• Air Astana is the flag carrier of Kazakhstan, operating in 60+ destinations primarily in Asia, Eastern Europe, and Russia.
• Though the airline is only 16 years old, it has won a ton of awards. For the last six years, consumer aviation website Skytrax has given it a 4-star rating and named it the best airline in India/Central Asia.
• I decided to fly Air Astana Economy-class cabin on a flight, from Seoul, South Korea to Almaty, Kazakhstan and Almaty to Moscow, Russia, to see what the experience was like.

Chances are, unless you're an airline junkie, you've probably never heard of Air Astana.

Only launched in 2002, Kazakhstan's flag carrier is relatively unknown to most Americans and Europeans, unless they happen to have taken a trip to Russia. But that may soon change.

In just 16 years, Air Astana has built a reputation for friendly staff, new, well-kept planes, and great service. For the last six years, consumer aviation website Skytrax has given it a 4-star rating and named it the best airline in India/Central Asia. In 2014, Business Insider named it the 12th best airline in the world.

The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation said in 2012 that Air Astana had "performed better in its first decade than just about any other start-up carrier."

Add in the fact that the list of best airlines these days is dominated by flag carriers like Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Emirates Airlines, and Etihad Airways, and I was very excited to give Air Astana a try.

I got my chance recently when booking a long-haul trip from Seoul to Moscow for the World Cup. I am pleased to say that Air Astana did not disappoint.

Read on to see what I thought of my flight on Air Astana, departing from Almaty International Airport to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport, operated on a 767-300ER.

SEE ALSO: I went to the massive World Cup party in Moscow, where up to 25,000 fans celebrate the games

DON'T MISS: I went to the World Cup for the first time — and it was even better than I imagined

For a recent flight from Seoul to Russia, I decided to book Air Astana, the national carrier of Kazakhstan. I was little bit nervous because the flight required a connection in Almaty, the former capital of the country. The first flight went off without a hitch and I landed at Almaty International Airport. It was a bit dinky.

To get on my second flight from Almaty to Moscow, I had to go through the transit desk in Almaty. Everyone on my flight was transferring to Moscow, as we were all heading to the World Cup. Because Almaty requires passengers to pass through security at the transit desk, I had to wait in line for an hour during my layover.

My flight was on time. After checking our passports at a small gate inside the airport, we boarded a bus that drove us to the plane on the tarmac. There's something about boarding a plane from the airstair rather than the gate that makes me feel like a celebrity.

• Jay-Z has filed new paperwork for a venture firm called Marcy Venture Partners along with Walden Venture Capital managing director Lawrence Marcus and Roc Nation president Jay Brown.
• Last year, it was reported that Jay-Z was planning on launching a fund along with Sherpa Capital.

Jay-Z is expanding his efforts in venture capital according to new paperwork that was filed with the state of California  sometime last month. 

Along with Walden Venture Capital managing director Lawrence Marcus and Roc Nation president Jay Brown, Jay-Z, otherwise known as Shawn Carter, is creating another fund, called Marcy Venture Partners. 

The fund's name might be a nod to Carter's Brooklyn upbringing in the public housing complex the Marcy Projects, which has been repeatedly referenced in his lyrics in the past.

This isn't the first time the celebrated rap artist has turned his eye to venture capital. In recent years, Carter has backed several high profile companies including luggage company Away, brokerage app Robinhood, and private jet company JetStarter.

Last year, Axios reported that Carter was planning to launch a VC fund along with the San Francisco-based venture firm Sherpa Capital. Plans for the fund failed to materialize after reported complications with Sherpa, although the new filing reveals that the delays haven't caused Jay Z to lose his interest in investing. 

Representatives for Jay-Z did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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NOW WATCH: This conveyor belt can move in any direction

• Scott Holt was running late to a meeting when he decided to take his paddle board and travel across the Hudson river to New York City.
• Video footage shows Holt rowing across the river in a full suit and a with a briefcase.
• The journey took just 30 minutes, he got there on time.

A New York City commuter was caught on video paddle-boarding across the Hudson in his business suit because he didn't want to be late for a meeting.

Jersey City resident Scott Holt was running behind schedule, and decided to hop onto his paddle board in his full suit and dress shoes in the hope that it would help get him there fast enough.

The journey took him just 30 minutes and he arrived in time, Holt told News 4, the NBC affiliate in New York.

Holt told the station: "Boats' wakes were coming at me from different angles and the current was quick closer to Manhattan." He said that he almost fell into the water several times.

A water taxi captain saw him arrive in Manhattan, and was taken aback, Holt said.

"The Waterway guy was straight out of a movie, screaming, 'Are you trying to f---ing die out here?.' He was being helpful but cursing me out at the same time."

Holt welcomed the popularity of the video, which was captured by a commuter on a ferry: "If it’s making people laugh, it’s a good thing."

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NOW WATCH: An artist creates a pedal-propelled Porsche and Ferrari with duct tape

• On Wednesday, Callie Ross-Smith turned to the subreddit r/SkincareAddiction to find a skin-care routine for her brother Alec, a teenager with autism.
• According to Callie, Alec takes medications that make his skin "dry and acne prone."
• He has already tried topical ointments like benzoyl peroxide to no avail and oral antibiotics, which interfered with his seizure medications.
• Reddit users were quick to offer thoughtful suggestions tailored to Alec's skin concerns, as described by Callie, and other preferences he may have.
• After dozens of responses, Callie ended up with a simple routine, which her mom has shared with Alec's behavioral team.

A group of strangers on Reddit recently worked together to help a teenager with autism find an effective skin-care routine.

On Wednesday, Callie Ross-Smith turned to the subreddit r/SkincareAddiction to crowdsource product recommendations for her younger brother Alec, who has autism, Yahoo! Lifestyle reported.

In her post, Callie, 19, shared two photos of Alec, 16, and asked for help creating a "simple routine" that her brother could use to clear his acne. According to Callie, Alec takes medication that makes his skin "dry and acne prone." After seeing a dermatologist, he tried topical ointments like benzoyl peroxide to no avail and oral antibiotics, which interfered with his seizure medications.

"I just want him to have the highest quality of life that is possible," Callie wrote. "He's a good kid, he deserves the best."

Reddit users were quick to offer thoughtful suggestions tailored to Alec's skin concerns, as described by Callie, and other preferences he may have. For example, after Callie revealed that her brother does not like rinsing products off his face, several users recommended cleansing wipes instead of a foaming or creamy cleanser.

Others shared recommendations based on personal experiences, like Reddit user earosenz, who is also autistic. "I have a lot of sensory issues with products," she wrote. "The key is to stay with products that are very mild...and have a good cosmetic finish." According to earosenz, she avoids anything containing fragrances and dyes and uses products like CeraVe Moisturizing Cream.

