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    Alinea, Chicago

    • Experiencing a culture's food is one of the most enjoyable parts of travel.
    • Amir Benesh, CEO of LVH Global, works with clients whose net worth is between $30 million and $4 billion.
    • Many wealthy travelers Benesh works with typically choose places to eat based on quality of food and exclusivity.

     

    Amir Benesh, the CEO of LVH Global— a luxury home rental service that sets up ultra wealthy travelers in mansions, villas, and yachts during their luxurious vacations — knows a thing or two about how the rich like to travel.

    "The typical net worth of our clients is between $30 million to $4 billion," Benesh told Business Insider. Most of their clients have an average annual income of $5 million.

    A major part of traveling for anyone is experiencing the local food. However, for the ultra rich, getting a reservation at an exclusive spot might be a priority on their list of to-do's.

    Benesh has seen many requests come through when it comes to where his clients want to eat. "As for restaurants, the ultra wealthy look for quality food, [and] mostly hype," he said.

    "Those two often go hand-in-hand. People like to feel special. So getting into a place that has a reputation of being 'impossible' to get into makes gives people a sense of exclusivity," Benesh said.

    Ahead, see where dinner reservations are being made across the world for the ultra wealthy, according to Benesh.

    SEE ALSO: Forget the Four Seasons and The Ritz-Carlton: The most luxurious hotel brands in the world are ones you've likely never heard of

    DON'T MISS: The new Ritz-Carlton luxury cruise ships for the '1% of global travelers' look like incredible super yachts — and you can start booking next month

    Catch L.A. — Los Angeles, California

    This West Hollywood restaurant offers seafood towers starting at $99 and bone-in Ribeye for $105. 



    Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare — Brooklyn, New York

    A three-Michelin star restaurant, Chef's Table is Japanese inspired, and offers a $394.36 tasting menu.



    Alinea — Chicago, Illinois

    Alinea is one of the world's best restaurants and serves a multi-sensory, 16- to 18-course menu in the The Gallery Menu and it costs $285 to $345 per person, depending on the day of the week. 



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    Everything Sucks!

    It's still early in the year, but the list of canceled TV shows is already piling up.

    Networks haven't announced many cancellations yet, except for ABC, which canceled its freshman sitcom "The Mayor" and "Once Upon a Time," once a ratings hit. And in March, TNT announced the cancellation of its original series "The Librarians."

    On the streaming side, things are a bit different. Amazon kicked off the year with a slew of cancellations, announcing the end of three quirky comedies, including the Golden Globe nominee "I Love Dick" and the comedian Tig Notaro's semi-autobiographical show, "One Mississippi." It canceled Golden Globe nominee "Mozart in the Jungle" in April, after four seasons. Also in April, Netflix canceled the 90s coming-of-age comedy, "Everything Sucks," which came to the streaming service in February. 

    There are many more cancellations to come, especially since networks haven't announced the fate of their fall shows.

    We'll update this list as more are announced.

    Here are all the shows that have been canceled this year, including those from networks and Netflix:

    SEE ALSO: The worst TV show of every year since 2000, according to critics

    "The Mayor" — ABC, one season



    "Chance" — Hulu, two seasons



    "Lady Dynamite" — Netflix, two seasons



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    nyc

    • New York City can be overwhelming, and you want to make sure you hit all the right spots on your next visit.
    • After living in New York City for five years, author Adrienne Jordan discovered which places are worth visiting and which you should definitely skip.
    • From active adventures to culinary hotspots, here are nine attractions you must see in New York City.

     

    Visiting New York City is always a multi-sensory experience: from the hundreds of skyscrapers, the heady smell of street food, and the multitude of neighborhoods begging to be explored. However, narrowing down the best sights and attractions can be overwhelming.

    After living in New York City for five years, I have found that some of the best places I’ve experienced have come from locals and insider recommendations. Here are 12 things I recommend people to do in the city, from visiting historic buildings, active adventures, to culinary hotspots:

    SEE ALSO: 11 Hidden attractions in New York City that even locals might not know exist

    1. Skip the Statue of Liberty — visit the 9/11 Museum at One World Trade Center instead

    The view of the statue is just as spectacular from Battery Park (a 10-minute walk from the museum) as going to Ellis Island, and you have a picturesque skyline as a backdrop.

    The museum tells the story of 9/11 through interactive technology, archives, narratives, and a collection of artifacts. 



    2. Instead of buying a hot dog or sausage from a Manhattan food truck, try an egg cream

    The food trucks are great for quick bites on the go, but you can take your time, sit down, and savor an egg cream at a restaurant.

    The quintessential New York City soda fountain drink contains neither eggs nor cream and dates back to the early 1900s. You can find it at many iconic establishments in the city, such as Katz's Deli, Russ & Daughters, and Yonah Schimmel's.



    3. Skip jam-packed Times Square, and head to Columbus Circle instead

    The crowds in Times Square can be overwhelming at times, but Columbus Circle is not as busy, and is adjacent to Central Park, so you can take a nature-filled walk after shopping around.

    At Columbus Circle, you can browse The Shops at Columbus Circle, have lunch at the French restaurant Landmarc, and burn calories with a day pass at Equinox.

    If you do decide to head to Times Square, instead of taking a photo with one of the costumed characters, visit Gulliver’s Gate, located in the heart of Times Square: the largest miniature world in the U.S. The permanent exhibition is 50,000 square feet of places around the world in miniature. You'll get a key when you enter which allows you to interact with different parts of the display.



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    Walt Disney World princess rapunzel tangled

    • Walt Disney Worldemployees, also known as cast members, are trained in the art of creating a positive experience for guests.
    • But some visitors to the famed Orlando park don't make things easy for the people who work there.
    • Business Insider spoke with eight former Disney World cast members to get an idea of the most annoying guest behaviors.
    • From overly aggressive pin-hunting to blaming cast members for bad weather, these are the things sure to annoy or concern Disney World cast members.

    Walt Disney World cast members interact with a ton of guests every year — as many as 20.4 million people visited the park in 2016.

    But for employees, also known as cast members, not every interaction with a guest is going to be positive and seamless.

    John Quagliano, a former cast member, told Business Insider that most guests were perfectly nice to cast members.

    "But at the same time, a lot of people can be really testy," he said.

    Quagliano, who worked in the Magic Kingdom, added that he understood why some Disney visitors might be on edge at the park.

    "People have just spent this much money to have this wonderful vacation and come to Florida, and then all of a sudden they get to the park and they realize 'Whoa, my family and I maybe have to stand in line for 20 minutes,' or 'It's raining, and now the ride's closed down,'" Quagliano said. "A water's $3, so they get thirsty and they say, 'I just spent four grand on a hotel — how is the water $3?'"

