#where to buy marijuana in seattle

[cannabistraininguniversity]

How Much Does Cannabis Oil Cost?

Whether you’re a new or experienced cannabis consumer, you’ve likely wondered, “how much does cannabis oil cost?” This new therapeutic product has earned high praise from medical and recreational users. Each bottle of cannabis oil, also known as a tincture, comes with varying ratios of cannabinoids at relatively steep prices compared to other health- and wellness-related products.  Despite the high markup for cannabis oil, many consumers regularly use this delivery method to reap all of the mental and physical benefits of two major cannabinoids: cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). A number of factors affect the price of the oil. You can expect to pay anywhere from $30 to up to $200 for a single bottle. Here’s what you need to know about shopping smart for cannabis oil.

How Much Does CBD Oil Cost?

CBD oil has become widely accessible to the entire nation. It’s revered for its non-psychoactive and therapeutic effects on pain, anxiety, inflammation, seizures, and other debilitating symptoms. The health and wellness aspect of CBD oil commands a premium price for its symptomatic relief. Apart from its medical applications, there are plenty of other factors that determine how much consumers pay for cannabis oil in general. Katie Stem of Peak Extracts told Weedmaps, “When examining a cost analysis from a production perspective, you look at labor, materials, packaging, labels, potency/purity testing, marketing, and shipping distribution.” For manufacturers, bulk CBD can range from $3 to $15 per gram, which works out to be less than one cent to 1.5 cents per milligram. Consumers end up paying about $50 to $60 per 1,000 mg bottle, or about 5 to 20 cents per milligram.

Why Are People Paying Premium Prices for CBD Oil?

CBD oil products, in particular, offer many potential health benefits for medical and recreational consumers. People generally buy CBD oil to help them with inflammation, pain, anxiety, stress, depression, muscle spasms, fatigue, sleep disorders, and plenty of other symptoms. Furthermore, CBD doesn’t produce the negative side effects, especially if you take the appropriate dosage. Despite the popularity of CBD oil products, their efficacy has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. Only the CBD-based drug, Epidiolex, has been approved for medical use. In fact, many hemp companies have received warning letters from the FDA for claiming unproven health benefits on its packaging and advertising. While CBD oil can help supplement a conventional treatment plan, it’s important to consult with your physician before starting a cannabis oil regimen.

How Much Does Cannabis Oil Cost?

Cannabis oil varies in price based on cannabinoid content, as well as the region where it’s sold. Seattle-based Headset published a report detailing pricing data for a variety of marijuana products in Washington State, California, Nevada, and Colorado. The price of THC oil varied by state. For example, Colorado had the highest price at 41 cents per milligram, which was 64 percent higher than Nevada’s 25 cents per milligram. California and Washington both had a 30 cent per milligram average price for THC oil. Here are just a few examples of THC oil prices in the Southern California market: - Mary’s Medicinals The Remedy THC has 1,000 mg of THC priced at $56, about 6 cents per milligram. - Raw 1:20 THC:CBD Focus tincture has 1,000 mg priced at $87, about 9 cents per milligram. - Select 1:1 Peppermint oil has 1,000 mg priced at $68, about 7 cents per milligram. - Care by Design 8:1 CBD-rich sublingual drops has about 240 mg priced at $40, about 16 cents per milligram. - Humboldt Apothecary Relax CBD 3:1 tincture has 250 mg priced at $65, about 26 cents per milligram. - Releaf 1:1 CBD:THCa tincture has 900 mg priced at $99.62, about 11 cents per milligram.

Marijuana vs. Hemp-Derived Cannabis Oil

Cannabis oil products can be derived from either marijuana or hemp plants. Both belong to the same Cannabis sativaplant species. Marijuana plants are primarily bred for a THC-rich resin, while hemp plants produce high-CBD resin with only trace amounts of THC. Hemp-derived oil tends to be more affordable than marijuana-derived oil. When shopping for cannabis oil, consumers may run across terms such as full-spectrum, broad-spectrum, or distillate. Each comes with varying price points depending on many factors, including its source. Full-spectrum products contain the original chemical profile of a strain, including THC, CBD, and terpenes. Broad-spectrum contains everything in the plant but the THC, for a non-intoxicating experience. Distillates only contain one cannabinoid, either CBDA or THCA. The compounds in full-spectrum and broad-spectrum cannabis oil not only add to the aroma, but also the effects and the price. Research into cannabinoids indicate that the interaction between different cannabinoids and terpenes produces an “entourage effect.” This synergistic effect of the plant’s compounds is thought to enhance the therapeutic benefits of a cannabis product. For this reason, many medical consumers look for full- or broad-spectrum cannabis oil. However, someone who doesn’t want the aroma of intoxication of cannabis, may stick with a CBD isolate. Hemp-derived CBD oil is more widely available than cannabis-derived tinctures. Ever since the 2018 Farm Bill passed, hemp-derived CBD is legal all over the country. If you’re hoping to buy cannabis-derived tinctures, you must live in a state that allows medical cannabis (at the very least). In these states, cannabis-derived tinctures tend to be pricier because hemp isn’t as expensive to produce.

Factors Affecting Cannabis Oil Costs

A bottle of cannabis oil can vary in price based on an assortment of factors from production to marketing costs. For example, cannabis oil made from organically grown hemp from Colorado will have a higher price than oil made from a plant grown in a state with a newer market. Besides quality, potency also affects the price of a product. Cannabis oil with 1,000 mg of cannabinoids will be more expensive than oil with fewer cannabinoids per milliliter. The cannabis industry has unique costs and challenges that can drive up the price of cannabis oil. For example, lab testing requirements can force companies to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars testing their oil for contaminants. Lab testing can range from $100 to $400 per sample tested. In many cases, cannabis must be tested various times throughout the supply-chain process. Furthermore, the cannabis industry can’t write off business expenses because according to the US federal government, the marijuana plant is a Schedule I drug with no medicinal value. Dispensaries and producers may hike up their prices to offset some of these overhead costs. Industry experts believe that full legalization will help build a stronger regulatory framework for the industry to benefit both companies and consumers.

Is Cannabis Oil Lab Tested?

Certified laboratories can provide a complete analysis of licensed cannabis product samples. Third-party labs can test for potency including its cannabinoid and terpene profile. Labs also test for pesticides, microbial contamination, residual solvents, and other harmful chemicals that can remain after the extraction process. Essentially, lab testing ensures the product you are buying has the potency listed on the label. More importantly, lab testing ensures the product you are consuming has no harmful contaminants that can offset its therapeutic effects. Lab testing can significantly increase the price of cannabis oil products. However, it’s up to you to make sure your product is actually lab tested. Most companies who lab test provide a certificate of analysis (COA) on its website. Simply type in the batch number found on the packaging into their lab results page. Buying from a licensed cannabis retailer is one of the only ways to ensure you are getting a product tested by a third-party lab. While buying hemp-derived CBD oil online without lab testing may be cheaper, we recommend you spring the extra few bucks for peace of mind and security.

How to Find Reliable and Cost-Effective Cannabis Oil

Finding the right cannabis oil at the right price point can seem like an impossible task. Luckily, there are a few ways you make sure you get the most for your dollar based on your desired results. It can take a few hours, days, or weeks of research to find the right cannabis oil. While price matters, some affordable cannabis oils can be just as effective as the most expensive cannabis oils. Here are a few ways to save money on cannabis oil. - Buy cannabis oil in bulk. Larger quantities mean more upfront costs, but the product often comes with considerable savings of up to 40 percent per milligram. Manufacturers pass their savings on packaging onto you. Buying in bulk can also earn you free shipping with most hemp-derived oil companies. - Follow your favorite cannabis oil companies or retailers on their social media channels to scope out special discounts, promotions, and giveaways. - Sign up for low-income, veteran, or other financial assistance programs if you qualify. Not every company offers this perk, but the ones that do may give you a discount of more than half off if you can send qualifying proof or apply for a spot in their program. - Buy based on price-per-milligram. In order to calculate the price per milligram of a cannabis oil bottle, divide the total price of the product by the milligrams of cannabinoids in the product. - When searching for bargains, always make sure you buy cannabis oil that has a certificate of analysis (COA) from an accredited third-party laboratory ensuring you have a safe and pure products.

Will CBD Prices Ever Come Down?