After dozens of responses, Callie ended up with the following routine, which her mom has shared with Alec's behavioral team: In the morning, he'll wash his face in the shower with water, use Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes, and moisturize with either CeraVe Moisturizing Cream or First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer. At night, he'll use the facial wipes and moisturizer again.

After a period of time, Callie said they will try to transition Alec into using a gentle jelly cleanser that he can remove with a washcloth, which he has previously done successfully with his therapist. And in about one and a half months, they'll add Stridex Medicated Pads into his routine and may even consider mixing a serum into his moisturizer.

"My family and I are deeply touched from all of your suggestions," Callie wrote. "This community is really capable of beautiful things when we put our heads together. I've never seen a better example of human kindness."

Speaking to INSIDER, Callie said that she loves the SkincareAddiction subreddit because "it's a place made for education and positivity." Since she said she had seen some people find near miraculous skin-care routines on the forum, she hoped she could do the same for Alec.

Still, Callie said she was surprised by both the number and variety of responses she received.

"I had parents sharing their journeys finding a routine for their kids with disabilities, and other siblings, therapists, and people on the autism spectrum responding to the thread," she said. "All of the different perspectives were AMAZING, and it creates such an open conversation."

"I really hope that this thread will help other caregivers," the 19-year-old continued. "Most of all though, I really hope people get a glimpse into Alec's world." Speaking of her brother, Callie added: "He has a lot of the same struggles as other teenagers, and just like any teenager, he still wants to be seen and respected as an individual."

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NOW WATCH: Why Apple is having so many problems right now

• LeBron James' free agency is shaping up to leave him no perfect options.
• According to reports, some of the star players James may be interested in recruiting may not be available or may not choose to play with James.
• It could lead to a scenario where James' free agency is less impactful than imagined as he makes some sacrifices in a final decision.

One week before NBA free agency begins, it appears as if LeBron James' options may be getting even tighter.

James is expected to decline his player option to become a free agent. The Cleveland Cavaliers remain an option for James, but rumors and reports have linked James to teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Houston Rockets.

One huge aspect of James' next move will be figuring out where he can best contend for another championship. With the Golden State Warriors ruling the NBA, James presumably needs to team up with other stars to have a realistic chance of competing, regardless of where he lands.

However, with free agency nearing, it appears as though some of James' best options are falling away.

According to USA Today's Sam Amick, James' camp believes free agent All-Star forward Paul George may be more likely to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder than previously believed. George has frequently been mentioned as a player who could team up with James to go to a team like the Lakers.

The New York Times' Marc Stein had also reported that many people around the league think the Thunder's chances of keeping George are better than expected when they traded for him last June.

If George stays in Oklahoma City, there will be fewer All-Stars available to team up with LeBron. Amick reported that Chris Paul, a close friend of James', is expected to come to an agreement with the Rockets on a max contract, despite rumors of a rift between the two sides.

Joining Paul and James Harden in Houston would be a good option for James, but there are substantial financial hurdles in the way, and there are rumors that James' family might not be comfortable in Houston.

Similarly, Amick reported that the San Antonio Spurs are telling teams that if they trade Kawhi Leonard, it'll be to an Eastern Conference team. The Spurs have also told reporters that they hope to repair the relationship with Leonard. Reports indicated Leonard wants to be traded to the Lakers this offseason.

James could try to arrange a situation where he goes to a team that also trades for Leonard, but it makes the entire process more complicated. The Cavs have reportedly reached out to the Spurs about Leonard, but there's no traction on a trade, and the Cavs have less-attractive assets than some other Eastern Conference teams.

Of course, there are other players available, and as ESPN's Brian Windhorst has said, James can make virtually any situation happen if he wants to.

But if James is unable to get some of the bigger stars available this offseason to team up, it's worth wondering what Plan B might be. James could re-sign with the Cavaliers on a short-term deal that allows him to weigh his future again in a year or two. Windhorst wondered on "The Lowe Post" podcast if James might end up having to sacrifice some of his desires — team competitiveness or what makes his family happiest.

Things can change quickly in the NBA, but perhaps the idea of James forming the next great super-team this summer is less likely than previously believed.

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NOW WATCH: This controversial Supercross star has 20 minutes to make $1 million

• Georgina Wilkinson is no longer "it" after she traveled from North Carolina to Scotland to tag her friend Drew McEwan in an international game of "tag."
• Drew’s brother and sister picked Georgina up at the airport on June 18, taking her straight to the baptism where the elaborate sneak attack would unfold.
• Georgina disguised herself as the gardener, tagged a surprised Drew, and ran away — back to the airport to fly home.

Georgina Wilkinson is no longer "it."

Not that it was easy. As a matter of fact, the American traveled over 4,000 miles from North Carolina to Loch Lomond, Scotland on June 18 in order to tag her friend, thereby ridding herself of the burden of being "it."

Drew McEwan was left speechless when Georgina Wilkinson, disguised as a gardener, appeared at his niece’s christening, tagged him, and ran away laughing hysterically — directly to the airport, apparently, where she hopped on an eight-hour flight back to North Carolina.

According to the Daily Record, Drew, Georgina, and either others have been playing international tag for the past four years after a chance meeting in China. This story might sound familiar if you’ve been to the movies recently; "Tag"— a film based on this exact premise starring Jon Hamm and Jeremy Renner, was released this past weekend. It tells the true-life story of a group of friends who kept a game of tag going for over 25 years.

Not only had Georgina been planning the surprise for months, leaning on Drew’s siblings for their discretion as well as a ride from the airport, Drew’s sister Angela actually offered her own daughter’s baptism as the setting for Georgina’s elaborate ploy.

It all went down when Drew was tricked by the baptism photographer, who was also in on the joke. He directed McEwan to ask the "gardener" to move out of the background of the shot. That’s when Wilkinson revealed herself, tagged McEwan as "it," and made her legendary getaway.

"My brother and sister had been planning it for months with Georgina behind my back," the 31-year-old told the Daily Record. "I’ve never felt so betrayed by my own flesh and blood."

He  went on to explain how quickly the incident unfolded. "I didn’t even get a chance to talk to Georgina. You have to just tag and run, you can’t stay and chat," Drew said. "I was in shock that she’d put so much effort into it. Flying over from America and back in one day is unbelievable. She had to make sure she was home in plenty of time for work on Monday."

Now it’s Drew’s turn to tag a pal.  "Obviously I’m not pleased with the bar Georgina’s raised for me but I must admit it was brilliantly executed," he said. "I’m not telling a soul what I’m planning though. I’ll need to keep it as much as a surprise as Georgina did with me."

Georgina is grateful Angela let her crash her baby’s baptism, and concluded her tale with this simple message: "Sorry Drewbs, you are now... it."

