Monday, April 20, 2020

m o n day, a p r i l 2 0, 2 0 2 0

puff, puff, pass OSU students find relief in THC despite federal backlash concerns

C OV E R S T O RY

OSU students find relief in medical marijuana J e t Turn er S taf f R epo rt er @ Je tBTurn er

Andrew Johnston couldn’t focus on his finals.

Going nearly 96 hours without sleep, how could he?

A junior at Oklahoma State University, he found himself staring off at the wall of the lecture hall he was in. The offwhite, chipped paint was entrancing. Then it was someone’s orange hoodie.

Then it was someone’s backpack. His pencils.

Then, time was up. Another final left unfinished.

Johnston suffers from depression, social anxiety and insomnia, insomnia being the ailment he has the most difficulty controlling.

“My mind wouldn’t shut off,” Johnston said.

“Constant thoughts were running. I was always worried about something.

It wasn’t anything big, it was always something little that would randomly pop up in the back of my head.

“Medical marijuana helped me finally get some sleep.”

On June 26, 2018, about 507,000 Oklahomans voted “yes” on State Question 788, legalizing medical marijuana in the state.

This left universities in a tricky situation. Being federally financed, Oklahoma State University cannot allow its students, faculty, staff or visitors to have marijuana

Frankie Cordoba/unsplash

Although Oklahoma State University doesn’t allow marijuana, medical or recreational, on campus, some OSU students find relief from anxiety and depression by smoking.

of any kind on campus or it could lose its federal financing.

This has not stopped some people from needing to use on campus.

Dylan Davis used to wake up at the crack of noon before going to class. Walking to class, Davis struggled to keep focused on the day ahead.

Every car that went by, he had to know where it was.

Every person he heard talking, he had to find out what he or she was talking about.

Davis used to have at least three panic attacks a day because of his paranoia.

Class was impossible to get through. Big groups of people he doesn’t know puts him on edge, Davis

said.

The antidepressants and antianxiety medication never worked. The side effects were too much to handle.

Even food used to be difficult to eat because of the anxiety he suffered.

“Now I wake up, I smoke and go through the exact same routine, now with just a different level of comfortability,” Davis said.

Davis said he has smoked on campus before to ease the paranoia of going through the day.

“It’s a risk,” Davis said.

“I don’t recommend it, but it helped me get through my day.”

Cpt. Colt Chandler, of the Oklahoma State University Police Depart-

ment, said it is the goal of the Oklahoma State University Police Department to provide a safe environment for all of campus.

“We understand people have medical marijuana needs, and we support that,” Chandler said.

“However, we try to ensure those people are educated in a sense of what they are allowed to do on campus.”

If an officer encounters marijuana on campus, then the course of action varies depending on the circumstance. Typically, the first step is to determine whether a person is in possession of marijuana.

“If they present a (medical marijuana) card, then we will honor that card and try to find a way to remove the federal contraband from the campus,” Chandler said. “We try to work with that patient and Res Life and other people to see if we can find another avenue of keeping the medical marijuana off campus.”

OSUPD uses Lexipol Management to guide its policy for managing marijuana usage on campus.

Res Life is the main way OSU police find out about marijuana usage on campus. Typically, this process starts when someone on campus, usually a community mentor, detects the odor of marijuana. LeAnne Hutchins, Res Life’s coordinator for student success, said Res Life instructs its Community Mentors to contact

OSU police whenever they have the suspicion of marijuana on campus.

“They will make that phone call, and then they will wait until the police come,” Hutchins said.

“They will also make sure they call up their chain of command, so they would go to their assistant resident community educator and let them know.”

The university’s policy on marijuana, medical or not, is Res Life’s policy OSU police will arrive on the scene and try to determine where the odor is coming from. If it can be verified where the odor is coming from, police will then make contact with the resident and try to determine what the purpose of the odor is. If it is nonmedical, then state charges will be followed up as usual.

The state legislature looks at state medicinal marijuana encounters at the physical point of encounter. So, if a person has marijuana and claim it is medical, yet is not registered for a medicinal card, then going afterward and registering for a card does not expunge that person from the crime possibly committed.

