Elevate and Evolve | Cannabis & Psychedelic Culture Blog
These short documentaries by Matthew Killip feature people who work with monkeys and apes around the world. Some work partnerships between man and monkey bring them closer together by employing the intelligence of our ape cousins.
Travel 50 Miles north of Tokyo and you will find the peaceful city of Ashikaga. Founded in 1921, it is home to Japan’s oldest and largest Wisteria tree found in Ashikaga Flower Park.
This tree is described as the most beautiful tree in the world.
The tree is huge, an impressive nearly 2,000 square meters (half an acre). The tree’s life began in 1870, and is meticulously cared for. Due to the weight of its vines, they must be held up by steel supports.
This allows visitors of the park to walk beneath its amazing canopy and bathe in the pink and purple light reflected by the beautiful hanging blossoms.
> Most Beautiful Tree in the World | Off Grid World
Stoner girls take pride in being free spirits and that can mean little or no attachment to things, places, and even loved ones.
Excerpts from Don’t date a girl who travels by Adi Zarsadias:
Don’t date a girl who travels. She is hard to please. The usual dinner-movie date at the mall will suck the life out of her. Her soul craves for new experiences and adventures.
Chances are, she can’t hold a steady job. Or she’s probably daydreaming about quitting. She doesn’t want to keep working her ass off for someone else’s dream. She has her own and is working towards it.
She makes money from designing, writing, photography or something that requires creativity and imagination. Don’t waste her time complaining about your boring job.
She might have wasted her college degree and switched careers entirely. She is now a dive instructor or a yoga teacher. She’s not sure when the next paycheck is coming. But she doesn’t work like a robot all day, she goes out and takes what life has to offer and challenges you to do the same.
So never date a girl who travels unless you can keep up with her. And if you unintentionally fall in love with one, don’t you dare keep her. Let her go.
Short Film Directed by David Joseph Falossi II, Edited by Jonathan Wallace
While the Spanish culture certainly embraces their buds, it’s become clear that they do so in subtle and elegant ways.
The Barcelona Hemp Museum presents valuable paintings and prints depicting cannabis use throughout history and rare antiques, such as the various tools and implements used to make hemp into rope, paper and fabrics.
A medicinal section representing one of the world’s largest collections of medicinal cannabis bottles dating back to the 19th Century testifies to the widespread use of medicinal cannabis in the past.
Cannabis Social Clubs are private places where the social side of cannabis is encouraged since it is illegal in Spain to profit directly from it.
The clubs are formed by thousands of members, creating a strong pressure group supported by professionals and legislators as well as large plaintiffs firms and specialized doctors. A CSC is a social meeting place, a catalyst for art and culture in general, a “fix” on the loopholes to grow and use cannabis at a private place.
The Takao Trick Art Museum is located at the foot of Mt. Takao west of Tokyo, Japan. Trick Art challenges visitors to interact with 3D paintings to make funny and creative photo ops. The game is a of tug of war between the artist and the observer.
Unlike the United States’ arcane Cannabis policies, these 8 countries actually take facts into account when classifying and regulating Marijuana.
In Spain personal marijuana has been legal for decades. Today Barcelona is en route to challenge Amsterdam as the world center of pot tourism. In Spain, anyone is allowed to grow the herb for personal use, and – echoing California’s rules for medical marijuana use – growers can form collective, nonprofit, members-only cannabis clubs.
Barcelona officials have given their blessing to this new phenomenon. … The number of cannabis clubs that have opened in Barcelona recently has some experts saying this city will soon challenge Amsterdam as the go-to destination for vacationers who want to get high in peace. – Suzanne Daley New York Times
Daley reported that the pot clubs provide an economic boost.
Though they are nonprofits, advocates say the clubs are generating thousands of jobs and tax revenues for the state. In addition to selling a wide array of cannabis products and hashish, many of the clubs also sell food and drinks and offer extras to their members, like live music nights and Pilates classes.
Portugal has enjoyed the benefits of all-out drug decriminalization for over a decade. Portugal became the first nation in Europe to decriminalize personal possession of drugs – including marijuana, cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine – in 2001.
Decriminalization means those drugs remain illegal, but instead of throwing people in jail for their use, the country imposes a fine similar to a traffic ticket and provides addiction treatment options. By removing criminal penalties for drug use, the nation was able to fund the resources necessary to treat drug addiction as the health crisis that it is.