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NOW WATCH: 5 science facts that 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' totally ignored

• Money allows you to live the life you want to live, if you spend it appropriately.
• Certain things are worth splurging on, like products or services that will earn you more money in the future, education, and experiences.
• Here are six things that are worth buying, according to a financial expert.

When making a buying decision, do you often go cheap because you're saving money for a rainy day? Or do you splurge because you like the best and no one knows what tomorrow will bring?

There are certain criteria that people who are good with money consider when deciding whether to splurge on a purchase.  

Kimberly Palmer, a personal finance expert at Nerdwallet, defined someone who is good with money as "strategic about how they save money and how they spend money."

"They're not surprised by unexpected expenses, because they have a plan in place for that kind of thing. They also have a plan in place for the good things," Palmer told Business Insider, like vacations or their children's college tuition.

She also said that splurging is just not for everyone. You shouldn't splurge if you have credit card debt or are already spending more than you have the budget for, Palmer said. "A good rule of thumb to determine if you are overspending is to apply the 50/30/20 budgeting method, where 50% of your budget goes to needs, 20% to savings and debt repayment, and 30% to wants."

If you're wondering what items are worth spending a little more on, here are six things that smart people splurge on:

SEE ALSO: 6 expensive things that are totally worth the money

1. Products that earn you more money

Purchases that help you advance in your work are a good investment, according to Palmer. Her list includes a professional outfit for your first day of work, a good laptop, or a reliable car, if that’s important to your livelihood. "All the tools that allow you to do better," she said, are worth a bit of a splurge.

Palmer added that coaching can be a good career investment for entrepreneurs and employees alike. "Whatever is hard for you and challenging for you, investing in a coach to help you with that," she said, is a worthwhile investment.

2. Services that save you time

Get your groceries delivered instead of going to the store. Send your laundry out or hire a house cleaner. If you could theoretically spend that time at work and earn more than you spend on those services, you come out ahead, Palmer said.

A common theme in Palmer's advice is to splurge on things that give you more time to enjoy your life. "To me, money is all about giving you the life that you want, and that usually means spending time in the ways that make you happy," she said. "The best thing you can do with your money is to use it to free up time."

3. High-value rewards cards

Premium travel reward cards can come with hefty fees — the Chase Sapphire Reserve, for example, costs $450 per year. But for some people, the fee can be worth it.

"If you spend a lot of money on travel and want to redeem a lot of rewards on travel," Palmer said, these cards offer a better value than mileage cards with no annual fees.

It all depends on how much you travel and how much you charge to the card, but Palmer noted that you could earn thousands of dollars in miles or points with a premium rewards card, which makes the annual fee a smart splurge.

• White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said on Saturday that she was asked to leave a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, because she works for President Donald Trump. 
• The incident caused an uproar on Twitter and other social-media platforms. While some have come out in support of The Red Hen, others are furious about its co-owner's decision to kick Sanders out.
• Trump made an attack on the restaurant on Twitter on Monday, claiming it "badly needs a paint job."

Thousands of people — including President Donald Trump himself — have taken to social media to offer their opinion of a small-town Virginian restaurant that kicked out White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders over the weekend.

Sanders said on Saturday that she was asked to leave The Red Hen, a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, because she works for Trump. One of the owners told the Washington Post that it was Trump's policies, which she called "inhumane and unethical," that had prompted them to deny service to Sanders.

"The Red Hen Restaurant should focus more on cleaning its filthy canopies, doors and windows (badly needs a paint job) rather than refusing to serve a fine person like Sarah Huckabee Sanders. I always had a rule, if a restaurant is dirty on the outside, it is dirty on the inside!" Trump tweeted on Monday.

The restaurant's decision to throw out Sanders has divided the internet. Some angry consumers are comparing it to America's history of racial segregation. 

"I remember the days when certain people in the south were not allowed to eat in restaurants. Looks like nothing has changed with the southern democrat crowd," one Yelp user wrote online.

Others have come out in support of the restaurant and are using the incident to boycott the Trump administration in the wake of controversy over its border policies.

"This place is NOT for serial Liars. Caging asylum seekers children and pretending it is humane is not okay. Dine elsewhere. America did have higher standards. The White House changed that. We will claim it back," one customer wrote on Red Hen's Facebook page.

"I've never been to Virginia. Recent events make we want to travel there just to patronize your wonderful restaurant!!! Thank you for your authenticity and integrity!!!" another wrote. 

Angry customers have swarmed the restaurant's Yelp page to leave politically focused reviews. Yelp has posted an alert to inform customers that the page is now in "Active Cleanup" mode. This means that any review that is only related to the news event and not the food or service of the restaurant may be removed.

See inside the restaurant that's at the center of the controversy: 

SEE ALSO: Trump says the restaurant that kicked out Sarah Huckabee Sanders looks bad and dirty

The Red Hen is a farm-to-table restaurant located in Lexington, Virginia. Customers describe its small dining area as cozy and intimate.

The menu changes on a daily basis. Ingredients are sourced from local areas such as the Shenandoah Valley.

It is considered to be one of the best restaurants in the area, with a 4.5 rating on TripAdvisor.

Tom Holland is terrible at keeping secrets.

During the press tour for "Avengers: Infinity War," it was a recurring joke among the Spider-Man actor's co-stars; the cast unanimously voted him the "least trustworthy" and Doctor Strange himself Benedict Cumberbatch once said that doing interviews with Holland was like "chaperoning."

Holland struck again over the weekend by "accidentally" revealing the title for the "Spider-Man: Homecoming" sequel in an Instagram post on Saturday. He apologized for a lack of announcements about the movie, saying he doesn't know much about it and that he's "confused" because Spider-Man is dead (he was one of the characters that disappeared at the end of "Infinity War").

But then he said that he had the script, at which point he held up a tablet with the film's logo on the screen, which revealed the title. 

Below is the title of the movie and everything else we know:

SEE ALSO: Police are investigating claims of elder abuse suffered by Marvel legend Stan Lee, and it's just the latest turn in a strange saga

The title is "Spider-Man: Far From Home."

This is the title that Holland revealed in his Instagram post. It hasn't been officially announced by Marvel yet, but we'd be willing to bet that this wasn't the "accidental reveal" we've been led to believe. 

It comes to theaters July 5, 2019.

The movie will be released two months after next year's "Infinity War" sequel, which comes to theaters May 3.

Director Jon Watts, who directed "Homecoming," is returning.

• Planning a wedding can be hard, especially if you aren't sure how to accommodate the divorced couples on your guest list.
• To find out how to make a wedding comfortable for everyone, INSIDER spoke with April Masini, a relationship and etiquette expert.
• The best way to deal with it involves a lot of communication and planning in advance.

