tagged w/ Cannabis
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Hemp was a logical choice for a replacement for the non-biodegradable plastic bottle, Leadam said. It is more durable and does not leach toxins into the contents as the plastics used today do. The DEHA leached by one-time-use bottles has been linked to liver and reproductive problems, asthma in children and cancer, his webpage said. These bottles will never biodegrade in a landfill because they require sunlight to break down, he said.
http://morris.patch.com/articles/morris-native-seeks-funds-for-inventionHemp was a logical choice for a replacement for the non-biodegradable plastic bottle,... more
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Enforcement of U.S. laws against marijuana possession serves to encourage and enrich Mexican drug cartels and the Asian and biker gangs that control the “B.C. Bud” market in Canada, according to two former top federal law enforcement officials.
“It is the money, not the drug, that drives these cartels and gangs,” Charles Mandigo, who served 27 years with the FBI and headed its Seattle office, told a legislative hearing in Olympia.
He was testifying in favor of Initiative 502, which would legalize the growth and possession of cannabis, tax it, sell-it at state-sanctioned stores, and give the State Liquor Control Board authority over it.
John McKay, who served as U.S. Attorney for Western Washington from 2001 to 2007, said I-502 is an antidote to a “tremendously failed national policy and a tremendously failed state policy on marijuana.
“Criminal enforcement of marijuana doesn’t work,” McKay argued. It “creates an enormous flow of money to international drug cartels, criminals and thugs,” he added.
(more at link with an interesting gallery of photos)Enforcement of U.S. laws against marijuana possession serves to encourage and enrich... more
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Now in production, BRINGING IT HOME follows Anthony Brenner’s mission,inspired by his young daughter with multiple chemical sensitivities, to build the healthiest homes. His quest leads him to build “America’s First Hemp House” in Asheville, NC, using hempcrete which must be imported. Industrial hemp walls are breathable, carbon-negative, non-toxic, mold-pest and flame-resistant, and can help cut energy bills in half. The one drawback–the U.S. prohibits farming industrial hemp, the non-psychoactive cannabis sativa plant that 31 other nations grow. As a sustainable building material, industrial hemp farming could create 1,000’s of jobs in the U.S. and make healthy homes affordable for all. Help us make the documentary that will get everyone asking “why aren’t we growing it here?”
Check out the video here: http://www.bringingithomemovie.com/Now in production, BRINGING IT HOME follows Anthony Brenner’s mission,inspired... more
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The other day when researching facts about hemp for energy, I turned to the site http://www.jackherer.com/thebook/chapter-nine/ . Chapter Nine of Jack Herer's book, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes", made the lightbulb in my head go off.
Read it and see if it does the same thing for you.
In the 1920s, the early oil barons such as Rockefeller of Standard Oil, Rothschild of Shell, etc., became paranoically aware of the possibilities of Henry Ford’s vision of cheap methanol fuel, * and they kept oil prices incredibly low – between $1 and $4 per barrel (there are 42 gallons in an oil barrel) until 1970 – almost 50 years! Then, once they were finally sure of the lack of competition, the price of oil jumped to almost $60+ per barrel over the next 30 years.
'1970'? What happened in the early 70's? Richard Nixon declared war on cannabis. He changed the classification of cannabis and virtually declared war on the plant. Hemp is part of the cannabis family and became an instant casualty. People couldn't even speak of the use of hemp for oil. They even ended up creating a Czar, to silence the voices of reason.
How's that worked out for us? Our economy spins on the whims of the oil companies. IMHO, Richard Nixon could have had more than cannabis on his mind when he eliminated, the oil companies natural competitor. Hemp is a renewable resource, which could be used to replace the plastic now polluting our planet.
The war on cannabis has come at a high price. Maybe even higher than I could have imagined? 'What if' hemp had been available and our dependence and reliance on oil, had not lead us on such a destructive path? 'What if" a plant could have been the answer all along, had we not been moved along to their wrongs, with the invention of a war.The other day when researching facts about hemp for energy, I turned to the site... more
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YUKON, Oklahoma -
Supporters of medical marijuana say it can be used for a wide variety of treatments including glaucoma, cancer and AIDS. But now support is growing, including here locally, to give it to children who suffer from autism.
When legislators return to the statehouse next week, medical marijuana will be back on the table. And one local family says they will be pushing for it to pass for the sake of their autistic son.
Life with 7-year-old Deacon is a constant challenge.
