Monthly Archives: April 2021

California Inches Toward Decriminalizing Psychedelics …

Posted: April 11, 2021 at 5:43 am

California senators pointed to the failed War on Drugs and new scientific evidence regarding the benefits of certain hallucinogens.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CN) The effort to decriminalize psychedelic drugs in California gained momentum Tuesday after a key state Senate committee voted in favor of allowing adults to freely use and possess magic mushrooms and LSD.

Mirrored after similar criminal justice reform measures recently approved in Oregon and various U.S. cities, Senate Bill 519 would decriminalize several drugs currently listed as Schedule I controlled substances by the federal government including psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, DMT, MDMA, ibogaine and mescaline.In addition to decriminalizing psychedelics or hallucinogens for people over 21, the bill calls for the expungement of old criminal records, penalties for furnishing drugs to minors and a new working group to further study the safety and efficacy of psychedelic use in the Golden State.

State Senator Scott Wiener testified his proposal is not intended to promote the use of the banned substances. Instead, he wants to erase damaging holdover policies enacted during the War on Drugs.

By decriminalizing were not inviting people to use. Were taking, instead of a criminal approach to drug use, a health-minded approach, Wiener told the Senate Public Safety Committee.

Wiener and supporters are looking to capitalize on new scientific research and other successful criminal justice reform efforts enacted across the nation and make hallucinogens easier to access.

While the substances Wiener wants to decriminalize and destigmatize are placed by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency in the same regulatory category as heroin and marijuana, other federal agencies are taking a more welcoming view when it comes to some hallucinogens.

In 2019, the Federal Drug Administration designated psilocybin as a breakthrough therapy an action meant to boost the development and review process for new drugs intended to treat serious conditions. The FDA points to preliminary evidence the currently banned mushrooms can help the estimated 17 million Americans experiencing severe depression.

The designation was granted to the nonprofit Usona Institute, which is currently conducting trials involving one-dose treatments for people with major depressive disorder.

Meanwhile, some states and cities are taking a more rapid approach as public opinion of hallucinogens and psychedelics continues to do a 180.

Oregonians voted in 2020 to decriminalize personal use of hallucinogens and all other substances, while cities including Oakland, Santa Cruz and Washington have decriminalized psychedelic mushrooms. Advocates also want to take the issue directly to California voters through a proposed ballot measure that would allow residents to grow, sell and possess magic mushrooms. A similar effort stalled in 2020 when the pandemic quashed in-person signature gathering efforts.

Aside from decriminalization, SB 519 would expunge criminal records for people convicted of possession or use of the hallucinogens. Backers say the War on Drugs perpetuated draconian notions about the drugs researchers now believe could be beneficial if used properly, and as a result prior convictions should be erased.

SB 519 is a step toward dismantling the failed and racist War on Drugs, because locking people up for drug use doesnt work, Wiener claimed.

Several military veterans testified in support of decriminalization saying the substances helped them fight depression and PTSD.

Jose Martinez, a U.S. Army veteran and triple amputee, told the committee he became addicted to prescription opiates following his injuries but eventually psilocybin helped turn his life around. Martinez, who lost both his legs and an arm from an IED explosion in Afghanistan, is now a Paralympic surfer and husband.

Gracefully [psilocybin] has changed my life, Martinez said. Ive been able to help out a lot of veterans find their own treatment and weve been able to get them off addiction.

Joining Martinez in support of the bill are California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, Entheogenic Research, Integration and Education Board, Pacific Neuroscience Institute and Students for Sensible Drug Policy, UC Berkeley Chapter.

The committee ultimately voted 4-1 to advance SB 519 to the Senate Health Committee, but not before hearing opposition from law enforcement groups.

A lobbyist for the California College and University Police Chiefs Association said he was worried about the potential for unmitigated social sharing and subsequent overdoses among college students.

In an opposition letter, the Peace Officers Research Association of California warned decriminalization will only lead to greater crime and arrests.

As we have seen so many times, it is often the most vulnerable populations, and those who have the weakest support systems, that will be most susceptible to the increased access and use of drugs, the letter states.

Before reaching Governor Gavin Newsoms desk, SB 519 must still clear the Senate and then the Assembly later this summer.

The Public Safety Committee also approved plans to allow San Francisco and Los Angeles counties to run overdose prevention programs commonly known as safe injection sites. Senate Bill 57 would enable people to use illegal drugs like heroin at designated sites under the supervision of staff trained to prevent and treat drug overdoses.

There are more than 100 injection sites throughout the world, but litigation has held up the opening of sites in interested U.S. cities including San Francisco and Philadelphia. Similar versions of the bill have failed in the California Legislature or been vetoed.

Wiener said the intent is to combat overdoses and public drug use, both of which have skyrocketed during the pandemic.

These sites help transition people into recovery, Were seeing record overdose deaths in California.

