Tangier/Rabat/Casablanca, Morocco – Nine months ago, Hadj arrived in Morocco from Burkina Faso with one single goal: reach Europe and change his and his family’s life.

Unable to find a job at home, the 29-year-old political scientist says he knew full-well the dangers and risks en route before setting off on the journey to reach Spain.

After making it to Morocco via Mali and Algeria, Hadj headed to Tangier, a tourist city on the country’s northwestern tip, just 14km from Spain’s southern border via the Mediterranean.

“From the beach in Tangier, I could see Europe. I was closer to my dream than ever before,” Hadj told Al Jazeera after reluctantly agreeing to talk in a forest on the city’s outskirts where he has taken shelter with around 20 other people from various sub-Saharan African countries.

“Standing there, I thought about my family and how I got here. It gave me the strength to cross this final hurdle. My family is counting on me. I can’t let them down.”

Hadj is one of the thousands of people from sub-Saharan African countries who have fled the hardships of home – from unemployment and poverty to conflict and persecution – in recent years to reach Morocco with the hope of crossing into Europe.

Entry into Spain is either by paying human traffickers anywhere from 150 to 3,000 euros ($171 to $3,419) for a boat journey through the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean or by jumping over the metal fence and barbed wire into Ceuta and Melilla, the two Spanish enclaves that form the European Union’s only land borders with Africa.

With increased patrolling on both sides, the land option is the unfavourable one, despite the sea route being more expensive and potentially deadly.

Almost 50,000 of the 54,922 arrivals into Spain this year have been by sea, according to the International Organization for Migration. More than 2,000 people have died in the Mediterranean trying to reach the European country, with over 550 of them having departed from Morocco.

The numbers would have been far greater if Morocco had not prevented nearly 70,000 attempts to cross into Spain this year, authorities in the North African country say.

“Since 2004, we’ve aborted 500,000 attempts to cross into Europe, mainly via sea, and dismantled around 3,000 networks. We have around 13,000 guards in the north covering around 1,100km. That patrolling is costing Morocco over 200m euros ($228m) annually,” Khalid Zerouali, Morocco’s border control chief, said.

These “preventive measures” include routine police raids to move migrants from the country’s north to the south.

But migrants and rights groups told Al Jazeera that authorities were using force and committing human rights violations during these operations.

“I have been taken to the south 10 times,” a migrant from Ivory Coast, who did not wish to be identified, said at a camp by the main bus station in the port city of Casablanca.

“I was arrested and put in a police car with dogs. From the police station, I was put on a bus with other migrants and taken near the Algerian border. I then had to beg on the streets to make enough money for a bus ride back up.”

Inside the camp, rows of rooms are covered with plastic sheets which serve as roofs and walls. The pillars are made up of wooden slabs. The sheets are tightly knitted but the rainwater has managed to find its way through.

On the tarmac in the middle of the camp, some residents are chasing a football around as music plays in the background. Others wait on the side, hoping their friends will bring back lunch – often, their only meal of the day.

Near to the camp’s entrance, a big hole in the ground is filled with rainwater and sewerage. This spot also serves as the toilet for the camp’s inhabitants after they were barred from using the bus station’s facilities by the security guards. 

Around 340km to the north, a similar tale of despair, misery, and resilience, unfolds in the forest in Tangier.

A recent storm makes it hard to walk up the steep and slippery slopes.

Here, the migrants have collected discarded mattresses to make their stay slightly more comfortable. But with winter approaching, sleeping under the trees can get challenging. 

Firewood serves as fuel to cook meals, often a broth of tomatoes and potatoes, while metal cans are used to collect rainwater, which is used to wash clothes.

A man from Ghana points to what remained of the burned belongings of a previous group of migrants, blaming a police raid the previous week that managed to evict almost all the inhabitants. 

According to Amnesty International, at least 5,000 people have been “swept up in the raids” around Morocco, “piled on to buses and abandoned in remote areas close to the Algerian border or in the south”.

The UK-based rights group has termed the “large-scale crackdown” as “cruel and unlawful”.