    But former cast members say there are some things visitors can avoid doing to avoid antagonizing them.

    Business Insider recently spoke to eight people who participated in the Disney College Program at Disney World. Here are the annoying guest behaviors they said they wished would stop.

    SEE ALSO: A look inside the daily routine of Walt Disney, who wandered through the office after hours and always carried snacks in his pockets

    DON'T MISS: 11 insider facts about working at Walt Disney World only cast members know

    READ MORE: 20 cities are left in the running for Amazon's second headquarters — and the story of Disney's secret hunt for land nearly 60 years ago could predict how Amazon's HQ2 will change its home city

    Getting mad while waiting in line

    At Disney World, the lines can get long, and heat and boredom can cause tempers to flare.

    But one former cast member who operated rides like The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and The Mad Tea Party, told Business Insider that now that she had worked at the park, she'd "never get upset at a merge point, when a cast member lets all of the FastPass line go and not standby."

    "There's a certain expectation in terms of how that is done — and knowing that, I am more than willing to be patient with the cast member at merge because I know they're just doing their job," she told Business Insider.



    Ignoring cast members' instructions — especially when it comes to safety precautions

    "A lot of guests sort of ignored safety-related directions," Devin Melendy, a former cast member who wrote "Devin Earns Her Ears: My Secret Walt Disney World Cast Member Diary," told Business Insider.

    Melendy, who worked in Frontierland, said she often helped with crowd control during park parades. She said she felt uncomfortable when she had to ask guests to move to a better location and often got attitude in response.

    Quagliano agreed, saying he sometimes encountered guests who were reluctant to comply with requests like moving strollers to the side to avoid blocking foot traffic.

    "We don't tell people what to do just for the sake of doing it," Melendy said. "Disney is very devoted to safety and making sure that guests are happy and in a safe zone. We don't do it for fun — it's so everyone can enjoy the park and the parades in a safe manner."



    Debating height requirements for rides

    "You'll have guests try to argue about the height requirement when they're at the front of the line," Christina Hartless, a former Disney cast member, told Business Insider. "You'll have guests who try to stuff their kids' shoes."

    Hartless worked at the Epcot attraction The Sum of All Thrills, which allowed guests to design a simulated roller-coaster experience.

    The ride had two height requirements: You had to be 48 inches tall to ride and 54 inches tall to use the feature that would flip the attraction upside down.

    As a result, Hartless said, she often encountered people who'd try to persuade cast members to look the other way when it came to height requirements.

    "I once had a family tell me that they had come all the way from Brazil just so their 3-year-old could ride that ride," she said, "which I kind of doubted."

    Fortunately, Disney World's website allows you to check which rides have height requirements before you waste your time waiting in line and bugging cast members.



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    Whether it'd be picking something off the floor or tying your shoelace, we bend over to the floor every day. But have you realized that you might be doing it wrong and causing irreversible damage to your spine and back? With the help of professionals like Stuart McGill, the author of "Back Mechanics" and Jean Couch, an expert on spine alignment, we discovered the proper way everyone should bend over. Following is a transcript of the video.

    If you’re American, chances are you’re bending over all wrong. When Americans reach down, they’re likely to first tilt their heads down and then bend from the waist. This contorts the body into a cashew-like shape. Not only is it uncomfortable, bending this way increases the stress on your spinal discs. These joints just weren’t designed to bend this way. Their job is to stabilize, not to move the spine. And over time, it can weaken the collagen fibers of your spine and cause back pain. The position can also cause your muscles to tighten and get tense. 

    It might not seem like a big deal, but a little back pain can cause a lot of problems. According to a recent report by the CDC, nearly 30% of American adults reported having lower back pain within the past 3 months of the study. And the same investigation found that lower back pain is the leading cause of disability in Americans under 45. Lower back pain can also affect your mental health. A study by the American Academy of Pain Medicine found that adults with lower back pain are more than four times as likely to experience serious psychological distress compared to people without lower back pain. And contrary to popular belief, lifting with your legs isn’t any better. 

    Stuart McGill: If you lift with your legs you will become very tired in the legs, you’ll stress the knees and the ankles. So it’s much for physiologically demanding.

    The overarching issue, it seems, is that Americans have a habit of poor posture and alignment.  But strangely, people from other countries don’t seem to have this problem, at least until recently.

    JeanCouch: You have to get to get into smaller and smaller villages. Because of media, everyone around the world has access to United States pop culture. And in almost all pop culture the body is completely collapsed. So we’re exporting this posture all around the world.

    Couch has observed that people in Peru, Guatemala, and other non-Western cultures tend to bend using a technique that protects your spine. 

    Jean Couch: In the United States people bend like this so the back is rounded. And people who are safe bend like this.

    In this technique, you bend from the hips, keeping your back parallel to the floor. Why is this better for you? It all starts with how your hips are designed to move. These joints work like a ball and socket, so they freely swing back and forth. As a result, they can withstand a lot more force than your spinal disks, which aren’t made to handle repeated movements. When overstressed, these disks can separate and lead to disk herniation. So how can you get in the habit of table bending?

    Jean Couch: Stand up, and put your heels 12 inches apart and put your toes 14 inches apart. Put your hands on your waist. When you bend here, it’s dangerous, it wears out your spinal discs and makes your back tense. Where you want to bend is not at your waist, it’s at your hip. So we have a shortcut we use —if you were Adam from the Bible, where would you put your fig leaf? Put a fig leaf here. When you bend, you want your figleaf to go through your legs. And then the spine comes along and just goes up and down.

    Good luck! And remember, “cashew-chic” is not a good look for your back.

     

     

    Join the conversation about this story »


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    coachella 2018 5

    • Teen Vogue interviewed 54 women at Coachella for a report, and all of the women said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted at the music festival.
    • The report featured a series of quotes from women describing experiences of being subjected to inappropriate touching and comments.

    A Teen Vogue report on the first weekend of Coachella found dozens of women who said they had experienced sexual harassment or assault at the California music festival this year.

    Teen Vogue writer Vera Papisova, the author of the article, said in the report that she herself was "groped 22 times" during the 10 hours she spent at the festival. Papisova wrote that she spoke to 54 women who all said they had been sexually harassed or assaulted at Coachella. 

    Coachella did not respond to Teen Vogue's story and has not yet responded to a request for comment on the matter from Business Insider.

    The Teen Vogue story featured a series of quotes from women describing experiences of being subjected to inappropriate touching and comments.