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Microdose v. Macrodose: Psychedelics Experts on How to …

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This column is a collaboration withDoubleBlind, a print magazine and media company at the forefront of the psychedelic movement.

Would you care for a drop of LSD in your morning tea? A capsule of psilocybin-mushroom dust with your daily vitamins? Such is the daily regimen for those whove taken up microdosing, reporting anecdotally just how much this new psychedelic trend has changed their lives. Over the past decade, researchers have delved into how taking small amounts of psychedelics help people combat depression, trauma, attention deficit disorder, and even physical pain. Indeed, author Ayelet Waldman wrote a New York Times bestselling memoir about it, A Really Good Day, while researchers like James Fadimanare among the most sought after voices, educating the newest generation of psychonauts about the wonders of psychedelics albeit in miniscule, sub-perceptible doses.

But, can you really call yourself a psychonaut a savvy explorer of psychedelic terrain if youve never actually tripped? Itd be like saying you know what weed is like, even if youve only ever tried CBD. The data is limited, but, so far, it appears as though microdosing works for as long as a person continues taking microdoses. It can affect their mood and health which, of course, can also affect how they treat themselves and others, but doesnt typically lead to massive, long-lasting transformations in personality and ideology, the way tripping might.

And so, we arrive at the debate over microdosing versus macrodosing, or simply, well, dosing. Is one approach inherently better than the other? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? And if youre new to psychedelics, is it better to dive into the deep end, or to just get your toes wet?

For decades, people primarily started by diving into the psychedelic deep end microdosing just wasnt something being widely discussed in our culture. But as microdosing has grown in popularity, more people are opting to start out with the latter, unsure of whether theyll ever fully trip. Both our introductions to psychedelics began with an eighth of psilocybin mushrooms, or just over three grams of the dried out magical fungus that smelled like feet. We washed them down with orange juice, which psychedelic lore told us would enhance the experience. (And yes, citrus is proven to do just that.) Early on in our psychedelic experience, it never occurred to either of us that mushrooms could engender an experience short of swirling, kaleidoscopic patterns and a six-hour trip. Take less than the standard dose of 3.5 grams? But why?

Intention is everything. The higher the dose, the more likely you are to experience ego dissolution or an out-of-body sensation. This can be transcendent, spiritual, and healing but can also be terrifying without the proper guidance or context. Psychedelics dampen a part of the brain called the Default Mode Network; when this region is put to rest, the boundaries of ones self in relation to the rest of the world come down. Its at this point that we can experience a mystical sense of oneness and can more easily break old thought patterns or addictions. This is in part why psychedelic research at institutions like New York University or Johns Hopkins has shown such great promise in administering full doses to subjects looking to treat anxiety, addiction, and other ailments.

On the other hand, without the proper context, prior education, or set and setting ones internal mindset and their external environment a full dose trip might be too much for some people; after all, not every new psychonaut is a wide-eyed Berkeley college kid versed in Aldous Huxley and Ram Dass, seeking, to put it bluntly, to trip balls. A newbie is more likely to have a safe, positive experience when a trip sitter or psychedelic guide is holding the space. The quality of ones set and setting will make or break a psychedelic experience. Thats not to mention the risk of psychosis or triggering schizophrenia, if you have an underlying mental condition.

So that brings us to the idea that some new psychonauts may indeed want to start low and go slow, as they say in the psychedelic community. After all, you can always take more, but you can never take less. In the case of microdosing for therapeutic reasons, the concept is that the psychedelic can offer you shifts in perspective, the way a bigger dose might, without requiring you to spend a full day tripping, something many people might not have time for or, simply, might just be afraid to do. It can also be a good way, some psychonauts say, of acclimating to the idea of taking a psychedelic before you macrodose.

The research into how microdosing works neurologically is limited, but, according to a database of more than 1,500 reports collected by Fadiman through his microdosing website, people report that microdosing can in subtle, but important ways impact how they move through their day they say they just feel lighter, more appreciative, more observant, more creative, or more grateful, among other effects. Fadiman gives examples, informed by these reports, such as, on a day when microdosing, you might habitually reach for those chips or that glass of wine only to realize that youd genuinely rather have a salad or cup of tea. Microdosing can just provide a bit more awareness or flexibility around changing unhealthy patterns.

Theres a spectrum of experience: Its definitely valuable to go all the way in, but it depends on the scenario, says Mike Margolies, activist and founder of Psychedelic Seminars. If Im trying to have a mushroom experience that is healing and therapeutic and Im trying to get insights, then I probably want to do a higher dose, but if I just want to use psychedelics socially and hang out, then maybe a threshold dose about .25 to 1 gram, or just over a microdose is more appropriate. And not to mention, he adds, you can get insights from this lighter dose, too, when you have the window just slightly cracked open, but youre not totally in the full-on mystical or psychedelic experience.

