A new proposal for the Massachusetts medical marijuana program is causing tension.

A new proposal for the Massachusetts medical marijuana program is causing tension.

5 Products Surging In Sales Since The Pandemic Hit

The pandemic has altered the way in which we spend our money. Here are just some of the strange products that have sold well over the past several of months.

The post 5 Products Surging In Sales Since The Pandemic Hit appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

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Senator Kamala Harris (D-CA) made history yesterday as the first woman of color in US history to become a presumptive Democratic vice president nominee. Harris is also the first VP pick to have ever publicly joked about smoking weed while listening to Snoop Dogg and Tupac and, more importantly, to have forthrightly declared, “I am absolutely in favor of legalizing marijuana.” 

Still, as the former District Attorney of San Francisco from 2008 to 2010, Harris oversaw more than 1,900 pot convictions — a marked increase over her predecessor, Terence Hallinan — and even co-wrote an opposition argument against legalization for a 2010 voter guide. As a result, some weed advocates are highly suspicious of Harris’s more recent cannabis conversion.

Tom Ammiano is one such doubter. The former San Francisco supervisor and assemblyman has outright said so, while he battled for legalization. “She was nowhere on the issue — zilch, nada, no help. Like a lot of candidates for a lot of offices, she’s come to Jesus on the issue. But, it does leave a bad taste in your mouth about how sincere or how authentic she is.”

Briana Joy Gray, the former press secretary for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential run, similarly griped via Twitter, “We are in the midst of the largest protest movement in American history, the subject of which is excessive policing, and the Democratic Party chose a ‘top cop’ and the author of the Joe Biden crime bill to save us from Trump. The contempt for the base is, wow.”

Sanders himself, however, tweeted, “Congratulations to Kamala Harris, who will make history as our next Vice President. She understands what it takes to stand up for working people, fight for health care for all, and take down the most corrupt administration in history. Let’s get to work and win.” No mention of weed there, so perhaps Bernie’s taking a “big picture” approach.

To her credit, Harris has held steady on calling for legalization since February 2019, when she was a guest on “The Breakfast Club” radio show with Charlamagne the God. When asked if she had ever smoked weed, Harris replied, “I have. And I inhaled. I did inhale. It was a long time ago. But, yes.” After dodging a question about whether she’d ever light up again, Harris said that weed “gives a lot of people joy and we need more joy.”

“They say you oppose legalizing weed,” Charlamagne countered.

“That’s not true,” Harris said. “And, look, I joke about it, half joking. Half my family’s from Jamaica — are you kidding me?”

Harris said she has “had concerns” regarding the impact of marijuana on the developing brain, but added, “Let me just make this statement very clear, I believe we need to legalize marijuana… I am absolutely in favor of legalizing marijuana. We’ve got to do it. We have incarcerated so many, and particularly young men and young men of color, in a way that we have not for the same level of use (among) other young men.”

Last year, Harris co-sponsored the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, which would create full legalization and enable tools of restorative justice for minority communities devastated by the War on Drugs. That stance won Harris praise from NORML and other pro-cannabis activists and organizations.

Russ Bellville, an legalization advocate in Idaho and Oregon, seemed to speak for many who have mixed feelings. “Drug War Joe and Marijuana Foe Kamala. *sigh* Well, it’s them or literal Nazis,” he tweeted. “My state will pass medical mushrooms and decriminalize all drugs, so I think I can get through it.”

With his signature flair for the worst, Trump responded to the VP pick news by immediately calling Harris “nasty.” Please, everyone, remember what we all must do this November: Save our country and democracy, which means getting out to vote — and not voting for Trump. 

Massachusetts is seeing the financial benefits of legalized cannabis.

With cannabis legalization continuing to spread across the US, the opportunity to make jokes at the plant’s expense has never been greater. From shopping at dispensaries to experiencing edibles for the first time, comedians have the unique opportunity to help shape public opinion surrounding modern-day cannabis consumption — a power they can use to convey both positive and negative experiences.

