From the Archives: The Night Before Christmas (1996)

Tonight I promised myself I would slide down to the local Mexican joint and “Wolf Down” some serious Tacos. I love Mexican food. My Grandmother lived in San Antonio all of her life. She lived in harmony and respect with her Mexican neighbors, and learned to cook their cuisine. She would fix these huge Mexican dinners every Friday night, and I was her “Number One Grandson,” so I got DeLuxe Chow-Down. But now that she is no longer with us, I am resigned to finding a commercial establishment to satisfy my cravings.

The story begins in the usual Chef RA fashion. A bag of Mexican-Grown Michoacan was burning a hole in my pocket. Her hair was Black as the December night and she had brown eyes that pierced your soul like the sharp stars in the frozen firmament. Little did I know that my life would hang in the balance on that cold December night long ago on which I learned the power of LATIN LOVE in this season of “Fleece Nevada.” I owe her a great debt for saving my life on that fateful night….

The Munchies started to swell up from within me as I finished off a huge spliff of that Michoacan. I wanted to sprinkle some garlic, Cilantro, CHILI, Salsa, onion and a few MAGIC MUSHROOMS on top of Christmas Eve dinner. You know what I mean? A little of the Chef RA culinary treatment on that plate of Rice and Beans! Forget the Raspberry vinaigrette on salad greens! It’s time to go South Of The Border without ever leaving the dinner table. But tonight if I was going to eat some good Mexican food. I’d have to dine out at the local joint.

Tacos, Tacos, you need Tacos!” the Little Devil On My Shoulders exclaimed. Immediately my rotund Beer Belly began to growl. My well-developed Pizza Butt needed another infusion of CHOLESTEROL! A mammoth plate of rich, cheesy, beany Mexican Food! Anticipating the frigid Chicago night air, I donned large baggy pants, my Goose-Down Jacket (makes me look like “Pop’n’Fresh” the Doughboy), and for the crowning touch, a Flaming Red “DREAD BERET.”

I rolled another spliff for the long walk to a Mexican Restaurant that a friend had told me about called “El Presidente.” Normally I don’t FLASH my DREADS in Public, but at night I let them down, and walk the street with the best Pimpin’, Guiding Stride Steps I can come up with. (Helps keep away the “Muggers” to look as deranged as THEY are.) Of course there’s a downside to my act, because it attracts “LA POLICIA.” But when the Cops got tired of being my personal escort, like the mouse when the cat’s away I fired up that JOINT!

The warm exotic smells of spicy food from the door of El Presidente beckoned me like FUNKY SEX. I sat down at a table near the jukebox. I could see the Chef in the downhome kitchen cooking foods in castiron skillets. The waitress came to my table with a menu and started laughing. “Your eyes are SOoooo RED. Sonior!”

“Oh, I got a little Smoke In My Eyes from the city bus standing at the corner,” I said. “Sure.” she grinned. “What are you going to EAT?” “I think I’ll have the Spicy Black Beans ‘N Garlic Rice and a few TACOooos….”

No sooner was the word out of my mouth than a beautiful Latin Daughter walked through the door and sat down right next to me. I had to say something to her because she seemed as LONELY as I. “Que Pasa?” I asked in Afro-Anglo Ghettoese. “Nada.” she said.

“I don’t want you to think I’m trying to pick you up or being the Sexist Pig, but would you mind sitting with me? Although I am sometimes misunderstood. I’m really the SENSITIVE MALE TYPE!” (I ACTUALLY SAID THAT!)

“Sure. Man, I’ll join you.” It was like a CHRISTMAS PRESENT come true! We ordered a great meal, played the jukebox and had a great intelligent conversation. We spoke of Politics, Culture. Race, and Revolution. It was OUR WORLD that night, and it was COOL.

