Thursday, June 18, 2026
Home Blog Page 903

Michigan Isn’t As Pro-Marijuana As We Thought

Brendan Bures
-
0
Michigan Isn’t As Pro-Marijuana As We Thought

Throughout the buildup to the mid-term elections, it appeared that Michigan was poised to become the first state in the Midwest and the 10th state nationwide to legalize recreational marijuana. Petition efforts landed recreational marijuana legalization on the ballot for the upcoming November elections. And momentum accelerated for state cannabis advocates when Michigan lawmakers failed to pass legislation regarding recreational cannabis, because that meant legalization would be squarely in the hands of the voters.

But according to a new poll, that might not be as great for Michigan’s pro-marijuana camp as previously thought. Pollsters at Target-Insyght quested 800 voters statewide to see whether voters were for or against the ballot measure. In surprising news, 47 percent said they would vote against the ballot measure while 43 percent would vote for it.

The results are within the margin of error for polling, meaning this isn’t a clear indication which way voters will go in November. But the poll matters because it shows that Michigan voters might be more split on cannabis issues than prior reports and polls demonstrated.

However, it’s no surprise that Scott Greene, the president of the anti-legalization group Healthy and Productive Michigan, has promoted the poll’s findings.

“These results are not surprising,” Greene said in a statement. “The marijuana industry interests have consistently pushed a façade of support and inevitability.”

A key component to recreational marijuana legalization revolves around voter turnout amongst Democrats and youth — two demographics more in favor of cannabis. In fact, a potential “blue wave” that would occur if those groups showed up on Election Day to legalize cannabis was why state Republicans were potentially going to legalize marijuana on their own.

The initiative that voters will see in November will allow them to possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis or 15 grams of concentrates. The state would also allow residents to grow 12 plants at a time.

4 Cities Where It’s Cheaper To Uber Than Own A Car

Amy Hansen
-
0
4 Cities Where It’s Cheaper To Uber Than Own A Car

Big cities are expensive, and so is navigating them. Whether you choose public transportation, ride sharing or your own car, you’re going to pay one for or another. But according to a new study, the latter may be the most expensive option.

The 2018 internet trends report by venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins suggests that taking an Uber is more cost effective than owing your own car in these four major cities: New York City, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and Chicago.

Taking into account insurance, gas, upkeep, parking costs, and peak commuter times for “suburbs to city center trips mirroring the average commuting distance for the metro area,” the report finds that calling an Uber is probably the cheapest option, not considering surge pricing.

The stats: According to the report, the average cost of owning a car in New York City is $218 per week, versus $142 in Uber rides. In Chicago, that number dips to $116 per week for car owners and $77 for hailers. Washington D.C. is slightly more expensive averaging $130 and $96, and Los Angeles is the cheapest, $89 compared to $62. Dallas is the only city where it’s actually quite a bit cheaper to own your own car.

Fortunately, major cities have more options when it comes to transportation, so they’ll be just fine. Travel + Leisure points out that, for example, you can get a monthly MetroCard in New York City for $121, and a weekly unlimited card for just $32.

5 Out-Of-The-Way Cannabis-Friendly Vacation Destinations

Lucy Lifted
-
0
5 Out-Of-The-Way Cannabis-Friendly Vacation Destinations

There are plenty of cannabis-friendly vacation destinations that you know about—Denver, Portland, Seattle—but there are also many options for those seeking a more secluded ganja getaway.

Here are 5 cannabis-friendly vacation destinations that are off the beaten bud path:

Silverthorne, Colorado

Tucked away in the charming ski-area gateway town of Silverthorne, the Bud + Breakfast at Silverthorne offers a blend of Colorado’s two most enjoyable and unique attractions: the Rocky Mountains and legal cannabis. The Grateful Dead-themed property has five private guest suites, with all the comforts, convenience, and breathtaking views of a traditional mountain-town lodge—and a 420-friendly twist. Your stay includes a Wake n’ Bake breakfast, access to the Bud Bar, and 4:20 happy hour appetizers.

Near Silverthorne, the surrounding wilderness areas are fantastic for outdoor recreation of all kinds. Silverthorne’s Blue River provides incredible fly-fishing for fat and feisty trout. There’s a world-class golf course, hiking and biking trails, mine tours… the list goes on and on. Book a room at the Bud + Breakfast, get baked, and head out for a great Colorado adventure.

