marijuana
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Nevada site bug leaks medical marijuana applicant data
Nevada residents applying to sell medical marijuana got just got an unpleasant surprise. The state's Department of Health and Human Services has confirmed that a vulnerability in a website portal leaked the data of more than 11,700 applicants, including their driver's license and social security numbers. Officials have taken down the relevant site until they fix the flaw, but there's a concern that fraudsters might have seen the info and used it for malicious purposes.
Weed spit test can detect if you're driving high in 3 minutes
A new speedy spit test could be the breathalyzer's counterpart when it comes to roadside testing for marijuana. The technology, developed by Shan Xiang Wang from Stanford University, can detect the presence of THC (the main chemical in weed that makes you high) in saliva within three minutes. Cops don't even need to bring samples to the lab -- the sensor that can detect THC is portable and delivers results to phones via Bluetooth.
US government wants you to grow weed for science
Citizens hoping the US government would smile upon recent requests for deregulation, today is not your day: it will remain an illegal, schedule 1 controlled substance. But all is not lost, as the DEA announced it's allowing more organizations to grow and distribute marijuana -- just so long as it's for research purposes.
Microsoft partners with a legal weed startup
Microsoft is going into the legal marijuana business by teaming with a weed financing startup called "Kind," according to the New York Times. The two companies will create Azure-powered cloud apps that track plants from "seed to sale," helping legal dealers comply with laws. The decision to enter the trade was probably not taken lightly by Microsoft, as most corporations still won't touch it with a ten-foot bong. However, the software giant is based in Washington state, where it's perfectly legal to sell pot, and sees the potential for profits.
Pod-based marijuana vaporizers are coming
As the wave of marijuana legalization lifts the country out of its longstanding fog of prohibition, one former Keurig executive and his 40-something marijuana enthusiast friend have found a way to ride it all the way to the bank: By creating a vaporizer with single-serving, disposable pot pods. Because, in the future, everything will come in a pod.
The best portable vaporizer for most people
By Mark Smirniotis This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. Read the full article here. After looking at 30 top models and testing eight, we chose the Grenco Science G Pen Elite as our favorite vaporizer for under $200. This pint-sized vaporizer produces vapor that will convert any smoker and is easy to use, thanks to high-end features like a combination of convection and conduction heating in a ceramic chamber, precision temperature control, a clear display, and Micro-USB charging.
Report: Facebook is deleting medical marijuana pages
NJ.com reports that Facebook has deleted the business pages of medical marijuana dispensaries -- three in New Jersey so far as well as a handful of others across the nation -- for violating the site's terms of service. In their place, the dispensaries found note reading "We remove any promotion or encouragement of drug use. Your page is currently not visible on Facebook. It looks like content on your page does not follow the Facebook Community Terms and Standards."
ICYMI: Pot breathalyzer, VR for pharaoh's tomb and more
#fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940{display:none;} .cke_show_borders #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940, #postcontentcontainer #fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940{width:570px;display:block;} try{document.getElementById("fivemin-widget-blogsmith-image-979940").style.display="none";}catch(e){}Today on In Case You Missed It: A prototype marijuana breathalyzer came out and oh lord, the glory days are over. NASA's New Horizons spacecraft got the best ever photos of Pluto and these scientists are adorably jacked up about it. And a Swiss motion capture company wants to put sensors and VR headsets together in museum settings to let people explore an ancient Egyptian tomb.
Leafly: the web's ultimate cannabis resource
In July of 2014, New York State did what few thought possible at the time: Its legislature passed Assembly Bill 6357 (better known as the Compassionate Care Act of 2014), which effectively legalized medical cannabis; a bill Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law. Less than a week after he did so, Leafly, a cannabis information database, made headlines of its own by running an advertisement in The New York Times' -- the first of its kind in the venerable newspaper's 163-year history. Cannabis, both as an industry and as a subculture, is quickly coming out of the shadows and entering the mainstream. Nowhere is this more explicit than in the meteoric rise of Leafly. So to get some insight into the company's rapid growth and future plans, I recently spoke with co-founder Cy Scott and CEO Brendan Kennedy about where Leafly came from and what it's like to be an industry pioneer.
What Instagram did for brunch, MassRoots hopes to do for weed
Cannabis or "weed" is, in practical terms, going mainstream. It's no longer exclusively sold from basements and back alleys; in 23 states and Washington D.C., it's sold from licensed and bonded shops. The cannabis movement has done a lot of growing up over the past couple of years as its public acceptance has skyrocketed across the US. Cannabis itself has gone from a black market "gateway" drug that funded the atrocities of Mexican cartels to a potential super-medicine drawing the attention of Wall Street's most powerful investors and all seemingly overnight.
