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People Are Freaking Out Over This Dog’s Human Face

Amy Hansen
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People Are Freaking Out Over This Dog’s Human Face

If it’s true that pet owners begin to resemble their pets at some point, then this dog’s human must look like a grown-ass man.  Yogi is a Shih Tzu-poodle mix that has the body of a cuddly pup and the face of your nightmares.

Yogi actually belongs to a lovely non-bearded faced woman named Chantal Desjardins, who says she didn’t notice the dog’s human face until someone pointed it out to her. Really, Chantal? She tells PEOPLE she thinks Yogi looks like a fresh-faced Nicolas Cage. Again, really, Chantal?

Twitter is even getting in on the guessing game, naming everyone Jake Gyllenhall to Topher Grace and Paul Rudd.

“I’m kinda turning into Yogi’s manager,” Chantal told PEOPLE, adding that she is already imagining the dog’s future celebrity life: “I think [he] would be a talk show host. Maybe like Dr. Phil. According to people, he has piercing eyes.”

She’s right. Reddit users were quick to point out that the eyes have it.

Comment from discussion A friend of a friend posted a pic on Facebook of her dog. It looks like it has a man’s face..

Comment from discussion A friend of a friend posted a pic on Facebook of her dog. It looks like it has a man’s face..

Desjardin says she got Yogi about a year ago from a local breeder and says he has an 8-year-old sister named Darla, who may be jealous of all the attention he’s getting.

5 Things To Expect From California’s Gray Market Marijuana Crackdown

Hilary Bricken
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5 Things To Expect From California’s Gray Market Marijuana Crackdown

For state-by-state legalization to succeed in the long run, state and local governments often need to take significant enforcement measures against existing “gray” cannabis markets to ensure that there’s an even playing field for licensed operators who face the financial pinch and responsibility of comprehensive licensing regulations and robust taxation.

To date, each state with an existing, unregulated medical cannabis industry has taken action to make sure that unlicensed, unregulated medical cannabis operators don’t undermine or disenfranchise their otherwise licensed counterparts (see Washington State as a prime example, or the continuing legislative efforts in Oregon).

It appears that California is finally taking certain steps to stop the unlicensed and illegal sale of cannabis within its borders. To regulators’ credit, they don’t have a choice but to tolerate the Compassionate Use Act (“CUA”) collective model through early 2019: the MAUCRSA preserves the criminal immunity of CUA collectives and cooperatives up to one year after the first MAUCRSA licenses begin to issue. The drop-dead date on those collectives and cooperatives is now January 9, 2019.

Although these CUA collectives and cooperatives can continue to serve qualified patients and their caregivers without the administrative annoyance or cost of having to comply with MAUCRSA, they can’t engage in the for-profit sale of cannabis or any level of “commercial cannabis activity” without a license. However, many of these collectives and cooperatives continue to engage in illegal commercial cannabis activity: such activity is hard to monitor and police where the CUA has pretty much no government oversight. In addition, many CUA collectives and cooperatives believe that they can do business with MAUCRSA temporary and/or annual licensees (and vice versa), but this is just another piece of unreliable industry hearsay that violates the law.

In turn, California has started sending cease and desist letters to unlicensed operators they believe to be engaged in commercial cannabis activity in violation of MAUCRSA. And regulators have also started to crack down ancillary advertisers, such as Weedmaps, for promoting unlicensed operators and their products in violation of MAUCRSA marketing and advertising restrictions. Certainly, these won’t be the last efforts we see regarding the takedown of illegal cannabis operators in California.

Here’s what else we can expect:

Industry Self-Policing

It’s highly unlikely that licensed operators are going to allow CUA collectives and cooperatives to take away their market share and/or to conduct sales of cannabis without facing the same onerous state and local taxes as licensees. As a result, we’re likely to see a spike in industry reporting on CUA collectives and cooperatives that don’t have a MAUCRSA license.

Increased Scrutiny Of Ancillary Businesses

Going after Weedmaps represents the state’s willingness to chase third parties that are directly or indirectly assisting illegal operators. We can expect then that consultants, landlords, equipment sellers/lessors, etc., who assist or continue to assist unlicensed operators violating MAUCRSA will feel the same heat as Weedmaps.