It is common for Community Mentors to look the other way when encountering marijuana on campus, multiple sources said. Some will give their residents warnings to put the marijuana away before the police are called. Others said, unless they get a complaint, they won’t do

anything.

Police officers, if the offense is a misdemeanor, have the discretion of whether to arrest.

Chandler said OSUPD’s policy is appropriate and applicable to the situation.

“I think in the long term some case law will help set precedent of what is expected, but until then, we just have to take it on a case-by-case basis and make sure we’re doing it the best we can given the circumstances we are facing,” Chandler said.

The loosely written nature of State Question 788 leaves some of the procedure around medicinal marijuana tricky. “(State Question 788) allows people to acknowledge they have a medical use for (marijuana), which results in a simple $400 fine,” Chandler said. “If you can’t provide a medical marijuana card but you have a stated medical marijuana use, we would still seize that marijuana and follow up with the $400 fine. The only time we can allow someone to keep their medical marijuana is if they are in the possession of their card or we can verify they have a valid license.”

Medical marijuana doesn’t always have positive effects. Sometimes, if the user becomes too high, the opposite happens.

“If I get too high, (my paranoia) gets even worse,” Davis said. read more at ocolly.com

N E WS

CBD, popular treatment for pets, research doesn’t back it up Ly di a Watkin s S taf f R epo rt er @ ly diawat k in s 5 7

T re vo r Ludw yc k O’Colly Contributor @ o c o l ly

As the blast of the fireworks echoed throughout the house, Christine Dryden handed another CBD treat to her terrified golden retriever.

That was the dog’s third of her three-timesdaily hemp treats, and they didn’t seem to be helping. As the sounds of the Fourth of July shook the walls, Dryden wondered if she had just bought into a “calming treat” scam.

Dryden lives in Stillwater, and every year when the city celebrates Independence Day, she is left trying to find some way to ease her dog’s anxiety.

Last July, Dryden decided to try some hemp CBD treats from PetSmart because she had always heard marijuana has a calming effect.

“Lexie had a bad experience with fireworks when she was a puppy,” Christine said. “I got her these treats this year so that maybe we could enjoy the evening, but they didn’t seem to work at all.”

Cannabidiol, more commonly referred to as CBD, is a naturally occurring oil derived from the cannabis plant. It’s no secret cannabis is sought after for its psychoactive affects and natural medicinal value.

THC is the compound in marijuana that gives the plant its psychoac-

tive affects. Excessive amounts of THC, when given to pets can have a dangerous outcome.

Experts warn to keep THC amounts higher than 0.3 percent away from animals, as the compound can be very poisonous.

With medical marijuana recently legalized in Oklahoma, many people wonder if their pets could also benefit from such medicine. Like humans, animals suffer from anxiety and pain, and recently, over-the-counter CBD has become a popular choice for treatment.

CBD products are known to help humans with a number of things, including anxiety, depression and physical pain. Because CBD products are marketed toward humans, there is limited information on what CBD can do to help dogs and cats. Hempire Dispensary in Stillwater sells one product for pets called Receptra.

“Receptra is an oil that is for dogs,” Sadie, a Hempire employee, said.

“It calms their anxiety, is used as an anti-inflammatory. It maintains hip and joint mobility and supports their immune system.”

Sadie said Receptra has successful sale rates, and the product is popular.

CBD Plus USA, another Stillwater dispensary, sells chicken flavored CBD drops, bacon fla-

Caleb Simpson/Unsplash

CBD has emerged as a popular treatment for cats and dogs, but there hasn’t been enough research done on its effects to determine whether it’s truly effective.

vored tincture and CBD dog treats. Carly, an employee at CBD Plus USA said she uses the oils on her German shepherd.

“My German shepherd has separation anxiety and hip dysplasia, so I give him the oils, and it sooths his pain,” Carly said.

Although giving pets CBD has become popular, the lack of research on its effects can pose a problem.

“There’s currently research being done on the short-term effects of using (CBD), but there’s not really a whole lot known right now on its pros and cons,” said Sam

Stansbury, a fourth-year veterinary student at Oklahoma State. “There is medical CBD oil available at some local pharmacies formulated for animals that people can try, but from a clinical standpoint, there’s not a lot of evidence for its use right now.”

