Culture
Marijuana Icon Willie Nelson Pushes For The Legalization Of ‘Comfort’ In Super Bowl Ad…For Shoes
Willie Nelson wants to legalize…comfort. And the artist and marijuana icon will be making the not-so-subtle case for a policy change in a Skechers commercial set to air during the Super Bowl on Sunday.
The shoe company has frequently presented commercials at the football event, but this one marks a significant marijuana moment. In the commercial, which specifically avoids explicit mention of cannabis but strongly implies that the plant is the subject, Nelson says he’s spent years advocating for the legalization of “the one thing that can bring comfort to millions: Skechers.”
“You see, Skechers should be legal,” the artist, donning a shirt with a “LEGALIZE” slogan says, before being cut off by a director who responds, “I don’t think Skechers are illegal anywhere.”
“But to feel so good, I just assumed The Man made them illegal,” Nelson, described with an on-screen chyron as an “activist and comfort expert,” says. Viewers are left to connect the dots to cannabis for themselves.
“No,” the director says.
“Not even a little illegal—like you can wear them to a concert but not to a kids’ soccer game?” Nelson asks.
“You can wear Skechers anywhere,” the director says.
“Well, pass the Skechers,” Nelson says.
The ad ends with an on-screen slogan: “Skechers, legalized comfort.”
While marijuana use for adults has been increasingly normalized, the Super Bowl is a major advertising opportunity, with millions set to tune-in on the shoe company’s promotion.
“I can’t resist making an appearance during the Super Bowl,” Nelson said in a press release. “And I’m doing this because of a message we can all agree on—everyone deserves the right to feel comfortable. From the bus to the stage to a jog around the ranch, staying healthy and feeling good is how I can keep doing what I love.”
Skechers President Michael Greenberg said that Nelson “is an American icon whose appeal knows no boundaries and a perfect fit for our new global campaign that begins at the Super Bowl.”
“He’s still on his feet doing what he loves best—entertaining the masses on tour, and now helping spread our comfort message along the way,” he said. “We know featuring Willie’s genuine personality and well-known passions in a pair of commercials will make an impression for the millions watching the game. Fans will remember that only Skechers offers innovative comfort technologies that are almost beyond regulation.”
The announcement that this specific ad will be aired also comes days after the marijuana technology company Weedmaps released a satirical ad about a man dressed as broccoli who’s going through an identity crisis because people have come to associate the vegetable with cannabis.
That ad is a commentary on the censorship that marijuana businesses continue to face on social media and mainstream advertising, forcing people to use emojis like broccoli, maple leafs and literal pots to talk about cannabis.
Weedmaps said that the timing of the release was intentional, pegged to the Super Bowl. Just like when CBS rejected a cannabis-related ad in 2019, Weedmaps said it reached out about running their own ad this year, and “the network did decline the request,” according to a press release.
Anecdotally, marijuana brands and influencers commonly complain that their accounts are shut down by platforms like Instagram, even in cases where they’re not directly selling or promoting the sale of cannabis.
Advocates also found it hypocritical that Twitter partnered with a federal drug agency last year to promote substance misuse treatment resources when users of the social media platform search for “marijuana” or certain other substance-related keywords—but no such health warning appears with results for alcohol-connected terms.
While Nelson made headlines in 2019 after saying that he’d stopped smoking marijuana—while still consuming in other forms—his son later said that “it’s safe to say Willie will never stop enjoying Mary Jane.”
The singer also said in 2018 that he’d be more than happy to smoke cannabis with former President Donald Trump, former President Barack Obama and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Former President Jimmy Carter also discussed a time when his son smoked marijuana at the White House with Nelson during his administration in a CNN documentary in 2020.
House Marijuana Banking Bill Sponsor Is ‘Confident’ It Will Advance Through Senate Despite Obstacles
Photo courtesy of Skechers.
Culture
U.K. Lawyer Dons Vegan Hemp Wig As Alternative To Horsehair, Disrupting Centuries-Long Tradition
An attorney based in the U.K. is disrupting the centuries-long tradition of barristers wearing wigs made with horse hair. He wants lawyers in the country’s high courts to start donning vegan, hemp-based head coverings instead.
Samuel March first previewed the hemp wigs last year. He said that horsehair wigs that have been standard garb are outdated, and the cannabis-based version could serve as an animal-friendly and more environmentally sustainable vegan alternative to the status quo.
A closer look at the world's first plant-based barrister's wig, swapping horsehair for hemp… pic.twitter.com/jMK8WDuEMa
— Samuel March (@Sam_Oscar_March) March 6, 2021
As it stands, the hemp wig is in the “testing phase” for interested members. But he hopes it catches on.
