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Why Is Less Than A Third Of California Working With Legal Weed

Terry Hacienda
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Why Is Less Than A Third Of California Working With Legal Weed

When California opened up its regulated cannabis retail program in January, marijuana consumers rejoiced. But after three months, the cheers have subsided.

According to a detailed examination by the Orange County Register, only 144 out of 482 cities in the Golden State allow any kind of cannabis business inside the city limits and only 18 of 58 counties allow the industry in unincorporated areas.

Although recreational marijuana legalization received 57 percent of the vote in November 2016, nearly tw0-thirds of the cities continue to ban the now-legal herb.

RELATED: Many Californians Are Shut Out Despite Marijuana Legalization

The Sacramento Bee has called the situation “marijuana deserts,” using the term used to describe the paucity of healthy food and grocery stores in poorer areas. According to the Bee’s analysis:

  • 30 percent of the state is within 30 miles of at least one dispensary. These are mostly the metro areas for the state’s biggest cities, including Los Angeles, San Francisco and Sacramento.
  • 29 percent of the state is between 30 and 60 miles of a dispensary.
  • The biggest part of the state, 38 percent, is between 60 and 120 miles of a dispensary.
  • Eastern California — from Oregon to Mexico — has the longest drive times to dispensaries.

The Register report revealed that less than 20 percent of California cities allow medical marijuana, depriving patients with medication to treat various ailments. Six out of seven cities still have a ban on recreational retail outlets.

This is not what Californians voted for, according to some cannabis advocates. “It’s really beyond what the normal powers of local government are under the California constitution,” Dale Gieringer, California’s director of the marijuana rights advocacy group NORML, told the Register.

RELATED: California’s 5 Worst Counties for Recreational Marijuana 

“Voters passed Prop. 64 in 2016 with the idea that they would be legalizing marijuana, including cultivation,” said Jolene Forman, an attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance. “We want to ensure that people’s right granted by Prop. 64 is honored.”

The Register reports that every city in the tiny counties of Madera and Sutter have passed the toughest rules possible.

Watch Mariah Carey’s New Commercial For Hostels — Yes, Hostels

Amy Hansen
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Watch Mariah Carey’s New Commercial For Hostels — Yes, Hostels

When you think of Mariah Carey, several words likely come to mind: diva, spoiled, glitter, drama. But hostel? Yeah, that’s probably not on the list, which is why it makes such a great commercial.

(Unlike her 2017 live performance of “Honey,” in which she just didn’t feel like dancing, you guys!)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BWp7Ym1Ftjr

(Or when she was wheeled to the stage in a customized “wheelchair” because she just didn’t feel like walking, you guys!)

Finally, pop music’s favorite princess makes fun of herself in a new commercial for Hostelworld, which begins with the words “M. Carey” popping up on the computer screen as the poor woman working the front desk nervously scurries to find help. Because, why is Mariah Carey coming to a hostel? Did she get lost?

A limo pulls up, an entourage walks through the front doors and M. Carey is in full-on diva mode.

“You booked me into a hostel?” Carey barks at one of her “people” as they arrive. Another of her minions tries to appease her by saying, “If it’s any consolation, you look great.”

Better than expected accommodations are made, Carey is satisfied, and the oddly posh hostel lounge gets an A-List celeb as entertainment that night.

Everybody wins in this scenario, especially Carey’s management team, who no doubt knew what they were agreeing to when they booked this gig. Not only does it bring Carey’s infamous ego down a notch, it’s nice to see that’s she’s able to partake in some harmless self-deprecation.

Now, for the headlining act:

Why The Mormon Church Won’t Support Medical Marijuana In Utah

Brendan Bures
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Why The Mormon Church Won’t Support Medical Marijuana In Utah

The Mormon Church has demonstrated its lack of support for the medical marijuana ballot initiative in Utah. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints said in a statement Tuesday that drugs intended to relieve pain and suffering should be scrutinized and tested by official medical institutions before release to the public. Around two-thirds of the state’s residents are Mormons.

In a statement, the Mormon church commended the powerful Utah Medical Association’s recent stance, which opposed medical marijuana and cautioned that “The proposed Utah marijuana initiative would compromise the health and safety of Utah communities.”

“We respect the wise counsel of the medical doctors of Utah,” read the statement on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ website. “The public interest is best served when all new drugs designed to relieve suffering and illness, and the procedures by which they are made available to the public, undergo the scrutiny of medical scientists and official approval bodies.”

A Salt Lake City Tribune poll stated that 76 percent of Utahns and nearly two-thirds of Utah Mormons support medical marijuana legalization earlier this year. But a vocal minority opposing such legalization gains steam in what almost appears a coordinated effort.

