You’d think someone who’s been as famous for as long as Snoop Dogg wouldn’t have any more “back in the day” anecdotes to tell—at least any interesting ones, that is. However, no one is better than radio legend Howard Stern at pulling out stories from celebrities whenever they sit on his couch. Stern’s like your therapist, except he’s cool and you actually don’t lie to him.
As the iconic MC told Stern, Snoop was all set to make his first appearance on “Saturday Night Live” in 1994 when a problem arose — he’d run dry of weed. So he called up his buddy Tupac Shakur.
“Before he was on Death Row Records, when he was just my homeboy, after we had met at the Poetic Justice wrap party,” Snoop Dogg said. “I ain’t got no dope. That’s when it was hard getting weed out here [in New York]… And he was like, don’t worry about a mother fucking thing.”
Snoop says Tupac showed up with, what he described as, a big ol’ bag of weed. But that’s not all. “Guess who he pulls up with?” Snoop asked, before crooning an impromptu version of Madonna’s smash hit “Like A Virgin.” Tupac and Madonna infamously dated while the rapper was at the height of his fame in the mid-90s.
“I don’t know that I would do that for anybody,” Stern said, adding that Snoop and Pac must’ve had a genuine friendship. “I’d stay home and fuck Madonna. I’m not bringing you weed. No offense.”
Snoop also revealed on the program that he smoked his first blunt with Tupac—“I’d been smoking joints up until then,” Snoop revealed. The rapper and cannabis entrepreneur also revealed that he’s formed more relationships and business partners by sharing a joint than he ever has grabbing a drink with someone. “It’s a bridge, Howard,” Snoop said.
Since Governor Phil Murphy took office, medical marijuana in the Garden State has expanded beautifully. With the addition of qualifying conditions and easier access to medicine came bigger dispensaries — and the biggest of all is quite the showboat. With its humble beginnings in what was once a T-shirt shop, Curaleaf cannabis dispensary is now the biggest on all of the East Coast.
With 6,150-square-feet of space to work with, the newly revamped location can serve up to 1,000 patients a day, which is a very good thing for medical cannabis users in the general area and even beyond. The dispensary is located just 10 miles south of Philly in West Jersey and is accessible to many New Jerseyans.
Curaleaf has locations across the East Coast and their website states that they, “are a non-profit company in the business of symptom relief. Our mission is to help relieve the pain and suffering that patients with serious diseases experience and we are well on the road to achieving that.”
Already, 21,000 New Jersey residents have registered for the medical cannabis program, 5,000 of whom joined in the last year. Curaleaf served well over 6,000 patients in 2017 and 2018 is looking like a busy year for the giant new medicinal facility.
With new medical cannabis rules in place, Curaleaf’s relocation and expansion is likely just the tip of the iceberg for New Jersey, which is growing its cannabis program at a steady clip. “Our expansion into a larger dispensary mirrors not only Curaleaf’s growth but also the progression of medical marijuana access within the state,” George Schidlovsky, Curaleaf New Jersey’s president, said in a statement.
Two of the additional qualifying conditions under Murphy’s leadership are anxiety and chronic pain, both of which are primary reasons to obtain cannabis. Because they are now on the list of approved ailments, there is bound to be more and more people signing up for the program, making large dispensaries with great selections a necessity.
For example, Keith Chase, 62, is a patient who has visited the facility. “I love it. It’s fantastic,” he said, “It looks like a dispensary in Colorado — big and clean. They just need more product.” Chase said he utilizes cannabis because it keeps him off of the addictive opioids that had him in their grips for years due to a back injury.
Cannabis may be able to help yet another group of patients improve their quality of life; this time it is a group of kids in need of some good news.
Childhood is tough enough, but it is exponentially more complicated for those with complex movement disorders, CMD. These are atypical movements that interfere with daily life. Instead of being able to simply sit in a classroom, they may be interrupted by involuntary, repetitive movements and sometimes repetitive vocalizations.
