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Three more states legalized marijuana for recreational or medical use on Tuesday. The victories in Michigan, Missouri and Utah expand the significant gains in the movement to legalize marijuana. In both Utah and Missouri, voters legalized marijuana for medical purposes ― the 31st and 32nd states to approve medical cannabis. Voters in Michigan legalized recreational marijuana, making it the 10th state in the nation and the first state in the Midwest to do so. North Dakota, voters rejected a measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana. Steve Hawkins, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project said “this is yet another rejected election for the movement to end marijuana prohibition.“ “Voters have once again sent a message loud and clear that it is time to legalize and regulate marijuana. The Michigan victory highlights just how widespread support is for marijuana policy reform. Michigan voters approved Proposal 1, allowing adults 21 and older to buy, grow, use and possess marijuana for recreational purposes. Adults can grow up to 12 marijuana plants in their homes for personal use. Additionally, the initiative legalizes the cultivation of industrial hemp, which can be used to make textiles, biofuels and foods. Under the measure, adults can be in possession of 2.5 ounces of marijuana, a provision similar to the state’s medical marijuana law that was approved in 2008.

This issue does not only enjoy strong support on the coasts but also in the Midwest and all throughout the country.”  Voters in Missouri were considering three separate proposals to legalize medical marijuana on their ballot, and all three aimed to legalize the use, purchase and possession of marijuana for medical purposes and would allow the state to set up a regulatory framework for licensed dispensaries. On Tuesday night, just one passed. Amendment 2 legalized medical marijuana and imposes a 4 percent tax on all marijuana sales. That revenue will be used for health care services for veterans. The Salt Lake Tribune in Utah, projected that voters would approve Proposition 2, which allows patients to legally use, possess and purchase marijuana for medical purposes for conditions such as HIV, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, autism, cancer and Alzheimer’s. The measure would ban the smoking of marijuana but does allow vaping, marijuana-infused edibles and other means of consumption. During any 14-day period, a state-licensed cardholder could purchase as much as 2 ounces of marijuana. Beginning in 2021, medical marijuana cardholders who live more than 100 miles from a state-licensed dispensary would be allowed to grow as many as six marijuana plants for personal medicinal use. However, access to legal medical marijuana was likely in the state, regardless if the measure passed. In October, Utah medical marijuana advocates and state lawmakers agreed to a compromise bill that would legalize medical marijuana in the state but with some differences from the ballot initiative.

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 A small group of British conservationists, The Warwickshire Amphibian and Reptile Team — the memorably acronymed WART – are installing mesh- covered ladders in roadside drains to save trapped amphibians from certain death in hopes that by placing 20 of the rust-resistant aluminum ladders down drains near known breeding pools in England’s West Midlands, they can boost the dwindling amphibian population. “By installing the amphibian ladders, it enables them to get back out of the drains and back to their breeding pools and doing what they should do and making more amphibians,” one frog lover said. “The amphibians are coming to breed and then hitting the road, getting across the roads, hitting the curb, along the curb and into the drains. And then that’s it – end of story for them, game over,” said Tim Jenkins, a ladder fitter at WART. And the issue of trapped toads is not limited to Britain, a 2012 study in the Netherlands estimated that more than half a million small vertebrates like frogs, toads and newts end up trapped in gully pots and drains each year.

It is one of the factors, along with habitat loss, that is blamed for common toad numbers declining by 68 percent in the UK over the past 30 years, according to a 2016 report by the conservation group Froglife. Each of the ladders designed by the British Herpetological Society costs 15 pounds ($20), a large price for a local conservation group. The group hopes their endeavors can inspire other conservation groups in the UK to help the oft-maligned critters. WART says it’s seen a drop in the number of amphibian prisoners since the ladders were installed, but there is a limit to how much they can do. They’re absolutely excellent for gardens because they eat lots of invertebrates – potential pests in your garden,” Jenkins said. “They’re an overlooked species and they have their role in the ecosystem.

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Police in Hartford, Michigan, are currently investigating how a batch of 12 weed-laced desserts were distributed at Hartford High School on Sept. 26. Michael Prince, a Hartford patrolman, who is investigating the incident, told local station WWMT it’s one of the stranger cases he’s seen. A cheerleader’s dream of becoming homecoming queen may have gone to pot, just because of a few marijuana brownies. “We are investigating two things. Number 1, some were put in goody bags for players, Number 2, they were used to obtain votes for the queen contest.” According to WWMT. “You always think you’ve heard it all and seen it all, and there is always something new to surprise you,” Prince told the station. According to a note posted on Facebook by superintendent Andrew Hubbard, an investigation confirmed several students received brownies laced with marijuana.