“Hemp is a notoriously tough material so I do not anticipate there being any issues [with wear and tear], but there is always a risk where you’re the first in the world to try something,” March recently told The Telegraph. “Making them here [in the UK] on this scale and price point means my market is largely limited to vegan barristers, which is a small market—but one that I intend to keep selling to.”
Hemp & Hemp, the company March founded to supply the cannabis-based headwear, says on its website that it makes “the world’s first ever plant-based, vegan-friendly wigs for barristers.”
Intent to supply…
The world’s first plant-based wig for barristers is now available to order. It swaps horse hair for hemp and is 100% vegan friendly.
New website just dropped: https://t.co/brd2ihmdNR pic.twitter.com/brIXDLgFoG
— Samuel March (@Sam_Oscar_March) February 22, 2022
The U.K. government hasn’t been especially progressive when it comes to marijuana reform, but the country has embraced non-intoxicating hemp in varying forms over recent years.
March further recognized that hemp wigs aren’t for everyone, and he’s not trying to push it on barristers with reservations.
He said that upholding the longstanding legal tradition of wearing wigs in the first place should be made optional “for people who wear turbans, headscarves, have afro hair or any reason to feel uncomfortable dressing as a white man from the 18th century.”
I love my wig but they should be optional for people who wear turbans, headscarves, have afro hair or any reason to feel uncomfortable dressing as a white man from the 18th century. Not all barristers are eccentric white, male, privately educated former Cambridge drama students.
— Samuel March (@Sam_Oscar_March) February 24, 2022
“Not all barristers are eccentric white, male, privately educated former Cambridge drama students,” he said.
To that point, a black barrister recently criticized the “culturally insensitive” and “ridiculous” tradition of requiring lawyers to subscribe to an outmoded hair styling that requires donning horse-derived hair to appear in legal proceedings.
Leslie Thomas QC said that the wig mandate “represents and signifies the culturally insensitive climate”—an issue that came to the fore after another barrister, Michael Etienne, who has an afro, was threatened with disciplinary action if he chose not to cover it with a wig.
Quick response to some FAQs arising out of this:
đźš No: Very sorry to disappoint those asking, but nothing in my hemp wig contravenes the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.
✅ Yes: I do have intent to supply- but I need time. I’m keeping a list; reach out and I’ll keep you posted. https://t.co/f0h7Hdutp0
— Samuel March (@Sam_Oscar_March) February 27, 2021
Meanwhile, lawmakers and officials in other countries have similarly taken steps to normalize hemp.
Late last year, for example, Berlin’s public transit authority sought to take the stress out of holiday travel with promotional hemp-infused tickets that riders could eat.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), meanwhile, is sponsoring a project to develop hemp fiber insulation that’s designed to be better for the environment and public health than conventional preparations are.
Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this week that it is awarding a Washington State-based company a $100,000 grant to support the development of sustainable bricks made from industrial hemp.
Photo courtesy of Twitter/Samuel March.
Culture
More Americans Say It Would Be Better If People Used Marijuana Instead Of Alcohol, Poll Shows
More Americans think it’d be good if people switched to marijuana and drank less alcohol than think the substance substitution would be bad, according to a new poll.
When asked in the YouGov survey, twenty-seven percent agreed that it’d be ideal if people used more cannabis instead of booze, whereas 20 percent said that would be a bad idea.
However, most respondents (38 percent) said it would be neither good nor bad, and an additional 15 percent said they weren’t sure.
While there’s been ample discussion about the pros and cons of alcohol versus cannabis, advocates have been quick to point out that liquor is strongly associated with long-term health issues and people can die from alcohol poisoning.
In contrast, there are no recorded deaths attributed solely to a marijuana overdose—by the federal government’s own admission—and the plant’s compounds have been shown to be medically beneficial for a number of health conditions.
The demographic breakdown of the poll, which involved interviews with 10,412 Americans on February 28, found that Democrats were more likely to say that making the switch to marijuana from alcohol would be good (34 percent), compared to Republicans (18 percent) and independents (27 percent).
Would it be good or bad if the average American drank less alcohol and used more marijuana?
Good – 27%
Bad – 20%
Neither – 38% https://t.co/WClXigomly pic.twitter.com/sxYGoj7OgQ— YouGov America (@YouGovAmerica) February 28, 2022
People aged 30-44 were the most likely to say cannabis substitution would be good (34 percent), whereas just 17 percent of those 65 and older said the same.
