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Category: Legacy

Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 5: Why is marijuana illegal?

By September 22, 2008 8
And here we go with the fifth episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. Some folks want to know, rightfully so, how and when did Marijuana become illegal in the United States? Of course, I’ve got the answer to that question. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.
Check the last episode: Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 4: LEGALIZE IT

Marijuana Mumblings

Pot rally has cops fuming
The Freedom Rally in Boston is “the largest marijuana reform gathering on the East Coast.” Fortunately, all these guys do is come together to talk marijuana reform. However, some people decide to light up their joints. This makes any police group angry for two reasons: 1) it shows the overaggressive tactics of local police which makes them looks useless and pitiful and 2) shows that marijuana smokers are peaceful and nonviolent which goes against every lie authorities try to tell the media. It’s funny.

Area law enforcement say ‘no’ to marijuana decriminalization
We’re still in Boston here. It seems the good folks in Massachusetts get to vote on “Question 2” which will seek a smarter common sense policy in regards to small quantities of marijuana. Instead of arresting people and giving them records for life, Question 2 would require police officers to give tickets instead. It’s a common sense policy. The only reason police don’t like Question 2 is because they wouldn’t be able to arrest individuals anymore. It’s as if Boston police live to do as much harm as possible to the people of their own community. It’s sadistic.

Drug Task Force Aims To Spoil Marijuana Harvest
This gem comes from Minnesota. Marijuana harvest season is here. It occurs around this time every year for outdoor crops. Seeds are planted in the Spring around April and they grow through the summer maturing some time in the fall. There will be more stories like that as local police departments and the DEA look for patches of marijuana crops everywhere there’s arable land. Unfortunately, all of their efforts won’t really do much to hurt the marijuana market just as marijuana eradication efforts didn’t do much all the years before. Prices will be the same. Quality will be the same. Availability will be the same.

The only thing I can tell folks is to not go near a marijuana patch around this time. The police are getting smarter (that was a joke). If they haven’t already pulled up the plants, they’ll be waiting for any farmers to show up for harvest time. At any rater, it’s another $70+ billion of taxpayer money down the drain to catch maybe 1-5% of marijuana production. The funny thing is that real marijuana growers and dealers expect more of a dent from theft than they do from police.

Questions & Answers

When and why was marijuana made criminal?
Marijuana was first made illegal, at least in opinion, in 1937 under the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act. The act itself did not criminalize marijuana but instead placed heavy taxes on it.The reasoning marijuana was made criminal back then, which continues today, is racism. A lot of people say that it was because of the paper industry. Supposedly, logging companies which provide much of the material for paper production didn’t like the competition from hemp. It was known at the time that a field of hemp would produce more paper that what could be obtained from the logging industry, which is true. But, this is a bullshit reason for criminalizing marijuana.

Henry Anslinger, a racist bastard as too many whites were in that time period, appealed to Congress to make marijuana illegal by claiming: “There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”

However, in 1967, the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act was repealed because marijuana production was so low that the act was seen as criminalizing marijuana due to the high taxes attached. Unfortunately, in 1970, the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) came about which would organize specific drugs into 5 “schedules” with Schedule 1 being the worst. The CSA was an effort of the United States to comply with the United Nations’ policy against narcotics. Unfortunately, many people believe that the CSA is unconstitutional and should be repealed. However, politicians continue to weaken the US Constitution by ignoring it.

Currently, the only way to go about getting marijuana legal is to remove it from the CSA like alcohol and tobacco aren’t in the CSA.

Marijuana Tip of the Week

Store your marijuana in airtight glass bottles instead of the little plastic bags or cases you may receive when buying it. The bottle will serve two purposes.

First, it will help contain the smell a lot better than plastic by not allowing air to escape as plastic would. The best bottles to use are baby food bottles because they have a soft gum-like seal on the underside of the cap. Most other bottles have a flimsy paper seal that eventually wears out and allows the smell to come out.

Second, containing the marijuana in such a way will increase its cure. Most times commercial growers will give marijuana a short cure because it’s just a waste of time for them since it can be smoked once it’s dried. However, a proper cure will bring out the natural flavors of marijuana giving it a better taste and smell as well as equalize the moisture levels which can produce a smoother smoke.

The next time you get marijuana, keep some of it in a small baby food bottle in a dark place (light degrades THC in marijuana) for two weeks. If it’s good marijuana that’s grown well, the taste and smell will pop out at you even more.