Utah Governor Gary Herbert announced late last month he would opposed the medical marijuana ballot initiative, citing its “significant flaws,” that voters are expected to decide upon this November. His statement was shortly followed by the UMA’s statement, mentioned above, which included the following stance bolded and italicized: “UMA unequivocally states its opposition to the current initiative and applauds Gov. Herbert for speaking out in opposition as well.”

How the Mormon church backing the position of fellow influential institutions will play out remains unknown. But supporters of the medical marijuana initiative have already spoken out. The Salt Lake City Tribune columnist Robert Gehrke broke down the hypocrisy of the Mormon church’s opposition in Utah, but not in a state with recreational marijuana like Nevada.

The Utah Patients Association, supportive of the initiative, also pushed back against the UMA representing the opinion of all Utah doctors. UPA’s medical adviser, Dr. Dan Cottam, issued a statement saying he we never consulted for his opinion and the UMA’s opposition only reflects the opinion of its board.

“Far from being based on research or science, let alone the consensus of the doctors they purport to represent, it is a position that does not speak for many doctors like myself who are prepared to provide this medicine for our patients,” Cottam said. “The initiative will relieve the suffering of hundreds of patients each year.”

Inside The Private Suite Where Kate Middleton Will Give Birth

Amy Hansen
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Inside The Private Suite Where Kate Middleton Will Give Birth

All (parking) signs point to Kate Middleton giving birth any day now, as evidenced by the hospital where she’ll be delivering baby number three announcing a temporary parking restriction outside. And when that happens, we know the Queen will be told first, followed by an announcement by the town crier. But what will actually be going on inside the birthing suite at St. Mary’s hospital?

Hello! Magazine interviewed a woman who knows first hand. Katherine Filkins gave birth in the exclusive Lindo Wing seven months ago and says she was treated like royalty, even though she’s no Kate Middleton.

She revealed to the magazine that there was afternoon tea to celebrate the baby’s birth, a post-delivery massage and glasses of bubbly.

“While the Lindo Wing was a functional hospital, it was a little bit like a hotel in terms of the service,” Filkins said. “You had really fancy toiletries, the quality of the food that you got was fantastic. There was a wine list, you could have had champagne if you wanted. Right after the birth, they bring you a delicious afternoon tea for you and your family.”

Filkins earned every perk she got, having been in labor for 18 hours.

“We were given birthing balls, we could lower the lights – they actually recommended that – and you had a midwife that was dedicated to you and your birthing, so she would come and check on you very regularly.”

She says her husband was treated just as well; the hospital provided a bed for him as well as a selection of meals to chose from each day.

How did the couple land the exclusive suite that’s fit for royalty? As it turns out, the other (standard) room they booked was full so they got upgraded. Boy, did they!

Says Filkins,”We’re very [pleased] that we were able to have the opportunity to give birth where the royals had had their babies as well.” The couple even posed with their new bundle of joy on the steps in front of the hospital a la Kate and Will.

Take a look around for yourself:

Senate Passes Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales In Maine

Amy Hansen
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Senate Passes Bill To Legalize Marijuana Sales In Maine

Maine just got a lot closer to allowing recreational weed. Both the House (112-34) and Senate (24-10) passed a bill that would regulate marijuana sales and overhaul the Marijuana Legalization Act referendum that voters approved in November 2016.

According to Bangor Daily News, “The legislation sets an effective 20 percent tax rate on marijuana products, gives Maine residents a priority for commercial licenses and sets health and safety standards. It also reduces the number of flowering plants a person can posses from six in the version of the bill that failed after a gubernatorial veto last year to three. Lawmakers have said that change was what has pulled more support from House Republicans who sustained the veto last year.

The bill is now in the hands of Governor Paul LePage, who opposes the law, however, the House and Senate votes are enough to override a potential veto showdown.

Says Sen. Roger Katz, R-Augusta, “If somehow this bill fails, the cheers you will hear are the people who are involved in the illicit gray market, who don’t want licenses … and don’t want to pay taxes.”

Sen. Scott Cyrway, R-Benton, a retired police officer, voted against the bill, because he still believes that the state’s children will be “in harm’s way,” saying, “This is a Schedule 1 drug, which is the same category as heroin and cocaine. Is it okay to say that heroin can be in your household?”

Bangor Daily News reports that if the law passes, it could be 2020 before the first marijuana retail shop opens. And that LePage vetoed a similar bill in 2017 and “has opposed new marijuana legalization laws, questioning whether it conflicts with federal prohibitions and saying his administration would have to issue rules governing the commercial system.”

It’s also worth nothing that LePage leaves office in early 2019, which means his successor will likely be in charge of the state’s new marijuana landscape.

