tagged w/ THC
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Should you take Sour Diesel or Purple Kush for nausea? Science has the answer.
For recreational users, the only criterion for picking a strain of cannabis is the character of the high they want to get.
But for the medical user, the choice of strain can be vitally important.
Different buds have different effects on the various ailments that can be treated with marijuana.
Thanks to a new industry of cannabis testing in Oregon, many clinics can now direct patients to the best strain for their particular needs.
Though testing labs have been a staple of the medical marijuana industry in California and Colorado for years, they’ve started to appear in this state in only the past 18 months.
Testing works like this: Growers provide labs with small samples of buds, which are liquefied and sent through a chromatograph, which heats up the samples; separates out the medically useful compounds tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN); and measures the amount of each chemical present in the sample.
“CBD is the important one,” says Richard Reames, owner of Oregon Green Lab in Williams, Ore. While THC makes you high, CBD helps relieve pain, nausea and anxiety.
“We’re finding all kinds of therapeutic uses for that compound,” Reames says. “This testing lets you know what strains have more CBD and less THC and alert people that have them to develop those strains and make them more available.”
Businesses like Oregon Green Lab also test samples for mold and pesticides, both of which could be dangerous for some users if ingested.
Like medical marijuana clinics throughout the state, these labs operate openly, with websites filled with contact information and, in at least one case, a physical address—even though they may not, technically, be legal.
“I suppose if the people who worked at these labs all had their own medical marijuana cards, then it would be OK,” says spokeswoman Christine Stone of the Oregon Public Health Division.
Both labs interviewed for this story were cagey about answering questions regarding their businesses. Green Leaf Lab, which has trademarked “Cannalysis” to describe its testing process, would communicate only via email and refused to answer some questions.
Neither lab would say how many clients it serves or how much money it makes. But if Oregon Green Lab is any indication—the entire operation is run out of Reames’ basement, but it has nine drop-off locations throughout the southern and central parts of the state—there’s some money to be made in the testing game.
“The equipment involved is not much bigger than a PC,” says Reames, who charges up to $140 per test. “People visualize something with 10 people in lab coats, which is a fine vision for them. The truth is, you can do this by yourself.”
http://www.wweek.com/portland/article-18724-better_toking_through_chemistry.htmlShould you take Sour Diesel or Purple Kush for nausea? Science has the answer.
For... more
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The prevalence of obesity in the general population is sharply lower among marijuana consumers than it is among nonusers, according to an analysis published online this week in the American Journal of Epidemiology.
Investigators at the Louis Moureir Hospital in Colombes, France analyzed cross-sectional data from two representative epidemiological studies of US adults age 18 and older: the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC) and the National Comorbidity Survey-Replication. Combined, the surveys included over 50,000 eligible respondents. Authors controlled for respondents' sociodemographic characteristics, including age, ethnicity, educational level, marital status, and tobacco use, but they did not factor into account subjects' physical activity or diet.
"The prevalence of obesity was significantly lower in cannabis users than in nonusers (16.1 percent versus 22 percent in the NESARC and 17.2 percent versus 25.3 percent in the NCS-R)," researchers reported.
They added, "The proportion of obese participants decreased with the frequency of cannabis use" -- noting that respondents who reported using the substance 'three days per week or more' were least likely to be obese compared to those who reported 'no cannabis use in the past 12 months.'
Authors concluded, "[E]ven if cannabis consumption increases appetite, people using cannabis are less likely to be obese than people who do not use cannabis."
The study is the first large-scale trial to evaluate the association between cannabis use and weight in the general population.
According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the prevalence of obesity is approximately 34 percent among adults in the United States, contributing to 13 percent of total US mortality.