There are two main categories of movement disorders, hypokinetic or hyperkinetic, too little or too much movement respectively. Kids with CMD almost always display on the too much movement side. Not only is the behavior disruptive to the individual and social settings, it can create poor coordination. In total, it can lead to feelings of shame, isolation and loneliness. It can be a very tough burden to bear for a child.
There are few known effective medical remedies for CMD. That is why news about cannabis being a potential benefit for these children is such a big deal. The source of this news is a solid one in the scientific community. Israeli researchers teamed up with Tikun Olam, the first and largest supplier of medical Cannabis in Israel. They conducted a study of 25 patients aged 1-17 years who suffer from moderate to severe complex movement disorders using two formulations of CBD enriched oil. One had a 20:1 ratio of CBD:THC, one had a 6:1 ratio.
The oil was administered to patients for 5 months. At the end of the trial period, “Significant improvement in spasticity and dystonia, sleep difficulties, pain severity, and QOL (quality of life) was observed” in both groups. Negative effects were rare but did include 2 patients whose seizures worsened, 2 whom had behavioral changes and one who became too sleepy as a result of the medicated oils.
Good research begets good research, so we are bound to hear much more about this line of questioning. While the US fumbles its way through a bad federal policy regarding cannabis and the subsequent challenges that it poses to completing solid, human subject research, countries like Israel, Spain and others are moving ahead. We have them to thank for pushing the boundaries and challenging our stateside politicians and medical professionals. Thank goodness for them. Patients like children with complex movement disorders should not have to wait for us to get over our reefer madness so that they can improve their quality of life. That’s the real crime.
Coffee and cannabis are two of the most widely used psychoactive substances in the world. Whereas cannabis is often consumed to relax the body, enhance perception, and stimulate creativity, coffee – like tea and other caffeinated beverages – is typically used to energize and help people focus, particularly in the face of exhaustion.
Does it make sense to consume cannabis and coffee together? How do they interact? Is it fitting that decriminalized THC-rich cannabis was first sold over-the-counter in Amsterdam’s coffee shops?
More recently, several unregulated cannabis start-ups have begun producing and selling coffee infused with doses of hemp-derived CBD. Are caffeine and cannabidiol truly a good combo, or is this just a clever marketing gimmick?
Opposite effects
Caffeine is typically thought of as a mild cognitive enhancer. It increases one’s ability to focus and can improve short term memory. Physiologically, caffeine promotes fat metabolism and wards off sleepiness. These effects are mostly opposite those of THC, which can also help one focus, but briefly impairs short term memory while decreasing fat metabolism.
Caffeine is a stimulant that activates the sympathetic nervous system, which is intrinsic to the basic human stress-response. But THC mitigates many of the effects of stress. Paradoxically, THC can even restore memory in animals impaired by chronic stress. When coffee and cannabis are combined, which effects win out?
Since plant-cannabinoids like THC and CBD weakly inhibit the metabolism of caffeine by blocking an enzyme called CYP1A2, one might expect that caffeine would overpower the cannabinoids.
Photo by Yuichiro Chino/Getty Images
As it turns out, their interaction is not so straightforward. Caffeine actually amplifies memory impairment caused by THC. And this effect may be specific to short-term memory. To understand how this happens, it’s necessary to look at the neurological properties of these special compounds.
Caffeine has two major biochemical effects. At low doses it blocks adenosine receptors (A1, A2A, and A3). These receptors are typically associated with sleepiness. Adenosine regulates the sleep-wake cycle and regulates the dilation and constriction of blood vessels. The stimulating effects of coffee and tea are due to the inhibition of adenosine receptors. And the headaches that some people experience during caffeine withdrawal are likely due to constriction of blood vessels in the brain.
At higher doses, caffeine inhibits a type of enzyme called a phosphodiesterase (PDE). PDEs break down important chemical messengers that are generated by both cannabinoid and adenosine receptors. These messengers are called cyclic AMP (cAMP) and the related cGMP. They are some of the most common signaling molecules in cells.
