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A church for marijuana lovers is planning its official grand opening in Denver, Colorado on April 20 (world weed day). The new church known as International Church of Cannabis has taken over a former Christian church building and claims to be the first large venue in the world where cannabis can be legally consumed in a social environment. The church says it will "offer a home to adults everywhere who are looking to create the best version of themselves by way of the sacred plant." Members of the church call themselves Elevationists, founding member Steve Berke through the church's website said: "Our lifestance is that an individual’s spiritual journey, and search for meaning, is one of self-discovery that can be accelerated with ritual cannabis use. Elevationists claim no divine authority, nor authoritarian structure, therefore, those of all religious and cultural background are welcome to visit our chapel and take part in our celebrations." The group is ...

Canada is set to legalise marijuana for recreational use by July next year. Such use is already allowed in the US states of Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska as well as California, Massachusetts, Maine and Nevada. But Canada would become the first G7 industrialised nation to do so nationwide. Marijuana for medical purposes is already legal but annual sales of recreational marijuana could be as high as £5.2bn. The Liberal government in Ottawa has put forward legislation to end the prohibition of pot, and would let adults possess 30g of the drug in public. It set the legal age at 18, but said it would be up to each province to decide if it should be higher and also how the drug is distributed and sold. Public health experts have mostly backed a minimum age of 21 as the brain continues to develop to about 25, according to a government-backed panel. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau believes the new measures would restrict youngsters' access to marijuana and reduce ...

Drake’s More Life has just hit another milestone. The massively popular playlist, which has topped the Billboard 200 for three weeks straight, has already surpassed one billion streams, according to Billboard. This is a staggering feat that dwarfs competitors. Ed Sheeran’s ÷, for instance, has amassed 599 million streams of its songs and it’s been out for five weeks. Bruno Mars’ 24K Magic — which has been out for 20 weeks — has reached 470 million streams. Both are whopping figures that pale in comparison to Aubrey’s latest numbers. The 6 God has seen this before. His last album, Views, is the most streamed LP of all time with more than 3.48 billion on-demand audio streams to date, according to the report. Released last month, More Life opened with major figures, selling 505,000 equivalent album units in its first week. It went on to top the charts and helped Drake shatter streaming records almost immediately.

2017 Billboard Music Award Nominations Revealed The 2017 Billboard Music Awards are quickly approaching and organizers are now proud to announce this year’s nominees. Leading the pack with 22 nominations are Drake and The Chainsmokers, followed by Twenty One Pilots at 17, Rihanna with 14, The Weeknd with 13, and Beyoncé rounding out the top six with eight of her own. Drizzy already broke a Spotify record last month for his More Life album, however any honors he gets during this year’s event will come from the triple platinum project Views. See the list of categories and nominations below, and be sure to tune into ABC on May 21st for the 2017 Billboard Music Awards. Top Artist: Adele Beyonce Justin Bieber The Chainsmokers Drake Ariana Grande Shawn Mendes Rihanna Twenty One Pilots The Weeknd Top New Artist: Alessia Cara Desiigner Lil Uzi Vert Lukas Graham Zayn Billboard Chart Achievement Award Presented by Xfinity: Luke Bryan Nicki Minaj The Chainsmokers The Weeknd Twenty ...

Kendrick Lamar has revealed collaborations with Rihanna and U2 on his forthcoming album. The rapper released the track listings for his fourth studio album, titled DAMN, on Tuesday, along with the cover artwork. Rihanna and U2 feature on two separate songs, Loyalty and XXX. The follow-up to 2015's To Pimp A Butterfly features 14 new tracks in total, including Blood, DNA, Fear, and Lamar's latest single, Humble. Fans on social media were excited by the appearance of Rihanna on the record, but not as keen on U2. One user said: "Kendrick has a song featuring... U2. Okay," while another added: "I really do not need to hear U2 on a Kendrick album." "Really excited about the new Kendrick album but that U2 feature... lol," wrote another user. In a recent interview with Pitchfork, Lamar teased the album, saying: "My focus is ultimately going back to my community and the other communities around the world where they're doing the...

Not long ago, Washington University introduced a class for students centered around the politics of Kanye West. Now, for his final lecture on the course this semester, Dr. Jeffrey McCune will use Kanye West in a case study for mental illness.  Professor McCune explains the idea behind the lecture saying,  'ultimately what I’m getting at in this lecture is not just about Kanye, it’s also about the larger notion of crazy and how we utilize it”. He adds that  “I want to give people permission to be enraged. Give people permission to be upset, to be angry, to be frustrated. Give people permission to have moments where they break. Give people permission to have moments where they experience depression. I want to give them permission to have those moments without being characterized as being some type of deviant figure in the community. I don’t want to take away that experience and call it crazy. It’s reasonable, and it must be addressed with love, compassion, care...

