Many Americans of a certain age will remember that in the 1970s, seedy homegrown pot was reviled for its raw, throat-burning quality. Now dope-smoking locavores steer clear of cheap, low- and mid-grade weed in favor of organically grown boutique strains. They speak of "presentation" and varieties so agreeably complex that "you inhale one flavor and exhale another." Just as in the vineyards of the Napa Valley a few miles to the north, complexities come from the soil, from the fruits of labor, from careful breeding. Suddenly, pot has terroir.
It's surreal, even for California, but it may be our future.
Rosenthal sees a day when cannabis will be grown like another popular and ubiquitous crop. "I like the tomato model," he said, rattling off a possible hierarchy of breeders and growers: giant industrial companies; regional companies; farmers; individuals raising marijuana for cash from their own big back yards, then home growers. "There's room for everybody in that model," he said. "But with all the commercial ways tomatoes are grown, home growers still grow the most tomatoes in the U.S."
DeAngelo argues that just as the plant has changed, so must we, in our relationship to it. Marijuana, he says, can teach us how to be kinder to the earth and our fellow travelers on it. "We are at a different time in the history of this plant," he said.
Just as the hemp plant has changed, so must we, in our relationship to it
Washington Post:
Less than 2 weeks to Vote to End Prohibition! Pledge your vote NOW!
It's not enough to "believe" in Prop 19 or "believe" that marijuana should be legalized.
We Must Take Collective Action on November 2nd, 2010 to put the disastrous nightmare behind us.
By signing the YesOn19.com petition today, you can make the pledge to:
We Must Take Collective Action on November 2nd, 2010 to put the disastrous nightmare behind us.
By signing the YesOn19.com petition today, you can make the pledge to:
- ACTUALLY break the daily routine.
- ACTUALLY go outside, go somewhere new, do something different on November 2.
- ACTUALLY take action to make the actual real world a better place by going to where all those stupid people usually go out and fuck everything up for everyone else.
- ACTUALLY Vote YES on Prop 19 on November 2.
We're ACTUALLY completely dependent upon YOU to ACTUALLY get this done. If you don't, then it won't. It's as simple as that.
So let's git 'er done!
U.S. Surgeon General: Legalize Marijuana, Stop Criminalizing Youth
Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders told CNN Sunday she supports legalizing marijuana.
"What I think is horrible about all of this, is that we criminalize young people. And we use so many of our excellent resources ... for things that aren't really causing any problems," said Elders. "It's not a toxic substance."Oh, OH, OOOOHHHHH! Now what, biatches? NOW WHAT???
How Legalized Pot Factories Work
Via Gizmodo:
This proposed pot factory would produce $50 million of weed annually in an super-sterile, eco-friendly environment.
Guv signs marijuana decriminalization bill
Today, California Guv signed marijuana decriminalization bill.
Effective immediately, driving in the car pool lane is nearly 4x more costly to your wallet and criminal record than possessing an ounce or less of weed.
We're getting there.
Effective immediately, driving in the car pool lane is nearly 4x more costly to your wallet and criminal record than possessing an ounce or less of weed.
We're getting there.
Please click http://j.mp/HerbKits Support Our New Affiliate Sponsor!
Time to give thanks for New Affiliate Sponsor: HerbKits.com! Please support our site by supporting our sponsors!
Reason Magazine: SEIU Endorses Pot Legalization
Reason Mag:
Former San Jose Police Chief Joseph McNamara, who lists three reasons to support Prop. 19 in the November issue of Reason, elaborates in the San Jose Mercury-News. In a recent Washington Post op-ed piece, historian Héctor Aguilar Camín and former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge G. Castañeda argue that legalizing pot in California could help end the prohibition-related violence that has killed more than 28,000 people in Mexico since 2006.
Nightline Twittercast: Marijuana on Four Ballots Energizes Political Debate
"The California government projected that the new law would bring in about $1.4 billion in revenues for the state. Several members of Congress, such as Reps. Pete Stark, Barbara Lee and George Miller have spoken candidly in favor of it." -- ABC News
Gary Johnson, former two-term Republican governor of New Mexico, supports legalization of marijuana and argues that it will lead to a more effective fight against drugs. He blames the stalemate on the federal government and on both Republicans and Democrats.
"For the most part, politics is about following the herd as opposed to providing leadership," Johnson, who is speculated to be considering a run for the White House in 2012, told ABC News. "For me, it was a cost-benefit analysis, period. It's the fact that half of what we spend in law enforcement and the courts and the prisons is drug related, to what end?"
