Anthony ‘Top Dawg’ Tiffith has been honored with his own street in Watts as the local council celebrates his successes in music as well as his community work.
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Thailand Health Official Says New Recreational Pot Ban Will Go Into Effect This Year
Thailand will ban the recreational use of cannabis by the end of 2024, the country’s health minister told Reuters last week. The Southeast Asian nation legalized recreational cannabis for adults in 2022, but the country is now walking back legalization following a change in government leadership.
Thailand has been a leader in cannabis policy reform since it became the first Southeast Asian nation to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana in 2018. At the time, Thai leaders said that they hoped legalizing cannabis would provide new opportunities for the country’s agricultural sector.
To prepare for the change in laws, the nation’s health and agriculture ministries worked together to distribute one million cannabis plants for people to grow at home.
That groundbreaking move was followed by the de facto legalization of recreational marijuana four years later when the country removed cannabis from its list of banned substances. The legislation allowed businesses to sell foods and drinks infused with cannabis, provided they contained no more than 0.2% THC. More potent cannabis products were authorized for medical use only.
Because of weak regulations and a lack of enforcement, however, this legalization of weed in Thailand led to the opening of tens of thousands of cannabis shops, many of them geared toward marketing to tourists. The cannabis industry has already become an economic boon for the country and is expected to be worth up to $1.2 billion next year, according to economic projections.
Critics of Thailand’s legalization of recreational cannabis said that the reform was rushed, with regulations adopted within weeks of legalization.
“There are no control measures other than word of mouth,” Mana Nimitmongkol, head of the Anti-Corruption Organization (Thailand), said in a June 2022 online post.
In August 2023, Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin took office, vowing to revisit the legalization of cannabis to rein in widespread recreational sales of marijuana. A month later he declared a new war on drugs as part of his national agenda, which included provisions to scale back the nation’s cannabis policy.
“A consensus has been reached among the 11 coalition parties as well as all other parties in the opposition that the need to tackle the drugs problem is high on the agenda,” he said. “Let’s make today the start of a new fight to stamp out drug problems from society.”
Proposed Law Includes Ban On Recreational Weed
In January, the government issued draft legislation to regulate cannabis in Thailand and asked for public comment on the proposal. The proposal clarifies that only the medical use of cannabis is allowed and that recreational marijuana use is prohibited.
In an interview with Reuters last week, Health Minister Cholnan Srikaew said that the proposed legislation would go to the cabinet for approval in March. The measure would then head to parliament, where approval of the legislation is expected sometime before the end of the year.
“Without the law to regulate cannabis it will be misused,” Cholnan said last week, referring to recreational use, according to a report from Reuters.
“The misuse of cannabis has a negative impact on Thai children,” he added. “In the long run it could lead to other drugs.”
Cholnan said that approximately 20,000 cannabis shops have legally registered with the government. Under the new legislation, unregistered shops will be forced to close. The proposal also discourages home cultivation of cannabis.
“In the new law, cannabis will be a controlled plant, so growing it would require permission,” he said. “We will support (cannabis cultivation) for the medical and health industry.”
The proposed legislation sest a fine of 60,000 baht ($1,700) for the recreational use of cannabis. Those selling cannabis for recreational use or marketing or advertising cannabis flower, extracts, or smoking paraphernalia face sentences of up to one year in jail, a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($2,800) or both. Driving while high on weed would be punishable with a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($560), or one year in jail.
The bill also tightens regulations on cultivating cannabis without a license, with those convicted of such offenses subject to jail terms of one to three years and fines from 20,000 baht ($560) to 300,000 baht ($8,000). Importing, exporting and commercial use of cannabis will require a permit under the legislation.
Because Thailand’s cannabis industry has already become an economic success for the country, the proposed legislation gives businesses time to comply with the new regulations. Cannabis shops that are currently registered with the government will be allowed to continue doing business until their licenses expire. Such businesses will also be permitted to convert to legal cannabis clinics if they comply with all relevant regulations.
Cholnan said that he did not expect the new regulations to impact Thailand’s tourism industry.
The post Thailand Health Official Says New Recreational Pot Ban Will Go Into Effect This Year appeared first on High Times.
Scientists Discover Male Humpback Whales Having Gay Sex
Two male Humpback whales were recently recorded having a homosexual encounter in the wild off the coast of Maui.
According to a new study by the Pacific Whale Foundation published in Marine Mammal Science, humpback whales have been studied extensively but documented instances of reproductive actions have been exceedingly rare. That is until some photographers – Lyle Krannichfeld and Brandi Romano – caught two male humpbacks engaging in sexual contact right below their boat 2 kilometers west of the Molokini crater off the coast of Maui on January 19, 2022.
They sent their photos to scientists who recently confirmed in a peer-reviewed study that the photos were confirmed to be one of very few documented instances of humpback penis extrusion and the very first documented instance of homosexual interactions between humpbacks.
“The sighting occurred when individuals aboard a private stationary vessel, located approximately two km west of the Molokini crater, saw two humpback whales approaching their boat. One whale was visibly thin and covered in whale lice, displaying signs of poor health and drawing the attention of the photographers,” said the Pacific Whale Foundation on their website. “During the encounter, a second whale engaged in an unexpected behavior—repeatedly approaching the first whale, using its pectoral fins to hold the injured whale in place, and initiating shallow, brief penetrations.”
The whales in question reportedly circled the photographers’ boat for a while, giving them ample opportunity to take their NSFWW (not suitable for whale workplace) photos. Scientists with the Pacific Whale Foundation hypothesized that since one of the whales seemed to be having health issues, this may have contributed to the behavior for whatever reason.
