Los Angeles Considers Amnesty for Owners of Illegal ADUs
Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez (Getty, Facebook, Abodu) A Los Angeles councilwoman has pitched a plan to let owners of illegal granny flats off the hook in return for offering affordable rents.Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez has filed a motion to create an amnesty program for legalizing unpermitted accessory dwelling units, also known as ADUs, the Los Angeles Daily News reported, citing City News Service.
Minnesota becomes 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana
Democratic Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota signed a bill into law on Tuesday legalizing recreational marijuana use in the state.With Walz's signature, Minnesota becomes the 23rd state to legalize adult-use cannabis and the third Midwestern state to do so.What we know right now is prohibition does not work.
Aging Undocumented Workers Can't Afford to Retire. Will California Help Them? | KQED
In California's agricultural industry, the most productive in the nation (PDF) with about $50 billion in annual revenue, almost 85% of crop workers were born in Mexico.Roughly half don't have legal authorization to work, according to estimates by the U.S. Department of Labor.As migration flows from Mexico slowed down in the mid-2000s, the age distribution of California agricultural workers shifted, with farmworkers age 55 to 64 increasing by 64% over the last decade, the UC Merced analysis found.
New marijuana legalization bill gets New Hampshire hearing
Politics "It's clear communities, families, retirement security and the economy will be stronger once we legalize cannabis in New Hampshire."CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - The New Hampshire Legislature is once again debating recreational use of marijuana but efforts to legalize it still face significant hurdles.
After arrests at illegal dispensary, Bay Ridge community calls on state to better regulate cannabis sales * Brooklyn Paper
With smoke shops popping up in neighborhoods across the city, at least one local panel is formally calling on the state legislature to create clearer language in the current legislation for unlicensed commercial and retail sale of marijuana and other cannabis products.Adult use and retail sale of recreational marijuana was legalized in March 2021, and, on Monday, the state's Cannabis Control Board approved its first batch of 36 dispensary licenses in the state.
New customer-friendly legal recreational cannabis in Missouri cuts into Illinois' market
Illinois had a three-year head start on legalizing recreational marijuana, but in many ways, Missouri has surpassed it after just one month.The two states came to legalization very differently, which makes the laws in each state very different - and means Missouri is cutting into the Illinois market.
Study: Marijuana-Related Senior Citizen Emergency Room Visits Have Skyrocketed Over The Last 18 Years
A just-published UC San Diego study says that senior citizen visits to the emergency room for cannabis-related reasons in California have increased by more than 1800% since 2003.There has been a funny footnote to California's 2016 legalization of recreational marijuana use (which did not actually take effect until January 1, 2018): the fastest-growing cannabis use demographic has been senior citizens.
Weed shops gear up for Lollapalooza sales, with 'cannabus' shuttles and pop-up smoking lounge
As Lollapalooza descends on Grant Park for four days of music and communal partying, Chicago cannabis dispensaries are gearing up for what they hope will be another extended weekend of blowout sales.
Oklahoma voters will reject legalization of recreational marijuana, CNN projects
Voters in Oklahoma will reject a ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana in the state for adults ages 21 and older, CNN projects.The ballot measure at stake in Tuesday's special election was one of several such measures on cannabis use that has been considered by voters in recent months.
As flourishing cannabis industry expands to pricier, high-profile sites, social equity applicants left behind
When medical marijuana sales began in Illinois in 2014, cannabis firms typically chose unobtrusive buildings, sometimes hidden away in industrial parks, to sell the controversial product.
Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario reinstates betting on UFC events in province | CBC Sports
Ontario bettors can again wager on Ultimate Fighting Championship events.The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) reinstated betting on UFC events in the province Thursday.On Dec. 1, the organization ordered registered entities to stop offering and accepting wagering on the UFC "due to non-compliance with AGCO's betting integrity requirements" But on Thursday, the commission said the UFC has since "updated its policies and procedures."
Brazil's disputed runoff faces spiritual warfare' for evangelical voters.
As the race between Brazil's right-wing president, Jair Bolsonaro, and his leftist challenger, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, has tightened, Mr. Bolsonaro and his allies have intensified their courting of a voting bloc key to his campaign: evangelical Christians.In the days leading to Sunday's runoff election, the country has been awash in harsh attacks against Mr. da Silva that are meant in part to sway evangelical voters, who make up by some estimates roughly 30 percent of the population and have become key supporters of Mr. Bolsonaro.
Marijuana Can Relieve Pain and Improve Athletic Recovery. So Why Isn't It Legal in Sports?
A few things happen to the body when you put it through stress, as happens during a sport or workout: there are muscle tears that will only begin to heal after you rehydrate and refuel.
