The legality of cannabis for general or recreational use varies from country to country.
Possession of cannabis is illegal in most countries as a result of the agreement about Indian hemp, also known as hashish, in the International Opium Convention (1925). However, many countries have decriminalized the possession of small quantities of cannabis.
Some states in the US allow use of medical cannabis in state, territorial, Indian reservation, and Federal district laws, although the use is illegal by federal law. Federal agencies claim that federal law comes first.
Black Friday used to be a one-day shopping event for many retailers, but over time, with Cyber Monday and Small Business Saturday coming into the mix, it’s become a big weekend-long shopping event.
With so much buzz around this shopping extravaganza, it’s not hard to buy into the circus of it all. You’ll make impulse purchases and fall into every retailers’ trap to get you to spend your small fortune in their stores. They’ll pull out all the stops to get you in their stores and then, well, I’m sure you know the rest.
Don’t be tempted by all the bold colors in the ads that draw you in and especially the low prices that get your attention. During this year’s biggest shopping event, be a smarter shopper by following some of these rules:
Each year, Americans are spending billions in a matter of days: Black Friday weekend. And while the discounts can be pretty great — how much money are shoppers ultimately saving at the end of the day?
This Thanksgiving, No Place for Refugees at the American Table
Posted on Nov 18, 2015 By Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan
In the wake of the horrific attacks in Paris on Nov. 13, there has been a crushing backlash against refugees from the wars in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. As Americans prepare for one of the most popular national holidays, Thanksgiving, which commemorates the support and nourishment provided by the indigenous people to English refugees seeking a better life free from religious persecution, a wave of xenophobia is sweeping the country.
In the U.S. Congress, no less than six separate bills have been put forward to block any federal funding to resettle refugees from Syria or Iraq and to empower states to deny entry into their “territory.”
Imagine if all of a sudden we had 50 “statelets” creating their own border checkpoints, stopping all travelers, looking for anyone suspicious, i.e., any and all Syrians.
So far, 31 state governors have essentially demanded this.
Republican Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback issued an executive order forbidding any agency of state government from cooperating in any way with Syrian refugee support efforts. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have called for a pause in the Syrian refugee program, with the support of Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer.
(all so called Chrstians)
It has been almost 400 years since that first, fateful Thanksgiving feast in Massachusetts.
Xenophobic policies like those threatening to shut out refugees from these wars, if allowed to stand, should serve as a shameful centerpiece at every Thanksgiving table this year.
Today, it’s relatively common knowledge that orcas are highly social and sensitive beings and that marine-mammal mothers share a bond with their babies, just as human mothers do with their children.
That’s why model Marisa Miller, who’s now expecting her second child, chose to expose her bare pregnant belly and raise her voice in defense of mother and baby orcas who are being held captive at SeaWorld.
Orcas at SeaWorld are trapped inside cramped tanks. They are often inbred, and calves are torn away from their mothers. Marisa talks to PETA about watching Blackfish as a mother.
Marisa Miller is stripping down with an important message in mind.
The 36-year-old supermodel, who is currently pregnant with her second child, teamed up with PETA for a nude photo shoot and provocative ad, aimed at raising awareness over the alleged animal abuses at SeaWorld.
The eye-catching ad features the expectant beauty posing completely nude in a bathtub (per the press release, she is putting herself “in the place of captive orcas at SeaWorld”) alongside text which reads, “SeaWorld: Separating Babies and Mothers Since 1970” as well as a message asking fans to “Boycott SeaWorld.”
In the accompanying interview, Miller says she was inspired to pose for the campaign after seeing Blackfish, a popular 2013 documentary which focuses on the controversy over captive killer whales (Seaworld has disputed the accuracy of the film).
“Being a mom and seeing Blackfish, it was extremely emotional,” Miller says. “I think any mother knows the sense of protection and connection you have with your baby.”
Orcas are intelligent animals who swim up to 100 miles a day in the wild, but at SeaWorld, they’re confined to tanks that allow them to swim only 0.0001 percent of this distance.
SeaWorld is a horrible place for orcas, who endure stress, boredom, and depression in captivity. In the wild, orcas live in large social groups, often spending their entire lives with their families.
Remember: Every purchase of a SeaWorld ticket contributes directly to the suffering of these highly emotional animals.
~Surfer, Supermodel, Pregnant Mom — Marisa Miller Goes After SeaWorld~
~Published on May 5, 2015~
Much like that between human moms and children, the connection between orca mothers and babies is one of the strongest in the world. Check out pregnant mom Marisa Miller’s important statement in behalf of orcas and their families suffering at SeaWorld.
It Is What It Is 