Marijuana Legalization Mega Debate
May 29th, 2009 by Rick
An assorted group of guests were given a chance to rehash points from the same old tired debate about the legalization of marijuana today. Their forum this time was the New York Times, Freakonomics blog.
In attendance:
- Paul Armentano – Deupity Director from NORML
- Jeffrey Miron – a economics professor from Harvard
- Mike Braun – a former DEA Assistant Administrator
- Joel Hay – a pharmaceutical economics professor @ USC
Hay declared:
There isn’t a shred of scientific evidence that marijuana is safe and effective for any medical condition. [...] THC, the active ingredient of pot, has been approved by the FDA and on the market in capsule form since 1985.
Of course someone that is involved on some level with the pharmaceutical industry would have the audacity to bring up the fact that THC has been put into a pill — perfect for the pill poppin’ nation. The fact that he claims that there isn’t any shred of scientific evidence that marijuana is safe and effective for any medical condition, makes anything else that comes out of this fool’s mouth sound absolutely ridiculous (and he said a mouthful).
Braun, like a typical ex-Fed, plays the “what if” game and dreams up all sorts of scenarios in order to spin the issue his way:
Is the government going to hand out free marijuana to those who can’t afford it? If so, who pays for that?
Here’s a thought: Legalize the fucking plant already and let people grow it at home or in their own backyard. If anyone can legally grow it then you don’t have to worry about people breaking into your home and taking your marijuana because they could do the very same — and that would end this drug becoming used as a currency with open doorways to violence. Then you wouldn’t need to worry about creating some agency to regulate it like a pharmaceutical or hand out “free marijuana.”
Is it O.K with you if the government or corporate America opens a marijuana distribution center in your neighborhood, or should they only establish them in the economically depressed areas of town?
Oh, you mean like how they did with liquor stores, placed on every block of the ghetto? Nothing this man says after that is important because it’s just fear mongering, especially when he implies that black market marijuana is laced with LSD and PCP.
If this right here is the best argument the drug warriors can muster, then they will soon be the way of the dinosaurs. To see what actual logic Miron and Armentano use, read their full commentary at the Freakanomics Forum. Then decide for yourself who makes the stronger argument.
Medical Marijuana Patient Robbed Twice
May 29th, 2009 by RickMark Spohn, a medical marijuana patient in Seattle had his home invaded by some men, pretending to be FBI agents. After they told him to get down on the floor, the proceeded to rob him of his medical marijuana.
To make matters worse, when the Seattle police arrived there they learned that there were entirely too many plants at the residence, so they robbed confiscated dozens of the plants. Under the Washington medical marijuana law, patients are allowed to have 15 plants and 24 ounces.
Spohn informed the police that several patients were growing their medical marijuana there as well, but the police merely stated that they were enforcing the law. Detectives declined to speak on camera, but neighbors had said that the home had been subjected to attempted break-ins before.
As the Seattle police carried out the medical marijuana, the actual FBI arrived on the scene and began looking into the home invasion and a possible impersonation of a federal officer.
Under the terms of the Washington law, patients that qualify for medical marijuana have either a terminal illness or a debilitating condition. Spohn is devastated and from this point on, doesn’t know what he will do.
Bape Drops ‘Neon Camo Hemp’ Gear
May 29th, 2009 by Alex
Depending on which side of the fashion spectrum you sit, Bape has launched a hemp-based pattern assault on the masses. Dubbed the ‘Neon Camo Hemp Accessories Collection’ (that’s a mouthful), the drop consists of a messenger bag, backpack and two different styles of tote bags.
Each piece sports the classic Bape gorilla-face camo in two-tone brown/beige with black trim. A small, but nice, touch to the messenger bag is a reflective stripe — theoretically to make someone who wears Bape gear easier to spot and tag with your SUV.
No specific release date yet, but keep checking Bape stores and web accounts until they show up.
Big Pharma Developing Ersatz Weed Treatment
May 29th, 2009 by Russ
Large conglomerates and multinational corporations seem to be intent on sucking the fun out of just about everything. It seems that they’ve now set their sights on doing this to weed. English Pharma Behemoth, GW Pharmaceuticals, is now seeking approval of Sativex, a marijuana-based nasal spray.
GW Pharma has assured investors that they have meticulously extracted only the finest, most potent cannabanoids from “proprietary” strains of gourmet marijuana grown in the richest most fertile soil, lovingly drawn from the moist nether regions of mother Earth. The company is very quick to congratulate itself on creating a drug that provides all of the benefits of weed with few of the undesirable ’side effects.’ In other words, GW claims to have developed a medicinal form of weed that doesn’t get you high.
As with the pharmaceutical industry at large, this medicine wasn’t developed with any societal good in mind. This is merely an attempt to seize as much market share as possible from a medical marijuana gold rush that appears to be in full frenzy. As we have learned from an industry that spends two-thirds of its research budget on copycat drugs, Big Pharma isn’t out to help anyone other than its own investors.