Bainbridge Island, Washington

Photo by Flickr user Richard Ha
Photo by Flickr user Richard Ha

Exploring the Pacific Northwest is all the better now that recreational cannabis is legal in Washington. Seattle, with its vibrant music scene, great coffee, and legal weed shops is a prime tourist destination—but hop on the ferry and head to lovely Bainbridge Island to get off the beaten path. Stroll off the boat and take the waiting shuttle to Paper & Leaf, a high-end cannabis boutique that has a gallery-like vibe, with vintage records playing and artwork and products beautifully displayed. Their selection of products and gorgeously designed space make this a must-see on any canna-tourist’s list. When you’ve selected your stash, the shuttle driver will drop you anywhere on the island—check out Bainbridge’s shopping, breweries, wineries, restaurants, beaches and nature trails.

Juneau, Alaska

Photo by Flickr user Bernard Spragg. NZ
Photo by Flickr user Bernard Spragg. NZ

Folks seeking an Alaskan 420-friendly adventure should look to Juneau, Alaska’s remote capital. The pretty city is a popular cruise-ship stop, reachable only by boat or seaplane. And a new company, Juneau Cannabis Tours, aims to give tours of Alaska’s fledging marijuana industry in action. The tour company’s website features a photo of snowcapped green mountains and encourages visitors to “live the Alaska high life.” Once the state’s commercial marijuana industry is up and running, the company plans to take people on tours of cultivation and edibles manufacturing facilites, as well as marijuana retail shops. With the natural beauty of Southeast Alaska as a backdrop, that sounds like a winning combination!

Bend, Oregon

Photo by Flickr user vis-a-v.
Photo by Flickr user vis-a-v.

Portland is hip, trendy and plenty of fun, but Oregon has much more to offer. For a pastoral pot experience, head to Bend, where a plethora of weed businesses has proliferated. Oregrown is one such company, billing themselves as “farm to table” cannabis creators. Their flagship dispensary in the heart of Bend broke records when weed became legal in the state.

Make a day of touring pot shops throughout the town, then take advantage of Bend’s reputation as a gateway for tons of outdoor sports, including mountain biking, fishing, hiking, camping, rock climbing, white-water rafting, skiing, paragliding and golf. Sounds like paradise.

Portland, Maine

Photo by Flickr user Jeff Gunn
Photo by Flickr user Jeff Gunn

Maine could be the first state on the East Coast to legalize recreational marijuana this Election Day, but the state has been weed-tolerant for a long time. In 1999, voters in Maine approved medical cannabis, allowing patients to cultivate up to six plants at a time. The jewel of coastal Maine, Portland has long had a thriving cannabis community, and in 2013 approved a citizen-initiated referendum declaring pot legal for adults over 21 for private, recreational use. All of Maine’s delights are made better with marijuana—spark up and take a lighthouse tour, go blueberry picking, visit a maple syrup farm, gorge yourself on lobster rolls and bloomin’ onions. There’s no end to the possibilities pot opens up in the state known as Vacationland.

Here’s How To Get Instagram’s ‘You’re All Caught Up’ Notifications

Maria Loreto
-
0
Here’s How To Get Instagram’s ‘You’re All Caught Up’ Notifications

Instagram just announced that they’re introducing several new features, including one that’s called “You’re all caught up.” This feature will pop up as a notification and will let you know when you’ve seen all of the new posts your friends have uploaded in the past 48 hours.

This might seem like a dumb idea, but it’s actually a really good one if you think about it. It pops up as a message, allowing you to avoid spending hours scrolling pointlessly, without realizing that you’ve been watching the same set of pictures for an hour. No one needs that.

The images that appear below the “You’re all caught up” message will be the ones that are over two days old.

But it’s going to take a while before you see the new update.  According to Bustle this is due to the fact that Instagram rolls out these updates slowly in order to minimize app overload and to try to smooth over any technical difficulties. If it’s been a couple of days and your Instagram hasn’t automatically uploaded, you can try doing these four things:

Check For Updates

https://giphy.com/gifs/jawbreaker-childless-eujjHDwYa2TU4

If your Instagram doesn’t automatically update, you can check the App Store and run the update manually, speeding up the process. Tap on the “Updates” tab and update all of the apps that show up there, ensuring that everything is running smoothly.

Log Into Wifi

Using wi-fi is an effective way of hurrying updates, since they can be delayed when you’re using your cellular service.

Log In And Out

https://giphy.com/gifs/LRlbpvZkhCivm

If the app isn’t loading properly, it helps to log out of your account and to log back in again. Head over to your “Settings” and scroll all the way to the bottom until you reach “Log out of account.”

