Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand wants to send the Biden administration a message: End prohibition of cannabis, once and for all, by fully descheduling it rather than simply rescheduling it to a slightly less restrictive category. The time is right for real change.

On Sunday, the senator called for Attorney General Merrick Garland and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to act to deschedule cannabis at a press conference in Harlem, New York. Cannabis is currently classified as a schedule 1 controlled substance, the most restrictive category and the same as heroin, with “no currently accepted medical use.”

“Descheduling marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act is not just a social justice issue; it’s an economic, medical, and public safety issue. Since marijuana was classified as a Schedule I substance during the war on drugs, countless lives have been torn apart, and individuals in primarily Black and brown communities have been targeted for nonviolent cannabis-related offenses,” Gillibrand said. “Studies show that legalizing marijuana could help reduce violence in international drug trafficking and generate billions of dollars for the economy. The vast majority of Americans agree that marijuana should be legalized—that’s why I’m calling on the Attorney General and the Drug Enforcement Administration to swiftly deschedule marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.”

Most recently, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recommended that the DEA move cannabis to schedule III after careful review by federal authorities, but that may not be enough. High Times asked the senator why it’s critical to deschedule cannabis entirely, versus simply moving it to a less restrictive category.

“Rescheduling marijuana will not correct the wrongs of our current judicial system, which has historically targeted Black and brown communities for marijuana related offenses,” Gillibrand told High Times. 

The senator continued, “Descheduling marijuana is a critical step toward decriminalization, and it could also reduce violence in international drug trafficking, make the United States competitive in global markets, and generate billions of dollars for the economy.”

Gillibrand is joined by Congressman Jerrold Nadler, New York State Senator Cordell Cleare, New York City Council Member Yusef Salaam, New York State Assemblymember Eddie Gibbs, New York State Assemblymember Rev. Al Taylor, Executive Director of Empire State NORML David Holland, and business leaders across New York. Gillibrand also reiterated her stance on social media as the 2024 general election gears up.

“Classifying marijuana as a Schedule I drug—something more dangerous than cocaine or fentanyl—has harmed communities and denied critical relief to vulnerable patients,” the senator posted on X. “It’s time to legalize and deschedule marijuana altogether.”

The current status of cannabis at the federal level puts individuals at risk, some more than others.

Gillibrand’s Ongoing Support for Cannabis Reform

The senator has voiced her opinion that cannabis should be legal at the federal level several times before, including the campaign trail of the 2020 general election. In 2017, Gillibrand introduced the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect (CARERS) Act with Al Franken, Rand Paul, and Cory Booker, and then in 2018, she cosponsored the Marijuana Justice Act along with Sen. Booker.

In 2019, when she was running for president of the U.S., Gillibrand released a plan for the national legalization of cannabis, saying that she would make the issue a “top priority” of her presidency.

“America’s federal prohibition of marijuana needs to end now,” Gillibrand wrote, acknowledging the need for access to medical cannabis. “Millions of Americans seek medical marijuana to treat chronic or severe pain — often in an effort to avoid prescription opioids — but access is limited by insurance coverage and availability of medical marijuana dispensaries, even in states where medical marijuana is legal,” Gillibrand wrote. “We should be expanding patients’ access to treatment they need, especially when it helps reduce addiction to dangerous medications.”

Little action at the federal level isn’t helping anyone, and she believes supporting cannabis could be a major factor in the upcoming general election.

A Boost for Biden

Federal authorities have been toying with the idea of rescheduling cannabis to schedule III, and cannabis would be regulated like Tylenol III’s or hormone replacement therapy. If the HHS’ recommendation to reschedule cannabis on the federal Controlled Substances Act becomes a reality, it could make an impact on President Joe Biden’s favorability ahead of the upcoming 2024 presidential election. There is now data to support that idea.

A recent survey found broad support across demographics and suggested Biden could see an 11% favorability boost if it occurs.

