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Education is proving to be legalization in the United States. For far too long, Americans have been lied to about marijuana by various entities feeding off of other entities. The DEA has led the charge in misinforming the American people about marijuana. This campaign of misinformation is like the misinformation that put American voters behind Bush when he decided to go to war in Iraq. Usually people are afraid of what they don’t know. But, the DEA uses misinformation to promote and grow that fear of marijuana. Just as we, as a people, were educated that the War in Iraq was based on a lie, we are also realizing the War on Drugs is based on numerous lies. There is nothing wrong with questioning our government. Doing the right thing is the obligation of any citizen but we must know the full truth to do THAT right thing.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Monday Ep 12: Oh, Happy Days!

Pot Mumblings

Medical marijuana could ease economic pains

“There is a great opportunity here for the government to collect significant tax revenue currently being lost to the street market,” Nash, one of the best-known legal cannabis producers, enthused.

Although this article is from Canada, they have some of the same problems that we have here in the US in regards to marijuana. That is, rampant ignorance of marijuana leading to irrational policy making by an out of touch government controlled primarily by corporate/business interests that are frightened of the competition from marijuana (alcohol, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, lumber, and so on). The point of the article is to alleviate the economic burden of marijuana prohibition on a society that is suffering financially.

The problem around the world is the lack of education which needs to be addressed first. People still believe that marijuana is some evil substance. It’s interesting when hundreds of thousands of people die each year from consumption of alcohol and cigarettes while they decide the fate of a plant that is about as toxic as a cold glass of water. Something to think about here in the USA.

Marijuana Advocates Look to National Agenda

A bill introduced by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) that would decriminalize possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana in the U.S. is cited as a starting point for hearings and discussion of the issue on a national level.

Those crazy folks in Massachusetts are trying to go national with their successful campaign. Although the effort is already nationalized, there’s something to be said about whatever they did in Mass. because all 83 counties voted for marijuana decriminalization by a margin of 2 to 1. That’s resounding success. I don’t know exactly what they did but the only way I could see it working is if they were out there educating people on marijuana. We have to undo the fear factor taught by the DEA and other groups and agencies that ignorantly peg marijuana as a bad substance.

Carl Olsen v. Drug Enforcement Administration – 2008
Here is an individual trying to get marijuana reclassified in the schedules of the Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana exists in Schedule 1 (or section 1) of the CSA.

Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act
(A) The drug or other substance has high potential for abuse
(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States
(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

It has this distinction because the DEA (no one else makes these decisions) decided that marijuana fits it. But, anyone who knows anything about marijuana knows that it doesn’t fit at least one of those requirements. But, here’s the truth about it:

• (A) Marijuana is not addictive and can’t be abused. (Then again, anyone can abuse anything. Fat folks abuse Big Macs. This doesn’t mean that Big Macs should be a Schedule 1 narcotic.)
• (B) 13 states along with many medical associations agree that marijuana has incredible medical value.
• (C) Marijuana is nontoxic and can not kill therefore there is NO safety issue

The DEA knows that if people are educated on the truth, they’re job gets harder. It gets harder because marijuana is too easy to get. You can see plants growing if they’re outside. Dogs can smell marijuana through anything. It’s the most widely used “illegal” substance in the US so there’s no shortage of “criminals” to catch. Marijuana makes the DEA look like a capable and functioning agency when you hear they’ve pulled up millions of plants per year and arrested hundreds of thousands of people. It looks good on paper because of the high numbers.

You take marijuana away, they’ll HAVE to concentrate on fighting REAL drug crime – cocaine, heroin, meth, extasy, and so on. These chemicals cost much much more than marijuana so they come in smaller quantities and they don’t stink like marijuana. Dealing with addicts are much more violent and likely to end in violence. Let’s be honest, what kind of danger can someone high on marijuana pose when they show smokers “deflated” on a couch because marijuana makes you “boring and lazy”. Do you really need no-knock raids and assault weapons for a marijuana smoker?

Green Tip of the Week: Anthony’s Reminders

Reminder: Roll tighter to decrease air flow so that the blunt or joint doesn’t burn faster.
November 1st is the official day that I started back smoking marijuana. I’d chosen June 1st as my official stop smoking day although I had stopped somewhere in mid-May after a food poisoning. After 5 months of not smoking, I lost a bit of my skill in rolling. I found myself rolling blunts too tight. Anyone who knows me knows that I roll just a little tight to control air flow. The more air flowing, the faster a blunt burns down.