    "It never goes further than a touch on my butt or my back, but it’s not an OK place to be touched," a 20-year-old woman named June told the outlet. "Would you do that to a coworker? Or another guy? Then don’t do that to me. This is my third day, and it’s probably happened to me 40 times this weekend."

    Music festivals, other than Coachella, have had a history of reported assault and harassment in recent years, including the more than 40 sexual assaults that were alleged to have occurred at two Swedish music festivals in 2016.

    The Teen Vogue report concluded by noting Coachella's absence of "sexual-assault literature," or specific informational resources for attendees seeking help after being sexually harassed. The report noted that neither Coachella's online FAQ nor the informational pamphlet accompanying its tickets featured information on the subject.

    Read the Teen Vogue report here.

    SEE ALSO: Beyoncé's Coachella set was the most-viewed live performance on YouTube in the festival's history

    Join the conversation about this story »

    NOW WATCH: How Tyra Banks responded to being called 'too big' will inspire you


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    Walmart worker smiling

    • Walmart store employees know all about the chain's inner workings.
    • Some shopping hacks, savings tips, and store policies might not be readily apparent to shoppers.
    • Here's a look at some insider tips from employees that you should know if you're going to shop at Walmart.


    Walmart stores are everywhere.

    The retail chain reports that it currently operates 11,700 retail locations in 28 countries.

    It's safe to say that the 1.5 million Walmart employees in the US — as well as their eight million international colleagues — know a thing or two about the chain's inner workings.

    Whenever you're preparing to go on a shopping spree, it pays to come in armed with as much information as you can get. That way, you can keep an eye out for the best possible deals and shopping strategies the next time you visit your local Walmart.

    Walmart employees know all of the tricks of the trade, from how to spot mark-downs to finding clearance items in the store. They also know all about store policies that might not be immediately apparent to shoppers.

    Here's a look at a few tricks of the trade that only Walmart employees and long-time customers know about:

    SEE ALSO: Employees explain how to read the price tags at Costco to get the best deal

    DON'T MISS: Costco employees share their 9 best hacks for getting an even better deal

    SEE ALSO: Walmart's Jet.com is offering employees outrageous perks in the talent war with Amazon

    Don't be afraid to ask to see the store's clearance items

    Clearance items aren't always easy to find. So when you're on the look out for deals, just ask for help.

    "Over the course of the years, I've managed to find good deals because I looked and asked at the right times," a Reddit user who said they were a Walmart employee in 2016 wrote.

    The employee described looking for electronics at their local Walmart. They asked the employee working in the electronics section to point out any clearance items. The Reddit user said they were "blown away with the deals I found. I saw Samsung tablets, GPS units, high-end external hard drives, and Bluetooth speakers."

    Shoppers can also ask for a price match against a number of other retailers, including Amazon, Target, and Staples.

    The store's policy says, "if you find a lower price from an online retailer on an identical, in-stock product, tell us and we'll match it."



    The Savings Catcher app can really add up overtime

    How helpful is Walmart's mobile app Savings Catcher?

    Quora user and former Walmart employee Ward Miller wrote that customers shouldn't "expect boatloads of money to come rolling in" from the app because "Walmart goes to a lot of work to maintain its competitive price points."

    The mobile app doesn't give shoppers cash back. It instead accrues store credits and dispenses e-gift cards that can be spent on Walmart's website or in its stores.

    "That being said, I paid for a $140 dehumidifier using nothing but Savings Catcher rewards," Miller wrote.



    Sales prices contain clues about hidden deals

    Always check the price tags carefully at Walmart.

    According to the site TipHero, sales prices ending in 7 are full-price, prices ending in 5 denote first markdowns, and prices ending in 1 indicate a final markdown.



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    Rodan + Fields

    • Rodan + Fields was the No. 1 skincare brand in North America in 2017 in terms of total sales, according to Euromonitor. 
    • It has a unique business structure. Products are either sold directly online or via its nearly 300,000-person team of consultants.
    • Rodan + Fields' skincare starter kits start at $170 and are aimed at reducing the appearance of lines, dark spots, and acne in adult women.

    Rodan + Fields is currently the top-selling skincare brand in North America in terms of total sales, according to Euromonitor. But unless you pay close attention to your more entrepreneurial-minded friends on Facebook, it's likely you've never even heard of it.

    That's partly because you won't find this brand in stores. Its products are sold by a team of consultants who market lotions and potions that claim to combat lines, dark spots, and acne in older consumers. The army of consultants typically sell products by word of mouth, at special events, or on social media. 

    The consultants can either choose to take a commission on each sale or opt for their sales to count towards discounted prices on their own future purchases of these products. There's a roughly 50-50 split between these two types of consultants. According to company data, in 2016 56% of consultants were paid commission on at least one month of sales, while the other 44% received discounted prices. The consultants are not given commission for recruiting new consultants. 

    The biggest benefit to the sellers is that they do not need to store inventory, as products are shipped directly from the company to the consumer. A spokesperson for the brand told Business Insider that consultants are actually discouraged from holding inventory.

    The system seems to be working — Rodan + Fields' $1.3 billion of sales in 2017 made it the top skincare brand in  North America in terms of dollar sales in the skincare category, eclipsing longtime leaders Neutrogena and Olay, according to Euromonitor. It now has nearly 300,000 consultants in the US. 

    The company was founded by dermatologists Dr. Katie Rodan and Dr. Kathy Fields, who were the brains behind the acne treatment system Proactiv, which made its way into millions of households in the US and became famous via infomercials after initially launching in 1995.

    The duo licensed Proactiv to Guthy-Renker, a company that sells products directly to consumers via infomercials, and these products exploded in popularity in the early 2000s. This was also thanks to several endorsements from celebrities such as Kelly Clarkson, Britney Spears, and Justin Bieber. 

    Fields and Rodan finally sold off their rights to the brand for $50 billion in 2016, after they had shifted focus to their latest venture, Rodan + Fields, which launched in 2002. The pair is now ranked in joint 27th place on Forbes' list of the richest self-made women in America. 

    Rodan + Fields is the grown-up version of Proactiv

    Rodan + Fields can be seen as a more upscale version of Proactiv. Its skincare is generally aimed at older women and split into four categories: redefine, reverse, unblemish, and soothe. A starter kit, which could include a cleanser, toner, and a day and night moisturizer, starts at $170. The most expensive kit, "Age Assault," costs $363. 

    Rodan + Fields

    The brand was brought by Estée Lauder a year after it launched, at which point it was being sold in department stores around the US. This method of selling wasn't successful, and realizing that the brand was a low priority in marketing dollars for Estée Lauder, the pair decided to buy back the company in 2007 and relaunch it with a new spin: using consultants to sell its products. 