To be clear, psychedelics are not a panacea: Taking a full dose is not a magic bullet, and neither is microdosing. The key is integration incorporating psychedelic insights into daily life, whether that means practicing meditation to increase mindfulness or implementing a major life change like ending a relationship or switching careers. And if youre keen on microdosing, theres nothing wrong with simply seeking a lil pep in your step to better flow through the day.

So while many seasoned psychonauts agree that the journey is the medicine that getting through a trip provides insights that wouldnt otherwise be had there is no right or wrong answer to the microdosing versus macrodosing debate.

But there is a caveat to note, and thats the gentrification of psychedelic culture, through an emphasis on microdosing. When CBD got big, many of us hailing from pre-legalization (i.e. pre-mainstream) pot culture argued in favor of the case for keeping cannabis weird. Sure getting high isnt for everyone (although anyone may be a candidate for the therapeutic effects of cannabis, such as through CBD or even microdosing THC), but that doesnt mean we should stigmatize those who do get high, in an effort to sterilize the culture and make it more palatable to the mainstream. The data has shown theres value in macrodosing in having profound, classic psychedelic experiences and so many longtime psychedelic advocates simply dont want to see that get lost.

Were already seeing drug development companies that are trying to fundamentally change the psychedelic experience to make it more accessible. The US military is funding research into psychedelic compounds that dont make you trip and Canadian pharmaceutical company MindMed is developing a psychedelic off-switch, as examples. Theres a culture of aversion to the psychedelic experience that is coming out as psychedelics are being mainstreamed, says Margolies. I would say that our culture doesnt quite understand the value of the psychedelic experience itself. You should be afraid of the psychedelic experience thats the point! But that doesnt mean you should give yourself a quick release or avoid doing it. It means that you should really approach it respectfully because these things are powerful.

And so, in that may lie the answer to the microdosing versus macrodosing debate. The answer itself is completely objective and highly personal: If psychedelics are indeed sacred and yes, certainly powerful, what kind of experience will engender, for you, the most long lasting benefit?

Correction: This story has been updated to clarify that James Fadiman was not at Harvard in the 1960s, and that psychedelics will not accumulatein the system during microdosing.

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Psychedelics In Groups? First Study Of Its Kind Shows Potential For Collective Settings – Forbes

Posted: at 5:43 am

A recent study has shown that the social dimension of psychedelic ceremonies, such as the one shown ... [+] above in an episode of Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, led to increased psychological well-being and social connectedness in participants.

While the corporate fanfare around psychedelics continues to grow, the reality is the majority of these drugs remain illegal in most countries around the world, with few exceptions for legal access. Of course, this hasnt stopped humans from using themand one of our favourite ways to trip, is collectively.

There has been no data to quantify the potential value to the individual stemming from the collective dimension of group psychedelic experiences, until now: a recently published study has shown that consuming psychedelics in a group setting like a ceremony or retreat could lead to increases in wellbeing, social connectedness and other improvements to mental health.

The first-of-its kind study was conducted by a team of researchers at Imperial College London and led by doctoral student Hannes Kettner. The quantitative look at real-world psychedelic use recruited a total of 886 participants, who were simply required to have a plan to participate in a ceremony or guided group experience involving the use of a psychedelic, such as ayahuasca or psilocybin, of their own accord.

Participants were then asked to complete a series of online surveys: one two weeks prior to their psychedelic experience, another a few hours beforehand, a third on the day after their ceremony, a fourth on the following day, and a fifth four weeks later.

Kettner admits that in most self-selected psychedelic research, a significant sampling bias exists (particularly toward participants who are male students in their mid-20s, with plenty of existing psychedelic experience). He was pleasantly surprised to see that in this new study, a whopping 40 percent were actually signing up as first-time psychedelic users, with an average age of 44 years.

It speaks to the Michael Pollan-ation effect, he says. We see more and more people from a different social demographic becoming interested in psychedelics, but not necessarily wanting to access them on their own, he says.

According to Kettner, the team of researchers (including Dr. Robin Carhart-Harris and Dr. Leor Roseman) were able to introduce and validate a modified measure used to assess experiences of perceived togetherness and shared humanity, referred to as the communitas scale.

Kettner explained that while in clinical one-on-one settings, the relationship between guide and patient is quite defined, the group setting can potentially act as an equalizer.

The interesting thing about this communitas construct is that we observed this dissolution of hierarchies and boundaries and social roles, which you wouldnt expect to see when theres a predefined relationship between doctor and patient, or guide and journeyer, he says.

Importantly, this experience of communitas during psychedelic sessions emerged as a significant predictor of long-term improvements in well-being and mental health outcomes several weeks later, pointing towards a therapeutic potential unique to group settings of psychedelic use.

The results of the study show that the impact of a more social setting doesnt just have benefits during the psychedelic experience itself: it can also lead to benefits that last well beyond the journey.

Prior to their psychedelic ceremony, participants were asked how comfortable they felt with the guides that would be present.

This was among the strongest predictors of how the experience actually played out for people, says Kettner, noting that he expects this to act as a similarly strong predictor in clinical settings.