Reminder: If you’re going to roll a blunt, use enough marijuana to get a good roll
Although on Nov. 1, I rolled perfectly the first time back, I had some trouble over the weekend. Serious medical aid was needed. I rolled it way too tight. But, it didn’t dawn on me why I rolled so tight until I got home. I forgot something important. My boy is very cheap when it comes to weed. I remembered that unless I put in more of my own, we’re gonna end up on some little skinny shit. The problem is that my natural rolling style is to feel for a proper roll with my fingers; I stopped looking a long time ago. If there’s too little marijuana, the roll is going to be too tight.

Reminder: Use a tip or “filter” for your blunt
Finally, the one thing that I do which I forgot is to use a tip. Most people use rolled up pieces of paper which they’ll call a “filter”. I use quotes around the word because it doesn’t filter out anything but marijuana that might fall out or be pulled out when you inhale. However, the tip I use is actually from the stem of a plant. And, I forgot to use it until I saw it in my kit and remembered why I use it. See, plant stems are hollow to help aid in water transport within the plant. On top of that, it keeps the back from collapsing which is helpful. It definitely helps.

Marijuana Media: Medical Marijuana Testimonies via MPP [site]

Marijuana Mondays
Yes folks. Happy Days are on the way for marijuana legalization effort. We’ve got a new president in Barack Obama, a former marijuana user (and so much more). While there is no comprehensive change in marijuana policy at the federal level, various votes at the state level are sending a signal to the people and the government that it’s time to take a smart approach to drug policy in general and marijuana policy specifically. I think the possibility that marijuana may be legalized in imminent, within two years or by the end of 2010. And, that’s my prediction.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Mondays Ep 11: Deprioritizing and Lacing

Pot Mumblings

Americans Reject Bush Drug War Doctrine

• Massachusetts is the thirteenth state to approve marijuana decriminalization after Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, Nevada, New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Oregon.
• Michigan approves a medical marijuana initiative much like California’s marijuana policy. And, Wisconsin may be next.
• Arkansas voters in Fayetteville have voted to tell police to deprioritize marijuana which is an effort to tell police that they’re wasting too much time on petty arrests. The people are not happy with their performance. We can only hope they pay attention to their employers, the people
• In California, they defeated a measure which would put arbitrary limits on the amount of marijuana needed by patients. People still don’t understand enough about marijuana to start throwing limits on it. Some folks can literally go through an ounce a day which is a lot even for a burner like me.

The thing that bugs me about these state-level changes is that they do not fully address the manufacturing and trafficking, or in less criminal terms – growing and distribution, of marijuana. They only cover the possession of small amounts. We need a more comprehensive policy at the federal level along with proper regulation of the potential industry. They’re steps in the right direction. However, it’s all still a crime which creates more criminals and, sadly, incentive to deal with unregulated criminal elements.

The good thing is that Barack Obama is going to be the new president. This is not some tight wad prick. He’s a former marijuana user, at least. He knows marijuana isn’t dangerous and he knows it’s not addictive. He’s a very common sense kind of individual. I have a feeling he’ll replace the drug czar immediately with someone who’s going to completely revamp drug policy in favor of a legalized and regulated industry.

Cannabis Q&A

How has the bad economy affected your consumption? Have the prices gone up?
The economy has definitely lowered my consumption and caused me to cut down a bit. The smart move right now is to put your money in the bank account and try not to spend too much. Prices have gone up but in a backward sort of way. Instead of actual prices going up, quantity has gone down. So, we’re paying the same price for a lot less. When a full eighth, 3.5 grams, used to be $50, we’re now getting less than 2.5 grams for the same $50. You know what it is when you walk around with a digital scale.

But, as I always say, the future of marijuana is in personal growing (if it isn’t legalized). Plants can be kept small. You don’t always need a lot of space. People are growing in small boxes [source] and PC cases [source].