Regardless of public opinion, it does appear that states where cannabis is legalized for adult use are seeing a stronger trend toward marijuana sales over time.
For example, Massachusetts is officially collecting more tax revenue from marijuana than alcohol, state data released last month shows.
Illinois also saw cannabis taxes beat out booze for the first time last year, with the state collecting about $100 million more from adult-use marijuana than alcohol during 2021.
A 2019 report separately found that the number of drunk-driving accidents in Idaho decreased following the legalization of cannabis in neighboring Washington State.
Photo courtesy of Pixabay.
Culture
NCAA Moves To Lower Marijuana Penalties For Student Athletes And Increase THC Threshold In Drug Tests
Students athletes that are part of the NCAA would no longer automatically lose their eligibility to play following a positive marijuana test under rules that are being recommended by a key committee.
Additionally, the NCAA Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports (CSMAS) said that, effective immediately, the THC threshold that constitutes a positive test is being increased from 35 to 150 nanograms per milliliter, aligning the organization’s policy with that of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Members have spent the last few months discussing potential changes to NCAA cannabis rules. And the decision to recommend greater leniency is consistent with conversations that have been ongoing in multiple professional sports leagues as more states move to enact legalization.
Committee on Competitive Safeguards and Medical Aspects of Sports adjusts THC test threshold https://t.co/x5Z04kTmDN
— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) February 25, 2022
“Reconsidering the NCAA approach to cannabis testing and management is consistent with feedback from membership on how to better support and educate student-athletes in a society with rapidly evolving public health and cultural views regarding cannabis use,” Brian Hainline NCAA’s chief medical officer, said in a press release.
“Marijuana is not considered a performance-enhancing substance, but it remains important for member schools to engage student-athletes regarding substance use prevention and provide management and support when appropriate,” he said.
While the committee’s eligibility recommendation is not binding, it urged each of the NCAA three divisions to adopt them into their respective bylaws.
For a first positive THC test, CSMAS said there should be no loss of eligibility as long as “the school provides a management plan and education for the student-athlete.”
The same goes for a second test, unless the athlete didn’t comply with the management plan, in which case the committee recommended a suspension from participation in 25 percent of regular season games. For a third violation, the recommendation is no loss of eligibility unless the athlete failed to comply with past management and education plans, and in that circumstance CSMAS says they should face a 50 percent regular season suspension.
By contrast, the current bylaws for Division I, II and III student athletes stipulate that a positive marijuana test immediately renders the player ineligible for 50 percent of the regular season. And for a second positive test, the athlete would be subject to the standard banned substances ineligibility bylaws, which means they would be suspended for an entire season.
“These adjustments to the NCAA drug testing program were approved after careful consideration and extensive discussion of the recommendations made by the Drug Testing Subcommittee, which has been meeting since last fall,” CSMAS Chair Stephanie Chu said. “The updated cannabis testing policies create a clear pathway for student-athletes to participate in education and management programs specific to their needs at the campus level.”
The conversation around drug testing and professional sports came to the fore last summer after U.S. sprinter Sha’Carri Richardson was suspended from the Olympics over a positive THC test. She admitted to using cannabis in a legal state after learning of her mother’s passing.
More recently, Richardson challenged the decision to allow a Russian skater to continue to participate in this month’s winter games despite the discovery that she’d tested positive for a banned performance enhancement drug.
The runner said last year that she’d feel “blessed and proud” if the attention her case raised would affect a policy change for other athletes. Even the White House and President Joe Biden himself weighed in on the case, with the president suggesting that there’s a question about whether the marijuana ban should “remain the rules.”
Meanwhile, the NFL’s drug testing policy already changed demonstrably in 2020 as part of a collective bargaining agreement.
NFL players no longer face the possibility of being suspended from games over positive tests for any drug—not just marijuana—under a collective bargaining agreement. Instead, they will face a fine. The threshold for what constitutes a positive THC test was also increased under the deal.
The NBA announced late last year that is extending its policy of not randomly drug testing players for marijuana through the 2021-2022 season. The association won’t be subjecting players to random drug testing for THC; however, they will continue to test “for cause” cases where players have histories of substance use.
In a similar vein, the MLB decided in 2019 to remove cannabis from the league’s list of banned substances. Baseball players can consume marijuana without risk of discipline, but officials clarified last year that they can’t work while under the influence and can’t enter into sponsorship contracts with cannabis businesses, at least for the time being.
Marijuana icon Snoop Dogg, who was featured at the Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday where an ad separate aired that indirectly supported legalization, argued that sports leagues need to stop testing players for marijuana and allow to them to use it as an alternative to prescription opioids.