Zerouali denies these claims, adding that the raids are targeting networks that are exploiting migrants who have been “brainwashed by Europe’s pull factor”.

“There have been no violations by the authorities. What we’re doing is according to our laws. We encourage migrants to settle down in Morocco but can’t allow behaviour that is against our laws and act before a crime [illegal migration into Europe] is committed.” 

In 2013, Morocco launched a migrant regularisation programme through which it has granted residency permits to more than 50,000 migrants, in a move designed to change Morocco’s image from that of a transit country to a host nation.

Authorities say the permit allows access to jobs, healthcare, training and education. 

But for Said Tbel, of the Moroccan Human Rights Association, the situation is “terrible”.

“We see so many migrants, even those with residency permits, arrested and forced to the south. They have no rights of movement, they are not getting the promised healthcare.

“Morocco is using these migrants as a pressure card in negotiations with the European Union. It takes them to the border cities to put pressure on Europe. When they get what they want, these migrants are moved back south.”

With little or no money left, the migrants are forced to sleep on the streets, under bridges or in makeshift shelters until they can collect enough money – often by begging at traffic lights and earning the equivalent of two dollars a day – to make their way back up north.

They then need to save up enough for a spot on the boat destined for Spain.

Dei, 46, arrived in Morocco from the Democratic Republic of Congo 15 years ago. He lives in Tangier with his wife and their three children, as well as his sister-in-law.

Even though he obtained the residency permit four years ago, he says he has been unable to find a regular job and is constantly harassed by police. He wants to save up enough to take his family to Spain on a boat.

“If we had proper jobs and were treated well, we would’ve stayed in Morocco. But that’s not happening,” Dei says inside his small one-bedroom apartment on the outskirts of Tangier. He says the area was full of other migrants from sub-Saharan Africa, but constant police raids and inability to find jobs drove those people away.

“We are mistreated by the authorities. We get told to go back to Rabat. My wife had a horrible time giving birth here in Morocco all three times. It’s very difficult for us. There’s no way we can go back to DRC. We want to go to Europe.”

Back at the Tangier forest, the sentiment is the same

“I believe that what doesn’t kill you only make you stronger. I can’t go back,” said Hadj.

“Everything I’ve been through has made me more motivated to get to Europe. This is our path to Europe. I will keep trying and trying because I know one day my luck will smile at me.”

(A week after the interview, Hadj managed to reach Spain via the sea route). 

Translation and additional reporting by Aziz Allilou

Celtic defender Kieran Tierney has become the ninth player to withdraw from the Scotland squad before the Nations League game against Albania.

The 21-year-old has returned to his club following medical advice.

No replacement is to be called up by head coach Alex McLeish for Saturday’s League C Group 1 match.

Sheffield United midfielder John Fleck had earlier been added to the squad for Tuesday’s Nations League match with Israel at Hampden.

He will join up with McLeish’s pool of players after they return from Albania.

The 27-year-old was capped at under-21 level but has never been involved with the senior set-up before.

The loss of Tierney reduces McLeish’s options in defence while at the same time resolving the conundrum of finding a place for two top-quality left-backs.

Tierney has been used on the left of a three-man central defence, with Liverpool’s Andrew Robertson pushed into a wing-back role on the left.

With Kilmarnock’s Stephen O’Donnell having withdrawn from the squad, leaving McLeish without a natural right-back, using Tierney on the other flank and reverting to a back four had been an option open to the head coach.

McLeish had said that he had noted Callum Paterson’s form in a forward role for Cardiff City, but the 24-year-old is an option at right-back, having played there previously for his country and Hearts.

Fleck’s call-up had come after Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn became the eighth player to drop out of the original squad for the double header.

Assistant coach James McFadden explained: “Rather than have John travel from Sheffield to Edinburgh, on to Albania and back to Glasgow in the space of 48 hours, without having the opportunity to train with the team, it is better for him to join on Sunday and be physically and mentally prepared to focus on our match on Tuesday.

“The coaching staff have settled on the plan to play Albania and have been preparing on this basis all week.

“John has been in fine form for a successful Sheffield United side this season and his inclusion in the squad will offer us a fresh option against Israel.”