Michigan State Police heard about the alleged brownie bribes via an anonymous tip, according to CBS Chicago. “All individuals involved are being dealt with according to our District Policies and Student Handbooks. Hubbard wrote, we have notified the Hartford Police Department and are assisting them in their criminal investigation of the matter. High school staff members recovered three of the brownies and sent them to the state police crime lab for testing to confirm the presence of drugs. The desserts have been sent to the state police crime lab for testing. The remaining nine are unaccounted for, and were possibly consumed by students, according to local station WXMI TV. The cheerleader whom he said is the main suspect is currently out of state, reportedly dealing with a family emergency. He told WXMI he hopes to interview her when she comes back to town. Prince says any students who distributed the brownies could face felony charges.

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Experts are trying to determine the cause of flames of up to 12 feet high spontaneously erupting from a pit in Midway, Arkansas. Could it be… Satan? So far, they’ve come up empty. But they know what didn’t cause it. The fire burned for about 40 minutes on Sept. 17 from a hole believed to have been made by animals, the newspaper said. “As far as the spiritual Satan goes, we’ve ruled that out,” “He didn’t come up and stick his pitchfork in the ground and blow that hole out.” Judge Mickey Pendergrass told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. “But what caused it? I have no idea. There’s no gas lines nearby and there was no smell of natural gas.” He also ruled out a meteor strike, as the 3.5-foot-deep pit had been there for some time.

“I took a temperature reading of it and it showed 780 degrees inside the hole,” fire Chief Donald Tucker told the Springfield News-Leader. “I can’t think of any geologic situation that would allow that to happen. Not in this area,” Ty Johnson, an Arkansas Geological Survey geologist told KY3. Jim Sierzchula, director of Baxter County Office of Emergency Management, told the News-Leader there used to be a gas station nearby, but there’s no indication that it caused the fire, there were lightning strikes in the area the night before. “What ignited it and what fueled it we still don’t know,” Pendergrass told KY3. “And it may remain forever a mystery.”

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(Reuters) – The Houston City Council on Wednesday prevented what was billed as the first brothel in the United States equipped with sex dolls by altering a local ordinance to block the business and any others like it.  “You cannot engage in sexual activities with any inanimate objects at the business,” Turner said in explaining the change. The Houston Chronicle reported that Toronto-based KinkySdollS had planned to open a Houston location where customers could both buy “adult love dolls” and rent them for use in private rooms.

Mayor Sylvester Turner told reporters after the council meeting that the vote amounted to a modification of an existing city ordinance. People will still be able to buy the dolls, he said. The company has opened a similar business in Toronto, according to its website. “We are investigating our options,” he said in a telephone interview. KinkySdollS founder, Yuval Gavriel, said he is talking to lawyers about suing the city over its decision.

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 Officially named 2015 TB145, it”s a different kind of Halloween sequel in the works, and it’s coming soon to the skies near Earth. A skull-like asteroid that passed Earth in October 2015 is coming back for another visit in early November. The asteroid has been called The Great Pumpkin by NASA because of its Halloween flyby three years ago. 2015 TB145 has also been described as a “death comet” because it’s believed to be a dead comet and because of its skull shape, which was picked up on radar images from the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico:

Despite the spooky appearance and nicknames, 2015 TB145 will pose no threat to life on Earth. Vishnu Reddy, a research scientist at the Planetary Science Institute, said “we found that the object reflects about 6 percent of the light it receives from the sun.” Reddy said in a 2015 news release. “That is similar to fresh asphalt, and while here on Earth we think that is pretty dark, it is brighter than a typical comet which reflects only 3 to 5 percent of the light. That suggests it could be cometary in origin ― but as there is no coma evident, the conclusion is it is a dead comet.”

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The Florida high school where 17 people were killed in a mass shooting is getting a therapy dog to help students who need emotional support. A 3-month-old female Bernese mountain dog-poodle mix named River, has been adopted by Ray and Diana Haneski. Mini bernedoodle’s like River averages 30 to 45 pounds (14 to 20 kilograms) fully grown. Haneski helped shelter 50 kids during the deadly shooting at the school on Valentine’s Day. Now she will be bringing River into the school to help those coping with trauma. River will live with and go to work with Haneski. She’ll receive free basic training as well as pet therapy training thanks to Fun Dog Training.

She told NBC 6 after meeting the dog Thursday that “it’s magical.” As she tries to prepare herself to return to the school, she said, “River’s going to help in the future with a lot of struggles and trouble.” In the aftermath of the tragic shooting, friends and family members of the victims, as well as survivors, were showered with condolences and prayers from strangers around the country. After seeing the positive affects the therapy dogs had on the shooting survivors’ healing process, Meryl Berdugo decided she wanted to help extend that support system beyond those first weeks following the deadly massacre, Launching a GoFundMe campaign to get two therapy dogs for the school. For more information and to donate to help support the therapy dogs at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, visit the GoFundMe.