Lara Sypniewski, an associate professor of the OSU School of Veterinary Medicine, said CBD doesn’t affect animals in the same way it does people.

“One of the things scientific research has found is that oral absorption of CBD is low in dogs and cats,” Sypniewski said.

“When hemp CBD is given by mouth, the liver, which is responsible for removing toxins from the blood stream, greatly reduces the concentration of circulating CBD product.”

Sypniewski said she is excited about the potential for CBD to improve quality of life for pets, especially when it comes to issues like anxiety, seizures and pain.

Sypniewski also said she finds it interesting that medicinal drugs are considered unsafe until proven safe, but supplements, like CBD, are safe until proven otherwise.

In time, with proper

research and trials, maybe one day Dryden and Lexie will be able to enjoy the Fourth of July fireworks together.

“I am hoping for more research to guide veterinarians on the proper use of CBD in pets, but unfortunately the market for the product has exploded without the research to back it up,” Sypniewski said.

“I am excited about the future of CBD in the treatment of many diseases of dogs and cats.

I believe it has significant potential to help many of my patients.”

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lifestyle

Fiona Apples makes a bold and triumphant return with her new album C hase Co n gl eton S taf f R epo rt er @ ChaseCon gl eton

Fiona Apple made her long-awaited return to the music industry with her fifth studio album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters.”

In the album, Apple’s songwriting is as bold and brash as her previous four critically acclaimed albums.

This is Apple’s first album since her 2012 album “The Idler Wheel…,” which garnered her continued praise for her experimentation on songs such as “Hot Knife” and “Every Single Night.”

Apple’s past works all follow a sonic similarity of melancholiness. Take Apple’s last record as an example. Many of the pianodriven tracks evoke a feeling of talking to a close friend or relative about the events surrounding your life.

If Fiona Apple’s albums had to be compared to relatives , “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” is the chaotically eccentric aunt who gives you the power to fight against the people who have kept you in a box for years.

Out of the 13 tracks on the album, Apple is the sole writer and composer for all of them except for “Ladies” where she collaborated on the composition with two other musicians. Much of the album is birthed from personal experiences of herself and others.

Thematically, “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” revolves around the idea of breaking out of the prison one has chosen to contain themselves in.

Matthew Solarski/Flickr

In her 23 year career in music, Fiona Apple has defined her songwriting and storytelling style and that is further displayed in her new album “Fetch the Bolt Cutters.”

The magic of the album comes from its unpolished nature. The dolphin noises Apple makes toward the end of “I Want You To Love Me” and the John Lennon-style vocal screams in “Rack of His” showcases unique transparency into the artist’s quirks. The delivery is imperfect, yet emotive, which the same can be said for life.

Apple sings about middle school bullies in the song “Shameika” and tells the story of her trying to be herself. “I didn’t smile, because a smile always seemed rehearsed,” Apple sings. “I wasn’t afraid of the bullies, and that just made the bullies worse.

The “Criminal” singer remains defiantly herself on other tracks on the album.

“Under the Table” shows Apple standing up for herself and speaking her mind.

“Kick me under the table all you want,” she sings in the chorus. “I won’t shut up.”

Despite being in the music industry for 23 years, Apple’s songwriting continues to remain sharp, shocking and as relevant as ever in the #MeToo era.

Notably, “For Her” deals with sexual assault and has the line “Good morning’! good mornin’ / You raped me in the same bed your daughter was born in.”

Apple herself wrote the song after being frustrated with the nomination hearing of the Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“Even though it’s [the line] an awkward thing to say in a song, some people need to say it out loud in order to understand that’s what happened to them,” Apple said in an interview with Vulture. “My hope is that maybe some women and men will be able to single along with that line and allow it to tell the truth for them.”

Each track of “Fetch the Bolt Cutters” feels like a cathartic eruption from the events of the last few years. Apple’s conversational delivery along with the brutally honest lyrics showcase a songwriter’s gift of depicting life at its worse while allowing some humor to be sprinkled along with the mess.