Industry insiders believe the price of cannabis oil will eventually go down, but not anytime soon. The industry’s strict regulations place an enormous burden on cannabis companies in terms of testing, taxes, and other rules on the plant’s production. A variety of factors serve to limit the amount of cannabis production possible. Whether it’s commercial cannabis bans in your town or excessive licensing costs, it takes a lot of money to start up a cannabis company. Cannabis oil may never be the most affordable natural medicine available, at least compared to pharmaceutical or herbal supplement products. However, prices are expected to go down as lawmakers become more supportive of the industry. Once they remove the harsh limits imposed on weed companies, maybe then will the prices become accessible for those who truly need it. As you can see, the price of cannabis oil varies widely based on the source, quality, potency, location, size, and other manufacturing and marketing costs associated with the product. The novelty of the industry and a lack of regulation have contributed to cannabis oil’s high prices, but consumers are hopeful that one-day cannabis oil can reach an accessible price point for everyone that needs it. Stay tuned to the Cannabis Training University blog for updates on: - price of cannabis oil - THC oil cost - how much does CBD oil cost - Colorado cannabis oil cost - THC oil price per gram - how to ingest cannabis oil - cost of CBD oil products - cheapest full-spectrum CBD oil

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[potsmart]

What’s Up With These Really Cheap Ounces of Weed?!

Heard you were looking for some cheap weed. Well you’re in luck, here’s a link to $120 ounces.

As a curious, chronic smoker, I couldn’t help but wonder which country had higher prices for legal weed – the US or Canada? I found that the price of an eighth of marijuana in the United States and Canada has been compared by Wikileaf across multiple dispensaries. The analysis shows that the average price for an eighth of marijuana in the US is $40.0, while in Canada it’s $27.9, which is a notable 30% cheaper. The reason for this significant price difference could be attributed to the longer history of legalization in Canada. Nice.

With more time to establish a legal market for marijuana, there is a larger supply of industrial  growers and sellers in Canada, leading to lower prices for consumers. Additionally, Canada’s legal cannabis industry is more developed, with publicly traded companies on the stock market, while US cannabis companies face restrictions, such as the inability to have bank accounts. As Canada moves closer to nationwide legalization this year, the supply of marijuana continues to grow, suggesting that prices may remain favourable for consumers.

Comparing prices of marijuana in Canada and the United States shows that purchasing in Canada is significantly cheaper at every quantity. However, the larger the quantity of marijuana purchased, the smaller the price discount is in Canada. This is because in the United States, a larger bulk discount is given on weed purchases.

Let’s clarify a, “More established market.” If you look at states like Oregon where competition among growers is fierce, prices are often half of what they are in California. The real difference there is regulation. With California regulating the living hell out of any cannabis company in its borders and Oregon giving out licenses freely and letting the market decide who wins, you see a massive difference in competition.

It’s not just weed. Look at this deal on an ounce of hashish!

If you look at it city by city, clearly cost of living also played a vital role in determining the final price. San Francisco, a city known for its high cost of living, also has a very high price for bud. In fact, an eighth of an ounce of gas in San Francisco is 12% more expensive than in Seattle and 20% more expensive than in Los Angeles. It’s no surprise that San Francisco wins many “most expensive awards” for various things, including toast, real estate, and coffee.

When comparing prices between the United States and Canada, it’s clear that Canadian cities like Toronto and Vancouver offer a substantial discount. For someone from San Francisco visiting Vancouver, they can purchase weed at a 39% discount compared to buying it at home. Overall, it appears that marijuana is about 30% cheaper in Canada than in the United States, and this price difference has remained consistent throughout the year and across all purchase sizes. OR, you could look at it as, you can afford to enjoy 30% more weed as a Canadian! Rad.

Another aspect that might play a small role is that our neighbours to the South are rather rebellious when it comes to purchasing weed legally even when it’s available. Some folks still choose the plug over the dispensary. It’s been well documented that the state of California struggles to beat the black market.

Here’s an article in Politico.

One might assume that many Americans are getting their weed directly from the source and skipping the taxes and price hikes. However, it’s widely recognized that there is a high demand for marijuana in Canada, so the price discount in comparison to the United States cannot be attributed to low demand. The reason for cheaper marijuana prices in Canada is due to the country’s lengthy history of having a legal supply of weed.

As with most commodities, the law of supply and demand applies to marijuana. When the supply of weed is abundant, prices tend to decrease. This is why Canada’s well-established legal market, with a large number of growers and sellers, has led to lower prices for consumers.

At the end of the day, who cares! Enjoy the cheap weed! You’ve got a bevy of options here at POTSMART to grab zips of green for your daily routine. Check out all our preferred MOM’s and have fun shopping for pre-ground, pre-rolls, bulk bud, old-school hash and of course dabs. There’s no reason not to up your stash.

By Richard “Dick” Weed, Ganja Guru and Guest Contributor for Potsmart

[wheretheloud]

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[wheretheloud]

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[vicctm]

hey look, it’s victor donavon! they’re thirty eight years old, they’ve lived in shrike heights for 2 years, and they’re currently working as the hr director. i heard they’re pretty uncompromising, but i think they’re so passionate at the same time. can they make it out alive?

Biography

{TW: Violence, parental death, alcoholism, marijuana}

Victor Donavon, born in 1949, date unknown, in California. Adopted first son of Bernard and Carol Donavon, a wealthy couple in love. For the first 12 years of his life, Victor was the apple of his parents eyes. A genius when it came to academics and numbers, he received praise both in school and from family for his intellect. He got anything he wanted, and every summer was a trip somewhere new. Was he spoiled? Perhaps a bit, but who wouldn’t spoil their only child if they could

Everything came crashing down with the birth of his brother Jerimiah when he was 12 years old. Suddenly he wasn’t his parents pride and joy anymore, he felt more like an after thought than anything else after a few years. Nothing he did seemed to phase them, whether it was good or bad, he’d get a wave of the hand and some cash to solve his troubles. He was obsolete, an old model they didn’t need anymore. He graduated top of his class, and the only person that was their was his grandmother. Jeremiah did give him an adorable macaroni art piece of the two of them though, which he still has.

He moves to New York for college, business and management classes, anything to get away from a house where he felt like an outsider with everyone but a kid. He learns about himself, and falls in love with a boy he meets in a street. His name is Hugh and he convinces Victor to start writing like he’s always wanted to. Victor is close to confessing his love for him nearing his 20th birthday when he gets a call that changes his life. His short lived freedom is just that, short lived, as he receives news of his parents death. Parents he hasn’t talked to or heard from in almost two years.

He returns home hollow, and sorts out the affairs of his parents estate in a daze. He puts half of it in a trust for Jerimiah. He doesn’t even touch his half for over a decade. He doesn’t return to New York, he’s a different person now and he’s got Jerimiah to take care of. They settle down in Seattle, and develop a new normal. All Victor does is work and raise Jerimiah, dreams of writing gone and repressed along with memories of Hugh. But it’s okay with him because Jerimiah needs to him more than Victor needs a break. He starts to spiral due to stress, and gets meaner due to it. Him and Jerimiah are constantly at each others throats. It takes Jerimiah crying and shoving him into a table, only 17 years old, threatening to leave and never come back for him to get the help he needs, to deal with what happened to their family. 

Jerimiah moves to go to medical school, it’s hard for both of them, having relied on each other for so long. Victor is 35 years old and has no friends and no life and hasn’t ever done anything for himself in over 15 years, and he stands at the airport where Jerimiah just left for Massachusetts. He remembers standing at the airport in New York in the middle of the night, and then he remembers Hugh and the two years they spent creating together. He realizes he could write now, if it wasn’t too late then it couldn’t be too late now. 

He’s in Shrike Height’s half a year later, an apartment just for himself in a quiet town that can give him solace to write. He still works, wouldn’t be able to function without the ritual of it. At first for a warehouse and distribution center, but he only makes one friend there, who hates it as much as he does. Through them, he learns that Shrike Mall is hiring for their own HR department soon, and decides that a mall would be much more interesting than a paper company. He’s got 13 years of experience, and lands the job easily. 

Personality:

Victor is very rigid with most people, though that's really because he’s never taken the time to socialize before. He always took his job in HR so seriously he wouldn’t even mention he had a brother to coworkers in the past. However, he’s since mellowed out and has been attempting to be better about this. He’s a great conversationalist once he becomes comfortable with someone. 

Once you get to know him he’s very caring, and his love language is physical touch. He doesn’t care about people he isn’t close to, at all. Though he’s a bit touch starved because the only person he’s been close with recently was his brother, and a few short lived flings back in Seattle. He also has a tendency towards buying things for people he likes, and passing it off as though he just had to get rid of it. 