Categories: Legacy, Marijuana Mondays

Big Brother Works Both Ways

By September 17, 2008 5
The minute we’re born, the doctor slaps our little bottoms and the nurse enters our information into a computer database. This is something that we have to accept in this digital world. Let’s call it the Matrix. Yes, I like that, too. At any point in time, our entire lives can be opened like a book or a computer folder. Everything that we were, are, and will become exists in this folder and its subfolders on computers around the world. All it takes is for someone to compile this information to get a detailed view of who and what we are.This is the “Big Brother” that we’ve all talked about – someone is always watching and always listening. This is the very purpose of Bush’s unwarranted wiretapping on American citizens. Every step we take is tracked – cellphone, email, computer, internet, credit cards, etc etc etc. Every letter I type in this very blog post is dynamically screened to weed out for specific words – bomb, kill, anthrax, suicide, allah, islam, bush, and so on. In fact, I may have just set off some red flags in Dick Cheney’s basement.

But, today, I read something that gives me some comfort.

Sarah Palin had her email accounts hacked. Politically, this didn’t reveal much so far. It seems these were just personal email accounts that she may have used for government business. Of course, this leads to other potential implications of wrongdoing. Pastebin, Wikileaks and Gawker all have something related to Sarah Palin’s email being hacked which you can see for yourself – screenshots, pictures, emails. But, that’s not what this post is about although it’s a strong example.

See, a group, or pseudo-group, of hackers known as Anonymous did the dirty work of breaking into Sarah Palin’s email. It gives me comfort because it lets me realize that there is someone out there, a group of someones, with the ability to fight fire with fire. It’s similar to the slaughter of the Native Americans as they tried to fight gunpowder and spheres made of metal with bows and arrows made from wood.

We live in a true Matrix and we’ve got to be able to fight back digitally. We, the people, need hackers as the government has hackers and as corporations have hackers that can be, will be, and have been used against us. This hacking lets me know that not even government officials are safe from the system they’ve developed. There is always someone out there watching and listening. And, those kinds of individuals exist on both teams.

However, I do fear, as an ordinary individual, that this loose group of digitally savvy individuals has no set conscience, rules, ethics, or laws. But, that is the nature of those that live in secrecy. We have to trust that there is some good and hope that there is more good than bad.

Update: Please be sure to check out the comments to this post by “Anonymous”. The name doesn’t imply that it is a representative of the group Anonymous. The name only shows up because the person didn’t identify themselves. But, it’s important to get a better understanding of the positive value of hackers from a true hacker’s perspective.

Categories: Legacy, Reality Check

Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 4: LEGALIZE IT

By September 15, 2008 4

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we continue with the fourth episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. I want to take a break from the usual format and discuss more specifically about LEGALIZATION. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.

See the last episode: Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 3: Water Bong Reality

Social

We all know someone who smokes marijuana. If you think you don’t know someone who smokes marijuana, you just haven’t been told anything yet. Unfortunately, there’s a stigma regarding marijuana users as being mostly lazy. Fortunately, so many millions of people, in the US alone, smoke marijuana that it’s impossible to maintain such a negative stigma. A large portion of society, from your blue collar janitor to your white collar businessmen doctors, lawyers, and politicians smoke marijuana. How can we justify the criminalization of so many millions of people including your friends, your family, your coworkers, and so on?

Science

Let’s talk LD50. LD50 stands for Lethal Dose at 50%. It refers to the the amount of a substance it would take to kill 50% of the test population. For example, the LD50 of alcohol is about 10.5 grams per kilogram. This amounts to BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) level of 0.4 which is liberal as some research shows that even a .25 could be fatal to some. The legal limit for alcohol in NY is 0.08. However, marijuana toxicity is nonexistant. Don’t take my word for it: DEA Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young wrote this in 1988:

At present it is estimated that marijuana’s LD-50 is around 1:20,000 or 1:40,000. In layman terms this means that in order to induce death a marijuana smoker would have to consume 20,000 to 40,000 times as much marijuana as is contained in one marijuana cigarette. NIDA-supplied marijuana cigarettes weigh approximately .9 grams. A smoker would theoretically have to consume nearly 1,500 pounds of marijuana within about fifteen minutes to induce a lethal response.
[source; pg. 55-56, Findings of Fact #8]

Yes, the Drug Enforcement Agency, the same agency that will break down your door and point assault rifles at your children, knows that marijuana is NOT dangerous. In fact, there are absolutely no recorded deaths from marijuana use alone. However, there are many recorded deaths from tobacco, alcohol, aspirin; and, have you ever heard of water toxicity? Yes, people have died from drinking too much water. Ask Jennifer Strange.
On another note: I’d like to see a 1500-pound joint!

