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(Pexels)
Happy 4/20 Austin, can you smell the devil's lettuce in the air?
This city is home to some famous stoners—Willie Nelson loves marijuana so much he has his own blend—and possession of small amounts has been essentially decriminalized by the Austin Police Department since 2020.
Americans overwhelmingly support legalization in some form—91% according to the Pew Research Center—and marijuana is partially legal in 37 states. Texas’ relationship with cannabis is rocky, but currently allows products with CBD and low THC, the psychoactive compound in cannabis.
So what can you legally buy in Austin?
Green Herbal Care sells CBD and Delta 8. (Laura Figi)
- CBD: If you haven’t heard of it by now, CBD, or cannabidiol, is non-psychoactive and makes up about 40% of the plant’s extracts. CBD is known for producing a calming feeling in the user.
- Delta 8: With lower psychotropic potency than the classic THC, Delta 8 occurs naturally in very small amounts and can be extracted through a chemical process from CBD. Delta 8 typically results in a more subtle “high” than THC but retains all the antiemetic, anxiolytic, appetite-stimulating, analgesic, anti-inflammatory properties.
- Delta 9: Synonymous with THC, Delta 9 is currently legal under House Bill 1325 in concentrations of 0.3% or less on a dry weight basis. The same thing goes for Delta 10, the stronger alternative to THC.
Where can you get it locally?
In terms of shops, head to your nearest local Planet K, Oat Willie’s, Cosmic Cowboy, Happy Clouds, Green Herbal Care or any of the growing number of smoke shops in town.
As for local brands, Hometown Hero CBD and Delta 8 produces its products in Austin, where it has been fighting for the right to do so. 25-year hemp producer and CBD retailer Sweet Sensi also produced its products from “seed to sale” in Austin.
Happy 4/20, y’all!
Popular
(Austonia)
May's second election is here, in which voters will decide on the candidates to represent their party in the November general election after the winner in some March primary races was unclear.
Just like the March primaries, voters will choose which party they choose to vote in. Then based on location, each ballot will show which races are in a runoff.
In Texas, candidates must win at least 50% of the vote to be elected. In the races where the top candidate only received a plurality of votes, a runoff is being held.
Here's everything you need to know before heading to the polls.
Know before you go
Early voting for the Texas primary runoff election begins Monday and will last through May 20; Election Day is May 24.
The registration period for this election has passed; check if you're registered to vote here.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. As long as you're in line by 7 p.m., you can vote.
You'll need a valid photo ID to present once you're at a polling location.
Here are the early voting locations in Travis County.
View wait times at polling locations here.
Races to watch in Travis County:
Statewide
Lieutenant Governor
- Republican: Incumbent Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Mike Collier and Michelle Beckley are vying to be the Democrat candidate on the ballot.
- Republican: Incumbent AG Ken Paxton is fighting for his seat against George P. Bush.
- Democratic: Rochelle Garza and Joe Jaworski will face off to be the Democratic candidate in this race.
View all the statewide races on the ballot here.
U.S. House of Representatives
View the district you live in here.
District 21
- Republican: Incumbent Chip Roy won his primary in March.
- Democratic: Claudia Andreana Zapata and Ricardo Villarreal are hoping to secure this vote.
- Republican: Dan McQueen and Michael Rodriguez are going head to head to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Former Austin council member Greg Casar won this race in March.
District 19
- Republican: Ellen Troxclair and Justin Berry are vying to be the Republican candidate in this race.
- Democratic: Pam Baggett won her primary in March.
Texas has been home to some of the country’s biggest celebrities of all time—think Amarillo resident Georgia O'Keeffe, Lubbock’s Buddy Holly and Corpus Christi’s famous singer Selena.
The Pudding’s People Map of the U.S., which shows each city’s “most Wikipedia’ed” resident, placed celebrities from all walks of life on the Texas map. As for Central Texas celebrities, there are some interesting (and not so surprising) names on deck.
(The Pudding)
Proving that Austin is “alright, alright, alright,” Minister of Culture Matthew McConaughey is both Austin’s and Uvalde’s top Wikipedia’ed resident. McConaughey, who was born in San Antonio adjacent Uvalde, has deeply ingrained himself in Austin by studying Radio-Television-Film at UT Austin, starring in the Austin-filmed movie “Dazed and Confused” and investing in Austin FC.
Heading down just a few miles south, San Marcos claimed former president Lyndon Baines Johnson as Texas State University’s most famous alumni, who graduated in 1930, and was also named in Fredericksburg. LBJ wasn’t the only ex-president on the map—George W. Bush was listed as the top resident in Dallas, Midland, Houston and Crawford.
You’ll see some other names with ties to Austin strewn around the state: Janis Joplin in Beaumont and Port Arthur; Stone Cold Steve Austin in Victoria and Edna; Dan Rather in his hometown of Wharton; and Waylon Jennings in Littlefield.
Venturing outside of the central areas, there are big celebrities who call Texas Home. Actress and artist Selena Gomez dominated search traffic in her hometown of Grand Prairie, musical artist Post Malone was most “Wikipedia’ed” in Grapevine, and Shaquille O’Neal was named in the city where he went to high school, San Antonio.
Plus, Thomas Haden Church, Angela Kinsey, Jessica Simpson, Chuck Norris, Roy Orbison, Ron White, Jessica Alba, Colt McCoy, Jimmy Dean and Johnny Manziel all had at least one city covered on the list.
Where’s Texas’ newest resident, Elon Musk? You’ll find him still in Los Angeles, as his foray into Texas living has just begun.
Click here to view the full map.