Finstagrams: Inside The New Social Trend

Maria Loreto
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Finstagrams: Inside The New Social Trend

It’s hard to separate Instagram from performance. Out of all of the social media apps, Instagram is the glossiest one, the one that’s designed for the perfect snapshot. Instead of acting like a digital journal where you can log your every day thoughts and activities, like Snapchat and Twitter, Instagram begs for you to revise your images, over and over, until you have the perfect photograph with the perfect caption that relays the image you want people to have of you. It’s a lot.

Due to this, many users are creating “Finstagrams”, which are fake Instagram accounts. Even though the name is stupid, these fake accounts give privacy to their users and allow them to be themselves, providing a less filtered experience. Finstas have become a place where people, especially young people, can vent about their issues honestly, and where they can post ugly selfies without worrying about anyone else.

These accounts are private and users don’t worry about their amount of followers, only allowing for their closest friends to have access to them. According to The Verge, Finstas are a good option for people who still want to be present on social media and who want to have the ability to speak their minds, but that don’t want to be under scrutiny.

These users follow small groups of people, and have small followings of their own, allowing for the development of a tight knit community where they won’t miss any of their friends’ posts and where their parents or family members aren’t going to be able to snoop in on them. I guess Finstas are like group chats but on the web.

It’s all really weird, but it makes you think about social media and how it has the ability to evolve after a period of time. The younger the users are, the more invested they’ll be on social media, and the more individualism they’ll add onto the platform to make it their own. This can last for a while, until the general public discovers finstas and then the accounts will stop existing all together. And then another app will pop up, and the cycle begins all over again.

8 Best Memes From Mark Zuckerberg’s US Senate Appearance

Maria Loreto
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8 Best Memes From Mark Zuckerberg’s US Senate Appearance

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg spoke in front of the US Senate this week, addressing Facebook and the Cambridge Analytica scandal, in which the personal information of millions of users was accessed and manipulated. This was obviously a prime time for memes.

Zuckerberg was extremely awkward, but most of all… calm? In front of senators? And he was wearing a suit? That was one of the most puzzling things of all. Still, even though Zuckerberg was being questioned by elders regarding how social media works, a demanding task, he managed to answer some questions and to say I’m sorry a dozen times.

At the end of the day, people kind of forgot about the Cambridge Analytica scandal. Everyone was just watching for the awkwardness and the memes. Check out some of our favorites:

Of course, “The Social Network” had to be brought into this. If only Aaron Sorkin had waited a few years to write the script. Maybe he’ll write a sequel.

 

Again, it’s really hard to explain to old people how social media works. Especially the technical side. Every person who’s set up their parents’ Wi-Fi can relate.

Who can ever forget Tom from MySpace?  Simpler times.

The most iconic moment of all was when Senator Orrin Hatch asked Zuckerberg how Facebook sustains a business when they don’t charge people for joining. Mark’s reply was simple, “Senator, we run ads.”

DARE No More: NYC School’s Drug Awareness Education Evolves

Sasha Simon
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DARE No More: NYC School’s Drug Awareness Education Evolves

How many years have we known that abstinence-based programs like D.A.R.E. fail to truly educate young people about drugs and that we need a replacement?

The answer: too many. But happily, now there’s an alternative: DPA’s Safety First: Real Drug Education for Teens.

Safety First started out as a resource for parents to talk to their teens about drugs and has now evolved into a curriculum designed to be implemented in ninth and 10th-grade high school health classes. It is based in the principles of harm reduction and consists of 14 interactive lessons covering how we define a ‘drug,’ how drugs work in the body, their effects, risks and benefits of five major drug classes, and the impact of drug policy on personal and community health.

Safety First is the culmination of almost 20 years of work in youth drug issues by DPA’s Dr. Marsha Rosenbaum, as well as many other DPA staffers. I am proud to have joined that group by guiding Safety First in its first real-world pilot and evaluation last month at Bard High School Early College Manhattan. For the first time ever in a U.S. public school, students are receiving a science and harm reduction-based education about drugs.

[Listen to this exciting conversation on the latest episode of DPA’s podcast Drugs and Stuff with the teacher who is leading these lessons.]

It was amazing to see the curriculum in action in the classroom. Already, countless valuable lessons have been learned. Here are a few highlights:

Teens Are Learning From Each Other

In contrast to D.A.R.E., where young people pledge an oath of abstinence to a police officer, students are learning, practicing and researching harm reduction skills with each other. They engage in dialogues about health, policy and advocacy. They’re asked to consider how and why these issues affect them as individuals, but also to grapple with their impact on a community level, including communities most harmed by the drug war.

Led by the health teacher, students in the pilot classrooms at Bard were engaged and talkative (in a good way!) during every lesson. In many instances, they challenged each other and learned from each other’s points of view.

Empowering Students To Make Responsible Choices

A parent emailed DPA a few months ago — he’d been devastated by his son’s overdose death. His son died in the presence of friends because they believed they would get in trouble if they called 911. He became impassioned about informing every young person in his state about 911 Good Samaritan laws, which may have saved his son.