Today in Portugal if you’re convicted of possessing small amounts of drugs, you visit a psychologist, social worker and legal advisor who determine what kind of treatment you need. Prior to decriminalization, Portugal had a serious drug problem, but over the last decade the nation has seen a decline in drug use.
While critics of the law warned that drug use would swell, it has not risen. We have seen significant reductions in H.I.V. infections and in overdoses, as well as a substantial increase in new patients seeking drug treatment. – João Castel-Branco Goulão, Portugal’s national Drug Coordinator & Chairman of the European Monitoring Center on Drugs and Drug Addiction
While the Great White North does not allow marijuana for recreational purposes anywhere, it has a nationwide government-sanctioned medical marijuana program. About 20 companies are licenced to mass-produce cannabis in Canada for medical purposes.
In addition to the substantial economic boost that comes from the new market, the Canadian government probably took the stacks of convincing research on cannabis’s potential health benefits into account in its decision to allow large scale medical marijuana production and distribution.
In Israel a $40-million-per-year medical-marijuana industry is thriving.
The Israeli government is funding and supporting breakthrough research on the many healing potentials of the cannabis plant – from cancer, to addiction, to psychological traumas. Israel’s federal government sanctions their national medical marijuana program.
According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Iceland smokes the most weed in the world, on average. The report, which included a breakdown of illegal drug use per country, found that 18.3% of the Icelandic population smokes weed. The United States ranked fourth in the report, with 14.8 percent of the population using pot.
Whatever the reason for their infatuation with cannabis, Icelanders were also found to be one of the happiest populations on the planet.
Surprisingly, cannabis remains illegal in the Netherlands.
The Dutch government and law enforcement are extremely tolerant of the herb and possession of small amounts is decriminalized nationwide. Two million tourists per year visit the city of Amsterdam for its legendary “coffee shops,” which are licensed to sell weed. You’re not allowed, however, to buy your bud on the streets, and coffee shops do card.
In response to increasing drug trafficking activity and violence, Uruguay became the first nation to legalize marijuana across the board, in December 2013. It did so in an effort to undermine the powerful cartels that have ravished much of the rest of Latin America. The plan in Uruguay is to set government weed prices extremely low so that cartels will be forced out of business.
While many had hoped to see Uruguay’s pot sales start already, President Jose Mujica announced that complications have delayed sales until 2015.
While not officially confirmed, according to Open Radio North Korea, as well as other news outlets and visitor reports, marijuana has never been controlled in the country and is not considered to be a drug. While the North Korean penalty for hard drugs like meth is severe, people are allowed to smoke pot without regulation – it even grows freely on the side of the street.
NK NEWS receives regular reports from visitors returning from North Korea, who tell us of marijuana plants growing freely along the roadsides, from the northern port town of Chongjin, right down to the streets of Pyongyang, where it is smoked freely and its sweet scent often catches your nostrils unannounced. Our sources are people we know who work inside North Korea and make regular trips in and out of the country.
There is no taboo around pot smoking in the country—many residents know the drug exists and have smoked it. In North Korea, the drug goes by the name of ip tambae, or ‘leaf tobacco.’ It is reported to be especially popular amongst young soldiers in the North Korean military. Rather than getting hooked on tar and nicotine like servicemen in the West, they are able to unwind by lighting up a king-sized bone during down time on the military beat. – VICE
> 9 Marijuana Policies From Around the World That Are Way Ahead of the U.S | Waking Times
In few other cities is it possible to walk from spectacular location to spectacular location. Rob Whitworth had a fantastic time adventuring around Barcelona’s winding streets making this short film.
Special thanks to Ferran Macià Edo and his colleagues from Agència Catalana de Turisme (Catalan Tourism Board) for helping me get access to shoot at numerous stunning locations including:
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Gran Teater del Liceu
Sagrada Familia
Museu D’Historia De Barcelona
Palau de la Música
Santa Maria del PiMy time in numbers:
363 hours work
75 Hours Logistics and Travel
31 Hours Scouting and Location Finding
78 Hours Shooting
179 Hours Post Production
26014 Camera Raw Files
817gb of data
You have the world available to you, and there are plenty of options for international exploration.
