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British Children With Seizures Are Changing Political Minds About Cannabis

Mary Schumacher
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British Children With Seizures Are Changing Political Minds About Cannabis

On June 11, 12-year-old Billy Caldwell was stripped of his cannabis-based medication at Heathrow Airport. Caldwell suffers from status epilepticus, a seizure disorder that sometimes lasts hours, often turning the boy blue. They are horrifically severe seizures and can be fatal.

After the medication was taken from the boy and his mother, the two waited for days while the government took its time. Thankfully, a few days after the event, Britain’s home secretary Sajid Javid stepped in and allowed Caldwell to have his medicine back.

The entire debacle has sparked a national debate, however, and it sounds like Britain is seriously considering the prospect of allowing for medical cannabis in the not so distant future.

William Hague, a former leader in Prime Minister Theresa May’s Conservative Party, wrote in The Daily Telegraph that once the government had conceded and allowed the cannabis oil to be used, that “as far as marijuana, or cannabis, is concerned any war has been comprehensively and irreversibly lost.”

That was quite the concession on Hague’s part, as he used to be a “zero-tolerance” drug policy champion. Let’s talk about the real champion here, though. Basically referring to Javid as a hero without a cape on the talk radio station LBC, the mother of Caldwell couldn’t be happier to have her boy as healthy as possible in a circumstance that could have gone in the opposite direction very easily.

The New York Times reported that on Tuesday, Javid told lawmakers that the current way of dealing with cannabis, “is not satisfactory for the patients, it is not satisfactory for the doctors and it is not satisfactory for me.” And though he is clearly in favor of medicalization, he did make it clear that these were not steps toward broad legalization, despite what the public is buzzing about.

Javid also allowed for another little boy with severe seizure disorder, Alfie Dingley, to have a special licence to use the plant. Dingley is only 6-years-old and suffers through up to 150 seizures per month. PM May was supposed to have helped the family going on three months ago, but Javid stepped in again. The hero who will hopefully press for broad medical marijuana laws in Britain as soon as he’s able to break through the wall of prohibition.

Here’s Why Meghan Markle Has Only Worn Neutral Colors Since Her Wedding

Amy Hansen
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Here’s Why Meghan Markle Has Only Worn Neutral Colors Since Her Wedding

You may have noticed that Meghan Markle, now the Duchess of Sussex, has been adopting a neutral wardrobe lately. Since walking down  the aisle in a Givenchy dress on May 19, Markle has been seen in creams and eggshell and a bunch of other bland tones. What gives?

According to one fashion commentator, the color is a ‘show of respect’ for the Queen. Yes, the Queen, known for her bright neon outfits.

The Daily Mail reports:

The Duchess of Sussex opted for a ‘regal’ monochrome number as she joined the Queen for their first official joint engagement in Cheshire on Thursday, proving herself an ‘exemplary royal’ according to Lucas Armitage.

The custom-designed number, which fell to just below the knee, featured a thin belted waist and was paired with a sensible black clutch and pumps – and sheer tights.

Armitage told MailOnline FEMAIL that “Meghan has opted for a neutral color once again. I feel this is a clever styling tactic as it will always work with the Queen’s look; she is known and applauded for her use of bright fun colors.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkAZm5Wgu9S/?taken-by=kensingtonroyal

So there you have it. While the tones may be neutral in color, the clothes are still figure hugging, modern and chic, just like the Markle we’ve come to know and love.

Paris Cafes Now Sell Marijuana, But Don’t Expect You To Smoke It

Brendan Bures
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Paris Cafes Now Sell Marijuana, But Don’t Expect You To Smoke It

Queues have been lined up outside a brand-new Paris “coffee shop” since it opened June 5, but customers aren’t interested in receiving a caffeine boost. Instead, Cofyshop, a café situated in Paris’ trendy 11th arrondissement, sells its patrons low-grade cannabis. The catch: The shop owner doesn’t expect or advise people to smoke the product.

The store, among the first of its kind in France, comes after a softening of the country’s notoriously stringent drug laws. It’s now legally permissible to sell marijuana that contains less than 0.2 percent THC, the main psychoactive ingredient found in the plant. However, the strains Cofyshop sells are rich in cannabinoids, which contain many of the medicinal benefits found in cannabis.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjs7yFuFBZu/?taken-by=cofyshop

Joaquim Lousquy, the owner of Cofyshop, imports the cannabis from Switzerland, but don’t mistake him for a cannabis activist or crusader. He labels the product with “Do Not Smoke” warnings and simply “recognized a good deal” in selling the product, according to The Telegraph.