Once he decides something it’s very rare that he changes his mind. He never thought twice about taking in his brother, and he trusts in his own judgement more than he cares to consider anyone else’s opinion on his life, or things he has control over.

Has a well hidden sweet tooth, but would deny it to his grave.

Likes to smoke weed on occasion, especially if he’s having writers block or just wants to relax and wine isn’t cutting it. 

Victors all time favorite genre to both read and write is horror, and while he came to Shrike Heights to get inspiration to write his first book, he never expected this. He’s an observer at heart, and is more intrigued by the reason and motive of the killers and why it’s all happening at once at the moment, than he is with the deadly consequences.

Wants to fall in love and is a romantic deep down, but doesn’t know if he should open himself up like that in Shrike Heights because he isn’t sure he’ll remain living here longer than a few years. He is still on the fence, and deciding how much he likes Shrike Heights and its antics. 

Is becoming more and more susceptible to peer pressure because he is in fact very lonely

Connections!

Apartment neighbors/floormates

Fwb: Someone he would’ve met before getting the HR job, at a bar within his first few months of coming into town. This is so we could maybe have some drama of the fact that he’s in the HR dept for the mall now and they also work there, which is something he wouldve written someone else up a few years ago

Smoke buddies

down to spit ball as well :)

[everydayanth]

Having followed the science side of cannabis over the past few years with J working on research teams around the US, this is all shit that NEEDS to be talked about. 

The cannabis industry is full of rich ass bros and I have so many stories I don’t even know where to start. As a complete outsider moving with J, I had a front-row seat to confusion and chaos, and as someone who grew up poor in a diverse neighborhood and schools (which I am incredibly thankful for), then studying social science, the sudden immersion into the world of Cannabis was a wakeup call for me. I understood the theory of white privilege, I understood the application of it and how it worked, but there’s an economic component I never had access to. I was on the same free lunch programs and going through the same foreclosure threats as my neighbors, and I didn’t fully understand the racial component of that until I saw it in Cannabis. 

When J got dropped into Cannabis research because of a sudden start-up failing to follow its investor requirements working in biotech (it was a big deal, so I’m not going to mention specifics, since we’re still in an odd place with all this), we had moved to the west coast from the midwest where Cannabis was still 100% illegal and problematic. I grew up in the midst of gang wars over drugs, calling it Marijuana (can you hear the white accent?) and being warned about the devil. I’d witnessed several people murdered over Cannabis in my neighborhood through gang violence, or else locked up by police for seemingly no reason. 

Cannabis and minority culture were very much intertwined in my mind, and I understood it as a cultural difference from my white religious family, who fought among themselves about alcohol allowance according to God, and respected the law selectively (so the whole “bUt It’S iLlEgAl” argument was a joke).

Cannabis was in the same debate as beers, wines, and liquors, but it still held memories of violence for me. Though I know those incidents were more about power, control, survival, and a means around a racist system now, at the time of moving to the west coast, Cannabis was a duality to me: a misunderstood cultural component, a criminalized tool for a racist agenda, and a thing I saw so many depend on when life got too hard in the way of alcoholics – a thing that would stop me from leaving if I let it too close. 

J came into biotech from a pre-med/criminal justice education. He is very well versed in the War on Drugs and the legal history of the US being a racist, white supremacist agenda for cultural, legal, and economic authority through institutions like religion, education, and law. For him, Cannabis and minority cultures, both Mexican and Black American (and, as we learned from friends in southern California, also in many ways Native American) were intertwined as well.

So when his company dropped him into Cannabis, then moved us around several times with unfulfilled promises and broken contracts, both of us were new to Cannabis and astounded at the whiteness of the industry. Of course the white stoners of the 60s and 70s were spearheading it though, they had the money and their minority counterparts were in prison. It’s wrong, it needs to change. But I was naive to be surprised by it. 

What really affected me though, was the people with money. They were everywhere in the industry and they were old-money white or upper-middle class converted drug-dealer white. But by all accounts of my and J’s education and experience, it should be a minority-lead industry, right? People whose cultures value the cultivation of the plant should have far more interest, ability, and practical/research knowledge. But they were cut out by the nepotism, money, and white privilege (i.e. criminal justice system). 

The science initiative was: analyzing this plant will help us understand the pieces of it and what can be used medicinally or how it is currently helping so many conditions. A great intent, J even got to work with some amazing researchers, but science needs money. So the focus quickly shifted again and again to investors. 

And the investors were always white. They were always men. And in my experience, they were genuinely horrible people. 

We felt so stuck. Exhausted, our stuff had been in storage for years, contracts were falling through, we never knew where we were going or when. This wasn’t cushy science or higher academia, because universities get federal funding, so they can’t invest in something that’s federally illegal without jumping a lot of hurdles. Additionally, many minorities can’t afford to invest in something that is federally illegal. It’s a bigger risk, a vulnerable position to make your interest known as a minority in the industry – not with the prison and arrest ratio numbers the way they are. 

The investors and businessmen were playboys. They talked about bitcoin and big money, went to clubs and cheated on their wives and girlfriends, and tokenized, exoticized, and appropriated minority culture. They invested in research until they made the start-ups worth something with the promise of science, then withdrew their investments and stocks, doubling their fortunes and dissolving the company. Or, as was most often the case, just cutting the research budget after using the science research as an attraction for other investors, and hoping the science guys would quit before they got fired. If they quit, they’d be bound by the do not compete clause and couldn’t use the research with a competing company, which means the current start-up could retain the IP. But they would hang on for long enough to have to be let go, taking their IP and starting again.

They should have started their own lab instead of relying on a company to fund them. But to get a license to work with Cannabis as a plant, as a thing that can’t even cross state lines or be in a lab with out a license/card, you need to qualify by state standards, and generally only the big companies do. So even if they started their own place, they’d have to leave Cannabis, and at that point, they had some incredible research halfway done that could be really meaningful and helpful to a lot of people. Working in several states, the message became clear: this industry is a playground for people with money to make more money and everyone in charge wants to keep it that way.

I’m not in a place yet where I can consolidate my experience as an outsider with an ethnographic distance. I get a pit in my stomach when I think of an investor who took us out to dinner in Seattle. J was working tirelessly, doing 3 people’s jobs because they refused to hire more people despite having the money, he filled in basic hourly positions to compliance and legal staff. They were a small company and continued to make huge mistakes. Going out with investors, we were told, was part of the game, part of the obligation to getting the funds to do the real science. 

Working from 6am-10pm and coming in 7-days a week was part of getting a salary at $40k, part of being a scientist and checking experiments and building data and value. Being versatile and filling other roles like marketing and compliance, that you could be held legally accountable for as an individual in some states (J did great though, he was fine), is part of working for a start-up, is part of a new industry, is part of new science! They did everything they could to normalize practices that we didn’t have enough professional experience to identify as wrong, inefficient, or red-flag warnings. 

But we learned. And we did make a difference sometimes, changing important minds about the value of Cannabis, the need for federal legalization, decriminalization, and the importance of accountability regarding pharmaceutical corruption. But the investors, oh how I dreaded the word investor. 

And this was a big one. 

He took us to a restaurant so dark I couldn’t see my food and pushed together fancy dinner-date-for-two tables in a long line to accommodate everyone with the air of someone who was accustomed to fixing everything with money. His son worked in the company and was the reason the guy was investing. My end was the tag-along-SO end, and our discomfort was palpable. 

Usually at investor dinners, we ended up paying our own bills because important people would leave sporadically or, I dunno, they were cheap? They’d cover the C-Suite and we’d be left on our own, or, and I really hated this, they’d each order 5 drinks and the most expensive entree and then split the bill evenly, so the poor people like me, who budget their spending, ate an $11 meal with a $6 beer but paid a $60 cut of the whole bill (buy more drinks then, take your share, wealthy peers have yelled before – but then the overall bill is still bigger, so that literally doesn’t help me at all; don’t eat anything then – well, that doesn’t really feel like an option at a big business dinner). 

Or, the really shitty one, someone would order a round of drinks, then expect you to get the next round. If this is standard cultural practice where you are, awesome, you have a social agreement, this is not standard here though, and meant actual multi-millionaire investors expected their own hourly employees or $40k salary workers to buy a round of drinks for 5+ people on a regular basis. Do you know how fast that adds up? And, here’s the shitty part, they would start with “you wanna get this round and I’ll get the next?” and then never get the next. EVER! They’d be fall-down drunk or disappear. This happened weekly.