While its difficult to make a direct comparison between individual and group settings based on the existing science, Kettner points to the results of a similar Imperial College study which was not limited to groups or ceremonies to illustrate the potential differences.

There, we saw pretty solid improvements in psychological well-being and also in social connectedness, which speaks to the notion that even in an individual experience, if there is some kind of improvement to your outlook on life, perhaps that also reflects on how you relate to others, he says.

While he admits you dont necessarily need the group for that to happen, the effects sizes in their latest study on group experiences were much larger.

That seems to hint that an element of the group setting really makes a difference in terms of what people get out of it, says Kettner.

That element could be the social component of sharing your experiences with others, as participants in psychedelic ceremonies are often encouraged to do prior to and immediately following a journey.

Being vulnerable towards a group of often strangers really made a difference in terms of increasing how much people improved in the long run, he adds.

Through their collected data, but also on-site observation of ceremonies and qualitative accounts from participants, Kettner believes that the experience of opening up to others could have as much value to participants as the psychedelic itself, both elements positively reinforcing each other.

Group settings, he says, offer an opportunity for all the materials that may be brought to the surface by the psychedelic compound to be processed by an entire group of people that support you.

In principle, I think thats a brilliant approach to how psychedelics could, in the long run, be worked into medical systems.

Psychedelic ceremonies of any kind are not without risk, something Kettner acknowledges. He says given current conditions, ceremonies do remain among the most accessible settings for psychedelic use, even though some retreats come with a very high price tagsomething else he readily acknowledges.

These two factors, risk and cost, are closely related, and as the interest in psychedelics increases without a legal way to consume them, this relationship will be an important one to watch.

As the market grows, well likely see an undercutting of prices and people reducing the amount of supervision and safety that they can provide, and the amount of experience that that they require from guides and facilitators, he says. I do think that is a lot of reason for caution.

At the same time, Kettner says taking psychedelics in an institutionalized setting has its own set of risks. Rather than pitting the two settings against each other, there ought to be room for both.

There is a strong need for creating solutions that are not prohibitive, [things that are] outside of the clinical and medicalized systems, he says.

How can we safeguard and improve the way that people are taking psychedelics right now, in the settings that are available?

If access really is the goal, this is an important question more researchers in the psychedelic community need to ask themselves.

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A man says psychedelic mushrooms cured his cluster headaches, and researchers believe he could be right – Insider

Posted: at 5:43 am

Bob Wold was so desperate to treat his chronic cluster headaches, he spent two decades trying 70 prescription drugs and searching for a solution.

As Washington Post's Katherine Ellison reported, Wold finally found relief from an unlikely source, "magic" mushrooms, which contain the psychedelic drug psilocybin.

65-year-old Wold told Ellison he's experienced cluster headaches a type of relenting migraine that makes a person's eyes feel on fire and their heads feel near explosion for 40 years. Cluster headaches get their name because they come in intense bursts throughout the day, according to the American Migraine Foundation.

For Wold, that meant enduring an hour-long headache four or more times daily.

So when Wold tried a one-gram microdose of "magic" mushrooms 20 years ago, something he'd previously written off as a substance for stoners, he was shocked in the best way.

He and other self-identifying "clusterheads" later pushed the FDA to approve the first-ever injectable treatment for cluster headaches in June 2019, called Emgality. Still, there's more research to be done on the potential for psilocybin to treat the condition, and Yale University neurologist Emmanuelle Schindler is gearing up to study its efficacy later this year. Researchers have already studied psilocybin in clinical trials and have found its potential to treat anxiety, depression, and obesity, Insider previously reported.

The excruciating nature of cluster headaches leaves sufferers desperate for a solution.

"You will eat shoe polish if you think it would help," one person with cluster headaches told Yale University researchers of their fruitless search for effective treatment.

Other respondents to the Yale survey said the headaches felt worse than childbirth, gunshot wounds, and kidney stones.

The inescapable pain makes cluster-headache sufferers three times more likely to commit suicide than the general public, University of West Georgia psychologist Larry Schor told Washington Post.

Schor has experienced cluster headaches himself since 1983.

"The pain is so intense that I've had some seemingly psychotic thoughts during attacks. Like maybe if I could take a pliers and start pulling out molars, or if I hammered in the smallest drill bit near my eye, that could relieve the pressure," Schor told Ellison.

When the FDA approved Emgality, it offered a sense of relief for clusterheads. But the drug can come with side effects like weight gain, hair loss, joint pain, and brain fog that discourages some from using it.

Psychedelics like psilocybin, then, could provide an alternate treatment option.

Wold told Washington Post he's shared his psychedelic treatment tips with his Facebook community and many have also reported positive results.

"We're constantly getting thank-you notes from as far away as Romania, saying things like 'I've been using psilocybin for 15 years and it saved my life,'" Wold said.