Openly discussing cannabis usage was more taboo in previous years, but this didn’t deter comedians such as George Carlin from discussing it in a non-sensationalized way. In a previous interview, Carlin stated:

“By the time I was 13, some friends and I were using marijuana fairly regularly. The Reefer Madness myth was still very strong then, but I’d been into jazz and those lyrics included so many casual references to pot that it was completely demystified for me.”

Carlin also went as far as to actively advocate for cannabis consumption, explaining that it often assisted him in his creative process. Watch him discuss his experience with weed to help him refine his writing in an interview with Jon Stewart below.

Dave Chapelle is another comedian famously associated with incorporating weed into both his stand-up and comedy sketches. While Chapelle often pokes fun at the usual stoner stereotypes, he often does so in a way that portrays these perceptions as harmless and positive. For example, in his Netflix special, “Deep in the Heart of Texas,” he jokes that he bonded with his dog, Baba, after Baba realized that when the house smells like weed it means Dave is about to eat.

Sensationalizing weed through stand-up

When discussing modern-day cannabis culture, comedians often get caught up in over-sensationalizing the plant and their experiences while imbibing.

“The older comedians exaggerate it [marijuana use] and younger comedians haven’t gotten the grasp of it yet,” says comedian Bruce Jingles. “I let people know that it is part of me, but that I’m not a ‘full-on stoner’ as I don’t want to be typecast as dumb. Stoners are always typecast as dumb, but comedy is smart. Comedy in itself dispels the stereotype of the ‘dumb stoner.’”

Rachel Wolfson, comedian and host of the “Chronic Relief” podcast, echoed Jingles’ sentiments around the importance of presentation when incorporating weed jokes into a standup set. “People are talking about weed more than ever and are naturally going to cite experiences about being so high they ‘greened out.’ Finding the humor in your own experiences and ultimately breaking stigma through humor is important. The fact that I’m up there working hard at something I love is already enough to break the ‘lazy stoner’ stereotype.” 

Where’s the sweet spot?

Sara Weinshenk is another comedian who often collaborates with Wolfson and normalizes cannabis discussion through her podcast “Shenk” and her web series “Shenks For Smoking,” where she invites fellow comedians to discuss a variety of topics while consuming cannabis.

“It’s our role as comedians to normalize taboo subjects such as cannabis, mental health, and alternative forms of medicine,” she said. “Being high doesn’t impair me to the point of not being able to function, and actually helps me be more creative in my writing.”

I asked all three comedians how they’d like to see the cannabis discussion move forward in comedy. All three agreed that they’d like to see the topic continue to be destigmatized as well as diversified.

“In the past, I wasn’t able to incorporate marijuana usage into my sets because I had a day job. When I did begin to discuss it, I was labeled as a dirty comic,” said Jingles. “Now that it has become more mainstream, I’m able to take greater risks. People need to continue communicating about it — and communicating about it an intelligent way.”

“Observational weed humor is lame to me. I want to know what your unique perspective and point of view is,” explained Wolfson. “Anyone can get up there and talk about weed, but what have you done to help the [cannabis] community? I really respect comedians who have given back to the community and are helping to break the stigma.”

“I’d like to see more women in the space of both comedy and cannabis,” said Weinshenk. “There are so many great female cannabis connoisseurs out there and it’s always good to hear about them.” 

Feature image by Tim Mossholder/Unsplash

The post Can comedy normalize cannabis use? appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Massachusetts is seeing the financial benefits of legalized cannabis.

Texas Punishing People, Small Businesses For Their Hemp Screw-up

A smokable hemp ban damages farmers and retailers amid a global pandemic, so why is Texas proceeding with a potentially unconstitutional act?

The post Texas Punishing People, Small Businesses For Their Hemp Screw-up appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

CBD Oil And Its Potential Aa A Psoriasis Treatment

Concerns about the best way to effectively treat psoriasis is still a constant discussion on the forefront of scientists and doctors all over the globe. 

The post CBD Oil And Its Potential Aa A Psoriasis Treatment appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Learn all about light deprivation growing, and how it allows you to grow an additional outdoor harvest before the big fall one.

The post How to maximize your harvest by growing light deprivation cannabis appeared first on Leafly.