Medical

It’s always a sort of good joke to hear a marijuana user say they smoke because of their glaucoma although they may have perfect vision. But, the truth is that marijuana has been used medically for a very long time. Unfortunately, it’s well covered up. Fortunately, government is succumbing to pressure from the medical and science community to do further research on marijuana. However, other nations around the globe are far ahead of the United States when it comes to marijuana research. Nations such as Israel, Spain, and Germany have found that marijuana’s compounds have many medical uses including pain relief, arresting and regressing cancer growth, epilepsy, anti-inflammatory and tons of other applications. [source, source, source, source, source]

Crime and Punishment

Local, state, and federal agencies spend approximately $70 billion per year trying to fight marijuana. This is pitiful. It’s pitiful because these agencies haven’t even put a dent into the marijuana market. For example, in 2006, over 800,000 people were arrested for marijuana and approximately 3 million plants were “eradicated” along with grow houses and so on. However, the price of marijuana didn’t change. The variety of marijuana didn’t change. In fact, nothing changed. It took local, state, and federal authorities $70+ billion dollars, the cost to arrest and detain 800,000+ individuals, and a full year to do… NOTHING. Imagine what you could do with $70+ billion dollars – education, healthcare, jobs, roads, etc etc etc. Instead that money is just gone. And, it’s a yearly thing. The people of the United States are duped into burning money on a system that simply fails.

To make matters worse, there is a human cost to prohibition. Families are broken up. Property is seized. Individuals who are genuinely good law-abiding people have their lives ruined. If they go to jail, they run the risk of being dealing with truly dangerous criminals. Also, there is death on both sides of the equation. We’ve learned this lesson from alcohol prohibition from 1920 to 1933. Al Capone and Elliot Ness were major figures responsible for an increase in death around the nation as authorities tried to prohibit alcohol use. We learned back then that prohibition doesn’t work. We should have remember that lesson.

Economy

Governments can look at marijuana from two points of view: income and cost. Under the current laws, the US has absolutely no income when it comes to marijuana sales. It’s a crime. You can’t tax crime. But, you can tax legal marijuana. Imagine how much revenue local, state, and federal government could receive is marijuana were legalized.

Marijuana has many uses outside of medicine and leisure. Keep in mind the only thing smoked from the marijuana plant are the flowers. This leaves the actual leaves, branches, seeds, and stems which are simply thrown away. Those throw away parts have many uses as food, clothing, rope, shampoo, paper, biofuel and so much more. The important thing about marijuana is that it grows extremely quickly. Marijuana can mature, from seed, in approximately 4-5 months producing plants as tall as 6 feet. If in a perpetual system, marijuana can be harvested approximately every 2 months. That kind of turn around is important because of marijuana’s many uses.

Anti-Argument
We have to ask ourselves a very simple question: Who benefits from the prohibition of marijuana? And, we’ll have to look at it from the point of view of those who lose money if marijuana were legal and widely available

Criminals
I think this is pretty clear, the absolute advantage criminals have under marijuana prohibition. If the people can take marijuana out of the hands of the criminal, we can do a better job of controlling its supply, distribution, and economy much like we do with alcohol and tobacco. It’s important to understand. Criminals don’t care about you. They care about money. They will sell to whoever will buy including your children. At least if the people have control over it, they can dictate who can sell and who can buy.

Alcohol and Tobacco
I lump these two together because they both do the job of inebriating the people. But, marijuana does a better job than both. The problem with alcohol and tobacco is that both are very addictive and both can kill you. Marijuana is not addictive and marijuana, as our favorite DEA judge mentioned, is not likely to kill you. While alcohol is a depressant and tobacco is a stimulant, marijuana can cover BOTH sides because Indicas help in relaxation while Sativas help in stimulating the mind. [source]

Pharmaceutical Companies
With the known benefits of medical marijuana, it pays for big pharma to help keep marijuana out of the hands of the people until they can find a way to make money from it. Think of it like cocaine or heroin. While they’re both illegal drugs by themselves, they make up a significant amount of billion-dollar prescription medication in the form of codeine, adderall (ADD), oxycontin, hydrocodone, percocet, and so on. Now, apply that example to other medications across the board. These companies stand to lose billions from a plant that is quickly grown and easily available.