Full text of the study, "Obesity and cannabis use: results from two representative national surveys," appears online in the American Journal of Epidemiology.The prevalence of obesity in the general population is sharply lower among marijuana... more
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Medicinal marijuana oil made from cannabis buds, when ingested thrice daily, for two months, will destroy leukemia and cancer cells. http://www.factoverfiction.com/article/3292Medicinal marijuana oil made from cannabis buds, when ingested thrice daily, for two... more
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That shady character on the corner just sold you a plastic skull keychain with fiery orange eyes. He assured you it weighed 25 grams, but how do you know you're not being ripped off? Fortunately, Brando has come out with a USB optical mouse that has a built-in digital scale, designed, apparently, for this precise situation. Just lift up the cover, calibrate the reader and weigh away. Pencils, lint, small animals -- the list of measurable items is endless, as long as your goods don't exceed 500 grams. To get the good times rolling, hit the source link, where you can grab one for $22.That shady character on the corner just sold you a plastic skull keychain with fiery... more
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MSNBC's Keith Olbermann interviews a bold and honest physician/pediatrician from the University of Southern California who explains how medical cannabis can be used to treat ADD in children.MSNBC's Keith Olbermann interviews a bold and honest physician/pediatrician from... more
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"The following is a personal story from a woman who suffers from Crohn’s disease and suffers much less thanks to medical cannabis, and Shona Banda…
I am a 26 year old living in NH and i’ve had Crohn’s for 10 years now. I have been on all the medications that a normal doctor would prescribe for a CD patient, I’ve been on Remicade, chemo, twice, once when I was 18 then again this last year.
Remicade made me violently sick and i was searching for a way to not have to stay on it, but i just couldn’t figure it out.
Last summer I learned about the MAP infection theory in Crohn’s and started taking probiotics and other natural rememdies, but they never took the problem away, it was just like smoking marijuana, it eased the symptoms, but nothing was really fixed.
One day in april, my sister called me and told me about Shona’s video online and I had to check it out."
http://medicalmarijuana411.com/mmj411_v3/?p=10568
Please follow the link to read the rest of this womans' AMAZING STORY!"The following is a personal story from a woman who suffers from Crohn’s... more
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A fun and very entertaining interview with Randy Cooper, lead guitarist for Texas Hippie Coalition (THC). Discussions focus on the bands sophomore album entitled Rollin', tour dates, Dean guitars, Dimebag, and fun road stories!
Also includes two songs, both off the bands latest release: "Pissed Off And Mad About It" and "Groupie Girl".
AIR TIME: 46 Minutes.
CLICK LINK TO TUNE IN: http://the-big-rock-show.podomatic.com/entry/2011-05-27T06_22_32-07_00A fun and very entertaining interview with Randy Cooper, lead guitarist for Texas... more
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A teenager in Colorado Springs has been told he cannot attend school after consuming prescription THC lozenges that his doctor has turned to in order to control a rare neurological disorder. His diaphragmatic and axial myoclonus causes seizures that are only controlled by THC, but the school says that consuming the lozenges at home and then attending school violates the school's zero tolerance policy for marijuana, since the child is considered to be in "internal possession" of the banned substance after he takes it.
This isn't just stupid, it's scientifically illiterate. Surely, this kid is in possession of the metabolites of marijuana lozenges, not the lozenges themselves.
He was able to return to school in January but as the district would not allow him to possess or consume his prescribed medicine on campus, he transferred to a school closer to home so that he could walk home as needed to take his medicine.
After the district's latest salvo was delivered, the teen's father said he spoke with both the district superintendent and the district attorney and that neither were receptive to his arguments that his son needs the medicine to function, does not get high and does not smell like marijuana.
The district has refused to comment to us, other than for a spokesperson to say that the district intends to follow the letter of the law, which is that no student may possess or consume medical marijuana on school grounds.
http://www.boingboing.net/2011/02/08/colorado-springs-sch.htmlA teenager in Colorado Springs has been told he cannot attend school after consuming... more
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Inspired by the founders' Federalist Papers, a group of reformers have penned a series of essays exploring the role of cannabinoids in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
June 14, 2010 |
“Cannabinoids are good.”
