420 Use and Health

[Crow]

United States

Medical Marijuana: Silver Tour Reaches Out To America’s Senior Citizens

The narrative of the popular 1960s song entitled ‘Teach Your Children‘ by Crosby, Stills and Nash was for ‘parents to teach their children well’. Today the children of the World War II generation (the so-called ‘greatest’ generation) are teaching their parents (and their fellow Baby Boomers) about the wonderful utility of naturally-produced, non-toxic medical cannabis to successfully treat and/or manage a wide-range of health ailments.

NORML and High Times’ Medical Marijuana Magazine are the primary sponsors of the Silver Tour, a project of the nascent NORML Senior Alliance. The Silver Tour is championed by Robert Platshorn, one of America’s most successful cannabis smugglers and the nation’s longest serving cannabis prisoner (Robert served twenty eight years in federal prisons).

The basic mission of the Silver Tour is to speak and present at any venues on the topic of medical cannabis where senior citizens are clustered in large numbers–notably at senior living communities, retirement homes, religious centers and hospice.

One of the first public outreach events happened last week in Miami at a Jewish Community Center.

[Crow]

Washington (US)

The Seattle Times: 'US attorneys should back off medical-marijuana dispensaries'

The Seattle Times editorial board urges political leaders here to tell the Obama administration not to interfere with the lawful use of medical marijuana in Washington state.

The federal crackdown on medical-marijuana dispensaries in California is wrong — a wrong policy and a wrong use of federal power to block social change.

President Obama was supposed to be for change. He appointed a drug-policy adviser, Gil Kerlikowske, who announced that the War on Drugs was "over." That was an exaggeration, but for medical marijuana it seemed to be so.

In October 2009, the Justice Department told U.S. attorneys they "should not focus federal resources" on "individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana."

For some unexplained reason, that has changed. Last week the four U.S. attorneys in California sent letters to 16 dispensaries demanding they close within 45 days or face prosecution and confiscation of their property. Hundreds more letters are going out.

In Spokane, U.S. Attorney Michael Ormsby sent such letters months ago, and all dispensaries there have been shut down. Spokane patients are now buying their supplies on the illicit market — at almost double the price.

The U.S. attorney for Western Washington, Jenny Durkan, has not done this here — thank you! — and dispensaries in Seattle remain open with the open support of city government. We hope Durkan relays to her superiors in Washington, D.C., that closing dispensaries, seizing property and imprisoning owners would not be supported by people here.

Our political leaders, particularly our senators, representatives and governor, should push back. They have to tell the Obama people: Don't do this.

Washington was one of the first three states to legalize medical marijuana, along with Oregon and California. All did it by popular vote. Over the past decade and a half, 16 states plus the District of Columbia have made this decision, 10 of them by popular vote. More such votes will be coming in 2012 — in Montana and possibly in Idaho, Ohio and other states.

Change is happening, and from the bottom up. It is good change. It is peaceful. It helps people and it respects their rights.

The Obama administration should let it be.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...0cannabis.html

[snusgetter]

Hey ............... another study!!!

Pot smoking may more than double crash risk

"Overall, the risk of a crash was almost 2.7 times higher among marijuana users than non-users, the authors found. And the response was dose-specific, the authors said. That is, the more marijuana smoked -- in terms of frequency and potency -- the greater the likelihood of a crash.

Marijuana may interfere with reaction times and coordination, among other things, experts say. The authors of the new study said it is critical to determine the excess crash risk related to marijuana in different doses, strengths, and administration methods, such as smoking versus vaporization.

None of the studies in this grouping looked directly at medical marijuana, which is now legal in 16 states plus the District of Columbia in the United States."

MORE...

It's a shame no one profits monetarily from studies!!

[Crow]

United States

For the first time, Gallup Poll shows majority support for marijuana legalization nationwide

A Gallup Poll released today showed that, for the first time in its 42-year history of asking the question, a majority of Americans believe marijuana should be legalized nationwide.