Fleck, previously with Rangers and Coventry City, has made 17 appearances for his club this season, with the Blades sitting fourth in England’s Championship.

‘So depleted defensively it’s incredible’ – analysis

Former Scotland striker Steven Thompson

Kieran Tierney is one of our best players, if not our best player, so to have him pull out is an extraordinary blow.

I thought he would have played right-back in a back four against Albania. It makes a massive problem for Alex McLeish. Who will play right-back?

Callum Paterson has played there, but not for a long time, or will he revert to a back three and have James Forrest play right wing-back? That’s what I’m thinking now.

Should he have called up another right-back? I think he should have. We are now left with a void in that area. We are so depleted defensively it’s incredible.

Alex McLeish won’t use the call-offs as an excuse, though, and I think, regardless of who plays on the right-hand side of the defence on Saturday, the squad has enough quality to win the game.

Scotland squad

Goalkeepers: Scott Bain (Celtic), Jamie MacDonald (Kilmarnock), Allan McGregor (Rangers).

Defenders: Scott McKenna (Aberdeen), Andy Robertson (Liverpool), Graeme Shinnie (Aberdeen), David Bates (Hamburg), Jack Hendry (Celtic).

Midfielders: Stuart Armstrong (Southampton), Ryan Christie (Celtic), John Fleck (Sheffield United)*, James Forrest (Celtic), Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth), Gary Mackay-Steven (Aberdeen), Callum McGregor (Celtic), Callum Paterson (Cardiff City), Scott McTominay (Manchester United).

Forwards: Steven Fletcher (Sheffield Wednesday), Oliver McBurnie (Swansea City), Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion), Johnny Russell (Sporting Kansas City).

*Will join squad for Tuesday’s match against Israel.

Eco-consciousness is a hot trend. It’s become common occurrence to see shoppers with reusable grocery totes at the supermarket. Bamboo straws are flying off shelves as people opt for eco-friendly products. Urban gardening and composting, too, has taken root as consumers try to minimize their carbon footprints.

These small actions are encouraging first steps, but they’re not enough when it comes to tackling agricultural contributions to climate change. Strong-worded warnings from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) detail the potential for climate disasters to worsen if modern consumption patterns don’t change — and soon. 

There’s evidence that reimagining urban environments’ food systems might help reduce carbon emissions. With more than 60% of the global population expected to live in cities by 2030, urban agriculture might be one piece of the puzzle for reducing strain on city resources. The practice typically involves growing food in smaller, city environments such as on rooftops, apartment balconies, or even walls. 

Here’s a look at how urban agriculture innovations might have a positive environmental impact.

The agriculturalist’s dilemma

Image: Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

A recent report on global food systems and climate change demonstrates the circular nature of the relationship. Agricultural practices lead to increased carbon emissions. Climate change — resulting in part due to those emissions — makes it more difficult to maintain stable food systems. 

If growth rates continue as projected and lifestyle patterns don’t change by 2050, nearly three Earths will be needed to support the population. 

At the same time, the human population continues to grow at record rates. Each day, another 200,000 people join Earth’s already stressed ecosystem. If growth rates continue as projected and lifestyle patterns don’t change by 2050, nearly three Earths will be needed to support the population. Farmers will also need to produce 70 percent more food to sustain so many people.  

Even though world hunger is a global problem, there is more than enough food to go around today. Inefficient practices, however, mean that much of what is produced is thrown out. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) estimates about a third of the world’s food — or around 1.3 billion tons every year — ends up wasted. 

Urban agriculture presents a simple solution to food waste: Grow food more sustainably, closer to where it’s being consumed. Some concepts that have emerged recently include city gardens in underserved communities — the DC UrbanGreens program in Washington, D.C. is one example. In Mexico City, giant plant pillars intended to improve city air quality have been proposed by a group called ViaVerde. Composting, too, encourages city dwellers to rethink how they dispose of food scraps. At-home composting via products like the Vermicondo, a worm composter designed for modern apartments, are gaining popularity. Many composters use their compost mixture to make fertilizer for gardens on their balcony or in other small spaces. These efforts contribute potential environmental benefits — and could introduce more green space into cities, too.