Over and over it happened in a world of overconsumption, privilege, wealth, and the desire to have no worries, party hard, do drugs, yeah! Which, fine, but not when there’s such a power dichotomy and economic disparity. I started to see the tricks, the cons, the advantages, the selfish narcissism, the cheating and taking from others without sharing, giving, or participating in the group. The investors were not part of the group. They didn’t care about the science, they cared about profit margins and knowing when to jump ship with the largest pay off. It got to the point where I (arrogantly, probably) felt like I could screen investors and tell after a single dinner if they were going to scam the program or use the science to get licenses then dump them, or never actually give them the equipment to do their work. There were a few who genuinely cared.

Anyway, this fancy restaurant: we didn’t know who was paying, but I opened the menu and the absolute cheapest thing was a caesar salad for FOURTY-NINE DOLLARS! 

But no, we don’t get to order our own food. Fancy investor says we all must try this specific steak because it’s his favorite, one for everyone! Which makes it sound like they’re paying, but I’ve learned you never know. One girl was vegan and I tried to jump on that train to go for the comparatively reasonably priced salad, but alas, decisions had already been made, wine was being poured without question, steaks were being served, and at the end, checks were served down the table in a neat line of leather books, a bill was put in front of the two of us for $250 and my jaw dropped. The server goes “Mr. [Name] has kindly taken care of the wines for the table.” WINES HE ORDERED AND STEAKS HE INSISTED WE EAT! Ugh, I was so confused and angry and sick of the talk and playing nice and making friends. I went to the bathroom and hyperventilated with J texting me that he’s done and we need to find a way out (but remember the IP and non-compete clauses, getting out is hard). 

The guy ended up paying for everyone. It was $7,000. I can only assume he wanted us to see the bill and his generosity, or that the CSO said something about people not being able to afford it. Either way, that same story repeats itself over and over: white millionaire man invests in cannabis as quick buck, no interest in science, makes fortune and leaves with no legal retribution. 

When J worked with UCI, they tried to press for legal retribution for fraud against a company that had partnered with them, but it didn’t stick because the independent companies have the money, the power, and the law. 

It was like living in a reality tv show, in a bubble where the real world happened outside. If you move between places often enough, you don’t fit in either. I tried to stay on the outside, but most of those guys tried to stay on the inside. And on one hand, I get it. They see fast cars, easy money, models and big parties, they grew up white and wealthy without realizing it because they have no context of diversity or poverty, they don’t actually see the harm they cause, they don’t actually care, because all they want is to fit in the bubble. It’s infectious, addictive for them.

And I despised it because being inside the bubble made me physically ill. It wasn’t anthropological fieldwork, it wasn’t removed from my life, I had no safe home base to return to, to think and consider and code notes, this was my life. 

Now, we are just about to pass the two-year mark living in RI. It will be the first time we’ve lived anywhere for more than a year since we moved from the midwest almost seven years ago. We’re recovering as a team, as a couple. I’ve gotten more done in the last two years than the 6 before that combined. We got to travel to so many places, and actually meet some amazing people. The companies moved us and paid for housing. There were benefits is what I’m saying, I don’t regret our choices, because I didn’t know what the consequences would be and we made each choice together. We’ve learned so much about each other from the experience. And we survived it together, and I’m proud of us for that.

J ’s all but given up on science now, we left the millionaires to their parties and drugs and alcohol and broken relationships, and I should mention, because I know my tone here may seem dismissive in its generalization, that I learned a lot about stoner cultures and rave cultures and drugs and more about history and criminal justice, and I think there can be a time and place for drugs and alcohol, and that Cannabis should be legalized and fully decriminalized. 

What I am fed up with is the wealthy and their context bubble, the investment in their friends, the quick scams that are perfectly legal and make them richer for doing nothing, and the irresponsibility; the avoidance of confrontation, integrity, and honesty, disregarded for a quick buck. Lives left a mess in their wake with no jobs as the company falls apart. For me right now, the Cannabis industry is being lead by people soaked in the slime of deception hoping to make money with the same corporate structures of taking advantage of their workers that their fathers used before them. It is currently a racist, classist industry, sure there are some amazing exceptions, but as a whole, there is a problem with where the money is coming from and going to. 

 Most of the investors I’ve seen support Trump’s policies (passionately and often because they personally benefit), while the workers adamantly oppose or avoid caring about politics at all. Just because you’re a fanatic about something doesn’t mean you get to stop caring about or considering the impact of what you do or the world outside of it. If you work in Cannabis, know who you are working for and what the impacts of your work are. I have found that, more than any other industry, Cannabis seeks to maintain a status quo in white power, authority, and culture (re: religion, morality, ownership, wealth, cultural institutions, legality, etc.), while retaining the image of being individually diverse, subversive, and rebellious, leading to intense appropriation, exoticization, tokenism, and continual reinforcement of white privilege and classist power.

That’s it. That’s all I’ve got to say on it right now. I’m exhausted. I need to go recharge and find some hope. But I think making people aware of these areas that don’t get seen, because they don’t want to be seen, is part of building hope. People starting to look around and realizing how many millionaires there are, and how easily they make more money this way without social contribution, is part of identifying the problem, and I am eternally grateful to comedians like Hasan Minhaj and Trevor Noah, who look in these dark corners and find a way to make us all look with them, stirring up conversation as we decide what to do about the mess. 

[peggyellis]

welcome to holland.

I have accepted at this point that my posts are all going to be badly out of chronological order in terms of our trip.  We’re now skipping over Denver, Wyoming and Idaho and going straight to Washington. Oops?

Over a year ago, my friend Julia sent me a free audiobook, “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone.”  In short, it’s a story written by a therapist who finds herself needing therapy after a breakup.  I downloaded the book but never got around to listening to it – I’ve never really been the audiobook type.  Obviously the Universe knew what it was doing – when I set out on this trip, I fired up my audible app and found the book sitting there ready to be listened to. Somewhere on that long miserable drive from Kansas to Denver, I started listening.

The author touches on a number of topics: relationships, grief, loss and change.  I have about 20 different posts I’ve started stemming from this one book, but the one that is freshest in my mind today is “Welcome to Holland.”  In the book, Lori (the author) is counseling a woman who learns she has terminal cancer. Lori explains that "Welcome to Holland" is a prominent essay, written in 1987 by American author and social activist Emily Perl Kingsley, about having a child with a disability. Yes, I stole that last bit from Wikipedia.  The idea is this: parenthood is like planning a trip to Italy.  You’ve always dreamed of going there; cruising the canals in Venice, eating pasta in Naples, being awed by the roof of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. You buy books on the best places to eat and tour, and spend hours learning basic Italian phrases.  You dream of your experience; the wonderful things you’ll see, the people you will meet, and falling in love over and over again with Italy.

You board your flight and fall fast asleep, and when you awake, you’ve just touched down.  You look out and see tulip fields and Dutch architecture, and your flight attendant welcomes you and your fellow passengers to Holland.  Wait…what?!? But I boarded a flight to Italy!, you exclaim.  I’ve made so many preparations!  But try as you might, no amount of begging, pleading or cajoling will get you to Italy. You’re in Holland, and Holland is where you must stay.

See, Lori explains, “Welcome to Holland” isn’t just about parenthood; it’s about life.  We all make plans and visions of what our lives will look like.  We will be married.  We will have a great job.  We’ll be parents to beautiful and healthy children.  We’ll travel the world.  Inevitably, no matter how hard we try, one day we board a plane to Italy and wake up in Holland.  We spend so much time preparing and planning for our lives to look one way, but sooner or later, no matter how hard we try, we all end up with our metaphorical planes touching down in Holland.

It is in Holland that we are all faced with a choice.  We can spend our time missing Italy, trying desperately to get back there, and dreaming of our trip that we originally planned.  We can gnash our teeth and cry and wail at the fact that this stupid plane was supposed to go to Italy, and instead we’re stuck in this dumb place that is anything but Italy.  Or – we can take a look around us and start to experience the beauty of Holland.  It doesn’t have Michelangelo or the Vatican or pasta, but Holland has tulip fields, the Hague, legal marijuana and the best Brazillian steakhouses inside or outside of Brazil.  (Take the last one or two from personal experience). Holland has beautiful architecture, bikable cities and a great airport.  When life lands us unexpectedly in Holland, we are given the choice – nay, the opportunity – to fall in love with Holland, even if it’s not the reality we expected.

