Author: News Room

George Brown is grateful for the love. As the esteemed drummer and percussionist for the Grammy Award winning band Kool & the Gang reflects on his career in music, he really wants to thank the fans who have supported the music group across the globe all of these years. “It’s become generational,” Brown said during our phone interview. “Love and blessings to you all.” Over the course of our conversation, Brown shares the creative inspirations behind his upcoming book Too Hot: Kool & the Gang & Me, Kool’s upcoming new album People Just Wanna Have Fun, and how weed inspired…

By Glenn O’Brien The Devil as he is known today comes out of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Not that he’s a Jew or a Christian, or even their “opposites.” But that’s where he was first spotted. He was developed and marketed by Judeo-Christians in much the same way that they first handled today’s God. Before Judeo-Christianity covered the globe, the divinity market was rife with small time operators, gods who specialized, doing a great job in a modest sphere. Though they were gods, they weren’t strictly “good” or “bad.” They were generally a mixture of both. That made them interesting. When…

Imagine being able to get high and hang with friends at a bar with ease, just like ordering a drink. Many people are joining in a cultural shift by consuming less alcohol and adopting a “Cali sober” lifestyle––forgoing alcohol in favor of cannabis and mushrooms in moderation. But what happens when the bar is no longer where we want to spend our time? Gathering spots like neighborhood coffee shops and bars serve a purpose in culture as a “third place,” a term coined by sociologist Ray Oldenburg that describes public informal gathering spaces for serendipitous conversation. These places occupy a…

The number of people in federal prison over marijuana dropped 61 percent from 2013 to 2018—a greater reduction than any other drug type—as the first states enacted legalization, according to a new report from the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). Overall, the federal prison system saw the number of people incarcerated over drugs decrease by 24 percent during that time period. However, as BJS Director Alexis Piquero pointed out in a press release on Thursday that prisoners of the war on drugs “still accounted for a large share—almost half—of the people in [Bureau of Prisons] custody in 2018.”…

House and Senate appropriators have approved large-scale annual spending bills that once again include language to protect state medical cannabis programs, as well as a controversial rider to block Washington, D.C. from implementing a system of regulated marijuana sales. The Senate and House Appropriations Committee both held markups of Fiscal Year 2024 spending legislation for Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) on Thursday. And the Senate panel, as well as a House subcommittee, have also advanced their appropriations measures for Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies (CJS). Aside from the state medical cannabis and D.C. marijuana sales provisions, House lawmakers…

Millions of people worldwide use cannabis to treat mood issues as legalization continues to spread.People smoke pot to reduce anxiety, and depression, and many have found lifesaving relief. Considering its status as an effective neuro-modulator, it’s no surprise that people experiencing nervous system dysregulation seek out cannabis for its many effects. But cannabis’ ability to help also exists alongside its potential for misuse, and potential to cause harm.Last week, the Wall Street Journal ran a column under the headline “Cannabis is linked to mental illness” that referenced a paper published this May in JAMA Psychiatry: The study concluded that patients…

The way people are using psychedelics is changing as awareness about substances like psilocybin and MDMA increases and more jurisdictions enact reform. But while a majority of American voters support regulating psychedelics therapy or decriminalizing them, according to a new poll, there are still some lingering negative sentiments toward the use of entheogens. The complete findings from the UC Berkeley’s Center for the Science of Psychedelics (BCSP) survey were released earlier this week, offering one of the most comprehensive examinations of public attitudes toward the substances at a time when the laws governing them are being debated everywhere from the…

Michigan marijuana sales hit another record high in June, reaching nearly $261 million. Adult-use cannabis purchases accounted for the majority of the total, at $254,153,133. Medical marijuana sales were at $6,643,877.  This beats the prior record set in March by more than $10 million. Most of the cannabis purchases came from flower, followed by vape cartridges and infused edibles, the Michigan Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) data, first reported by New Cannabis Ventures, shows. The state is seeing these record-setting sales even as the average cost of marijuana has remained at record lows, with the price of an ounce for adult-use cannabis now…

“We want to hear the public’s thoughts, concerns, and feedback, especially from those within the cannabis industry, the medical patient community, and those who have been disproportionately impacted by criminal enforcement of marijuana laws.” By Christopher Shea, Rhode Island Current Rhode Island’s newly-formed Cannabis Control Commission wants to know what issues surrounding marijuana are important to you. The three-member commission is tasked with overseeing regulation and licensing of recreational and medical marijuana in the state. The tour was announced by Commission Chair Kimberly Ahern during the panel’s inaugural meeting on June 29. “The purpose of these public meetings is for the…

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