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Three Studies Investigate the Role of Psychedelics in Treating OCD – StreetInsider.com

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Recent psychedelic research has led to significant breakthroughs in the field. The substanceshave been found to be usefulin treating various mental health conditions such as depression as well as addiction. Additionally, new research has found that psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms, is useful in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

There are three studies looking into the use of psilocybin to decrease the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. While each study is using different treatment techniques&

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4 weed products journalist Madison Margolin can’t live without – Weedmaps News

Posted: at 5:43 am

Madison Margolin is the co-founder and managing editor of DoubleBlind, the biannual print magazine and digital media outfit that's taking the psychedelics movement by storm. Before starting the magazine, she and co-founder Shelby Hartman were both prolific cannabis journalists. Though many will be most familiar with Margolin's cannabis coverage in a wide range of publications over the last five years, she's been covering the political, cultural, and spiritual impact of psychedelics since her college days.

While still in journalism school at Columbia University, Margolin was reporting on the Orthodox Jewish community in New York and met a bunch of kids from orthodox backgrounds who were experimenting with psychedelics, exploring their relationship to religion and spirituality through these alternative drug experiences, Margolin told Weedmaps, I got really curious about that and started writing almost immediately about the relationship between Judaism and psychedelics. That was like five years ago before I even had my job at the Village Voice.

Margolin started covering New York's cannabis policy rollout for the Voice in 2015. At the same time, she had spent several months working on a story about the Empire State's burgeoning psychedelic scene, where she was, looking at the research that was coming out of NYU. She also became familiar with the newly opened Alchemist Kitchen, a community space offering talks on psychedelics and with room to sell goods and tinctures.

The Voice was sold in October 2015, just as Margolin's psychedelics coverage was about to be a cover story. They got a new editor who basically was like, 'Your drug coverage is clich. The Village Voice is over drugs,' and he killed my psychedelics story. That same editor also killed her weed column, so Margolin would go on to cover the cannabis beat for Rolling Stone, Playboy, High Times, Nylon, Bon Appetit, Broccoli, LA Weekly, VICE, and a host of other major magazines and digital outlets.

For Margolin, the modern cannabis and psychedelics movements are connected by the psychoactive experience and how it can affect all other aspects of life science, policy, culture, history, medicine, mental health, spirituality, etc. When writing about any drug, whether it's cannabis or psychedelics or even heroin and opiates and whatever, it's a way to talk about other things in society, Margolin said while reflecting on all the places and communities her cannabis coverage has taken her for the past five years. One particular day in Jerusalem stood out to her as a poignant example where all these ideas intersected in a special way.

The day started with an interview with Raphael Mechoulam, the legendary Israeli scientist who pioneered the isolation of THC and the discovery of endocannabinoids. I did this whole story on the cannabis scene in Israel-Palestine for Tablet, a Jewish magazine, so I spoke to Mechoulam, which was really special. Then I went to East Jerusalem, which is more the Palastinian side of the city, with a translator. It was kind of interesting man-on-the-street reporting. I think it was interesting to be in this place where trauma is so ubiquitous on all sides of the equation. Cannabis is such an obvious choice to treat trauma, and to experience that first hand with Israelis and Palestinians and to talk to the guy who was so instrumental [in cannabis science and medicine] was really powerful.

The transition from full-time cannabis reporting to running her own psychedelics magazine began in 2018, when fellow-reporter Shelby Hartman reached out to her about the project. Shelby and I had both gone to Columbia for journalism school, and then we were sort of doing similar things in the field afterward. And Shelby had this idea when she was meditating to do a psychedelics magazine, sort of inspired by Broccoli, a really beautiful magazine that covered psychedelics but also merged high-end design with investigative-heavy reporting.

Margolin signed onto the idea right away. We both had full-time jobs at the time. I was at Civilized and [Shelby] was at Herb, and we didn't really know where it would go. We were just like, 'this seems like a cool side project to do,' and then it kind of snowballed into what it is right now.

Margolin and Hartman now lead a publication that, in their own words, speaks to everyone who is curious about psychedelics. And we are speaking to anyone craving fresh perspectives on some of the most important issues of our time [...] and the aching that people around the globe feel for spirituality or some other collective sense of meaning.

For Margolin and for DoubleBlind, shedding light on the grassroots nature of the psychedelics and cannabis movements is paramount.

People are like, 'oh yeah, cannabis is like a big industry these days.' And it's kind of obnoxious because it's built on the backs of people who have been going to jail for decades, and risking their freedoms and putting their families at risk. That's something I hope that, as people read about this [industry] stuff in Forbes, they recognize that it's built on people who are not being featured in Forbes.

Margolin continued, I just don't think people recognize the tension between the industry and the movement, the movement being something that's really grassroots and we're dealing with organic matter, and there's indigenous wisdom behind it and decades of folk wisdom and street wisdom, and that is the culture.

Here are four weed products Madison Margolin can't live without.