Sounds nice, huh? Well, my first reaction was to scoff and say something to the effect of “yeah, sure, whatever lady.”  Holland sounds nice when we’re talking about an unexpected move or a job loss, not when we’re talking about terminal cancer or a divorce or a disabled child.  Did this woman really expect me to be like “oh man, I am just SO HAPPY that the man I wanted to marry broke up with me two days after I lost my job and now I am homeless, jobless and single with no prospects on any of these 3, Holland is SO GREAT”?!?!  No thanks.

I hated Holland all through Kansas, most of Colorado, parts of Wyoming and DEFINITELY in Idaho.  Holland was the pit in my stomach when I thought about returning home.  Holland was the familiar text ding, only to find it was someone else.  Holland was grief and loss.  If you’d asked me to paint a picture of Holland, it would probably look a lot like Newark, the city I am convinced is the worst place on earth. Grey, smoggy, dirty and sad, I wanted nothing to do with Holland.  I wanted to go back to Italy.

When I showed up to our home outside Seattle on Saturday night, I had cried the entire way through Oregon, decided to throw my phone into the Pacific Ocean when I reached Seattle, and vowed to hate Holland for time and all eternity.  In what had become a theme on this trip, our host Renee took one look at my red swollen face, and immediately knew just what to say. She’d ended up at this farm in an unexpected turn of events when a divorce left her lost and homeless.  In the 50+ acres of cattle, vegetables, horses and lakes, she’d found beauty even in the unexpected.  I looked around, and the sprinkler mist created a rainbow in the weeping willows.  The lake glistened in the setting sun, and the open fields stretched on for miles. Even Luna made a friend in Shadow, the friendly German Shepherd, and they romped in the front yard for hours. Our home was a little in-ground greenhouse that had been converted to a studio, and the hanging lanterns and wide windows made it cozy.  Holland suddenly didn’t look so bad.

Scenes from the farm

It was there that I decided I wasn’t ready to go home, that I was going to open myself up to more adventures, and that it was okay to be not okay.  That night was the eve of the infamous chicken alfredo, and Luna and I took a long walk into the cattle pasture while I contemplated my new life. Holland suddenly wasn’t so bad. It wasn’t what I expected, and I missed Italy, but Holland started to show its beauty there in Yakima, Washington. I would need to learn a new language, and maybe buy some new tour books, but perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad here. Welcome to Holland.  I’m here to stay.

Our home in “Holland”

Wisdom from the universe and our little greenhouse

[realestate420property-blog]

Best Resource for Cannabis & Hemp Real Estate & Financial Services

The 420 Industry is rapidly growing and evolving daily. With constant expansion, there’s an eminent need for real estate and financial services. Both cannabis and hemp business require a large amount of real estate (land, warehouse space, office/ admin space) and financial resources to be successful.

420property.com launched in 2016 with a mission to connect cannabis and hemp businesses with “420 friendly” facilities and financial services. Today, 420Property facilitates over two-million searches per year. Some of the top searches are:

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Real Estate Listings for Sale or Lease

·         Cannabis/ Hemp/ CBD Businesses for Sale

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Equipment for Sale or Lease

·         Cannabis Warehouses for Sale or Lease

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Real Estate Loans

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Business Financing

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Equipment Leasing & Loans

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Property Insurance Coverage

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·         Cannabis/ Hemp Banking Services

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Real Estate Agent/Brokers

·         Cannabis/ Hemp Appraisal Services

Get started with your search today at 420Property.com.

Have a cannabis or hemp property listing? Before you list your property or business on one of the larger more heavily trafficked websites, consider this: 420 Property only attracts visitors to our site that are looking primarily to fulfill their real estate and professional needs with regard to their cannabis-based business. Many of the large general real estate and professional websites receive substantial traffic, but also have tens of thousands of non-cannabis listings, equating to less targeted cannabis exposure. We provide a niche market adding value to your advertising campaign. Before you list your property or business on one of the larger more heavily trafficked websites, consider this: 420 Property only attracts visitors to our site that are looking primarily to fulfill their real estate and professional needs with regard to their cannabis-based business. Many of the large general real estate and professional websites receive substantial traffic, but also have tens of thousands of non-cannabis listings, equating to less targeted cannabis exposure. We provide a niche market adding value to your advertising campaign.

Real Estate Prices

Warehouse prices and rents are rising at a rapid rate, and experts say marijuana investors are the driving force behind the increase. Marijuana farmers are willing to pay more to get the facilities they need and are paying higher than the average warehouse leases in their area of operation. Those who already own warehouses are in great shape due to this trend, but those looking to buy or lease will pay more this year than last and more next year than this year. For instance, the prices of small and medium sized warehouses in the Sacramento area have been rising around 30% to 40% each year. Since most marijuana producers prefer to grow their product in warehouses, these prices are a significant factor in an investor’s decision to enter the industry. They must assume that property prices and rents will continue to rise at a fast rate.

Cannabis retailers are making excellent profits from their shops, which has benefited property owners. In Seattle, which has an established marijuana industry, the average sales per square foot reached $1,513 compared to the US retailer average of $325. Cannabis is still a hot commodity.

Zoning Issues

Any potential investor must thoroughly research zoning ordinances in their desired area or operation. Getting a state license for production and sales is difficult enough, but once that hurdle is jumped, local towns and cities can raise other issues. Zoning ordinances in many areas have not caught up to the industry and do not specifically mention cannabis. As a result, some companies have established their operations within the city limits of a certain town and later been told they were violating local zoning laws, often after citizen complaints.

Some municipalities ban all cannabis business in their boundaries, while others will allow medical marijuana and not recreational marijuana. Some cities will require special permits for cannabis companies, adding substantially to operating expenses. All of these issues need to be completely resolved early in the process of establishing a company. Too many of these businesses have been derailed after they already began operation.

The issue is complicated by state and federal law. Some states have made recreational and medical marijuana legal. Others only allow medical marijuana, while some forbid any and all sales of cannabis. Also, federal law still makes it illegal to produce, sell and use cannabis, although the government is not currently enforcing these statutes in states that have legalized it. Still, this legal confusion makes some places reluctant to allow any cannabis company inside their city limits.

Price Pressure

Currently, marijuana prices are still relatively high, which makes production and sales profitable. As always, increased competition will lower these prices, so those entering the industry need to factor in that element. In Colorado, cannabis has been legal since 2014, so competition is greater than in most other states. In the summer of 2018, the price had dropped more than $400 since January 1, meaning marijuana was below $1000 per pound for the first time. The average price was $846 in June. At the beginning of 2015, that price was $2007 per pound. Colorado monitors cannabis production to prevent oversupply, but the price is still on a significant downward trend.

Supply and demand largely determines the price, so trying to establish a cannabis business in a state with an already thriving market is risky. States where the industry is relatively new should keep prices higher, at least for a while. Investors must do market research and factor in an inevitable price decline before setting up shop.

In Colorado and California, the cannabis industry smoke has already cleared somewhat. Businesses are well-established and community norms are set. Competition for warehouses has driven up their prices and their monthly rent. The price pressure on cannabis, or price drops due to increased market competition, also has the potential to affect real estate prices. While the industry is still highly profitable, it is not a get-rich-quick scheme.

Other states are newer to the process, which means they may offer a more profitable market. Investors will face less competition and be able to sell their cannabis for higher prices. Of course, these areas also pose more complications for investors, particular in the area of zoning.

As with any business endeavor, research is key to the success of a cannabis company. Investors must know their market as well as state law and local ordinances. All start-up businesses are somewhat risky, but the marijuana industry still promises significant financial rewards.

Learn more about Cannabis and hemp financial services. For more information visit: https://www.420property.com/

[asteisms]

Six Signs You Are Vaping Pot All Wrong

I can not go anyplace in Seattle right now without visiting someone struck a marijuana vape pen.

I suppose a bit of gloomy dream helped them select the ideal sort of multi-grain?

I do not care, this really is a judgment-free zone in regards to where to vape. As I have mentioned previously, among the joys of digital bud pens is they let you swallow bud at which the fuck you need.

Vape cartridges could be full of lovely, artisanal bud, but they could also be stuffed with the trashiest bud dried down to some garbage focus then cut with a variety of things that are disgusting. How can you separate the fantastic tape capsules in the poor?

Having a trusted shop is the ideal approach to discover great pot. Step two: avert these six signs of a terrible vape pen.

