Get Out and Vote, NOW!
November 4th, 2008 by PerryHere are the candidate’s stances on marijuana one final time in a bite-size, easily-consumable video. Additionally, this is also a reminder about the last time you have to think about voting for a while.
See you guys at the voting booth!
UPDATE: Thanks to Colin for getting us some backstory on the presidential decriminalization topic. It appears that Obama hasn’t always been rock steady in his opinions of legalization or decriminalization. MPP’s original, albeit short, video about Barack Obama can be found here.
Afterwards, a YouTube user by the name of MikeCANN created a response, showing quotes and other examples of Obama’s back & forth opinions - maybe angling to appease as many potential voters as possible. This video is embedded after the jump.
The MPP video that we have above is a more balanced version, and a direct response to MikeCANN’s efforts. On a side note, if you live in Boston, he books the music for the Boston Freedom Rally and has a ton of great videos on his profile page.
Thanks for the info Colin!
Shitty Contextual Advertising
November 3rd, 2008 by Alex
Usually, I’m a fan of Google Adsense. It helps us earn a couple of bucks off running tFS and shows ads for things like drug tests or hydroponics equipment.
In this case, I couldn’t disagree more.
Let me be clear, any advertisement you see on theFreshScent in support of Prop 8 - the fucking ridiculous effort to ban gay marriage in California - is absolutely against the opinions of this site.
We preach (and practice) tolerance, not hate. Besides, not teaching kids about gay marriage in school just sets them up to be ill-prepared to deal with the issue when it comes up in a real life situation. Think about it…
DAs Blowing Around Some Hot Air
November 3rd, 2008 by Perry
In an effort to fight the initiative to legalize medical marijuana in Massachusetts, local district attorneys aren’t exactly coming clean about past marijuana use. But they aren’t necessarily denying it, either.
One cape-area DA said:
Like a lot of people in my generation, we did a lot of things that were unwise, unhealthy, and illegal.
Yet, somehow he managed to become a productive, functioning member of society, even though he smoked marijuana. Or at least alluded to it because he didn’t have the courage (some would say ‘balls’) to admit it.
Other DAs, were more frank:
I tried it once, and it wasn’t something I was ever into.
I’m not sure what I respect less; the hypocrisy of those who have tried it, or those who haven’t and therefore have no idea what they’re talking about, like this New England DA:
The bottom line is that this sends a message that it’s OK to use marijuana… but to pretend it’s not a public safety issue is disingenuous.
Not a surprise at all if you commonly refer to it as a public safety issue.
Sumo Wrestler Gone Down the Pot
November 3rd, 2008 by Perry
A recent debate rocked the considerable girth of the sumo world, when Gagloev Soslan Aleksandrovich, who wrestles under the name “Wakanoho,” was kicked out of the sumo world for the “major illegal act” of marijuana possession.
Maybe, this is one of the few scenarios where weed could’ve been viewed as a performance-enhancer, much like amphetamine pills are banned for those who are trying to shed pounds before a fight. But, it probably has more to do with the negative stigma associated with weed. Total guess though.
Chile Joins Fear-Based Drug Education Model
November 3rd, 2008 by Perry
In response to a study that showed a growing perception among its teenagers that marijauna is harmless, the Chile is nationalizing a plan to “open up reflection on marijuana and its effects, above all with respect to the fact that it’s addictive, just like other drugs,” said the campaign’s director.
Personally, I don’t know if I’ve seen conclusive proof that that’s true or habit forming, (eh maybe,) but not addictive, and right there’s the definitive difference.
The campaign’s director cited the fact that “70 percent of the people in treatment for problematic use of drugs began their drug use with marijuana,” as indisputable proof of it being a gateway drug. One may argue the fact that it’s only considered a gateway to illegal drug usage, because it is itself, considered illegal. However, if you wanted to make coffee, wine, beer, liquor or ciggarettes illegal, then they might be considered “gateways” also. Perhaps.
But who can argue with a great slogan like the one the Chilean anti-drug people came up with…
Be intelligent again. Don’t smoke marijuana.
Brilliant.
Thumbs Getting Greener in the Mormon State
November 3rd, 2008 by Perry
More than 90,000 marijuana plants were seized this year in rural Utah, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. During the months where the southern portion of the state has suitable conditions for growing marijuana, the state has seen an influx of what the federal government believes to be cartel-related activity.
Scott Burns, the deputy “drug czar” at the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy said:
These are large-scale, narco-traffickers. [...] These are the big guys.
What I found interesting is that no where in the story does the federal government justify why it believes its cartel activity, rather than local growers. The only reasoning offered is the appearance of the fields in Utah is a result of recent border tightening since 9/11. That combined with the scale of the operation, and its proximity to California and Mexico, apparently means cartel involvement.
I find it a little strange that there’s absolutely no cartel violence in Utah though. The DEA fails to explain how a state that’s 58 percent Mormon and 95 percent “white” according to the 2000 census, managed to smuggle in a whole cartel operation past the borders undetected.
Jeff Whatcott, commander of Central Utah Narcotics Task Force, said:
It’s still like looking for a needle in a haystack.
But you have to give it our federal government; drop a needle that smells like weed and by golly, they’ll go digging through that haystack.
theFreshScent: Halloweed ‘08
October 31st, 2008 by Tim
You all know what night it is, so tFS is taking the day easy. Besides, we’ve got some kick ass costumes to sport tonight…
Next week, expect our usual content to drop, but also it’s time to welcome tFS reviews back into the fold. We’ve got at least 5 to release, a couple strains and a couple of product reviews.
Have a safe and fun Halloween. Oh yea, be sure to avoid people dressed as sex offenders, you just never know.
+ tFS Team
Warning: Don’t Bring Drugs to the Phillipines
October 31st, 2008 by Alex
Holy shit! They do not mess around in Manilla.
Richard M. Sy was sentenced to 12 to 16 years of prison after being found guilty for possessing less than two grams of marijuana.
Apparently Sy never saw Brokedown Palace, Return to Paradise or Never Say Regret. The moral in all of those movies is Asian countries, particularly Southeastern ones, do not fuck around when it comes to narcotics.
The judge handed down a 6 page decision, and now Richard gets plenty of time to reflect about what the hell he was doing in the Philippines in the first place.
Sorry man…