Prismatic Plants offers daytime and nighttime CBD tincture formulas, both designed to have an appropriate calming effect. Margolin uses both.

I have scoliosis and my back can get kinky, and sometimes it can hurt. But it actually hasn't been like that in a long time, and I don't know if it's cause I take CBD, but I think that might have to do with inflammation. I also use it for anxiety. Sometimes if I'm tripping, I like to have CBD on hand, basically if I'm feeling anxious.

Papa & Barkley's THC-rich Releaf Balm is a whole-plant-infused salve that Margolin has used for pain relief. I've also had tendonitis, a condition most writers are at least somewhat familiar with, so I've used that and rubbed it in my wrist.

As CBD pre-rolls become a major staple of the cannabis market, it's important to know where the quality is. Margolin doesn't smoke weed as much as she used to, and tends to prefer CBD-heavy joints when she does. Dad Grass hemp pre-rolls serve up a clean buzz without the fuss, and are tailored to revive the casual smoke.

Moon Made Farms is owned and operated by former producer, musician, event promoter, and documentary filmmaker, Tina Gordon, who relocated to Southern Humboldt County in 2007 to grow and advocate for cannabis.

I try to opt for outdoor, sungrown, small-batch farms. Margolin told Weedmaps, Moon Made Farms is a good one. Tina actually tracks the moon cycle to see how the moon affects the plants.

Interview by Nic Juarez. Written by Andy Andersen. Photo courtesy of Zoe Wilder. Graphic by David Lozada/Weedmaps

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Ash coats Caribbean island of Saint Vincent after volcano eruption – Reuters

Posted: at 5:43 am

RABAKA, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (Reuters) -The tiny eastern Caribbean island of Saint Vincent was blanketed with a thin layer of ash and a strong sulphur smell hung in the air on Saturday, a day after a volcano spectacularly erupted after decades of inactivity.

The eruption of La Soufriere on Friday pumped dark clouds of ash some 10 km (6 miles) into the air, prompting an evacuation of some nearby residents.

Rumbling noises continued to emanate from the volcano, with ash coating rooftops, cars and roads in Kingstown, the capital of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Videos from Saint Vincent showed a ghost-like landscape.

A Reuters witness in the town of Rabaka, about 2 miles from the volcano, said the ground was covered with about 12 inches (30 cm) of ash and rock fragments from the blast. Ash clouds blotted out the sun, giving the sky a bleak twilight look.

Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said it was unclear how much more ash the volcano would vent out, adding that more than 3,200 people were now in shelters.

All Im asking of everybody is to be calm, Gonsalves told reporters on a visit to a shelter.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, where just over 100,000 people live, has not experienced volcanic activity since 1979, when an eruption caused approximately $100 million in damages. La Soufrieres eruption in 1902 killed more than 1,000 people.

In a statement issued at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT), Saint Vincents National Emergency Management Organisation said steaming/smoking from the volcano had increased in the last few hours, warning those that live close to the site to be prepared to evacuate at short notice.

Earlier, the agency said on its Facebook page that strong sulphur scents pervade the air and urged residents to be careful.

Authorities say they are awaiting scientific findings before announcing what further steps to take.

Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Diane Craft and Paul Simao

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At the Table: A taste of the Caribbean? Walk this way – The Daily Gazette

Posted: at 5:43 am

What fun it is for a foodie to be able to walk the length of a gas station on Altamont Avenue in Rotterdam, New York, and be able to enjoy a sampling of Caribbean cuisine! While the Schenectady area has been known for years for its Italian restaurants, current residents have begun discovering Mexican, Thai, Guyanese and Dominican restaurants occupying small spaces but making big contributions to local dining choices.

A quick, 100-foot jaunt can transport you to a feast of sweet or savory empanadas, yellow rice and crispy catfish to the exotic flavors of Arroz Amarillo con Guandules (Pigeons with Yellow Rice) or Mofongo con Chicarron de Cardo (Mashed Green Plantains with Fried Pork).

KR Dominican Cousine is not a fancy place. Three small tables are positioned on two outer walls and a multifunctional counter stands in the middle of the room. Owner Ramon spends much of his time behind the counter processing credit cards or dishing out guisos (stews). A nearly life-sized Santa Claus stands guard beside the kitchen, waiting patiently for Dec. 25.

In retrospect, I wish I could have studied the menu online before visiting the venue. The print on the paper menu is small, and some of the names in English and virtually all of the names in Spanish were unfamiliar to me. Ramon politely translated the Spanish names for me so I could more easily navigate the menu.

I knew I wanted an order of fried sweet plantains ($2) because it is something I never prepare at home. Ditto for Pescado Frito (fried red snapper for $21). Despite the name sweet, the plantains did not taste like sweet bananas. These were sturdier and more bland. Plantains are often consumed for breakfast and dinner in the Dominican Republic.