Startups making a difference

Image: Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

A number of social good ventures focused on eliminating food waste at every link in the supply chain have emerged in recent years. These companies are a natural complement to urban agriculture.

Tristram Stuart, part of the UBS Global Visionary program, founded his company, Feedback, after witnessing the wastefulness of many grocers, restaurants, and stores. He was particularly disturbed by the common practice of throwing out produce that fails to meet aesthetic standards. Stuart’s organization raises awareness about food waste by hosting on-the-ground events. The group also attempts to enact change at the policy level. Feedback’s campaigns include a mix of hard-hitting investigative research, massive public events where “salvaged” food is served, and pilot projects that test out improved food systems.

In 2016, Stuart launched Toast Ale, another startup tackling the issue of food waste with an inventive approach: The company turns surplus bread into beer, and pours its profits back into Feedback and other charities.

Another UBS Global Visionary, Iseult Ward, is the co-founder and CEO of FoodCloud, a tech platform that connects surplus food to charity organizations around the UK. To date, more than 4,000 food and retail partners are donating to more than 9,500 charities through FoodCloud.

In a video on YouTube, Ward discusses the company’s incredible growth in just a few short years. “What started as an idea with two people has now become a movement. That gives us huge confidence as to what we can achieve into the future,” she says.

Refusing plastic bags at the grocery store simply won’t cut it when it comes to real, lasting environmental impact. For those invested in turning the tide of climate change, greater commitment is required — and urban agriculture may be one part of a long-term solution.

Image: UBS x T Brand Studio

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Sri Lanka‘s parliament has descended into chaos for a second day as legislators supporting disputed Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa threw books, furniture and chilli paste at rivals in a bid to block a second no-confidence motion against him.

The pandemonium on Friday began when the pro-Rajapaksa politicians poured on to the floor of parliament and prevented Speaker Karu Jayasuriya from taking his chair.

After more than an hour, Jayasuriya managed to finally enter the red-carpeted chamber under the protection of dozens of unarmed officers and parliamentary staff.

Rioting legislators then took away the ceremonial chair, but staff carried in an ordinary office chair as a makeshift replacement. However, rioters grabbed that chair too, breaking it into pieces that were then used as projectiles to attack rivals and police officers.

The police held boards around the speaker to protect him from being hit by the angry politicians as he conducted a voice vote on a revised no-confidence motion against the disputed prime minister.

After the motion passed, Jayasuriya adjourned the house until Monday.

Rajapaksa lost a similar vote on Wednesday, when 122 legislators in the 225-member House passed a no-trust motion against him in a voice vote, followed by a signed document.

However, Rajapaksa refused to step down saying that motion should not have been put to a voice vote.

Sri Lanka has been paralysed since October 26 when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed Rajapaksa, a controversial former president accused of corruption and grave human rights abuses, as prime minister after sacking Ranil Wickremesinghe.

‘Unprecedented scenes’

On Thursday, Sirisena held an emergency meeting with the leaders of the political parties that voted for the first no-confidence motion against Rajapaksa. During the meeting, the president asked the leaders to take up the motion again and allow it to be debated before being put to a roll-call vote.

Opposition legislator R. Sampathan said it was Rajapaksa loyalists who prevented a roll-call vote on the motion as requested by Sirisena.

Rajapaksa himself stayed away from the rioting and walked out of the chamber after the vote.     

A former parliament staffer said Friday’s scenes were unprecedented.  

“We haven’t had a situation where the speaker was prevented from entering the chamber,” former sergeant-at-arms Wijaya Palliyaguruge told the AFP news agency.

“This is also the first time that the speaker had to come in with police protection.”

A Rajapaksa loyalist was seen throwing chilli powder at rival legislators and police. Several constables and legislators were taken to the parliament’s medical centre for first aid.

Gamini Jayawickrema Perera, a legislator from the party of Wickremesinghe, the ousted prime minister, said he was among those treated after chilli mixed with water was thrown at his face.

