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  14. Day 100: This Is My Body (2024)

    in sexy philosophical model

    Posted

    Today we read about Jesus' powerful teaching about the Eucharist. Fr. Mike invites us to believe that the Eucharist is truly the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ because Jesus said it himself. Today's readings are John 4-6 and Proverbs 5:7-14.

    For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

    Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

    Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

    View the full article

  19. Day 99: The Word Became Flesh (2024)

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    Posted

    Today we begin reading the Gospel of John! Fr. Mike emphasizes the significance of Jesus' divinity, and explains how the story of salvation culminates in Christ as the Messiah.

    For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

    Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

    Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

    View the full article

  20. Messianic Checkpoint: The Gospel of John (2024)

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    You've made it to the first Messianic Checkpoint! Jeff Cavins joins Fr. Mike to introduce the Gospel of John. They discuss the structure of this Gospel and what makes it so different from the other three Gospels. We learn that the Gospel of John doesn't just tell us what Jesus did, but most importantly who he is.

    For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

    Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

    Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

    View the full article

  21. Day 98: Israel Asks for a King (2024)

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    Fr. Mike draws our attention to Samuel's sons who turned away from God as they ruled over Israel and how the people of Israel rejected God from being their king. Today's readings are 1 Samuel 6-8 and Psalm 86.

    For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

    Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

    Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

    View the full article

  22. Day 97: Samuel's Prophecy (2024)

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    Fr. Mike zeroes in on Samuel's dramatic prophecy and the tragic moment when the Philistines capture of the Ark of God. We learn that God is mighty and holds his people to a high standard. Today we read 1 Samuel 3-5 and Psalm 150.

    For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

    Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

    Support The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz)

    View the full article

  23. HT>Announcing the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2024

    in High Times

    Posted

    We’re announcing the return of the highly-anticipated High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2024! 

    It’s the fifth year we’ve set up a competition in Michigan—one of our most enthusiastic event markets—and the most recent rundown of winners showcases Michigan’s finest products. With a massive 20-category breakdown this year, we’re proud to display the winners of a variety of categories, as determined by our Michigan judges.

    Anybody can be a Judge and you don’t need to be an esteemed member of the cannabis community—just have the passion and grit needed to determine the next year’s winners. Act fast, as product submissions will be taken May 27 through June 7 in the Detroit area. Judge Kits go on sale June 22.

    Judges will analyze products in their Judge Kits and a backpack full of potent submissions, using a variety of criteria. For the categories involving flower, pre-rolls, vape pens, and concentrates, judges will take note of a product’s aesthetics, aroma/scent, taste/flavor profile, burnability, effects/effectiveness, and terpene profile. Edibles have a slightly different list of considerations, including packaging and labeling. For categories like Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals, judges will rank them based on ease of use as well. They’ll have about three months to narrow down their choices. Saturday, August 24 is the judging deadline for Cannabis Cup Judges.

    On Sunday, September 15, the winners will be announced! The entry categories include the following:

    1. Rec Indica Flower (4 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    2. Rec Sativa Flower (4 entries max per company)  (state-licensed adult-use)
    3. Rec Hybrid Flower (4 entries max per company)  (state-licensed adult-use)
    4. Rec Pre-Rolls (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    5. Rec Infused Pre-Rolls (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    6. Rec Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    7. Rec Non-Solvent Concentrates (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    8. Rec Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    9. Rec Non-Distillate Vape Pens & Cartridges (2 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    10. Rec Edibles: Solvent Gummies (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    11. Rec Edibles: Non-Solvent Gummies (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    12. Rec Edibles: Non-Gummies (3 entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    13. Rec Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals (3 Entries max per company) (state-licensed adult-use)
    14. MEDICAL Indica Flower (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
    15. MEDICAL Sativa Flower (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
    16. MEDICAL Hybrid Flower (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
    17. MEDICAL Pre-Rolls (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
    18. MEDICAL Concentrates (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
    19. MEDICAL Infused Pre-Rolls (4 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)
    20. MEDICAL Edibles (3 Entries max per company) (State-Licensed Medical-Facility)

    Entry Requirements

    One entry requires a $250, non-refundable fee, while two entries require a non-refundable fee of $100 per entry. Three or more entries requires a $100 refundable deposit per entry held, refunded when all entries are successfully submitted. Entry fees are waived for sponsorships. As medical patients are allowed to have higher amounts of certain forms of cannabis in Michigan, entry requirements vary for adult-use and medical products as follows:

    Recreational:

    • Flower: (228) 1-gram units. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
    • Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (228) units: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2-gram flower-only each;
    • Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 3-gram flower-equivalency or 1-gram concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
    • Concentrates & Vape Pens: (228) .5-gram units. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries are required for Carts.
    • Edibles: (100) units with 100mg THC max.
    • Sublinguals, Capsules, Tinctures + Topicals:  (60) units with 500mg THC max

    Medical:

    • Flower: (228) 1-gram units. We will not accept any 3.5-gram entries.
    • Pre-Rolls & Infused Pre-Rolls: (100) units: Pre-Rolls will be capped at 2-gram flower-only each;
    • Infused Pre-Rolls will be capped at 5-gram flower-equivalency or 5-gram concentrate-equivalency each by METRC equations.
    • Concentrates & Vape Pens: (100) .5-gram units. We will not accept any 1-gram entries. Batteries are required for Carts.
    • Edibles: (100) units with 200mg THC max.