Fiona Apple’s album is the most comforting musical gift society needs in the age of COVID-19. The album provides company during times of isolation and allows our eccentric qualities to become our greatest strengths.

Personal trainers encourage people to stay active through COVID-19 Jare d A’L ato rre S taff Re p o rte r @ jare dal ato rre

COVID-19 has led to the closures of restaurants and the cancellations of religious services and sports leagues, and it has raised concern for fitness and how to cope with workout routines.

Becky Rycroft has her own company called Free Spirit Fitness. The coronavirus has Rycroft slowly trying to move in the right direction for herself and her clients, but she still wants to manage her income as well.

“I’m going to continue free classes twice a week,” Rycroft said. “I’m just going to try and maintain my business.”

Rycroft said it’s imperative to get the youth active in this age of the social media era. She credited the young ones when she went to Academy one day with the bike rack cleared out.

“I love the fact that parents are getting their kids outside to ride bikes and doing activities, so maybe it’s improved the physicality of our youth,” Rycroft said.

While gym facilities remained closed throughout the country, Rycroft said there are reasons to look on the bright side, such as people using the outdoors to their advantage.

“I have a next door neighbor, he ran and I’ve never seen him run,” Rycroft said. “I’m a very optimistic person, and I have a lot of faith in things.”

Nick Frary, a personal

Kari Shea/Unsplash

As more things are moving to online, personal trainers are adapting too with virtual training session to keep their clients in shape.

trainer in Edmond, has held the title of personal trainer for 15 years with eight years of experience in nutrition.

Frary has been communicating through text to his clients on how to function their workout routines. He’s also been careful about his older clients who have a higher chance of catching the coronavirus.

Anybody who wishes to accomplish their fitness goals can be do so in a safe manner.

“Make sure that you’re walking, doing jumping jacks,” Frary said. “Try to stay as active as you were before.”

Tammy Briscoe is the owner of OKCPT in Oklahoma City. Briscoe makes an effort to keep her clients in shape through text messaging, Facebook posting and online training.

Like many other businesses, Briscoe does the best she can to work using limited resources.

Online training works

through a program where Briscoe builds an online workout for her clients.

The clients look at videos containing instructions for workouts. They can also see how many reps and sets the workouts contain.

“Usually I send (clients) two to three workouts a week,” Briscoe said.

Briscoe, along with the personal trainers who work for her, strive to make their clients satisfied. They have not fully given into in-person exercises, but the company still wants to keep the client bubble isolated.

“Me and several trainers have also met up with some of our clients,” Briscoe said.

“We’ve done outdoor boot camp classes, and we’re keeping it kind of small.”

For challenges people may endure while staying at home, Briscoe said bad habits such as fast food consumption and laziness could make it difficult to get back on track.

Briscoe has seen firsthand clients coming back from vacation and missing weeks, or even a month, of working out.

“When people hit that hiatus, it’s hard to go back working out,” Briscoe said.

Rycroft said that as a country, she feels comfortable about people’s hopes of getting back on track.

“I think it is an adjustment that we have to grab ourselves within,” Rycroft said. “I’m a very optimistic person and I have a lot of faith in things.”

FOR RELEASE APRIL 20, 2020

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Houses For Rent

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

ACROSS 1 Open spaces 5 Ancient Roman orator 11 Tablet download 14 “This doesn’t look good!”

15 “The oldfashioned way” to make money, in an old ad 16 Hawaiian welcome 17 Like a versatile wardrobe 19 Implore 20 Mark of Zorro 21 Gloomy thinkers 23 Sub detection device 26 Devious 27 The “E” in Q.E.D. 28 Partner for the big high school dance 30 Full of pluck 32 Place for a bud or a plug 33 Solves, with “out” 35 Seafood-based party bowlful 38 Chess game blunder 42 Hastily donned 44 Geese flight formation 45 Alabama seaport 48 Dined 51 2010 Apple debut 52 Butter serving 53 Young women 54 Sell for 57 Bikini top 58 Little hill crawler 59 Frantic rush, or a hint to each set of circles 64 Hair-stiffening stuff 65 Not ready to eat, as fruit 66 Fairway club 67 Before, in verse 68 Up-and-down playground fixture 69 Auction-ending word DOWN 1 Chewing __ 2 Sushi tuna 3 Quaint curse 4 Captain Marvel’s magic word

600+ Rental Units Available Full Listings @ Stillwaterpm. com Stillwater Property 633 N. Husband 405-743-2126

MONDAY, APRIL 20, 2020

Your Classified Ad or Business Square could be here! $10/Week Published online 3 times a week.