    "We knew we had products that worked and changed lives," Fields told Forbes in 2016. "We were compelled to continue."

    The change in tactic came at the perfect time for the company as the recession hit and many were looking for work.

    "People were losing their jobs like crazy," Fields told Allure in 2015.

    Moreover, the company was growing at the same time as smartphones, Facebook, and selfies, which made the ideal combination for selling skincare products.

    Today, consultants predominantly use social media to market themselves, posting before-and-after photos as proof of how effective these products are in reversing the signs of aging and curing adult acne. There are hundreds of groups on Facebook geared towards this.

    A select few consultants can end up earning a six-figure salary, according to Allure, but this is generally limited to those who are high-profile figures or celebrities. There's no guarantee of making money, and this is clearly stated on the company's website. In 2016, 60% of paid consultants made on average $334 a year, according to the company. 

    Bumps in the road

    On Tuesday, Racked reported that the company is now facing a potential class-action lawsuit, filed on behalf of four plaintiffs who claim that Rodan + Fields' Lash Boost, an $150 eyelash growth serum, had given them a series of symptoms including burning and swelling. 

    According to Racked, this is due to a controversial ingredient called isopropyl cloprostenate, which has not been approved by the FDA as a drug. The ingredient is banned in Canada, which means Rodan + Fields is unable to stock the product there. 

    In a statement to Business Insider, a spokesperson for Rodan + Fields said: 

    "We stand behind the safety and efficacy of Lash Boost. Many of the legal allegations involve comparisons to unrelated products, including prescription products that have different ingredients and formulations. We are going to let the specifics of our legal defense play out in court.

    Lash Boost is intended for use as a cosmetic and as such, has been consistently advertised as improving the appearance of eyelashes. As with any cosmetic, Lash Boost may cause irritation in some users, especially if it is misused.  Rodan + Fields provides clear directions to users, including those who experience irritations."

    SEE ALSO: A skincare brand with a cult following is in turmoil after its founder goes on bizarre Instagram rampage

    Join the conversation about this story »

    NOW WATCH: Inside Cook Out, the South's most underrated restaurant


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    The Snapchat app logo is seen on a smartphone in this picture illustration taken September 15, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

    A Snapchat feature called "do not disturb" lets users silence notifications from specific people or groups without letting them know; it's one of the few well-received features on the Snapchat redesign that's been rolling out these last few months. 

    The feature is inspired by those overly communicative friends who make you regret agreeing to push notifications, and is a great alternative to turning notifications off completely when your phone won't stop buzzing.

    Snap was a little late to the game, since Facebook Messenger and iMessage already offered similar options — that could even be why it was released with no word from the company when it came out back in January, shared instead by TechCrunch's Josh Constine.

    Here's how to use Snapchat's popular Do Not Disturb feature:

    SEE ALSO: RED announced its $1,200 smartphone is coming this summer — take a look at all its futuristic technologies

    Find the contact you want to mute in your friends list, and hold down the contact's name to get this screen. Then select "Settings."

    As part of the redesign, you have to swipe right from your camera to get to your friends list.



    Tap "Do Not Disturb" to disable notifications from that contact or group, but note that nothing will happen right away.

    If the "Do Not Disturb" option doesn't appear, you might not have the most updated version of the app.



    To see if it worked, you have to tap out of the contact's menu completely and then go back to it to see if the "Do Not Disturb" option changed to say "Turn On Notifications"

    If it changed, you'll know the deed is done, but the person or persons you silenced will be none the wiser.



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    JUUL In Hand Female Black Tank Small

    • The Juul, a wildly popular vape pen with twice the nicotine content of similar devices, is starting to encroach on big tobacco's financial terrain.
    • In a recent memo, Citigroup analysts warned investors that the device's sales could have a negative effect on tobacco stocks such as Altria and British American Tobacco.
    • But the Juul isn't just popular among adults, and scientists say its potential health effects are concerning.
    • Shares of Altria and Philip Morris International plunged Thursday after disappointing earnings reports showing that sales of its new products were not meeting expectations.

    A new vape pen is starting to encroach on big tobacco's financial terrain.

    In a recent research note, Citigroup analysts warned investors that the Juul, an e-cigarette that's particularly appealing to former smokers because of its powerful nicotine punch, was beginning to disrupt tobacco stocks.

    The note suggested that the rise of the Juul could bode poorly for tobacco companies — including Altria, British American Tobacco, and Imperial Brands — as sales are falling faster than they should.

    The analysts expect a sustained slowdown for tobacco companies — something they see as directly attributable to the Juul and its "rapid growth." They said its skyrocketing sales would pose a significant challenge to traditional tobacco earnings.

    "The US tobacco market is beginning to be disrupted by Juul," the analysts wrote, adding, "We don't expect underlying cigarette trends to improve much in the rest of 2018."

    Several tobacco companies, such as Altria, Philip Morris, and British American Tobacco, make so-called next-generation devices designed to compete with the Juul, but most have failed to generate profit for companies.

    On Thursday, shares of Altria and Philip Morris International plunged, most likely as a result of disappointing earnings reports showing that sales of its new products were not meeting expectations.

    In 2016, Philip Morris International launched the Iqos, a heat-not-burn device that lies somewhere between a regular cigarette and an e-cig and is expected to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration later this year.

    But that device isn't expected to protect Altria — which maintains sole distribution rights for the product in the US — from the slump, the analysts said.

    Vaping and the future of big tobacco

    Unlike cigarettes, which burn their ingredients, e-cigs or vape pens heat vapor via a small portable device.

    The Juul, which comprises an e-cig device and interchangeable pods that contain nicotine, is one of the most popular vape pens, having generated a whopping $224 million in retail sales from November 2016 to November 2017 and snagging one-third of the total e-cig market share during the four weeks that ended November 4.

    But the Juul is also trendy among teens — something that has been a big red flag for scientists, who warn that nicotine is highly addictive and damaging to the developing brain.

    Several other health concerns related to vaping are also emerging.

    A study published this spring found that some of the toxic metals in conventional cigarettes were present in e-cigs.

    Another found that at least some of those toxins appeared to make their way through the body, as evidenced by a urine analysis by researchers who randomly sampled about 100 people in the Bay Area who vape.

    And research presented recently at a large conference found substantial evidence tying daily e-cig use to an increased risk of heart attack.

    SEE ALSO: Experts are calling out a vape pen with 'scary' nicotine levels that teens love — here's how it affects the brain

    Join the conversation about this story »

    NOW WATCH: The surprising reason we boil lobsters alive


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    date

    • After she ghosted a date, Amanda Burnett received a $40 invoice for her half of a dinner.
    • According to an etiquette expert, it’s customary for the person who asked for the date to pay, but some people prefer to split the bill.
    • If you offered to pay, it's decidedly not polite to send a bill after-the-fact.