    Looking Back at Events in Michigan

    Let’s take a look back at a few past highlights in the Midwest. Michigan has hosted many Cannabis Cups with notable faces over the years, and we have some signature years underneath our belts. 2018’s High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan festivities, for instance, were headlined by Lil Wayne, Waka Flocka Flame, Vic Mensa, Machine Gun Kelly, Yo Gotti, and more. 

    The 2019 Michigan Cannabis Cup showcased amazing submissions of strains like Critical Mass by Mrs. Berry Kush or Tropicana Cookies by COCO Extracts.

    Last year, at the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2023, winners received the coveted High Times Cannabis Cup trophy, a longtime symbol of quality in the cannabis community. It was designed by Alex and Allyson Grey, made from zinc and 24k gold plating.

    The post Announcing the High Times Cannabis Cup Michigan 2024 appeared first on High Times.

    View the full article

  24. HT>New York Judge Strikes Down Cannabis Marketing Rules

    in High Times

    Posted

    A New York court ruled in favor of Leafly Holdings and other plaintiffs that the state’s ban on third-party cannabis marketing is unconstitutional, striking down advertising rules, after the ruling initially invalidated all of the state’s adult-use regulations.

    Last September, a lawsuit filed by the plaintiffs Leafly Holdings, adult-use retailer Stage One Dispensary, and a customer who uses Leafly to inform her decisions about cannabis purchases challenged New York’s ban on third-party advertisers. Specifically, the plaintiffs sued over rules that banned third-party marketing for cannabis companies—think apps and platforms like Weedmaps and Leafly. Leafly documents over 5,000 cannabis strains and shows their terpene profiles, lineage, and effects among other data that can make choosing a strain safer.

    The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) regulations on non-plant-touching third-party platforms, as is, would essentially block Leafly from doing business in New York. In the lawsuit, Leafly cited several allegedly problematic rules including one that bans retailers from paying for “marketing or promotion through a third-party platform, marketplace, or aggregator that lists cannabis products for sale”; and another that bans licensees from contracting with a “person or entity performing any function or activity directly involving the licensed activities authorized for the license type.” 

    State Supreme Court Justice Kevin R. Bryant ruled in favor of the plaintiffs Thursday, declaring that the New York cannabis industry’s rules are arbitrary, capricious, and therefore unconstitutional. Bryant’s April 4 decision invalidates OCM cannabis regulations parts 118-121, 123-125, and 131, saying that the OCM failed to show evidence to justify how the rules were developed.

    “We are reviewing the decision and exploring all possible legal options,” a representative of the OCM told High Times Friday morning.

    Leafly Holdings, Inc., et. al v. New York State Office of Cannabis Management, et. al reads, “For the foregoing reasons, the petition is granted, and the following sections are hereby declared null and void as arbitrary and capricious; The Third-Party Marketing Ban, Parts 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §§123.10(g)(21) and 124.5(a); the Pricing Ban, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §124.1(b)(5)(ii) the Third-Party Order Ban, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §123.10(g)(23); the Third-Party All-Licensee Listing Mandate, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §124.l(b)(2); and the Third-Party Distributor Listing Mandate, 9 N.Y.C.R.R. §124.l(c)(l)-(2),” Honorable Kevin R. Bryant, J.S.C. Ruled. The original sweeping order appeared to invalidate all of New York’s adult-use rules, however the ruling was quickly clarified to apply only to marketing rules by the end of the day.

    Leafly was more than pleased with the news. “It’s impossible to overstate the importance of providing consumers with choices, and educational information when making purchasing decisions,” the company said in a statement. “It is critically important that licensed retailers have equal access to important advertising and marketing tools to help them succeed in a competitive landscape.” Leafly didn’t immediately respond to High Times for comment.

    Did the Ruling Invalidate New York’s Cannabis Regulations?

    For a few hours on Thursday, the ruling invalidated or appeared to invalidate the whole of New York’s cannabis regulations as it was originally written. Syracuse.com reports that Judge Bryant’s “jaw-dropping decision” applied to the regulations broadly, and it “strikes down all New York recreational cannabis rules.” Chris Roberts for MJBizDaily wrote that the decision could send New York’s into “chaos” as it was unclear if cannabis businesses could be operated without any rules in place, or what else might happen.