Vijitha Herath, another legislator, said he suffered a forehead injury when a rival hit him with a hard-cover copy of the constitution that was on the speaker’s table.  

Rajapaksa’s spokesperson Keheliya Rambukwella denied they attacked police or staff, but blamed the speaker for the chaos.  

“He (the speaker) need not have rushed the vote,” Rambukwella told reporters in parliament after sittings were adjourned.

Speaking at a press conference after the vote, Wickremesinghe demanded the restoration of the status quo prior to October 26. 

“The country needs stability,” he told reporters. “Let the status quo come back.”

Wickremesinghe said he was ready to work with Sirisena despite their bitter differences. 

Sirisena responded to Friday’s raucous scenes in a Twitter post, saying he would not dissolve parliament. He called upon “all parties to uphold principles of democracy and parliamentary traditions at all times”.

Sirisena had dissolved parliament last week and ordered elections to break the deadlock in the wake of his decision to fire Wickremesinghe. But the Supreme Court ordered a suspension of that decree on Tuesday until it had heard petitions challenging the move as unconstitutional.

Steve Brown has resigned as chief executive of the Rugby Football Union, after a little over a year in the role.

Brown succeeded Ian Ritchie in September 2017, but has announced he will leave the role at the end of the year.

Director of professional rugby Nigel Melville will be interim CEO until a replacement for Brown is appointed.

Brown previously served as the RFU’s chief financial officer and England Rugby’s managing director.

Watch Alexander Zverev v John Isner in ATP Finals round-robin action – BBC Sport

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This post is part of our High-tech High series, which explores weed innovations, and our cultural relationship with cannabis, as legalization in several U.S. states, Canada, and Uruguay moves the market further out of the shadows.

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Chicken and waffles. Moscow Mule. Gingerbread cookies. Plum.

Joe Edwards says he’s made cannabis flower taste like all of the above and then some, using a high-tech curing unit produced by Colorado startup Yofumo.

The plum was made specially for his grandma who uses cannabis for her arthritis pain but hates the taste. 

“My grandmother has no interest in Skunk No. 1,” Edwards, vice president of client applications and deployment at Yofumo, jokes, referring to a popular cannabis strain that smells, well, skunky. 

Yofumo is part of a growing contingent of companies using science and tech to experiment with cannabis terpenes. Terpenes are aromatic organic compounds found naturally in marijuana, and they impact weed’s flavor and smell. The type and amount can also have varying biological effects when paired with THC and CBD, according to marijuana researchers. 

“My grandmother has no interest in Skunk No. 1.” 

As terpene experimentation advances, more producers are adding the amount and type of terpenes in their offerings to product descriptions. The compound, lesser-known among the general public, is something consumers are becoming more aware of as they seek out a specific kind of high — or flavor. 

“We’re seeing a lot of our patients, or our clients, are demanding to be able to see terpene expression data for the flower that they purchase,” says Philippe Henry, director of R&D genetics and analytics at Flowr, which operates cultivation facilities in Canada. 

“It’s part of educating people that they can make better choices,” adds Henry, who has a Ph.D. in population genetics and has analyzed 5,000 cannabis plants to study terpenes and genetic markers.

Sometimes marketing gets in the way of information in the cannabis field. Blue Dream is a popular strain, but some producers may call their plant Blue Dream even if it isn’t the same as the original product, Henry says. Knowing more about the flower’s chemical expression, and how you react to that mix, helps you as a consumer. 

While there are hundreds of terpenes, a few show up more frequently. Generally linalool, also found in lavender, calms you, while limonene, with its citrusy aroma, can give you energy. Keep in mind, compounds may impact people differently. For example, myrcene generally relaxes, but it could do so to a different degree depending on the individual. When it comes to terpenes, and cannabis in general, it’s often about finding what works for you.

“I like to refer to it as the Jurassic Park principle.”

“It’s synergism,” says Mark Lewis, founder and president of NaPro Research in California. He compares a single terpene or a single cannabinoid, be that THC or CDB, to a note — but when everything works together, it’s a chord. 