It Tastes Just Like a Mojito

Pot has among the broadest including flavor profiles on the planet but it is going to never naturally taste such as blue razz lemonade or cherry mango papaya. These are artificial flavors added to a vape pencil, likely utilized to pay some shitty concentrate.

Fantastic pot tastes excellent, full stop. It requires nothing else, and if you begin adding additional flavors you're always covering for a poor product. Pot firms are needed in Washington to tag every additive that they put to a capsule, so in the event that you see anything such as"natural flavor added" you realize that you're making more than marijuana.

It is getting more popular to include"organic terpenes" into vape pens. These additives are utilized to mimic the organic taste of marijuana, therefore if a chip would like to make a fantastic Lemon Haze breed but is not able to receive that citrusy taste obviously they can simply ditch some non-pot terpenes to the mixture. It is not necessarily harmful but it is a shortcut and generates a poor product.

Shaw explained a correctly made infusion, like state a Tangerine vape cartridge out of Puffin Farms, yet another neighborhood chip making excellent capsules, has each the tastes it requires.

"It is a mouthful of oranges and it is so amazing and astonishing and citrusy on its own only in the plant, I am not interested in other flavored stuff ," explained Shaw.

Luebke said the terpene profiles at a pure pot plant taste better since they comprise of countless terpenes, whereas the terpene additives are only a couple of terpenes mixed together.

Just like you would like your IPA flavored with hops, not synthetic additives, you need to seek out vape capsules having the organic taste of pot.

The Oil Can Be Runny

Is it true that the oil immediately run to another side or does this only slowly begin to change? Pot is a tacky substance alone, therefore if the oil seems fluid and rancid then might be a warning signal that the vape oil was cut with additional additives.

If this runny cartridge is tagged as having a higher proportion of THC, that probably means the chip can also be lying about its effectiveness, based on Shaw.

"You can not purchase a cart that is 90% [THC] and see it proceed. If you eliminate that other fats and waxes, even when you cut it using a great deal of things you can not maintain that percent and have it operate," Shaw explained.

That brings up another point: The very best tape cartridges are ordinarily not the strongest in terms of THC. To attain 90 percent effectiveness chips frequently need to greatly process the focus, losing plenty of those terpenes that provide you a fun high.

"A number of our stories aren't even the greatest percentages, therefore shopping by amounts and purchasing 90% don't feel," Shaw explained. "If it's possible to remain in 60+ at the THC range then you will get just too large, you won't feel as if you're missing ."

It Makes a Massive Cloud

Does your vape pencil create a huge cloud of smoke which suburban vape bros will be jealous of? In that case, that should disturb you.

"Cannabis does not create that sort of cloud, the issue is what's a massive cloud generated by?

That is correct, propylene glycol, a common additive in e-cigarettes, may be utilized to reduce cannabis cartridges and create a bigger cloud of smoke. There are a few studies that state the total amount of formaldehyde is considerably lower than that which you inhale by smoking particular smokes, but nevertheless, any formaldehyde is too much embalming fluid for me.

And propylene glycol is completely unnecessary if the chip is using quality solutions. So major vape clouds may find the e-cigarette crowd giddy, but you should not search for those on your bud vape pen.

You Do Not Know What It's

The liquid within your tape cartridge may not seem like the green kettle you've grew up with but that is just what it is.

Various solvents and approaches have their own advantages, but no matter which method the chip chooses they have to tag whatever solvents they employed. If the packaging onto your tape cartridge does not tag the solvent then do not buy it, it is both prohibited and sketchy.

Very good processors usually give more info than they must provide since they're proud of each step in their process, therefore if a cartridge has extra info, such as terpene information or a description of where the blossom was grown, that is a fantastic sign, based on Luebke.

"Terpene data isn't a necessary test for a manufacturer or processor to shoot and it requires a whole lot of effort to place that info on it," Luebke said. "So that is a sign that the chip cares about the user experience."

Have you ever bought a tape cartridge just to get it crack open and spill tacky oil everywhere or simply quit working? That has become so prevalent that lots of dispensaries now offer you buy-back warranties, ensuring that in case your cartridge rests you'll be able to return and find a brand new one.

But if the shop will exchange out the cartridge that is bad, a busted cartridge is a warning signal that the chip is hoping to create the lowest priced product possible. There's a vast selection of cartridge technologies out there and also the greater cartridges--those which don't split, do not flow nasty substances into the oil, and sometimes even heat the focus --are clearly the more expensive ones.

"You'd never place really excellent oil at a bad capsule, which could be a waste," Luebke said. "it is a indication that the chip is attempting to compete on price stage and they're not investing in their merchandise so that it means they're more inclined cutting corners in any variety of means."

It is Cheap As Fuck

In the end, the purchase price of your tape cartridge will tell you a good deal about what's inside. There is a rush to the lowest prices right now in Washington's marketplace, as a result of countless marijuana companies competing with one another, but purchasing the lowest priced will not get you the very best merchandise.

In Heylo Cannabis they create their own targets almost exclusively with high quality blossom --the exact same sort of nugs which you see available on retail shelves. However, when you see exceptionally inexpensive tape cartridges which means they're almost sure to be made out of cut, the trashy bud leftovers which are way too shitty to market directly to customers.

"If you are like'how can they make it so affordable?' , well, there is a motive," Luebke said.

"If you can not pay $25 for a half g than perhaps you should only buy marijuana," Shaw explained. "If you can spend $35 on a half g you'll be able to get something that's fantastic that could be a good deal more in different areas."

Washington's retailers are conducting some insane sales this summer so occasionally you may discover great vape cartridges for about $25, but in my experience, that's extremely uncommon.

I promise that's due to what's within your vape pencil --a cartridge full of a high quality merchandise will get you superbly significant. Therefore, in the event that you are feeling disappointed with everything you have been vaping, heed this information.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to FiveThirtyEight’s weekly politics chat. The transcript below has been lightly edited.

sarahf (Sarah Frostenson, politics editor): On Sunday, Howard Schultz, former longtime CEO of Starbucks, told “60 Minutes” that he was considering a run for president — but he said he wouldn’t run as a Democrat, instead he’d run as a “centrist independent.”

Schultz’s announcement was met with swift backlash from many in the Democratic Party, including those who fear that a third-party candidate will pave the path for Trump’s re-election. Others, such as David Frum at The Atlantic, have argued that Schultz might be the kind of candidate needed to defeat Trump, as the anti-Trump majority is strong, but it isn’t all that progressive.

So, what do you think — can an independent win?

julia_azari (Julia Azari, political science professor at Marquette University and FiveThirtyEight contributor): Probably not, but I have learned my lessons from 2016 about naysaying.

nrakich (Nathaniel Rakich, elections analyst): People are being too absolutist in thinking that Schultz has a 0 percent chance of winning. He may very well have a 1 percent chance!

natesilver (Nate Silver, editor in chief): An independent could win the presidency, but I don’t think it’s very likely, and Howard Schultz seems like one of the least likely independents to win the presidency.

julia_azari: Whether an independent candidate could have a chance of winning is less about ideological positioning and more about having a solid Electoral College strategy. But I don’t see Schultz demonstrating that he would have one.

Instead, I think he’s trying to make a point about the Democrats moving too far left.

natesilver: I guess if we want to distinguish a 1 percent chance or a 0.1 percent chance from a 0 percent chance, then sure, he “has a chance.” But, I dunno, is Schultz more likely to win the presidency than Pete Buttigieg or Tulsi Gabbard? It’s probably pretty close. And Buttigieg and Gabbard aren’t being booked on every television network.

nrakich: Yes, it’s pretty dramatic how much our political system is stacked against independents.

Parties are very powerful organizations (especially in this era of polarization/partisanship) with built-in operations and supporters. And our winner-take-all system makes it very hard for even a strong independent — say, one who gets 25 percent of the popular vote — to get ANY Electoral College votes.

julia_azari: I’d add that nationalized messaging really puts independents at a disadvantage in a presidential election.

natesilver: I don’t think that’s quite as much of a barrier as people assume.

Like, if the independent gets 37 percent of the vote, and the two major-party candidates get 26 percent each, he’s probably going to win.

julia_azari: Permission for a brief history geek-out?

There have only been a few independent/third-party candidates who won Electoral College votes. Theodore Roosevelt in 1912 — although it probably helps when you, like, used to be the president. Before that, but as part of a related political movement, James Weaver ran as a populist in 1892 and got some Electoral College votes. (The Progressive and Populist movements had a sort of regional base in the West and Upper Midwest, and that’s generally where they did well).