"It's like crisis mode all the time just trying to make it through the day, and that's no way for any of our children to live," said Catherine Mejias, Deacon's mother.
The Mejias family has tried a long list of doctor prescribed medications, as well as alternative treatments. Nothing has worked.
"We are just looking for something that will make him happy," said Gill Mejias, Deacon's father.
They think that something may be THC, a chemical in medical marijuana.
The idea is controversial, but gaining momentum nationwide after parents in states with legalized marijuana have claimed success.
"I feel like I have my son back," said Mieko Hester-Perez of Fountain Valley, California on "The Doctors."
http://www.newson6.com/story/16636569/yukon-family-pushes-to-legalize-medical-marijuana-in-oklahoma-for-autistic-sonYUKON, Oklahoma -
Supporters of medical marijuana say it can be used for a wide... more
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I usually don't like to post crap like this but I just can't help myself. I can see why they won't allow comments after this piece of yellow journalism. Look what Peter Hitchens has to say about pot:
"True, there’s plenty of misery. Think of the poor deluded teenagers risking their sanity because they think cannabis is ‘soft’ and safe when in fact it’s a terrifying, unpredictable brain poison that can make you go mad for life."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2093250/PETER-HITCHENS-Heroin-supermarket--Sir-Richard.html#ixzz1knTCY3C1I usually don't like to post crap like this but I just can't help myself. I... more
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Rep. Jim Masland of Vermont has introduced a bill that will amend the state’s medical marijuana law, in order to include the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The bill, according to Masland, was introduced at the prompting of constituents who were using marijuana to treat PTSD symptoms.
The medical marijuana law in Vermont took effect in 2004, which allows people who are suffering from a list of debilitating diseases to use medical marijuana, with the recommendation of their health care provider. At this time, there are 411 patients and 68 caregivers in the medical marijuana registry in Vermont.
http://blog.usnavyseals.com/2012/01/bill-calls-for-inclusion-of-ptsd-in-states-medical-marijuana-law.htmlRep. Jim Masland of Vermont has introduced a bill that will amend the state’s... more
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Myths about marijuana convince people that alcohol is safer, but science shows pot is the healthier choice.
Alcohol kills approximately 70,000 people per year. Prescription pills, which have helped overdose become the leading cause of accidental death in America, result in more than 20,000 deaths per year. Marijuana has never killed anybody.
Although scientific research is available to show that pot is relatively harmless, and in fact medically beneficial, myths and propaganda about the plant’s alleged harm lead to marijuana laws so severe they often have the unintended consequence of driving people to drink alcohol, a much more dangerous substance than pot.
Many people do not understand just how harsh some marijuana legislation is. In America, pot possession so minor it is not even a misdemeanor can cause caring parents to lose custody of their children, because welfare offices may charge them with neglect, regardless of how good a parent they are. The legal ramifications of pot use may make parents who want to smoke marijuana more likely to drink alcohol, which is much more likely to create abusive or otherwise harmful behavior.
http://www.alternet.org/story/153870/do_harsh_pot_laws_create_a_dangerous_drinking_culture_5_reasons_to_get_stoned_instead_of_drunk?akid=8177.198739.Cgqv4p&rd=1&t=15Myths about marijuana convince people that alcohol is safer, but science shows pot is... more
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Virgin boss appears before Commons committee to argue for regulation of drug and diversion of resources to crime-fighting
The market for cannabis in Britain should be regulated and taxed, and responsibility for drug policy moved from the Home Office to the health department, Sir Richard Branson has told MPs.
The Virgin Group head said the 20% of police time and £200m spent on giving criminal sentences to 70,000 young people for possession of illegal drugs in Britain each year would be better spent going after the criminal gangs at the centre of the drugs trade. "It's win-win all round,'' he told the Commons home affairs select committee.
Asked about his personal history of drug use, Branson replied: "I would say 50% of my generation has smoked cannabis. I would say 75% of my children's generation has smoked cannabis … If I was smoking cigarettes, I would be very worried."
He said that in his own Virgin companies he did not think staff who were found to be taking drugs should be dismissed but instead treated as having a problem, and helped. "There are many people in companies with drink problems or smoking problems," he said.
Branson was part of a global commission on drug policy, which includes five ex-presidents and Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general. The body concluded last year that the war on drugs had failed and called for experiments in decriminalisation.
He was the first witness at the Commons home affairs inquiry into drug policy.