“The two whales circled the boat numerous times, allowing Krannichfeld and Romano the opportunity to carefully document the event by holding their cameras over the side of the stationary vessel (note: it is illegal to swim with or approach humpback whales within 100 yards in Hawaii and the vessel remained in neutral as the whales approached),” the Pacific Whale Foundation said. “The health disparity between the two whales adds a layer of complexity to this unique observation. One whale’s poor condition, possibly caused by a ship strike, may have contributed to the observed behavior.”
A male humpback whale with its penis inserted into the genital opening of another male humpback whale. Courtesy: Pacific Whale Foundation
The sexual encounter between the whales reportedly took place when one of the whales extruded its penis and penetrated the genital opening of the other whale. The penetrations lasted about two minutes at a time, according to the study, and lasted for about a half hour. When the encounter was over, the whale doing the penetrating took off right away (typical) and the sick whale hung out for a few minutes until swimming away as well.
“Upon reviewing the photographs, it was noticed that Whale A had a significant jaw injury, that likely impaired normal feeding behavior,” the study said. “It was also observed that Whale B had its penis extruded throughout the entire encounter and, at times, would penetrate the genital opening of Whale A, using its pectoral fins to hold Whale A.”
The study said that male humpback whale penis extrusions have been documented in the presence of other male humpbacks, but that this is the first time penetration has been documented. It has been previously theorized that the penis extrusions were acts of aggression towards the other males while competing for females during mating season.
Homosexual behavior is not particularly uncommon among members of the animal kingdom. It has been documented in dolphins, orcas, seals, walruses and several of my neighbors’ dogs. An entire book called Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity was published about the topic in 1999.
“The world is, indeed, teeming with homosexual, bisexual, and transgendered creatures of every stripe and feather. From the Southeastern Blueberry Bee of the United States to more than 130 different bird species worldwide, the ‘birds and the bees,’ literally are queer,” the book said. “On every continent, animals of the same sex seek each other out and have probably been doing so for millions of years. They court each other, using intricate and beautiful mating dances that are the result of eons of evolution.”
The post Scientists Discover Male Humpback Whales Having Gay Sex appeared first on High Times.
Smoker Who Stormed Capitol Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Prison
A man who stormed the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6, 2021, and smoked weed on top of broken furniture in Sen. Jeffrey Merkley’s (D-Oregon) office was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison on Thursday.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a press release on Leap Day, Feb. 29, describing the man’s sentences. Brandon Craig Fellows, 29, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden to 37 months in prison, plus an additional five months for a contempt of court charge. In total, Fellows was sentenced to 42 months.
Many people heeded the call to make their way to Washington, D.C. shortly after the 2020 election. “Big protest in D.C. on January 6th,” Donald Trump tweeted on Dec. 19, 2020. “Be there, will be wild!” Weeks later, thousands of supporters gathered at the U.S. Capitol building in an event that left five dead within a 36-hour time period.
Days after Jan. 6, 2021, Fellows posted on social media, “Brought my heart joy to see these members terrified for their lives. For what they have done and are doing to this country I hope they live in constant fear.”
“I have no regrets. I didn’t hurt anyone. I didn’t break anything,” Fellows told Bloomberg, five days after storming the Capitol. “I did trespass though, I guess.”
Then on Jan. 16, 2021, Fellows was arrested by FBI agents in New York. The investigation involved the FBI’s Washington and New York field offices, with assistance provided by the New York State Police, the U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
Fellows was convicted on Aug. 31, 2023, of obstruction of an official proceeding, a felony, and misdemeanor offenses of entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds, entering and remaining in certain rooms in the Capitol building, and disorderly conduct in a Capitol building. The DOJ also says that Fellows heckled two U.S. Capitol police officers while he was inside.
What Happened That Day
Fellows made and wore a fake beard out of red yarn, a hat in the shape of a knight’s helmet, sunglasses, and carried a “Trump 2020” flag and a trash can lid that he says he used as a shield. Per federal court documents, on Jan 6. 2021, Fellows stationed himself at the Ellipse near the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to attend the “Stop the Steal” rally and listen to Donald Trump’s speech.
Fellows followed the massive crowd toward the Capitol building, approaching the building from the west side and fought his way to the Upper West Terrace. From his position, in front of thousands of Capitol stormers on the West Plaza and the West Lawn, Fellows posted a video.
“Oh bro, we’re gonna get gassed soon,” Fellows says in the video. I heard windows just break.”
Fellows made his way around, then filmed/incriminated another man breaking down the Parliamentary Door with a cane.
Fellows crawled through a broken window at about 2:52 p.m. and walked through the Senate Wing Door, waving a “Trump 2020” flag. Once inside, Fellows stood on top of broken furniture and waved the flag some more. He walked into a congressional conference room and then walked across the hall to the private office of Sen. Jeffrey Merkley.
“I walked in and there’s just a whole bunch of people lighting up in some Oregon room… they were smoking a bunch of weed in there,” he later told a reporter. Fellows was photographed smoking marijuana in Merkley’s office with his feet up on a desk. He next went to the Crypt and walked around. He eventually left the Capitol about 3:45 p.m…
While inside the office, Fellows sat in a chair, put his feet up on a conference table, and smoked some weed. Another stormer, who was live streaming, asked Fellows, “What is your message?” Fellows replied, “Man, oh man, we got pissed. We ripped it out of the hands of these police officers,” followed by a round of laughter.
This case was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Department of Justice National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
So far, over 1,313 individuals have been charged in nearly all 50 states for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. Capitol, with over 469 individuals charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcement, a felony. The investigation remains ongoing.
The post Smoker Who Stormed Capitol Sentenced to 3.5 Years in Prison appeared first on High Times.
Dame Dash Says Stalley & Curren$y Took Record Deals ‘Behind His Back’: ‘They Were Ashamed’
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