Canada Legalizes Open MMJ Market
October 28th, 2008 by Perry
Canada, the new great western bastion of progressive thought, recently ended the federal government’s monopoly on the selling of medical marijuana. Justice Department lawyers were trying to appeal a lower-court ruling that granted licensed producers the right to grow marijuana for more than one patient.
Ultimately, Canada’s appeals court dismissed the government’s challenge, which was on the basis that growers supplying more than one patient would lead to an unregulated industry. It now means that Canada could develop a system that more closely resembles ours, with decentralized dispensaries handling most consumer demand.
Live Green & Be Healthy
October 28th, 2008 by Perry
Candy Skunk reports 5 tips to healthier marijuana use, or at least 5 ways to think about why you love our favorite plant.
The number one way is called the “Firecracker,” which I’ve personally never heard of before but sounds delicious. Below is the “Firecracker” recipe, courtesy of Candy Skunk.
1. Get 2 saltine crackers, aluminum foil, some peanut butter, and .5 - 1.5 grams of marijuana. Preheat oven to 375 F degrees.
2. Cut up or grind your bud, and load some peanut butter on one side of BOTH crackers.
3. Sprinkle the marijuana on one cracker, and put the crackers together. THC is absorbed by the fat in the peanut butter, so try to get as much bud touching the peanut butter as you can.
4. Some directions claim 325 degrees, but I say closer to 375 is more effective. THC is vaporized at 392 F degrees, so getting the oven closer to that will allow the greatest amount of THC absorption. Anyway, wrap the crackers in the foil and throw in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
5. For best results, refrigerate overnight. THC is absorbed without heat, just at a slower rate. Refrigerating keeps your crackers germ-free while giving the peanut butter extra time to absorb THC.
It appears that this little number is fairly well-known. So if you have some spare bud lying around and find yourself compelled to give this recipe a shot, let us know how it goes.
Drug Czar Backs Decriminalization… in Mexico
October 28th, 2008 by Perry
The Marijuana Policy Project surprised itself today, when the group found themselves in the unusual position of congratulating John Walters on drug policy initiative. The director of the National Drug Policy recently backed efforts in Mexico to pass legislation which removed criminal penalties for possession of small amounts of marijuana.
MPP executive director Rob Kampia said:
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but John Walters is right. [...] We heartily second his support for eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana users in Mexico, and look forward to working with him to end such penalties in the U.S. as well.
Well I wouldn’t think the MPP is holding its collective breath on that last one. After all, hypocrisy is what our national drug policy is founded on, so Walters’ move should surprise no one.
Oregon Business Group Takes Aim at MMJ
October 28th, 2008 by Perry
As Oregon nears its 10th anniversary of the Oregon Medical Marijuana Act, a business coalition is looking to fight the legislation legalizing MMJ, starting with taking away workplace accommodations for medical marijuana users.
Dan Harmon, chairmen of the Drugfree Workplace Legislative Work Group, said the first order of business is to reintroduce Senate Bill 465, which would exempt employers from having to accommodate medical marijuana users, no matter when or where they use the drug.
Basically the whole goal of this group seems to be harassing medical marijuana patients, but I haven’t exactly figured out what its other aims are. How can you fire someone for testing positive for prescribed medicine? I do not know.
Heroin’s Low Cost Creating Buyer’s Market
October 28th, 2008 by Perry
The low cost of the drug and its growing availability in the Northeastern region of the country, is making heroin the new meth of the 2000s, according to Drug Enforcement Administration officials.
A bag of heroin costs less than a pack of cigarettes, and that’s one of the main reasons more local teenagers are trying the narcotic.
What’s more, the reputation of heroin is becoming more and more acceptable among an increasingly younger crowd, boosting the drug’s appeal. One of the problems is the growing misconception that the drug is less dangerous when snorted than injected, which is not true according to DEA sources.
Part of the problem, which the DEA fails to acknowledge, is that the DEA is a huge part of the problem. If they didn’t lie to America’s youth and tell them how dangerous marijuana is, after kids tried it and found out the lie; they are more likely to want to see what else people have been lying to them about.
Vintage Bob Marley Interview
October 27th, 2008 by PerryHere’s some vintage footage of one marijuana’s biggest advocates, rastafarian folk legend and one of the most popular musicians ever - Bob Marley - talking about Mary Jane.
It’s a plaaaaaaaant, embrace the herb.
Fiji Islands in Midst of Drug War
October 27th, 2008 by Perry
In a U.S.-centric culture, we tend to forget that there are lots of other people struggling with drugs, drug wars and drug problems (although in this particular instance our colonization probably played a big role.)
A Fiji blogger writes about the changing culture of drug use on the island which has been altered by recent enforcement efforts. This tiny agricultural island nation with a population of less than one million has seen over $50 million in drug busts in the last three years.
[image via Nation Geographic by James L. Stanfield, 2007]
No Link Found Between Lung Cancer and Cannabis
October 27th, 2008 by Alex
A recent study reports that there is no increase in the likelihood of lung cancer from marijuana consumption, even among heavy smokers. Scientists who conducted the study seemed surprised by the results because marijuana contains up to 50 percent more of the carcinogenic chemicals which are believed to be the cause of cancer in smokers.
Researcher Donald Tashkin, MD, of UCLA’s David Geffen School of Medicine tells WebMD:
We know that there are as many or more carcinogens and co-carcinogens in marijuana smoke as in cigarettes. [...] But we did not find any evidence for an increase in cancer risk for even heavy marijuana smoking.
There are a lot of factors that could lead to the assumption that marijuana smoke accelerates cancer risks:
- high concentration of chemicals linked to lung cancer
- most marijuana smokers breathe deeper and hold smoke in longer
- the large variance of chemicals in different grades and strains of marijuana
So why isn’t the link there? Scientists believe it has something to do with the properties of our favorite isomer - THC. Cellular studies of THC suggest it might have antitumor properties and can encourage the death of genetically damaged cells.
This is great news. Now, all I need is for THC to be able to cook a decent meal and keep an apartment clean, then I’m marrying it.