But the Real World was to come crashing down on us. A small group of guys came into the restaurant. I really didn’t pay much attention to them, but one of them came up to play the jukebox. He kept looking over at me while he was playing the box. Then his Boys I came over and started BUZZIN’, talkin’ I TRASH in front of the LADY I was with! I “What’s wetch yu. Maaaan?”

“Just having a good time, Brother.” I said. “Well, we don’ like yu HAT, Maaaan.” Maria whispered to me that they thought because of the RED BERET I was a LATIN GANG MEMBER.

“Hey Dude. I’m just a lonely, poor, All American Dread.”

“Yeah, shurr, and you trine to take OUR WOMEN, too!” (Where have I heard this before?)

To make a long story short, the Natives were Getting Very Restless with me and my Date. She murmured some thick Spanish to them and grabbed my hand: “Let’s bolt the FUCK outta HERE!” We did a quickstep through the door with the “Bandidoes” hot on our asses! Across the street we leapt into her rusted out Chevy. She fired it up, spun a FISHTAIL around, and as the fellas were slinging bottles at us she waved at them, shrieking: “MOSQUITOES! Felice Navidad, you POQUITO MOSQUITOES!” Then she kissed me on the cheek and promised, “I have a wonderful Christmas Present for you. Let’s go UNWRAP it….”

High Times Magazine, December 1996

Read the full issue here.

The post From the Archives: The Night Before Christmas (1996) appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/culture/from-the-archives-the-night-before-christmas-1996/

Smoking Shots

JoJo Valente, a.k.a. The JoJoSnaps, has found her place in cannabis through photography, using her craft to share the many stories and characters throughout the cannabis industry and broader community. The first inklings of her Puff Portraits series began in 2020, and since then, she’s captured some of the most notable people in the culture.

JoJoSnaps (Self portrait)

Pot Meets Portraits

Now based in Huntington Beach, California, Valente fell in love with photography during her freshman year of high school. After securing a marketing degree from California State University, Chico and a photography degree from Orange Coast College, she traveled the world taking photos while searching for her specific niche.

“What I actually love to capture, and what I’m passionate about, is personalities,” she said. “When I’m looking back on the photo, it’s not just a very well-manicured, properly lit photo of a beautiful person; it’s something where you want to look at it longer and you want to know the story behind it.”

Valente was a “closet cannabis user,” who embraced the “stoner artist crowd” in college and wondered if and how cannabis use fit within a professional role. After having her second child, and subsequently questioning where her creative career was headed, she befriended a number of cannamoms and created JoJoSnaps, her alter ego and the moniker behind her weed photographer identity.

During a February 2020 trip with her friends for a San Francisco cannabis wedding expo, the group found themselves in a cherry blossom field and Valente captured her first Puff Portrait.

“It was this influencer, The Mommy Jane, and I took a photo of her consuming,” she said. “When you consume, the first thing you think about is blowing clouds. So that very first Puff Portrait is almost a diffused photo where you can’t see a face because it’s just that cloud. That was the first one, and then the world closed down.”

Mandee Bence + Jason Blake (Broken Promises Co.)

The Dance of Smoke

Valente started toying with cannabis photography and found that taking a Puff Portrait involved far more than simply taking a snapshot of someone getting high. There was a coaching aspect, a method to ensure these pictures are truly beautiful. There’s a difference between blowing a cloud and letting the heat rise out of your mouth, allowing the smoke to dance, she said.

“I really got obsessed with the unknown elements that the smoke was creating,” Valente said.

She then began playing with the shutter speed, lighting, shadows—simply leaving room for experimentation. Once the world opened up again, she sold her portraits as an activation at events.

“As an event photographer, you’re not valued as much in the industry,” she said. “I hate to say that, but that’s just how it is. You know, everybody has an iPhone. Everyone thinks that event coverage is just an afterthought, but I noticed people were paying a lot for these activations.”

Puff Portraits grew into an experience for the cannabis community that gathered at events and Valente saw how much empowerment her photos provided. She compared the reactions she gets to a bride seeing wedding photos, but Puff Portraits aren’t premeditated—folks don’t expect to get one.