What Lewis compares to a musical chord, others have called the “entourage effect.” Researchers have analyzed how terpenes interact with other compounds, but there’s room for further investigation. Weed is complicated, and there’s more to discover with expanding legalization.

While terpene levels in cannabis flower tend to be below 2 percent and cannabinoids hover around 20 percent, NaPro tweaks that through breeding plants with desired attributes together over several years. They’ve amped the terpene level up to 7 percent and THC down to 9 percent in one plant for a client entering a competition that awards top quality cannabis. Changing a plant’s composition can take years of breeding. Think about how watermelon today looks and tastes different than it did thousands of years ago, due to human intervention.

Once you get below 1.5 percent, the THC takes over, Lewis, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry, says. But if a single terpene is higher than 2 percent, the flavor and impact “will hit you like a ton of bricks.” One NaPro offering that has 4.5 percent myrcene will cause one’s eyes to feel heavy for 15 minutes or so and then provide balanced, euphoric pain relief, Lewis claims. 

NaPro Research has also built a search tool for clients to review the chemical expression of marijuana products to discern quality and value.

Flowr and NaPro mess around with a plant’s terpene profile through breeding, but Yofumo uses a different technique.

Its curing unit is currently only available commercially (the company is working on a consumer model). It releases terpenes from other plants stored in rods into a mahogany chamber, and through atmospheric transfer, the terpenes bind to the plant at a molecular level. 

There’s a trend in the marijuana space of upping THC content to get super high, but Edwards says cultivators should look beyond THC. 

“Instead of just maximizing THC potential, how can we also look at post-harvest curation practices and maximize terpene potential as well?” he questions.

OK, but how did he do that for his flower with hints of chicken and waffles? 

He starts with scrutinizing what makes up the flavor of chicken and waffles — the herbs you use, the buttery crunch of the bready exterior, the syrupy sweetness — and then replicates that as best as he can through chemical means. 

“Once you understand the creation and how this works, it really does open itself up to you,” Edwards says. “I like to refer to it as the Jurassic Park principle.”

Edwards has had his share of duds in the past, but those failures have helped fine-tune the curing process.

“I’ve personally consumed an amount of cannabis that is extraordinarily unpleasant,” Edwards says.  “I’ve had results that are similar to orange dish detergent just as often as I’ve had them be similar to orange fruit.” 

Yofumo customers work with flower as well as oil, but it’s the expanding vape and oil market that has added an extra boost to terpene’s rise. (The strength of terpene’s impact in flower versus oil can differ because of a variety of factors, including the types of terpenes used, their source — cannabis or another botanical, synthetic or natural — and the ratio of cannabinoids to terpenes.)

LucidMood adds terpenes from other botanicals to enhance cannabis oil for its vapes. 

The Colorado company removes the jargon from the equation, naming vape pens based on the desired effect, including Energy, Chill, and Relief. Each contains roughly 40 percent THC, 40 percent CBD, and 20 percent terpenes. LucidMood is focused on new users, not the seasoned dabber. “It’s for the person who doesn’t have a Ph.D. in cannabis,” Watkins quips. 

“The more that we learn about these, the more we can control.”

Calm includes geraniol, a terpene that smells like roses. LucidMood names its pens based on focus group studies in which the first group gets pens with terpenes and a second does not. By having a control group, LucidMood can show that terpenes were behind certain biological effects felt by the first group. 

“The more that we learn about these, the more we can control,” Watkins says.

There is a divide among terpene researchers, though. Purists believe terpenes should come from the cannabis plant, not an additive. There are also those who don’t want their marijuana’s flavor messed with at all.

“Consumers should be asking for a product that’s 100-percent cannabis,” Flowr’s Henry says. “The ones that are really 100-percent cannabis are going to catch a premium sliver of the market.”

As marijuana legalization spreads in the U.S., each state has its own regulations, from who can buy to requiring mold checks. At least two U.S. states, Nevada and New Mexico, mandate terpene testing. 

Now, what about weed you eat? If terpenes bring flavor and aroma, are they being used in edibles? Not so much. Edibles tend to use distillates, a form of THC that is supposed to be void of taste, or cannabutter, which is butter infused with cannabis that provides a strong, euphoric high.