Johnson disagrees with the idea that dabbling in the politics of drugs would be harmful -- he cites his own approval rating as governor, saying it was steady even after he made his position known.
"It's a really good political issue because it's the truth. It's the emperor wears no clothes," he said. -- ABC News
False Fears v Real Facts: Cal. Prop. 19 Regulate, Control, and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010
Smart comments in San Jose Mercury News forums:
Posted on Wednesday, 8/04/2010 - 6:01 a.m. PDT — by Conservative Christian
Allowing American citizens to grow a little marijuana in their own backyards will carve the guts out of the drug gangs, get the drug cartels out of our communities, put an end to most of the border violence, and reduce illegal immigration. As the discussion goes forward, let’s remember to ask ourselves, “If my child or grandchild got a little off track and got caught with a little marijuana, would I want him or her to go to jail, lose their college financial aid, spend a few days locked up with the sexual predators...?” Proposition 19 will put an end to this huge injustice being done to our own children and grandchildren.
Californians: register to vote at https://www.sos.ca.gov/nvrc/fedform/ Just fill out the form and mail it in! (Please go for it RIGHT NOW while ur thinking about it!)
Citizens of other states can Google your state name and “voter registration” to find out how to register; a lot of states allow instant on-line registration. Do it now so you can vote in November!
Posted on Wednesday, 8/04/2010 - 6:01 a.m. PDT — by Conservative Christian 
Allowing American citizens to grow a little marijuana in their own backyards will carve the guts out of the drug gangs, get the drug cartels out of our communities, put an end to most of the border violence, and reduce illegal immigration. As the discussion goes forward, let’s remember to ask ourselves, “If my child or grandchild got a little off track and got caught with a little marijuana, would I want him or her to go to jail, lose their college financial aid, spend a few days locked up with the sexual predators...?” Proposition 19 will put an end to this huge injustice being done to our own children and grandchildren.
Californians: register to vote at https://www.sos.ca.gov/nvrc/fedform/ Just fill out the form and mail it in! (Please go for it RIGHT NOW while ur thinking about it!)
Citizens of other states can Google your state name and “voter registration” to find out how to register; a lot of states allow instant on-line registration. Do it now so you can vote in November!
- Read the original article:
Opinion: Critics of Prop. 19 on marijuana rely on fear, not facts
By Paul Armentano
- Research all the details for yourself at Ballotpedia:
Proposition 19, also known as the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, is a California ballot proposition which is on the November 2, 2010 California statewide ballot as an initiated state statute.
It's the Cops! Quick! Open the door so they can give us our WEED!
 |
| Weedy Delivery! |
Billings Police Chief Rich St. John said FedEx and UPS call police when employees discover packages that appear to contain medical marijuana -- which has been legal in Montana since voters approved it in 2004.
FedEx won't take the risk of being prosecuted under federal drug laws for accepting any such shipments, even within Montana, according to spokeswoman Sally Davenport.
Chief St. John said when that happens, police pick up the package and "determine if it's legal," then notify then person who sent it, or deliver the package themselves.
Cannabis 101: Welcome to 'Pot School'
"This week, the San Diego County Board of Supervisors chose 16 locations, where medical marijuana dispensaries will be allowed to operate, and local real estate agents, mothers, fathers and business owners gathered on Saturday to learn about the growing marijuana industry" (KGTV News 10).
Study: Marijuana Doesn't Affect Driving Performance
The federal study says that "It appears not possible to conclude anything about a driver's impairment on the basis of his/her plasma concentrations of THC... determined in a single sample."SOURCE: Toke of the Town - Study: Marijuana Doesn't Affect Driving Performance
Marijuana legalization will be on California ballot
Marijuana legalization will be on California ballot | Reuters
'Nuff said. Now, we gotta' GET THAT VOTE OUT, people!
'Nuff said. Now, we gotta' GET THAT VOTE OUT, people!
Steve Gillmor's Massive Head Buzz
Wow, Steve Gillmor jumps to Google's defense with great advice and some key advantages of everyday use, in context. According to Gillmor's statement below, the productivity improvements inherent to Buzz apparently far outweigh the initial, knee-jerk, populist misconceptions of privacy infringements. Apparently, Gillmor sees little or no privacy concerns at all, since he sings the praises of buzz's signal-to-noise improving capabilities in his own everyday use:
"the biggest bang for Google’s buck will be to double down on the email integration. Scorned as a privacy invasion, the built-in integration of relevant Buzzes lets me keep the noise down by only commenting on threads I want to track."I'm confident he'll clarify for us, if we're mistaken; but for now, remember that the best buzz is always the most authentic and organic buzz!
