Ganja // Current

Marijuana Law Reform - NORML

It has been painful from the outside looking in to watch President-elect Barack Obama begin to cobble together his cabinet... more

pokesmot
added this

Grass: The History of Marijuana

This film explores the history of the American government's official policy on marijuana in the 20th century. Rising with... more

elsonwvu
added this

PTSD: Virtual Reality Therapy Part Two: Condemnation

Dr. Phil Leveque Salem-News.com Phillip Leveque has spent his life as a Combat Infantryman, Physician Pharmacologist and... more

JackHerer
added this

N.D. farmers appeal to grow hemp

By Donna Leinwand, USA TODAY Two North Dakota farmers will ask a federal appeals court in St. Paul on Wednesday to allow them to... more

JackHerer
added this

Jazz, drugs and agriculture

By AMY HALLORAN, Special to the Times Union First published in print: Friday, November 7, 2008 The Narcotic Farm may sound... more

JackHerer
added this

Woman gets probation for pot-growing operation

Woman gets probation for pot-growing operation By Lisa Roose-Church DAILY PRESS & ARGUS A former Ann Arbor Police... more

JackHerer
added this

Man tells grand jury police beat, sodomized him

Man tells grand jury police beat, sodomized him BY PERVAIZ SHALLWANI Special to Newsday November 7, 2008 Michael... more

JackHerer
added this

Owner told to stop selling hemp items

Heather Colpitts Langley Advance Tuesday, November 04, 2008 Since setting up his downtown store recently, Randy Caine has... more

JackHerer
added this

Hampden County D.A. to drop all small marijuana possession charges

By DAN RING dring@repub.com BOSTON - A day after voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question to decriminalize marijuana,... more

JackHerer
added this

Drugged daze in the Don

I’ve become my own worst nightmare, a medpot horror story Matt Mernagh NOW writer and med pot activist Matt Mernagh,... more

JackHerer
added this

Research into medicinal marijuana grows up.

This summer, British and Italian researchers found that in a laboratory plate, molecules in marijuana can slay the superbug methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, which recently infected seven babies and four employees in a Yonkers, N.Y., maternity ward, heightening fears of outbreaks in schools and locker rooms, as well as in its more familiar breeding grounds, hospitals and nursing homes. In theory, compounds derived from the cannabis plant could someday serve in topical creams for patients with MRSA or other antibiotic-resistant infections.

This isn't the first time marijuana has tantalized the world as a possible wonder drug. In recent years, compounds in cannabis or related molecules have been shown to slow the growth of lung tumors in mice, decrease hardening of the arteries in rats, and boost the egg-binding capability of tobacco smokers' sperm. Research on the receptors that THC and other cannabis compounds attach to—and the nitty-gritty mechanisms by which they exert their effects—has been booming. So has work on native molecules, called endocannabinoids, that bind to the same sites. These molecular interactions affect a wide range of functions, from appetite to inflammation to the perception of pain.

The onslaught of basic science has helped to separate cannabis from an association with hippies and recreational pot smokers. It has also spurred hopes that these molecules (or similar ones) might prove therapeutic for traumatic brain injury, inflammatory bowel disease, allergic contact dermatitis, atherosclerosis, osteoporosis, and Alzheimer's disease, among others. For all the razzle-dazzle, though, potential treatments frequently seem stuck in perpetual adolescence. Research on traumatic brain injury seemed promising but got mixed results in human clinical trials, while most of the others simply haven't gotten very far in the experimental process.

Still, a few prospects show signs of inching toward adulthood. The most enticing are aimed at lessening pain associated with nerve damage and improving some symptoms of multiple sclerosis. Between 2007 and this summer, several randomized clinical trials have found that smoking marijuana can relieve pain in patients with nerve degeneration caused by HIV or other disorders. Compounds in cannabis also seem to reduce nerve pain and possibly decrease spastic movements in people with MS. A drug called Sativex—which delivers two cannabis compounds in a spray under the tongue—is now in late-stage clinical trials in Europe for MS patients. Much as we've heard the hype before, these findings deserve some notice even from the jaded.

Studying the upside of marijuana can be a bureaucratic nightmare. In 1970, Congress deemed it a Schedule 1 drug, meaning that it has a high potential for abuse and "no currently accepted medical use"—making research on possible benefits a tough sell. In the 1980s, the Food and Drug Administration approved Marinol, an oral formulation of THC, the most psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, to treat nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy. Later, it also approved Marinol to boost the appetites of people with AIDS. But Marinol was never fully accepted by patients, says Donald Abrams, a professor of clinical medicine at the University of California-San Francisco. It took effect more slowly than smoked marijuana and was also more psychoactive. (When THC enters the bloodstream from the digestive tract, it is broken down by the liver into even more psychoactive molecules.) Nor has Marinol been approved in the United States to treat pain. Those who wished to push research further—whether by studying smoked marijuana, developing better formulations, or testing cannabis for other conditions—got no love from the federal government.

moreThis summer, British and Italian researchers found that in a laboratory plate, molecules in marijuana can slay the superbug... more

JackHerer
added this

1 response

28 days ago

'Bong Hits 4 Jesus' case finally settled: Juneau

$45,000: Juneau school district will pay student it suspended.