Gallup reports that the 50% nationwide support for legalization also represents the first time support has outweighed opposition. Only 46% of Americans believe marijuana should remain criminalized, with 4% undecided.

Support for marijuana legalization remains greatest in the Western states (55%) and majorities support legalization in the Midwest (54%) and East (51%). Only voters in the South still oppose marijuana legalization (44%). Men still support legalization at a much greater rate than women (55% vs. 46%).

Support is also greatest among younger Americans (62%), Democrats (57%), and liberals (69%). However, support for legalization has increased even in demographics generally opposed to legalization. Compared to Gallup’s poll last year, support increased 4% points in the South, 12% points in the Midwest, and 6% points among 50-64, but fell 1% among 65+. Support rose 6% points among Republicans, and 4% points among conservatives. Marijuana legalization is becoming more popular with just about everyone.

One third of jurisdictions in the United States – 16 states plus District of Columbia for 17 out of 51 – exempt medical use of cannabis from criminal prosecution. Yet the federal government has initiated a new full-court press against these jurisdictions in an attempt to kill the burgeoning medical marijuana industry. This despite Gallup’s most recent poll to ask about legalizing medical marijuana (in 2003) showing 75% support nationwide.

One might think this escalation in the War on (Certain American Citizens Using Non-Pharmaceutical, Non-Alcoholic, Tobacco-Free) Drugs is designed to hamstring the state initiatives to legalize marijuana in 2012 by cutting the purse strings of the movement. When three-quarters of Americans support legalizing medical cannabis use, half support outright legalization of all cannabis use, and one-third of the states are openly defying federal prohibition, federal retribution in service of the status quo is inevitable.

The question is: what will you do to push the issue over the tipping point? Register to vote? Contact your legislators? Join a local NORML chapter? Contribute to National NORML? Get educated on the issues? Join together with like-minded women? Reach out to seniors? Follow the latest marijuana news? Learn from the experts? These latest federal actions should show you that they aren’t going to legalize marijuana any time soon – it’s up to you to act now.

Poll data, graphs, and charts available at: http://blog.norml.org/2011/10/17/for...on-nationwide/

[EricHill78]

Definitely a good sign Seattle!

[Crow]

[BadAxe]

Every word he said makes such logical sense, but we just don't live in a logical world any longer.

I liked when he said how these politicians fail to face reality when on the subject of MJ. And its true. But damn, we got people in charge, making and changing rules, that don't face reality when doing so. Yet its allowed to continue. Such a shame.

[snusgetter]

... politicians fail to face reality when on the subject of MJ. ...

You're being too kind.

Their reality distortion field encompasses much much more than just MJ; the list includes just about everything that touches our daily lives.

The only way around the problem(s) is to start over again from scratch. Unfortunately, it wouldn't take long to come full circle again!!


btw, that's not pessimism .... that's reality!

[BadAxe]

You're being too kind.

Their reality distortion field encompasses much much more than just MJ; the list includes just about everything that touches our daily lives.

The only way around the problem(s) is to start over again from scratch. Unfortunately, it wouldn't take long to come full circle again!!


btw, that's not pessimism .... that's reality!

Oh I agree. I was jusy referencing the quote from the man in the video. And yes, I now its much broader than just MJ. Should have stated thats its a shame that anyone at all could be in power when they will make rules not based in reality at all, in any area. But the sheep will just keep on voting for the morons, cause they are told to do so.

[clint404]

Anyone here from the old overgrow.com?

[Crow]

Anyone here from the old overgrow.com?

That brings back memories...

I have the GrowFAQ + Strain Guide archived on NW Greenthumb (it's listed in the "Archives" section):

http://bit.ly/CannabisWA

Enjoy!

[clint404]

I poured 2 years of my life into that site. I was heartbroken when they took it down.

I was a devoted BOG, and JLP follower. BOGs bubblegum and JLPs pink grapefruit a buddy of mine still has mothers of from cuttings I made him 7 years ago.