And of course, George Wallace won a bunch of states in the South in 1968, as did Strom Thurmond in 1948.

Third-party politics has changed as television and other mass communications have made regional campaigning less of a thing. The signature third-party candidate of the current era is Ross Perot, who ran as a centrist without a particular regional tie. Perot won a lot of votes in 1992, but no states.

nrakich: Right, the most “successful” independent campaigns tend to be regionally based. But, of course, you can’t win the presidency with just one or two regions, and winning is (theoretically, anyway) the whole point of running.

sarahf: So if Schultz is at a disadvantage as a third-party candidate and is just as much of a longshot as Buttigieg or Gabbard, why is he getting so much attention?

nrakich: That’s the million-dollar question!

I agree with Nate that it’s unwarranted.

But I think it’s probably because media elites generally run in those (small) circles where there is an appetite for a centrist alternative — specifically, someone who is socially liberal but fiscally conservative, a trait Schultz and much of the Acela corridor have in common.

natesilver: Because he’s a rich guy, because the media thinks “Anything Is Possible Because Of Trump,” and because it’s sort of a slow news week.

sarahf: But what do we make of arguments from conservatives like David Frum that part of the panic we’re seeing from Democrats is that the anti-Trump majority is strong, but it isn’t all that progressive, so a candidate like Schultz actually offers more moderate voters an alternative?

julia_azari: I buy the concept that David Frum’s argument resonates with some people. After all, it’s likely that there are people who don’t like Trump, but who also remember Walter Mondale, Michael Dukakis, and, going further back, George McGovern, losing big in presidential elections. Those voters may be worried about the Democrats becoming too liberal and losing in 2020.

nrakich: I’m not sure I buy Frum’s argument. A lot of so-called “progressive” priorities, like Medicare-for-all and legal marijuana, actually have strong majority support, if you believe polling.

natesilver: The panic is dumb and it’s about equally likely that Schultz will hurt or help Trump. But Democrats like to panic and, paradoxically, they’re also feeling very confident about their ability to beat Trump, so they don’t want anything to screw it up.

sarahf: Walk us through those two scenarios, Nate.

natesilver: I guess the scenario Democrats are worried about is that if, say, only 40 percent of the country likes Trump, Schultz will siphon off enough of the anti-Trump vote to allow Trump to be re-elected somehow.

There are a lot of issues with that, though.

One issue is that it presupposes that Trump’s still going to be at a 40 percent approval rating on Election Day next year. If he is, then frankly Trump is pretty screwed, most likely, with or without a third-party candidate in the race. I suppose things would be so dire for Trump at that point that any sort of wild card would help him. But it’s a big assumption to make.

Another issue is that lots of people who disapprove of Trump are going to be inclined to vote for him, especially if they identify as Republicans or Republican-leaning independents.

nrakich: As they did in 2016.

natesilver: Yeah, Trump won quite a few votes last time from people who did not like him because they also didn’t like Hillary Clinton and figured “Why the hell not?” Giving those voters an off-ramp — we’re talking about people who are basically conservative, but not Trump fans — might be helpful to the Democratic nominee, because if forced to make a choice between the major-party candidates they’re probably more likely to vote for Trump than, say, Kamala Harris or Bernie Sanders.

julia_azari: So one of the questions I’ve been thinking about here is ideology vs. partisanship.

The arguments for and against Schultz often assume people vote their ideology, and if there’s an option that’s not as far to the left as other Democrats, maybe they’ll choose that — putting aside for a moment whether this is a real segment of the electorate.

But there’s actually a decent amount of research that pushes back on that, saying that partisanship isn’t just about ideology — it’s also about disliking the other team.

It’s hard to argue that this isn’t the case with Trump and many Democrats.

natesilver: What are the implications of that, though? If anything, it seems to me like anti-Trump sentiment is so strong that Democrats will be very strategic in how they vote.

julia_azari: Exactly.

natesilver: Which means that Schultz wouldn’t pick off very many votes from Democrats.

julia_azari: Yes, that’s what I was trying to get at.

natesilver: And the reaction to his candidacy is sorta proof of that, maybe.

nrakich: Right, and the stereotypical Schultz voters — well-educated, elite — seem like the type who would vote strategically.

They understand, perhaps better than anyone, how voting for a third party runs the risk of throwing your vote away.

sarahf: So is that how Schultz hurts Trump? He takes voters away from Trump who were never going to vote for a Democrat but would support someone different than Trump?

julia_azari: For me the big takeaway is that the current party system precludes third-party impact — not just that third-party candidates aren’t likely to win. Rather, because voters are likely to be really averse to the idea of doing anything that might help the other party win, third-party candidates like Perot have had a harder time gaining traction in the national conversation.

I doubt that reluctant Trump voters would be drawn to Schultz’s socially liberal positions, either.

After all, a big reason why conservatives came home in 2016 and voted for Trump was because of abortion issues and the Supreme Court.

sarahf: So who does Schultz even appeal to?

natesilver: People who hated the Seattle SuperSonics.

People who read Axios.

sarahf: I struggle to understand his appeal as a candidate. Because if Democrats are going to vote for a Democrat regardless, and he’s not going to have much success in pulling away reluctant Republican voters, who then is his base?

natesilver: People who like mocha Frappuccinos.

sarahf: Nate.

nrakich: Probably very few people. Our default assumption should be that he’ll start off at the same level as a generic independent/other candidate in the polls.

julia_azari: He probably appeals to some rich, comfortable Democrats and moderate Democrats — but I just have my doubts about whether he appeals to them enough to attract a vote in the general.

natesilver: Yeah, the “both parties are too extreme” rhetoric will appeal to a certain number of voters.

But not necessarily a ton, especially because Schultz’s message is so substanceless (so far) and superficial. And he isn’t an especially interesting or dynamic guy. But, hey, politics is superficial sometimes.

nrakich: Schultz’s team is trying to argue that there’s an appetite for his candidacy because around 40 percent of Americans identify as independents. But I think that demonstrates how politically naive Schultz is. In reality, many of those people are Democratic or Republican leaners. Only about 12 percent are true independents.

And then even fewer of those independents are actual centrists. Independent does not equal moderate! Many independents are libertarians, or people on the far left who don’t think the Democratic Party goes far enough, like a certain Vermont senator.

natesilver: I’d also note that Schultz isn’t exactly a centrist.

In the context of American politics c. 2019, his economic views are quite conservative.

julia_azari: Centrism is an incredibly hard concept to nail down.

natesilver: Trump has largely given up on deficit reduction as either a rhetorical or an actual objective, for instance, whereas it’s maybe the headline message of Schultz’s campaign.

julia_azari: Right, that was a signature issue for Ross Perot, but the game is different than it was in 1992. Economic inequality has become a key item on the national agenda as a result of figures like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, and vocal movements like Occupy Wall Street. Republicans began talking about the issue a few years ago, too.

Presidential elections turn on whether the economy is good. And, not to revisit the 2016 primary too much, but Bernie Sanders seemed to resonate with certain voters by arguing that the economic system is rigged.

sarahf: So, if you’re Schultz, who is a lifelong Democrat, why not run as a Democrat?

That’s one thing I don’t get about his candidacy. Branding yourself as an independent thinker by running as an independent isn’t necessarily the best way to roll out a platform.

natesilver: Probably because you know you’d get crushed in the primaries.

And also maybe because you’re hearing stuff about Medicare-for-all and a 70 percent marginal tax rate and you don’t think that’s good for you, personally, as a Really Rich Person.

julia_azari: I saw a tweet from Jon Favreau of Pod Save America asking why Schultz thought he could just skip the Democratic primary and go straight to the general election — and asked pretty pointedly if it was because he has a lot of money — which I thought was interesting framing.

But another reason one might arguably go outside the normal party structure is that the parties are a bit beleaguered right now. Case in point: Trump and Sanders got a great deal of mileage out of anti-party messages even in their party primaries.

natesilver: To make an obvious comparison, Bloomberg is polling pretty badly right now. And Bloomberg is much more progressive than Schultz, is much better known, and has a much longer track record of actually doing stuff to support liberal causes (e.g. on gun control).

So if Bloomberg is having trouble seeing an opening, Schultz has no chance in hell.

julia_azari: And Bloomberg has actually held elected office.

natesilver: Yeah. Like, this conversation would be a lot different if Schultz had been mayor of Seattle or something.

Or Tacoma, even. Olympia. Walla Walla.