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The first time Zoe Ligon a sex educator and artist, watched porn she was searching the now defunct file-sharing program LimeWire for the music video to The Black Eyed Peas’ 2005 hit “My Humps.” “It was seven girls on their hands and knees and this guy was spanking them like a xylophone,” she recalled with impressive detail. Ligon found her fair share of humping, but no Fergie. “I remember thinking, woah, I wasn’t meant to see that. It was shocking, but I wasn’t offended or anything. I’d just never seen people behaving in such a playful manner ― while nude.” Today, Ligon is a sex educator, teaching young women and men how to seek pleasure through sex. She also owns a “no-nonsense” sex toy store based in Detroit called Spectrum Boutique. And when she’s not spreading the gospel about the joys of strap-ons or the malleability of sexual identity, she makes art. We may never know the anonymous individuals involved in that fateful xylophone orgy, but if they’re somehow responsible for introducing Ligon to the world of alternative sexuality, we should be grateful for their work.

Ligon makes collages, cutting and pasting scenes from vintage porn magazines to transform cheesy and sleazy smut into less explicit, but more erotic, works of art.  Clicking through an endless stream of unclothed bodies smacking up against each other, you can start to feel numb, porn, for all its attempts to be shocking and explicit, can, over time, become kind of a bore for those who spend a lot of time looking at it. Ligon’s images, however, are strange, unsettling and alien. They replace the female form with pure shape and color, leaving the viewer in a space between arousal and confusion. Her recent exhibition, titled “Woman with the Good Meat Removed,” at Brooklyn’s Superchief Gallery conjures, quite viscerally, women whose bare flesh have been sliced out and replaced with flat, uniform hues. “When my work makes someone feel uncomfortable, I like for the person to explore where that unease is coming from and why they feel uncomfortable looking at that piece,” she said. challenging them to realize at which point they become rattled, even if no actual skin is on view. “That’s probably the biggest experience people can take away from my work.”

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People first noticed the bizarre object ― which looks a little like a giant metal starfish with eight legs ― off the shore of Westerly, Rhode Island, is making a big splash because of its murky origins. It was embedded in the sand about six feet underwater. Curiosity finally got the better of locals, who hired an excavator to dig up the object  on Thursday, according to The Westerly Sun. The excavator wasn’t able to dig up the object in one piece, but was able to show that it has a circular base with metal poles leading to a single point at the top, according to WPRI-TV. A 12-year-old boy who witnessed the excavation told The Westerly Sun that it might be a UFO. After the excavation, workers loaded the pieces onto a truck and took them to an undisclosed location, presumably for further examination. A view of the strange object found off a beach in Westerly, Rhode Island.

WPRI-TV asked if he knew what the object was. “We haven’t solved anything here today, we have no clue,” Brockmann replied. “Hopefully, the experts in this field will take a look at it, now that we have it out, and be able to identify it.” Archaeologist Stephen Carini had his own theory. It’s not that mysterious. It’s been here forever, It’s a big piece of concrete and metal that they used, probably as a buoy, for rescue rafts when there were shipwrecks here back when,” Carini told WFSB-TV “It’s been marked by a buoy for the past several years. It may be a while before the public discovers what the object really is.

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“It’s high tide in northeast Florida,” Large packages of marijuana washed up on beaches in Flagler, St. Johns and Volusia counties last week, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release sent to Huffpost.com/section/weirdnews on Wednesday and authorities are trying to figure out why. Authorities in Flagler County found an estimated 100 pounds of the marijuana wrapped in bundles, over two days after receiving reports last Thursday of “multiple packages, on the beach near Jungle Hut Park, and in St. Johns County, north of Flagler County, an off-duty sheriff’s deputy fished an additional package of marijuana from the water, the Coast Guard found seven or eight more packages off the coast, The Washington Post reported. Surfers found a bundle containing 23 bags of marijuana in Ormond-by-the-Sea last Wednesday, according to WFTV9 ABC: There were even more packages of weed further south in Volusia County. Flagler County Sheriff’s Office shared photos of a person finding a package of marijuana in the surf and bundles of marijuana recovered by police. While medical marijuana is legal in the state of Florida, the recreational consumption of marijuana is not.

Law enforcement officials in Flagler County, identified Robert Kelley, who they said failed to report finding an 11-pound wet “brick” of marijuana on the beach on Thursday. Witnesses say they saw Kelley opening the package and removing its contents, according to authorities. Deputies on the scene at Jungle Hut Park on Thursday “made contact with Kelley and asked if he took some of the suspected marijuana.”  [Kelley] pointed at his vehicle and stated that he was holding it for law enforcement’s arrival,” officials said. Deputies searched the vehicle and said they found the brick of marijuana wrapped in plastic inside a brown beach towel. Authorities are now on the lookout for at least one more beachgoer. The Flagler County Sheriff’s Office asked residents to identify a woman who was photographed reaching into a package suspected to contain marijuana. A sheriff’s spokeswoman, Anna Hackett, told Huffpost.com/section/weirdnews that deputies have turned the bundles of weed over to U.S. Customs and Border Protection for further investigation. Kelley was eventually arrested and released on $2,500 bond.

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