Oil Industry
Let’s be honest. We know these guys have the money to buy out any politician with the weight of their bankbooks. And, they throw that money around willingly. The oil industry does not want any govt to seek out energy alternatives. Marijuana is one of those plants that provide a solution to our energy concerns.

There really is no reason that marijuana should be criminal or prohibited. Any argument available is easily countered with honesty and common sense.

Categories: Legacy, Marijuana Mondays

Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 3: Water Bong Reality

By September 8, 2008 0
Well, ladies and gentlemen, we continue with the third episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. I’ve got a good question regarding the reality of how useful water is as a filter in bongs and we continue with Tips on Tinctures. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.

Marijuana Mumblings

$88,000 tax bill follows marijuana arrest
Get ready for the hypocrisy that is our government. It would seem in North Carolina it’s alright to make money from crime. That’s right folks! You can grow marijuana or even traffic in cocaine, as long as you pay taxes on that drug. Huh!? Well, this article is about Darwin Bisping, medical marijuana user/grower in North Carolina. After being arrested and fined, the Department of Revenue followed up with 88,000 bill for taxes he was supposed to pay on his “illegal” drug.

It’s called the tax stamp act and almost every state happily obliges. I find it interesting that state governments can find a way to make money on something that is not supposed to be here. It’s like saying, “Hey! Tell us you’ve got illegal narcotics. Tell us how much of it you have. Then, pay a tax on it. We’ll look the other way. But, you can still get arrested for it. And as far as us making money off of you, we didn’t see anything so we’re not accomplices to the crime!”

Former detective: Legalize pot
I chose this particular story to give some time to Law Enforcement Against Prohibition, or LEAP. This is an organization of former law enforcement – police officers, FBI agents, DEA, lawyers, judges – that want drugs legalized. Incredible, I know!

They understand three things. First, the war on drugs is NOT working. Second, marijuana shouldn’t be a criminal issue because it’s a health issue. And third, prohibition keeps drugs in the hands of criminals and out of the control of government regulation. This is specifically why alcohol prohibition ended in 1933. The government knew it was better off regulating alcohol because people were going to manufacture it, people were going to drink it, and you can’t arrest everyone who does it. Think about it. We’ve already got 12 or 13 states with medical marijuana laws and most other states have decriminalized it.

And, let’s not forget my favorite US Rep. Barney Frank who introduced HR5843 in Congress. Support it.

Questions & Answers

Do bongs really filter out the harmful stuff in marijuana?
The water in bongs does act as a filter, a very low quality filter. It filters EVERYTHING including the THC which is what you want to get in your system. The prevailing thought is that it only filters out the harmful stuff. That is not true. Remember, smoke is a gas. It’s particles and molecules as air. The idea is that as you pull the marijuana smoke through the water, the heavier stuff will fall down as well as hydrate the smoke so it’s easier on your lungs.

The problem is that it only passes through the water for a split second. On top of that, it passes as a bubble – a sphere of air inoculated by the pressure it exerts on the water around it. In other words, that bubble of air is going to protect most of whatever is within the bubble. It’s not some complex honeycomb of supertiny holes like a HEPAfilter. In fact, if water was a decent filter, we’d be using it more often as a filter.

If you’re seriously worried about harmful chemicals in marijuana smoke use a vaporizer.

Marijuana Tip of the Week

Tinctures: Part 2: Edible/Drinkable Marijuana
First we’ll need a bit of a science lesson. Today’s word is decarboxylation. If you can’t say it, don’t worry about it. It’s better that you understand it. In marijuana, there is no THC. Huh!? Well, it’s actually THCA or THC acid. It process well in the body. However, when applying heat to the THCA, it decarboxylizes into THC which is what the body can process. This is why we eating marijuana straight is not popular. Oooooh! Now, I know why! And, if you didn’t catch it, this is why we can eat marijuana when it’s cooked or baked. But there’s another way decarboxylation occurs – time, a lot of time. So, on to the tip.

Remember that tincture we made last week. There are two ways to make that edible – time and heat. The easiest way is to simply let the solution sit in a dark place for the next 30+ days. The fastest way is to apply heat. But, we’ll apply the heat as a pre-step. Bake your marijuana for about 5 minutes at 325 degrees in the oven. Or, you can microwave it for 2 minutes. This will help decarboxylize before you create the actual tincture. On top of that, you’ll have a faster tincture to use for drinking.
Warning: Heating marijuana will stink up your home! Remember this is what we’re trying to get away from when we decide to make a tincture.