Grunk(grape skunk) was good too.

[Crow]

California (US)

Obama Not Implicated In California Medical Marijuana Crackdown, U.S. Attorney Claims

WASHINGTON -- U.S. attorneys have a message for California's medical marijuana advocates: Don't blame Barack Obama. After it was announced that the crackdown on medical pot establishments in the Golden State was a collective decision by the four U.S. attorneys in California and not the result of any directive from Washington, spokeswoman Lauren Horwood emphasized that the administration never even green-lighted the ramped-up enforcement actions.

The only D.C.-based official with whom California U.S. attorneys coordinated, Horwood said, was Deputy Attorney General James Cole, who was chosen by Attorney General Eric Holder, an Obama appointee.

"He's the one who provided the quote for our press release, and he's chosen by Eric Holder," Horwood told HuffPost in an interview. "But we didn't have direct talks with Eric Holder -- not that we wouldn't, he's been out and visited -- but just the way the Department of Justice works, he's not that hands-on on these kinds of details."

An article by Phoenix Times reporter Ray Stern claimed Horwood acknowledged that California's U.S. attorneys received "Obama's blessing" in implementing the crackdown. But in an interview with The Huffington Post, Horwood, a spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Benjamin Wagner in California's Eastern District, distanced herself from that language.

"What I said, or at least meant to say, was that the U.S. Attorneys in California saw the need for coordinated enforcement actions and spoke with folks in Main Justice in D.C. (not the Obama Administration)," she told HuffPost in an email.

Cole declined to attend any California press conferences on the issue not, Horwood insisted, because he was distancing himself from the crackdown, but because California is a long way to travel.

California voters approved the use of medical marijuana in 1996 with the passage of Prop. 215, later named the Compassionate Use Act, which allows patients to possess and cultivate cannabis with a doctor's permission. The law has been interpreted many times since then. In City of Garden Grove v. Superior Court in 2007, the trial court sided with the patient, finding that it "is not the job of local police to enforce the federal drug law." A California Supreme Court ruling in 2010 found that residents may grow or possess "reasonable amounts" of marijuana with a doctor's permission.

But under federal law there are no such allowances.

Obama as a candidate promised to maintain a hands-off approach toward pot clinics that adhered to state law, with Attorney General Eric Holder publicly asserting that federal prosecutors would not initiate enforcement actions against any patients or providers in compliance with state law, deeming it an inefficient use of scarce government resources.

Such language didn't stop federal prosecutors from launching an attack on medical marijuana shop owners earlier this month, vowing to shutter state-licensed marijuana dispensaries regulated by local governments and threatening landlords with property seizures.

State Senator Mark Leno (D) has joined Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco) in requesting meetings with the Department of Justice and the Internal Revenue Service to discuss the reasons behind the crackdown.

So far their requests have gone unanswered. "They're talking amongst themselves," said Ammiano of federal prosecutors, "and really causing tremendous, unnecessary chilling effects."

Steve DeAngelo of Oakland medical cannabis club Harborside Health Center said such effects may be the end goal.

"Federal prosecutors are not trying to clean up the regulated medical cannabis industry, they are trying to destroy it," he said at a Tuesday press conference in San Francisco. "Their real target is not criminal gangs, but rather the systems of licensing and regulation implemented by dozens of communities state-wide. This is destroying tens of thousands of jobs and hundreds of millions of tax dollars in local, state and federal tax revenue."

The crackdown comes even as 50 percent of Americans favor legalizing marijuana, according to a recently released Gallup poll, up from just 36 percent in 2006.

When asked to respond to the claim that the Obama administration isn't implicated in the decision, Ammiano was indignant.

"Somebody's going to have to fall on their sword about this," he said. "This is becoming more of a mainstream issue. I mean, this was really a mistake."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/1...n_1033482.html

[Premium Parrots]

dam guays.....ever think about opening a window in here?

[GoVegan]

dam guays.....ever think about opening a window in here?

Or at least burning some incense.