Marijuana- "Its not just for getting stoned anymore"
User or not, Marijuana prohibition is and has been hurting our economy and environment. Join, learn and educate others.
User or not, Marijuana prohibition is and has been hurting our economy and environment. Join, learn and educate others.
Maria De Wind
'Synthetic' marijuana is problem for US military
That is the problem of calling any Synthetic "Marijuana" ...
Dec 30, 2011
Maria De Wind
NORTH CAROLINA
Before the Coming of the
Anti-MEDICAL MARIHUANA LAWS
antiquecannabisbook
Dec 30, 2011
TommyD
synthetic marijuana...is that like monsanto herb?
Nature did a fantastic job, no need for man to go screwing weed up too...
Dec 31, 2011
Maria De Wind
"Spice," which mimics a marijuana high, is hard to detect and can bring on hallucinations that last for days.
What natural strain/variety has those effects?
Dec 31, 2011
TommyD
Using a water bong is such a spiritual thing....it is the blending of earth,wind fire and water into a harmonious state of consciousness for which to delve into the core of the universe...well maybe that's just me.
Jan 5, 2012
guest_blog
Cannabis Treatment Threatens Deadly Painkiller Industry
Jan 9, 2012
guest_blog
THIS GROUP NEEDS A NEW MODERATOR , ANY INTEREST?
Jan 9, 2012
Maria De Wind
Jan 15, 2012
TommyD
do you even have to ask, James?
Jan 15, 2012
Central Scrutinizer
Puff, Puff , PASS
Jan 17, 2012
TommyD
Jan 17, 2012
guest_blog
Thank's! TommyD
New Group Administrator
Jan 17, 2012
TommyD
New Group Rule:
Joking...make your own choices
Jan 17, 2012
TommyD
OBAMA: From First to Worst on Medical Marijuana.
Jan 17, 2012
ShivaShakti
Is anyone going to this in April?
http://www.medicalcannabis.com/Announcement/2012-conference
Jan 17, 2012
TommyD
MARIJUANA.COM
Jan 18, 2012
TommyD
What is the best way to consume
Jan 18, 2012
TommyD
Jan 19, 2012
TommyD
Jan 19, 2012
TommyD
Jan 19, 2012
Maria De Wind
Thank You TommyD!
Jan 24, 2012
Maria De Wind
WHERE?
Jan 24, 2012
Maria De Wind
cannabisculture
Jan 24, 2012
Maria De Wind
Pot TV
Jan 24, 2012
Maria De Wind
Cannabis.com - Medical Marijuana, Medical Cannabis, California ... Medical Marijuana, Cannabis Club directory, Collective, Dispenary Reviews, Medical Marijuana Forums, California, Los Angeles, Cannabis Forums, Boards, ...
Erowid Cannabis (Marijuana) Vault Information about Cannabis and Hemp including basics, effects, dosage, history, legal status, photos, research, media coverage, and links to other resources.
(Rick Simpson) Phoenix Tears Associates. Phoenix Tears Foundation ... Springhill Nova Scotia Canada B0M 1X0. Copyright © 2011 Phoenix Tears || All Rights Reserved. top. Home ·Sitemap ...
Phoenix Tears Foundation Patients Out of Time has joined with the Phoenix Tears Foundation in an educational endeavor to bring state of the art knowledge concerning the therapeutic ...
Jan 25, 2012
TommyD
Jan 26, 2012
Maria De Wind
Jan 26, 2012
Central Scrutinizer
Jan 26, 2012
Central Scrutinizer
Jan 26, 2012
Central Scrutinizer
Jan 26, 2012
TommyD
LMAO @ H0llyw00d...roach on roach violence....