Reduction: You can reduce the tincture by allowing the alcohol to evaporate. This will increase the potency of the tincture. Pour the tincture into a bowl. The more surface area, the better it will evaporate. The more potent it will become.
Warning: Becareful how much of the tincture you use. One ounce of alcohol per one gram of marijuana yields about 30 doses of tincture. It depends on the person and the tolerance level.

Squirt a dose in your Kool Aid and wait about one hour. It takes time to act, about an hour, as it goes through your stomach. I can probably handle about 60 doses by myself.

Categories: Legacy, Marijuana Mondays

Marijuana Mondays: Ep. 2: Seeds & Grow Times

By September 1, 2008 5

Well, ladies and gentlemen, we continue with the second episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. I’ve got three fresh questions regarding seeds and grow times. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com. See the last episode: Marijuana Mondays: Episode 1: “I got that ‘dro!”

Marijuana Mumblings

US Congressmen tired of pointless marijuana arrests
The title says it all. There’s a growing faction in Congress annoyed with marijuana arrests and are doing something about it. The reasoning is two-fold.

First, Congress is realizing more and more that the targets of police aggression in regards to marijuana enforcement is towards mostly peaceful individuals – hard-working people as well as their children, people suffering from some terminal illness, and just the general population of fun-loving individuals. In contrast, the real criminals – violent attackers, killers, gun dealers – are basically getting away because they’re the ones that know how to evade the law.
Think about it like this: DEA and local police departments are arresting hundreds of thousands of people per year yet there’s no dent in violent crime and the big fish are still pumping out more and more marijuana every year. If the DEA and local police departments were interested in stopping crime that harms others, why don’t they go after the big fish? Simply put, the big fish shoot back. They’re scared to do their jobs so to save face they’re arresting any petty individuals they can find.

Secondly, “we, the people” are responsible for Congress getting upset. This is evidence that democracy works. You’ve got to say something. But, you’ve got to speak to the right people. Don’t just yell in the streets. Find out who’s responsible for your area. SPEAK UP – district assemblyman, county lawmakers all the way up to your federal representatives and senators. Write complaints. Make them short and sweet because no one wants to read hundreds of thousands of 10-page letters. Show your support for marijuana. This is what democracy is about. We, the people! If everyone is quiet, then we are at the will of those who speak up – pharmaceuticals, tobacco, alcohol, oil industry, and so on.

Medical Marijuana Endorsed by Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is the second largest cancer charity in the US. They are just another in a long list of medical-related organizations that support or endorse the use of marijuana medically. Why? Because it works. If it didn’t work, there’d be no reason to support it

Questions & Answers (with real questions this time)

How long does it take to grow marijuana from start to finish?
From seed to first puff, marijuana can take approximately from 3-5 months. Marijuana has about four stages. The seedling stage, sprouting the seed, will take about a week. Vegetation, when the plant is growing, will take about 4 weeks. Flowering, when the plant begins to develop buds and mature, will take about 8-12 weeks. Since we can’t, or shouldn’t, smoke marijuana fresh from the plant, we come to drying and curing which can take about 1 week for the dry and 1 week for the cure.

These times can be drastically changed, more or less, by the person growing as well as the strain of marijuana being grown. The grower can manipulate the lighting and nutrients to signal the plant when to step into the next phase. Also, the strain itself has its own genetic timetable as well. Indicas have a shorter time-table than their lanky sativa cousins. A grower can rush or prolong a grow through the time spent in vegetation. The longer you keep a plant in vegetation, the bigger it will get. Inversely, shortening the vegetation time will speed it up but it won’t be as big. However, that’s not a bad thing. Some growers skip vegetation periods altogether to keep plants small and manageable for a personal grow by manipulating the light period.

Where do you get seeds from?
First, let me mention that acquiring marijuana seeds in the United States is a FEDERAL OFFENSE and most likely a crime in your state as well.
With that out of the way, there are three ways to obtain marijuana seeds.