Anyone who has gotten married will happily tell you that wedding planning is quite difficult. From figuring out bridesmaids, to establishing a realistic budget, to deciding where you want your wedding to be, it's no surprise that people in the throes of wedding planning can't seem to stop talking about it.

One of the more difficult things to figure out, of course, is a guest list and seating chart — particularly if you are inviting people who used to be married but have since been divorced. 

Although it's difficult to gauge the exact rate of divorce in the United States, Psychology Today predicts the "lifetime risk" is around 42 to 45%. Because of this, it's statistically likely that if you are planning a wedding, there is going to be at least one now-divorced couple on your invite list.

To help figure out the best course of action, INSIDER consulted April Masini, a relationship and etiquette expert. 

Figure out how much drama you're able to deal with.

A lot of divorced couples will be fine being in the same room at the same time. But for others, you may need to decide if you're OK with having some drama at the wedding — or consider not inviting them at all. 

"If your divorced friends or family members are at Defcon 5 and they can't be in the same building without taking sides and drawing a crowd because of their fighting, then invite them and be prepared for drama," Masini said. "Or don't invite them because they have restraining orders out against each other and you don't want any hijinks." 

Give the person a warning that their ex will be there.

Accommodating some divorced couples can be as simple as letting them know their ex is also invited to the wedding.

"If they're like most divorced couples and they can behave civilly around each other even though they may not feel that way, then tell them each, separately, that you're inviting them and their ex, and you wanted to give them a heads up,"  Masini told INSIDER. "This gives them the opportunity to decide if they want to attend or send regrets." 

When you're seating them, just use your best judgment. If they're both integral to one friend group, it's better to seat them together than seating one with the main group and the other with strangers. But if you can split them off into two separate tables of equal importance, that might be your best bet. 

Try and make the wedding ceremony as inclusive as possible.

Wedding planning can be especially difficult if your parents are divorced. One way to deal with this is to consider how you might honor each parent equally.

"If you're going old school and want a father to walk you down the aisle, give your divorced mother a special honor that might be a reading, a toast, or some other special task so she doesn't feel left out," Masini told INSIDER.  "Modern couples have both parents walk each the bride and the groom down the aisle. If you've got step-parents, consider having them walk together down the aisle while your divorced parents walk you down the aisle. Or, you can be super-modern and walk yourself down the aisle."

Basically, just think about what seems most natural for you and your family. If something seems like it doesn't quite fit, or will cause hurt feelings among parents, don't do it. 

Seat them at the same table.

The same rules apply for the wedding reception — if your parents are divorced and relatively civil, it's better to seat them at the same table rather than separate them.

"They don't have to be seated next to each other, but this isn't about them. It's about you and your partner, and the wedding. Your divorced parents should put on their company manners for a child's wedding," Masini told INSIDER. "Just avoid putting one of them at the popular table and the other one at the mercy invitation table."

Don't fall prey to ultimatums.

If someone is giving you an "it's-me-or-my-ex" temper tantrum, Masini said the best way to deal with it is to ignore it.

"If someone gives you an ultimatum, don't give it much time or thought," Masini said. "It's intended to throw you off track. Tell the ultimatum-giver that you're very sorry they feel this way and hope they'll change their mind because it would mean a lot to you to have them at your wedding in spite of all the awkwardness that comes when human beings have relationships. In other words, reframe the conversation, back away from the conflict, and take the high road."

Of course, there may be very valid reasons why a person can't be in the same room as their ex, so it can't hurt to listen to what they have to say. But if you know the ultimatum is frivolous at best, do your best to shrug it off — if they really want to come to the wedding, they'll be there. 

Acknowledge that rekindling romance is possible.

It's certainly a possibility that exes may be so inspired by your own nuptials that they try to get back together (or, you know, decide to hook up for the night.)

"You may be the one thing they're happy about from their marriage and they may feel that old romance arise as you marry," Masini told INSIDER. "These things happen. Have a sip of champagne and focus on your own new life."

Of course, at the end of the day making accommodations for divorced couples at your wedding depends more on you and the people you know than anything else. 

But, with this advice, planning your own wedding should be a little easier for everyone involved. 

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NOW WATCH: Learning to celebrate failure at a young age led to this billionaire's success

• Sarah Huckabee Sanders may have violated federal law by tweeting about the restaurant she was kicked out of.
• She tweeted from her official press secretary account instead of her personal account.
• That violates laws against using government resources for private gain, according to former government ethics chief Walter Shaub.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders may have violated ethics laws that forbid government employees from using their office for private gain, according to the former director of the United States Office of Government Ethics.

"Sanders used her official govt account to condemn a private business for personal reasons," Walter Shaub, who served in the role between 2013 and 2017, wrote on Twitter. "Seeks to coerce business by using her office to get public to pressure it. Violates endorsements ban too."

Sanders was booted out of the Red Hen, a restaurant in Lexington, Virginia, on Friday because of her political views. She used her official government Twitter account, @PressSec, instead of her private one, @SarahHuckabee, to criticize the restaurant.

"Last night I was told by the owner of Red Hen in Lexington, VA to leave because I work for @POTUS and I politely left,"Sanders wrote on Twitter Saturday. "Her actions say far more about her than about me. I always do my best to treat people, including those I disagree with, respectfully and will continue to do so."

The owner of the Red Hen, Stephanie Wilkinson, said she told Sanders to leave the restaurant after consulting with her staff. Her staff said they opposed Sanders because she supported the Trump administration's policy of separating migrant children from their parents and banning transgender people in the military, Wilkinson told The Washington Post.

"This feels like the moment in our democracy when people have to make uncomfortable actions and decisions to uphold their morals," Wilkinson said.

Shaub said that Sanders retaliating to the personal matter as a government official — and not as a private citizen using her own resources on her own time — amounted to violating law 5 CFR 2635.702(a). The @PressSec twitter account has more than 3 million followers while Sanders's private account has just under 230,000.

"An employee shall not use his public office for his own private gain, for the endorsement of any product, service or enterprise, or for the private gain of friends, relatives, or persons with whom the employee is affiliated in a nongovernmental capacity," the law reads, in part.

The tweet also violates law 5 CFR 2635.101, Shaub said.

"Employees shall act impartially and not give preferential treatment to any private organization or individual," one section of the law reads.

Shaub didn't immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment.

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NOW WATCH: Sneaky ways Costco gets you to buy more

• Investor nerves have been rattled by the mounting prospect of an all-out global trade war as major US indexes tumble.
• Morgan Stanley has identified one area of the stock market it says will be a safe haven of sorts for traders worried about their equity exposure.

Fears of an all-out trade war have frazzled investor nerves, as indicated by the large drops across major US equity indexes.

But before investors exit the stock market entirely, Morgan Stanley wants them to know that there is a safe haven of sorts for equities, buried among the market wreckage.

