marijuana
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Amazon workers fired for cannabis use can reapply for jobs
Amazon has revived the possibilty of employment for workers and candidates who were rejected during cannabis screenings.
Amazon adjusts its 'Time Off Task' metric and drug testing policy
Amazon said it will change the way it measures "Time Off Task" -- a metric that counts every second workers are away from their stations including when they take bathroom breaks.
PAX skirts Apple's vape app ban with a web version
Apple may have banned vape software from the App Store, but PAX is betting a web app will be enough for some smokers.
Dr. Dre classic 'The Chronic' comes to more streaming services on 4/20
The classic rap album 'The Chronic' will be available just in time to celebrate its namesake.
The best edibles don't taste like weed
When I think about how many milligrams of cannabis I've consumed on my quest for a good-tasting edible, I imagine their little strings of THC DNA orbiting Earth at least two or three times, flipping me the finger as they whiz by. I didn't realize this would be such a massive endeavor a few years ago when, as a food writer focused on craft chocolate, I wondered if anyone was combining quality cocoa beans with marijuana. Since then, I've sampled dozens upon dozens of products, each figuratively dashing my taste buds' hopes against a rock -- along with my few remaining brain cells.
California DAs can now use an app to clear thousands of pot convictions
A pilot scheme in five California counties has automatically identified around 75,000 cannabis convictions that will be dismissed or reduced. Now, district attorneys across the state have access to Code for America's Clear My Record software to expedite record clearances.
Chicago will use an algorithm to clear pot convictions
California is no longer the only state using an algorithm to reverse marijuana convictions. Illinois' Cook County will now use the Code for America technology, Clear My Record, to automatically dismiss tens of thousands of eligible cannabis convictions. State's Attorney Kimberly M. Foxx and Code for America announced the partnership this week.
Google won't allow marijuana delivery apps in the Play Store
Google updated its Play Store policy today to prohibit apps that either directly sell or help facilitate the sale of marijuana, even in states where the drug is legal. Apps that offer features such as weed delivery are now at risk of being removed from the Play Store unless they are able to comply and remove the offending features within the next 30 days, according to a report from Android Police.
Weed is worse than murder, if you're selling a video game
Developers at Polish studio Vile Monarch had never made a tycoon game before Devolver Digital tapped them to build Weedcraft Inc. -- a business-simulation title about the legal cannabis market. Weedcraft Inc.'s gameplay mechanics fell well outside of Vile Monarch's wheelhouse, whose past releases included Oh...Sir!! The Insult Simulator and a sequel, both of which were fighting games where players battled with rude words. So, Devolver sent a legendary tycoon-game creator to consult with Vile Monarch on Weedcraft Inc. However, the developer had one condition. "He let us know from the beginning that he didn't want his name in any way associated or to be credited," Devolver founder Mike Wilson told Engadget.
LA County is using an algorithm to clear 50,000 pot convictions faster
The district attorneys for Los Angeles and San Joaquin counties have teamed up with Code for America to help them clear around 54,000 marijuana convictions. The nonprofit's algorithm will aid prosecutors by automatically evaluating whether a case is eligible for dismissal or resentencing.
Elon Musk's toke could cost him his Pentagon security clearance
Recreational marijuana use may be legal in ten states, but those in the corridors of power aren't keen on top-level CEOs lighting up in public. After getting heat from NASA, Elon Musk -- who took a drag on Joe Rogan's podcast in September -- could now be in hot water with the Pentagon, too. An anonymous US official has told Bloomberg that Musk's federal security clearance is currently under review thanks to that toke. The SpaceX CEO has secret-level access because of his leadership role at the private aerospace company, which has continued to secure military contracts (including a recent deal worth $297 million for three future launches of US defence payloads) after that now-infamous incident. The same official said Musk had refiled his SF-86 security form requiring him to come clean about any illegal drug use over the past seven years. Over 20 million viewers watched him smoke on a YouTube video of Rogan's podcast, so it's not like Musk can lie. The fact is, as Bloomberg points out, marijuana use remains a federal crime. SpaceX has declined to comment on the fiasco and Musk's more likely to share his thoughts on Twitter.