Jan 26, 2012
Central Scrutinizer
Jan 26, 2012
Maria De Wind
Strain Hunters - Morocco Expedition (Full)
For more information on Cannabis Visit: http://Cannapedia.me
How to Grow Cannabis: http://Cannapedia.me/growing
How to Cook with Cannabis: http://Cannapedia.me/Cooking
Cannabis related News: http://Cannapedia.me/News
List of all Documentaries on Cannabis: http://Cannapedia.me/Documentaries
List of all Stonermovies: http://Cannapedia.me/Stoner+Movies
List of all Cannabis related Books: http://Cannapedia.me/Books
List of Cannabis Recipes: http://Cannapedia.me/Recipes
How to roll special Joints: http://Cannapedia.me/joints
List of Cannabis related How-tos: http://Cannapedia.me/How+To%27s
Medical Information on Cannabis: http://Cannapedia.me/medical
Information on Amsterdam: http://Cannapedia.me/amsterdam
Jan 26, 2012
Maria De Wind
Jan 26, 2012
DTOM
Do Harsh Pot Laws Create a Dangerous Drinking Culture? 5 Reasons to Get Stoned Instead of Drunk
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.
Jail time is another, more obvious consequence of pot use that may drive some people to drink. Last spring in Oklahoma, legislators voted in favor of House Bill 1798, enforcing a mandatory minimum of two years in jail and maximum penalty of life in prison for manufacturing hash. This despite the fact that in Oklahoma, state law already allowed judges to sentence pot growers to life in prison.
What's more, pot convictions can take away scholarships, food stamps, welfare, and public housing. Depriving a pot smoker of access to public assistance and housing while undermining his or her educational opportunities, may seem shocking. But politicians are escalating the punitive effort, with many states eager to implement mandatory drug testing for public assistance. Laws like these may well make alcohol a better choice than marijuana, as it does not have the same legal repercussions. Still, its health consequences are much more harmful than pot. Alcoholism not only causes liver and other types of cancers, as well as brain damage, it also increases the risk of death from car crashes and other accidents. And alcohol use is linked to acts of violence like rape, homicide and suicide.
The health effects of drinking will kill about 30,000 people a year, but another 40,000 people die each year from car crashes and other accidents caused by excessive alcohol consumption. The dangers and death associated with alcohol use become more shocking when we consider how many Americans drink: 67 percent of U.S. adults drink alcohol, and 17.6 million adults have drinking problems. Perhaps these numbers would not be so high if people who want to smoke pot were not worried about legal, and other disciplinary, consequences of using.
Aside from tough-on-pot laws, we see so-called pot deterrents regularly in our culture, especially in athletic departments. In some schools, athletes must pass drug tests or get the boot. Disciplinary policies like these can make alcohol the more appealing option.
As Steve Fox, one of the authors of Marijuana is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?, told AlterNet:
A recent NIDA study on teen substance youth offers an example of how marijuana and alcohol use negatively correlate. The survey found that teenagers are increasingly using marijuana, and decreasing their alcohol and cigarette use, at the same time that fewer teens view marijuana as harmful. The study's authors suggest that the increase in pot use, if related to a dwindling belief that pot is bad, may be linked to "the debate over medical marijuana." In other words, teens may be increasingly hearing the medical benefits and relative harmlessness of pot and making decisions less likely to harm themselves. This should be good news.
As Fox told AlterNet,
But some people believe that an increase in marijuana use -- even when possibly contributing to a decrease in alcohol use -- is negative. Part of why some people cannot see the harm reduction by reducing alcohol consumption, and why the laws that discourage pot use are so harsh, is because myths about pot's so-called danger remain rampant. Many Americans still believe that pot and alcohol are similarly harmful, and that legalizing marijuana may only create another American vice.
“This perception is wrong,” Mason Tvert, co-author of Marijuana is Safer, told Reuters, “and it can’t be corrected overnight. What we aim for is legislation that would give adults the choice between alcohol and a less harmful alternative. Current laws steer people toward alcohol because they fear the consequences of being caught using marijuana. But I think we are nearing a tipping point.”
To change the laws or provide youths, and adults, with the tools to make smarter decisions, accurate information must replace propaganda. As Fox explained to me:There are facts about pot that need to be communicated and repeated over and over. If fully understood, this information would help achieve reform of marijuana laws, and possibly have the long-term effect of not driving people to drink.