The stocks in question are known as "small caps," or companies with meager market values, at least relative to benchmarks. Often overlooked when more actively traded mega-cap shares are soaring, Morgan Stanley argues their fundamental picture is compelling.

First off, since small cap corporations are usually more domestically focused than their larger peers, they're better positioned to benefit from the nationalistic tax cuts afforded by the GOP tax law. Those tax savings trickle down to a company's bottom line, improving the prospects for earnings growth.

Secondly, Morgan Stanley points out that small caps are also well-positioned to see a positive effect from business-friendly deregulation.

Largely piggybacking off the boost provided by these two dynamics, small caps have crushed the broader market so far this year. Their dominance can be seen in the chart below, which shows that a pair of small cap indexes (represented by the two blue lines) has dominated the S&P 500.

But this conversation is null and void without a discussion of what the market's latest and most threatening flashpoint — the escalating global trade war — means for small caps.

Luckily for investors considering a small-cap investment, Morgan Stanley finds that they're less vulnerable to what it describes as "anti-trade rhetoric." This once again comes back to the comparatively small international exposure small caps have.

In the end, small caps feature a compelling trifecta of positive attributes, offering a viable option for investors who want to stay invested in stocks, but want to be less exposed to President Donald Trump's latest trade headlines.

So with all of that established, are small caps still a good bet, despite already destroying benchmarks for much of this year? Morgan Stanley says yes. And it all comes down to growth.

"While the relative outperformance of small caps we have seen is a lot, forward growth expectations indicate it is likely to continue," Mike Wilson, the firm's chief US equity strategist, wrote in a client note. "The growth
differential between small and large caps may be widening even further from here which should extend the relative outperformance."

SEE ALSO: Beware 'Apocalypse Dow' — Bank of America reveals the 5 reasons it's bracing for a market meltdown

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• The best places to visit in July are already on savvy travelers' lists.
• Business Insider looked at airfare trends, climate data, and peak travel times to find the best places to visit in July 2018.
• The destinations include tropical getaways, natural wonders, and America's oldest Independence Day celebration.

July is peak travel season for Americans, and if you're a savvy traveler, you're already thinking about where you'll escape.

Choosing the right destination isn't always easy — the summer months bring unrelenting heat in some places, and the threat of monsoon season in others. On top of that, travelers must contend with the throngs of other people who picked the same place for their summer getaways.

We looked at airfare trends, climate data, and cultural calendars to select 13 vacation spots that are some of the best places to visit this July. They include spiritual temple sites in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, the stunning Iguazu Falls in South America, and the charming town of Bristol, Rhode Island — the site of America's longest-running Fourth of July celebration.

Read on to find the 13 best places to visit in July.

SEE ALSO: The 13 best places to travel in June for every type of traveler

DON'T MISS: 13 places to visit in May for every type of traveler

Chicago, Illinois

July is the hottest month of the year in Chicago, so if cold weather turns you off, now's your chance to visit the Windy City.

Timeless tourist classics that are perfect for the warm weather include Millennium Park, Wrigley Field, and the shores of Lake Michigan, and you could spend hours and hours at renowned museums like the Chicago Institute of Art and the Field Museum.

Outdoor festivals abound in July, too, from the Irish American Heritage Festival to the Chinatown Summer Fair. And of course, it wouldn't be the Fourth of July without a robust lineup of fireworks displays at several points throughout the city.
 

Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon, is blessed with natural beauty — an "almost unfair abundance" of it, according to Lonely Planet— and summer is the perfect time to explore it.

Popular activities for visitors in July include bike tours through the scenic Willamette Valley wine region and hikes through the winding trails of Forest Park.

Beer lovers will appreciate the many, many breweries that call the City of Roses their home, and the area is well-established as a haven for local music, food, and art. 

Bristol, Rhode Island

Don't have plans for the Fourth of July? Take a trip to Bristol, Rhode Island, to witness America's longest-running Independence Day celebration.

The Fourth of July festivities in this small seaside town date back to 1785. And one month isn't enough to contain the party — it actually starts midway through June, and includes several nights of concerts, carnivals, dances, and other entertainment.

Apart from the patriotic celebration, there are plenty of other activities to do in Bristol, including boating, bicycling, and indulging in some delicious New England seafood.

• The Food and Drug Administration approved the first cannabis-derived drug on Wednesday.
• Called Epidiolex, the GW Pharmaceuticals drug is designed to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy using a marijuana compound called CBD.
• Experts say the approval will galvanize research into other marijuana-based drugs and unleash a sea change for the CBD industry.

A new drug derived from marijuana just became the first of its kind to get the green light from the US government.

Called Epidiolex, the drug is designed to treat two rare forms of childhood epilepsy using a cannabis compound called cannabidiol (or CBD).

British-based GW Pharmaceuticals makes the drug. It does not contain THC, the well-known psychoactive component of marijuana responsible for the drug's characteristic high.

The federal thumbs-up comes on the heels of several months of promising research results and a positive preliminary vote from the Food and Drug Administration this spring. Experts are hopeful that the approval will unleash a wave of new interest in the potential medical applications of CBD and other marijuana compounds.

“This approval serves as a reminder," Scott Gottlieb, the FDA commissioner, said in a statement on Monday, "that advancing sound development programs that properly evaluate active ingredients contained in marijuana can lead to important medical therapies."

In three large clinical trials which the FDA considered before giving Epidiolex the official green light, researchers presented strong evidence that the pharmaceutical-grade CBD in the medicine had the power to significantly curb some of the worst symptoms of two of the hardest-to-treat forms of epilepsy, known as Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome.

"This is clearly a breakthrough drug for an awful disease,"John Mendelson, a panel member and senior scientist at the Friends Research Institute, said at a public FDA meeting this spring that was called to discuss the scientific merits of the drug.

But although the green light means that patients will soon be able to access Epidiolex with a doctor's prescription, many will also likely turn to less expensive sources of CBD, such as those sold in marijuana dispensaries. Researchers and advocates cautioned against this, however, with the caveat that it's impossible to verify that what's in those products is actually pharmaceutical-grade CBD.

'A boatload of evidence to show at this point'

Starting last spring with a study presented at the American Academy of Neurology's yearly meeting in Boston, GW Pharmaceuticals has consistently presented strong clinical studies that appear to support Epidiolex.

"There’s a boatload of evidence to show for this drug at this point,"Orrin Devinsky, a lead author on one of those studies and a neurologist at New York University Langone Health, told Business Insider.

A month after the Neurology meeting, Devinksy and his colleagues published a positive study of the drug in children with Dravet syndrome in the New England Journal of Medicine. Roughly 43% of the children in that study who got the drug saw their number of seizures cut in half, and 5% stopped having seizures entirely. In comparison, children who got a placebo had barely any noticeable change in their symptoms.