     

    When you go on a date, there's always a chance that it won’t be a romantic fit. It certainly feels lousy if you like someone and want the relationship to progress, but they don’t feel the same way … and it can be even more hurtful if you reach out and get ghosted.

    But does that mean it's OK to send an invoice after the date?

    It happened to Amanda Burnett, an Indiana woman who went on a dinner date and later received an itemized invoice of everything she ate and drank during the date, the Daily Mail reports.

    Burnett shared the invoice on Twitter and, although the original tweet has been deleted, a screenshot of her caption said: "A guy just mailed me a bill for our dinner a few weeks ago because I didn’t text him back … I can't make this s**t up."

    Her date didn't stop there — he also sent a text that said, "And to avoid additional penalty or fines have the invoice paid otherwise it will be turned into a collection agency," according to a screenshot published by Daily Mail.

    The specifics of the situation, like whether Burnett offered to pay but her date declined, and who asked whom for the date, are unclear. But Business Insider reached out to Daniel Post Senning, great-great-grandson of etiquette expert Emily Post and spokesperson for The Emily Post Institute, to get his take on whether billing your date for their meal is acceptable.

    SEE ALSO: Here is exactly what to say when you're not sure who should pay on a first date

    1. It is customary that the person who asked for the date pays for it

    "The traditional thing is that the host pays, so whoever asked the person out on the date would pay," Post Senning said. "But we’ve been living in a world where people for all different reasons like to split the bill in a relationship and on first dates."

    However, he added that some people prefer the "traditional courtesy" of the host paying, and that in the past it was typically men doing the asking, and thus paying. If someone asked you out but you would feel more comfortable splitting the bill, you should mention that you’d like to contribute.



    2. It's definitely not customary to send an invoice after you've agreed to pay

    If everyone is operating under the understanding that this is a social situation, there are generally not going to be invoices involved, Post Senning said. "Part of having good etiquette is being able to read social cues. Sending an invoice sounds vindictive in some ways, because it's shifting the context from social to professional."



    3. There is no obligation to respond to someone's texts or calls after a date — but it's the polite thing to do

    We also don't know how the date ended. Burnett may have explicitly told him or given him signs that she wasn’t interested when they parted ways. We do know she didn't respond to his texts after the date.

    Post Senning's take on ghosting? Although he says that there is not an "obligation to respond," it is the polite thing to do.

    If you've spent a long time together, he recommends ending things in person, but if you met up for a quick drink or dinner, a simple text message or phone call will do. "Thanking someone for the time you did spend together is a good way to politely end an interaction," Post Senning said.

    It can be hurtful not to put an end to things in words in a world where communication is so easy, he said.



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    Prince Harry Meghan Markle

    • Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are getting married at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor, on May 19.
    • Kensington Palace will cover the cost of the royal wedding, an expense traditionally taken on by the bride's family.
    • The royal wedding is expected to cost in excess of $45 million (£32 million), most of which is allotted for security.

     

    The average cost of a wedding for couples in the US and the UK is around $34,000 (£23,700).

    Five figures is a huge expense for a one-day affair. That is, unless you're ultra-rich — and especially if you're royalty rich.

    Next month, the world will bear witness to the most anticipated royal wedding in years. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set to be married on May 19 at St. George's Chapel, in Windsor, and will begin a carriage procession immediately after the ceremony. Their reception will take place later on the grounds of Windsor Castle.

    Kensington Palace will cover the cost of the wedding, an expense traditionally taken on by the bride's family.

    The case was the same for Kate Middleton and Prince William's 2011 royal wedding— the only item Middleton paid for was her six-figure Alexander McQueen dress. Their total wedding celebration cost $34 million (£23.7 million).

    Markle and Prince Harry's wedding will reportedly cost in excess of $45.8 million (£32 million), according to Bride Book's estimation.

    The venue is the biggest part of a typical wedding budget for couples in the US and the UK, taking up nearly half of the entire wedding cost. Access to St. George's Chapel — and St. George's Great Hall, where the wedding reception will take place — is free of charge for Markle and Prince Harry. Transportation is also free, thanks to the Queen's fleet of Rolls-Royces, Daimlers, and Bentleys.

    The greatest cost for the royal couple? Security. Protecting Markle and Prince Harry, plus thousands of guests and onlookers, will run Kensington Palace a whopping $43 million (£30 million), estimates Bride Book. That includes the cost of snipers, undercover police, military technology, and security drones. The bulk of Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding budget similarly went to security costs. 

    Otherwise, Markle and Prince Harry's total wedding spend, including food, cakes, entertainment, wardrobe, and the honeymoon, amounts to about $2.8 million.

    Below, check out Bride Book's breakdown of what the royal wedding will cost.

    SEE ALSO: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will have to file US taxes once they get married — and that could spell trouble for the royal family

    DON'T MISS: Here's what time Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding will start where you live

    Food and drinks — $686,000 (£479,000). Catering is needed for both the formal lunch reception and the dinner reception for friends and family. Top-shelf champagne, wine, and whiskey will likely come from the Royal Palace cellars. The Royal Family’s favorite champagne, Bollinger, goes for nearly $115 (£80) a bottle; that's approximately $195,000 (£136,000) spent on champagne alone.

    Source: Bride Book



    Wedding dress — $430,000 (£300,000). The rumor mill is working overtime when it comes to Markle's dress, which will reportedly have a six-figure price tag and be paid for by the bride herself. A fashion icon in the making, Markle is expected to go with a traditional design and unique detail.

    Source: INSIDER



    Marquee — $500,000 (£350,000). Even though Markle and Prince Harry are using St. George's Chapel free of charge, they'll need a large event tent to host guests on the grounds after the immediate reception in St. George's Great Hall.

    Source: Bride Book



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    extrovert

    • It is unlikely that you are entirely an extrovert or an introvert.
    • It's more likely you are somewhere in the middle — but many of us associate with one side more than the other.
    • Scientific evidence has shown how extroverts and introverts differ in both behaviour and biology.
    • The way you are is written in your DNA, so it's unlikely you'll be able to change it.


    At some point in your life, you've probably been described as an extrovert or an introvert. It's true that many of us place ourselves in one of those two categories — or somewhere in the middle if you're an ambivert.

    These labels were coined in the 1920s by the psychologist Carl Jung. He said the differences between these personality types are essentially down to energy. Extroverted people often receive energy by social interactions, while introverts need time alone to recharge.

