“When Danielle Parr, a homemaker from Texas, accidentally ejected a tampon from its applicator, the last thing she expected to find were black marks all over it. But on closer inspection, the mother of one found what appeared to be large spots of mould covering the tampon, a discovery that she described as ‘horrifying’ on her blog. ‘I just found a MOLDY TAMPON in a brand new box of Kotex Tampons,’ she wrote on her blog before checking to see if any others were contaminated… And this is not the first time Kotex has found itself in hot water with a potentially dangerous issue relating to their sanitary goods. Kimberly-Clark who manufactures the range of feminine hygiene products recalled 1,400 cartons in November last year after concerns the tampons had been infiltrated by harmful bacteria capable of causing vaginal infections and even some ‘life-threatening’ conditions, according to MSNBC.” w/ photos

“A company dubbed the ‘Walmart of Weed’ is putting down roots in America’s capital city, sprouting further debate on marijuana — medical or otherwise. Just a few miles from the White House and federal buildings, a company that candidly caters to medical marijuana growers is opening up its first outlet on the East Coast. The opening of the weGrow store in Washington coincides with the first concrete step in implementing a city law allowing residents with certain medical conditions to purchase pot. Like suppliers of picks and axes during the gold rush, weGrow sees itself providing the necessary tools to pioneers of a ‘green rush,’ which some project could reach nearly $9 billion within the next five years. Admittedly smaller than a big box store, weGrow is not unlike a typical retailer in mainstream America, with towering shelves of plant food and vitamins, ventilation and lighting systems. Along with garden products, it offers how-to classes, books and magazines on growing medical marijuana. ‘The more that businesses start to push the envelope by showing that this is a legitimate industry, the further we’re going to be able to go in changing people’s minds,” said weGrow founder Dhar Mann.” w/ photos