Green Tip of the Week

Moisturize Your Smoke
While this is a tip that everyone should know about, many people still don’t. Sometimes we get marijuana that’s dry. Dry marijuana will do the trick, just more harshly as the dry smoke dries out your mouth and throat. Marijuana that has a little moisture in it, will be a little bit better on the throat. To put moisture back into your marijuana, place something moist in the same container with whatever marijuana you’re about to smoke. That “something” could be a piece of fresh lettuce, small slice of orange peel, or wet a small piece of tissue and leave it locked in the container. The moisture from the tissue will begin to humidify the container and the marijuana will soak up whatever it can get. Give yourself about two hours for this process to take place. In the end, you want your bud to be spongy feeling. When your squish it, it won’t turn to dust but instead show some elasticity. Also, the stickier the better.
Warning: Be careful not to put too much moisture in the container for a long period of time. Mold will form on the bud. Smoking mold will kill you. The best way to prevent mold is to keep your marijuana in a cool dry place. The refrigerator works very well.

Marijuana Media: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition [site]

Marijuana Mondays
In news, the good people of Fayetteville, AR want the police to deprioritize marijuana persecution enforcement. Of course, the general policy makes sense but it’s half-assed on the part of the people. And, marijuana is once again being laced with something. If you’re ignorant, you’ll think this is a reason why marijuana is not safe. I got a great Q&A regarding the longest time I’ve been without marijuana. The tip of the week has to do with finding a paraphernalia. Lastly, I found a Youtube video by Remo, the Urban Grower. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns about marijuana.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Mondays Ep 10: Puff Puff.. No Pass??

Pot Mumblings

Will Fayetteville Become The Next City To ‘Deprioritize’ Pot?
This seems to be the trend in many cities where the people have finally figured out that the prohibition of marijuana is worse than the marijuana itself especially since marijuana is nontoxic. The problem with deprioritizing marijuana is that it doesn’t address marijuana legislation. All they’re doing is asking the police to be more efficient when it comes to crime.

The problem is that police officers like to get into the kind of ignorance that prohibition causes. Police officers like to fight; they do it for the rush. So, stopping some poor sap for jaywalking (an already police-initiated deprioritized crime) isn’t as much of a treat to their ego. However, giving a guy a hard time over some weed is really something they like to do. This is how they have fun and take breaks – harass marijuana users and use the time to prepare paperwork as a lunch break.

Is cannabis being doped with Viagra?
This is truly an issue of legalization and regulation. During the days before meatpacking plants were regulated, people would find all amounts of other stuff in their canned meat like rats and rat feces. This is the same problem with marijuana today. Since it’s not regulated like a meat market, people don’t care what they lace marijuana with. Back in the day, marijuana may have been laced with cocaine or even heroin. Lately, it’s been laced with sand or metal shavings to increase weight so it would sell for more.

Now, we have reports of people lacing marijuana with viagra in hopes of getting the aphrodisiac effect of marijuana. However, for some people, it’s more profitable to sell something dirty. Legalization and regulation would require that marijuana not be laced with anything. Or better yet, freedom to grow your own would be better in the long run.

Yes, there are some strains of marijuana that have some aphrodisiac qualities like Mikado, La Nina, Cinderella 99 (really good), Love Potion, and so on.

Cannabis Q&A

What’s the longest you’ve been without marijuana?
Officially, five months. I’d stopped smoking marijuana about mid-May. I had just come down from some bad food poisoning. So, I didn’t smoke anything for two weeks. When I tried to smoke again, it just wasn’t the same for me. So, I lost the urge and just didn’t smoke again. I wouldn’t say I quit but then again, I can’t really say I took a break either. I just didn’t have that urge. That is until November 1, 2008. I was just happy for two reasons. Two of my friends were having some troubles of their own. So I hadn’t seen them in months – one since February and the other since June. That’s a long time to not see your close friends. Then I found out my friend from Cali was in town. I was just happy to see these people come back in my life. I felt it was time to bring Mary Jane back in my life. I was going to do so eventually. It was just a matter of time.
(Check back Wednesday for more on this)

Green Tip of the Week

Best places to find smoking paraphernalia
The first spot you want to look is the store. You can always find some papers or cheap cigars at the corner store. It may be crude but it’s short notice and easy to find.

Sometimes, you want something more than paper. Well, anything that can be used to smoked tobacco can be used to smoke marijuana. So, you want to look at tobacco/cigar shops. Although, all “head” shops, or pothead shops, are tobacco shops, not all tobacco shops are head shops.