Periodic Edibles uses terpenes in their caramels, but for the effect, not the taste. 

“We’re actually limited on how high we can go with the dosage because of the flavor that they add,” says the Oregon company’s founder, Wayne Schwind. If Schwind adds limonene to give a burst of energy, he doesn’t want the lemon flavor to overwhelm the caramel. 

Periodic Edibles started listing terpene profiles on their packaging a few months ago. Schwind says budtenders, the people who sell weed at dispensaries, love it, but buyers are sometimes confused. Many don’t know what terpenes are, but that may change over time. 

Multiple brewing companies have also been adding cannabis-derived terpenes to their beer. Devour Brewing Co. in Florida uses cannabis terpenes to add lemon, pine, and earthy flavors to its Florida Thunder IPA, and Lagunitas, a California brand owned by Heineken, adds them to its SuperCritical Ale. Prank, a Los Angeles bar, mixes terpenes in cocktails. 

The terpene innovators may disagree on what’s best, but they concur that discerning customers will be key. Those seeking high-quality products, the craft beer drinkers of weed, if you will, are the target market for terpene experimentation.

“It’s not a big thing now, but I think that return to quality is going to explode,” says Yofumo founder Alfonso Campalans. “It’s really the only way the small and middle producer is going to compete.”

Renault has appointed Thierry Koskas as the head of its Formula 1 programme.

Frenchman Koskas will replace Renault Sport president Jerome Stoll on 1 January, as the team seeks to close the gap on Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull.

Koskas will report directly to Renault chairman Carlos Ghosn and oversee managing director Cyril Abiteboul.

Renault says its target is to ensure the team can “race with the best and contest the title” by 2021.

Koskas’ appointment comes at a time when many senior figures in F1 believe Renault faces existential questions about its participation in the sport.

It is currently spending about 60-70% of the budgets of world champions Mercedes and their closest competitors Ferrari and Red Bull.

And while Renault will finish the 2019 season best of the rest in fourth place, its car has been on average nearly 1.7 seconds a lap slower, and at times has been lapped by the Red Bulls, which this year use the same Renault engine as the factory team.

Ghosn was initially sold on the idea of Renault owning its own team again on the basis of spending no more money than its current budget.

F1 bosses are in the midst of talks with the teams aimed at introducing cost control and a budget cap, but that is unlikely to be in operation on any significant level in time for 2021.

Renault could therefore face the difficult choice of either accepting it is unlikely to catch the top three teams at its current level of spending, increasing its budget to a level it did not initially want to, or waiting for the the cost-control measures to kick in and accepting that it might take longer to achieve its targets.

The Duke of Cambridge thinks social media companies should be owning up to the responsibilities that come with the massive impact they have on our lives. 

Speaking at the BBC on Thursday, Prince William first praised social media companies for their “extraordinary” inventions, but urged them to wake up to the responsibilities that come with their “significant power.”

“As [the] list of unintended consequences grows, a culture of defensiveness is undermining the sector’s relationship with the public,” said Prince William.

“Their self-image is so grounded in their positive power for good that they seem unable to engage in constructive discussion about the social problems they are creating.”

Prince William also criticised social media for helping to create “profound feelings of loneliness and inadequacy,” adding that they have “a great deal” to learn about responsibility. 

“You can reject the false choice of profits over values,” he said. “You can choose to do good and be successful.”

The prince urged the social media giants to work together to fix the problems they’ve created. 

“Social media companies have done more to connect the world than has ever been achieved in human history,” he said. “Surely you can connect with each other about smart ways to deal with the unintended consequences of these connections.”

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, have been active in making the internet — and social media in particular — safer and less toxic.

In 2016 the couple launched a task force involving Facebook, Snapchat, Google, and the BBC to combat bullying, abuse, and harassment in the digital world.  

Prince William’s brother, The Duke of Sussex Prince Harry, has also taken an active part in the fight against toxic online culture. In a historic statement in 2016, Prince Harry spoke out against the online harassment of his wife (then girlfriend), Meghan Markle.