1. Marijuana is not a gateway drug.
"It's a gateway drug" is an argument that anti-pot people often use when they run out of false health concerns, as if marijuana's relative harmlessness is void because getting stoned will automatically turn people on to heroin. But the truth is that marijuana is not a gateway drug, and the vast majority of people who smoke pot will never move onto harder drugs. In 2009, 2.3 million people reported trying pot, but only 617,000 said they had tried cocaine, and just 180,000 said they had tried heroin.
Pot and other drug use can correlate, but not necessarily due to characteristics of pot itself, but something more powerful.
As Maia Szalavitz wrote in Time,
While pot is not a gateway drug, pot laws may very well be a gateway to alcohol use, as people who fear the law may turn to booze. And for those who choose to use pot even though it is illegal, pot’s criminal status may nudge them closer to criminals, by putting them in contact with dealers.2. Pot smoke is relatively benign and does not cause lung cancer.
The "anything you smoke can't be good" meme helps keep prescription pot stigmatized, and supports pot's classification in the strict drug category Schedule I (with hard drugs like heroin), where substances are said to show lack of safety in use, among other qualifications like lack of medical value.
But a study released earlier this month proved that marijuana is not actually linked to breathing problems. Researchers studied the effects of marijuana smoke on lung function, and found that smoking pot does not cause the same irreversible breathing problems as cigarettes.
This information is not new; multiple studies have concluded that marijuana is not associated with similar health problems. As Paul Armentano, also a co-author of the book Marijuana is Safer, wrote for NORML:
Alcohol, however, is linked to many cancers, including liver, mouth, throat, and breast cancer.
3. Pot does not cause schizophrenia.
Many drug war advocates allege that marijuana use causes schizophrenia or other mental health problems, but science continually shows otherwise.
A study led by Dr. Serge Sevy, an associate professor of psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, found that controlling for factors known to increase schizophrenia risk eliminated the association between disease onset and marijuana use.
Steve Fox told AlterNet,
The long-term cognitive effects of marijuana use are difficult to measure, because they are evident during highly demanding brain functions, according to the California Association of Addiction Medicine. But even the most long-term weed smokers will not face health problems comparable to those linked to long-term alcohol use, which include liver cirrhosis and Korsakoff’s syndrome, a disease that causes debilitating brain damage and the inability to form new memories.
Of course, any substance abuse is potentially more detrimental to a developing brain than to an adult brain. Prevention, or delaying use, is a great way to reduce harm. But prohibition does not guarantee increased safety, especially when alcohol is legal.
4. Driving high is not very dangerous.
Driving an automobile while high is another example of the fear-mongering used to facilitate harsh pot laws. Jill Cooper, the associate director of the Safe Transportation Research and Education Center at the University of California, Berkeley, argued with good intention in the New York Times that while alcohol is still "a very real threat to teen drivers," an increase in marijuana use also threatens threatens safe driving. She says,
But her logic is ill-informed. You would be hard pressed to find someone who advocates putting a driver with diminished skills behind the wheel. But marijuana use may actually cause a decrease in traffic fatalities. A study by the Institute for the Study of Labor, a research center for science, politics, and business in Bonn, Germany, showed that in states where medical marijuana is legal, adults were smoking more marijuana and drinking less alcohol, and the result was a 9 percent decrease in traffic fatalities.Another study, conduced by Andrew Sewell, found that quantity affects ability, but "marijuana smokers tend to compensate effectively while driving by utilizing a variety of behavioral strategies," like driving slower. The study concluded:
Mix alcohol and pot together, however, and the effects may be more intoxicating than either drug alone.
5. Pot does not make you lazy.
You've seen the image a million times: A pothead slumped on the couch surrounded by a cloud of weed smoke, paralyzed by his high. But marijuana is not a couch-potato creator. The technical name for marijuana-induced laziness is "amotivational syndrome," and research suggests it has a lot more to do with other factors than with pot. A study on marijuana use and amotivational syndrome shows circumstances unique to a person, or some underlying problem, are more to blame for amotivational syndrome than the drug itself. Like research on pot and schizophrenia, the challenge is separating pot use from other variables that may take place at the same time, and attributing the correct cause to effect.