The best portable vaporizer (so far)
This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a list of the best technology to buy. Read the full article below at TheWirecutter.com. After testing ten portable vaporizers so far, we recommend the Crafty, a new portable model from Storz and Bickel. Out of all the models we tested, the Crafty was one of the few that could produce the kind of truly tasty, powerful vapor you get from a much bigger unit. At $400, it's an investment, but will make up its cost over time because it vaporizes cannabis more efficiently than its peers. The Crafty heats the herb at the optimal pre-combustion level and keeps temperature constant for the duration of a session, while its cooling unit and swiveling straw keep potent draws comfortable and tasty. As a result, it delivers cleaner, purer, better-tasting vape, and higher highs than the competition.
Engadget Daily: We made 'magic' butter, sorted iOS 8 keyboards and more!
Today marked a special occasion in Engadget history: it was the day we published a story about making butter infused with marijuana. That isn't all that's happened in the past 24 hours, though, we also have a guide to the new iOS 8 keyboards, spotted that Aubrey Plaza is voicing Grumpy Cat and a whole lot more. Just check out the gallery below!
We made weed butter with a 'magical' machine
WARNING: This story contains references to the use of marijuana. Do not try this at home -- unless, of course, you're an adult living in a state or city where the use of such substances is legal or, you know, you like the way it feels.
NY medical marijuana law could mean big bucks for vaporizer makers
New York is against second-hand smoke of any kind; even beneficiaries of the state's new medical marijuana law will need to avoid lighting up. Government restrictions do allow vaporizers, however, which got their (legal) start with tobacco and are about to become big business in NY. The handheld devices will play a key role in the treatment of medical marijuana recipients, who will be permitted to inhale the drug through vaporizers, but not by using cigarette paper and a lighter. You'll also be able to consume marijuana in food or through a concentrated liquid called a tincture, but there's no question that vaporizers will become more prolific as more New Yorkers get their hands on closely regulated prescriptions in the days and months to come.
Hide your stash, heat-seeking drones are helping thugs hijack UK weed crops
Criminals are dicks. That much we all know is true. But now these dicks are using heat-sensing drones to pull off "sophisticated" heists of weed farms (yes, that weed) in the United Kingdom, as local paper Halesowen News discovered. Consider this quote from one enterprising crop hijacker: It is not like I'm using my drone to see if people have nice televisions. I am just after drugs to steal and sell. If you break the law, then you enter me and my drone's world.
Arcade cabinet used to smuggle pot, DEA nabs 'High Score'
Police have arrested 24-year-old Las Vegas resident Kevin Dixon with unlawful trafficking and possession of cannabis after authorities discovered 172 pounds of the substance hidden inside an arcade cabinet. According to the Daily Herald, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) had been investigating possible drug activity between Arizona and Nevada, which eventually led to the interception of the arcade unit by DEA agents and the Palatine Police Department.Over $170,000 worth of the "Sticky Icky" was recovered in the bust, landing Dixon (whose mugshot is poorly 'shopped above) in a Cook County courthouse, where bail was set at $250,000. Dixon's motives are unclear, but we're sure some anti-video game activist will let us know exactly which game is to blame for the crime sometime in the near future.[Thanks, Don]
Oh man, I am so Wii Fit right now, I have no idea what's going on
There is no better way to celebrate your healthy and happy Wii Fit lifestyle than by embracing the power of a mind-altering drug. To cover up your dirty old Balance Board, AMR Racing (creators of the Hoochie Mama) has created a marijuana print, lovingly entitled Weed White. This isn't exactly the message Nintendo would want to send to the children of the world, but to all the Wii Fit moms out there? Smoking a joint might be totally fair game. You can pick up this cover from Amazon for around $20, which includes a bonus Wiimote skin. Might want to grab a bag of Doritos while you're at it.%Gallery-4745%[Via Balance Board Blog]
Brenda's Got a DS Case
Over eleven years since his alleged death, rapper Tupac Shakur is still popping up everywhere, this time on a custom Nintendo DS case being auctioned off at eBay. Say what you want about his thug lifestyle, but, even while presumed dead, the dude gets around (See what we did there?). Other than the portrait shot of Tupac -- complete with a random marijuana leaf background, baiting kids with its promises of ganja green -- it's a run-of-the-mill zippered pouch with several compartments for securing your DS and accessories. Listed at $14.95, it's also overpriced, so we'll understand if you pass this one up; we ain't mad at'cha.
Half-baked gaming [Update 1]
Cannabis, also known as marijuana, is one of the most culturally-accepted illegal substance in the United States. Despite its lack of legality, the wacky weed has been a part of pop culture and the source of a number of movies, songs, television shows (most recently a TV series on Showtime), and has been ingrained in the history of our pop culture. While we do not advocate the use of marijuana (nor are we suggesting that any Joystiq writers actually participate in such illegal activity), Games.net has posted an interesting video highlighting what they consider are the "Top 10 Games to Play When You're Stoned." We have a few beefs with the list, but we will discuss that in a moment. The list, for those who are too impatient to watch a 4-minute video: Rez Katamari Damacy Super Smash Bros. Melee Beyond Good & Evil Lumines Sly Cooper & the Thievius Raccoonus Viewtiful Joe SSX Tricky Fantavision Parappa the Rapper
