A self-propelled, semi-submersible vessel that was smuggling more than 3,800 pounds of cocaine was intercepted by a U.S. Coast Guard cutter, off the coast of Texas, according to a statement released on December 8, by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Self-propelled, semi-submersible vessels are low-profile vessels designed to navigate low in the water to avoid detection.

However, on November 13, a CBP and Air and Marine Operations (AMO) crew, in coordination with interagency partners, pursued a self-propelled semi-submersible vessel engaged in cocaine smuggling.

CBP and AMO apprehended the three-person crew during joint operations in international waters. All three suspects will face charges in the U.S.

Read More:https://hightimes.com/news/coast-guard-intercepts-submarine-boat-cocaine/

In a desperate attempt to avoid being sued into the pits of bankruptcy, Purdue Pharma, which manufactures the rock star painkiller OxyContin, is on the move to settle opioid lawsuits all over the country. A recent report from Bloomberg suggests the company could offer states “payoffs” to keep from being implicated in the U.S opioid epidemic.

It seems the orders coming down from the boardrooms of Big Pharma is to throw money at those states affected by the opioid crisis and hope that it is enough to keep the situation out of court. Apparently, Purdue has sent a legal team out into the field to see how well received the concept of a settlement is to state attorneys general. The goal is to strike up a preliminary deal and prevent more states from launching investigations.

The company has to do something to stop the bleeding.

Read More:https://hightimes.com/news/purdue-pharma-looking-settle-opioid-lawsuits/

When it comes to combating the wicked war on weed, it is typical for law enforcement agencies all across the globe to destroy seized marijuana. It is sort of a chubby middle finger buried in the sphincter of the culture of all highness, a combustible sacrifice to the proverbial gods of government, just to let them know that pigs are still running the farm.

But in Germany, where President Trump’s version of American politics was born and bred through occult magick, incestuous orgies and good old-fashioned brute force, police are apparently using the marijuana confiscated from large black market busts to heat the homes of Munich residents.

That’s right, the pigs are turning pot into power.

Read More:https://hightimes.com/news/germany-burning-marijuana-heat/

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New Jersey Senator Cory Booker remains at the forefront of cannabis legalization, not only in the state of New Jersey but on a federal level.

Back in August, Booker introduced a progressive new policy to federal lawmakers called the Marijuana Justice Act, which would effectively remove cannabis from the controlled substances list, amongst a plethora of other things.

This week, his endeavor, once again, picked up steam as the New Jersey senator received the support of  U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, who became the first U.S. Senator to officially co-sponsor the marijuana legalization bill.

A Dynamic Duo: Cory Booker Finds Co-Sponsor For Marijuana Legalization Bill

On Monday, the senators took to Facebook Live to express their excitement over the new team-up. Booker noted that their conjoined effort is necessary to stop the broken prohibition system the U.S. currently employs.

Read More:https://hightimes.com/news/cory-booker-finds-co-sponsor-marijuana-legalization-bill/

In 2017, some Americans could buy legal marijuana almost as easily as they could order a pizza. Pot shops outnumber Starbucks stores in states like Colorado and Oregon, and medical marijuana delivery services drop the drug off at people's doors in California and Massachusetts.

With marijuana now more accessible — legally — than ever, more researchers are weighing in on its health effects. But that doesn't mean we fully understand the plant or its impacts.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine released a massive report in January that gives one of the most comprehensive looks — and certainly the most up-to-date — at exactly what we know about the science of cannabis. The committee behind the report, representing top universities around the country, considered more than 10,000 studies for its analysis and drew nearly 100 conclusions. Many of those findings are summarized below.

Read More:http://www.businessinsider.com/new-studies-health-effects-marijuana-2017-12