Branson argued that the policy of switching responsibilty for drug policy from the Home Office to the health department had worked in Portugal, where nobody had been jailed for using or possessing drugs in the last 10 years.
Portugal was the only country that had decriminalised all drugs. As a result of treating drug users rather than imprisoning them, he said, heroin use and heroin-related deaths had fallen by more than 50%.
In Britain, 100,000 young people a year were arrested for drug offences, and 75,000 of them were given criminal records, which meant they had problems in later life in travelling to some countries, he said.
"If next year those 100,000 people are not prosecuted for taking drugs, but they are helped, I think the commission would welcome Britain doing that."
He said if the sale of cannabis and other drugs were regulated and taxed, then the quality of what was being taken could be controlled. He contrasted the lack of deaths in Portugal with the recent deaths of three teenagers in Britain from taking tablets they wrongly thought were ecstasy, citing the fatalities as an example of the consequences of failing to regulate the illegal market.
The Virgin chief admitted he had not read the UK Home Office drug policy statement, which emphasises diverting drug users from prison, but said the 100,000 arrests each year were evidence the policy was not working in practice.
Pressed by some Conservative MPs on the committee to come down on one side or the other in the debate over methadone maintenance versus abstinence, Branson said he was no expert, and it was for the MPs to establish what worked best.Virgin boss appears before Commons committee to argue for regulation of drug and... more
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When this country got torpedoed by the Great Recession of 2007, we experienced the largest collapse in state revenues on record. Now, nearly two years after the bottom fell out of the economy, all but four states have been forced to cut services for residents. More than 30 states have raised taxes and 29 still face budget shortfalls.
Among the states struggling to dig itself out of the financial abyss is Virginia, whose budget deficit reached $2 billion in 2012. Even at 8.3% growth in 2011, Virginia won’t fully restore its losses from the recession until 2019.
But David Englin, a Democratic delegate from Arlington, is unwilling to wait seven more years for a recovery and has a creative proposal to give Virginia’s economy an instant shot of adrenaline. It’s House Joint Resolution 140 and it’s raising eyebrows among some of his fellow lawmakers and constituents.
Englin wants Virginia's state-owned liquor outlets, called ABC stores, to start selling marijuana.
At least, for now, he wants the General Assembly to allow for a study on the economic impact of the sale and taxing of pot in Virginia as well as the feasibility and practicality of legalization.
“Right now, people are smoking marijuana, Englin told his local CBS affiliate. “Respectable members of society are out there secretly purchasing and smoking marijuana and the money they spend on that is going into the hands of criminals. So this legislation just seeks to find out how much money we could potentially be raising to fund core services of the Commonwealth.”
“What’s next? Selling it at Walmart (WMT)?” countered Wayne Frith of Substance Abuse Free Environment (SAFE) who believes marijuana’s health and safety implications are far too serious to allow this measure to pass.
Northern Virginia resident Bernard Hill thinks the proposal is “crazy” and opposes his tax dollars being spent to explore it. All told, the study, taken on by a joint subcommittee, would set the state back a little more than $15,000.
Hill may not be familiar with the old business adage “You have to spend money to make money” because if he was, he may be more comfortable knowing what kind of a return he’d be guaranteed on his investment. In 2011 alone, states like Colorado and California -- where medical marijuana is legal -- reaped $1.7 billion in sales.
To put this figure into perspective, consider that Pfizer (PFE) made $1.9 billion off Viagra -- which is legal everywhere.When this country got torpedoed by the Great Recession of 2007, we experienced the... more
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Yu Darvish's choice of clothing for his arrival in Texas on Friday was rather curious. (AP)
It didn't take long for Yu Darvish to experience his first lost in translation moment.
Fresh off a long flight from Japan, the newest Texas Rangers pitcher raised more than a few eyebrows in Dallas-Forth Worth on Friday by wearing a t-shirt with a symbol more closely associated with High Times magazine than Major League Baseball.
That's not exactly the type of thing that the Rangers want to see from a guy they just committed $111 million to, so what gives with the hazy decision? Was the newly-divorced Darvish announcing his intentions to, uh, broaden his horizons? Attempting to make new friends with Tim Lincecum? Playing a pretty good joke on the straight-laced Nolan Ryan?