PDE enzymes are a target of asthma medications, as well as Viagra.
Adenosine: CB1 gatekeeper
CB1 cannabinoid receptors and A1 adenosine receptors both populate the hippocampus – a region of the brain responsible for many aspects of memory. Short-term memory, in particular, is processed by brief neurological changes in the hippocampus. When hippocampal A1 is highly activated, the efficacy of cannabinoids at CB1 is reduced. THC, endocannabinoids or an experimental synthetic cannabinoid will still be able to activate CB1, but even high doses will produce a smaller effect.
In a 2011 study led by Portuguese scientists at the University of Lisbon, THC’s effect was one third as strong when given along with an A1 adenosine receptor agonist. (An agonist activates a receptor; an antagonist blocks the receptor.) Conversely, blocking the A1 receptor would increase the effect of cannabinoids, but only in situations where A1 is already active. The precise mechanism by which A1reduces CB1’s efficacy is still unclear.
This research suggests that elevating adenosine levels might protect people from THC-induced memory impairment without diminishing THC’s important effects outside of the hippocampus, which include neuroprotection, reduction of nausea, and painkilling, as well as psychoactivity. Adenosine levels are highest before sleep. So nighttime use of cannabis may have a lesser effect on memory than daytime use, though this has not been tested experimentally.
In cases where cannabis is used to ease trauma, caffeine drinkers may end up benefiting by combining the herb or its components with a cup of Joe. But this might not be the case for a stressed employee who drinks coffee to get through the day. A few preliminary studies have shown that drinking coffee occasionally or frequently had the same effect: Both amplified THC’s ability to temporarily weaken memory.
The neurology of memory
The memory changes in the brain’s network. If certain connections between neurons are highly utilized, it would make sense for the brain to strengthen those pathways. On the other hand, if two neurons rarely communicate, it would be better not to expend much energy maintaining the connection. The dynamic strengthening and elimination of neural connections is a key aspect of brain plasticity.
Endocannabinoids play a significant role in synaptic plasticity (and overall neuroplasticity) by regulating what scientists refer to as “long-term potentiation” (LTP) and “long-term depression” (LTD). Both of these processes have a direct bearing on memory and many other brain functions.
LTP involves potentiating or strengthening neural connections between cells; this can occur by increasing the amount of neurotransmitters released by the presynaptic (signal-sending) neuron or by heightening the sensitivity of the postsynaptic (signal-receiving) neuron. LTD entails the opposite process, which ultimately reduces the effect of neuronal activity. LTD in the hippocampus facilitates the clearance of old memories.
Endogenous cannabinoids and plant cannabinoids inhibit neurotransmitter release by activating the CB1receptor. This can result in bidirectional physiological effects depending on which neurotransmitters are inhibited. CB1 exists on both excitatory (glutamatergic) and inhibitory (GABAergic) neurons. When CB1impedes the release of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter, CB1 increases (“disinhibits”) brain activity. And by slowing glutamatergic neurons, cannabinoids (via CB1) generally promote LTD and the removal of old memories in the hippocampus.
Fine-tuning the brain
Adenosine is constantly released in small concentrations onto the same part of the hippocampus where cannabinoid, adenosine, and glutamate receptors reside. Adenosine, by activating the A1 receptor, reduces the efficacy of THC and other cannabinoids at CB1. And this partially suppresses cannabinoid-mediated LTD, thereby enhancing short-term memory.
But caffeine blocks A1 receptors. This amplifies the impact of cannabinoid activity and, in turn, will lead to greater LTD and temporary impairments in working memory.
CB1 and A1 receptors also exist on GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus. A1 plays a similar gatekeeping role for CB1 in these neurons (it impedes CB1’s suppression of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA). GABAergic neurons act as the major brake slowing glutamate release in the hippocampus.