Finally, we have flea markets. If you should ever be lucky enough to come across a flea market, check it out thoroughly. Some flea markets have incredible stuff – glass bongs, small pipes, incense, papers, grinders and so on. The great thing about flea markets is that they’re cheap.

Marijuana Media: Urban Grower

Marijuana Mondays
In news, folks in Fiji are pissed over their smaller bags of weed and a British guy gets unnaturally greedy with the marijuana. What’s the world coming to? Someone wants to know just how many marijuana users there are in the United States. I think the real numbers are much higher. I’ve got a pretty good tip on dealing with the munchies and an awesome video by a Youtuber named Raslyle. He hits about 20 different bongs of various sizes. It’s a marathon of marijuana madness. He is the true Iron Lung. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns about marijuana.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Mondays Ep. 9: Eating Marijuana & Cancer Patients

Pot Mumblings

Marijuana: the smaller they are in fives
In Fiji, the dealers are shorting the nick bags big time. Folks can’t even roll decent joints or pack a decent bowl for their bongs anymore. But, the question is, why? It seems high oil prices did what police eradication efforts could not do; that is, make it difficult for dealers to operate. The cost of transporting marijuana has become too high so folks can’t even get their bud to market as easily. Instead of raising the price directly, they shorted the product. It’s kind of like how they’ve been doing Snickers bars for the last two decades. Hopefully, they won’t raise the price on Fiji weed AND short the bags. What a travesty!

Argument over cannabis cigarette led man to break leg
I don’t think the British need any more reasons for folks to not like them. But, they’ve got one more asshole to put up with. Christopher Lawson forgot many of the unspoken rules to enjoying marijuana. First, he forgot the tenet of sharing. Then, he forgot to mellow out. This clown slugged his friend and then stomped on his leg until he broke it all because he didn’t want to share his weed. If you don’t want to share your marijuana, go smoke by yourself. And, there’s absolutely ZERO reason to get violent about it. Sheesh. I am going to write a Marijuana Bill of Rights or an Etiquette guide. I see that one is sorely needed, at least for those in Britain.

Cannabis Q&A

How many weed smokers are there here?
I believe about 5%, or around 15 million people, of this nation admits to smoking marijuana. I think that’s a conservative number. If it were legalized tomorrow, I’d imagine that number would skyrocket to 15% and that would still be a conservative estimate. I would easily go as high as 25-30% of the United States smokes marijuana regularly with 70-80% of this nation trying it at least once. In considering that marijuana is so widely and easily available – from the commercial growers trafficking tons to many small personal grows – I couldn’t imagine that number being smaller.

Green Tip of the Week

Get your food before you burn
Everyone knows marijuana makes you hungry. A lot of people get into trouble because they go out while they’re still high. This exposes you to so many problems. What if you go to the corner store or the McDonalds or the nearest 7-11 and the police show up? They need to eat just as much as you do. Why take that risk? Or, even worse, some person wants to play concerned citizen or dumb ass samaritan and take interest in your well-being by calling the police on you when they see you.

This is an example what I do. I’ll go out for a hero sandwich or hoagie (Tuna or Ham & Cheese). I’ll buy some juice (big drinks, need lots of liquid). Then, I will pick up some chips (Salt & Vinegar) and candy (Skittles, Whoppers, or Blowpops) and maybe some pastries (Zebra Cakes, pecan swirls, or fruit pies). That covers all the major marijuana food groups – sandwich, drink, sugar, salt, and more sugar. When I get back home, I can either start smoking right away or I eat half the sandwich and drink a little juice and then smoke. When I am done smoking, I’ll have plenty of munchies left so that I don’t have to go outside at all.

Marijuana Media: Raslyle

Wooooo, Marijuana Mondays is definitely a fixture as I have episode seven for my faithful readers, all two of you. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read: Marijuana Mondays. The question for today: How can I quit smoking marijuana? It’s easier than many people want to admit; easier than quitting coffee. But, if you’re asking, chances are you do have a problem. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 6: Am I too old to use marijuana?