Almost exactly a year later, Devinksy and his team followed up those results with another favorable study in the same journal using a smaller dose of the drug in patients with Lennox-Gastaut. Devinsky said that low dose might be "the sweet spot" where most patients can achieve relief from symptoms without any unwanted side effects, such as drowsiness.

Also, although Epidiolex is designed to treat only two types of epilepsy, medical professionals can technically prescribe it "off-label" for other conditions as well. (The anesthetic ketamine, for example, is prescribed this way for some hard-to-treat forms of depression.)

"We would expect that once this is approved as a drug it's quite likely this will be tried in other populations off-label so it has a big opportunity to affect others," Lubbers said.

Epidiolex vs. other CBD products

Scientists and advocates representing families of patients with epilepsy are hailing Epidiolex's arrival as a long-awaited treatment. But they are also aware that desperate patients — especially parents of young children — may actively seek alternate sources of CBD that may be cheaper and don't require a doctor's prescription.

In states where marijuana is legal (or in states with laws legalizing CBD on its own), oils and salves made with CBD are widely available. But experts caution that these products may not be what they seem.

"What's different with [Epidiolex] is that this is a well-studied and well-controlled product,"Laura Lubbers, the chief scientific officer of a nonprofit called Cure that funds epilepsy research, told Business Insider in April.

But most dispensary-grade CBD products are not well-studied or well-controlled.

For a 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers tested 84 products purchased from 31 different online CBD sellers. Roughly seven out of 10 items had different levels of CBD than what was written on the label. Of all of the items they tested, roughly half of the items had more CBD than was indicated; a quarter had less. And 18 of the samples tested positive for THC, despite it not being listed on the label.

"The main thing is that CBD as approved by the FDA is pharmaceutical-grade CBD. It's manufactured under stringent standards, the same as other FDA-approved drugs,"Shlomo Shinnar, the president of the American Epilepsy Society and a professor of neurology and epidemiology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, told Business Insider. "That’s not the same as when people tell you, 'Oh, I’ve got marijuana and it’s high in CBD,' or 'Oh, I've got a CBD product.'"

A powerful catalyst for deeper research into cannabis-derived drugs

Epidiolex's approval could also be a powerful catalyst for deeper research into other marijuana-derived medicines. Cannabis has more than 400 compounds, of which CBD and THC are only two, and researchers think the others could hold promise as well.

The drug's green light also means that the Drug Enforcement Agency now has 90 days to reschedule CBD, which it listed in January of last year as a "marihuana extract" separate from "marihuana" or THC.

That means instead of being listed alongside marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug with "no currently accepted medical use," CBD will soon be categorized as either a Schedule 2 or 3 drug, much like the popular ADHD medication Adderall.

"We don't have a choice on that," DEA public affairs officer Barbara Carreno told Business Insider. "It absolutely has to become Schedule 2 or 3."

Once that happens, it'll unleash what Carreno called a "sea change" for CBD manufacturers and the industry as a whole, which up until this point has existed in a legal grey area.

Apart from CBD, researchers are also actively studying THC and other marijuana compounds for a range of potential medical uses, from relieving pain to soothing severe nausea. Although Epidiolex is the first marijuana plant-based drug to land FDA approval, the agency has already given the green light to drugs whose active ingredient is a lab-made version of THC, for example.

In the meantime, experts look forward to seeing Epidiolex made available to patients in need.

"I'm not currently aware of any other major new drugs that are close to being where this drug is," Shinnar said.

SEE ALSO: Pharmaceutical giants are sidestepping US marijuana restrictions to research cannabis-based drugs

DON'T MISS: There’s a sea change coming for the $1 billion marijuana-based industry you’ve never heard of

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• A woman in Arizona says a pharmacist denied her a doctor-prescribed medication meant to end a pregnancy that was not viable, the Arizona Republic reported. 
• Nicole Arteaga found out last week at her 10-week pregnancy check-up that her unborn child no longer had a heartbeat and that she would have a miscarriage.
• But the pharmacist at a local Walgreen's would not fill her prescription for a medicine to terminate the pregnancy due to personal beliefs, she recalled in a Facebook post that's gone viral. 
• In Arizona, it is still legal for a pharmacist to refuse to fill prescriptions based on religious or moral beliefs.
• The story drew thousands of outraged comments on social media. 

A woman in Arizona says a pharmacist refused to fill her prescription for medication to end a pregnancy that wasn't viable. Now, her Facebook post about the incident is sparking outrage online. 

Nicole Arteaga, 35, got crushing news from her doctor at her 10-week pregnancy check-up last week, the Arizona Republic reported: Her unborn baby had stopped developing and no longer had a heartbeat. Her doctor explained that she would ultimately have a miscarriage. 

So her doctor prescribed a medication to terminate the pregnancy. But on Thursday, when Arteaga and her 7-year-old son went to a Walgreen's location in Peoria, Arizona to pick up the medicine, she said the pharmacist on duty refused to fill the prescription. 

"I stood at the mercy of this pharmacist explaining my situation in front of my 7-year-old, and five customers behind only to be denied because of his ethic[al] beliefs," Arteaga wrote in a Facebook post describing the incident that has now been shared more than 34,000 times. 

Even when she tried to explain the delicate situation — that her unborn baby would not live — the pharmacist wasn't swayed, she recalled. 

"His mind was pretty much made up," Arteaga told the Arizona Republic. "I tried to explain to him. I have to take this medication because it is an undeveloping fetus inside of me and he still refused, standing there silent and looking at me."

Arteaga's husband even went to the pharmacy and attempted to intervene but had the same result, the Arizona Republic reported. 

"I get it we all have our beliefs," Arteaga wrote in her Facebook post, which also included a photo of the pharmacist's business card. "But what he failed to understand is this isn't the situation I had hoped for, this isn't something I wanted ... He has no idea what its like to want nothing more than to carry a child to full term and be unable to do so," she wrote. "I left Walgreens in tears, ashamed and feeling humiliated by a man who knows nothing of my struggles but feels it is his right to deny medication prescribed to me by my doctor."

In some US states, it's actually legal for pharmacists to refuse to fill prescriptions. 

Arizona is one of six US states where it's legal for pharmacies or pharmacists to refuse to a fill a prescription for religious or moral reasons, according to the National Women's Law Center.

Walgreen's also allows pharmacists to refuse to fill certain prescriptions based on personal beliefs — but it also requires those pharmacists to refer patients elsewhere for help. 

"Our policy allows pharmacists to step away from filling a prescription for which they have a moral objection. At the same time, they are also required to refer the prescription to another pharmacist or manager on duty to meet the patient's needs in a timely manner," a Wallgreen's rep said in a statement provided to INSIDER.

