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US Health Secretary: No Such Thing As Medical Marijuana

Brendan Bures
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US Health Secretary: No Such Thing As Medical Marijuana

Another day, another instance of a misinformed and misleading cannabis-related comment from the United States Cabinet. This one comes courtesy of US Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, who wanted to clarify his stance on medical marijuana while visiting Kettering, Ohio.

“There really is no such thing as medical marijuana,” he said, according to the Dayton Daily News. “There is no FDA approved use of marijuana, a botanical plant,” he would go on to say. “I just want to be very clear about that.”

Azar’s comments came when a local reporter asked if medical marijuana could be an alternative to opioids as treatment for pain relief. The Health Secretary further elaborated that the federal government remains focused on developing pharmaceutical alternatives to opioids. They do not view medical marijuana as an approved pain treatment.

“We are devoting hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars of research at our National Institutes of Health as part of the historic $13 billion opioid and serious mental illness program that the President and Congress are funding,” he said.

“Over $750 million just in 2019 alone is going to be dedicated towards the National Institutes of Health working in public-private partnership to try and develop the next generation of pain therapies that are not opioids.”

Ohio voters legalized medical marijuana in 2016. The program is expected to debut later this year.

What Changing Religions Will Mean For Meghan Markle And Her Family

Maria Loreto
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What Changing Religions Will Mean For Meghan Markle And Her Family

Meghan Markle was raised as a protestant but will be baptized in the Church of England before her wedding to Prince Harry.

According to US Weekly, Markle will be baptized along with her parents, Doria Ragland and Thomas Markle, by the end of the month at Kensington Palace. The ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, who will also officiate the wedding at St. George’s Chapel on May 19th.

Fox News also reports that the fact that Markle is divorced won’t matter when it comes to her baptism. “It’s not a problem. The Church of England has clear rules with dealing with that and we’ve dealt with that. We went through that as anyone would who will officiate at a wedding where someone has been separated and a partner is still living,” said Archbishop Welby.

Sources claim that Markle will be converting out of respect for the Queen of England. Markle is set to make her first public appearance with the Queen on March 12th, during Commonwealth Day. This celebration is the largest annual multifaith gathering in the UK, meant to honor the Queen’s lifetime commitment to the Commonwealth.

Marijuana Dispensaries In Pennsylvania Have Already Run Out Of Product

Amy Hansen
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Marijuana Dispensaries In Pennsylvania Have Already Run Out Of Product

Less than two weeks after Pennsylvania introduced a new medical marijuana program, two of the state’s dispensaries ran out of inventory. In fact, the only supplies left as of Thursday morning were vape pens.

Chris Visco, who co-owns TerraVida Holistic Center in Sellersville, told the Philadelphia Inquirer: “I had projected 60 people initially for the entire month. We had over 600 patients in our first eight days.” He says the shop will remain open with modified hours for patient consultations and pre-orders.

Meanwhile, Keystone Shops, a dispensary about 40 minutes south of Sellersville in Devon, has posted a notice on its website saying it’s closed until further notice, stating:

The first sale in Southeastern PA took place at Keystone Shops on Friday, February 16 at the Keystone Shops Devon location.   We’re proud to have provided this service to this initial patient and roughly 200 more patients since then.

After receiving multiple deliveries from the state’s first Grower-Processor, Cresco-Yeltrah, Keystone Shops has sold out much of its existing inventory.

Keystone’s COO Skip Shuda tells the Philadelphia Inquirer  that he’s looking at resuming sales the third week in March, adding, “It’s frustrating for us, and it’s frustrating for a lot of patients who were looking for medicine.”

How Marijuana Can Help With Postpartum Depression

Brendan Bures
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How Marijuana Can Help With Postpartum Depression

For most new parents, the birth of a child causes extended celebration throughout their lives. They can’t believe they could be so lucky to welcome this new life into the world. But that isn’t the case for everyone. Some go through the “baby blues,” but for other it doesn’t stop there. Support groups say one out of seven women will experience postpartum depression.

Most deal with the depressions through prescribed medication like SSRIs and antidepressants. But some women are turning to cannabis as a way to cope with their depression. One such mother is Celia Behar, who has become a de facto spokeswomen for postpartum depression and cannabis usage.

Following the birth of her first child, she experience intense postpartum depression. She was prescribed Prozac but didn’t like how the drug made her feel. The side effects were far too intense.

“My hands would shake, which I hated. No sleep,” she told an NBC affiliate. “There was definitely insomnia, upset stomach and really bad migraines.”

Following the birth of her second child, a friend recommended she try cannabis. Behar didn’t tell her husband at the time and kept it from friends that she was using cannabis. But now she is speaking out and sharing how someone can consume marijuana in a healthy manner and at the same time be a good mother.