Just one week after premiering “Come Closer” with Drake, WizKid pays tribute to his native Africa in the dance-heavy video. Directed by DAPS, the visual is a colorful myriad of scenes layered with paint and special effects. While the Starboy and his team of dancers whine across the clip, paint splashes and kaleidoscope effects create dazzling images. Soundtracked by Afrobeat production, the visual also has beautiful nods to Africa. This is depicted in the headdresses and face paint worn by the gorgeous models, in some of the clothing, and the continent even decorates one of the dancers’ necklaces. Drake isn’t in the video, but he’s building quite a relationship with WizKid, who hails from Nigeria. The two previously collaborated with Kyla on their massively popular “One Dance” collaboration. Previously titled “Hush Up the Silence,” “Come Closer” is the lead single off WizKid’s forthcoming RCA Records debut album, Sounds From the Other Side.

J. Cole has gone platinum without features yet again. This time, he’s done it with his 2016 album, 4 Your Eyez Only. This is an impressive achievement for the Fayetteville rapper because it means that all four of his albums have obtained at least a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. It’s his second album to reach this plateau without features. 2014 Forest Hills Drive, which also had no guests, was Cole’s first double platinum LP. Released in December of 2016, 4 Your Eyez Only sold 492,000 equivalent album units in its opening week, his largest debut yet. By January, the effort earned a gold plaque. The concept-driven LP was preceded by a 40-minute documentary, Eyez. It will be followed by an HBO documentary, J. Cole: 4 Your Eyez Only, which airs April 15. Starting June 1, you can catch Cole on his “4 Your Eyez Only World Tour,” which kicks off in Columbia, SC.

Tupac Shakur’s legacy lives on in many ways. His music continues to make a Hall of Fame impact, his life is being turned into a feature film, and now, his dream café will open for a limited time in New York. The late rapper’s estate has announced plans to turn Lower East Side’s Sweet Chick into Powamekka Café, a restaurant concept that Shakur came up with prior to his tragic death in 1996. It will be open to the public from April 7-9 at 178 Ludlow St. in the icon’s home state. Tom Whalley, the estate trustee, said it will bring ‘Pac’s notebook sketches to life. “Tupac’s creative vision was limitless. He was constantly working on ideas and plans that reached far beyond music and film,” he said. “One of the things he was extremely passionate about was opening a restaurant; he even sketched out plans and a concept for a menu. We are proud to bring Tupac’s Powamekka Café to life.” As Whalley mentioned, Shakur wrote about this concept in one of his famous notepads. Over the course of ...

A new self-healing material has been invented that we may see implemented on smartphone screens in the not too distant future. The material can conduct electricity and apparently has abilities to self-repair beyond just cuts and scratches. As reported by  Business Insider , the new material that the chemists at University of California, Riverside created is made up of “a stretchable polymer and an ionic salt.” The self-healing aspect is enabled by the particular ions and molecules being attracted to each other: The material, which can stretch to 50 times its original size, is made of a stretchable polymer and an ionic salt. It features a special type of bond called an ion-dipole interaction, which is a force between charged ions and polar molecules. This means that when the material breaks or has a scratch, the ions and molecules attract to each other to heal the material.   Even more impressive is the material’s ability to repair and reconnec...

Call him Chaining Tatum. After breaking all sorts of records with More Life, Drake celebrates with a new $120,000 OVO chain. Customized by celebrity jeweler Ben Baller, the 6 God’s new piece is a multi-colored marvel. It features the label’s famous owl logo and mascot with a Hermès link chain, ice blue eyes, golden wings, and bright pink accents. All around, the solid gold piece reportedly includes 40 carats of ice blue, canary, and white VVS diamonds. According to TMZ, it cost $120,000 and was designed by IF & Co. Drizzy celebrated the new piece by praising Baller on social media. The two appear together in one video, smiling, laughing, and reciting lyrics from More Life’s “Gyalchester.” “Hermès link,” raps the 6 God. “Ice blue mink!” In another clip, Drake gives fans an up close look at the expensive piece. “@benballer out here going insane,” he wrote. Drake is fond of his jewelry. On “Started From the Bottom,” he rapped: “I wear every single chain, even when I’m in the ...

Scientists in the UK have created a new membrane 'sieve', capable of transforming seawater into drinking water. The sieve uses the world's thinnest material graphene, a form of carbon, which is just one atom thick and 200 times stronger than steel. The discovery by a team at the University of Manchester has the potential to revolutionise water filtration across the world, particularly in countries which cannot afford large-scale desalination plants. While the graphene-oxide membrane had previously been used to filter out large salt crystals, scientists have now found a way to control the pore size of the membrane. The discovery, which was announced in the Nature Nanotechnology journal, means the graphene layer can now sieve common salts out of salty water, making it safe to drink. Professor Rahul Nair, who lead the team of researchers in Manchester, says it is a "significant step forward" that will "open new possibilities for improving the efficie...