With its body cavity cleaned out, the snapper was fried to a golden, parchment-like crispy outside and a flaky steaming treasure of tender meat on the dorsal side. I have no idea whether or not the snapper was seasoned; all I tasted was the sweet flesh.

Guest decided to sample the pork chops and beef stew. She waxed ecstatic over the pork, commenting, When ordering fried pork chops theres always a risk of encountering a dried-out chewfest. That was not the case at KRs. Lightly seasoned, it retained moisture, rendering the chops tender while still being thoroughly cooked.

She added that Ramons generous portions provided meals for the next two days.

The red, white and blue, eye-catching, six-column menu incorporated photos to illustrate food. This was helpful. Spanish names with very small descriptions printed at times in color rendered reading and understanding difficult. The names can also be misleading. For example, Arroz Amarillo con Guandules is described as yellow rice with pigeons. But the words peas is left off, misleading the inexperienced diner to believe this is a rice dish with small birds instead of with small peas a big difference if you are a vegetarian. (One page out of five on the menu has prices for each of the food items. Prices for everything listed on the menu would be a helpful improvement.)

Four cultures contributed to present-day Dominican cuisine: the indigenous Taino; the Spanish; as well as people from both Africa and the Middle East. The source of protein in the Dominican Republic was originally limited to seafood and chicken until the Spanish introduced pork and beef to their diets. Meat proteins are accompanied by starches such as plantains, rice and beans. The importance of these foods is reflected on KRs menu.

On my next visit, Ill sample the flan and Morir Sonando (orange juice and milk with oatmeal).

NAPKIN NOTES

My guest expected spicy food, but instead enjoyed flavorful pork chops. She had difficulty pinpointing key seasonings. In truth, many Dominican dishes are seasoned with the ubiquitous sofrito, a sauce borrowed from the cuisine of Puerto Rico made with green peppers, onion, garlic, sweet Caribbean peppers and cilantro.

KR Dominican Cousine

WHERE: 1305 Altamont Ave. (behind the gas pumps), Rotterdam, 12303; 518-280-3881

WHEN: Monday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Sunday10 a.m.-5 p.m.

HOW MUCH: $48.60 without tax or tip

MORE INFO: Parking area, handicapped accessible, credit cards accepted, takeout, free delivery, outdoor dining weather permitting.

Categories: -The Daily Gazette, Food

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At the Table: A taste of the Caribbean? Walk this way - The Daily Gazette

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COVID-19 and the Impact on Caribbean Culture The Colgate Maroon-News – The Colgate Maroon-News

Posted: at 5:43 am

On Wednesday, March 31 producer Mikie Bennett and recording artist Ataklan (aka Mark Jiminez) joined Professor April Baptiste, Coordinator for Caribbean Studies for ALST, and Professor Kezia Page, Director for ALST, to speak on their experiences for the Caribbean Week Keynote Panel: COVID-19 and the Impact on Caribbean Culture. The Zoom webinar was included in the Caribbean Week events, presented by the Caribbean Students Association and the Africana and Latin American Studies (ALST) Program and sponsored by the Dart Colegrove Commons.

Mark Jiminez is a Trinidadian singer, songwriter, producer and promoter who operates the record label TAJ Records and is regarded as a genuine and well-renowned voice of Trinidadian and Soca music. Mikie Bennett, known as the Quincy Jones of reggae, is a distinguished producer from Jamaica, the managing director of Grafton Studios and Director of Culture for the FIWI Jamaica project at UTECH. Together, they provided deep insights into the effects that the global pandemic has had on the Caribbean music industry over the past year.

For Jiminez, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Trinidadian music industry have been profound. Notably, the Festival of Carnival, historically drawing over 40,000 tourists during the season of Lent to celebrate culture and music, has been fundamental to Trinidadian music in terms of both cultural significance and economic stimulation. The pandemic prevented the traditional Carnival celebrations, thus requiring a new approach to the festival. Jiminez explained that translating a sensory, euphoric [physical] celebration, characterized by Soca musics connection to physical dance with friends and family, into an online format has been very challenging. However, Jiminez noted that the pandemic provides an opportunity to find new ways of how to explore technology and celebration.

Although Jamaica does not host a celebration reminiscent of Carnival which brings in a large number of tourists for a specific event, Bennett echoed Jiminezs thoughts on the struggles of virtual entertainment, citing the importance of live celebration to Jamaican people. Bennett explained that reggae music reflects the lifestyle of Jamaica and is a wonderful tool for the philosophy of Rastafarian. Reggae, and a subgenre of reggae called dancehall, rely heavily on revenue from performing live and touring to finance the industry; due to the importance of physical contact to the DNA of reggae and dancehall, the music industry and Jamaican culture have suffered greatly during this time of quarantine and travel limitations.