Delete And Reinstall

If you’ve exhausted all other options, you can always delete the app and reinstall it. This will allow for a full reboot of the app, getting rid of the bugs that might have affected it.

Watch The Real Life Birth Of A Planet

Maria Loreto
-
0
Watch The Real Life Birth Of A Planet

For the first time ever, astronomers were able to capture the birth of a new planet. For all of us non-astronomer folk, planets are “born” when a disk of gas gets mixed up with clouds of dust, all elements colliding with each other and causing the materials to fuse together. It’s a delicate process where the collision must be gentle enough for the formation of the planet to take place.

Scientist from Chile captured this phenomenon at their European Southern Observatory. The birth of the planet was captured with their Very Large Telescope, located in the Atacama Desert in the northern area of the country. Very Large Telescope is the official name of the device.

The young planet is called PDS 70b, and it’s the bright ball located at the center of the video, surrounded by gas and dust. Researchers who captured the video and who’ve analyzed the new planet noticed that it has a cloudy atmosphere.

The research was led by Miriam Keppler, who talked about the discs surrounding young stars, and explained that they are the birthplaces of planets. “These discs around young stars are the birthplaces of planets, but so far only a handful of observations have detected hints of baby planets in them.”

André Müller, another scientist from the study, said that this discovery is very important for astronomers and for the future of space studies. “Keppler’s results give us a new window onto the complex and poorly-understood early stages of planetary evolution. We needed to observe a planet in a young star’s disc to really understand the processes behind planet formation.”

[h/t Mashable]

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

Amy Hansen
-
0
Princess Diana Got Prince William A Boob Cake For His 13th Birthday

Princess William recently turned 36-years-old, his first birthday as a father of three children. He spent his birthday fulfilling royal duties, but chances are, he was thinking back to the day he became a teenager.

His mother, the late Princess Diana, got Will a boob cake for his 13th birthday. That’s right.

Princess Di’s former chef Darren McGrady revealed to Hello! that the Princess had a mischievous side and loved embarrassing (and doting on) her sons. As if a boob cake wasn’t enough to turn poor William red with horror, his party guests included supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington and Naomi Campbell, who were all waiting at the palace to surprise the lad when he came home from school.

McGrady told Hello! Online:

I came into work that morning and went down to the refrigerator, opened the door and I was just confronted with the biggest pair of boobs I’ve ever seen in my life. The Princess had ordered a boobs cake for William’s 13th birthday. I wish I’d taken a photograph of it! I didn’t know anything about it, I just thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’ I asked the butler, ‘What on earth is this?’

McGrady says the Princess was the one who ordered the cake because she “loved embarrassing people in the nicest way, in a fun way, whether it was telling a dirty, risqué joke – which usually got me. William just went bright-red.”

McGrady, who worked for the Princess up until her death, told Hello! that she was a “terrible” cook and that he left food for her so she didn’t have to fend for herself. He said , “I worked Monday to Friday and I’d leave food in the refrigerator for the weekend, like stuffed peppers, she loved those for a weekend lunch. I actually put cling film on with a little sticky note with a number two on it, and that told her to put it in the microwave and press two. That’s just how bad she was at cooking! When the boys were home I’d stay there and cook on weekends too but if it was just the Princess, I’d have weekends off and leave food for her.”

Arizona Petition To Legalize Cannabis Falls Short

Mary Schumacher
-
0
Arizona Petition To Legalize Cannabis Falls Short

The Arizona Marijuana Legalization Initiative was filed by Safer Arizona on March 7, 2017, giving the supporters of the initiative well over a year to collect 150,642 valid signatures by July 5, 2018. That number is equal to ten percent of the votes cast for the office of governor in the most recent election and proved more difficult to achieve than projected.

The petition aimed to legalize the consumption and possession of cannabis for those 21 and over. It would have also allowed for growing up to 48 psychoactive plants and prohibit local jurisdictions from tamping down on cannabis businesses. As far as petitions for pot go, this one was ambitious, though the signature gatherers were only able to amass around 75,000 John Henry’s before the state’s deadline.

David Wisniewski is the chairman of Safer Arizona and the man behind the petition. He told Capitol Media Services that he suspected that with financial contributions from those who might be interested in legal cannabis, like, ahem, medical marijuana dispensary owners, the petition may have made it, but he also implied that said dispensary owners feared the loss of their monopoly on the market and thus didn’t contribute.

