Page 8 The Skanner November 2, 2016
News
The Thanksgiving Feast: Sharing isn’t Always Caring Could Legal Marijuana
CATEGORY
SAFE
AVOID
Happen in Vegas?
Fruits
By Dr. Jasmine Shanelle
Streeter, Veterinarian
For The Skanner News
Vegetables
T
hree
weeks
‘til
Thanksgiving and
I’ve already got my
grocery list togeth-
er: ham, Cornish hen,
mac and cheese, collard
greens, yams and sweet
potato pie make the list
yearly. If this is your first
time reading my column,
you will soon find out
how much I love food.
Because of my interests
in the delicacies of life,
my pets have taken up
an interesting habit of
following me around to
elicit sympathy for hu-
man treats.
A balanced pet diet
is best, and dog and cat
treats are made in a va-
riety of flavors to mimic
the real thing — but my
dog and cat seem to know
the difference. I usually
try my best to resist, but
occasionally, I give in and
share a tender morsel or
two to ease my suffering
of sad, pitiful eyes. (Ugh,
they got me again!)
Whether you inten-
tionally plan on sharing
your Thanksgiving meal
(hopefully not under the
table), or if you acciden-
Grains
Meats
Other
Dr. Jasmine and her dog Sheba
tally drop a chicken leg
on the kitchen floor, it
is helpful to know what
foods are safe and what
to avoid to help your pet
make it through the holi-
days in peace. Above is a
brief list of safe and un-
safe ingredients for your
pet to consume during
Thanksgiving.
If you’re in a baking
mood, apples, pears, and
peaches are safe to con-
sume as long as the seeds
or pits (which contain
cyanide that are danger-
ous to humans and pets)
are removed. If you bake
cookies, shortbread, or
cake that uses macada-
mia nuts, grapes or rai-
sins, avoid letting pets
eat these items if they fall
Apples, pears,
peaches
Pumpkin, squash,
green beans, corn,
carrots, zucchini,
bell pepper, sweet
potato, parsley
Bread, rice, oatmeal
Macadamia nuts,
grapes, raisins
Onions, garlic,
avocado
By Michelle Rindels
Associated Press
Yeast dough
Lean turkey, chicken, Fatty cuts, bacon,
pork or beef, salmon raw meats, bones
Eggs, marshmallow, Raw eggs, chocolate,
cheese
caffeine, alcohol,
sugary, salty, spicy
foods, diet foods
containing xylitol
to the floor -- no matter
how small.
The vegetables listed
above make wonderful
healthy snacks. Set aside
unseasoned vegetables
for your pet before add-
ing onion powder, garlic
powder, or salt to your
recipe. Small amounts of
bread can ease a whiney
puppy (hence the term
“hush puppies”) — but
yeast dough should be
avoided as it can expand
in the stomach and cause
tummy upsets. Raw or
fatty cuts of meats should
always be avoided can
lead to a life threatening
illness known as pancre-
atitis which is extremely
Nevadans will vote on
legalization Nov. 8
painful. Bones, especial-
ly hollow ones (poultry)
pose choking hazards
or a risk of tearing the
esophagus or intestines.
Chocolate, caffeine, al-
cohol and xylitol can be
deadly (even in small
doses, depending on the
concentration) -- and raw
eggs put your pet at risk
for Salmonella poison-
ing.
Whether you are a ha-
bitual table food feeder,
messy cook, or occasion-
al treat indulger it is al-
ways best to know what
foods are okay to con-
sume with your trusty
companion. I wish you
a safe and wonderful
Thanksgiving meal this
holiday for you and your
furry family.
Do you have a pet topic
you’d like to learn more
about? I’d love to hear
from you! Write me at
drjasmine@theskanner.
com.
LAS VEGAS — Nevada already has legal broth-
els, round-the-clock casinos and a coy catchphrase
declaring that “what happens in Vegas, stays in Ve-
gas.” If voters approve, the state could soon add an-
other vice in the form of recreational marijuana.
A proposal on the Nov. 8 state ballot would legal-
ize pot, and entrepreneurs hope its passage could
someday allow the drug at Las Vegas’ glamorous
nightclubs and perhaps provide the framework
for a future Amsterdam-style cannabis district.
“I really think this would be the third-largest
market in the country,” said Derek Peterson, whose
company operates medical marijuana dispensa-
ries called Blum. He predicts that only California
and New York would offer a bigger customer base
than Las Vegas and its 42 million tourists a year. “I
think it should be able to fit in really well with the
whole dayclub/nightclub thing.”
Nevada has allowed medical marijuana since
2000, and Peterson sees recreational pot as an al-
ternative for visitors tired of cocktails that can top
$15 apiece and inflict hangovers. But before wait-
resses begin delivering high-grade marijuana at
clubs along the Las Vegas Strip, weed proponents
will have to win over not just voters, who narrow-
ly support the initiative in polls, but a risk-averse
casino industry.
The Nevada Resort Association came out against
the measure, pointing to an opinion from gam-
bling regulators that casino owners should avoid
the marijuana industry because the substance re-
mains illegal under federal law. Las Vegas Sands
owner Sheldon Adelson has bankrolled most of
the opposition, pouring $2 million of his fortune
into a campaign that raises the possibility that
small children could become intoxicated from can-
dy-like marijuana edibles.
Adelson also has contributed $1.5 million in Ar-
izona and Massachusetts, a significant share of all
anti-marijuana donations there.
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