Policing Of Attorneys

Yes, there are still attorneys forming CUA collectives and cooperatives with the sole purpose of helping their clients evade MAUCRSA licensing to make one last stream of profit before 2019. At this point, if a potential client wants to engage in the commercial cultivation, manufacture, distribution, and/or sale of cannabis, helping them start a CUA collective or cooperative is unethical and constitutes malpractice.

Getting Local Governments Involved

Half the problem with current CUA collectives and cooperatives violating MAUCRSA is that local laws still allow them to operate in a completely gray area. Sometimes, local governments haven’t even regulated under MAUCRSA but they have and maintain existing laws that only allow for CUA collectives and cooperatives. State regulators would be wise to dialogue with local governments about CUA collectives and cooperatives acting in violation of MAUCRSA. Otherwise, those collectives and cooperatives will have free reign under local law to continue to violate MAUCRSA through January of next year.

Federal Intervention

If CUA operators ignore state mandates to cease commercial cannabis activity, there’s a solid chance that state regulators (and local governments) will call upon U.S. prosecutors to assist in sweeps. Given Sessions’ rescinding of the Cole Memo in January, U.S. Attorneys are going to act in accordance with the resources and priorities of their districts. And if local and state governments demand action in regards to violations of MAUCRSA, we can expect more arrests and prosecutions from the Feds.

Let us know what you are seeing out there, and what you expect to see in the coming year for California enforcement against gray market cannabis.

Hilary Bricken is a partner at Harris Bricken, a law firm with lawyers in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Barcelona, and Beijing. This story was originally published on the Canna Law Blog. 

Marijuana Withdrawal Is Real: What You Need To Know

Mike Adams
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Marijuana Withdrawal Is Real: What You Need To Know

Depending on the individual, marijuana (or rather, the lack thereof) can bring on a withdrawal symptoms that can last anywhere between a few days to a couple of weeks. Some people who try to eliminate marijuana from their daily lives have reported a variety of physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms, including insomnia and irritability.

But it is important to point out that this thing the medical community has deemed marijuana withdrawal is nothing like opiate withdrawal – you know, the flu-like symptoms that can happen when a longtime opioid addict attempts to get clean. Pot withdrawal is nowhere near that severe. In fact, it’s something that most regular pot consumers do not even struggle with.

Although the US Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as one of the most dangerous and addictive drugs in the world, other government agencies, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, admit that weed is only about as addictive as caffeine. Only around nine percent of pot consumers are at risk for addiction. This means that some regular users might struggle to quit while most will have no trouble at all.

Cannabis addiction has been attributed to the changes that happen with the cannabinoid receptors in brain over time. But unlike opioid addiction, which can permanently manipulate the brain, the chemical alternations made by frequent marijuana use are only temporary. Once the user quits, the brain returns back to normal within a couple of days.

Consider this: Pot addiction is mostly psychological. It’s sort of like when an individual feels it is time to lose weight and eliminates food favorites like pizza and cheeseburgers from their diet. Anyone who has ever attempted this understands that the struggle is real. But the process of letting go of greasy meats and cheese truly only resides in the mind.

Marijuana is not much different.

Research has shown that most people who stop smoking marijuana after extended periods of time can experience changes in mood and have trouble sleeping. Some have even reported a decreased appetite, which is understandable since the munchies are no longer an issue.

In some cases, the symptoms of marijuana withdrawal can last up to two weeks, according to Leaf Science.

Consulting a health care professional is an option for getting over the hump. But anyone does this will likely end up with a bottle of benzodiazepines to help with the insomnia. These medications are significantly more addictive and dangerous than cannabis. For the person serious about putting marijuana in the rear view mirror, quitting cold turkey is the best course.

Try replacing pot use with exercise or another productive activity. Physical activity releases endorphins in the brain that trigger positive feelings. What’s more is increased exercise can help with sleep issues. This method of dealing with a so-called addiction has helped many folks get over the hump.