Is My Health Condition Covered by Medical Marijuana Law in My State?
KOB.com ran a story last Sunday that announced the addition of a new condition to New Mexico's list of approved conditions for which medical marijuana may be used to treat.
The article stated that inflammatory auto immune-mediated arthritis was recently approved to be added to the list. It also stated that migraine and bi-polar disorder were up for consideration, but did not get added to the list.
This got me to thinking (and researching) and I found that in each of the 14 states that currently have medical marijuana laws on the books, the section in the law called "approved conditions" tends to differ slightly from state to state.
Considering some of the other inconsistencies and frankly, bizarre interpretations of the laws (see last two posts), it should not come as a surprise to anyone that the conditions under which medical marijuana is approved vary from state to state and leave plenty of room for disagreements over interpretation.
Before you apply for a medical marijuana card, I highly recommend going to your state's government web site and looking up the exact wording in the law, but here is an overview of some of the current laws.
Almost all the states agree on 8 main conditions:
Cachexia – Physical wasting with loss of weight and muscle mass caused by disease.
AIDS/HIV – AIDS is a disease that weakens the immune system to the point where an affected person is vulnerable to a wide range of infections and cancers that result in death if not treated.
Chronic Pain – Pain that persists over a longer period of time than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments. Maine does not list this condition.
Epilepsy – brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior, or sometimes convulsions , muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. Nevada doesn’t call this out, or MS specifically, but lists persistent muscle spasms or seizures.
Multiple Sclerosis – a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) degenerate.
Severe Nausea – the sensation that the stomach wants to empty itself, while vomiting (emesis) or throwing up, is the act of forcible emptying of the stomach.
Cancer – the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.
Glaucoma – a disease of the major nerve of vision, called the optic nerve. Vermont does not list this condition.
Beyond these eight, some states add some interesting conditions to the list.
New Mexico is the only state that includes Hospice patients in the list. Considering that the main purpose of Hospice is to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a terminal illness and focus on comfort and quality of life, this seems extremely appropriate. New Mexico also calls out painful Peripheral Neuropathy and I expect this could probably fall under the chronic pain classification of other states.
Michigan includes Nail Patella, a hereditary condition characterized by abnormally formed or absent nails and underdeveloped or absent kneecaps. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Certification Center states that medical marijuana helps with the associated pain of this condition, so I expect this could probably fall under the chronic pain classification of other states as well.
Rhode Island is joined by Michigan in adding Alzheimer's disease to their lists, although a recent study published in the latest issue of “Current Alzheimer Research” challenges the assertion that marijuana is beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients.
California in the only state to specify Migraine, although I can say from 23 years of personal experience that this disease can fall into both the chronic pain and the severe nausea category.
So once again, Joe and Jane Public are left sifting through the convoluted and conflicting legalese of his or her state to see if their condition is covered. I think that you will agree that the conditions listed above deserve to be treated by any and all means available to bring relief to the patient. If Marijuana is empirically, experimentally shown to bring even some level of comfort for the people who are suffering, then nothing should stand in the way of all states passing a federal medical marijuana law - the first step to the real goal of Ending Prohibition, once and for all.
The article stated that inflammatory auto immune-mediated arthritis was recently approved to be added to the list. It also stated that migraine and bi-polar disorder were up for consideration, but did not get added to the list.
This got me to thinking (and researching) and I found that in each of the 14 states that currently have medical marijuana laws on the books, the section in the law called "approved conditions" tends to differ slightly from state to state.
Considering some of the other inconsistencies and frankly, bizarre interpretations of the laws (see last two posts), it should not come as a surprise to anyone that the conditions under which medical marijuana is approved vary from state to state and leave plenty of room for disagreements over interpretation.
Before you apply for a medical marijuana card, I highly recommend going to your state's government web site and looking up the exact wording in the law, but here is an overview of some of the current laws.
Almost all the states agree on 8 main conditions:
Cachexia – Physical wasting with loss of weight and muscle mass caused by disease.
AIDS/HIV – AIDS is a disease that weakens the immune system to the point where an affected person is vulnerable to a wide range of infections and cancers that result in death if not treated.
Chronic Pain – Pain that persists over a longer period of time than acute pain and is resistant to most medical treatments. Maine does not list this condition.
