Why Bars Are So Dangerous During The Coronavirus

What is it about bars that makes them so dangerous when it comes to the spread of the virus?

The post Why Bars Are So Dangerous During The Coronavirus appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Why Bars Are So Dangerous During The Coronavirus

What is it about bars that makes them so dangerous when it comes to the spread of the virus?

The post Why Bars Are So Dangerous During The Coronavirus appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Teela LaRoux is a Playboy playmate and cannabis advocate. She is most known for being the July 2019 Playmate, in addition to her promotional work with Harley Davidson, Apothic Wine, and LA Models.

We got the opportunity to chop it up with LaRoux about her relationship with cannabis, why she supports its normalization, and which products she’d recommend to the masses.

Below, check out five of Teela LaRoux’s favorite cannabis products.

Papa & Barkley Releaf Tinctures

Teela started smoking weed in her younger years, but it made her feel a little paranoid, so she ditched it. Years later, in her early 20s, she came back to the plant, this time by way of Papa & Barkley Releaf tinctures. She instantly fell in love and they’ve been together ever since. “I have tried every tincture on the market, and that one by far, is the one that I’m completely obsessed with,” she said.

Papa & Barkley is a California cannabis company that produces a line of capsules, tinctures and balms. Their Releaf tinctures are some of the most popular products on the market, made with MCT oil, which may help your body metabolize cannabinoids quicker, according to the Papa & Barkley website. The Releaf tinctures are marketed as an aid for pain and inflammation. “I still battle anxiety and I have a high stress life at times and that’s the one that seems to work best for me.”

Available: THC products available in California, CBD products available nationwide.

Whoopi & Maya Bath Soak

Unfortunately for Teela, Whoopi & Maya has ceased operation as a company and no longer produces this magical soak. So if you still own some, hold on dearly.

Whoopi & Maya was a cannabis company owned by Whoopi Goldberg and Maya Elisabeth. Their product line included a medical cannabis lavender bath soak and a medical cannabis body balm. LaRoux champions their bath soak when it comes to relief from cramps during her menstrual cycle, “I use that every month during my cycle, it’s incredible.” 

The solution in Whoopi & Maya’s SOAK (the balm is called RUB) is basically made of epsom salt with added essential oils and minerals. It is marketed for deep relaxation and offers relief from the aches, pains, and cramping associated with the menstrual cycle.

Lowell Farms Pre-rolls

Tinctures and salves are the clear favorites in LaRoux’s routine, but she also loves the pre-rolls from Lowell Farms. 

“I used to get paranoid so I stopped using [cannabis] for a long time. And then someone recommended it to me in my 20s when I started to deal with anxiety and depression.”

As tinctures reintroduced Teela to cannabis, she also began to educate herself on strains. She realized that it wasn’t necessarily the weed that made her paranoid, she just may have been smoking the wrong kind, “back when I was younger, I was going towards Sativas, and I really needed to be going with an Indica or a high CBD-dominant strain.”

The good news is Lowell has all of those bases covered. Lowell is California’s best-selling pre-roll brand, but they also produce a full range of products that include premium flower, solventless hash oil, and even a line of solventless vape carts. “I’m really excited to try their new cold pressed vapes.”

Available: California

Kiva Confections Terra Bites

Kiva Confections is a brand in California with a line of chocolate bars, gummies, mints, and delicious little chocolate bites known as Terra Bites. Terra Bites are Teela LaRoux’s shit, “sometimes I put them in the freezer and they’re absolutely delicious. And they make you feel relaxed and calm and super chill and happy.”

Production is what sets Kiva apart from many other edibles companies. Many edibles are made with distillates, but Kiva chocolate bars and Terra Bites are made with cold water hash. Using solventless hash provides a more complete cannabis experience and it also makes for a richer taste.

Available: California

Beboe Vape Pens

Beboe is a cannabis company that produces a line of disposable vape pens and pastilles. Both products come with a Sativa option marketed for daytime use, and an Indica option marketed for nighttime use. They also have a calming CBD blend marketed for anytime use.

LaRoux gushed, “Beboe’s great. I love Beboe. I tried their pens for the first time last year and they’re great. They just hit really smooth. They’re super clean, and they’ve got this really nice lavender aroma too and it’s super delicious.”

Available: California and Colorado

Interview by Nic Juarez. Written by Dante Jordan. Graphic design by David Lozada.

The post 5 weed products Teela LaRoux can't live without appeared first on Weedmaps News.

Thousands of Pennsylvanians living with minor cannabis arrests tainting their criminal records will soon have an opportunity to wipe their past convictions. After months of planning, the Keystone State has finally rolled out a program to quickly pardon and expunge the state’s glut of unjust pot prosecutions. 

According to WESA Public Radio, the plan is spearheaded by Lt. Governor John Fetterman, who also heads Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons. Fetterman said that he hopes the pardon program can be a step forward on the state’s path to full-scale legalization. 