“To show up to an event, to support a friend or a brand or as a girls’ night out or whatever the case may be, and then to come home with this actual piece of ad-worthy artistry of yourself for no cost; the way people accept it and are taken back by it, that’s the most humbling,” she said.

Juan Quesada (Backpack Boyz)

Puff, Puff, Pass

Valente now sees her presence all over the professional cannabis space, as dozens of industry players have maintained their Puff Portrait as their profile photo on social media.

“I’ve created a repeatable process,” Valente said. “The goal is more cultures, more brands, more events. It’s time to make it bigger than myself.”

Puff Portraits is now trademarked, and Valente is working as director of marketing at SHO Companies, an umbrella corporation specializing in manufacturing, distribution, retail, and product development for the cannabis industry. The company is overseeing Puff Portraits as a joint venture.

Valente has trained a number of photographers on her process and is expanding, ready to show off the different faces and forms the community takes, and she’s eager to continue expanding beyond the West Coast. Her current role as an executive in the cannabis space reflects the grit and tenacity she embraced when the series was in its infancy.

Shant Damirdjian (Fidels Worldwide)

“I’m literally telling [male cannabis professionals] what they’re doing wrong and how to make it better, in a way where they need to receive it, turn it on and not be like, ‘Who does she think she is?’ I would never question them on their cultivation or their brand or whatever, but this is my lane,” she said. “Having the confidence to be able to do that in these settings, I feel like it was kind of the golden key to the industry. It smashed down so many doors for me.”

Valente admitted that you’re only as good as your next great idea, and she’s ready for Puff Portraits to head off on its new path.

“I’m humbled by all of it,” she said. “I love making people feel empowered, and pretty strong and masculine and however they take it. I just love invoking those feelings.”

This article was originally published in the November 2023 issue of High Times Magazine.

The post Smoking Shots appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/culture/smoking-shots/

Connecticut Allows Weed, Not Alcohol Sales on Christmas and New Year’s Day

Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) released a press release Wednesday, reminding residents that alcohol sales will be banned on Christmas and New Year’s Day, but cannabis and gambling is allowed.

Connecticut officials told residents to buy alcohol ahead of time if they want booze on Christamas and New Year’s Day.

“Every year we remind consumers and businesses that, due to Connecticut law, hours for some liquor permittees change during the holidays. If you choose to consume alcohol with your holiday celebrations, be sure to make those purchases ahead of time, and, of course, please drink responsibly,” said Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. 

“And, because we regulate many things you may be wondering about, Connecticut Law does not prohibit the sale of cannabis, or limit your ability to place wagers during the holidays. No matter how you choose to spend the holidays, please know your limit, arrange designated drivers and be respectful of the establishments and communities where you celebrate.”

Changes to hours for certain liquor permittees are only in effect on the day of the actual holidays, Dec. 25 and Jan. 1, which both fall on a Monday this year.

The announcement included the specifics of where alcohol can be purchased:

Regarding off-premise alcohol consumption, package stores must remain closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day; Grocery stores cannot sell beer on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day; and Manufacturer permits cannot sell alcoholic liquor to go on Christmas Day or New Year’s Day.

Regarding on-premise alcohol consumption, Permittees who serve food may sell alcohol for on-premise consumption on Christmas Day; Normal hours remain the same, except premises may stay open an extra hour New Years Eve evening until 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day morning.

If anyone has questions about the policy in Connecticut they are encouraged to contact DCP’s Liquor Control Division via email or phone.

“Adults who choose to consume cannabis are reminded to do so responsibly, including storing cannabis products in their original packaging, locked up and out of reach of children and pets,” the release reads. “Resources regarding responsible cannabis use, as well as information about addiction and health risks is available at ct.gov/cannabis.”

Cannabis sales in the state have no signs of slowing down, according to state data published each month.