Email ads@ocolly.com or lori@ocolly.com Advertise your business specials, online or remote church activities, houses and apartments for rent, help wanted ads, or any other special your business is offering.

By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency

Level 1

2

3

4

4/20/20

By Joe Kidd

5 Formally hand over 6 Beatles’ “__ the Walrus” 7 Seafood item needing to be cracked 8 Way to get in 9 Puerto __ 10 Roman emperor for three months 11 Physicist Einstein 12 View with interest 13 Pen for porkers 18 Unhip type 22 Reason-based faith 23 Blueprint detail, briefly 24 Daunting exam 25 Romance writer Roberts 26 R.E.M. frontman Michael 29 Blazing 30 Three-legged piano 31 Color of Hester Prynne’s “A” 34 WWII naval threat 36 Crete’s highest pt.

Daily Horoscope

c las s if ieds

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

4/20/20

Solution to Saturday’s puzzle

©2020 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

37 UPS competitor 39 Mind-matter link 40 __ marsala: Italian restaurant choice 41 Sniggler’s catch 43 Doodad 45 Desert illusion 46 First game in a series 47 War movie scene 49 Taj Mahal city

4/20/20

50 Great Lakes natives for whom an Ohio county is named 52 Mission priest 55 Irreverent Don of talk radio 56 Turnpike division 57 Make, as tea 60 Tax whiz, briefly 61 Sis’ sib 62 Online “Ha-ha!”

63 Come to a close

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

For strategies on how to solve Sudoku, visit sudoku.org.uk

© 2020 The Mepham Group. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency. All rights reserved.

Today’s Birthday (04/20/20). Grow through travel and discovery this year.

Strengthen career structures and routines for success. Summer cash flow delays motivate a surge in creativity. Expect travel barriers. A winter financial squeeze leads to surging gains for a shared venture. Investigate a beloved subject at a deeper level.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 9 -- You have extra energy. Pursue a personal passion. Don’t worry about the future. Take care of yourself, here and now.

Support yourself to help others.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Focus to complete projects and tasks.

Organize documents and files. Update plans for recent changes. Nature rejuvenates you. Peacefulness feeds your spirit. Rest and dream.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Coordinate action with friends for satisfying results. Together, you’re a powerful force. Teamwork wins. Take advantage of a lucky break. Plan your moves carefully.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Ensure that what you build is solid.

Don’t bend the rules. Powerful negotiations can persuade someone important.

Proceed with caution. Collaborate for shared gain.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You’re learning valuable new tricks.

Apply them to real world problems. Practical actions get positive results. Grow your professional tool belt with new skill sets.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You’re smarter united. Put heads and hearts together to come up with financial solutions around a challenge. Collaborate and adjust for a growth trajectory.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Partnership is more than the sum of two parts. Amplify each other’s talents to new heights and lucrative gain. Encourage and propel shared account growth.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- Prioritize health. Rely on a strong partnership. Provide your strengths and talents. Routines could get disrupted; maintain communication for smooth sailing. Collaborate for shared ease.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Love puts a spring in your step.

Grow energy levels with rest, exercise and good food. Get your heart pumping for a passion.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Domestic pleasures entice. Play your favorite games with people you love. Avoid travel and settle in with popcorn and hot drinks. Share your heart.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Adapt to new circumstances.

Change the story that you’re writing. Postpone travel and get into domestic improvements. Cook up something delicious with your family.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Your ideas are attracting attention.

Don’t count your chickens until they’re hatched. Return correspondence and communications. Network and share ideas, resources and opportunities.