WWE superstar John Cena has proposed to fellow wrestler Nikki Bella on stage after winning a fight. The romantic gesture took place after the couple defeated two other fighters in a WrestleMania 33 tag-team challenge. Cena and Bella were celebrating a win against The Mizz and Marse on Sunday when the WWE superstar got down on one knee and presented his girlfriend with a diamond ring. "I have been waiting so long to ask you this," he said as the crowd cheered. "Stephanie Nicole Garcia-Colace, will you marry me?" he asked, addressing the wrestler by her real name. The 33-year-old Total Divas star accepted. Later, Cena shared a post on his Twitter feed, thanking his "always expressive family the WWE Universe for allowing me to have a WrestleMania moment that I will never forget". Bella's sister Brie, who is nine months pregnant and was away from the competition, posted about the "incredible moment" on Instagram I'm...

The Undertaker has called time on his career after a 27-year run that saw him become one of wrestling's most popular and enduring stars. He lost his last match to Roman Reigns at WWE's WrestleMania event in Orlando, Florida - only his second loss at the showpiece event. After his defeat, he left his trademark gloves, coat and hat in the middle of the ring and went to hug his wife, Michelle McCool. The Undertaker, otherwise known as Mark William Calaway, made his debut with the WWF, the WWE's forerunner, at 1990's Survivor Series. A multiple champion, the 52-year-old became a favourite with generations of fans. The 6ft 10in Texas native dropped out of university in 1986 and considered playing professional basketball in Europe before deciding to become a wrestler. He competed in the WCW series as "Mean Mark" Callous from 1989 to 1990 before joining the more popular WWF. Calaway is instantly recognisable to wrestling fans for his horror-themed app...

Travis Scott is probably getting “Goosebumps” right now. His Kendrick Lamar-assisted single off Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight has officially gone platinum. The Houston rapper celebrated his RIAA certification on Instagram on Tuesday (March 28). “Thank u god we beat the odds Video this week,” he wrote. “#1 at rhythmic radio!” As Scott mentioned in his caption, a video for the K. Dot-assisted banger is expected this week. It’s set to follow his Birds in the Trap short film, which dropped earlier this month. “Goosebumps” is Travis’ highest-charting single off Birds in the Trap Sing McKnight, peaking at No. 50 on the Hot 100. His highest-charting banger of all time is “Antidote” off Rodeo, which soared as high as No. 16. This will be Scott’s fourth platinum plaque as a lead artist. In the past, he’s earned two for “Antidote” and one for his Young Thug-assisted single, “Pick Up the Phone.” Currently, La Flame is on the “Birds Eye View Tour,” which kicked off March 10. His next per...

She may have sold tens of millions of albums and filled arenas around the world, but Adele says she may never tour again. The British singer told fans at a concert in Auckland that she was not good at touring - and even admitted she feels "vulnerable" on stage, according to the New Zealand Herald. Her performance Down Under was the final international gig of her epic 15-month world tour. She will next be on stage in London for four sold-out shows at Wembley Stadium from 28 June to 2 July which have been described as "The Finale". The 28-year-old told her fans in New Zealand: "Touring isn't something I'm good at. Applause makes me feel a bit vulnerable. "I don't know if I will ever tour again. The only reason I've toured is you. I'm not sure if touring is my bag." Adele reportedly burst into tears as she described her latest tour as "the greatest accomplishment in her career" - and said it changed her life....

There have been many horrendous propaganda videos produced by Islamic State, but the latest I have seen is genuinely the worst. It shows young boys being trained to fight and let loose in a disused warehouse. Dressed in black combat fatigues and masked, the boys run through military drills. It is standard propaganda stuff. Every terror organisation films this type of thing. But there is a difference. On the highly produced film, you see handcuffed men running from room to room. They are being hunted. It is utterly awful when you realise it is real. This looks like a Hollywood film. But it is actually happening. As they hunt down the men, they kill them. The final moments of fear, screaming, begging and the pain are glorified. It is astoundingly barbaric. The video is important because it explains why these are not just errant youths. They have been brainwashed, and they are deadly. The question is whether or not they always will be - because in the chaos of the Mosul ...

Manchester United have sent shock waves round the Nou Camp as they are set to execute a  £173million move with £416,000-a-week contract offer for Brazil/Barcelona star Neymar Jr. According to various reports in Spanish and Brazilian media outlets, Britain's richest and most successful club is set to trigger Neymar's release clause (£173million) this summer, with club manager, Jose Mourinho in search of an elite signing that will take the club to new heights as the futures of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney remain uncertain. Neymar is appreciated in Barcelona but knows he won't ever be seen in the same light as Lionel Messi, but knows at Man U he will be an automatic leader and at the age of 25 will surely be given god-like status at the club.  Neymar also knows that the £416,000-a-week salary can't be rivaled by Barcelona or even other English clubs like Man City and Chelsea, but has informed his agent he won't move to a club that won't be playing...