Watch Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Fangirl During A Liam Payne Gig

Maria Loreto
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Watch Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Fangirl During A Liam Payne Gig

If you were a teenage girl attending the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on Monday, you likely would’ve fangirled a bit over the fact that One Direction’s Liam Payne performed. Or, you could have just been Meghan Markle.

Markle was in attendance to celebrate the diversity of 53 commonwealth countries. Among the live performances was Liam Payne, who sang a cover of John Mayer’s ‘Waiting on the World to Change’. After performing the song, Payne fist-bumped with his guitar players and claimed that this was the “perfect occasion” to sing this song.

Something about this performance struck Prince Harry, be that Payne’s fist-bump or the fact that he was a member of a famous boy band. Or maybe that his fiancé was crushing? Whatever it was, Harry raised his eyebrows at Markle, who laughed discreetly.

After the event, Harry and Meghan took time to meet about 100 children who were in attendance. Markle was overheard saying she was excited for her wedding on May 19.

WATCH: People Are Convinced That A UFO Crashed Into Antartica

Maria Loreto
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WATCH: People Are Convinced That A UFO Crashed Into Antartica

Thanks to Google Earth images, UFO hunters – that’s a thing – are convinced an alien spaceship recently crashed on an island near Antartica.

In this video, there’s a clear shape of something…with track marks…that suggest it landed and slid across the ground. Or that the wind blew.

According to the Daily Express, the UFO was found by viewers of Google Earth. Youtube channel Secure Team 10, a group of kind of famous conspiracists, displayed a clip with a narrator claiming that there “appears to be some sort of massive elongated or cigar-shaped object that at some point – and we don’t know when – came to a screeching halt in the snow.”

The video above attracted more than half a million views in a day, and prompted some debate. There were believers, and there were others who claimed that it could simply be a landslide of ice:

I believe it is a piece of the little mountain that broke loose and with that much weight it slid down the hill to that final resting place.

I’m kind of excited about aliens but also scared. So yeah, that’s probably a landslide of ice. Safe answer.

This Royal Was Just Spotted Wearing A 40-Year-Old Outfit To Church

Amy Hansen
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This Royal Was Just Spotted Wearing A 40-Year-Old Outfit To Church

At a time when everyone’s eyes are on Kate Middleton’s and Meghan Markle’s fashion trendsetting, it was quite a breath of fresh air when one royal stepped out wearing – gasp! – something she had worn decades prior.

On Monday, when the royal family attended the Commonwealth Day ceremony at Westminster Abbey, Markle sported a $1,000 coat while Princess Anne, the Queen’s only daughter, flaunted an outfit that was possibly older than Markle herself.

PEOPLE reports, the 67-year-old was seen wearing a modest outfit that she was first photographed wearing in the late ’70s or early-’80s, according to expert Joe Little. Even the accessories were similar. And the hairdo.

As @RoyalReporter Tweeted: “Meghan wore an £895 coat yesterday, Kate a £650 one but hat tip to Joe Little @MajestyMagazine, who spotted thrifty Princess Anne was wearing an ensemble he thinks dates back to the late 1970s.”

This isn’t Anne’s first royal recycle, as PEOPLE points out. She’s been snapped wearing the same blouse 35-years apart.

NY Could Rake In $500 Million A Year With Legal Marijuana

MJ News Network
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NY Could Rake In $500 Million A Year With Legal Marijuana

“Conservative projections of an estimated $500 million a year in initial marijuana tax revenues for New York State could leverage enormous economic impact across the board and help rebuild our state,” says former Erie County Executive Joel Giambra, an independent candidate for governor who believes the time has come to legalize the sale of marijuana.

“Nine other states have taken this step and medical marijuana is legal in 29 states,” says Giambra, who is seeking the Reform Party line for governor.  “Other states are poised to take action and according to Arcview Market Research, one of the top market research firms for the cannabis industry, legal marijuana sales were expected to hit $9.7 billion in North America in 2017 (final numbers not available yet).  We need to take marijuana off the black market and cultivate an entrepreneurial economy in New York State instead of crushing our citizens with more onerous taxes to feed the Albany political pipeline.”

