that are also found in wine and green tea (and why there are so many studies that boast the positive effects of drinking both).

Well + Good dug a bit deeper into the book to give us the five tips Dr. Arnot shares to ensure we’re getting the best cuppa in the morning.

1. Know Where Your Beans Come From

“The best regions are at high altitudes, have rich, volcanic soil, and are close to the equator,” says Dr. Arnot. “When you think about it, this is true for most plants, not just coffee beans. Vegetables and fruit grown in rich, nutrient-dense soil are going to be better for you.”

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2. Choose A Light Roast

Dr. Arnot says it’s a myth that darker roasts have more caffeine. “We roasted beans in five degree elements and found the lightest ones were the highest in polyphenols.” He says dark roasts are a good way for coffee makers to cover their errors. “A lot of Americans think burnt coffee is just the way coffee tastes.”

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3. Don’t Get Distracted By The Brew Method 

While alternative Mr. Coffee methods are great, don’t get caught up in the difference between pour-over, Chemex, Aeropress, and all that other stuff. Yes, it’s fun but, “Don’t let fancy terms distract you from where the coffee beans are coming from.”

Well + Good points out that Dr. Arnot prefers to brew his coffee the Turkish way, which involves grinding the beans until they’re a very fine powder, resulting in the most polyphenols.

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4. Quality Over Quantity

More caffeine doesn’t necessarily mean better. Says Dr. Arnot, “For some people, caffeine can make them jittery, anxious, or keep them up at night. It’s important to pay attention to your body to see how much makes you feel your best.”

He says there are amazing decafs that still have high levels of polyphenols.

 

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5. Don’t Dilute It 

Sugars and creamers are all fine and good, but the more stuff you add, the lower the amount of polyphenols. Dr. Arnot says, “If you have an amazing light roast, the taste will be so complex you don’t need any add-ins. It’s just so good the way it is.”

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