“There’s no psychotropic effect. It isn’t a medicine or a relaxant,” Lousquy told The Telegraph. “I wouldn’t advise anyone to smoke cannabis. We sell it like any other item, just like a furniture shop sells tables or chairs.”

That message has fallen upon deaf ears. Customers waiting outside Cofyshop and E-Klop, a similar store in a west Paris suburb, have much different intentions.

“I want to find out if the stuff they’re selling gets you stoned. In theory, it has less than 0.2 percent THC, but I’ve heard it contains more CBD [cannabidiol, a legal cannabinoid] and that should have an effect, at least to make you feel relaxed,” one 21-year-old customer told The Telegraph.

Another customer, a 30-year-old fashion worker, told The Local:

I’m a regular cannabis smoker and this is a chance to try what is legally available … I usually buy from a regular dealer illegally because France doesn’t give people a choice. In other countries it’s no problem to smoke weed but in France it’s a taboo.

An interesting note on Cofyshop owner Lousquy: This isn’t his first controversial entrepreneurial venture. Earlier this year he opened XDolls, France’s first sex doll brothel, after new laws made paying for sex illegal.

Not all are pleased with the new “coffee shops” in the Paris streets. One of the shop’s neighbors, a 72-year-old woman named Marlene, complained to Le Parisen, saying, “[It] smells of hashish in the street and it wafts up to our flat.”

Study: Women Are More Disgusted By Sex Than Men

Amy Hansen
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Study: Women Are More Disgusted By Sex Than Men

There are some people out there who liken sex to other disgusting inhibitors of infectious disease, like bad hygiene, rotten food and skin lesions. And these people are called “women.”

A new study found that there are six common categories of disgust, including: atypical appearance, lesions, poor hygiene, animal contamination, spoiled foods, and risky sex.

According to the study, conducted by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, researchers have long noted that many of the multiple elicitors of disgust have some relation to infectious disease.

There is an emerging consensus that disgust evolved in Animalia to direct the behaviours that reduce risk of infection, so-called ‘parasite avoidance theory’. If this is correct, then the disgust motive should be structured in a manner that reflects the ways in which infectious disease can be avoided.

The study involved more than 2,500 people who rated 75 scenarios on a scale from most disgusting to least disgusting. Women were way more disgusted by sex than men, equating it to diseased animals.

https://giphy.com/gifs/the-golden-girls-lJgwxq3D1ebT2

Lead author Val Curtis told The Independent that “Disgust is a system in the brain that causes us to reject and avoid the things that would have made our ancestors sick,” adding:

So we tend to avoid things like off food, skin lesions, sex with promiscuous people, people with odd appearances, poor hygiene. In the past these might have signified infection. Of course, they may not today.

Of the six common categories, pus-releasing wounds was deemed the most disgusting, with lack of hygiene following closely behind, according to The Independent.

https://giphy.com/gifs/gross-disgusted-throw-up-bLBIanKJW0Iuc

As for why women are so grossed out by sex, Curtis explains that it’s biological, that women want to naturally protect their children from disease.

Canadian Lawmaker Fears ‘Disgusting’ Marijuana T-Shirts Will Denigrate Nation

Al Olson
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Canadian Lawmaker Fears ‘Disgusting’ Marijuana T-Shirts Will Denigrate Nation

As Canadians gleefully count the days until cannabis is legal nationwide, one conservative lawmaker is still refusing to give up the fight for prohibition. Marilyn Gladu, a conservative member of parliament from Sarnia-Lambton is urging the Canadian government to ban “disgusting” clothing promoting cannabis.

Gladu, who has been one of the most ardent combatants against marijuana legal reform, says she fears citizens might don shirts or other attire with marijuana leaves on them. This, in her view, will disrespect Canada Day — the nation’s biggest holiday on July 1 — and will be slap in the face to veterans across the country.

Addressing the House of Commons earlier this month, Gladu made a passionate speech warning about the evil attire:

One of the amendments that they did not accept had to do with the banning of promotional things like T-shirts, caps, and flags that would have a cannabis symbol on them. The government did not accept this amendment from the Senate. I am very concerned about that.

There are a lot of Canadians out there who are worried that when marijuana is legalized in Canada they are going to use Canada Day flags that have cannabis on them. Everybody will have a T-shirt with cannabis on it. That will be disgusting. It will absolutely denigrate our country and the people who have served our country and made Canada a proud country. It will deface that. The government has allowed people to continue to have that kind of paraphernalia by refusing the language here. It is total hypocrisy because under Bill S-228, which talks about prohibiting unhealthy advertising to children, we would not want to see pop or something like that on a T-shirt or a flag. However, with cannabis, it is okay. I am totally opposed to that.