Researchers genetically modify yeast to ‘brew’ THC and CBD
Scientists in California have created a cheaper, safer, environmentally-friendly way to produce cannabinoids, the chemical compounds that give cannabis its many medicinal (and mind-altering) qualities. The trick is in using genetically modified brewer's yeast to produce cannabinoids, rather than ethanol, according to research published today by the University of California, Berkeley.
San Francisco used an algorithm to help it reverse pot convictions
San Francisco has used an algorithm to to help identify more than 8,000 pot conviction cases for expungement. The District Attorney's office began working with non-profit Code For America on an automated system after California's marijuana reforms in 2016 kicked open the door for dismissals.
'High Maintenance' meets 'Civilization' in 'Weedcraft Inc'
When I was a kid smoking weed in high school, I was convinced that marijuana would never be legal. The idea that it's legal now, I'm in my late 40s, it's shocking to me." Scott Alexander speaks in rapid-fire paragraphs brimming with information about modern marijuana laws, politics and culture. He's the lead writer on Weedcraft Inc, the first original video game developed and published by popular indie label Devolver Digital. Weedcraft Inc is a tycoon or world-building game, similar to Civilization or Tropico, but players start out as low-grade weed dealers and build their empires from there. It's in beta now, and the full game is due to drop some time in April.
Recommended Reading: Instagram invades the home
Home is where the photo booth is: How Instagram is changing our living spaces Alyssa Bereznak, The Ringer Backdrops, letter boards and faux patterns. The struggle to upgrade those Instagram-able moments at home is real. The Ringer examines the trend of spicing up those regular ol' photos for parties or a milestone announcement, and the fear of the "indifferent scroll."
PAX Labs CEO on how technology will demystify cannabis
PAX makes some of the most popular cannabis vaporizers around. By fusing technology, with innovative software, the company hopes to take the mystery out of getting high. But, there are problems. Many people don't know where to start, it's still illegal in many states, and even the organizers of CES aren't quite sure how to handle companies like PAX. In our stage interview with CEO Bharat Vasan, we take a quick tour through cannabis' digital revolution.
NASA launching safety review of SpaceX because Elon Musk smoked pot
When NASA tapped SpaceX and Boeing to fly astronauts to the International Space Station, the companies likely expected the government agency would keep a close eye on things. But they probably didn't expect a probe prompted by a podcast. According to the Washington Post, NASA is conducting a safety review of both companies because some officials were annoyed when they found out SpaceX CEO Elon Musk smoked weed with Joe Rogan.
FDA approves its first marijuana-derived drug
In a nationwide first, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorized the use of 'Epidiolex', a marijuana derivative which will be used to treat rare forms of epilepsy. Epidiolex -- also known as cannabidiol or CBD -- is a highly-purified version of the many psychoactive compounds found in marijuana, and does not result in a high.
The challenge of showcasing weed tech at CES
There was, as expected, a thin scent of weed in Roger Volodarsky's 28th-floor Mirage hotel suite as the Puffco CEO and founder demonstrated his latest product. It was 11:30 PM the night before CES opened, and seven attendees gathered in the living room overlooking the Vegas strip. A welcoming, tattooed man with a groomed beard and shaved head, Volodarsky was showing off the Puffco Peak, a smart dabbing rig for consuming cannabis concentrates that he'd presented at the Pepcom media event just hours earlier. Away from the mainstream events around CES, he could show how it truly works.
Drones won't be delivering weed in California any time soon
In the near future, your pizza, Big Mac, and groceries could all be delivered autonomously. But, the good Cali folk out there expecting their newly legalized batches of pot to arrive in the same manner, are in for a bummer. The California Bureau of Cannabis Control recently declared that weed deliveries cannot be made by autonomous vehicles -- that includes UAVs and unmanned self-driving cars. Therefore, don't go expecting the robot delivering your munchies to bring you Scooby Snacks too.