Epilepsy – brain disorder in which clusters of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain sometimes signal abnormally causing strange sensations, emotions, and behavior, or sometimes convulsions , muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. Nevada doesn’t call this out, or MS specifically, but lists persistent muscle spasms or seizures.
Multiple Sclerosis – a disease in which the nerves of the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) degenerate.
Severe Nausea – the sensation that the stomach wants to empty itself, while vomiting (emesis) or throwing up, is the act of forcible emptying of the stomach.
Cancer – the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells in the body. Cancerous cells are also called malignant cells.
Glaucoma – a disease of the major nerve of vision, called the optic nerve. Vermont does not list this condition.
Beyond these eight, some states add some interesting conditions to the list.
New Mexico is the only state that includes Hospice patients in the list. Considering that the main purpose of Hospice is to give supportive care to people in the final phase of a terminal illness and focus on comfort and quality of life, this seems extremely appropriate. New Mexico also calls out painful Peripheral Neuropathy and I expect this could probably fall under the chronic pain classification of other states.
Michigan includes Nail Patella, a hereditary condition characterized by abnormally formed or absent nails and underdeveloped or absent kneecaps. The Michigan Medical Marijuana Certification Center states that medical marijuana helps with the associated pain of this condition, so I expect this could probably fall under the chronic pain classification of other states as well.
Rhode Island is joined by Michigan in adding Alzheimer's disease to their lists, although a recent study published in the latest issue of “Current Alzheimer Research” challenges the assertion that marijuana is beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients.
New Jersey specifies terminal illness, if the physician has determined a prognosis of less than 12 months of life. This specification seems to be able to overlap into many of the aforementioned conditions.
California in the only state to specify Migraine, although I can say from 23 years of personal experience that this disease can fall into both the chronic pain and the severe nausea category.
Several states do include a caveat at the end of their list that is reminiscent of the beloved last words on every job description (the infamous, 'and all other duties as assigned') stating things such as: "other conditions are subject to approval by" … or, "any other medical condition or treatment for a medical condition adopted by" … and, "any other medical condition or its treatment that is approved by …"
So once again, Joe and Jane Public are left sifting through the convoluted and conflicting legalese of his or her state to see if their condition is covered. I think that you will agree that the conditions listed above deserve to be treated by any and all means available to bring relief to the patient. If Marijuana is empirically, experimentally shown to bring even some level of comfort for the people who are suffering, then nothing should stand in the way of all states passing a federal medical marijuana law - the first step to the real goal of Ending Prohibition, once and for all.
And To Add To The Confusion
Just a quick follow-up on the last post about the confusion being created by the here and there; by this and that medical marijuana law and the conflicting, even hypocritical enforcement thereof. Yesterday a jury in Pueblo, Colorado found a man not guilty on a charge of cultivating marijuana but guilty on a charge of possessing it.
Hmmm ...
The defendant in the case shared his confusion in a phone interview saying,
His lawyer was a bit more clear (cough, cough) on the subject stating, "... the jury's decision delivered a clear message.
OMG! will the craziness ever end?
Hmmm ...
The defendant in the case shared his confusion in a phone interview saying,
"Under this verdict, a caregiver may grow the marijuana but it would be illegal for them to possess it. It just makes sense that if you can grow it, you should be able to possess it."
His lawyer was a bit more clear (cough, cough) on the subject stating, "... the jury's decision delivered a clear message.
"The jury really got it, they sent home the message loud and clear that government can't stop people from growing their medicine."Right ... but they can't possess it during or after they grow it ... sooo, what exactly did they get?
OMG! will the craziness ever end?
Failing a Drug Test
Picture this ... you have chronic pain and the only thing you have found to ease that pain is marijuana. So you take the time, pay the fee, get the card, go to the dispensary (also a LEGAL entity) and get yourself LEGAL marijuana to relieve your symptoms ... and you lose your job by failing a drug test.
That's exactly what happened to Luke in Colorado. Luke worked as a guard at a private jail and they have a no drug tolerance policy and all employees are tested regularly. Well, Luke failed the test ... not surprising ... and he was fired.
We've said it before, we'll say it again, the best way out of this regressive tar pit of contradictory and extraordinarily costly policies is by passing Federal Legislation that Ends Prohibition by decriminalizing marijuana, once and for all. If you haven't done so already, please dig deeper into the specifics of HR5843 (Thomas | GovTrack) and get involved educating your family, friends, community, and especially your church that there is active federal legislation that could address all these and many more issues, almost overnight, once passed.