Of all the announcements passengers on an Alaskan commuter flight expected to hear, being told there was a snake on the plane probably wasn't one of them. But that's what seven people on a Ravn Alaska flight between the village of Aniak and the city of Anchorage heard over the intercom. The reptile was spotted by a little boy, who was climbing on his seat when he spotted the sleeping snake partially covered by a duffel bag at the back of the plane. The pale snake was about 4 to 5 feet long and, unlike the film Snakes on a Plane, luckily was not poisonous. According to passenger Anna McConnaughy passengers remained remarkably calm at the announcement. After a discussion with the pilot on how to catch the snake a flight attendant grabbed it by the belly and dropped it into a plastic rubbish bag. The snake then spent the remainder of the journey sleeping peacefully in an overhead luggage compartment and the plane landed in Anchorage on schedule. ...

An oversized gold coin worth millions of pounds has been stolen from a museum in Germany. The Big Maple Leaf weighs 100 kg (221lbs) and measures 53cm (21ins) across, and is thought to be the world's biggest coin. Berlin police said it was taken by thieves who broke into the Bode museum in the city at around 3.30am on Monday. Spokesman Stefen Petersen said they entered through a window and broke into a cabinet where the coin was kept. A ladder found alongside nearby railway tracks is believed to have been used by the thieves and then dumped. The coin has a face value of $1m (£790,000), but the gold in it makes it worth almost $4.5m (£3.9m) at today's market prices. The museum says the Big Maple Leaf is in the Guinness Book of Records for its purity of 999.99/1000 gold. It has a portrait of the Queen on one side and maple leaves on the other. The three centimetre thick coin is a commemorative piece issued by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007. The Bode Mu...

Hollywood already has a Denzel Washington. Now, it’s about to have a Renzel Bossington. Rick Ross, who has the No. 3 album in the country with Rather You Than Me, is setting his sights on the big screen with an upcoming motion picture co-starring Gucci Mane. Rozay revealed the news during an interview with Atlanta’s V-103. “Me and Guwop gonna film our first movie,” he said. “We doing that independently. We gon’ be beginning that in the next three months. That’s coming. That’s official. They gonna see us swerving.” The film follows Renzel’s Guwop-assisted “She On My Dick” and “Buy Back the Block” collaborations. The latter’s video found them showcasing their on-screen acting skills as a pair of disgruntled car wash employees. Rozay’s Rather You Than Me debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with 106,000 equivalent album units in its first week. Meanwhile, Gucci is readying a new album, Drop Top Wop, and his first book, The Autobiography of Gucci Mane, due in bookstores Sept. 19...

(March 23), Kendrick Lamar unleashed a fiery new track, “The Heart Part 4,” as both a confirmation that new music is on the horizon, and as a warning shot to an unnamed foe or foes. Instantly, fans dissected the Khalid-assisted track and dropped speculations about its possible targets. Some quickly pointed to Big Sean as a potential mark for these quips. “My fans can’t wait for me to son ya punk ass and crush your whole lil’ shit / I’ll Big Pun ya punk ass, you a scared lil’ bitch.” Part of that had to do with the juxtaposition between Big Punisher and Big Sean — the former being much larger — but there’s a lot in those last two words. Earlier in his career, “lil’ bitch” was one of Sean Don’s most-used catchphrases, as heard on Meek Mill’s “Burn” and Drake’s “All Me.” What would the motive be? Well, Sean seemed to be sending thinly-veiled shots at Kendrick on his Beyoncé freestyle “Me, Myself & I” in 2015. “Ya’ll bragging about so and so, like ‘Oh, he really it’ / The new ni*...

A Fetty Wap robbery led to a shootout in Paterson, New Jersey on Sunday (March 26). According to TMZ, the “Trap Queen” rapper was robbed of a chain and cash in his hometown. Law enforcement officials say that they arrived at Montclair Ave. and Paxton St. at approximately 5 a.m. over an altercation with gunshots, presumed to be related. Two men with gunshot wounds were found nearby. One of them had been shot in the leg. The other man had been hit in the torso. A third man, believed to be involved, as well, went to Hackensack Medical Center soon after. It’s unclear if Fetty, who was not named as a victim in the shooting, was involved in the shootout at all. Authorities began investigating the shooting, but not the robbery since that hadn’t been reported. Soon after, Fetty’s “1738” chain appeared on Instagram, posted by Raheem “Fuzz” Thomas, the CEO of Muscle Team Entertainment. Fuzz reportedly bragged about taking a picture with the chain, but claimed he didn’t personally stea...