Gladu also earned the ire of the Mexican embassy when she implied that many visitors from Mexico are involved in the illegal drug trade. After her anti-immigrant tirade, the Mexican embassy shot back:

“The embassy strongly disagrees and rejects any assertion that singles out or pretends to portray Mexicans as criminals. Comments based on stereotypes are inaccurate and hurt the dignity of the Mexican people and should be avoided.”

Asked if she had any remorse for her statement, Gladu said her comments were made “in the passion of making your speech. I wouldn’t say the Mexicans are more prone to drug crimes than the organized crime we already have in Canada,” she said.

But look out for the T-shirts and hats!

This New Magenta Starbucks Drink Is Taking Over Instagram

Amy Hansen
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This New Magenta Starbucks Drink Is Taking Over Instagram

Starbucks has another viral drink on their hands. It’s not quite a Unicorn Frappuccino, but it still sounds magical and is gaining traction purely from its bright pink hue. As of June 19, Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers are now available across the country. The tropical drink gets its color “from pieces of real red-fleshed dragon fruit (also known as pitaya) hand-shaken in the beverage with no artificial colors or sweeteners,” according to Starbucks.

“People love both the flavor and the color,” said the company’s Alicia Binion, who created the drink. She admitted that Starbucks is basically in the market of developing viral drinks at this point, describing the new menu item as, “bright and vivid, something you would want to take a picture of to share with friends.”

Some even hack the drink by swapping the water with coconut milk for a creamier version called Dragon Drink.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bjsu-cOFTTN/?tagged=mangodragonfruit

Binion said of the Mango Dragonfruit Refresher: “It’s one of those up-and-coming flavors. The red-fleshed fruit is less common and helps make this drink so fun and unique.” And don’t forget Instagramable!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkNJRTHheK7/?taken-by=starbucks

Not to be confused with the Pink Drink or Strawberry Acai Refresher or the Serious Strawberry Frappuccino, a grande-sized Mango Dragonfruit Refresher has less than 100 calories.

There’s Now A Florida Drive-Thru Selling Medical Marijuana

Brendan Bures
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There’s Now A Florida Drive-Thru Selling Medical Marijuana

Medical marijuana access is becoming just as convenient as a drugstore prescription in Florida. Curaleaf, a medical marijuana dispensary with multiple locations across the state, will open Florida’s first marijuana drive-thru in Palm Harbor Beach, which is just northwest of Tampa.

While initial reactions might regard the drive-thru as a luxury convenience or fulfilling some lazy stoner stereotypes, the logic behind the move is to help patients who might have physical limitations or disabilities. However, new Curaleaf customers will still need to visit inside the story for a private consultation. The company will also have an educational seminar for patients new to medical marijuana called “Medical Cannabis 101.”

“We are piloting the drive-thru concept in Palm Harbor to provide our patients, several of which have physical disabilities, with another option for access and convenience,’’ Lindsay Jones, the president of Curaleaf Florida, told the Miami Sun-Sentinel.

Curaleaf is not the first to introduce the marijuana drive-thru concept into the world. That business that claims that title would be The Tumbleweed Express in Colorado It opened ahead of 4/20 last year, and used a former car wash bay to provide customers discreet service.

But the NuWu Cannabis Marketplace in Las Vegas surpasses both drive-thru for sheer size and scope. It calls itself the biggest cannabis store in the world and operates a 24-hour drive-thru. The company made enough money to sponsor the Las Vegas Lights of the United Soccer League, marking the first time a professional soccer team publicly associated with a cannabis company.

Marijuana Legalization Is Coming To Vermont July 1

Terry Hacienda
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Marijuana Legalization Is Coming To Vermont July 1

In less than two weeks, Vermont will become the ninth state in the nation to officially legalize adult recreational use of cannabis. But unlike the previous eight states, there is one significant wrinkle: You won’t be able to buy it anywhere.

What Vermont calls legalization is different from Colorado, Washington and the other states that made the move over the past four years. The Green Mountain State, beginning on July 1, will allow adults 21 years and older to possess and grow small amounts of the herb without fear of arrest or fine. But the law stopped short of creating a legal retail program in the state.

“I would say that what Vermont’s done is very similar to what the first phase has been in every other state other than Washington state, which did not allow home cultivation,” said Matt Simon, New England political director for the Marijuana Policy Project.

The Burlington Free Press published a general overview of how the Vermont law works. Here are some of the highlights:

No Retail

Vermont becomes the third New England state to legalize cannabis. The first two, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, have plans on the books to eventually allow for retail sales: Massachusetts later this summer and Maine next year. But the Vermont law did not include a provision to allow for a legal retail system. Instead, it will continue to outlaw cannabis sales for recreational adult use.

