Yesterday in front of Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon, and their rock royalty friends  Sid Wilson, Slipknot’s longtime DJ and sonic architect, got down on one knee and asked Kelly Osbourne to marry him.

She said yes.

It happened backstage during Ozzy Osbourne’s final-ever performance with Black Sabbath, as part of the historic Back to the Beginning reunion concert in Birmingham. A farewell for one era, and the start of something new.

The ring? A one-of-a-kind monster with too many diamonds to count, from world-famous celebrity jeweler Pascal Mouawad, known for making the Miss Universe and Miss USA crowns, and a close friend of Sid’s. Designed in secret and revealed during this historic event, the moment was raw, heartfelt, and unforgettable.

Why High Times?

For over a decade, Sid Wilson has been quietly working on something else behind the scenes: #ZERO, a cannabis strain born from years of selective breeding and personal investment.

Released earlier this year in collaboration with California cultivator Mickey Flowers, #ZERO blends Chem Dog 91, SFV OG, and Thai genetics, producing towering plants with massive structure and intense effects. It was crafted with care, hand-watered using mountain runoff from Mt. Baldy, stress-tested in full sun at desert-level heat.

“This strain is like Jurassic Park,” says Mickey. “Big buds, high CO₂ intake, and a knockout high if you’re not ready.”

But beyond the genetics and the buzz, there’s intention. Sid is donating 100% of his profits from #ZERO to charities supporting Parkinson’s and cancer research, a personal mission rooted in respect for Ozzy and a desire to give back.

The strain debuted at Caviland Dispensary in Los Angeles and quickly expanded to shelves in six states: Arizona, California, Nevada, Michigan, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.

It’s not the reason for the proposal, but it’s part of why High Times was trusted to tell this story.

Legacy, Love, and the Loudest Goodbye

The show marked the end of a chapter: Black Sabbath reunited. A stage packed with legends. One final bow for the band that changed everything.

And after the encore faded and the crowd dispersed, something deeply personal unfolded — not for the spotlight, but for love.

We’re grateful to share it with you.

Because sometimes, the loudest thing in the room is the quiet act of asking someone to build a life with you.

Sometimes, the most powerful story isn’t about fame or fire; it’s about heart.

Check out the pics, Ozzy and Sharon were seated nearby and as Sid was about to propose, Ozzy yelled out “Fuck off you’re not marrying my daughter!” Lol

Cover image via Instagram.

“Many of today’s cannabis consumers are ‘middle American’ adults, employed, own a home, vote regularly, pay their taxes and are involved in their communities.”

By Bob Sillick, Iowa Capital Dispatch

For many years, cannabis users were characterized as a cult of stoners: young, often unemployed, party animals. That sector still exists in some form, however, many of today’s cannabis consumers are “middle American” adults, employed, own a home, vote regularly, pay their taxes and are involved in their communities.

That is the general profile of adult cannabis consumers across the country and in Des Moines, according to a recent survey by Consumer Research Around Cannabis/The Media Audit.

The Media Audit, the parent company of Consumer Research Around Cannabis, is an international research company serving 80+ local markets in the U.S. and Canada for more than 20 years. It started gathering data about cannabis use and attitudes in 2016.

Although the sale of adult recreational cannabis is illegal in Iowa, the survey found 16.2 percent of all adults age 18+ in Des Moines said they used or bought cannabis during the past month, or the statistical equivalent of approximately 140,000 adults.

The smallest percentage in the following table, monthly usage in Des Moines, is still substantial—and suggests a pent-up market. Unleashing the recreational cannabis market in Des Moines and all of Iowa would likely generate jobs and significant taxes for the state—money now escaping across the borders.

The survey data from Des Moines and 42 other markets was aggregated and showed 24.1 percent of adults 18+ used or bought cannabis during the past month. (Local factors affect these percentages and comparisons.)

For 15 years, Jonathan Caulkins, H. Guyford Stever professor of operations research and public policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, has been studying cannabis legalization. He is also the author of several books on the topic and a member of the Commission on the North American Opioid Crisis.

Caulkins’s research fine-tunes the results of the Des Moines survey from Consumer Research Around Cannabis.

“From 1992 through 2023, the most recent year for which we have released data, the trend has been towards an enormous increase in the number of people who are using cannabis daily or near daily. They account for 80 percent of recreational cannabis sales. They dominate the market,” Caulkins said.

In states like Iowa that haven’t legalized adult recreational cannabis, Caulkins expects when they do, the middle of the market will be blue-collar high-school graduates, adults 25–40 who are employed but not affluent.

He has also seen a gender trend as more states allow the sale of recreational cannabis.

“As cannabis has become more legal, the male/female use gap has become noticeably smaller. When it was an illegal action or a risky action, there was a much bigger gender gap, but that gap is declining. Use by men is increasing with legalization, use by women is increasing even more,” he said.

Cannabis consumers in Des Moines also align with the 43-market survey when comparing gender and income. Millennials at 42.3 percent and Gen Xers at 35.5 percent account for three-quarters of the adult cannabis consumers in Des Moines who bought or used cannabis during the past month. These percentages are slightly more than the 43-market survey at 41.5 percent and 28.2 percent, respectively. The 33.8 percent of cannabis consumers in Des Moines with household incomes of $35,000 to $75,000 is also slightly more than the 43-market survey at 29.6 percent.

The Consumer Research Around Cannabis data also profiles cannabis consumers at a more granular level. The “household profile” category shows which three were the largest purchasers or users of cannabis during the past year, or 33.8 percent collectively.

• Affluent, no children at home: $75,000+ household income
• Affluent white-collar worker: Family income $100,000+
• Affluent Boomers: $100,000+ household income

Comparing cannabis purchasers and users in Des Moines with the 43-market survey by their employment status and occupation reveals some contrasts. The data indicates that many in Des Moines are working and contributing to the local economy.