    Some people were happy to see the rules get tossed. Why? Lawsuits and bureaucratic problems have left New York’s adult-use cannabis market in bedlam. Only about two dozen legal dispensaries are open, as oversupply from farmers stacks up and black market shops step in to fill the void. Even Gov. Kathy Hochul called it a “disaster” so some didn’t exactly shed a tear when it appeared the rules were invalid.

    State Sen. Jeremy Cooney, chair of the Senate’s cannabis subcommittee, was among those who quickly slammed the ruling, before the ruling was amended.

    “Today’s State Supreme Court decision was another setback in a series of blows New York’s adult-use cannabis market has faced since legalization, three years ago,” he wrote in a statement. “While some changes to marketing regulations are needed, the decision by the Court to throw out all agency regulations will ultimately slow progress at a time when we need to more aggressively combat illicit shops to grow a stronger, more-equitable legal market.”

    Fox News reports that the court “dramatically scaled back his order from the previous day that had invalidated most of the state’s cannabis regulations in a case challenging rules for advertising marijuana.”

    Now that the court has clarified that the ruling only applies to marketing and advertising rules, it demonstrates how Leafly’s win will open up the doors to third-party companies looking to expand into New York’s market.

    The post New York Judge Strikes Down Cannabis Marketing Rules appeared first on High Times.

    View the full article

  25. HT>New York Bill Would Revoke Illicit Pot Shops Liquor, Tobacco Licenses

    in High Times

    Posted

    A New York state lawmaker is proposing legislation that would give regulators the authority to revoke the liquor, lottery and tobacco retailer licenses from stores that sell weed without a license. If passed, the legislation would go into effect immediately, giving officials new tools to combat the illicit pot shops that have proliferated since the state legalized adult-use cannabis in 2021.

    Democratic Assemblyman John Zaccaro Jr., a Democratic legislator from the Bronx, is the lead sponsor of the legislation in the New York State Assembly. The measure (A09520) has already attracted 70 co-sponsors in the chamber after being introduced late last month. A companion bill in the Senate (S08847), sponsored by Democratic Senator Jamaal T. Bailey, has 10 co-sponsors.

    The legislation “Provides for the revocation of licenses to sell cigarettes, tobacco products, alcohol and lottery tickets for the possession or sale of illicit cannabis in violation of the cannabis law,” according to the text of the measure. Businesses caught selling cannabis without a license would be subject to losing their licenses for one year on the first offense. A second offense within three years would subject the businesses to license revocation for three years and a third violation would result in the loss of cigarette, liquor and lottery retailer licenses for five years.

    Thousands of Unlicensed Pot Shops in New York City

    The legislation was introduced as the state, particularly New York City, continues to deal with thousands of retailers selling cannabis without a license. The office of New York Mayor Eric Adams recently reported that approximately 2,500 unlicensed weed retailers were operating in the city. Meanwhile, a slow rollout of licensed cannabis retailers has seen only about 40 regulated pot shops open in the city since the first began serving customers in the closing days of 2022.

    Zaccaro said that the unlicensed shops are “choking” the regulated cannabis market as it struggles to get on its feet. Most of the retailers selling weed without a license are smoke shops and bodegas, businesses that would be severely impacted by the loss of the revenue streams provided by cigarettes, alcohol and lottery tickets.

    “We need to be able to go back to our districts and be able to let our constituents and people know that we took this issue seriously,” Zaccaro told the New York Daily News on Wednesday The lawmaker added that he hopes the legislation will pass quickly, either as a stand-alone bill or as part ongoing negotiations for the state budget, which have already exceeded a deadline of April 1.

    State and city regulators have already made several attempts to combat the proliferation of unlicensed weed shops with little lasting success. In the New York City Council, local lawmakers are supporting a plan to shut down unlicensed pot shops under a decades-old nuisance abatement law that allows the city to close some businesses, such as brothels. Despite having 26 sponsors on the 51-seat council, however, the plan has not had a hearing.

    While Zaccaro’s bill to revoke cigarette, liquor and lottery licenses from shops that sell marijuana without a license gives state and local officials new tools to combat the illicit operators, putting them to use is another matter. Cannabis attorney Fatima Afia said that state regulators at the state Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will have to commit significant resources to enforcement for the legislation to be effective.

    “I imagine that it would require a lot of resources, a lot of time, a lot of energy — basically all the things that OCM has clearly not had for purposes of enforcement up until now,”  Afia said, adding that the slow rollout of regulated cannabis retailers is exacerbating the problem.

    “The biggest supporter of the illicit shops is the fact that we don’t have enough licensed entities out there to compete with them,” said Afia.

    Zaccaro’s bill has been referred to the Assembly Economic Development Committee, while the Senate version is under consideration by the chamber’s Budget and Revenue Committee.

    The post New York Bill Would Revoke Illicit Pot Shops Liquor, Tobacco Licenses appeared first on High Times.

    View the full article

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