Giambra said that based on research he has commissioned that he is releasing today, an excise tax of 13 percent in addition to the existing state and local sales taxes on legal adult marijuana would generate $500 million a year and could finance state bonding of $12.2 billion over five years.

“The money generated from legalizing marijuana would go a long way toward dealing with our state’s crumbling roads and bridges and help with the equally daunting challenge of fixing the broken New York City metropolitan transit system,” said Giambra.  “Legalizing the adult use of marijuana is a cornerstone of my campaign for governor.  I pledge that if I win the election, it will be one of my major priorities because of the immediate economic benefits it can produce.”

Giambra said according to his analysis, every $1 billion spent on infrastructure will create 13,000 jobs directly in construction and among suppliers and thousands more indirectly, leading to more than 244,000 new jobs over seven years.

“This is a plan to rebuild New York without continuing to raise taxes,” said Giambra.  “There’s another billion dollars in taxes and fees already projected in the Albany pipeline this year to deal with a deficit estimated of at least $4.4 billion.  I think the citizens have had enough.  Let’s take marijuana off the black market, like other states have, and begin to phase in that new revenue stream and put that money to work for the people of New York.”

Legalization of marijuana also has strong public support as a 2017 Gallup Poll showed that 64 percent of Americans favor legalization, with a majority of Republicans backing it for the first time.

Upon the enactment of the cannabis regulation, Governor Giambra will ensure – if need be, by the power of the pardon – that all non-violent marijuana convictions are expunged and all individuals currently incarcerated for non-violent marijuana crimes are released as immediately as is practicable. Minorities in New York continue to face marijuana arrests nearly 10 times the rate of whites.

This story was published by Marijuana Headline News. For more cannabis business coverage, visit the MJ News Network.   

The Heartbreak That United Meghan Markle And Prince Harry

Maria Loreto
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The Heartbreak That United Meghan Markle And Prince Harry

Sources report that Prince Harry quickly realized that Meghan Markle was the one when he took the decision to take her to Botswana as their third date, to camp under the stars on the beautiful African country.

Throughout their engagement, Markle has proven to have a lot in common with the prince. Her empathy and focus on helping others has existed since before the couple even met, when she participated in different organizations and advocated for the rights of others, always striving to become a better person and a better actress.

According to E!News, the couple also has one very important thing in common, which is that they both come from broken marriages.

Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, Meghan’s parents, split up while she was 6. Even though she claims that their family was still tight, childhood friends explain that she was also put in uncomfortable situations due to her parents’ divorce.

“Sometimes she felt she had to pick sides. She was always trying to make sure each of them was happy. She’d have to relay messages. It was literally stuff like, ‘Tell your mother…,’ or ‘Tell your father…'”

As for Prince Harry, he had to deal with his parents very public separation that started out peacefully and later proved to be anything but. Scandal followed scandal until the Queen finally declared that the only way for everyone to move forward would be if the couple got a divorce.

“There was a point in which our parents split, and the two of us [PrinceWilliam and Harry] were bouncing between the two of them [Charles and Diana] and we probably never saw our mother enough, or saw our father enough. You know, there was a lot, a lot of traveling, and a lot of fights on the back seat with my brother… of which I’d win. So, there was all of that to contend with, and I don’t pretend that we’re the only people to have to deal with that. But it was an interesting way of growing up.”

Doctor Claims Giving Inmates Free Marijuana Could Save Lives

Mike Adams
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Doctor Claims Giving Inmates Free Marijuana Could Save Lives

Prisoners often do some nasty drugs to pass the time. Everything from toilet gin to powder dope cut with cleaning agents makes its way through most correctional institutions across the globe. This dark reality comes with its fair share of problems.

In Scotland, for example, the country’s prison system recently experienced a series of fatal drug overdoses. Although some folks are of the opinion that these inmates got what they deserved, others – specifically, a local medical professional — have offered up a progressive solution to ending these deaths – give prison inmates free marijuana.