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/far-yu-darvish-arrives-america-wearing-shirt-marijuana-022449449.htmlYu Darvish's choice of clothing for his arrival in Texas on Friday was rather... more
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Should Virginia-run liquor stores get into the marijuana business? At least one local lawmaker thinks the idea is worth exploring. Delegate David Englin (D-45th) is calling for a study to look at the potential cost- benefits. Liquor sales generated millions for the commonwealth. If the measure is approved, the public would be able to purchase pot at liquor stores operated by Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control stores (ABC stores.) Englin said the government has been able to manage liquor sales. He points out the same could be possible with marijuana.Should Virginia-run liquor stores get into the marijuana business? At least one local... more
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Planting fields of hemp to absorb toxins in contaminated soil is a concept worth looking at, said two rural lawmakers at the Capitol.
Rep. Wes McKinley, D-Walsh, and Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, D-Sterling, are having a bill drafted that would create a pilot program, funded by gifts, grants and donations, to research the crop’s potential.
Areas that may benefit, said McKinley, are Rocky Flats, once the site of a nuclear weapons plant, and the Cotter Corporation’s uranium mine near Golden, as well as numerous abandoned mining properties around the state.
The hemp plants, which have been shown to absorb toxins from soil, would also provide benefits to both farmers and consumers, said McKinley.
http://www.lajuntatribunedemocrat.com/news/x713192597/Hemp-study-pushed-by-lawmakers-could-aide-toxic-cleanupPlanting fields of hemp to absorb toxins in contaminated soil is a concept worth... more
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If the words 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' don't include the right to experiment with your own consciousness, then the Declaration of Independence isn't worth the hemp it was written on. -- Terence McKenna
While this article is not focused on the recreational use of cannabis, Terence McKenna's quote speaks directly to a sacred right, increasingly being legislated against in our society, namely, the ability to choose and use substances that grow freely on this Earth as our medicine.
In a day and age where possession of an herb like cannabis is an offense punishable by incarceration, it is important for us to reflect on how we arrived at this dark point in time.
Herbs, after all, were put here by God. If you prefer the word Nature, the point is the same; and it was put best by Bob Marley when he said: “you can't tell God it [cannabis] is illegal.”
And yet authorities are telling God, and you and me, that is is illegal, despite a growing body of scientific evidence that it has profound potential as a medicine. Does this not in some way call into question the very legitimacy and authority of those who would lay claim to the right to decide that a human can or cannot use a natural substance to improve their health, or enliven their spirit? As long as no harm is being done to others in the act of choosing what is best for oneself, who can rightfully take issue with the freedom to choose one's own “medicine”?
Were it not for the fact that the human body is hard-wired to respond to cannabis through the endocannabinoid system (ES), claims for its medicinal value would have much less weight. The ES, in fact, encompasses a wide range of physiological processes, including appetite, pain sensation, mood and memory. So fundamental are these processes to what motivates and defines human behavior, it is no wonder that a plant with the power to directly affect these functions would be the subject of such profound controversy, as well as brutal socioeconomic and politically-mediated criminalization.
Indeed, the endocannabinoid system mediates the psychoactive effects of cannabis associated with its “highs” and sometimes “lows.” Any plant with the power to alleviate pain or illness, and which grows freely in the wild, represents a significant threat to a conventional medical establishment whose monopoly is founded on the coining of medicines from patented and proprietary chemicals.
Cannabis, however, is not a Johnny-come-lately to the fierce debate over whether traditional herbal medicines have proven safety and efficacy within the “evidence-based” model of medicine. In fact, few plants can lay claim to as much scientific, and particularly human clinical data supporting its right to exist alongside other prescribed medicines as a viable treatment option. Indeed, the GreenMedInfo.com project has uncovered 129 distinct disease categories that may benefit from this remarkable plant thus far, and new studies are being added on a weekly basis.
Given the glut of research establishing the likelihood of a legitimate medicinal role for the plant in human disease prevention and treatment, the tide is beginning to turn against the miseducation of the public about this valuable herb.
The fate of the practice of traditional herbalism itself, and our health freedom as a whole, hinges in many respects on whether the pharmaceutically-driven medical establishment, and the drug conviction-dependent privatized-prison industrial complex succeeds in maintaining the media-articulated stranglehold on mainstream opinion. We hope the positive cannabis science will arm those advocating for health freedom with the truth, and ask that you distribute it widely to those who are receptive to rational, science-based discourse on this herb's benefits.
