And in other news:

A San Francisco jury found a man accused of possessing magic mushrooms not guilty Friday after his lawyer argued that he forgot they were in his backpack, so he could not have knowingly possessed them.

HA! Take that, Otherwise Cruel and Merciless Criminal Justice System!

In the "thoroughly not recommended" department:

A driver who came to the Rohnert Park CHP office hoping to get a fix-it ticket fixed now is being investigated for transporting marijuana after he was found to have 17 pounds of it in his car, the CHP reported.

The man caught the attention of two CHP officials at about 3 p.m. Thursday. His SUV was about to turn onto Labath Avenue and appeared to be skating through the red light when the driver saw the CHP car and stopped short, said Sgt. Robert Mota.

The SUV, which also didn't have a front license plate, pulled into the CHP parking lot, said Mota, who was driving the patrol car.

Mota went to speak with the driver, who said he was there to deal with the lack of a license plate. Mota smelled marijuana inside the vehicle, he said.

Officers found the 17 pounds in large plastic containers and called county narcotics officers to investigate.

Hilariously:

The driver indicated he had paperwork for possessing medical marijuana but 17 pounds is well over allowable limits, Mota said.

WHAT? I swear, what is this nation coming to when 17 pounds of pot in Tupperware containers are cause for investigation?

[Thanks, Luke!]

Oh really:

Nine years ago, supporters of medical marijuana asked the federal government to reclassify cannabis, which was listed as a Schedule I drug, the most restricted category of drug under the Controlled Substances Act in 1970. The petition asked the the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to take into account research showing marijuana's medical uses, which have been recognized in various states and the capital. For years, no final decision was reached, the Los Angeles Times reports. Two months ago, advocates asked the U.S. Court of Appeals to force the Obama administration to respond to their petition. Finally, in a decision published Friday, the DEA denied the request, ruling that marijuana has no accepted medical use and should remain classified as a highly dangerous drug like heroin.

DEA Administrator Michele M. Leonhart wrote that she rejected the request because marijuana, like other Schedule I drugs, "has a high potential for abuse," "has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States," and "lacks accepted safety for use under medical supervision." She wrote that "At this time, the known risks of marijuana use have not been shown to be outweighed by specific benefits in well-controlled clinical trials that scientifically evaluate safety and efficacy."

Alrighty then. Good to know. I'll revise every single thing I currently already know to be true about the topic accordingly.

[Thanks, Sam Hell!]

New research indicates cravings for salt are not much different than cravings for cocaine:

PRIMORDIAL instincts that drive animals to seek out salt may be governed by the same mechanism that drives drug addicts to hunt down their fix.

Researchers deprived mice and rats of salt, then offered them salty water to drink. After killing the animals they examined gene activity in the hypothalamus, the brain's "reward" centre. They found that gratification genes had been activated - the same genes that are active in cocaine and heroin addicts when their craving has been satisfied.

If the team used a drug to block the effects of dopamine, the neurotransmitter associated with feelings of enjoyment, the animals did not drink the salty water. This suggests that the urge to seek out salt is indeed linked to the reward mechanism...

This is entirely unrelated I'm sure to the guy I knew in high school who thought it would be hilarious to snort a big line of salt. I'm not sure he felt "rewarded" by the experience, but whatever.

[Thanks, Ben!]

Let's just say for the sake of argument you were thinking of introducing someone to the idea of psychedelic therapy - or the value of taking psychedelics in general. If that were the case, you might want to check out this snazzy little resource guide pulled together by Alex Krupp:

In February 2011, Oprah Winfrey's popular O Magazine published a stirring cover article on MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for PTSD. This article brought a huge amount of mainstream attention to the idea of psychedelic psychotherapy. Though this particular article was about MDMA for use in treating PTSD, psychedelics can be used for a wide variety of other therapeutic purposes as well.

This lens is an introduction to psychedelic therapy, and also to psychedelics in general. Many of the links I include aren't specifically about therapy, because I think to really understand how these compounds work as therapeutic agents it's essential to also know something about the nature of the psychedelic experience.

What follows is an introduction to all of the most interesting, insightful, and informative videos, podcasts, books, talks, and articles on psychedelic therapy and psychedelics.

"What follows" may seem obvious to some but is certainly a handy primer-slash-overview that may serve to orient newbies who are hungry for a little research material on the topic.

CNN is running a review of - and a great slideshow featuring excerpts from - a new book called "Are You Experienced? How Psychedelic Consciousness Transformed Modern Art," put together by New York Times critic Ken Johnson.

[Thanks, Luke!]

Mostly self-explanatory.

Talk to your doctor about "Drug" today, the revolutionary new pharmaceutical breakthrough.

[Thanks, Kat!]

They make noise by flapping their meat. They sing by squirting air through their meat.

[Thanks Sam Hell!]

Another genius video from MK12.

While we have a few minutes before the next show, why not treat your family to something special at our refreshment stand? We have all kinds of tasty treats -- a hot, delicious pizza for dad, ice-cold refreshments for mom, fresh popcorn for junior, and Milk Bombs for sis! Tempt your taste buds today with our wide selection of sweets and all-American beef products

But hurry -- the show’s about to begin! Just “FOLLOW THE SUN” down to the refreshment stand!!

[Do not back out!]