Connecticut Doubles Personal Cannabis Limit 

The DCP announced in an Oct. 10 press release that new preliminary data shows combined sales for adult-use and medical cannabis totaled to over $25 million for the period from Sept. 1 to Sept. 30, 2023. The numbers do not include adult-use cannabis taxes, and medical cannabis patients never have to pay taxes on cannabis purchases.

“The adult-use market recorded more than $14.3 million in sales during the month of September, while the medical marijuana market recorded almost $11 million in sales for the same period. Adult-use sales began on Jan. 10, 2023,” the report reads.

“In September, medical marijuana patients purchased 284,116 products, and adult-use consumers purchased 376,035 products,” the report continues. “The average product price for medical marijuana patients was $38.21 in September, while the average price of adult-use products was $38.37. In September, 52 percent of sales were usable cannabis, or flower, while vapes made up 30 percent of sales. Edible products represented 11 percent of sales.”

Connecticut regulators have doubled the amount of adult-use cannabis consumers can purchase in a single transaction.

Per the new regulations approved by the Connecticut DCP, adult-use cannabis consumers will be permitted to purchase up to a half-ounce (about 14 grams) of cannabis flower or its equivalent beginning next month. 

The limit on purchases of medical marijuana has not been changed. It remains at 5 ounces of cannabis flower or the equivalent monthly, with no limits on purchases in a single transaction.

The DCP noted in a statement that the decision to increase the limit on adult-use cannabis purchases was made based on an ongoing analysis of supply and demand in Connecticut’s regulated cannabis market. The agency also said that the limit will continue to be reviewed over time, adding that the caps are in place to help ensure an adequate supply of cannabis for both adult-use consumers and medical marijuana patients.

“DCP has continually reviewed available supply and demand since prior to the launch of the adult-use cannabis industry in January 2023,” DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement from the agency. “As more retailers, production companies and other supply chain licensees have come online, the capacity of the industry has increased. We are confident this measured approach to adult-use sales has resulted in a healthy market for businesses, and a safe and fair marketplace for adult-use cannabis consumers and medical marijuana patients.”

The post Connecticut Allows Weed, Not Alcohol Sales on Christmas and New Year’s Day appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/news/connecticut-allows-weed-not-alcohol-sales-on-christmas-and-new-years-day/

30,000 Papers on Cannabis Published By Scientists in Last Decade

The wave of legalization that has swept over the United States in the last decade has coincided with a swell in published research on cannabis.

That is the finding unearthed by the marijuana advocacy group NORML this week. 

Citing the results of a keyword search of the the National Library of Medicine/PubMed.gov website, NORML said that, for the third year in a row, “researchers worldwide published over 4,000 scientific papers specific to cannabis, its active constituents, and their effects.” 

“Over the past decade, there has been a dramatic increase in scientific inquiries about the cannabis plant — with researchers publishing more than 32,000 scientific papers about cannabis since the beginning of 2013. Much of this uptick is a result of researchers’ newfound focus on marijuana’s therapeutic activities as well investigations into the real-world effects of legalization laws,” NORML said.

According to NORML, “more than 70 percent of all peer-reviewed scientific papers about marijuana have been published in the past ten years, and over 90 percent of this literature has been published since 2002.”

“As of this writing, PubMed.gov cites over 45,900 scientific papers on marijuana dating back to the year 1840. Available to the public online since 1996, PubMed is a free resource supporting the search and retrieval of biomedical and life sciences literature,” the organization added.

NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said that the finding refutes critics who argue that there is insufficient research on cannabis.

“Despite claims by some that marijuana has yet to be subject to adequate scientific scrutiny, scientists’ interest in studying cannabis has increased exponentially in recent years, as has our understanding of the plant, its active constituents, their mechanisms of action, and their effects on both the user and upon society,” Armentano said in a statement. “It is time for politicians and others to stop assessing cannabis through the lens of ‘what we don’t know’ and instead start engaging in evidence-based discussions about marijuana and marijuana reform policies that are indicative of all that we do know.”