By engaging the CB1 receptor, cannabinoids can promote either LTD or LTP under different circumstances. LTD appears to be more common. Adenosine acting at A1 receptors will enhance memory by reducing LTD. These complex interactions and feedback loops provide neurons with subtle means to fine-tune the brain.
CBD and adenosine
Cannabidiol does not directly activate CB1, but exerts effects through many other pathways. For example, high doses of CBD elevate adenosine levels in the brain by preventing the reuptake of adenosine. This may account for CBD’s ability to ameliorate the short-term memory impairments attributed to THC in some studies. It could be one of many mechanisms that contribute to the “ensemble effect,” whereby the variety of compounds in cannabis can mitigate each other’s side effects and promote each other’s efficacy.
Adenosine is not just a neurotransmitter; it is also known to have intrinsic anti-inflammatory effects. Its reuptake is the main way the body terminates adenosine signaling. Cannabidiol is protective in some models of heart attack, multiple sclerosis, lung injury, and retinal problems because CBD indirectly activates (via adenosine reuptake inhibition) A2A and A1 receptors.
The sedative side effect of high doses of CBD might also be related to amplified adenosine. In clinical trials of a sublingual CBD isolate called Epidiolex, sedation is one of the most common side effects. Although the molecular cause of this is not known with certainty, a high dose of CBD may augment adenosine signaling and contribute to tiredness.
When mixed with caffeine, CBD’s effects on adenosine would probably be dwarfed by caffeine’s antagonistic activity at adenosine receptors. The extent to which this might diminish CBD’s medicinal properties is unknown. Given cannabidiol’s many modes of action, it is unlikely that this would be seriously problematic. But as of now, there aren’t clear advantages to combining or marketing CBD and caffeine together.
This story was first published in Project CBD, a California-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical uses of cannabidiol (CBD) and other components of the cannabis plant. Read the original story here.
The orgasm is categorized as the peak physical reaction of sexual stimulation. One normally associates physical and psychological effects like flushing, increased heart rate and a feeling of love or happiness. Sneezing, severe fatigue and hallucinations can sound like symptoms of a severe flu, but they can also be labeled as side effects of an orgasm.
These symptoms have been studied by different researches, and they’re categorized as unusual side effects of the normal orgasmic response. Here are 5 of the strangest unusual side effects that an orgasm can trigger:
A research of 50 women that experienced expanded sexual response was conducted in Turkey. A large percentage of them claimed to have felt like they left their bodies, that they were literally flying and a sense of deja vu. A smaller and stranger percentage said that they experienced a feeling of being inside a cartoon world. Wow.
Sickness
This side effect is also known as post-orgasm illness syndrome and includes several reactions that men have reported after they ejaculate, like intense fatigue, warmth and temporary flu-like symptoms.
This happens because the body mislabels the proteins in semen as foreign invaders, which kicks in your immune system and makes you feel sick.
Crying
While not totally unheard of, crying after sex is a symptom of postcoital dysphoria. This dysphoria includes other reactions like tearfulness, melancholia, depression and anxiety.
One out of three female university students reported at least one of these symptoms on a study from the International Journal of Sexual Health. As you can see, these symptoms are not at all uncommon, so don’t freak out if it happens to you.
The link between sex and sneezing has made appearances as early as the 1900’s, but researchers don’t know why this happens. They assume that the activation of the parasympathetic nervous system during orgasms may trigger a different branch of it, making some people sneeze.
Pain
Women sometimes feel pain during their orgasms, even if they weren’t feeling any during intercourse. Research from 2009 claimed that 3 women felt this type of pain that wasn’t caused by any infections or anatomical reasons.
Men with chronic prostate can also experience pain when they orgasm.
Thanks to a loophole in the 2014 Farm Bill, industrial hemp-derived cannabinoid products have exploded across the states and internet. Products you might not expect to include CBD have popped up on the market, such as CBD beer, which brewers like San Francisco’s Black Hammer Brewing have embraced.