The survey, conducted by Lake Research Partners, revealed a number of key findings surrounding registered voters and attitudes surrounding cannabis, namely that Biden could boost his favorability by 11% among younger voters should cannabis move from Schedule I to Schedule III.

“By the end of the poll, impressions of Biden improve by a net double-digits—an 11-point swing overall, including a double-digit (+11-point) swing among younger voters,” the survey notes. 

“In conclusion, rescheduling cannabis is not only the right move from a policy perspective, it is also politically helpful,” the survey concludes. “Nowhere is this more true than for younger voters—one of the most cross-pressured groups of voters, and also the most sanguine about rescheduling.”

New York leaders like Gillibrand believe reclassifying cannabis under schedule III does not go far enough. Instead, the Biden administration should take a bolder move and deschedule it altogether, giving Americans what they clearly want.

The post Exclusive: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Calls on Biden Administration To Deschedule Cannabis appeared first on High Times.

The post Exclusive: Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand Calls on Biden Administration To Deschedule Cannabis appeared first on Paradise Found.

Innovative THC delivery systems are plentiful in a market saturated with transdermal patches, dissolvable strips and more—but every so often, a unique product idea disrupts the playing field. Enter THC-infused drinking straws loaded with an interior lining—infused with THC.

Today Drnq Budz launched its premiere line of drinking straws infused with THC, right in the lining of the straws. The lining dissolves as you drink, providing a new titration system: the consumer can watch the amount of THC that is consumed through the outer layer of the straw. This technology allows for very precise dosage, setting itself apart from other titration methods.

Give your lungs a break, but while maintaining a relatively fast onset of THC, taking place within six minutes. You can actually see the colored coating inside the straw fade away as the THC is consumed.

“Here’s the situation: People are taking gummies and waiting half an hour to get high,” Drnq Budz Founder Joe Wallace told High Times. “How often do they end up taking a second one when they get bored waiting? And end up much higher than they wanted to be? With Drnq Budz, the coating dissolves in the liquid you drink with it, giving it greater bioavailability—we have a six-minute onset, which is definitely more fun, but also gives people more control.”

How is this possible? The Los Angeles-based startup secured the master rights to technology developed by Unistraw, the biggest straw maker in the world, based in Australia. Unistraw’s patented, award-winning straw-delivery system can infuse drinks with a coating of flavoring or active ingredients—THC, in this case. 

Drnq Budz will launch in three flavors and three doses: 25mg, 50mg and 100mg dosages, with individual straws containing 5-10mg. More options are expected soon. This allows anyone to be able to infuse a cocktail or nearly any other type of drink with THC, without knowing the intricacies of edible infusion. Typically, cannabis has to be decarboxylated and added to alcohol or an oil-based medium for infusion. It’s just not something most average consumers know how to do properly. 

The straws come in natural flavors of Mango, Lemon-Lime, Berry and Matcha, in 10-straw packs. Drnq Budz will be available beginning December 15, 2021 from dispensaries and delivery services throughout California.

Plastic straw bans abound as plastic litters the oceans. Seattle, Washington banned plastic straws in July 2018, followed by Washington D.C. and more cities. Also, major food and drink chains such as Starbucks began to phase out plastic straws. This leaves opportunity for compostable options.

Drnq Budz straws are 100 percent certified compostable and bio-sourced. They are actually sourced from corn—not plastic. The straws could help to create a massive reduction in the cannabis industry’s carbon footprint, reducing shipping and storage of heavier products and reducing the plastic and chemical waste associated with vaping products. 

“This delivery system will change lives,” Wallace said. “I know that sounds over-the-top, but think about how convenient and enjoyable this makes taking care of yourself and feeling good. This is a natural disruptor of the edibles market—which is on track to reach $12 billion by 2025. And c’mon, we’re adults here—do you really want to be sitting around eating gummy bears? Imagine all the things we can do with this technology—all you have to do is sip.”

The drinking straw technology provides a new way to feel the effects of THC fast, outside of the typical edibles you know well.