As Behar explains in the above video, she is open with her kids about her cannabis usage. She views it no differently than mothers who drink a few glasses of wine after a long day. This falls in line with a recent study that shows more than half of parents who consume cannabis have done so in front of their kids.

If you’re curious, you can also read about how marijuana affects pregnancy, and why more women are using while they’re pregnant.

This Is How Many Minutes We’re Having Sex Per Week, According To Study

Amy Hansen
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This Is How Many Minutes We’re Having Sex Per Week, According To Study

If you had to guess how many minutes the average American couple has sex per week, what would you say? No, really. Bet that number you’re envisioning is correct!

A study by EdenFantasys, an online retailer that focuses on getting everyone “off,” surveyed 2,000 American adults (all in relationships) and found that  couples had sex, on average, 69 minutes a week.

According to the data, three percent reported having sex more than  30 times a month, and 12 percent said they have sex for zero minutes per week. Womp womp.

A whopping 75 percent say they’re too busy for regular sex, while 60 percent say they would like to be having more sex.

More than half (52 percent) admit they schedule sex, which is usually on a Saturday. Thirty percent say it’s the most popular day of the week for sex. More specifically, 10 p.m. on a Saturday.

https://giphy.com/gifs/6OIQhT198z1wQ

The study also reveals that some people (one in five) considers a pre-agreed upon date and time for sex to be a romantic gesture. Say, what?

The average American couple has six “sexpointments” a month, according to the study.

Here’s the breakdown of the average American couple’s sex life:

  • 69 minutes per week
  • 9 times per month
  • 108 times a year
  • 60 hours a year
  • 6 “sexpointments” a month

Why Comedian Lewis Black Absolutely Needs Marijuana Edibles On The Road

Brendan Bures
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Why Comedian Lewis Black Absolutely Needs Marijuana Edibles On The Road

Watching comedian Lewis Black perform is like being treated to a tasty nougat of released anger and inhibitions. His comedy is in your face and overflowing with curse words. You almost wonder how a man so filled with rage is able to sleep at night.

The answer, it turns out, is marijuana edibles. See, Black is always touring, like most working stand-up comedians. But sleeping in multiple cities a week can disrupt any sleep lover’s bedtime routines, so Black brings marijuana edibles along for every trip.

As he explained to the New York Times, “I’m not doing this to get high, I’m doing this to go to sleep.”

But boy, some of those edibles I have done to try to go to sleep and I’m like, oh no I’m going to sit here and review everything. Once a guy on my tour bus said, ‘Let’s take a little of this and it’ll knock us out.’ But we were up all night and I went through every relationship I’ve ever had, every one, and how I failed, and what was my fault, and it was exhausting. Eventually, I fell asleep but it was mostly because I had run out of relationships.

Black’s other bedtime sleep-inducing hack? Melatonin gummy bears. A military friend of Black’s, who keeps “wackier hours” than him, told the comedian about them. He says they’re an absolute game-changer on the road.

“I find that nothing else can give you a leg up on relaxing,” Black said. “But you don’t do two of them, you do four or five of them. Probably doctors will say I’m wrong, but it does work.”

Rhode Island’s Ballot Initiative Represents Crucial Moment For Cannabis Legalization

Brendan Bures
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Rhode Island’s Ballot Initiative Represents Crucial Moment For Cannabis Legalization

Rhode Island citizens will be greeted by a question that could hold fundamental weight to cannabis legalization nationwide this voting season. That’s right, the country’s smallest state can still have the biggest impact.

“Do you support the legalization of possession and use of marijuana by persons who are at least 21 years of age, subject to regulation and taxation that is similar to the regulation and taxation of tobacco and alcohol?” that question will read.

This is one example of a developing strategy by lawmakers to raise questions about cannabis legalization in their state. Some may call the move a half-measure, as it does not actually put forth marijuana legislation should voters overwhelmingly approve. But Rhode Island state law only permits nonbinding advisory statutory referendums and will force politicians’ hands to really examine cannabis legislation when they reconvene for the 2019 session.

According to Tom Angell of Marijuana Moment, at least eight other states are considering such measures to propose cannabis questions to voters. Just this week, Illinois approved legislation that will include a nonbinding cannabis legalization question on the state’s November ballot.

“Shall the State of Illinois legalize the cultivation, manufacture, distribution, testing, and sale of marijuana and marijuana products for recreational use by adults 21 and older subject to state regulation, taxation and local ordinance?” reads the proposed question.

Rhode Island legalization advocates have claimed these questions just stall lawmakers from ending prohibition this year, and allow nearby Massachusetts to accrue possible tax revenue that could’ve been Rhode Island’s. For her part, RI Gov. Gina Raimondo said she’s “open to” giving voters the opportunity to voice their opinions on the issue through a referendum. She emphasized, however, that lawmakers must weigh the logistics behind implementation ahead of such a movement.