Black Hammer first introduced CBD beer for 4/20 celebrations back in 2017. Since then, the company has unveiled eight different beers to include cannabinoids, and, as owner Jim Furman told the San Francisco Chronicle, their line of CBD beers has been their most popular.
But production of CBD beers has temporarily ceased. Why? Because Black Hammer received an order to stop production from the federal Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. You might be asking yourself, Isn’t cannabis fully legal in California? It is. Does this have to do with federal cannabis laws? Not at all.
The bureau requires specific approval for any non-standard ingredients used in beer production. What does and doesn’t qualify as non-standard can be tricky. Cannabinoids and terpenes might seem obvious choices for non-standard ingredients, but passionfruit and rosewater are more likely to need special approval, writes the Chronicle. Here’s the thing: CBD, hemp, and terpenes aren’t even on the list for non-standard ingredients.
Black Hammer’s case echoes that of South Florida brewers around 4/20 this year. Brewers like Invasive Species Brewing and Devour Brewing had similarly stumbled upon the flavor innovation terpenes deliver to beer flavor profiles, with one brewer calling it “the fifth Beatle.” They had to cancel major 4/20 events after TTB officials sent the brewers cease-and-desist letters.
Furman wasn’t even considering he might need formula approval for his CBD beers. He was more concerned with CBD’s legality, which oddly isn’t the problem. Furman says Black Hammer will comply and has since stopped production on their CBD beers. They’ve already started applying for TTB approval, but with Congress unable to re-classify hemp as an agricultural product instead of a controlled substance, the outlook isn’t looking good.
“Our guests love the CBD beers, and we’re pretty sad that we have to stop producing them,” Furman told the Chronicle.
When the voters in a state as red as Oklahoma want to legalize medical marijuana, you know the cannabis tide is quickly becoming a tsunami. On June 26, State Question 788 will appear on Oklahoma ballots.
According to the most recent polling data, 57.5 percent of registered voters support the measure, which is actually down a few points from January when 61.8 percent approved.
In a related surprising development, the editorial board of the Tulsa World, owned by billionaire Warren Buffett, came out in support of medical marijuana with an editorial headlined “State Question 788 is flawed, but the medical marijuana bill still deserves voters’ support.” The editors, while finding a few minor problems in the legislation, wrote “we recognize that marijuana’s medical potential has been artificially ignored by the federal process for a variety of inappropriate reasons. We are convinced that marijuana may offer some relief to some suffering people.”
The news organization’s endorsement concludes:
SQ 788 isn’t the ideal solution, but it’s the only alternative before voters on June 26. On balance, we recommend that voters approve the question, but we urge legislators to act quickly to fix some of its more troubling defects.
Earlier this month, an advocacy group was formed to fight the medical marijuana measure. But Sooner Poll’s Bill Shappard told News9.com that his data show the messaging against SQ 788 has not been effective so far. “Most of the movement form those five points isn’t going to the opposition, it’s going to those people who are now undecided,” Shappard said.
State Question 788 would legalize cannabis for medical purposes in Oklahoma. Obtaining a state-issued medical marijuana license will require a board-certified physician’s signature. There will be no specific qualifying conditions to receive medical marijuana. People with licenses would be permitted to possess up to 3 ounces of marijuana on their person and 8 ounces of marijuana in their residence. A 7 percent tax would be levied on marijuana sales, with revenue being allocated to administrative costs, education, and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Star Wars is one of the most successful and longest spanning franchises of all time, boasting fans from all ages and demographics. Among its many marketing talents, Star Wars is also one of the franchises that sells the most merchandise, producing all sorts of toys, shirts, space ships, action figures and masks that anyone can enjoy in their lifetime.
Now you can own an original piece of the Death Star — the iconic moon-like space station — which has managed to survive since A New Hope‘s release in 1977.
These pieces were used to shoot the altitude effects outside of the studio, for one of the most iconic scenes in the original Star Wars: the assault on the Death Star.”
