Whatâs happening in the world of weed this week? Some sad news about the man who was denied a lung transplant due to his marijuana use, a tale of sloppy stoners at a 4/20 event, and a handy list from the DEA about where those crazy teens stash their drugs these days. Read on!
Young Man Initially Denied Organ Transplant Dies
Sad newsâthe 20-year-old Park City, Utah man who was initially denied a lung transplant after traces of marijuana was found in his system has died. Riley Hancey came down with a severe form of pneumonia after Thanksgiving last year, which caused his lungs to collapse, but was turned down for a spot on the University of Utah Hospital transplant list due to testing positive for THC. A few months later, the University of Pennsylvania agreed to the transplant, and they performed the procedure on March 29. Unfortunately, on Saturday, Hancey passed away due to complications from that surgery.
A Cannabis Conference Will Be Held at a Trump-Owned Property
The âCannabis in Commercial Real Estate Summit NYCâ will take place at Trump Soho in New York City on May 4. For a president whose administration has been giving some tough talk about marijuana on the political front, he sure doesnât seem to mind bringing in the green if it appeals to his business interests. You mean, the same president who is still profiting from many of his conflict-of-interest businesses and advertises his Mar-A-Lago resort on the State Department website? No way!
Meanwhile, Back at The White House...
âThe Democrats don't want money from budget going to border wall despite the fact that it will stop drugs and very bad MS 13 gang members,â Trump tweeted on Sunday. And now Ted Cruz has a brilliant idea for how to fund the wall: make the drug dealers pay for it! The âEl Chapo Actâ asks that the US freeze $14 billion dollars of assets from infamous, recently-captured Mexican drug lord Joaquin Guzman (the Sinaloa Cartel leader better known as El Chapo), who now faces multiple drug and conspiracy related charges in the US, and use it to help pay for the wall.
Stoner Slobs at Denverâs 4/20 Event Leave Giant Mess
A 4/20 celebration in Denver left the cityâs Civic Center Park in disarray. Post-event security videos showed trash strewn everywhere and there were reports of attendees crashing fences, breaking consumption rules, and generally being disrespectful assholes. Câmon stoners, really? No more bong hits until you go clean your room! A Denver City Post editorial asked the 4/20 revelers to âgrow upâ and âbe coolâ now that weed is legal in the state.
Country Music Is Full of Drug References
According to a new study by Addictions.com, country music mentions drugs more than any other genre, including jazz, electronic music and rap. Drug references in the study were grouped into seven categories:
Pills (which includes all opiates except heroin, benzodiazepines, sleep medication, and ADHD medication), heroin, marijuana, LSD, cocaine (which includes both crack cocaine and cocaine), ecstasy (this includes MDMA and molly), and meth. After all that, country music came out on top, with 1.6 percent of all songs studied since 1933 referencing some sort of drug. According to the study, the top three drugs referenced in country music were marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamine.
So THATâs what he means when Blake Shelton sings about how heâs âReady to Roll.â Hereâs a playlist on Spotify that sings the praises of pot; among the artists are Johnny Cash, Sturgill Simpson, and (of course) Willie Nelson.
A List of Where Teens Stash Their Drugs
Published by the Drug Enforcement Administration on their Get Smart About Drugs website, the list features some warnings great ideas about everyday objects where kids can stash their drugsâinside alarm clocks, heating vents, teddy bears, gaming consoles, and (for the nerds out there) graphing calculators.