In a free speech case that reached the nation's highest court, the Juneau-Douglas School District and former student Joseph Frederick have reached a settlement.

Frederick was suspended during a 2002 Olympic torch relay for holding up a banner that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" while standing across from the high school.

Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the school's position that Frederick celebrated the illegal use of drugs. The district will pay Frederick $45,000. In exchange Frederick will drop remaining claims not heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

"We're really happy to have this one resolved," School Board President Mark Choate said. "Every case involves different opinions, but we're pleased to have it resolved so we can focus more on the important work the board has to do to improve schools in Juneau."

Frederick's Juneau-based attorney Douglas Mertz says the settlement essentially brings an end to the case as far as his client sees it.

"It's time I think to close the chapter on what happened to Joe and leave these other things to be resolved in the future," Mertz said.

The settlement also calls for the district to spend as much as $5,000 to hire a neutral constitutional law expert to chair a forum on student speech at JDHS. This is to be done before this school year ends next spring.

The district also will continue to enforce its policies that prohibit its students from displaying materials deemed as advocating or celebrating illegal drug use, as permitted by the ruling of the U.S. Supreme Court, Choate said.

"The settlement in the case will avoid further litigation expenses, but more importantly will allow all parties to put a long-running, divisive issue behind them and move forward with a better understating of the speech rights of students in the Juneau School District," Choate said.

Mertz said he believes the community has learned from this high-profile case. He said civics and First Amendment issues should be an education priority in schools.

Mertz said the saddest part of this seven years is what he calls an unfair campaign of retaliation the school district launched against Frederick and the young man's family.

"Joe stood up for his rights and has been vindicated."$45,000: Juneau school district will pay student it suspended. In a free speech case that reached the nation's highest... more

JackHerer
added this

1 response

28 days ago

Pot Wins in a Landslide: A Thundering Rejection of America's Longest War

On Tuesday, largely under the radar of the pundits and political chattering classes, voters dealt what may be a fatal blow to America's longest-running and least-discussed war -- the war on marijuana.

Michigan voters made their state the 13th to allow the medical use of marijuana by a whopping 63 percent to 37 percent, the largest margin ever for a medical marijuana initiative. And by 65 percent to 35 percent, Massachusetts voters decriminalized the possession of up to an ounce of marijuana, replacing arrests, legal fees, court appearances, the possibility of jail and a lifelong criminal record with a $100 fine, much like a traffic ticket, that can be paid through the mail.

What makes these results so amazing is that they followed the most intensive anti-marijuana campaign by federal officials since the days of "Reefer Madness." Marijuana arrests have been setting all-time records year after year, reaching the point where one American is arrested on marijuana charges every 36 seconds. More Americans are arrested each year for marijuana possession -- not sales or trafficking, just possession -- than for all violent crimes combined.

And the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, with “drug czar” John Walters at the helm, has led a hysterical anti-marijuana propaganda campaign. During Walters' tenure, ONDCP has released at least 127 separate anti-marijuana TV, radio and print ads, at a cost of hundreds of millions of tax dollars, plus 34 press releases focused mainly on marijuana, while no fewer than 50 reports from ONDCP and other federal agencies focused on the alleged evils of marijuana or touted anti-marijuana campaigns.

Walters himself campaigned personally in Michigan against the medical marijuana initiative, calling it an "abomination" and claiming yet again that there is no evidence that marijuana has medical value -- an assertion flatly contradicted by at least four published clinical trials in just the last two years.

In Massachusetts, the state's political and law enforcement establishment lined up solidly against the marijuana decriminalization initiative, including both Republican and Democratic politicians and all 11 district attorneys -- several of whom actually admitted to having smoked marijuana. They warned of rampant drug abuse and crime should the measure pass, simply ignoring the fact that no such thing has happened in the 11 other states (including California, Ohio and New York) that have had similar laws for years.

Voters were having none of it, giving a thumping rejection to government officials’ lies and hysteria in both states. Americans have taken a hard look at our national war on marijuana and rejected it for the cruel, counterproductive disaster that it is.

The voters are right. Of over 872,000 arrests in one year, 89 percent are for possession only.

What has this gotten us? Not much. Marijuana arrests weren't the only thing that set a record last year. So did the number of Americans who have tried marijuana. Usage rates came down marginally in the last few years but are still higher than in the early 1990s. Marijuana is our nation's number one cash crop.