Pot Mumblings

Cruz calls Question 2 a deal for dealers
This article is about Plymouth County District Attorney Tim Cruz calling out the Question 2, Massachusetts attempt to come up with sensible policy to address marijuana. Basically, he points out a definitely issue with these kinds of laws. Although Tim Cruz is a misguided idiot who still prefers that marijuana stay criminal, it’s a very valid point. This is the problem that I have with these kinds of laws myself. It does not address the growing (manufacture) and the dealing (distribution) of marijuana. The people who use marijuana still have to basically find dealers who aren’t always going to be nice store owners. It doesn’t address the quality of the product meaning you can get marijuana that’s either low quality or cut with something else which puts you at more of a risk. If marijuana were to be legalized and regulated, we could address issues of safety and quality. We can’t continue with these half-assed laws.

The point is that people are going to smoke marijuana whether the “Mommy and Daddy-Christian conservative tell me what to do with my own life” government don’t like it. The issue isn’t trying to stop people from doing it. The issue is figuring out the safest way for society to do it. Leaving a multi-billion dollar product in the hand of gun-toting criminals while demonizing a significant portion of the nation is not the safest way to handling this issue.

Cannabis Q&A

How do you quit smoking marijuana?
Quitting marijuana is as easy as quitting fattening food. I use this analogy for a reason but I will get back to that in a minute.

If you want to quit marijuana, simply put it down. Marijuana is not addictive. It’s been proven to be non-addictive. I’ll use myself as an example. I haven’t smoked marijuana since the end of the May 2008. I didn’t stop smoking necessarily because I wanted to stop. I stopped because I didn’t care to smoke anymore. I looked at the last bit of marijuana that I had left, smoked it, and haven’t purchased anything since. I won’t sit here and say that I’ve officially quit smoking forever. It’s just been since May, that I stopped. I do see myself at some point in the future picking it up again. However, I don’t even know if I actually will pick it up again.

Although my story of quitting is not unique, it doesn’t address those that actually have trouble quitting. We have to understand the problem before we can come up with a solution. I find that many people prefer to blame the substance rather than accept their own weakness. It’s like when overweight people sue a fast food restaurant for making them fat. The real issue here is willpower. Do you have the will to stop what you’re doing? Do you have the will to stop your habit? Do you have the will to address your own addictive personality? Do you will to stop sucking your thumb, eating McDonald’s, or smoking marijuana?

If you find that you still can not, you will need to take more drastic measures. It will start with cutting out the people in your life that promote marijuana smoking. Ask them to not smoke around you anymore. Stop contacting your dealer. Ask a friend for help to keep track of you and don’t be mad at that person for doing their job. Ultimately, you want to address your own lack of willpower and/or addictive personality because even if you are able to quit smoking marijuana, it will just be replaced by something else

Green Tip of the Week/Marijuana Media

I decided to combine these two sections because they both involve the fine art of blunt rolling.

The tip itself has to do with the concept of airflow within any blunt or joint that you roll. If the airflow is too loose, easy to pull, the blunt will burn too fast and the amount of smoked inhaled may be too much. If it’s too tight, hard to pull, the blunt will have a difficult time staying lit and you’ll strain yourself trying to get a decent puff. Another issue also is to make sure that the marijuana is evenly spread out through the blunt. Uneven spread can lead to uneven burning. I’ve seen situations where burning marijuana has fallen out of the tip of the blunt. I haven’t seen any fires start but I’ve seen a lot of people get burnt and it’s HILARIOUS.

The video is by a guy called Bluntside and it’s all about how to roll a blunt.

1. If you prefer to use water, which I do, do NOT saturate. Water is very thin as opposed to saliva thickness. That thinness of water allows it to seep in the leaf easier and faster to loosen the bonds and give the leaf itself flexibility Too much water will dissolve the inner paper under the leaf.
2. You don’t have to use your fingertips to split open the blunt at the seam. Use a knife or even a thin object; it doesn’t have to be “sharp”.
3. Sometimes that “double-strip” doesn’t come off so easily. Bend it and then pull it off.
4. When rolling, the paper may break because it’s too dry. Breathe on it. The moisture from your breath is enough to get the desired effect. You’ll even notice the paper start to relax. Don’t wet it too much. It can dissolve.
5. The leaf can be as wet as you like to maintain flexibility. If it’s too dry, it’ll break. But, it won’t dissolve like the paper will if it’s too wet. However, you’ll spend more time drying it.
6. You don’t have to dry it using a lighter. Personally, I prefer to leave freshly rolled blunt on the table to let it air-dry for 10 minutes or so.