Have you heard that truth before? – It’s something you will understand if you read any further. You see, science is a truth conspiracy. It’s a testing of reality and standing your ground when you find evidence.
In some ways, being American means confronting untruths. To voice “our” truth through language, to create a new set and setting, we turned to the founders and a collection of essays known as The Federalist Papers.
During 1787 and 1788, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay wrote 85 essays in support of the US Constitution. They used the pen name "Publius" in honor of a famed Roman republican – someone they saw as a defender of liberty.
We became "Publius" for the same purpose: to make our sum greater than our individual parts. In doing so, we have created a series of 36 essays to detail the role of cannabinoids in Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. We began releasing the essays online in 2009 and will conclude this fall. The essays will then be available in book form as The Cannabis Papers: a citizen’s guide to cannabinoids.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
The so-called drug war is becoming better known as a war on citizens – a civil war. It has been a war with two distinct federal laws. The first was the 1937 Marihuana Tax Act, which was ruled unconstitutional by the US Supreme Court in 1966. Into this vacuum was sucked Nixon’s contribution to 21st century drug policy: the 1970 Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act. This law contains the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the law making herbal cannabinoids Schedule 1. This means in Bizarro World that herbal cannabinoids have no medical value.
Here we are in 2010 still living under Nixon’s law. That is our history: our tomorrow is much different. That’s because the tide has turned – and it’s a scientific tide. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) and the science surrounding this remarkable biological modulator, have transformed the battlefield and the logic of the CSA. This is no longer a civil war: it has morphed into a war between science and ignorance.
Science is the language of Publius. As Madison, Hamilton and Jay detailed the workings of the US Constitution, piece-by-piece and Article-by-Article, we have given the same care and effort to describing the role of cannabinoids and the ECS in our bodies. We found that cannabinoids shared a strong characteristic from the founding period: the similarity is found in the famous phrase summing up the basic rights of free people – Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.
It is no secret that many people think that there is a Life-giving quality to cannabis use. That is where we began – the anecdotal and lived cannabinoid experience. Since the 1970s, cannabis use has been defined by practice – some combination of the medical/patient model and the recreational/liberty model. We are describing something new – the idea that cannabinoids are necessary to life. The cannabis war will no longer be about use and ideology – about who is sick enough or free enough or responsible enough. What is new today is the science of cannabinoids – and you’ll find it more than compelling and often mind-blowing.
More at the link:Inspired by the founders' Federalist Papers, a group of reformers have penned a... more
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A reader writes:
I'm among the legions of pot smokers who have a chronic disease. For me it's severe eczema that itches like hell, splits my hands and feet (and right now face) into tens of cuts, and hurts from swelling. Nothing else ever works. I've tried the sleeping pills, drink, exhaustion - nothing. Cannabis dulls the pain and distracts my mind from the itching, which allows me to drift off. I wake up fresh. When I visit my in-laws I can't bring any, and I stay awake 20-30 hours at a time, finally collapsing for 4-5 hours between. That's what my life would be like without it.
I'm really trying to get my eczema under control without having to resort to drugs with potentially awful side effects. Of all the drugs that I've used, only prednisone works as well as cannabis in easing the symptoms - after all, being awake 2-4 more hours a day means that much more itching, and feeling rested is more precious than many people realize. But prednisone is so dangerous you can only stay on it a few weeks at a time.
Thanks for all the articles; they make me hopeful someday I'll be able to simply buy some at the pharmacy, or better yet grow it at home. Music sounds great, the world kind of sparkles, and I get very tired. How bad can it be?
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/05/the-cannabis-closet-severe-eczema.htmlA reader writes:
I'm among the legions of pot smokers who have a chronic... more
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By:John Russo
When it comes to marijuana policy, California has been stuck in a fairy tale for decades.
This particular fairy tale is like "The Emperor's New Clothes."
Everybody can see that marijuana prohibition has done nothing to prevent its use, and that arresting tens of thousands Californians every year for misdemeanor possession diverts police resources from violent felonies.