If you have a skill that you can take with you overseas, like writing or design, or if you’re willing to teach English, work in a café, or become a tour guide, you’re in a good position to live in one of these inexpensive countries.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $300
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $70
Home to the Songkran festival and the world’s largest Buddha, there will always be amazing festivities to take part in. If you choose to plant yourself in Thailand, you’ll probably run into a bunch of other expats, as it’s one of the top choices for those wishing to move.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $320
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $120
The Mayans invented the chocolate bar and Guatemala is the birthplace of blue denim. Apart from these culturally significant facts, having the Mayan ruins closer to you isn’t a bad deal. Neither is a monthly transportation pass for less than $20.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $223
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $50
With a less than $300 monthly price tag on a one bedroom apartment, you’ll be tempted to spend the excess cash in Malaysia’s modern cities but spend wisely so you can maximize your experience before returning home.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $450
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $75
How would you like the see the sun rise in the Pacific and set in the Atlantic? If that sounds ideal, then put Panama on the top of your travel list.
Once you’re there and you notice the splendor of the tropical rain forest within city limits, calling Panama “home” will seem like a pretty wonderful idea. If perchance you get injured while swimming in either the Atlantic or Pacific oceans on any given day, seeing a doctor will only cost you around $35.00.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $90
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $30
Sandwiched between India and China, Nepal is a hub for cultural diversity and Eastern spirituality. If you’ve finished school and want to use your gap year to resolve your existentialist crisis and “find” yourself, Nepal may be the country you need to experience.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $300
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $50
For those well-versed in the leisurely hobby of being a foodie, Vietnam is the country for you. With an abundance of locally grown food, getting a bite to eat will rarely cost you more than $5 and a beer won’t set you back more than $1. Also, you aren’t expected to tip at restaurants, so there’s another excuse to use your oven as storage and eat out.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $150
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $40
Because prices are so low in Central America’s largest country, you could easily upgrade your lifestyle by moving to Nicaragua. It will cost you less than $10 to get around on public transportation every month and a gym membership will only cost you $30 monthly.
Average Monthly Rent (1 Bedroom): $150
Average Monthly Utilities (Electric, Heating, Water, Garbage): $40
Home to one of the oldest civilizations, the invention of chess, and one of the seven wonders of the world, India makes an excellent home for anyone seeking to be emersed in the wonders of Eastern history and religion.
Not only can one live and eat for less than $400 a month, keeping yourself entertained by the sights and exploring the countless educational opportunities in India make it a valuable destination to live in. Stay away from the overpopulated cities, though— the congestion won’t be worth the extra funds in your bank account.
The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.
– Marcel Proust, French novelist
> 10 Awesomely Inexpensive Countries to Live in Abroad | Complex
Street art has gone from being a neighborhood nuisance to a respected form of artistic expression. It is impossible to deny the expression of talented individuals around the world. This world is their canvas, let us marvel at their work.
The Republic of Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean. It consists of 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double chain of 26 reefs, spread over roughly 90,000 square kilometers, making this one of the most distinct countries in the world.
We live in a world of matter but matter is just energy and when we see it all, take it all in, there’s something resting between the lines, just waiting to be seen.
It is the spirit of love, the spirit of connection. It found me here, and in my heart it will stay.
The atolls are composed of live coral reefs and sand bars, situated atop a submarine ridge 960 kilometers long that rises abruptly from the depths of the Indian Ocean and runs from north to south.
Cannabis is supposed to be illegal in the Maldives, but the majority of the population either smokes brown sugar or hashish oil. Law enforcement usually won’t hassle visiting stoners, but it’s recommended to smoke your stuff indoors at your hotel.
It’s easier to buy hashish oil in Male’ than it is to buy a beer. As a rule if you spot 8 local youths on the street, its more than likely that 7 of them are hashish oil smokers. The best locations for stoners to go to are the famous surfing point on Male’ island and around the carnival near the ferry terminal to the airport.
Summer never ends. The Indian Ocean has a great effect on the climate of the country by acting as a heat buffer, absorbing, storing, and slowly releasing the tropical heat. The temperature of Maldives ranges between 24 °C (75 °F) and 33 °C (91 °F) throughout the year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the constant cool sea breezes keep the air moving and the heat mitigated.
Crystal clear waters, beautiful white sand beaches, swaying palm trees and amazing dive sites – that’s why the Maldives, is known for being one of the best tropical holiday destinations in the world.