The post Exclusive: Straws Lined with THC Could Transform Edibles Industry appeared first on High Times.

The post Exclusive: Straws Lined with THC Could Transform Edibles Industry appeared first on Paradise Found.

Tubi recently announced its first-ever star-studded original animated series, The Freak Brothers, based on the cult classic underground comic series that documented counterculture lifestyle since the ’60s. The first two episodes are set to debut on Tubi this weekend on Sunday, November 14. Tubi shared an uncensored version of the trailer, exclusively with High Times.

On Sunday, viewers will get a sneak peek at The Freak Brothers during a special 90-second trailer airing on FOX’s Animation Domination block during Family Guy (9:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). Additional episodes from Season One will drop on Sundays—once every week—ending with the finale on Sunday, December 26.

The Freak Brothers features an impressive roster of voice actors including Academy Award-nominated Woody Harrelson, Emmy Award and Golden Globe winner John Goodman, Emmy Award and Grammy Award winner Tiffany Haddish, Saturday Night Live’s Pete Davidson, as well as Adam Devine, Blake Anderson, Andrea Savage, La La Anthony and Rapper ScHoolboyQ.

The Freak Brothers is the story of three fictional characters who constantly embark on pot-fueled adventures. It follows laid-back Freewheelin’ Franklin Freek (Harrelson), child-like Fat Freddy Freekowtski (Goodman), the usually paranoid Phineas T. Phreakers (Davidson) and their snarky cat Kitty (Haddish). 

After smoking a magical strain of weed in 1969, the trio are transported 50 years into the future to 2020, bringing their counterculture lifestyle to the modern world. 

“We can’t wait for Tubi viewers to freak out to The Freak Brothers, with its unforgettably irreverent comedy infused with heart, alongside an iconic ensemble voice cast and a stellar team of elite producers and writers,” said Tubi Chief Content Officer Adam Lewinson. “This comedy is 50 years in the making and we are thrilled to have it debut on Tubi as our first original animated comedy, marking a new step for Tubi as we expand our adult humor offerings.”

If the animation style looks familiar—it probably is: Starburns Industries and Pure Imagination Studios, the teams behind Rick & Morty and The Simpsons: Brick Like Me, handled the animation. The animated series is produced by WTG Enterprises and distributed by global content leader Lionsgate.

The Freak Brothers’ theme song was created and performed by TDE recording artist Ray Vaughn. Anthony “Top Dawg” Tiffith, the Grammy Award-winning producer and founder of TDE, one of the most notable music labels, produced the music for The Freak Brothers and is an executive producer on the series, along with Mike Concepcion.

The Freak Brothers History Lesson

The brothers have evolved quite a bit since their first appearance in the late ‘60s. The animated series is based on the classic underground comic The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers created by comic book legend Gilbert Shelton.

After leaving projects like the underground newspaper East Village Other, Shelton self-published Feds ‘n’ Heads in 1968, followed by his most famous comic, The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers. He also contributed greatly to Zap Comix with fellow artist R. Crumb. That was followed by spinoff comic books like Fat Freddy’s Cat and the creation of Rip Off Press.

In the comic, Fat Freddy will usually get burned over some bunk grass, or somehow lose his money, while Phineas is the intellectual. Meanwhile, Freewheelin’ Franklin ended up with the most iconic quote of all three: “Dope will get you through times of no money, better than money will get you through times of no dope.”

Underground comics paved the way for publications like High Times, when most other publications refused to publish pot and psychedelic drug references. Comic book publishers pushed the boundaries of how cannabis and other adult themes could be executed.

The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers comic eventually sold over 45 million copies in 16 languages and was hailed by The Comics Journal as “One of the 100 Greatest Comics of the Century.” 

The Freak Brothers revival is a testament to the comics’ lasting power in pop culture.

The post Exclusive Trailer: <i>The Freak Brothers</i> to Debut on Tubi appeared first on High Times.

The post Exclusive Trailer: The Freak Brothers to Debut on Tubi appeared first on Paradise Found.