But even if marijuana did make people lazy, pot is not associated with violent crime or sexual assault. Alcohol, on the other hand, is a contributing factor in many cases of violence, as well as sexual assault and rape. According to the National Center for Alcohol Law Enforcement:
- Almost one in four victims of violent crime report that the perpetrator had been drinking prior to committing the violence.
- Over one-third of victims of rapes or sexual assaults report that the offender was drinking at the time of the act.
- It is estimated that 32 to 50 percent of homicides are preceded by alcohol consumption by the perpetrator.
- Between 31 percent and 36 percent of prisoners convicted of a violent crime against an intimate reported that they were drinking alcohol at the time of the offense.
Alcohol is linked to reckless behavior and to serious injuries, and it is highly associated with emergency room visits. But marijuana is rarely associated with emergency room visits, and is not proven to increase reckless behavior or cause injuries.As Fox told AlterNet,
To reduce the harm associated with substance use, Americans need the options and tools necessary to make health-based, informed decisions -- not harsh consequences that punish a relatively harmless drug.
Jan 27, 2012
Maria De Wind
Legality of cannabis
Jan 27, 2012
Maria De Wind
The Psychedelic Experience: A Manual Based on The Tibetan Book of the Dead (commonly referred to as The Psychedelic Experience) is an instruction manual intended for use during sessions involving psychedelic drugs.
This version of Tibetan Book of the Dead was authored by Timothy Leary, Ralph Metzner and Richard Alpert, all of whom took part in experiments investigating the therapeutic and religious possibilities of drugs such as mescaline, psilocybin and LSD. The book is dedicated to Aldous Huxley and includes a short introductory citation from Huxley's book The Doors of Perception.
Part of this text was used by the Beatles in the song Tomorrow Never Knows.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychedelic_experience
I have a new website! Please visit:
http://www.translucentworks.com/services/shamanism/
Jan 27, 2012
Maria De Wind
jayselthofner Cannabis Consultant with THC Indicastries, THC Tour Organizer, NORML Director, Medical Marijuana Activist and Reporter of Wisconsin Hemp News
Author Educates About Anarchism in Anarcho Grow, Pura Vida in Costa...
Jan 27, 2012
Central Scrutinizer
Nearly 600 Marijuana Plants Found In Police Raid Of Bronx Building
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — You might call it a marijuana mega mansion.
Police raided a five-floor commercial building in the Bronx Tuesday afternoon that was filled with marijuana plants from wall to wall.
The building, located on Morris Park Avenue, had nearly 600 plants, some measuring 7 feet.
Police called the operation a sophisticated pot factory that was cranking out millions of dollars worth of weed, 1010 WINS’ Al Jones reported
“It’s sad. I mean why didn’t the cops pick up on this before?” a neighbor asked.
Police told CBS 2’s Derricke Dennis they just got the tip late last year from a neighbor. They said they checked the building’s electric bill and found it to be sky high. So after weeks of surveillance, officers moved in with a search warrant, arresting three adult males and shutting down a 50-pound a month operation that netted $250,000 every 30 days.
Facing charges are Brian Munoz, 24, Victor Reyes, 23, and Diego Reyes, 25, all of the Bronx. They each were hit with one count of criminal possession of marijuana, one count of criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the first degree and criminal use of drug paraphernalia in the second degree.
CBS 2′s John Slattery said there were no sleeping quarters inside, but the building fostered the perfect environment for growing the plants. There was an elaborate set-up of water and air filtration systems, plus heat lamps. Slattery reports that the drugs were allegedly packaged on the top floor.
Neighbors in the area said they were surprised and never suspected anything.
Police remove marijuana after a raid on a five-story building in the Bronx. (credit: Al Jones, 1010 WINS)
“It just looked like it was a mechanics every time I walked by,” said Ricardo Morales.
“That’s crazy…because I used to walk past this every single day. I live down the block on Garfield,” said Maria Candelaria. “Never even smelled nothing come out from this place.”
The confiscated bags will all go to a lab for testing and then, eventually down the line, will be destroyed.
“Good, good. I mean there’s no mistake that it is obviously marijuana,” a neighbor said.
The pungent smell is a dead giveaway, but still the question remains: who’s behind this major marijuana machine?