And nobody is blind to the fact that marijuana has funded and empowered the sociopathic drug cartels responsible for untold suffering and violence on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border.
It's time for Californians to acknowledge the truth about the war on marijuana. Not only is it ineffective -- it directly compromises public safety in our state.
In November, California can become the first state to recognize this reality by passing the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010.
This smart initiative would legalize personal cultivation and possession of small amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. Individual cities and counties could strictly regulate distribution and sales as they see fit. It would increase the penalty for providing marijuana to minors. Sales by unlicensed dealers -- those now funding the cartels and wreaking havoc in our cities -- would still be illegal.
California banned cannabis almost a century ago based on sensational and unscientific notions about the plant.
Modern prohibition, based on some of the same anachronistic ideas, has failed to control widespread availability and use. Like the 18th Amendment's prohibition against alcohol, it is routinely overlooked by millions of otherwise law-abiding citizens.
Others have made commonsense arguments about the economic benefits of taxing this major industry. Cannabis is by far the largest cash crop in the state, with an estimated value of about $14 billion. Estimated tax revenue from sales alone would be $1.4 billion -- money that could go to police, public schools and other critical services now being gutted by California's budget crisis.
As the City Attorney of Oakland -- a city where dozens of people are killed in drug-related murders every year -- my primary concern is the war on marijuana's collateral damage to public safety.
Black market marijuana is a main source of fuel powering the vast criminal enterprises that threaten peace on our streets and weaken national security on our borders. According to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, the Mexican drug cartels get more than 60 percent of their revenue from selling marijuana in the United States.
Money is the oxygen of these organizations. For decades, our approach to fighting violent drug gangs has been like trying to put out a house fire with a watering can. Why not try shutting off the fire's oxygen supply?
The cost of enforcing prohibition is hard to estimate. We spend hundreds of millions of dollars and countless law enforcement hours arresting people for low-level marijuana crimes, further overburdening courts and prisons. Jail beds needed for marijuana offenders could be "used for other criminals who are now being released early because of a lack of jail space," the state Legislative Analyst's Office wrote.
More than 61,000 Californians were arrested for misdemeanor marijuana possession in 2008. That same year, about 60,000 violent crimes went unsolved statewide. The reality is that resources tied up fighting marijuana would be better spent solving and preventing violent felonies and other major crimes.
Regulating and controlling marijuana is really a law-and-order measure. It takes marijuana off street corners and out of the hands of children. It cuts off a huge source of revenue to the violent gangsters who now control the market. And it gives law enforcement more capacity to focus on what really matters to Californians -- making our communities safer.
It's time we call marijuana prohibition what it is -- an outdated and costly approach that has failed to benefit our society. In November, we will finally have the chance to take a rational course with the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act.
John Russo is the City Attorney of Oakland.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/opinionshop/detail?entry_id=62294By:John Russo
When it comes to marijuana policy, California has been stuck in a... more
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April 20th, or 4/20 for short, is a day on which people gather to celebrate and consume cannabis. It allegedly derives from a group of students at San Rafael High School in the 1970s, who adopted 4:20 p.m. as an unofficial time to smoke up. And it spread from there to the point where 420 is synonymous with smoking pot. True or not, It’s part of pop culture these days, and Tuesday is the day to make your voice heard on the matter.
We at Gunaxin take no official stance on the legal matter, but we support individual choice. And if that choice is to smoking ganja, so be it. As we like to do at Gunaxin, we will celebrate the holiday…..but with women. Below are some of the 420 girls who have a very pro-pot stance, via 420 Magazine. No word on if any of them are named Mary Jane. Make of them as you will:
http://girls.gunaxin.com/happy-marijuana-day/18113April 20th, or 4/20 for short, is a day on which people gather to celebrate and... more
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By John H. Richardson
Opponents of the proposed law to legalize and tax marijuana need better arguments, because just saying they're concerned that kids will start driving high is sending the debate up in smoke...