“My goal, my dream, would be full legalization,” the Lieutenant Governor said. “But in the interim, you have the ability to apply right now for free for a pardon and we have the ability to streamline and expedite that and handle it in bulk.”

Across the country in Santa Cruz, California — a historic hotspot for “traditional market” cannabis cultivation — District Attorney Jeff Rosell is working on his own expungement plan, petitioning local courts to dismiss and seal more than 1,000 minor pot charges dating as far back as 1969.

“Our office recognized the undue burden that these prior convictions can have on people’s livelihood, both past and present,” Rosell said in a prepared release. “The decision to dismiss these cases provides much-needed relief to the non-violent people caught up in the ‘War on Drugs’ and level the playing field for people convicted of crimes that are no longer crimes.”

As protesters continue to flood the streets of big and small American cities with demands for racial justice and the defunding of police departments, cannabis reform has received its own spotlight. While 11 states and Washington DC allow any adult to consume recreational cannabis, and more than half of the country has medical marijuana laws on the books, racist policing still targets black and brown people for cannabis crimes at absurdly disproportionate rates. 

As lawmakers reckon with the current and past criminalization of a plant that is now legal, pardons, dismissals, and expungement have turned into a way for politicians to offer a delayed mea culpa — even though expungement alone does not make up for years of persecution or time spent in the deeply flawed criminal justice system.

“It’s one of the most simple steps that we can take from a criminal justice reform [standpoint] that would free African Americans up from the bias in law enforcement,” Lt. Gov. Fetterman said about Pennsylvania’s pot pardons.

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FDA Pursues Action Against Companies Offering Misleading Antibody Tests

The FDA issued advisory letters to three companies that have allegedly been promoting faux antibody tests for the treatment of COVID-19.

The post FDA Pursues Action Against Companies Offering Misleading Antibody Tests appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

Sometimes it feels that technology is moving too fast, especially when it comes to the evolution of vaporizers. Though close to a decade ago, it seems like just yesterday that tank vapes were beginning to hit the market, revolutionizing the industry from large desktop vaporizers like the Volcano to sleek, portable units like those produced by G Pen. The endless bells and whistles of technological add-ons like bluetooth app synchronization and touch sensors had yet to complicate the already complicated medium of using electric heat to vaporize flower and concentrates. 

Today, the market is awash with tech-savvy vapes that are unnecessarily difficult to understand — let alone operate. In many cases, the pursuit of incorporating technology into the vaping process seems to have eclipsed the importance of the vaping process itself, which should be simple, pleasant and accessible.  

For an excellent flower vaporizer that is more concerned with being a great vape than syncing with other technology in the room, look no further than the Arizer ArGo, a portable convection vape that has everything you need, and nothing you don’t. 

Whether you’re in the market for a new vape, or just curious as to what all the buzz is about, here’s our take on the Arizer ArGo.

What is the Arizer ArGo?

The ArGo is a portable convection vaporizer from the brand Arizer, well respected industry vets known for their no-nonsense, high-quality products. While Arizer initially rose to notoriety over 12 years ago for their desktop setups like the V-Tower and Extreme, they evolved with the times, and now have five portable vaporizers in their roster, the ArGo being the newest addition to their lineup.

What sets the ArGo apart is that it packs the vapor quality and customization options of a super expensive vape into a totally affordable ($269.99) and stripped down device that could easily pass for a beeper, flip phone or other artifact from the Y2K era. You get the ceramic convection heating, all glass airways, temperature controls and high-quality vapor output of Arizer’s desktop vaporizers, but in a ready-to-go 3.5” x 2” unit you can toss in your pocket or purse with ease. 

There are only two moving parts:the vape itself and a glass tube you preload with ground flower, but the tube locks into the ArGo when not in use, making it convenient and all-in-one.. 

Not everyone needs to have every aspect of their existence synced to their iPhone. The ArGo is a utilitarian alternative I’ve found to be superior to other tech-savvy vapes I’ve recently reviewed. 

What Can You Vape with the Argo?

The ArGo is only compatible with ground flower. 

How do you use the ArGo?

Now that we’ve been over the basics, here’s how you use the Arizer ArGo. 

How to charge the ArGo

The ArGo comes with a swappable 18650 battery that can be charged while inside the ArGo via USB, or outside of it with an 18650 compatible charger. This swappable battery feature allows you to pre-charge batteries if you’re going camping, or doing something that doesn’t include electricity. A single charge can last up to 90 minutes of continuous use, and the device takes about 3 hours to fully charge. 

To charge the battery within the ArGo, simply plug in the USB cable and adapter. The ArGo’s screen will display the battery percentage, letting you know when it’s fully charged. It’s not necessary to fully charge the Argo upon first use, and the device can be used while charging. 

How to set the control panel

The ArGo control panel consists of an OLED display and three buttons: Menu (M), Plus (+), and Minus (-). With these, you can control every aspect of the device, using M to toggle through the menu, and Plus and Minus to set temperature settings, brightness display, shut off timers and more. I turned the device on before reading the manual, yet the set up is so simple, it’s pretty much self explanatory off the bat. 