Dr Stephanie Sharp, a pharmacologist and co-founder of Glasgow Expert Witness Service, says prisoners have been “condemned to death” because they are forced to seek out highs from Spice and other dangerous substances. These drugs are easier to smuggle into the prison facility, making them a hot commodity among the cell blocks. But Sharp believes if prisoners were given marijuana, overdose deaths would drop significantly.

“Why aren’t prisons able to give them cannabis? It is a much safer alternative,” she told The Daily Record. “Psychoactive substances like Spice are illegal but all they have to do is change a chemical and they become legal again. Because we are not addressing the issue of psychoactive drugs, we are condemning people to death in prisons and on the streets.”

But before any such policy could be put into action, the UK would have to first legalize marijuana. Much like the United States, the nation prohibits the use of the cannabis plant for any reason. Not even patients needing medical marijuana can get their hands on the herb without the risk of ending up in hot water with the criminal justice system. This has driven part of the drug culture into the arms of the so-called “zombie drug” Spice, which is a chemically soaked synthetic cannabinoid known for wreaking havoc on the mind.

Although marijuana’s naysayers might be quick to criticize the concept proposed by Dr. Sharp, it is not as crazy as it sounds. Some of the latest statistics show that hundreds of thousands of people across the UK died last year a result of drug overdoses. Inside the prison system, this scourge brought about the demise of both prisoners and correctional officers. But no one is dying from marijuana. Not anywhere in the world. Even the US government admits that marijuana is not a killer.

It is also worth considering that legalizing marijuana would decrease the prison population. Many inmates are currently doing time for drug-related offenses, including those involving marijuana.

7 Irish Beers To Make You Feel Less Like A Poser On St. Paddy’s Day

Jacob Uitti
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7 Irish Beers To Make You Feel Less Like A Poser On St. Paddy’s Day

Ireland is beautiful country. It’s rich with rolling green fields, grazing sheep, and automobiles hugging tight windy curves. There’s also bajillion little dreamy pubs, warm and cozy, where thirsty patrons congregate to drink, chat and listen to small three-piece bands comprised of a hand drum, violin and a guitar. And most importantly, they can drink Irish beer without irony on St. Paddy’s Day unlike the rest of us slobs. Here are seven of the best Irish beers that you can enjoy on March 17 without feeling like an imposter in bright green attire.

Smithwick’s Irish Ale

https://www.instagram.com/p/BCe1fl2KLyk

If you take one lesson rom this list, let it be this: this beer is pronounced Smitt’icks. Not Smith-wicks. Okay? Take a moment and just internalize that. Okay, got it? This ale is easy drinking and a favorite of Irish townspeople from Dublin to Killarney.

Murphy’s Irish Stout

When you think of a stout, you often think of something one step away from a rye loaf. But Murphy’s is softer, fluffy and sweet. While the brewery is considered one of the Big Three in Ireland, it’s making headway in the States.

Killian’s Irish Red

Originally brewed in Ireland in 1864, the beer is named after George Killian Lett. It’s a perfectly balanced red, dry with a kick of hops, that, when compared to most reds, leaves you satisfied and not thinking you just ate candy.

Irish Death

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQuY6ukFGt0/

This one’s strong (7.8%). It has to be to live up to its playful name. This dark ale — is it more of a Stout? A Red Ale? Who cares, it’s delicious! — is just plain good. And while the beer isn’t from Ireland (it’s made by Iron Horse Brewery in Ellensburg, WA), it offers a loving nod to the world’s most renowned drinkers.

Harp Lager

Classic. Leave it to the Irish to create a delicious beer for the people. Harp is everywhere in Ireland and with good reason. It’s crisp, flavorful and damn near perfect.

Kilkenny Irish Cream Ale

Killkenney is one of those Irish towns with pubs on ever block and music flying out every window. The Irish Cream Ale is velvety and puts a smile on your face like a delicate violin solo.

Guinness

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ1Jy5wALzo

No surprise here. The world’s most famous Irish beer is dark, creamy but lighter in ABV (only 4.1%) and don’t let anyone else tell you it’s not! If you get a chance to travel to Dublin, check out the Guinness brewery. The top floor is a view to remember.

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