It seems that each week brings a fresh study on marijuana, and its effects on the mind and body. And not all of the findings provided support to marijuana advocates.

One such study, published last month, found scant evidence that using cannabis can help addicts reduce or stop their long-term intake of illicit opioids.

The study out of Australia involved more than 600 heroin addicts, and spanned 20 years.

“Cannabis use is common among individuals with opioid use disorder, but it remains unclear whether cannabis use is associated with an increase or a reduction in illicit opioid use. To overcome limitations identified in previous longitudinal studies with limited follow-ups, the authors examined a within-person reciprocal relationship between cannabis and heroin use at several follow-ups over 18 to 20 years,” the researchers wrote in their introduction.

“After accounting for a range of demographic variables, other substance use, and mental and physical health measures, an increase in cannabis use 24 months after baseline was significantly associated with an increase in heroin use at 36 months (estimate=0.21, SE=0.10). Additionally, an increase in heroin use at 3 months and 24 months was significantly associated with a decrease in cannabis use at 12 months (estimate=−0.27, SE=0.09) and 36 months (estimate=−0.22, SE=0.08). All other cross-lagged associations were not significant,” they said, in detailing their findings.

While the study produced “some evidence of a significant relationship between cannabis and heroin use at earlier follow-ups,” the researchers noted that it was “sparse and inconsistent across time points.” 

“Overall, there was insufficient evidence to suggest a unidirectional or bidirectional relationship between the use of these substances,” they said.

Another study, also published in November, explored whether or not cannabis is a psychedelic substance. The answer, it turns out, isn’t so simple.

“Cannabis and classic psychedelics are controlled substances with emerging evidence of efficacy in the treatment of a variety of psychiatric illnesses. Cannabis has largely not been regarded as having psychedelic effects in contemporary literature, despite many examples of historical use along with classic psychedelics to attain altered states of consciousness,” the researchers said. 

“Research into the ‘psychedelic’ effects of cannabis, and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in particular, could prove helpful for assessing potential therapeutic indications and elucidating the mechanism of action of both cannabis and classic psychedelics. This review aggregates and evaluates the literature assessing the capacity of cannabis to yield the perceptual changes, aversiveness, and mystical experiences more typically associated with classic psychedelics such as psilocybin. This review also provides a brief contrast of neuroimaging findings associated with the acute effects of cannabis and psychedelics. The available evidence suggests that high-THC cannabis may be able to elicit psychedelic effects, but that these effects may not have been observed in recent controlled research studies due to the doses, set, and settings commonly used.”

They added, “Research is needed to investigate the effects of high doses of THC in the context utilized in therapeutic studies of psychedelics aimed to occasion psychedelic and/or therapeutic experiences. If cannabis can reliably generate psychedelic experiences under these conditions, high-THC dose cannabis treatments should be explored as potential adjunctive treatments for psychiatric disorders and be considered as an active comparator in clinical trials involving traditional psychedelic medications.”

The post 30,000 Papers on Cannabis Published By Scientists in Last Decade appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/news/30000-papers-on-cannabis-published-by-scientists-in-last-decade/

Doctors Warn About Emergence of ‘Trip-Killers’

In the event of a bad psychedelic trip, you may be better off riding it through than taking additional drugs to extinguish the trip—which can actually be more dangerous.

In a new study, doctors are warning about so-called “trip-killers,” or drugs used to counteract the effects of a psychedelic trip. What they found is that over half of anecdotal recommendations online call for benzodiazepines, antipsychotics, alcohol, and other remedies, but found that trip-killers are often more dangerous than the psychedelics themselves. This LSD Reddit thread, for instance, has trip-killer recommendations. Less than 2% of recommendations they found were for CBD or cannabis to lessen a trip. 

The study, “Trip-killers: a concerning practice associated with psychedelic drug use,” was published in Emergency Medicine Journal on Dec. 19. It was announced in a news release the same day.