The one thing our costly and futile efforts to "eradicate" marijuana have accomplished is to create a boom for criminal gangs, to whom we've handed a monopoly on production and distribution. Unlike producers of legal drugs like beer, wine or tobacco, these criminals pay no taxes and obey no rules. Their illicit efforts despoil our national forests and bring violence and destabilization to Mexico.

For years, politicians who know our current marijuana laws make no sense have been afraid to change them for fear of political retribution. The voters' thundering rejection of our misguided war on marijuana shows that those fears are misplaced.

It's time for Congress and the new administration -- not to mention state governments around the country -- to listen to the public. It's time for a new approach.On Tuesday, largely under the radar of the pundits and political chattering classes, voters dealt what may be a fatal blow to... more

JackHerer
added this

1 response

28 days ago

False results put drug tests under microscope

For Nadine Artemis and Ron Obadia, August began with plans for a family vacation in Minnesota. The vacation ended with the two... more

JackHerer
added this

1 response

29 days ago

Michigan Supports Medical Marijuana

The results are in. Michigan voters support Proposal 1—which would legalize the use of medical marijuana—by a margin... more

JackHerer
added this

0 responses

29 days ago

Voters approve marijuana law change - The Boston Globe

Voters yesterday overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana, making... more

JackHerer
added this

0 responses

29 days ago

Fayetteville voters high on less pot enforcement

Most voters in Fayetteville believe enforcement of misdemeanor marijuana possession should be the lowest priority for police. ... more

JackHerer
added this

2 responses

29 days ago

Life and Debt - Globalization and Jamaica

Utilizing excerpts from the award-winning non-fiction text "A Small Place" by Jamaica Kincaid, Life & Debt is a... more

covelogibbs
added this

0 responses

1 month ago

Eco-Kitchen: i5000H Eco Plastic (hemp)

Posted by Rita Nov 1, 11:00 PM to domicilia : gadgeteer It’s tough to be witty when it comes to talking about a kitchen... more

JackHerer
added this

0 responses

1 month ago

Cynical Politicians and Powerful Interests Attacking the Public Good

By Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post. Posted November 2, 2008.

We can't allow a sensible solution to be drowned out by people know the "tough on crime" approach is worthless public policy.

Here is picture that sums up much that is wrong with American politics. Five governors of California, Democrats and Republicans, joining forces to oppose something that is indisputably in the public interest.

This is an image that could be repeated, with different faces, in region after region of our country, involving issue after issue. Public officials standing against the public good, with the disastrous results on display from Detroit to Wall Street. All suffering from the same destructive force: the power of entrenched special interests to cloud the vision of our leaders, causing them to thwart good sense, good legislation, and the will of the people.

In today's version, we have Jerry Brown, Pete Wilson, Gray Davis, George Deukmejian, and Arnold Schwarzenegger coming together to oppose Prop 5, a common sense ballot initiative that seeks to effectively and intelligently tackle the chronic problems facing California's deeply flawed criminal justice system.

California's prisons are a budget-busting debacle. There are currently more than 170,000 inmates crammed into prisons designed to hold 100,000 people. Around 70,000 of these prisoners are nonviolent offenders, with over half of them incarcerated for a drug offense.

A large part of the problem is a parole system the New York Times recently called "perhaps the most counterproductive and ill-conceived" in the U.S.. California's recidivism rate is 70 percent -- twice the national average. This stems in no small measure from the state's insistence on treating paroled murderers the same way as paroled nonviolent drug offenders. They all spend 3-5 years on parole. This overburdens parole officers, who end up spending very little time with any of their charges -- violent or nonviolent (According to the Times, 80 percent of California parolees have fewer than two 15-minute meetings with their parole officer per month.) Wouldn't it make more sense to keep a closer watch on rapists and killers than on nonviolent drug offenders?

As a result of this dysfunctional system, prison costs have risen 50 percent since 2000, to over $10 billion a year -- close to 10% of the state's budget (and roughly the same amount California spends on higher education). It costs $46,000 a year to keep a nonviolent prisoner in the state behind bars. Is it any wonder California is gushing red ink?

Enter Prop 5, a ballot initiative that will reduce prison overcrowding, increase public safety, cut costs, expand drug treatment programs inside California's prisons, and start the state's first drug treatment program for at-risk youth.

Prop 5 is structured to build on the proven success of Prop 36, a law promoting drug treatment over incarceration for nonviolent drug offenders. It was approved by 61 percent of California voters in 2000, despite almost unanimous opposition from public officials. Since being enacted, Prop 36 has saved California taxpayers $2 billion -- and graduated 84,000 people who, according to studies, are far less likely to become repeat offenders.

"Prop 5 finally addresses the twin tragedy of crushing prison costs on society and the revolving trapdoor of incarceration that stems from locking up too many nonviolent offenders," filmmaker Gabriel London, who has documented the state of our prisons, told me. By Arianna Huffington, Huffington Post. Posted November 2, 2008. We can't allow a sensible solution to be drowned out by... more