Temperature Settings: The ArGo has a large range of temperature settings, from 122 degrees fahrenheit to 428 degrees fahrenheit, in 1 or 10 degree increments using the plus and minus buttons. 

How to vape

1. Load Glass Aroma Tube

Put coarsely ground flower in a small container, then twist the glass tube into the container to fill the dish — be sure not to press too hard or pack it too tightly. 

2. Insert Glass Aroma Tube

Pre-heat unit before inserting the tube, then insert the flower filled tube into the ArGo. 

3. Close the Push-Top

Push down the top to expose the end of the Glass Aroma Tube for use. For protection of the tube, press the release button on the back of the unit. 

4. Press and Hold the (+) and (M) Buttons to Turn On 

A timer will count down on the OLED screen showing the power on delay and a greeting message is displayed when the unit is powered on. 

5. Set the Temperature and Let Unit Heat Up

Press one of the three control panel buttons and the ArGo will start to heat up automatically.Then, press the (+) and (-) buttons to adjust the temperature in 1-degree increments, or hold the button down to adjust the temperature in 10-degree increments.  

6. Inhale and Enjoy

The ArGo will remain heated and ready to use until you turn the device off. Because of the convection heating method, the flower is only heated when you inhale, meaning there’s virtually zero waste with this product. To turn off, hold the (M) and (-) buttons. 

How to clean the ArGo

Essentially maintenance free, the ArGo is extremely easy to clean. Simply soak the glass parts in isopropyl alcohol for a couple of hours, then rise with hot water. Make sure they are fully dry before re-inserting them into the device.

What’s the appeal?

The back-to-the-basics design of the ArGo vaporizer is exciting in a market that’s been overrun by overcomplicated vapes relying on needless technology to mask a mediocre product. This vaporizer is ideal for those who want something simple and reliable, and who, like me, may secretly hate technology. 

I would imagine their audience skews a little older, but it could appeal to anyone who falls in line with the philosophy that less is more. If the ArGo was a character on Parks and Recreation, it would undoubtedly be Ron Swanson: no frills, no nonsense, and extremely effective. 

The post Everything you need to know about the Arizer ArGo appeared first on Weedmaps News.

This week, the City Council in Los Angeles, California announced its approval for a plan to rework the city’s legal cannabis industry and make it more socially responsible.

According to concurrent reports from ABC and Marijuana Business Daily, the City Council gave initial sanction to a proposal made by the LA Department of Cannabis Regulations (DCR) “seeking to improve the administration of the City’s commercial cannabis Licensing and Social Equity Program through a proposed comprehensive reorganization and revision” of the city’s legal weed procedures ordinance.

At the heart of the reform push is a focus on social equity business owners. Legal weed business applicants who have been previously convicted of cannabis crimes, or lived in areas of the city hardest hit by the War on Drugs, are supposed to get preferential treatment when it comes to licensing. But so far, most equity applicants have been left on the sidelines while deep-pocketed corporations take up licensing space.

If the DCR plan is accepted in full, Los Angeles would issue new retail sales licenses only to equity applicants until 2025. The proposal would also fast-track those equity permits, making dispensary and delivery licenses available as fast as possible. The new plan would also include protections for equity business owners who partner with bigger businesses to get their company off the ground.

“If this is adopted, we’re going to walk away with the strongest protections,” DCR Executive Director Cat Packer said during Wednesday’s hearing. “I think we’ll be back in front of the Council with additional recommendations… But I appreciate the Council’s support on these recommendations today.” 

On the other side of the coin, some local industry insiders say that after the city has spent years pandering to venture capitalists and out-of-state corporations, they are now skeptical as to whether the reimagined marijuana marketplace will actually prioritize social justice reform over big business. 

“While the changes are mostly positive and comprehensive on paper, they don’t help equity applicants who needed support 12 months ago,” Attorney Ariel Clark, who represents a swath of clients inside the social equity program, wrote in an email to Marijuana Business Daily. “A lot of great equity business owners were left behind by the city’s silence, so I hope they move very quickly to grant those temporary licenses because every day that passes is another opportunity lost.”

Before the cannabis industry changes are official, the plan needs final approval from City Council and a sign-off from Mayor Eric Garcetti. You can read the entire DCR proposal here.

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Is Marijuana The Next Recovery Revolution For Pro Athletes?

According to science, cannabis provides significant benefits to athletes in both performance and recovery.

The post Is Marijuana The Next Recovery Revolution For Pro Athletes? appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

What To Know About Vaping CBD

One of the reasons why people prefer CBD vapes is because they have higher concentrations of the compound when compared to flower.

The post What To Know About Vaping CBD appeared first on The Fresh Toast.

A remembrance: The Harvard physician’s 1971 book laid the scientific foundation for today’s legal cannabis laws.

The post Dr. Lester Grinspoon encouraged America to ‘reconsider’ marijuana appeared first on Leafly.