Unfortunately for GW, a cold corporate mindset can’t accurately wrap itself around weed culture. No self-respecting weed connoisseur will spend 10 to 20 times the price of natural herb for a product that is peddled as ‘refined.’ There is already a whole spectrum of refined greenery.
For instance, anyone with a passing familiarity with weed already knows that vaporization allows the ingestion of THC without inhaling particulate matter and allows for a much more mellow high. Sounds a lot more pleasant than shoving a dispenser up one’s nose.
Weed Gold Rush Takes Shape
May 29th, 2009 by Russ
Get your pickax and sifting tin ready, there’s weed in them hills! Bolstered by a spate of state medical weed legalization measures and a national media debate on the prospects of full decriminalization, entrepeneurs are lining up to start the next Herb Dealing Mega Corp.
In the southland, the Los Angeles dispensary boom grows beyond any commentator’s ability to study it. Big Pharma has also thrown its hat into the ring, releasing several varieties of regulated and less ‘morally reproachable’ weed.
For the spectrum of hopeful ascendants, the challenges are the same. Finding a sanctioned method of mass-producing marijuana and keeping a clean balance sheet will be difficult for some weed entrepreneurs who have become accustomed to a more laissez-faire (i.e. black) market.
One Oregonian prospect is Bruce Perlowin, CEO of Medical Marijuana Inc. He predicts:
I think we’ll be the next Microsoft.
Which sounds well and good, until MMI releases Indica Vista to a horrified public.
Federal Drug Use Survey Tells All
May 28th, 2009 by Rick
Apparently, this is the most recent federal data regarding statistics on illegal drug use, even though one of the sources is from a 2007 National Survey on Drug Usage. Why are we always a day late and a dollar short in this country when it comes to reporting statistics that are factual and recent?
Here are a few stats:
- One million people per year are reported to seek medical help from drug abuse (mostly heroin,cocaine and supposedly marijuana.)
- Out of the 14.2 million arrests in 2007, drug abuse was at 13% — more than 1.8 million people. Half of that amount were marijuana arrests — mostly for possession.
- Drug offenders are in 20% of the state prison population, and federal makes up half.
- Vermont has the highest rate of marijuana usage, while Utah has the lowest.
- 5% of 12th graders smoke marijuana on a daily basis.
- Nearly 51% of males, 12 and older, have tried illegal drugs, females were in the 42% range.
Illinois Senate Approves Medical Marijuana Bill
May 28th, 2009 by Rick
In a very slim margin, the Illinois Senate voted 30 – 28, to allow sick patients the right to seek treatment via medical marijuana. The bill is headed to the Illinois House, where earlier this year a medical marijuana measure was passed by a committee.
If the bill is signed into a law, Illinois will become the 14th state that has enacted a medical marijuana law.
Schwarzenegger Answers Digg Questions
May 28th, 2009 by RickCalifornia Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger finally answered some questions that have been proposed by users of the Digg website. Naturally, one of the top questions, with 1056 Diggs asked by Digg user EndecriX, was concerning the legalization of marijuana:
What is your stance on the legalization, cultivation and regulation of marijuana in the state of California?
For someone that wanted to get the ball rolling with the issue of legalization, Schwarzenegger immediately says he is against the legalization of marijuana, when asked the question. He did say that others want marijuana legalized, so for this reason he would leave it open for debate.
Like a typical politician, Schwarzenegger passes the buck and leaves the issue up to others, almost wiping his hands clean of it. Maybe he wants to run as a U.S. Senator (because he can’t run as Governor,) so he’s backing the policies and decisions of the power players in Washington in hopes that they back him.
Ironically enough, when Schwarzenegger first spoke about the potential of legalization, he said we should look into the success rate of the countries that have already legalized drugs. This time around he seems to have a bit of fuzzy memory as he said he wasn’t sure how the other countries fared with their projects on legalization. Even though the information is available, Schwarzenegger claims that he doesn’t think there is any information out there. What. The. Fuck.
Schwarzenegger likes the law that they have, saying “it plays” — meaning that he supports the prohibition. In fact, it seems as if Schwarzenegger was replaced by a clone, like in The 6th Day, because everything he said before is now different. This is the man that suggested the legalization of marijuana would provide a billion dollar annual revenue to California and now he says that California needs to not live beyond their means — that marijuana shouldn’t be legalized just on that front alone.
Schwarzenegger then whines about California’s budget, debt and the fact that it’s been like that for 60 some years. Looks like it’s time for a change California. Stop electing dumbass movie stars that delve into politics because of their popularity or the fact that they married into a blue-blooded lineage. Nothing will ever change and none of these people will ever go against the status quo.