With an average ground level of 1.5 metres (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, it is the lowest country on the planet. More than 80 per cent of the country’s land, composed of coral islands scattered over an area about 850 km across the equator, is less than one metre above sea level.
Each resort in the Maldives is housed on a separate island by itself and offers an exotic blend of modern luxury and isolated serenity.
Here is a list of travel locations that look so unreal, you’ll wish you had a teleportation machine equipped with cannabis and shrooms.
Created by the awesome forces of the Vatnajvkull ice cap in the south of the volcanic island, the deep blue cave was formed by the glacier meeting the coastline.
The centuries old ice that has come from the slopes of 6,921 feet tall Vrffajvkull, Iceland’s tallest active volcano, has compressed all air out of the ice adding to the texture and color of the cave.
The mountains of this range, including Roraima, are considered to be some of the oldest geological formations known, some dating back to two-billion years ago. Its near daily rains have also created a unique ecosystem which includes several endemic species, including a unique carnivorous pitcher plant, and some of the highest waterfalls in the world.
Salar de Uyuni is the world’s largest salt flat. The area, some 11,985 feet above sea level, is always a tourist playground, with salt hotels and hot springs serving as major attractions.
Early landscape formation joined together all the rock layers of colors imaginable in one place, specifically in the area known as Zhangye Danxia, thus achieving what is perhaps the greatest gathering of different pigments in natural stone in the world.
The Stone Forest is a notable set of limestone formations located in Yunnan Province, China. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like petrified trees thereby creating the illusion of a forest made of stone.
The bizarre pink color of Lake Retba is caused by Dunaliella salina, a type of halophile green micro-algae, that is found in the water. The high salt content of the lake means that not only is there a booming salt collecting industry on its banks, but like the Dead Sea, you are able to float in it.
Grand Prismatic Spring has the distinction of being the park’s largest hot spring. It measures approximately 370 feet (112.8 m) in diameter and is over 121 feet (37 m) deep. A hot spring is an area where heated water can easily rise through cracks and fractures in the earth’s surface.
The breathtaking colors are attributed to the various species of thermophilic bacteria living in the spring. The blue water in the center is very hot, but it may support chemotrophic life – a chemotroph is an organism that uses chemicals for a source of energy. As you move farther from the heat source of the spring, life begins to flourish. The cyanobacteria – aquatic photosynthesizing bacteria – that live at the edges of Grand Prismatic Spring cover the color spectrum including yellow, green, orange, red, and brown.
The Door to Hell is a natural gas field in Derweze (also spelled Darvaza, meaning “gate”), Ahal Province, Turkmenistan. The Door to Hell is noted for its natural gas firing which has been burning continuously since 1971, fed by the rich natural gas deposits in the area. The pungent smell of burning sulfur pervades the area for some distance.
Richat Structure is not the site of an ancient meteor crater, as many people originally postulated. These concentric circles are actually alternating layers of sedimentary, metamorphic, and igneous rocks that were pushed upward in a symmetrical anticline, geologic dome, from below due to a small incursion of magma. The structure is a deeply eroded. The sedimentary rock exposed in this dome range in age from Late Proterozoic (2.5 billion years) within the center of the dome to Ordovician (480 million years) sandstone around its edges.
When the sun gets too stoned, it can forget when to leave or when to show up.
The midnight sun is a natural phenomenon occurring in summer months at places north of the Arctic Circle and south of the Antarctic Circle where the sun remains visible at the local midnight. The midnight sun is visible at the Arctic Circle from June 12 until July 1. The further north one goes the longer this period extends. In “The Midnight Sun”, an episode of The Twilight Zone, the Earth is on a collision course with the sun, causing a midnight sun effect.
The polar night occurs when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. This occurs only inside the polar circles.
The polar night in Ny-Ålesund (Island of Spitsbergen) lasts from late October to late February, almost four months in total, and this is a collection of almost every time lapse I did during the polar night, several which I have not uploaded before. The last shot of the movie is made on the last day of the polar night, at a mountain south of town. Unfortunately there was too much clouds to see the sun. – The Ny-Ålesund time lapse Chronicles
The concept of a night of almost one month long has been the subject of the vampire movie 30 Days of Night. In this film, the vampires are drawn to the long duration of darkness, allowing them to terrorize the area as they please.