There’s no Narcan to end a psychedelic trip, but people have tried various drugs to do just that. Researchers found that drugs such as benzodiazepines and antipsychotics are the options most frequently recommended, but warnings about their potential side effects are rarely included, they noticed. 

Benzodiazepines or benzos, are central nervous system (CNS) depressants primarily used to treat anxiety. Benzos are dangerous in numerous ways—notably there’s a risk of overdose, and also a risk of powerful dependence that can lead to dementia. Like fentanyl, benzodiazepines can stop breathing, and there are few ways to reverse a benzo overdose.

The intensity of a psychedelic trip can lead to distress, agitation, and  psychosis, and researchers cited recent data indicating that more than 8% of drug-related trips to emergency rooms in Europe involve psychedelic drugs.

The study was led by Manchester-based Dr. Gregory Yates, in the U.K., who thinks there is a huge lack of peer-reviewed research showing how these drugs are being used and the risks involved.

Instead of going to a doctor, which is pretty much impossible to do during a trip, psychonauts are turning to Reddit.

“There are multiple ways to control a ‘bad trip’ and avoid hospitalization. One is to take psychedelics under the supervision of a ‘trip-sitter’—a non-intoxicated friend who can provide psychological support. Another is to use additional psychoactive drugs—‘trip-killers’—to attenuate or prematurely end the psychedelic experience. Trip-killers are not new, but have received increased attention on social media in recent years.”

“Information on trip-killers is not available through drug advice services, despite the probable risks they pose,” researchers wrote. “To our knowledge, no relevant papers have been published in the medical literature. It was the aim of our study to gather descriptive data on the use of psychedelic trip killers by analysing posts made on Reddit, a publicly accessible, anonymous social media website.”

Researchers analyzed posts on social media platforms like Reddit, and found 128 threads created between 2015 and 2023, with a total of 709 posts.

“The most recommended trip-killer, with 440 recommendations, comprising nearly half (46%) of all the trip-killers mentioned in posts, were benzodiazepines, known for their sedative effects and physical dependence. Benzos were followed by several different antipsychotics (171;18%).

One in 10 recommendations were for antidepressants, while 1 in 20 were for alcohol. Opioids, antihistamines, herbal remedies, such as camomile and valerian, and prescribed sleeping pills, attracted 3% each. Cannabis and cannabidiol each took 2% of the vote share.”

Trip-killers were mostly discussed in reference to countering the effects of LSD (235 recommendations), magic mushrooms (143), and MDMA, popularly known as ecstasy (21).

Trip Sitters in Europe

Set and setting are so important when it involves psychedelics and hallucinogens. Not observing set and setting, or disregarding the profound nature of psychedelics can lead to bad trips, which can be terrifying.

Much like the United States, leaders in Europe are currently figuring out how to incorporate psychedelic therapy into its healthcare landscape most effectively.

A European lobby group representing developers and professionals within the industry advocates for including seasoned practitioners as integral members of a multidisciplinary advisory body. 

Seasoned practitioners—i.e. trip sitters—would serve as a guiding authority, offering essential insights to regulators and healthcare practitioners regarding optimal practices as the field expands and changes. This effort comes from the European Psychedelic Access Research and European Alliance (PAREA), as reported by Politico, as per a briefing document slated for submission to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The document reads that people with actual experience with psychedelics should have say-so over the dos and don’ts of psychedelic trips. This aligns with the idea that those with an actual relationship with the substance, rather than simply a desire to profit from it, makes for better business, as seen in the cannabis industry as well. 

If psychedelics are taken with better care, often with a trip-sitter involved, bad trips would be less common and people would be less reliant on so-called trip-killers.

The post Doctors Warn About Emergence of ‘Trip-Killers’ appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/psychedelics/doctors-warn-about-emergence-of-trip-killers/

California Approves Rules for Making Drinking Water From Sewage

California legislators have approved regulations for water companies to begin purifying sewage water for people to drink.