Of course, Vermonters will be able to take a short drive to neighboring Massachusetts next month and purchase cannabis. And next year, New Hampshire will happily take their tax dollars.

How Much Can You Possess?

Vermont law allows adults 21 years and older to possess no more than 1 ounce of marijuana. This is the same amount legally allowed in Alaska, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Maine allows no more than 2 1/2 ounces and the District of Columbia allows up to 2 ounces. (Note: In Massachusetts, residents are allowed to have up to 10 ounces in their homes without punishment.)

You Can Grow Your Own

Vermont adults will be allowed to grow four immature plants and two mature plants at a time. If you are not the property owner, you must have written permission from the landlord.

Most experienced growers believe the laws surrounding cultivation are too strict and might be difficult to enforce. “What I’ve heard a lot from people around the state of Vermont is this is far too low for the amateur grower,” Laura Subin, director of the Vermont Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, told the Free Press.

Public Consumption Is Still Illegal 

Like all other states that have legalized cannabis, public consumption remains against the law. “Consumption of marijuana in a public place or in a vehicle is prohibited as is possession of an open container of marijuana in a vehicle, and violations are subject to civil penalties,” the law reads.

Can I Give It Away To My Friends?

Good question. The law is vague. “Gifting” or asking for donations is not specifically addressed in the law. One thing is certain: There are penalties for providing or “enabling consumption” of cannabis to minors.

The GOP Will Support Cannabis Rider To Protect State Rights

Mary Schumacher
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The GOP Will Support Cannabis Rider To Protect State Rights

Even with 29 states and the District of Columbia having voted in favor of legal cannabis (in one form or another), cannabis activists still have plenty of room to worry when it comes to keeping it as-is or, preferably, expanding the program further. That’s because of cannabis’ status as a Schedule I drug, meaning it has a high potential of abuse and no medicinal value.

You’d have to be living under a rock to not know that the previous statements are utter bull. Most of the states with cannabis laws are protecting the rights of medical marijuana patients. It is proven that cannabis is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, superfood with different benefits with each method of ingesting.

Apparently, the GOP is now coming out of the woodwork and out from under rocks to support the latest piece of legislation that protects state rights to medical cannabis, demonstrating a dramatic shift in marijuana mood on The Hill. As Forbes reported, this is, “the first time ever a provision protecting state medical marijuana laws is being included in base funding legislation for the U.S. Department of Justice.”

Talk about making progress in leaps. Encouragingly, Don Murphy, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project, said, “It’s taken years of hard work by patients and their advocates, but we’ve finally reached the point where even in a U.S. Senate controlled by Republicans, a medical marijuana provision is not considered a poison pill and its support requires no further debate.”

For states to be able to move forward without fear of prosecution when it comes to the medical side of things is a true blessing for the cannabis community at large. Things were looking a little dicey when Sessions rescinded the Obama-era Cole Memo, which protected states from prosecution, but with the new protections in place and ready to be signed off on, it’s good news all around. Almost.

The provision doesn’t mention anything about the recreational market and protections for it’s rapidly growing industry. The beauty here is that self-regulation is a booming concept and it’s lending legitimacy in the cannabis spaces that need it most. From lab testing to seed to sale tracking, the future does look bright from coast-to-coast.

Experts Claim They Can Already Hack Apple’s New Security Feature

Maria Loreto
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Experts Claim They Can Already Hack Apple’s New Security Feature

There’s always been issues surrounding Apple and its encryption of itsdevices, but things got worse recently, when Apple announced a new security feature that claims to make it even harder for authorities and security companies to crack devices.

Security companies that work with the police claim that they’ve already found a way to work around this new system, even though it hasn’t even been released.

In an email thread obtained by Motherboard, an expert said that Grayshift, a forensic company, has already found a way to beat Apple’s security feature in the beta build. The emails also claim that Grayshift has addressed Apple’s new security measures in a webinar that they conducted several weeks ago.

According to Gizmodo, Grayshift is a very well respected security company that created the GreyKey, a $15,000 tool that is sold to police and government agencies. GreyKey can hack the security code of iPhones within a couple of hours or a couple of days, depending on the security level of the device.

Among Apple’s new security features is the very expected “USB Restricted Mode,” which claims that when activated, no matter how hard cops or hackers try to break into it, the device will enter complete lock-down, impossible to break in after an hour or so of staying inactive.

While both sides of the argument make valid points — Apple wants their devices to be secure and sometimes the police needs access to them — they’ll always find ways of annoying each other, pushing the other to come up with something new.

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