Safety First guides students to research their states’ Good Samaritan laws. Students are also taught how to place their fellow students in the recovery position. They watched a video about how to recognize an opioid overdose and how naloxone can save lives. They learned about the benefits and limitations of drug checking after completing an activity where they tried to choose the “right” drink from a pitcher filled with salt water versus one filled with sugar water.

Photo: Drug Policy Alliance

Teens Ready And Willing To Discuss Drug Policy

Students didn’t miss a beat during the Health, Policy and Advocacy lesson. They could grasp the topic and its complexities as they explored numerous ways to approach drug use and drug policy in the U.S. that would focus on health, rather than criminalization.

The curriculum respects each student’s values and takes no position on any particular policy or reform effort. What Safety First does do is help students explore how a policy is made and what it takes to change it. Students can develop any perspective on drug policy they like, but all must engage in the rigors of research and critical thinking, and test and defend their perspective with their peers. The policy-centered lessons had some of the most lively conversations and debate!

What’s Next?

We’ve developed a tool that follows the best practices of public health and education while also respecting the intelligence and potential of students. Their responses and engagement in the classroom tell us that this is exactly the kind of curriculum they’ve been wanting, and the one the country has been needing.

If you’re excited about this future of drug education in the US, please sign up to find out more about the public release of the Safety First curriculum, which should be coming in fall 2018.

Sasha Simon is the Safety First program manager at the Drug Policy Alliance.

People Are Prince Harry In The Club Memes

Maria Loreto
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People Are Prince Harry In The Club Memes

The internet can’t leave Prince Harry alone. For some reason, People are making Prince Harry In The Club Memes…and it has us laughing.

For some reason, a video clip from January 2013 has resurfaced and is swirling all over social media. In it, Prince Harry is in Afghanistan, where he served in the army, and is being interviewed by CNN. The interview stops abruptly when Harry sees that there’s a commotion behind him, prompting him to stand up, take off his mic, and run off to see what’s going on so he can help out if necessary. The camera follows him and the interviewers are shocked. So are we. 

Related: This Is How Meghan Markle Got Prince Philip To Love Her

Now that’s Harry’s getting married and he’s all over the news, the clip resurfaced with some embellishments from all corners of the internet. For some reason, Prince Harry ‘In the club” is a thing, and now no one can stop it.

The meme is simple and short: Harry is in the middle of an interview and a song starts to play, making him run off because he really needs to dance. The songs range from Beyonce’s “Formation”, to Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina”, to the yodeling kid at Walmart. Check out the best clips below:

Does Medical Marijuana Increase Your Heart Rate?

Mike Adams
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Does Medical Marijuana Increase Your Heart Rate?

Although most people do not experience any real negative side effects when using medical marijuana, studies have shown the herb does cause an increased heart rate in some people.

This thumping derivative of the doobie is just par for the course for most, but for others, a pounding chest is enough to convince them that they are dying.

It is important to understand that medical marijuana, just like other medications, comes with some side effects. Some of the most common include, red eyes, dry mouth and increased appetite. No big deal. Depending on the person, however, dizziness, shallow breathing and slow reaction time can also occur. And then there is that pesky rapid heart rate – the one side effect that scares most first time users into turning their backs on weed for awhile.

Related: Here’s The Latest Research Results On Marijuana And Heart Health

When a marijuana user experiences a rapid heart rate (or tachyarrhythmia), the physical aftermath is similar to the sensation one feels subsequent to consuming too much caffeine. In fact, according to MarijuanaDoctors.com, “the experience is almost identical.” It is recommended that patients who have cardiovascular side effects as a result of marijuana speak to a doctor. These processionals may be able to offer suggestions.

But some of the latest evidence suggests that this annoying side effect is really nothing to be too concerned with. Researchers have examined dozens of studies pertaining to marijuana and heart health, and none of this scientific digging concluded that marijuana carries an increased risk for heart disease. “Evidence examining the effect of marijuana on cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes … is insufficient,” researchers concluded.

Related: Among Heart Failure Patients, Cannabis Users Have Better Outcomes

For those people who need the medicinal benefits of marijuana, but dread the increased heart rate, there are a few precautions they can take that may help put them at ease. Using a strain of marijuana that has a lower THC content is a good start. Strains like Harlequin and ACDC are a couple of fan favorites. It may also be beneficial for the user to experiment with microdosing. This is a practice where lower doses of cannabis are consumed throughout the day. It basically allows the cannabis user to experience the therapeutic benefits of the herb without the intensity (or side effects) of the high.

Whatever the course of action a patient takes, a rapid heart rate should not be a deterrent to future marijuana use. Most medical professionals will have ideas on how to tame this side effect. Chances are the situation can be easily remedied by simply adjusting dosage.

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