In a state with over 39 million residents regularly stricken by years-long droughts, water companies will soon be permitted but not required to recycle toilet water, extensively treat it, and send it right back to kitchen sinks. California is the second state after Colorado to approve such measures.

“Water is so precious in California. It is important that we use it more than once,” said Jennifer West, managing director of WateReuse California, an advocacy group 

“After 13 years of steady advocacy, fundraising and outreach by WRCA, California is posed to adopt statewide regulations for Direct Potable Reuse,” a portion of the WatReuse California website reads. “It is a major milestone for the state and WRCA as DPR regulations have long been one of the primary objectives of the association. 

According to an article by the Associated Press, California has actually been using recycled waste water for quite a while just about everywhere besides kitchen faucets. Waste water is used to make ice skating rinks, to water crops and if you’ve gone skiing in the mountains surrounding Lake Tahoe your skis were likely gliding over – you guessed it- recycled sewage. So much for ‘don’t eat the yellow snow.’

The new regulations dictate that water companies will be required to treat the waste water for all pathogens and viruses, even if none are detected. This differs from traditional purification which only treats the water for known pathogens. The waste water purification process also strips the water of its minerals, which have to be added back in at the end of the process unlike regularly treated drinking water. Darrin Polhemus, deputy director of the division of drinking water for the California Water Resources Control Board said this will likely make the recycled waste water taste better than traditionally processed drinking water.

“It’s at the same drinking water quality, and probably better in many instances,” Polhemus said to the Associated Press.

The regulations took over ten years to develop and underwent thorough, extensive scrutiny by several teams of scientists before they were approved ahead of the Dec 31 deadline set by state law for the California Water Resources Control Board to approve the new regulations.

It turns out this new development in water purification is actually somewhat arbitrary when modern water treatment practices are considered. According to Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the Water Resources Control Board, waste water is often treated and then pumped into rivers. That river water flows into neighboring water districts where it is used as regular drinking water.

“Anyone out there taking drinking water downstream from a wastewater treatment plant discharge — which, I promise you, you’re all doing — is already drinking toilet to tap,” Esquivel said to the Associated Press. “All water is recycled. What we have here are standards, science and — importantly — monitoring that allow us to have the faith that it is pure water.”

These somewhat icky realities of current water treatment practices notwithstanding, public perception of waste water treatment will almost certainly be a tall mountain to climb for water companies. According to the Associated Press, a waste water treatment center in San Jose is offering tours to the general public to educate the public about the process and ease any concerns they may harbor about the water they will soon be using to cook, bathe and drink. Kirsten Struve, assistant officer for the water supply division at the Santa Clara Valley Water District told the Associated Press this water is already being used to irrigate parks and soccer fields and such.

“We live in California where the drought happens all the time. And with climate change, it will only get worse,” Struve said. “And this is a drought-resistant supply that we will need in the future to meet the demands of our communities.”

Water companies across the Golden State are gearing up to begin treating waste water as soon as possible. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, for instance, plans to produce up to 150 million gallons per day of treated waste water, according to the Associated Press. In fact, nearly half of San Diego’s drinking water is slated to come from treated waste water by 2035.

The post California Approves Rules for Making Drinking Water From Sewage appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/news/california-approves-rules-for-making-drinking-water-from-sewage/

Border Patrol Seizes $10 Million Worth of Narcotics Hidden in Jalapeño Paste

Things got a bit spicy for border patrol officers in San Diego last week.

It was there, near the United States-Mexico border, that officers discovered more than $10 million worth of hard narcotics that had been hidden in a shipment of jalapeño paste.

The bust went down on December 13.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers said that they encountered a 28-year-old male driving a commercial tractor-trailer with a shipment manifested as jalapeño paste” at the Otay Mesa Cargo Facility.

“The driver, a valid border crossing card holder, was referred for further examination by CBP officers along with the tractor-trailer and shipment,” the agency said in a press release issued this week. 