    But nobody is entirely one or the other — introverts enjoy social occasions too, and extroverts will enjoy reading a book somewhere quiet from time to time. What is clear is that some people are more on one end of the scale than the other.

    Linda Blair, a clinical psychologist, told Business Insider that your level of introversion or extroversion is actually in your DNA. In other words, you can't change it.

    "It has to do with what's called the need for arousal," she said. "This is not sexual arousal, but it's a need to be stimulated before you act — before you can do what you want to do."

    Introverts have a lot of the chemical that makes them feel stimulated. Extroverts don't have so much. This is why introverts tend to avoid crowded places or deadlines — things that are likely to put extra pressure on them — because they already have pressure within themselves.

    Extroverts don't have enough of this arousal chemical. So to complete things or have a good time, they need to feel like they are ready for action, and seek out places where there's pressure.

    "It has nothing to do with confidence, it has to do with pressure and arousal," Blair said. "How extroverted or introverted you are is something you need to wear. You need to work with it, live with it, and use it to your advantage."

    German psychologist Hans Eysenck came up with this biological explanation for introverts and extroverts a few decades ago. It essentially means that if an introvert is in a loud restaurant or a crowded office, they will easily get overstimulated and overwhelmed. An extrovert requires these highly stimulating environments to get them to do anything.

    Another theory states that it's all about reward systems, discussed in this paper from 1970. It suggests that extrovert brains are more sensitive to rewards, like making someone laugh in a social interaction. Introverts don't seek out these rewards.

    Other studies have shown how extroverts pay more attention to human faces than introverts, and how introverts have a higher level of brain function in regions associated with learning, vigilance, and motor control.

    There are many ways the brains of introverts and extroverts have been shown to be different. There are also studies that show differences in behaviour. For example, extroverts talk more abstractly, and introverts more concretely, and extroverts have an advantage with speaking and and reading a new language, while introverts are better at listening to it.

    Also, extroverts are more likely to take risks and wear more decorative clothing.

    As Blair said, this doesn't necessarily mean extroverts are happier or even more confident. It's simply a different way of living. After all, two people can go to a party and stay there for entirely different motivations.

    "To show confidence doesn't mean you have to go out and mix with crowds," she said. "To show confidence, it may be that you choose to be alone. Psychology is all about not what you do but why."

    SEE ALSO: Most people might not be extroverts or introverts but 'ambiverts' — here's what it means to be one

    Join the conversation about this story »

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    Barbie

    • The Barbie Twitter account has revealed that the doll's last name is Roberts.
    • She was apparently named Barbara Millicent Roberts when she was invented in 1959.
    • However, like many famous people, she became known only by one name.
    • Ken's full name is apparently Ken Carson.


    If you grew up playing with Barbie, chances are you assumed she didn't have a surname. After all, she's got by just fine with only one name since 1959.

    However, fans were shocked when the brand recently announced that she does have one after all.

    In honour of National Siblings Day on April 10, the Barbie account tweeted: "Happy #SiblingsDay, from the Roberts sisters!" alongside a photo of Barbie and her sisters.

    Hundreds of users have commented and the post, which has been liked over 10,000 times.

    A number of fans expressed their shock at the idea that Barbie had a surname.

    However, according to the Evening Standard, this isn't the first time the name has been revealed.

    Barbie creator Ruth Handler christened the doll Barbara Millicent Roberts after her own daughter of the same name, so it's always been there.

    However, she quickly became known simply as "Barbie" — in keeping with other famous people like Madonna, Adele or Prince.

    Despite her surname fading from common knowledge, there is even more backstory.

    In 1960 a series of Random House novels revealed Barbie's parents' names were George and Michael Roberts. The family came from the fictional town of Willows, Wisconsin, where Barbie attended Willows High School.

    Ken has a surname, too

    Barbie's boyfriend, Ken, also reportedly has a surname.

    The doll, introduced two years after Barbie, is apparently named Ken Carson.

    SEE ALSO: Home video shows an 8-year-old Meghan Markle playing the Queen and ordering her 'servants' to make 900,000 cookies

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    NOW WATCH: Why Apple makes it so hard to get a new iPhone battery


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    man model

    • Beautiful people arguably have an easier life — they're happier, healthier, and have more friends.
    • A common belief is that good-looking people also earn more money.
    • But a new study turns this theory on its head.
    • Researchers have found that people who are "very unattractive" may be the biggest earners.
    • So your looks might not let you down, at least when it comes to money.


    It's no secret that life can be easier for beautiful people. Studies have shown being good-looking has benefits for your health, intelligence, and helps with making friends.

    Being physically attractive can also literally pay off, as many people believe it can mean you make more money. In short, beautiful people are more confident, have more social skills, and are seen as more able by employers, which translates to higher wages.

    However, a recent study, published in the Journal of Business and Psychology, has found there is a caveat to this "beauty premium."

    Satoshi Kanazawa from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Mary Still from the University of Massachusetts in Boston analysed data from a study of 20,000 young Americans. They were interviewed and measured on physical attractiveness at age 16 then three more times until they were 29.

    The findings showed that the theory there is a "ugliness penalty" on wages isn't that simple. When other traits were taken into account, such as health and intelligence, results showed people who were more conscientious, extroverted, and less neurotic earned significantly more than others.

    Also, participants who were labeled as "very unattractive" always earned more than those who were just "unattractive." This was also sometimes the case when very unattractive people were compared to those who were average-looking and attractive.

    Alex Fradera offers an explanation for this in BPS Digest. He said the personality trait "Openness to Experience" may have been surprisingly correlated with lower earnings and higher attractiveness in this particular data set, when it is usually associated with higher pay.

    "Could this Openness-attractiveness association be an indicator that some of the very unattractive scored especially low on Openness, and were perhaps highly devoted to a specific topic area, pursuing it obsessively to the exclusion of all distractions and eventually entering the forefront of their field?" he wrote. "We know that Openness correlates negatively with the passion component of 'Grit,' so such effects are conceivable."

    Still said the methods of previous studies may not have accounted for the really ugly people because the "very unattractive" and "unattractive" are often lumped in together in one group.

    "Thereby they fail to document the ugliness premium enjoyed by the very unattractive workers," she said.

    SEE ALSO: A psychologist says this is the one simple way to tell if you're insecure or self-confident

    Join the conversation about this story »

    NOW WATCH: Leslie Odom, Jr.'s $500,000 gamble that led to 'Hamilton'


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    pink sand beach Komodo, Indonesia

    Whether you've only spent a handful of days on the sand in your life or you're a full-blown sunseeker, there are plenty of breathtaking beaches on this planet waiting to be discovered.