The statement also said that company was "looking into" the incident Arteaga described and that they reached out to her "and apologized for how the situation was handled."

Arteaga was eventually able to get her prescription. 

On Saturday, Arteaga added an update to her original Facebook post. She wrote that, just after leaving the Peoria Walgreen's on Thursday, she received an email notification that her prescription was ready to be picked up at a different Walgreen's location.

The pharmacist "had it transferred to another location," she wrote, and she was able to retrieve it from that location "with no problems." She also wrote that she had filed a complaint with the Arizona Board of Pharmacy and contacted Walgreen's corporate office. 

Even though the pharmacist acted legally, the story angered many on social media.

Arteaga's Facebook post has attracted 15,000 comments as of this writing. Many commenters expressed outrage that the pharmacist interfered in a deeply personal healthcare decision made by Arteaga and her doctor.

"To be denied the medication you so desperately needed by this pharmacist is the height of unethical conduct and very cruel," one commenter wrote. "How dare he judge you like he did."

"His job is to dispense medication not to be a judge and jury" another wrote. "He has no right to force his beliefs on a person."

On Twitter, others took issue with Walgreen's company policy that allows pharmacists to "step away" from filling certain prescriptions. Some called for a boycott of the chain to push for a change in that policy.  

"@Walgreens your 'policy' is draconian & needs to change," Twitter user @BranchFourth wrote. "I am never stepping into a Walgreens again until it does."

"And I have a policy that allows me to STEP AWAY from any retailer that chooses to humiliate miscarrying women," Twitter user @VeronicaSayeth wrote. "My moral objection is going to lead me across the street to CVS. #BoycottWalgreens."

Arteaga did not immediately respond to INSIDER's request for comment. The pharmacist identified in her Facebook post also could not be reached for comment. 

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Getting lost, navigating language barriers, and spending too much of a foreign currency are part of the experience of being a tourist. But making a major mistake while flying can have consequences for everyone on board.

First-time flyers, superstitious travelers, and passengers who have simply reached the end of their rope have caused everything from flight delays to cancellations.

Here are 10 times that tourists have reportedly caused trouble before they even landed at their destinations.

A passenger tried to open an emergency exit on an American Airlines flight while it was mid-air, but a celebrity came to the rescue.

Actor Michael Rapaport was on a flight from Houston to Los Angeles when he said he saw a man with both hands on the lever of the emergency exit door, trying to open it.

The flight attendants were gathered at the back of the plane, so Rapaport ran to the man and pinned him against a seat until the crew could restrain him.

When interviewed by authorities when the plane landed, the man said he thought it was the bathroom door, according to Fox News. A source told the outlet that the man was "really confused and made an honest mistake."

A video appears to show a woman slapping a gate agent at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport when she missed her flight.

In a video shared by China Global Television Network in 2017, a woman appears to slap a gate agent at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport.

According to the report, the passenger in question arrived at the airport for her flight to Paris 14 minutes after the gate had closed. When she was told that she had arrived too late, the woman allegedly hit the gate agent in the face three times.

The South China Morning Post reported that the woman was a 36-year-old PhD student in Wuhan that was on her way to an "important conference."

She was detained for 10 days, according to The Daily Mail.

A 76-year-old woman allegedly threw coins into the engine of a Lucky Air flight for good luck.

Channel News Asia reported that a Lucky Air flight was held overnight after a 76-year-old woman threw coins into the engine of the plane for good luck.

The flight was supposed to fly from Anqing to Kunming in southwestern China on October 19, 2017, but when passengers noticed the woman tossing coins into the plane's engine, they alerted crew members onboard. Crew members on the ground then found coins on the tarmac next to the plane, and the flight was rescheduled for the next day due to safety precautions.

The woman was taken into custody. It was unclear if she would face charges, but an 80-year-old woman who did the same thing in 2016 was let off the hook due to her age.

• A blood moon — and the longest lunar eclipse of the 21st century — will occur on the night of June 27 and the morning of June 28.
• The total eclipse is set to last for 1 hour and 43 minutes.
• The eclipse will only be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere.

July is shaping up to be an excellent month for astronomy fans.

On the night of July 27 and the early morning hours of July 28, skywatchers in the Eastern Hemisphere will be treated to the longest lunar eclipse set to occur in the 21st century, EarthSky reports.

Astronomers expect the total eclipse to last for a full 1 hour and 43 minutes, with the partial eclipse — which occurs before and after the total eclipse phase — lasting for 3 hours and 55 minutes.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are directly aligned, and the moon's orbit brings it directly into Earth's shadow. This particular eclipse will last so long because the moon will pass directly into the darkest region of Earth's shadow, known as the umbra, which will also give the moon a reddish "blood moon" sheen.

July's full moon will happen at the same time as the moon's apogee — which is when the moon hits its furthest point from Earth in its monthly orbit, according to EarthSky. It'll be the smallest and furthest full moon of the year, which means the moon will take more time to pass through Earth's dark shadow, making the eclipse last longer.

The longest possible lunar eclipse is 1 hour and 47 minutes, according to EarthSky. 

The total eclipse will begin at 7:30 p.m. UTC, and end at 9:13 p.m. UTC. The peak of the eclipse will occur at 8:22 p.m. UTC.

Just a few days after the lunar eclipse, Mars will pass by Earth at its closest point to since 2003. On July 31, the red planet will be only 35.8 million miles away from Earth, making it clearly visible to the naked eye.

Stargazers in the Eastern Hemisphere will easily be able to see both Mars and the blood moon on July 27 and 28. 

SEE ALSO: Mars will come closer to Earth in the coming weeks than it has been in 15 years — here's how to see it

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• All three major US indexes were lower Monday.
• The Dow Jones industrial average fell more than 400 points.
• The sell-off came after the Trump administration said it could bar investment in US companies from countries that "are trying to steal our technology."
  
• Watch the Dow Jones industrial average in real time here.

Stocks fell in midday trading Monday, with the Dow Jones industrial average down as much as 446 points, amid reports of protectionist policy pushes by the Trump administration that would ramp up trade tensions on multiple fronts.

Here is the scoreboard as of 1 p.m. ET: 

Dow Jones industrial average: 24,238.62 −342.27 (-1.39%)

S&P 500: 2,710.75 −44.13 (-1.60%)

Nasdaq: 7,505.05 −187.76 (-2.44%)

New rules that would curb investment in American technology firms are reportedly in the works within the Treasury Department. The Wall Street Journal reported Sunday that the initiatives would block companies with more than 25% Chinese ownership from buying "industrially significant" technology companies. But Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Monday on Twitter that the rules could be applied to "all countries that are trying to steal our technology."

Chinese tech stocks sold off on the news, with iQiyi sliding as much as 9% and Tencent falling nearly 6%.