Anything that showed commitment to public life or any interest in public policy.

julia_azari: I’m not totally sure how to characterize this, but I think his candidacy and the attention it’s garnered is kind of a last gasp at this centrist idea that a non-politician is going to come in and save us.

Some people may have felt this way with Perot almost 30 years ago, but my sense is that the idea may no longer hold the same appeal.

nrakich: I don’t know if it’s a last gasp. I kind of feel like the three constants in life are death, taxes and baseless media buzz about a third-party candidate who’s going to shake up the presidential race.

Remember Americans Elect in 2012? Good times.

And Bloomberg in 2016?

This happens every year.

julia_azari: Sure, but anti-party politics are evolving, and I think Trump and Sanders are more illustrative of what the landscape looks like now.

nrakich: That anti-party messages are most effective within a party?

Yeah, it’s pretty ideal if you can run against the party and give people the rhetoric they want to hear, but still take advantage of all the structural benefits.

natesilver: To the extent it’s the last gasp, it might be because Schultz is such an ineffective messenger for it.

julia_azari: Yeah, I don’t mean it’s the last time this will happen, but I do think its appeal has diminished.

Please don’t ask me to predict the rest of human history, guys.

natesilver: I don’t use these terms a ton, but it reeks of a certain kind of entitlement and privilege to basically say that you’re the only reasonable person in the room and that a “silent majority” (Schultz’s term) of Americans support your ideas, when (1) those ideas just so happen to be in your economic self-interest and (2) you’ve put no real effort into learning about how politics or policy work.

sarahf: I still wonder though what Schultz’s candidacy would mean for the Democratic primary if he were to run as a Democrat. Would it force the conversation to hit more issues in the middle? Or are we past that point, and now if a candidate doesn’t support some version of Medicare-for-all they can’t win the nomination?

natesilver: In terms of what would happen if Schultz were a Democrat, I think he’d get literally almost no traction and it would be a non-story.

sarahf: So that’s interesting. Are we only experiencing the current Schultz-mania because he’s an independent?

natesilver: I think so, Sarah. I mean, look, there’d be a few days of coverage. But there’s not a big market for this candidacy in the Democratic primary and, to the extent there is, Schultz is not the right vessel for it.

nrakich: This is only tangentially related, but I also don’t know how much appetite there is among anti-Trumpers for yet ANOTHER rich businessman with no political experience.

Just another reason Schultz isn’t the best type of independent, I guess.

natesilver: I agree with that, Nathaniel. It’s an awfully weird time to claim that running as a businessman with no political experience is an asset, when you’re also claiming that Trump is a terrible president.

julia_azari: But on the topic of “electability” (heavy quotes), a conversation that was already happening before Schultz announced, Schultz theoretically possesses the qualities that make voters feel more confident — he’s a centrist, he’s older, and he’s a white man.

Arguably, he’s also a foil for what could be a very diverse crowd of candidates in the Democratic primary.

natesilver: But to some extent, he can be a foil for whoever the Democratic nominee is anyway.

julia_azari: Unless it’s Biden! Since he’s also an older white man and has kinda distanced himself from some of the heavy redistribution policies that other Democrats have advocated.

natesilver: In part because (so far) he’s a pretty bad spokesman for his positions.

Maybe he’ll get better.

nrakich: Honestly, the backlash has been so swift and unanimous, I wonder if Schultz even goes through with it.

sarahf: Yeah, maybe he won’t run.

natesilver: To appear in the presidential debates, he’d have to get enough of a base to poll at 15 percent.

nrakich: He got his media attention. He’s selling his book. Why drag yourself through the mud on an actual presidential campaign?

natesilver: But, like, having Kamala Harris standing on stage against two old rich business dudes who are saying we need to roll back the welfare state is a contrast that probably works pretty well for Kamala Harris.

julia_azari: Definitely in the Democratic primary.

sarahf: Any closing thoughts?

nrakich: I think Kyle Kondik pretty much summed up my thoughts on Howard Schultz’s chances as an independent:

One way of thinking about third party presidential aspirants in 2020. In 2016, two of the least-popular major party candidates in history faced each other, and third party candidates received… just 6% of the total vote.

— Kyle Kondik (@kkondik) January 28, 2019

[violesense]

People Who’ve Survived Serial Killers

Tali Shapiro

  Throughout the 1970s, Rodney Alcala terrorized multiple states, brutally murdering young women and photographing them. Alcala’s believed to have murdered up to 130 women, although only eight have been confirmed. Tali Shapiro, a native of West Hollywood, California, recalls encountering the ruthless killer when she was just 8-years-old.

  On a sunny September morning in 1969, Tali was walking to school from her home, deciding to walk along Sunset Boulevard to get to her destination. All of a sudden, Alcala pulled alongside Tali in his vehicle and offered her a ride. She refused, telling the man she wasn’t allowed to talk to strangers. He insisted that he knew the girl’s family, and claimed to have had a beautiful photograph to show her. Though hesitant, she approached his car, making this the last memory she had of that morning. 

  After a neighbor saw Tali’s abduction, police immediately went to Alcala’s home, where he ultimately refused to let authorities inside. When they barged in, they found an unconscious Tali with a metal bar around her neck, appearing as though Alcala had been pinning her down with it. It was revealed that she had also been sexually assaulted, but the young girl miraculously recovered from her attack, eventually being one of the victims to have Alcala sent to death row in 1979.

Corazon Atienza

   In 1966, 23-year-old Corazon Atienza was a Filipina exchange student, who lived and worked in Chicago studying to be a nurse at South Chicago Community Hospital, where she roomed with seven other nurses in the 23 block of East 100th Street. 

  On July 13th, eight of the nurses, including Atienza, were resting in their apartment when they heard a knock at the door. Richard Speck, holding only a pairing knife, forced his way into the door. He stripped and slashed the bed sheets to tie the nurses up, where his rein of torture only began. According to Atienza, Speck initially told the women that he only wanted money so he could get to New Orleans, assuring that he wasn’t going to harm them. However, Speck ultimately raped and murdered each nurse one by one, mutilating their bodies with the knife he’d brought along. All the while this was occurring, Atienza lied traumatized and hidden underneath a bed, never being seen by Speck.

  With Atienza’s first-hand account of the whole ordeal, Speck was immediately arrested and tried for the murders, where he was ultimately sentenced to death for the crime. In 1991, Speck died of natural causes while imprisoned.

 Rebecca Garde

  Gary Ridgway, or otherwise known as “The Green River Killer,” actively murdered multiple women over the span of almost two decades, having been suspected of murdering up to 70 women. Although he appeared to be an idealistic family man, Ridgway had an infatuation with torturing and murdering runaways and prostitutes.

  It was 1982, and 20-year-old Rebecca Garde had just gotten off work at her job in Seattle, impatiently waiting for a bus in the chilly November air. With no buses in sight, Garde ultimately decided to hitchhike back home. It was then that Ridgway offered a ride to Garde, who didn’t appear to look suspicious, so she willingly hopped into his pick-up truck. 

  Sometime during the ride, Garde had offered the man $20 for sex, figuring she could use the money to buy marijuana. Although he accepted her offer, Garde began to get an odd feeling from the man, in which she asked to see his identification. After seeing his ID and a photo of his family, her worries became at ease. 

  When the two parked, Ridgway walked Garde in the woods for more privacy, being just a short distance away from a trailer park. Much to the surprise of Garde, Ridgway attempted to strangle her from behind, though she she gave her attacker a good fight. She slammed Ridgway into a tree, immediately running towards the trailer park and alerting authorities. 

  Though Garde didn’t initially report the attack, she eventually testified against Ridgway when he was caught in 2001, where he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Garde is his only survivor. 

  Bryan Hartnell

   The case of the Zodiac Killer is probably one of the most notable crimes to date, not only for the brutality of the crime, but that the perpetrator has never been identified even to this day.

  In 1969, couple Bryan Hartnell and Cecilia Shepherd were relaxing on the shore line on Lake Berryessa in Napa, California, when the duo were approached by a masked gunman who appeared to have been wearing a strange costume. Without warning, the two were then tied up and forced on their stomachs, where the gunman then repeatedly stabbed Hartnell and Shepherd in the back. 

  Hartnell and Shepherd were immediately taken to the hospital, where Shepherd was able to give a description of their attacker before passing away from her wounds. As for Hartnell, he surprisingly survived, though was obviously left distraught over the loss of his love. Though the Zodiac Killer has never been identified, Hartnell eventually went on to marry and have children of his own.