    And, whether you look for a spot with an element of adventure, peace and quiet, or you simply don't like your towel to be too close to a stranger, many of them fly under-the-radar to tourists despite their spectacular beauty.

    Business Insider asked some of the most influential travel bloggers and experts, from the likes of Lonely Planet, Secret Escapes, KAYAK, British Airways, Airbnb, lastminute.com, and HolidayPirates for the most incredible under-the-radar beaches they've ever visited. Jet-setters in our own office also contributed. Together, their choices don't disappoint.

    From a red sand beach in Maui to a sandy spot in Thailand inhabited entirely by monkeys, scroll down for a list of 100 under-the-radar beaches everyone should visit in their lifetime.

    SEE ALSO: 100 trips everyone should take in their lifetime, according to the world's top travel experts

    Furore, Italy.

    "This little hidden beach is off the beaten path, but expect many locals to be frolicking in the waters around the Amalfi Coast," said James Asquith, the youngest person to travel to every country.

    "The tiny strip of sand is wedged between a gigantic Fjord and you can get a fantastic view down from the nearby coastal road bridge. Don’t expect beach shacks or cafes but prepare yourself for a quintessential Italian summer experience."



    Red Sand Beach, Maui, Hawaii, USA.

    "Continuing with the colour theme and unique views, welcome to Red Sand Beach in Maui," Asquith said. "Caused by lava flows this time, instead of the dark volcanic rock in the neighbouring Big Island, this beach not only attracts some great wildlife but also is self-contained by rustic-looking rocks and vegetation."



    Punalu'u Beach, The Big Island, Hawaii, USA.

    This is "not your regular beach," according to Asquith. "This secluded stretch of sand is completely black," he said. "Caused by crushed volcanic rock particles and ash over millions of years, at first you may think the black sand looks ugly compared to traditional beaches, you will soon come to see the true and unique beauty of this beach, along with some pretty cool pictures for Instagram too!"



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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    meghan markle prince harry engagement

    • The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will begin at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle at midday (UK time) on Saturday, May 19.
    • The Dean of Windsor will conduct the service and the Archbishop of Canterbury will officiate as the couple make their vows.
    • At 1 p.m. the newly married couple will embark on a carriage procession through Windsor Town.
    • A lunchtime reception hosted by Her Majesty the Queen will follow at St George's Hall for the couple and guests from the congregation.
    • Around 200 guests have also been invited to an evening reception at Frogmore House in the evening, hosted by Prince Charles.
    • Scroll down to see what time the celebrations will start where you live.


    Prince Harry got official consent from Her Majesty the Queen last month to marry Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle on Saturday, May 19 — but wedding plans have been underway for months.

    The wedding service will begin at midday, meaning it's unlikely to clash with the 2018 FA Cup Final that falls on the same date, but that usually kicks off later in the day, according to The Guardian.

    The Dean of Windsor will conduct the service and the Archbishop of Canterbury will officiate as the couple make their vows.

    Here's an outside look at the Chapel...

    St George's Chapel Windsor Castle

    ...and here's a glimpse inside.

    st george's chapel

    At 1 p.m. Harry and Meghan will embark on a carriage procession from St George's Chapel through Windsor Town returning to Windsor Castle along the Long Walk, which will offer some members of the public a glimpse of the newly married couple.

    Kensington Palace said the couple "hope this short journey will provide an opportunity for more people to come together around Windsor and to enjoy the atmosphere of this special day."

    They've invited over 2,000 members of the public into the grounds of Windsor Castle to watch the couple and their guests arrive, and to watch the carriage procession as it departs from the castle.

    There will be a reception for the couple and their guests from the congregation at St George's Hall following the service.

    Here's a photo inside St George's Hall:

    Prince Charles will host a private evening reception for the couple and their close friends and family later that evening at Frogmore House.

    If you want to mark it in your diary, here's what time the royal wedding will start in major cities across different time zones on Saturday, May 19:

    • London (BST) 12 p.m.
    • Paris (CEST): 1 p.m.
    • Moscow (MSK): 2 p.m.
    • Tokyo (JST): 8 p.m.
    • Sydney (AET): 9 p.m.
    • Honolulu (HAST): 1 a.m.
    • Los Angeles (PT): 4 a.m.
    • Las Vegas (PT): 4 a.m.
    • Denver (MT): 5 a.m.
    • Chicago (CT): 6 a.m.
    • New York (ET): 7 a.m.
    • Seoul (KST): 8 p.m.

    SEE ALSO: 'Knocked Up' and 'Grey's Anatomy' star Katherine Heigl has confirmed she's joining the cast of 'Suits' as Meghan Markle departs

    Join the conversation about this story »

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    Like any drug, marijuana has a variety of effects on the body — some positive, others negative.

    While it's perhaps best-known for its more obvious effects like red eyes, food cravings, and its characteristic high, marijuana has also been linked with the potential to provide certain types of pain relief. Some research suggests it may even help control specific kinds of epileptic seizures.

    Depending on how much and how often you use, marijuana's effects can vary widely.

    what-marijuana-does-to-your-body-and-brain

    SEE ALSO: What 5 popular drugs including weed and booze do to your body and brain

    DON'T MISS: Why psychedelics like magic mushrooms kill the ego and fundamentally transform the brain

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    cannabis

    • Federal policies restricting marijuana research have made it difficult to study marijuana and produce cannabis-based drugs — but that isn't stopping pharmaceutical companies from doing it.
    • Some are researching and developing drugs made with marijuana compounds in labs just north of the border. Others are growing the raw materials for their products in South America.
    • Although only a single cannabis-based drug is currently approved for use in the US, others are likely on their way.
    • Some will appear first in marijuana dispensaries in states where marijuana has been legalized; others will await approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).


    Getting marijuana-based drugs approved in America is no easy task.

    According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, cannabis has no medical use. Until two years ago, all domestic research on the drug had to rely on rotting samples from a single, well-secured weed facility at the University of Mississippi. Today, researchers who want to grow marijuana have to apply for a license in a convoluted process that can take years. Only a single cannabis-based drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to date — and it contains CBD, a non-psychoactive compound in marijuana that is not responsible for its characteristic high.

    But as researchers are only beginning to uncover, marijuana — with its roughly 400 compounds, each of which is potentially responsible for a distinct effect — has a wide variety of potential medical applications, from relieving pain and nausea to reducing the symptoms of rare diseases like childhood epilepsy. And these benefits are emerging just as scientists are uncovering huge downsides to traditional medications like opioids.

    Some are lending their support to Canadian marijuana startups growing their products in countries like Colombia; others are applying for permits to import marijuana extracts like CBD and THC; still others are obtaining approval in Europe first and hoping that validation gives them an edge during the difficult FDA approval process.