Voting is a meaningful measure of civic responsibility. Millennials at 22 percent, Gen Xers at 54.4 percent and Baby Boomers at 12 percent who purchased or used cannabis during the past month voted in local, state and national elections, compared to 33 percent, 32.1 percent and 24.6 percent, respectively, in the 43-market aggregate survey.

This particular data point may have ramifications for future legislative efforts to legalize adult recreational cannabis sales in Iowa. While the Iowa Legislature’s majority Republicans have rebuffed Democrats’ proposals to legalize recreational marijuana, advocates suggest time may be on their side if an increasing body of citizens support legalization with their votes.

Marijuana’s Schedule I Status ‘Traps Researchers In A Paradox,’ Federally Funded Scientists Say

This story was first published by Iowa Capital Dispatch.

All seven medical marijuana operators have converted to adult-use cannabis sales, with over 10 locations, which will be up and running in August.

By Brianna Hill, Spotlight Delaware

Delaware will begin recreational marijuana sales on August 1, state officials announced Tuesday, putting the first definitive date on the start of a long-awaited rollout for the $280 million industry.

Customers on that first day will be heading to existing medical marijuana businesses though, as the burgeoning legal market has yet to develop the dozens of new businesses licensed for recreational-only sales.

That decision has already sparked criticism from advocates and residents, who say it puts other businesses at an unfair disadvantage.

For years, medical marijuana dispensaries have denied that they sought the handful of licenses available at the time in order to get a first-adopter advantage for the eventual recreational market. But now that is occurring.

“The existing medical marijuana dispensaries lobbied for less competition and to begin sales before new businesses, and now, with the [Office of the Marijuana Commissioner]-caused delays, they will end up with first sales and absolutely no competition,” Zoë Patchell, president of the Delaware Cannabis Advocacy Network, which advocated for years for legalization, wrote in a Facebook post.

Delaware medical marijuana dispensaries

Jacob Owens, Spotlight Delaware / Source: Delaware Office of the Marijuana Commissioner / Created with Datawrapper

• First State Compassion–Wilmington, 37 Germay Drive, Wilmington http://firststatecompassion.com
• First State Compassion–Lewes, 12000 Old Vine Blvd., Unit 102, Lewes
• http://firststatecompassion.com
• Fresh Cannabis, 635 N. Dupont Blvd., Milford
• https://freshdelaware.com/
• Columbia Care Delaware, 200 S. DuPont Blvd., Smyrna
• https://col-carede.com/
• Columbia Care Delaware, 5606 Concord Pike, Wilmington
• https://col-carede.com/
• Columbia Care Delaware, 36725 Bayside Outlet Drive, Suite 760, Rehoboth Beach
• https://col-carede.com/
• Field Supply, 4543 Kirkwood Highway, Wilmington
• https://thefieldsupply.com
• Fresh Cannabis, 800 Ogletown Road, Newark
• https://freshdelaware.com/
• Fresh Cannabis, 22983 Sussex Highway, Seaford
• https://freshdelaware.com/
• The Farm, 105 Irish Hill Road, Felton
• https://www.thefarmde.com 
• The Farm, 240 S. Dupont Highway, New Castle
• https://www.thefarmde.com 
• Best Buds, 516 Jefferic Blvd., Dover
• https://www.bestbuds.com
• Best Buds, 23 Georgetown Plaza, Georgetown
• https://bestbuds.com

Delaware’s adult-use marijuana industry, which was legalized in 2023, allowed for 125 licensees to operate throughout the state across cultivation, manufacturing, testing and retail sales. The operators were chosen at the end of last year through a lottery system that saw more than 1,200 individuals apply.

Entering the licensing lottery alone required individuals to submit detailed applications and fees. Most application fees cost $5,000, with the active license itself costing up to $10,000.

Medical marijuana operators seeking to enter the recreational market were required to pay steep conversion fees—$100,000 for retail or manufacturing licenses and $200,000 for cultivation.

The state used the revenue to create a $4 million reimbursement fund for social equity applicants, defined as individuals with prior marijuana-related convictions or those from communities disproportionately impacted by prior marijuana enforcement.

Since March, business operators have been awaiting clarity from the Office of the Marijuana Commissioner (OMC), the state office in charge of regulating the industry, on when sales could legally begin.

The market’s launch was originally slated for April but faced delays after the state failed to secure FBI approval to conduct background checks on licensees.

As of June 18, 43 individuals have cleared their background checks, according to OMC spokeswoman Keila Montalvo. The office did not respond to requests for information on how many conditional licenses have been issued.

Even as an official date is set, state lawmakers are still trying to revise the law that made recreational sales legal.

The law permitted municipalities to prohibit marijuana businesses from their jurisdictions and gave counties broad authority to dictate where they could locate, but those allowances have led a third of Delaware towns and cities to opt out of allowing marijuana shops and Sussex County to place significant restrictions on locations.

A bill to lessen those restrictions has passed both the House and Senate and now awaits consideration from Gov. Matt Meyer (D).

All seven medical marijuana operators have converted to adult-use cannabis sales, with over 10 locations, which will be up and running in August.

Given the ongoing barriers faced by other licensees, including strict local zoning rules, delayed funding for social equity applicants and pending conditional license approvals, the early start for medical marijuana businesses could give them a major head start in shaping the market.

“Our focus is on building a safe, equitable, and accountable marijuana market that delivers real benefits to Delawareans. We will continue to issue conditional licenses to previously selected applicants to ensure they can begin operations once active,” Joshua Sanderlin, Delaware’s new marijuana commissioner, said in a statement.

This story was first published by Spotlight Delaware.

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