In a long post published on eBay, Hollywood Memorabilia — a seller of, well, Hollywood memorabilia — claims that this piece of the Death Star was found in a landfill by an unnamed employee of Industrial Light & Magic (ILM), the special effects subdivision of Lucasfilm.
The seller argues that the piece has survived for over 40 years and that it’s unlike anything else out there because of its size and the fact that it belonged to the original film set. The purchase comes with two letters of authenticity from Lorne Peterson and Jonathan Erland, both of whom worked for ILM during the shooting of A New Hope.
While all of this sounds really cool, there is one big catch: the piece is currently up for bidding and the price is set for $10,600. The piece officially sells on Saturday.
There’s talk of a new “superfood” that comes with a major gag reflex. Researchers at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology in India have discovered a very specific insect milk (entomilk) they claim has every essential amino acid the human body needs to function. The problem? Um, yuck, cockroach is the latest food fad. Not something you likely want mingling with your morning coffee, unless it’s an awesome 3-D art piece.
According to NDTV Doctor, cockroach milk is the post-natal fluid which is secreted from the critter in the form of crystals in order to nourish its hatchlings. Yum! According to the site:
Researchers claim that these crystals contain proteins, sugars and fats, and are like complete foods. The protein sequences apparently contain all essential amino acids. Milking of a cockroach can be done with the help of filter paper along with making culture of yeast with cockroach genes for making milk.
Jumping cockroach milk is the last fab is Gwyneth Paltrow who has already added it to her animal milk guide on GOOP. Of course she has.
Although it is said to taste like cow’s milk, 1,000 cockroaches are needed to make just 3.5 ounces of roach milk. That’s less than half a cup.
And because the insects die in the process of making the milk, researchers are saying this is not really a feasible alternative.
Photo by OpenClipart-Vectors via Pixabay
Some of the different types of plant-based milk products include: almond, hemp, oat, soy, coconut, rice, quinoa, and spelt. Animal cattle, buffaloes, goats, sheep and camels. Other less common milk animals are yaks, horses, reindeers and donkeys.
Experts aren’t even convinced entomilk is safe for human consumption. Even if it was, how many people are going to flock to the store to buy this stuff? It would likely take the world’s most effective PR team to get people to want to drink roaches.
Being an adult means doing all sorts of things that you don’t want to do. Chores, jobs, spending time with your in-laws, jury duty: At times it can feel like it’s all you’re doing. But another thing about being an adult (in certain states, at least) is that you can get high to make those responsibilities less awful. Below are three activities we wish we’d gotten high for first.
Jury Duty
Showing up for jury duty is an important civic duty, even if it is a huge pain in the ass. On the hand, you’re being a responsible citizen; on the other, you have to sit in a big room all day and wait for your name to be called for a case that you’ll probably be dismissed from anyway. The last time we went, we say for hours for nothing. You know what would’ve helped? A little toke or two before we arrived, or maybe half an edible. Just enough to take the edge off the boredom.
The Dentist
The only thing worse than going to the dentist is not going to the dentist—root canals and other mouth calamities that are the result of a lack of dental care are no joke. But there is something you can do to make it more tolerable. Have you guessed it yet? That’s right—you could get stoned first. Just make sure you go with a strain that doesn’t occasionally push you into paranoia, since that’s the last thing you need when a stranger is poking sharp metal tools into your open mouth beneath a blinding white light.
Shopping at IKEA
If you’ve ever moved to a major city, odds are you’ve at least made one hours-long trip to IKEA. The massive Swedish home furnishings store contains every conceivable product you need for your house or apartment, which is exactly why it feels so overwhelming. Chairs and couches and tables and kitchen shit in every conceivable size and color surrounded by dozens of bickering couples debating what to get—it’s a lot to deal with…unless you get blazed first. A high trip to IKEA we imagine would be wonderful, not least of all because of those delicious Swedish meatballs in the cafeteria. Mmm.