    Cannabis startups are among a handful of 'resident' startups at the Johnson & Johnson incubator in Canada

    jjlabs_torontoAt Johnson & Johnson's JLabs in Toronto, scientists and entrepreneurs follow a gleaming steel road towards shared workspaces separated only by clear glass walls. Pops of bright blue honeycomb print and creative lighting imbue the center with a sense that change is right around the corner.

    It was here, roughly a year ago, that the pharmaceutical giant welcomed the first marijuana startup into its JLabs Innovation network, an ecosystem designed to give budding companies access to the resources and leadership they need to get off the ground. JLabs accepted a second cannabis company, Vapium Medical, as a resident about three months later.

    The first was Avicanna, a Toronto-based biotech company focused on medical cannabis.

    As part of the JLabs ecosystem, Avicanna gets access to lab space, a Johnson & Johnson mentor, and the recognition they need to recruit top-notch scientists and researchers. In exchange, Johnson & Johnson get a chance to work with an innovative company and invest if and when they see fit.

    "Partnering with JLabs allowed us to obtain a lot of credibility," Aras Azadian, Avicanna's CEO, told Business Insider. "It's also a great atmosphere to work in and to bring others in."

    avicanna product lineupBefore getting accepted as a JLabs resident (after applying for the third time), Avicanna was a fledgling startup, Azadian said. But that changed when the company joined JLabs.

    In just over a year, the company went from a staff of five to 17 in Canada and 30 in Colombia, where the company grows and harvests the marijuana that goes into its products — which thus far include a series of patches, creams, and sprays that will be sold under the Pura Elements brand. Azadian said he expects a selection of those products to be available in dispensaries in California, where marijuana is legal, by the end of this year.

    Azadian says that while Johnson & Johnson isn't yet invested financially in Avicanna, just being in the space significantly raises the chances that the pharmaceutical giant might eventually take that leap.

    "Since we're part of their ecosystem it's much more convenient to cooperate and collaborate — a lot more so than to start working with new company," Azadian said. "I think we've positioned ourselves well to be a good fit for them."

    Avicanna's initial product lineup will go to US dispensaries in states where marijuana is legal, like California.

    But Azadian is hopeful that the company's research with scientists at the University of Toronto, including tests in cells and mice and eventual clinical trials in humans, will bolster their next line of products, which are geared towards treating medical conditions like eczema. Avicanna also hopes to eventually launch sustained-release capsule formulations aimed at pain relief.

    "I think with our approach — strictly looking at this from a medical perspective with a team of some of the best scientists on board — I'm excited to see where this goes," Azadian said.

    Other pharma companies are looking to study cannabis by importing extracts

    marijuana plant lab research

    Instead of going the incubator route, several small pharmaceutical companies are applying for federal permits to import cannabis extracts like CBD and THC.

    Those companies include Virginia-based research group Sanyal Biotechnology, a contract-based drugmaker that focuses on liver diseases and was spun out of Virginia Commonwealth University in 2015; and Noramco, a Delaware-based drugmaker that focuses on medications used to treat illnesses including ADHD and addiction as well as pain.

    Both companies filed reports in March with the DEA's federal register to import cannabis extracts; Noramco also applied for a permit to import whole plant material.

    Sanyal's decision to import cannabis extracts comes from a recent partnership with Ontario-based cannabis drug company Revive Therapeutics. Last year, Revive reached out to Sanyal to inquire about testing CBD for its potential effects on autoimmune hepatitis, a chronic disease in which the body's immune system attacks the liver.

    Around that time, Sanyal applied for a permit with the DEA to study CBD; but the company has yet to be cleared to import the extracts.

    Rebecca Caffrey, Sanyal's CEO, told Business Insider that while she understands the need for approval, the application and permitting process has seemed excessive at times. If they don't recieve the required permits by this summer, Sanyal may need to refer Revive back to Canada where another lab will take over the research.

    "We've just been going through all these hoops," Caffrey said. "I understand why they have to have these restrictions, but it does make it hard to do business."

    Only one cannabis-based drug has the FDA's stamp of approval

    marinol dronabinol abbvie

    So far, only one cannabis-based drug has been approved via the traditional drug-approval route, which involves working closely with multiple regulatory agencies including the DEA and FDA.

    That drug, known by its generic name dronabinol, is designed to treat some of the negative side-effects of chemotherapy and AIDS, such as nausea, loss of appetite, and weight loss. It is made using lab-produced versions of THC, the main psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.

    Chicago-based Abbott Pharmaceuticals spinoff AbbVie got approval for its dronabinol formulation, which is in pill form and called Marinol, by making the case that it offered advances where no other adequate therapies existed. Arizona-based drug company Insys Therapeutics also recently received approval for a liquid version of dronabinol that treats the same conditions.

    The next company to secure FDA approval for a cannabis-derived drug will likely be the UK-based pharmaceutical company GW Pharmaceuticals, which recently got a green light from an outside panel of scientists in favor of its efficacy and safety. On Thursday during a unanimous 13-0 vote in favor of the drug, panel member John Mendelson, a senior scientist at the Friends Research Institute, said, "This is clearly a breakthrough drug for an awful disease."

    The final decision on Epidiolex is currently slated for June 27. Notably, the drug contains only CBD, so there is no chance of getting users high.

    "There's certainly demand for these products," Avicanna's Azadian said, "but we're still dealing with a strictly stigmatized industry."

    SEE ALSO: Ketamine could be the new drug for depression that researchers have been looking for

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    Doctor Strange Cumberbatch Marvel

    Not interested in a daylong Marvel Cinematic Universe marathon right before seeing "Avengers: Infinity War?"

    We figured most people aren't but commend the brave souls who stick it out for every "Avengers" premiere.

    To accommodate MCU fans who want to catch up at a more leisurely pace, we found out where all 18 movies in the MCU are streaming online so you can play catch-up before seeing "Infinity War," which is scheduled for release April 27.

    Most movies in the MCU are available to rent on Amazon or iTunes, while a select few are on Netflix including "Doctor Strange" and "Captain America: Civil War," which is probably the most important movie to watch before seeing "Infinity War."

    Here's where you can stream all 18 MCU movies before seeing "Infinity War":

    SEE ALSO: All 53 movie and TV sequels or reboots coming out in 2018

    Here are the titles available on Netflix:

    "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2"

    "Doctor Strange"

    "Captain America: Civil War"



    And here's a title-by-title breakdown for the whole MCU. First up: Phase I



    "Iron Man" — released May 2, 2008

    Available to rent or purchase on iTunes, YouTube, Vudu, and Google Play.



    See the rest of the story at Business Insider