Often times, initiatives are supported by large reform groups like NORML or Marijuana Policy Project, by venture capitalists or by those who stand to gain from the expanded market or to see social changes they fight for come to fruition. Wisniewski held fast though, saying that any upcoming initiative would have to be supported financially by the dispensaries.

Getting a measure on the ballot is no small task, from organizing to raising the capital to the initial most important part, getting feet on the ground to gather signatures. And the 150,000+ that Arizona “needs” isn’t near the number that must be collected. All stacks of signature sheets are sampled for fraud and inaccuracies and many people unwittingly sign a petition who aren’t actually registered to vote or are otherwise not in the system. These gaps have to be accounted for and the more signatures an initiative gets, the better.

Even though the petition had great legislative parts in it, like retroactive conviction relief for cannabis offense violations and marijuana taxes that would have been allocated toward education, it was apparently not the right fit for the people of Arizona right now. You can read its full text here.

Did the National Cancer Institute Finally Admit Cannabis Kills Cancer?

Nicole Skrobin
-
0
Did the National Cancer Institute Finally Admit Cannabis Kills Cancer?

The cannabis plant isn’t only therapeutically and medically beneficial, it has recently been found that certain cannabinoids show promise in selectively killing cancer cells without destroying healthy cells. Does cannabis actually kill cancer though, and did the National Cancer Institute (NCI) officially admit this? According to a Politicus USA article released and published in 2015, a claim was made that isn’t entirely true. The claim stated that an update made to a National Institutes of Health (NIH) document included a ‘quiet’ admission that cannabis actually ‘kills cancer’. Read on to find out more about this claim, the truth behind cannabis’s role in helping treat cancer, and the work the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health (NIH) perform related to cannabis.

False Claim Made By Politicus USA Article

As mentioned above, a 2015 Politcus USA article claimed that there was an update to a NIH document regarding cannabis and cancer. The claim stated that a subtle admission was made by the National Cancer Institute on the topic of cannabis killing cancer. However, no modifications/updates were made between 2014 and the middle of 2018 besides the addition of a clinical review, which was added into NCI’s physician database in 2017.

When Politicus USA published their article on the topic of cannabis killing cancer, it was before the NCI conducted and published their 2017 clinical review. Therefore, the assertion Politicus USA made in 2015 regarding the hush hush admission of cannabis killing cancer is false.

Role The NCI, NIH, And PDQ Play In Cannabis-Related Matters

Moreover, recently, there have been questions surrounding the National Cancer Institute and their physician data query on cannabis and cannabinoids. The NCI keeps a database of peer-reviewed cancer research and publishes frequent updates and brief summaries of cancer research in a product referred to as ‘PDQ’. PDQ is known as a service of the NCI, and the NCI is a part of the National Institute of Health (NIH).

Additionally, NIH is the U.S. federal government’s center for biomedical research. However, PDQ summaries and reports are based on independent reviews of medical literature rather than as policy statements of the NCI or NIH.

In addition, PDQ’s informative cancer summaries are evidence-based and comprehensive. They focus on topics that cover the following: supportive and palliative care, adult and pediatric cancer treatment, screenings, prevention, genetics, and alternative, integrative, and complementary therapies. The PDQ reference studies that indicate a potential medicinal role of cannabis in the treatment of cancer. Although the PDQ reference different studies that are mostly small-scale preclinical trials or reviews of these trials, they don’t entirely prove anything regarding cannabis’s efficacy in treating cancer in humans.

Even though different articles have made the claim that the NCI admitted that cannabis kills cancer, this isn’t entirely true. The information that’s used as support doesn’t truly prove that cannabis can act as a practical cancer treatment method. Despite different research findings, individuals aren’t given concrete evidence that cannabis could be used as a practical treatment for cancer.

Medicinal Value Of Cannabis For Cancer Treatment

Recently, the U.S. federal government and NIH have both confirmed that cannabis has the ability to effectively kill cancer cells without destroying healthy cells unlike radiation and chemotherapy. On NIH’s website, information was published regarding the truth of cannabis and its efficacy in fighting cancer. This published information contradicts the propaganda-driven statements that were spread about cannabis over many decades. The following statement was found in a NIH cannabis PDQ from 2014, “Cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory.” Over time, different preclinical trials found promise in killing cancerous cells. Specifically, studies on rats, mice, and cell lines have suggested that certain cannabinoids might be able to selectively kill cancerous cells. The cancerous cells that could be selectively killed include those found in the liver, colon, and breasts.

