I stepped outside to take this photo of the catnip plants I'm growing. We have three cats and I enjoy giving them a few fresh leaves and watching their stoned antics.
A couple of weeks ago I was at the wonderful Kinokuniya Los Angeles bookstore in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles, and came across a photography book called Cats on Catnip by Andrew Marttila. You can see some of the photos from the book on his Instagram account:
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Mar 19, 2019 at 12:01pm PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Mar 22, 2019 at 12:13pm PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Aug 2, 2019 at 8:20pm PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Apr 20, 2019 at 3:21pm PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Sep 7, 2018 at 1:41pm PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Aug 17, 2018 at 3:16pm PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Aug 9, 2018 at 8:52am PDT
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A post shared by Andrew Marttila (@iamthecatphotographer) on Jul 16, 2018 at 11:00am PDT
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Sneakerheads can rock a pair of fresh adidas even while covered in vomit and regret during Oktoberfest thanks to the company’s new adidas München Oktoberfest.
The ~$240 shoe has already sold out through the German footwear website 43einhalb Sneaker Store, but shoppers can be notified when they become available.
High-quality leather, made with a durable “puke- and beer-repellent coating” (DPBR), is designed to complement traditional Bavarian lederhosen, according to 43einhalb’s website.
Slogging through the beer and puke-riddled streets of Munich has never been so easy and stylish. Read the rest
Apothecarry is just one example of the commercialization of recreational marijuana. Now that it's legal in California (Hollyweed!), the green rush is on in the high-end/connoisseur market. In time, marijuana will be like wine, cigars, and other luxury items, where some will want to display their collections. Read the rest
Six US states have banned the sale and use of the Kratom, a psychoactive plant-derived drug from Southeast Asia that is available online and in head shops. Researchers studying kratom have found that it affects brain receptors for strong opioids.
From C&EN:
A new study provides some data to support those states’ concerns (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2016, DOI: 10.1021/jacs.6b00360). A team of researchers shows for the first time that kratom’s primary constituent, mitragynine, and four related alkaloids bind to and partially activate human µ-opioid receptors (MORs), the primary targets of strong opioids in the brain, spinal cord, and gastrointestinal tract.
Countdown to kratom landing on the list of federally controlled substances in 3... 2... 1... Read the rest
People interested in learning what's really in the drugs they bought (or manufactured) can send a sample to Energy Control in Barcelona, Northern Spain. This lab will check for adulterants and purity levels of MDMA, speed, cocaine, and other drugs.
From Grace Caffyn's CoinDesk story, "Inside Barcelona's Bitcoin Drug Lab":
Energy Control has been carrying out drug checking in raves and at its labs since 1998. Its dark web service, introduced in April 2014, operates under the same premise: to reduce harm among users by arming them with facts.
The idea for the project can be traced back to a family physician named Fernando Caudevilla, commonly known as Dr X. Following his first post to the Silk Road forum in April 2013, six months before the market's FBI shutdown, he became a trusted source of guidance on drug safety across many dark markets.
Up until this point, Energy Control, which is over 90% government funded, had only offered services inside Spain. However, Caudevilla – who has worked with the organisation since 2000 – saw the potential for a drug checking service for the dark web – completely anonymous, of course.
Previously: Inside the Deep Web Drug Lab
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We discover the cocktail's historical origins, its etymological connection to a horse's butt, and its rocky history, post-Prohibition.