Company Launches Cannabis Beauty Care Products For People Of Color

Evan Eitzel
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Company Launches Cannabis Beauty Care Products For People Of Color

A hemp manufacturer is rolling out a line of beauty and wellness products that cater specifically to minority customers, and claim they are the first in the industry to do so.

“We think this could be a seven-figure brand for us within 12 to 15 months,” Bob Crumley, controlling shareholder of Founder’s Hemp, told Marijuana Business News Daily.

The North Carolina-based company cannot sell in other states due to marijuana still being federally illegal in the U.S., preventing interstate commerce. But the company is working to sell its products in South Africa, Ghana, Bolivia and other countries.

The Hemp Excellence line includes body lotion, body oil spray, body butter, gelcaps, and lip balm.

The company partnered with Segment Marketing Services to target its pitch to people of color.

“The multi-ethnic populations in America are growing faster than any other. So if you’re an entrepreneur, you need to know this sector,” Segment CEO Lafayette Jones told MBND. His background includes stints at Proctor & Gamble and Kraft Foods.

The gelcaps are the only part of the line that contain cannabinoids. The others are made from hemp seed oil. None of the products will produce the euphoria so commonly associated with marijuana.

The capsules contain CBD, one of the most-discussed and studied compounds in cannabis, perhaps only second to THC. The latter produces the euphoria. CBD has been used to treat pain and maladies such as insomnia and anxiety.

Crumley said using hemp seed only is an attempt to attract customers leery about using products with cannabinoids in them

“There are still a lot of people under the misconception that cannabinoids have to come from marijuana,” Crumley told MBND.

Founder’s Hemp was one of North Carolina’s first cannabis businesses. Crumley helped lobby the legislature for a law allowing farmers in the state to grow hemp, which had a long history in the region dating back to colonial times.

College Baseball Coach Fired For Rejecting Colorado Recruit Over Marijuana

Brendan Bures
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0
College Baseball Coach Fired For Rejecting Colorado Recruit Over Marijuana

Texas Wesleyan fired their baseball coach Mike Jeffcoat after learning he denied a Colorado-based recruit because players from that state always fail drug tests. News of Jeffcoat’s behavior spread via social media when a local Colorado radio host Darren McKee posted a screenshot of an email exchange with a recruit.

Gavin Bell was the recruit’s name, and he thought Texas Wesleyan might be a place to continue his baseball career. So his dad sent off an email inquiry to Jeffcoat, and the coach replied he wouldn’t be a good fit because he lived in Colorado.

“Unfortunately, we are not recruiting players from the state of Colorado,” reads part of the email. “In the past, players have had trouble passing our drug test. We have decided not to take a chance on Student-athletes from your state. You can thank your liberal politicians for that.”

Citing “his remarks as well as the NAIA violations under his watch,” Texas Wesleyan President Fred Slabach and Athletic Director Steve Trachier announced they were terminating Jeffcoat.

“This university and its athletic program does not discriminate on the basis of the public policy of any state,” Slabach said. “We look at the individual student. We care about those students.”

Bell told CBS News he has been overwhelmed by the response generated from the story.

“My intention really wasn’t to do anything to hurt anybody or get anybody fired,” Bell said. “It was just me talking to my coaches and my loved ones about what do I do with this.”

You Can Legally Transport Marijuana To 2018 World Cup In Russia

Brendan Bures
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You Can Legally Transport Marijuana To 2018 World Cup In Russia

This summer soccer fans attending the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia can legally transport marijuana into the stadiums thanks to a bureaucratic loophole. They can also bring cocaine and heroin, too, providing they have the proper medical paperwork.

You may consider this a joke and worry Russia is trapping naïve travelers, but an economic agreement that includes Russia explains how that’s possible.

Via Newsweek:

The Moscow-based Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), a joint economic trade bloc of countries including Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, allows for certain banned narcotic and psychotropic drugs to be brought into the country with supporting medical documentation. The Russian-led union of nations gives foreign travelers the right to carry drugs including cannabis and cocaine with the proper prescription papers.

As the pro-Kremlin Izvestia newspaper first reported, FIFA rules also stipulate that fans can have banned narcotics on their persons so long as they also carry the proper medical paperwork. This doesn’t mean you’ll see fans lighting up mid-match, however. The country’s smoking ban will remain in effect in the 11 cities that will host World Cup soccer matches, as will Russian Federation laws regarding spectators’ proper conduct.

The 2018 Russia World Cup Organizing Committee confirmed these reports and released a statement clarifying that law enforcement officials will be staged at various checkpoints to confirm the authenticity of the medical paperwork.

“Security officers will monitor the enforcement of rules for carrying prescription drugs to stadium grounds at checkpoints,” the committee announced.

All this falls under a November 2015 Eurasian Economic Commission decision, which states travelers can carry a limited amount of drugs into EPAC countries. The only requirement is those transporting such drugs must maintain documentation “supporting medical documents indicating the name and quantity of goods.”

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