Does cannabis smoke cause more lung damage than tobacco smoke? A researcher reveals the truth
Earlier this month, researchers published a study in the journal that was prime fodder for misleading headlines.The study sought to investigate the effect of marijuana smoke on the lungs.The researchers say they found more lung damage in the marijuana smokers' group than in the tobacco smokers' group.
Neighborhood Notes: Cheap movie tickets, juggling clowns, and theater classes
Whew, it's been a busy week, everyone.A city-wide basketball championship parade and countless Pride events - and there's still no sign of the fun slowing down.
San Jose Spotlight wins 8 state journalism awards - San Jose Spotlight
San José Spotlight has won eight California Journalism Awards in the annual contest sponsored by the California News Publishers Association, including four first place honors.
'Untenable': Legalise abortions in first trimester, urges German commission
The commission in Germany has recommended relaxing abortion laws to make it legal and unpunishable in the first trimester, potentially extending to 22 weeks with certain restrictions. [ more ]
Abortions in first 12 weeks should be legalised in Germany, commission says
Germany's government-appointed commission recommended legalizing abortions within the first 12 weeks due to outdated laws and the need for modernization. [ more ]
California voters reject measures to legalize sports betting
Factions supporting and opposing Proposition 26 and Proposition 27 spent roughly $450 million on their campaigns, making it the most expensive ballot measure fight in U.S. history.Michael Blann/Getty Images SAN FRANCISCO The defeat of two propositions in California, according to a call by The Associated Press, keeps the largest market in America closed to legal sports betting.
NY's legal marijuana industry reaches new high with over 100 licensed pot shops raking in the green
New York's legal cannabis industry is growing rapidly, with over 100 licensed pot shops open, but faces challenges with the large illicit market. [ more ]
Germany to Legalize Substance it does Not Want People to Consume
There are times when a dangerous substance has to be legalized to fight it.By doing so, the federal government intends to decrease the consumption of cannabis, especially among young people.Health Minister Lauterbach says Germany's old cannabis policy had not been successful.Berlin, October 27th, 2022 (The Berlin Spectator) - Germany could soon take an unconventional approach.
Up a steep flight of stairs in Manhattan's Chinatown neighborhood, a hazy cloud hung over the crowd that had gathered over the weekend, at an event space accented by a cartoon mural of Fat Albert holding a gallon bag of fake weed.It was the awards party for the New York Growers Cup, a new grass-roots competition highlighting local craft growers who have been working for years in the shadows and now in a legal gray area to perfect their particular strains of marijuana.
California bill paves way for psychedelic therapy after failure to legalize 'magic mushrooms'
The movement to legalize psychedelics in California is shifting towards incremental steps to permit the drugs in therapeutic settings.
A bill expected to be introduced in the coming weeks will call for legalizing psychedelic-assisted therapy, while another bill would fund a work group to study the benefits and dangers of psychedelic therapy. [ more ]
German Parliament Member Wants To Make Bitcoin Legal Tender
German parliament member Joana Cotar supports making Bitcoin a legal tender in Germany.
Cotar wants to initiate a legal framework to officially recognize Bitcoin as legal tender while combating risks and promoting the freedom aspects of Bitcoin.
Cotar is focused solely on Bitcoin and has started the "Bitcoin in the Bundestag" initiative to educate her colleagues on its benefits. [ more ]
Report Shows Little Progress in East NY Pilot Program to Convert Illegal Basement Apartments
Three years into a pilot program launched in East New York to convert illegal basement apartments into safe and regulated dwellings, the scheme has shown minimal progress, according to a new report.Tens of thousands of New Yorkers live in basement units, most of which are not legal residences under local law.
Progress slow in pilot program to make East New York basement apartments legal, safe * Brooklyn Paper
File photo by Lloyd Mitchell Sign up for our amNY Sports email newsletter to get insights and game coverage for your favorite teams Three years into a pilot program launched in East New York to convert illegal basement apartments into safe and regulated dwellings, the scheme has shown minimal progress, according to a new report.
E-bikers threatened with tickets for trying to ride Prospect Park loop * Brooklyn Paper
NYPD officers stood sentry over the weekend at a checkpoint set up at an entrance to Prospect Park, enforcing Parks Department agency rules by threatening anyone attempting to ride the loop on an e-bike with a summons in another sign of the city's often-conflicting policies on micro-mobility.
Can Weed Wine, an Underground Favorite Among Winemakers, Survive the Gummy Era?