Additionally, pre and post-updated versions of the PDQ stated that animal and laboratory studies suggest cannabis’s potential anti-tumoral effects. Fortunately, the anti-tumoral cannabis studies that have been published and cited by the NCI’s PDQ could possibly help remove cannabis from its Schedule I classification.

Cannabis Research Hurdles

Due to cannabis’s Schedule I classification under the U.S. Controlled Substance Act, research opportunities are limited regarding the exploration of the medicinal value of cannabis. Conducting human research on the topic of cannabis is an even larger hurdle. However, the studies that have been released show the potential of this plant and its many cannabinoids.

Despite PDQ reports being periodically released, they don’t have any influence on the U.S. federal government’s stance towards cannabis. Also, information pulled from different PDQ documents don’t have any legal influence on the U.S. federal drug policy.

Overall, various studies that have been conducted on cannabis and the role it plays in treating cancer show significant promise. However, additional studies and human trials must be conducted to gather more data. Before people start using cannabis as a practical cancer treatment method, more concrete evidence must arise to confirm cannabis’s medical efficacy in fighting cancer.

5 Beauty Hacks To Avoid

Maria Loreto
-
0
5 Beauty Hacks To Avoid

The internet is the best place to find all sorts of information. With a couple of taps of your keyboard you’re able to find information about all sorts of topics, no matter how niche they are. The downside of this is that sometimes there’s information that looks truthful but isn’t. But sometimes the web doesn’t get it right, or even just downright wrong. To save you time, here are 5 beauty hacks to avoid.

Makeup and facial care lists and videos are extremely popular and useful on the web, but it’s always important to do research before you put anything on your body that could harm you. Especially your face, since it’s very sensitive and you don’t want to ruin it.

Coconut Oil As Facial Moisturizer

https://giphy.com/gifs/mhBsv7BqgAg9O

RELATED: 5 Of The Most WTF Beauty Trends On Instagram Right Now

While coconut oil is amazing and sounds like it could never do any harm, it’s not the best option when it comes to your face. Coconut oil is thick and greasy, and it’ll leave your pores clogged unless you have the face of a mummy. That means very dry.

Lemon juice to eliminate dead cells

Lemon and lime are delicious yet really powerful ingredients that can cause a lot of damage when mishandled. This liquid has a strong reaction with sunlight that could cause serious burns, blisters and a myriad of nightmares for your skin. Keep it far away from you whenever there’s sun.

Exfoliating With Sugar, Salt And Baking Soda

https://giphy.com/gifs/day-just-spa-cbAKfbbcC7D20

While it’s fine to use these components to exfoliate your body, you should be much more careful with your face. These granules are uneven and can have rough edges which can cut and harm your sensitive skin.

Using Raw Egg Whites To Tighten Face

While eggs are probably the most overused DIY beauty item, Cosmopolitan claims that they’re also an easy way to get Salmonella. Enough said.

Tanning With Rubbing Alcohol

https://giphy.com/gifs/rick-cXjrVGRozWUz6

Related: People Really Thought They Could Roll A Joint With Rihanna’s Blotting Papers

This is one of the most dangerous items of this list, leaving your skin dry, tight and irritated. It’ll hurt, and no matter how much you want to tan, it’s just not worth it. Buy a toner or something.

Meme Of The Week: Jay-Z On A Jet Ski

Maria Loreto
-
0
Meme Of The Week: Jay-Z On A Jet Ski

Summer is a season where you have to go to the beach at least once; if you don’t, it might as well be winter. Jay-Z and Beyoncé didn’t skip out on their beach time, deciding to travel to Italy for the summer to soak in the sun. But not even on vacation they’re able to escape paparazzi and memes.

Jay-Z was photographed riding a Jet Ski and people were really puzzled with his face, because he doesn’t look like he’s having a lot of fun. Which I understand. Maybe he was scared, or it was his first time riding a Jet Ski and he got freaked out by the speed of the machine.

Whatever his reasons the Internet doesn’t forget and decided to take advantage of this opportunity to meme the heck out of the photo, comparing him to Dr. Nefario from Despicable Me, casting him as a Bond villain, and photo shopping him into an old school Jet Ski video game. It’s all really great. Check out some of the best memes that people have made:

1...902903904...1,475Page 903 of 1,475

Don't Miss Your Weekly Dose of The Fresh Toast.

Stay informed with exclusive news briefs delivered directly to your inbox every Friday.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe anytime.

The Fresh Toast is an award-winning lifestyle & health platform with a side of cannabis. We work hard each day to bring uplifting and informative information about culture, weed, celebrity, tech and medical marijuana.

© Copyright @2020