That's exactly what happened to Luke in Colorado. Luke worked as a guard at a private jail and they have a no drug tolerance policy and all employees are tested regularly. Well, Luke failed the test ... not surprising ... and he was fired.
The way the current medical marijuana law in Colorado works, there is no protection for employees if they fail a drug test, even though the drug was legally obtained ... does anyone see the problem here?
Lawyers make the case that although the herb may be legal by state's decree, smoking marijuana is still illegal by federal law, so employers have the right to let someone go based on the federal law. And it gets even messier when, "employer who knowingly hires a medical marijuana user is "arguably complicit in an activity that's illegal under federal law." WOW!
Lawyers make the case that although the herb may be legal by state's decree, smoking marijuana is still illegal by federal law, so employers have the right to let someone go based on the federal law. And it gets even messier when, "employer who knowingly hires a medical marijuana user is "arguably complicit in an activity that's illegal under federal law." WOW!
In both California and Montana the courts have found in favor of the employers in these cases. The California court ruled that, "Proposition 215, which allows use of marijuana for medical purposes with a doctor's recommendation, does not protect workers for being fired for violating federal drug laws before, during, or after work hours." In Montana the issue is addressed in their medical marijuana FAQ as follows:
38. What should I tell my employer if I am subjected to a drug test?
The law is silent on this issue.Seriously, that is really what it says, "The law is silent on this issue." What the hell does that mean?
The wording of each state's law concerning medical marijuana is different and as always, open to interpretation -- which varies depending what side of the lawsuit you stand on. And although advocacy groups say that they already have hundreds of complaints of employer discrimination, not enough cases have been brought to trial to create anything resembling a standard precedent across the board.
In Michigan the law states that, a registered user can't be "subject to arrest, prosecution or penalty in any manner or denied any right or privilege including ... disciplinary action by a business." But then goes on to say that, "nothing in this act shall be construed to require an employer to accommodate the ingestion of marijuana in any workplace or any employee working while under the influence of marijuana."
So that should make it clear as mud when someone goes to court in Michigan.
So that should make it clear as mud when someone goes to court in Michigan.
We've said it before, we'll say it again, the best way out of this regressive tar pit of contradictory and extraordinarily costly policies is by passing Federal Legislation that Ends Prohibition by decriminalizing marijuana, once and for all. If you haven't done so already, please dig deeper into the specifics of HR5843 (Thomas | GovTrack) and get involved educating your family, friends, community, and especially your church that there is active federal legislation that could address all these and many more issues, almost overnight, once passed.
Blown Gasket on Infinite Improbability Drive?
Today in the Wall Street Journal Andy Newman reported on a poll released by Quinnipiac University (who?). The poll -- so recent it is not even on the University's web site yet -- shows that a majority of Republicans, YES, REPUBLICANS, favor legalizing marijuana.
Even the Infinite Improbability Drive itself doesn't seem capable of generating such an unlikely scenario, because the only thing more infinite than infinity itself and more improbable than absolute zero probability is the potential for the ideologically and emotionally hijacked, tinfoil hat clad, Republican Tea Party to make the least bit of sense; particularly on this topic.
To be precise, the poll indicates that 55% of registered Republicans in New York State support legalization of marijuana. Perhaps it's just my imagination, or maybe the time/space continuum just hiccupped, or maybe the aforementioned Infinite Improbability Drive just blew a gasket. Regardless of the explanation, this is genuine progress folks; so, as improbable as it may seem for this space to ever publish such a phrase, here it goes:
"Hurray for the right!"
... ummm in New York, ummm sort of, ummm on this topic and only this topic and ummm only 55% of them! Maybe, just maybe, it's a start.
Get Your Weed at Walmart
Well, not quite yet, but we will be there soon! It's time for the Full Court Press, non-stop, till ultimate victory is ours. Share an easy link to this post on Twitter, Facebook, etc!
- Be Encouraged: 56% of likely voters support legalizing and taxing marijuana to address growing debt, rightsize prison populations, and free up law enforcement to protect us from dangerous, violent, actual criminals.
- Read On, Listen, Learn.
- Read iGrow: "Walmart of weed" opens in Oakland
- Listen to The California Report: Pot on the Ballot Again (1 min 10 sec MP3)
- Watch Marijuana Legalization Hit the California Ballot This Year!
- Join Governor Arnold Schwarzeneggar, "We always should have a debate."
- Support and Evangelize the Patient ID Center for 100% Legal Compliance
- Take Action, Spread the Word.
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