Possessing and using any herb, but especially one that has such a high level of safety, should be the choice of that free adult, and not grounds for the termination of their constitutional and human rights associated with arrest and imprisonment, which in this day and age is equivalent to enslavement and torture.
http://www.activistpost.com/2012/01/higher-level-of-freedom-cannabis-120.htmlIf the words 'life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' don't include... more
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Smoking cannabis is less harmful to users’ lungs than exposure to tobacco, even though the two substances contain many of the same components, according to a new study.
The study led by the University of California San Francisco and University of Alabama at Birmingham, collected data from more than 5,000 U.S adults for more than 20 years.
'We found exactly what we thought we would find in relation to tobacco exposure: a consistent loss of lung function with increasing exposure,' said the paper’s lead author, Dr Mark Pletcher at UCSF.
'We were, however, surprised that we found such a different pattern of association with marijuana exposure.'
Smoking cigarettes can cause significant lung damage, including respiratory symptoms, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer.
It accounts for an estimated 443,000 deaths, or nearly one in every five deaths, each year in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
However, data for the long-term effects of cannabis use on the pulmonary system has been scarce until now.
In a paper published today in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers measured the air flow rate and lung volume of just over 5,000 healthy adults aged 18 to 30.
When smoking cigarettes, study co-author Dr Stefan Kertesz said: 'There’s a straight-line relationship: the more you use, the more you lose.'
However, the same was not true with cannabis users. Air flow rate increased rather than decreased with increased exposure to cannabis up to a certain level.
'An important factor that helps explain the difference in effects from these two substances is the amount of each that is typically smoked,' Dr Pletcher said.
'Tobacco users typically smoke ten to 20 cigarettes/day, and some smoke much more than that. Marijuana users, on average, smoke only two to three times a month, so the typical exposure to marijuana is much lower than for tobacco.'
However, frequent cannabis use has been associated with anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders and depression. It has also been found to affect learning for weeks after exposure.
'Marijuana is complicated,' Dr Kertesz told LiveScience.com.
'It could be affecting your social life, your work life or even your tendency to get into accidents.'
Cannabis is classed as a sedating and hallucinogenic drug. Some users find it makes them feel relaxed and happy in the short term. However, the drug can cause feelings of anxiety, suspicion, panic and paranoia. It can also increase the risk of developing psychosis.
It is a Class B drug in the UK, which means it is illegal to possess or supply.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2085118/Smoking-cannabis-harmful-cigarettes-lungs--trigger-psychosis.html#ixzz1j9N5lJo9Smoking cannabis is less harmful to users’ lungs than exposure to tobacco, even... more
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Lots of celebrities want to meet the president and they often come with their own pet requests: Sign this or that, take a picture with my kid, how can I steal a hand towel from a White House bathroom?
But Snoop Dogg wants something different. The rapper (real name: Calvin Broadus) has been a longtime advocate for the legalization of marijuana (and a frequent user of it) and spoke to Hot 99.5’s Toby Knapp about the subject and how he might convince President Barack Obama to support a change in the country’s drug laws.
“Before I even said ‘Hi’ to President Obama, I would change the aroma of the room.…And then we could start conversing after we had that aroma change. You know what I’m talking about?” (transcript via Jezebel).
Snoop also proposed to have rapper Wiz Khalifa do the same, adding, “They legalized alcohol, they legalized tobacco. What is it gonna hurt to legalize this medicinal, medical marijuana that’s used for purposes of cataracts?”
Obama is opposed to the legalization of marijuana.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0112/71224.html#ixzz1iyzmrwXALots of celebrities want to meet the president and they often come with their own pet... more
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Michael Balderstone of the Hemp Embassy in Nimbin is hopeful that new research will help ease the current anti-pot legislation.
NEW research on cannabis suggests smoking a joint might not be as bad for the brain as it was once thought.
The research published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, shows cannabis users' memories are as good, if not better, than non-users'.
The findings have got pro-cannabis campaigners including Nimbin Hemp Embassy president Michael Balderstone hopeful that current anti-pot legislation will go up in smoke.
(read all about it at link)Michael Balderstone of the Hemp Embassy in Nimbin is hopeful that new research will... more
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During his run for the presidency, Barack Obama instilled hope in medical marijuana supporters by pledging to respect state laws on the matter. And for the first two years of his term, he was generally faithful to his promise. Yet suddenly, and with no logical explanation, over the past eight months he has become arguably the worst president in U.S. history regarding medical marijuana.During his run for the presidency, Barack Obama instilled hope in medical marijuana... more
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