“In the secondary inspection area, a CBP K-9 unit screened the shipment and alerted officers to examine the trailer more closely. Upon further examination, CBP officers discovered and extracted a total of 349 suspicious packages from vats of jalapeño paste. The contents of the packages were tested and identified as methamphetamine with a weight of 3,161.43 pounds and cocaine with a weight of 522.50 pounds,” the press releases continued.

As Customs and Border Protection spokesperson Michael Scappechio told the Los Angeles Times: “It was an extremely spicy situation.” 

“You never really know what you’re dealing with just in terms of dangerous narcotics and then you throw in there all that organic material; we had to break out the full [personal protective equipment],” Scappechio said.

“We won’t expose the reasons that led to the further examination,” Scappechio added, “but agent suspicion is often used.”

Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Rosa Hernandez, the director at the Otay Mesa Port, credited the unit’s K-9 teams for the bust.

“Our K-9 teams are an invaluable component of our counter-narcotics operations, providing a reliable and unequaled mobile detection capability,” said Hernandez “By implementing local operations under Operation Apollo and CBP’s Strategy to Combat Fentanyl and other Synthetic Drugs, we will continue to secure communities and stifle the growth of transnational criminal organizations, one seizure after another.”

According to local news station NBC San Diego, the “narcotics-in-jalapeño-paste seizure was just one of many successful drug busts in the border town recently.”

The United States Coast Guard said that it seized 18,219 pounds of cocaine, with an estimated street value of more than $239 million in the Pacific Ocean that was offloaded in San Diego earlier this month.

According to the Coast Guard, the offload was the “result of six separate suspected drug smuggling vessel interdictions or events off the coasts of Mexico and Central and South America by the Coast Guard Cutters Waesche and Active in November.”

According to the Coast Guard, the Waesche “is one of four Legend-class national security cutters homeported in Alameda, California.” National security cutters “can operate in the most demanding open ocean environments, including the hazardous fisheries of the North Pacific and the vast approaches of the Southern Pacific, where a large amount of narcotics traffic occurs,” the Coast Guard said.

“The biggest of the six interdictions was the most recent interdiction, occurring Nov. 20, which was an interdiction of a self-propelled semi-submersible (SPSS) carrying more than 5,500 pounds of cocaine. The interdiction of the SPSS was the first in the Eastern Pacific since 2020,” the Coast Guard said in a press release.

Courtesy U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Capt. Robert Mohr, commanding officer of the Waesche, said that all “four of our interdictions on this patrol are crucial to the Coast Guard’s efforts to keep illicit drugs off the streets, but our last interdiction of a semi-submersible vessel was noteworthy since it was the first semi-submersible interdicted in the Eastern Pacific in over three years.” 

“I am extremely impressed with the crew’s dedication throughout this dynamic patrol. They overcame multiple challenges with collective hard work, ingenuity, and positive attitudes to keep us in pursuit of these cartels and their dangerous drugs. A successful patrol like this one is rewarding and leads to better retention and recruiting efforts because everybody feels a sense of accomplishment,” Mohr said.

Vice Adm. Andrew Tiongson, commander, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Area, said he was “proud of the unity of effort displayed by U.S. Coast Guard members aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Waesche and our partners who stopped these narcotics from entering our Nation through the maritime domain.”

The Coast Guard said that multiple agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security, “collaborate in the effort to combat transnational organized crime. The Coast Guard, Navy, Customs and Border Protection, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, along with allied and international partner agencies, all play a role in counternarcotic operations.” 

“The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases, from detection and monitoring to interdictions and criminal prosecutions,” the press release said.

The post Border Patrol Seizes $10 Million Worth of Narcotics Hidden in Jalapeño Paste appeared first on High Times.

source https://hightimes.com/news/border-patrol-seizes-10-million-worth-of-narcotics-hidden-in-jalapeno-paste/