*not enough room for story, check the link to Esquire for full story*By John H. Richardson
Opponents of the proposed law to legalize and tax marijuana... more
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We saw a lot of debate this year about legalizing marijuana. Especially in light of California's budget crisis, just the economics of taxing all that marijuana that could be bought and sold in the state was particularly tempting for some legislators. Well in light of all that debate, advocates for legalization say they've collected enough signatures to get the issue on the ballot in 2010. (Clipped by many, including saytenvoneryk).
The signature campaign cost over $1 million and collected over 680,000 signatures from California voters. If the ballot initiative were to pass, it would regulate marijuana like alcohol and tobacco and limit its purchase and consumption to those 21 and over.
It's funny, at the end of the Top Ten Stories of 2009 video I did I asked whether California legalizing marijuana would be one of the big stories of 2010. And now it looks like it's a possibility. But there are a lot of question marks standing between today and legal weed. Will California voters be as easy to sway as petition signers? And could the federal government stand in the way? More to come.
For those interested in the topic there are a fair number of discussion groups you can join on Current (H.E.M.P. and Make Marijuana Matter are two examples).
Recently on the Current News Blog:
- British arrest warrant for Tzipi Livni, former Israeli Foreign Minister
- Global Citizen Year
- Silvio Berlusconi gets hit in the face - What's next for No B Day?
- Copenhagen: Walkouts continue
- Iran to try three hikers for espionageWe saw a lot of debate this year about legalizing marijuana. Especially in light of... more
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California voters will decide whether to legalize recreational marijuana use for adults, after the secretary of state on Wednesday certified the initiative for the November ballot.
It would become the first state to legalize recreational marijuana use if the proposition is approved. Marijuana use is legal for medicinal purposes in California and 14 other states, but the drug is illegal under federal law.
Secretary of State Debra Bowen certified that the petitions seeking to place the question on the ballot had more than 433,971 valid voter signatures, the minimum number needed to qualify.
If approved, the initiative would allow those 21 years and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, enough to roll several marijuana cigarettes. Residents also could cultivate the plant in limited quantities.
The proposal would ban users from ingesting marijuana in public or smoking it while minors are present. It also would make it illegal to possess the drug on school grounds or drive while under its influence.
Local governments would decide whether to permit and tax marijuana sales.
"The tide has turned," said Dan Newman, a strategist with the campaign backing the measure. "The combination of the broken budget and dysfunctional cannabis laws have created the perfect storm for this initiative to pass in November."
Opponents refer to marijuana as a gateway drug, meaning its use is believed to lead young people to try other, harder drugs. They worry that legalization would persuade more people to try it, worsening the nation's drug culture.
"How can our kids say no when the adults around them are saying yes?" asked Aimee Hendle, a spokeswoman for Californians for Drug Free Youth.
Proponents of the measure say legalizing marijuana could save the state $200 million a year by reducing public safety costs and could generate tax revenue for local governments.
Stephen Gutwillig, California director for the Drug Policy Alliance, said certification of the ballot initiative marks a watershed moment in the decades-long struggle.
"Banning marijuana outright has been a profound disaster, fueling a massive, increasingly brutal underground economy, wasting billions in scarce law enforcement resources and making criminals of countless law-abiding citizens," he said.
The initiative is the second proposal to qualify for the November 2010 ballot. The other is a $11.1 billion water bond measure that was pushed by state lawmakers.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100325/ap_on_re_us/us_marijuana_legalization_california;_ylt=AiJN1z5xZW3OLQTLI8uso26WwvIE;_ylu=X3oDMTM3NmExYW1rBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAwMzI1L3VzX21hcmlqdWFuYV9sZWdhbGl6YXRpb25fY2FsaWZvcm5pYQRjcG9zAzYEcG9zAzYEc2VjA3luX3RvcF9zdG9yaWVzBHNsawNjYWxpZnZvdGVyc3Q-SACRAMENTO, Calif. – California voters will decide whether to legalize... more
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