Feb 1, 2012
TommyD
I think I'm going to cry...after I stop salivating over all those bags.....
Feb 1, 2012
Maria De Wind
Feb 1, 2012
Maria De Wind
Newt To N.H.: Founding Fathers Would Have Busted You For Pot
Feb 1, 2012
TommyD
Thanks for the inspiration Mr Krypke......
Feb 1, 2012
TommyD
Feb 3, 2012
Exposure
How more can you get it totally wrong, where as we have laws that permit people to drink any amount of a substance that causes so much family grief and heartache, alongside violence and anti-social behaviour in general, - and yet we don't permit people to be able to take any amount of a substance that causes much family joy and happiness, and prevents violence, as it helps encourage sociable behaviour. Don't get me wrong, I'm an ex-addict of both drugs and alcohol, - I've seen the damage and participated in the destruction it, and I had caused. - Whereas the time I smoked the weed, I'd reach out and kiss ya. Like all things in life, in moderation and all things will be cool, though many of these forced fed skunks etc. can be quite strong for some young folks, and this should be kept an eye on if you know someone or yourself might have a more fragile mind than some others. All drugs, have to be treated with respect.
Feb 3, 2012
Maria De Wind
Before marijuana prohibition began in the late 1930’s, many people, including some of our nations leaders grew cannabis for a variety of reasons. It’s fairly well known that cannabis has thousands of industrial uses, and has been grown for thousands of years. While simply growing cannabis is far from proof that someone smoked it, there is still evidence showing many would-be U.S Presidents enjoyed it for recreational and medicinal uses.
Washington routinely smoked marijuana to alleviate the pain from his ailing teeth. Washington’s diary recounts his efforts to better cultivate and enhance his crops of marijuana.
Jefferson grew cannabis on his plantation and smuggled Chinese hemp seeds to America. He also is believed to have given special smoking blends out as personal gifts which is why he makes the list.
Madison once remarked that hemp gave him insight to create a new and democratic nation.
Monroe began smoking it as Ambassador to France & continued to the age of 73.
Jackson has been documented to have smoked cannabis and tobacco cigars along with the troops he led.
Like Andrew Jackson, Taylor is said to have smoked with his troops in one or more of the many wars he was in.
Continuing a popular theme of the era, Pierce also smoked with his troops as a general in the Mexican-American War. In a letter to his family, he says cannabis is “about the only good thing” in the war.
Quotes (real and fake) about Lincoln enjoying hemp are all over the internet. While some debate if Lincoln sparked up, many resources point to yes.
Close acquaintances say Kennedy used cannabis regularly to control his back pain (even during his term) and actually planned on legalizing marijuana during his second term.
Along with his efforts to legalize marijuana, Some say Carter also hosted many marijuana smoke filled events at the White House. This leads most to assume Carter at least tried it at some point in life.
Bush publicly refused to answer the marijuana question. He was later caught saying he refused to talk about it “because I don’t want some little kid doing what I tried”.
Clinton famously stated that he smoked but “didn’t inhale”. He has been known to bend the truth every now and then, so he still makes the list.
Even though he joked off many American’s wishes to legalize marijuana, Obama has been very open with his own marijuana smoking in the past, once saying “I inhaled frequently. That was the point”.
Unfortunately history has forgotten many facts of lesser known presidents like Millard Fillmore, which makes finding evidence of possible marijuana use for some presidents next to impossible. Despite that, 30 percent of the United State’s 44 presidents are believed to have smoked marijuana for recreational and/or medical purposes. While under the average of roughly 40% of people that admit to smoking marijuana, it’s still an interesting fact to keep in mind while debating issues about marijuana use in America.
Feb 3, 2012
TommyD
I remember Willie Nelson stating that he toked up atop the White House with a couple secret service guys....
Feb 3, 2012
TommyD
I wonder how many people have actually toked up atop the federal bldg in downtown Houston....not saying that I have..but I am not saying that I haven't either....
Feb 3, 2012
Maria De Wind
compliance !
Feb 3, 2012
Maria De Wind
She too
Feb 3, 2012