The pale ruby wine emerged from the bottle with a tinge of orange.It smelled lightly smoky, not as fruity as a grenache ordinarily might but unusually herbal.The aroma would have been right at home at rock concerts and college dorms of a certain era.On the palate, it was beautifully balanced with a lingering aftertaste.
Twitter Expands Cannabis Ad Rules, to Mixed Reactions
Shortly after running its first paid ads on Twitter this spring, cannabis conglomerate Curaleaf saw its following on the platform balloon by 300%, while its competitor Trulieve got a 214% boost in its web traffic.Senior leaders at both companies hailed the newfound ability to buy media on the popular but problematic social channel, which broke ground in February as the first mainstream platform to accept ads from weed marketers.
Steve Chapman: The fentanyl crisis confirms the folly of the never-ending war on drugs
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly subsided, but another deadly plague continues to rage across America: drug overdoses.They caused more than 106,000 deaths in 2021 - greater than the toll from guns and auto accidents combined - and preliminary government health data indicate that last year was nearly as bad.
Dubai just dropped a 30% tax on alcohol | CNN Business
Dubai has scrapped a 30% tax on alcohol and will no longer charge tourists or expats for permits to buy alcoholic drinks as the emirate tries to attract more foreign workers and visitors in the face of growing regional competition.Two major retailers in the city, located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), said they had slashed their prices to reflect the tax cut.
India's Supreme Court will soon decide on marriage equality
A pivotal Supreme Court case currently being considered in India could lead to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the nation.The plaintiffs, four gay couples, are taking on a government that has been hostile to the idea of marriage equality in the past.Leaked documents acquired by Reuters show that the administration of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to convince the court to decide not to allow LGBTQ+ couples the right to marry.
This Day in Braves History: Atlanta acquires Jeff Burroughs
Braves Franchise History 1977 - The Braves file suit against Commissioner Bowie Kuhn challenging the severity of the penalties they received for tampering charges stemming from their free agent signing of outfielder Gary Matthews.1981 - The Atlanta Braves trade outfielder Jeff Burroughs to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for pitcher Carlos Diaz.
Photos: Boston marches for women's reproductive rights on 50th anniversary of Roe
Crowds marched nationwide to protest on the one year anniversary of Roe v. Wade's overturning.In Boston, the Women's March participants made their way to the State House to advocate for the re-legalization of abortion in the United States.This Sunday also marked the 50th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court case.
NFL suspends Jets receivers coach Miles Austin for betting on sports other than football - ProFootballTalk
Do as we say, not as we profit from.The NFL, which has embraced a major revenue stream from partnerships with multiple sports books that legally offer sports betting in most states, prevents NFL personnel from wagering on any sports.Jets receiver Miles Austin apparently bet on sports other than football.
Exclusive Wizards Offer: Get NBA League Pass FREE Plus $500 Before Offer Expires
We're mere days away from the legalization of sports betting in Maryland, so you're nearly out of time to secure the $500 in free bets AND three free months of NBA League Pass available to you from three different sportsbooks.I'll explain each amazing promo and what you need to do here, but know that you need to act quickly as time is running out.
Analysis | The Reason You're Still Waiting to Order a Meal
Even after adjusting for whopping restaurant price increases, consumer spending on what government statisticians call food services and drinking places is up more than 7% from what it was before the pandemic.Meanwhile, employment at food services and drinking places is down more than 4%.That can be irritating for diners.
7 in 10 Voters Support White House Move to Consider Decriminalizing Marijuana
New polling finds strong support among voters for President Joe Biden's federal moves on marijuana last week, including his decision to pardon those with certain marijuana convictions and his statement that he will consider decriminalizing the drug on the federal level.
California workers won't have to worry about being fired, or not hired, for off-the-clock marijuana use
It will soon be illegal for California employers to let workers' offsite and outside-of-work marijuana use be a factor in hiring or firing decisions, according to a new state law.
Legal Weed, Broken Promises: A Times series on the fallout of legal pot in California
California's legalization of recreational cannabis in 2016 ushered in a multibillion-dollar industry estimated to be the largest legal weed market in the world.
New England Patriots links 8/30/22 - Cutdown day; Pats set at safety; Offense, OTs still a concern
TEAM TALK LOCAL LINKS
Bernd Buchmasser posts the 2022 NFL roster cuts tracker to keep track of today's moves.Mark Daniels tells us who he thinks will make the cut for this season's Patriots roster.
Zelensky says government may allow civil partnerships for same-sex couples.
President Volodymyr Zelensky, responding on Tuesday to a citizen petition that called for the legalization of same-sex marriage in Ukraine, raised the prospect of "civil partnerships," but said the Constitution's definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman could not be changed during wartime.