Among the biggest Nasdaq decliners was Netflix, which dropped more than 6% to below the key $400 level. Shares of General Electric, which will leave the Dow Jones industrial average on Tuesday, fell as much as 1.5% after the company said it would sell its distributed-power business.

Also Monday, Wisconsin's Harley-Davidson tumbled more than 6% after saying it would move some production out of the US amid retaliatory tariffs the company said would bring about a "tremendous cost increase." The move comes after the European Union pushed back on Trump's steel and aluminum tariffs with its own duties on politically significant US products like motorcycles.

Oil prices fell as part of anticipation for increasing supply, with Brent sliding as much as 2% to under $74 a barrel. The OPEC cartel of oil producers agreed at a summit over the weekend in Vienna to ease supply cuts next month, a move analysts expect to bring 700,000 to 1 million additional barrels a day to the market in coming months.

Treasury yields also slipped following the report, with the 10-year down 2.3 basis points to 2.877%. The dollar struggled to find direction against a basket of currencies, and the euro ticked higher.

SEE ALSO: Chinese tech stocks are sinking after report says the Treasury Department is looking to block Chinese companies from investing in US companies involved with 'industrially significant technology'

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NOW WATCH: Four MIT graduates created a restaurant with a robotic kitchen that cooks your food in three minutes or less

The Powerhand VRS (Vehicle Recycling System) allows junkyards to extract previously irretrievable materials. Watch as the machine picks apart cars effortlessly. The following is a transcript of the video.

This machine picks apart cars with precision. It’s the Powerhand VRS (Vehicle Recycling System). A two-part hydraulic system that attaches to an excavator. 

The grapple moves the car around, cuts oversized material, and picks parts out of the car. The clamp arms crush parts, hold the car in place, and strip electrical pieces. Together they rip apart cars effortlessly. Junkyards use them to extract valuable metals. This car is about to be dismantled piece by piece. 

This worker starts by picking out material from the engine bay. The engine is set aside. It will be cut and sorted later. Next, the components from the wheel well are ripped off. The roof of the car is torn off. The grapple breaks down the interior. Then combs through the wreckage. The electrical components and other metals are separated. Once the car has been dismantled it’s set aside to be crushed.

Now it’s time to split the engine. The ferrous metal is separated from the alloy. The VRS can process up to five cars per hour.

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• Change is coming for a small but blooming corner of the marijuana industry.
• Cannabidiol, or CBD, is a marijuana compound that has been linked to a range of potential health benefits but does not get you high.
• The roughly $1 billion CBD industry is slated to shift into high gear if the federal government approves the first CBD-based drug, an epilepsy medication called Epidiolex.

Change is coming for a small but blooming corner of the marijuana industry.

A compound in marijuana that's been linked to a range of potential health benefits — but doesn't cause a high — is increasingly being eyed for use in salves, oils, balms, and beverages. It's also the active ingredient in a prescription drug that became the first federally-approved medicine of its kind on Monday.

Before Monday, cannabidiol, or CBD, was estimated to make up a roughly $1 billion industry. But that could change fast now that the first CBD-based medication will soon be available legally with a doctor's prescription.

That approval will also jump-start demand for products that have not been federally reviewed, opening up a huge opportunity for retailers and manufacturers to either work alongside the new regulations or take advantage of the legal grey area in which they’re currently operating.

The move could unleash what Drug Enforcement Administration public affairs officer Barbara Carreno called a "sea change" for the existing market of less expensive but untested and potentially risky CBD products, such as those sold in convenience stores and marijuana dispensaries.

The drug that could revolutionize the CBD market

Since at least 2017, drug company GW Pharmaceuticals has been presenting strong research data to suggest that its CBD-based medicine, a syrup called Epidiolex, can treat the symptoms of two rare forms of childhood epilepsy characterized by violent seizures (known as drop seizures).

Before the drug was officially approved on Monday, experts said an official green light was likely. 

"This is clearly a breakthrough drug for an awful disease," John Mendelson, a panel member and senior scientist at the Friends Research Institute, said during a public pre-approval meeting to discuss the drug's scientific benefits in April.

Orrin Devinsky, a neurologist at New York University Langone Health and a lead author on some of the GW Pharmaceuticals studies, told Business Insider, "I'd personally be very surprised if this drug was not approved."

Now that Epidiolex is approved, the DEA has 90 days to shift the classification of marijuana-derived CBD from the current categorization as something with "no recognized medical use" to either a Schedule 2 or 3 drug, much like the popular ADHD medication Adderall.

Once that happens, "all the [CBD] manufacturers have to be registered with us," Carreno said. "That's going to make a huge difference to the industry."

A legal grey area with unregulated products that range from teas to dog treats

For now, thousands of CBD products exist in legal limbo.

That's because there are two main sources of CBD: marijuana (which includes the leaves of the plant), and hemp (just the stalks and sterile seeds).

While marijuana-derived CBD is only legal in the 28 states plus Washington, DC where marijuana has been legalized (as well as the 15 states where CBD alone has been legalized), hemp-derived CBD falls under a sizeable legal loophole: hemp is exempted from the Controlled Substances Act's definition of marijuana.

But there's a lot of confusion in the space about which CBD products are legal or not. That's made some CBD manufacturers skittish about selling products outside of states where marijuana is legal.

Even so, plenty of other CBD companies are looking to expand across the country, reasoning that because their products are hemp-derived, they're legally in the clear.

Denver-based company Phoenix Tears recently signed an agreement with MarketHub Retail Services, a distributor that works with 7-Eleven franchisees, to get its hemp-derived CBD products in up to 4,500 stores by the end of this year.

"This agreement confirms our belief that CBD’s status as a mainstream wellness option has arrived," Phoenix Tears founder Janet Rosendahl-Sweeney said in a recent statement.

Regardless of where the product comes from, there's another pressing issue facing the CBD industry. The products are poorly regulated, and so there is wide variation in content, safety, and price.

For a 2017 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers tested 84 CBD products purchased from 31 different online retailers. Roughly seven out of 10 items had different levels of CBD than what was written on the label. Of all of the items tested, roughly half had more CBD than was indicated; a quarter had less. And 18 of the samples tested positive for THC, despite it not being listed on the label.

"I've seen a lot of dirty CBD manufacturing facilities," said Kelvin Harrylall, the CEO of a company called the CBD Palace that audits CBD companies and creates a list of vendors it deems safe for customers. "It's tough to know what you're getting."

According to the DEA, the approval of Epidiolex is slated to change all of that.

"This is going to be a sea change," said Carreno.

SEE ALSO: A drug derived from marijuana has become the first to win federal approval, and experts predict an avalanche effect

DON'T MISS: Pharmaceutical giants are sidestepping US marijuana restrictions to research cannabis-based drugs

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