Both Bennett and Jiminez stressed the importance of social media in the contemporary Caribbean music industry, pre-pandemic and now especially with the move to virtual entertainment. This transition between physical celebration to digital sharing was spoken about at length by Bennett, who noted that this transition isnt confined to audio streaming but a variety of virtual content, engendering artists to more profoundly focus on modes of distribution. Jiminez also hopes that Caribbean artists will be able to grow their audience virtually, utilizing social media as a tool for this. According to him, The Caribbean has always been a great contributor to world culture, creativity, and music. Jiminez hopes that with greater recognition of the shifting paradigm of global music, Caribbean-based music will be able to grow to take up more space in the international sphere. Explaining that the Caribbean diaspora are resilient and creative people who will be able to use this time to innovate, Jiminez expressed optimism for an expansion of Caribbean music into larger and more mainstream spaces. Furthermore, both Jiminez and Bennett stressed the promising role todays youth play in the revitalization and extension of Caribbean music.

First-year Mel Anderson stressed the personal importance of the event.

I grew up in the Caribbean, so attending the Caribbean Week Keystone Panel made me realize how much I miss Caribbean culture and especially Carnival. One big takeaway that I got from the event was the large impact of COVID-19 on Carnival and other aspects of Caribbean Culture, and the role of young people in helping to globalize and carry on the work of older generations. I wish there was more of a presence and events at Colgate aside from this week.

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COVID-19 and the Impact on Caribbean Culture The Colgate Maroon-News - The Colgate Maroon-News

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Sailfish Brewing Co. of Fort Pierce to open in Vero Beach, expand to Caribbean – TCPalm

Posted: at 5:42 am

Sailfish Brewing Company opened for business in April 2013 near downtown Fort Pierce. In February 2017, the brewery opened a new taproom and increased its production to a 20-barrel system.

Everyone has a fish story.

Sailfish Brewing Co.s story began in downtown Fort Pierce as the first craft brewery on the Treasure Coast.

And it continues with a second location in Vero Beach.

We wanted to do something in an area that wasnt too far away, but close enough, said David BuShea Jr., the brewerys president. We have a huge fan base in Vero.

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Danielle West (left), tap room manager at Sailfish Brewing Company, talks with her customer Jay Weeks (right), of Jensen Beach, inside their renovated tap room on Wednesday, May 20, 2020, in downtown Fort Pierce. Sailfish Brewing Company has renovated their tap room and is now open from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and noon to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.(Photo: ERIC HASERT/TCPALM)

BuShea founded the company with Nick Bischoff, Mike Sturgis and Danny Horton and opened the brewery April 2013 in historic Edgartown. They moved into a bigger space in 2017 just down the road on North Second Street.

They always talked about having multiple locations as part of their business plan, and Bischoff and Strugis are from Vero Beach.

Its really exciting to grow the brand, BuShea said. The more people we can get more beer out to, the better.

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BuShea hopes to open the Vero Beach location by the end of May, but that depends on licensing and permitting. The latest opening would be early summer, he said.

Sailfish will open in the Portales de Vero building on Ocean Drive, in the former Orchid Island Brewery taproom that moved to distribution only last year.

The new location will have a taproom and kitchen, but all brewery operations will remain in Fort Pierce. BuShea said the downtown space already is set up for future expansion.

The Vero location wont have the same pizza kitchen as Fort Pierce because it doesnt have enough space. BuSheaplans to close in the previous open kitchen and add a commercial hood.

The menu will feature fresh fish, bone marrow and small beach bites. The taproom will offer beers to go and special can release available only there, as well as more emphasis on wine.

Sailfish Brewing Company has recently started canning their most popular beer, White Marlin Wit.

Vero Beach is a different market than Fort Pierce based on demographic research, BuShea said. He and the other founders wanted to open in an area that made sense.

They saw the opportunity to expand the business next to a public beach access and take the brand further across the region.

COVID taught us a lot last year, with having to transition over to an actual restaurant, BuShea said. Thats how were approaching Vero to be more of a taproom and kitchen versus an actual brewery.

COVID and bars: Florida breweries forced to add restaurants to reopen

Sailfish Brewing Company in Fort Pierce is opening a second location in Vero Beach this year. Co-founders include Mike Strugis and Nick Bischoff, both of Vero Beach, and David BuShea Jr.(Photo: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO FROM SAILFISH BREWING COMPANY)

He said they discovered an opportunity on the retail side of the business the taproom, kitchen and merchandise and how it can support the distribution side, which has grown to be statewide and includes Publix grocery stores.

Theyre now looking to open points of distribution in the Caribbean, such as Puerto Rico, in the next month or so, BuShea said.

They would consider opening more locations across the Treasure Coast after achieving success in Vero Beach.

As the areas first brewery, he said, they want Sailfish to own the region.

Thats our hometown, BuShea said, and we pride ourselves on being a hometown brewery.

Laurie K. Blandford is TCPalm's entertainment reporter and columnist dedicated to finding the best things to do on the Treasure Coast. Follow her on Twitter at @TCPalmLaurie or Facebook at faceboook.com/TCPalmLaurie.

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