  • First, the dealer route. Low level street dealers usually sell you seeded marijuana which isn’t as potent as sinsemillia, or seedless. However, and obviously, you get the gift of seeds.
  • Second, the seed vendor. There are many companies overseas that sell marijuana seeds. They advertise in many US publications just like any other business. Grab a High Times or visit the website. There are rules to this game because the US Customs can intercept your package and you may be in for a legal rough ride or just a letter saying, “Hey, we took your shit. Don’t do it again.” Not those exact words but you get the idea.
    Anyway, the key here is to not trace it back to you or the actual grow area. So, no credit cards, no checks. Send money orders. Be careful because some companies will take your money. You can’t complain because.. DUH.. you’re committing a crime.
  • Third, direct from the grower. If you should be so LUCKY as to meet a real grower, s/he may bless you with some grade A magic beans. But, don’t be a dick and ask outright. Who the hell are you? At least be a friend first. Most growers, even though they sell marijuana, don’t mind sharing/giving seeds if they can spare.

How do you know what you’re growing with these found seeds?
You should always know what you’re growing by where, or who, you got it from. Just ask that person. However, there are times where you simply won’t know. The best you can do is identify it by the leaves as it’s growing. Fat broad leaves are usually Indica. Indica should tell you, at least, how long it will take to grow and what kind of high you’ll get which would be a body high also described as “couch lock”.
Remember to send me questions: anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com

Marijuana Tip of the Week

Tinctures: Part 1: Smoke marijuana right out in the open on a cigarette.
We’ll be making what’s called a tincture. A tincture is an herbal extract made from using alcohol.
Ingredients: 3.5 grams of marijuana, high proof alcohol (Bacardi 151 or Everclear 190 proof), coffee filter, 2.5 ounce baby food jar
Directions: Prepare your marijuana by grinding it nice and fine. Take a knife to it if you don’t have a good grinder. Place the marijuana in the small jar. You don’t want to use too much or else it’ll be too diluted. Close it up and put it in a cool, dark place for about a week. Make sure you shake it up at least once a day. At the end of the 7th day, strain the mixture through a coffee filter to ensure you get pure liquid. Squeeze it through the filter to make sure you get every last juicy drop. And, this is your tincture.
Usage: Place a liberal amount of the tincture on a cigarette. Let dry and the alcohol will evaporate as well. Now, enjoy your cigarette.
Stay tuned for Episode 3 where I will continue with part 2 of Tinctures: Drinking marijuana

Categories: Legacy, Marijuana Mondays

Marijuana Mondays: Episode 1: “I got that ‘dro!”

By August 25, 2008 1

Well, ladies and gentlemen, this is the first episode of Marijuana Mondays. If you don’t know what I am talking about it, read this: Marijuana Mondays. Being this is the first of many episodes, I have to come up with my own topic for discussion. Don’t make me do that anymore people. Email me your questions, issues, or concerns at anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.

What’s in the news?
Pot Grow House Bust At Mall Of Americas
Someone decided to set up a pretty good marijuana farm using retail space at a mall in Miami, FL.
Of course, the DEA, in typical fashion, overinflated value of the marijuana found along with a not-so-surprising statement of, “[We’ve] never seen anything like this before.” It’s the DEA! They’ve been happily destroying families since 1973. If they haven’t seen anything like that before, who’s been busting all of these grow houses over the years? You’ve gotta love it when they lie like that!

On another note, the future of marijuana cultivation is small and personal. This means, if you’re a user, you should invest in a safe way to grow your own marijuana. If you’re on the sales end, you should be selling grow boxes and, possibly, providing seeds and/or cuttings.

Park County judge orders marijuana partners to split assets…
This is an interesting article regarding two medical marijuana providers in Livingston, Montana.
Due to some dispute they’ve chosen to not be business partners anymore. So, what did they do? They went to court to have a judge settle the business dispute. So, what’s so interesting about this? The benefits of legalizing marijuana!

Imagine these were two criminals splitting up their marijuana organization. Who’s going to get the customers, the location, the equipment, and so on? How is that dispute settled? VIOLENCE. That means someone’s got to die. And that someone just might be your child as he plays in the park or she sleeps in her bed! Marijuana doesn’t bring crime and violence.

History has taught us that prohibition brings crime and violence. I point to alcohol prohibition which lasted from 1920 to 1933. Remember Al Capone? Remember Eliot Ness and the Untouchables? The period of alcohol prohibition were some very bloody times with lives lost unnecessarily on both sides of the law. Since the end of alcohol prohibition, when have we heard of anyone fighting over alcohol? NEVER.
It’s time to end this stupidity.

Today’s Q&A
(MINUS THE Q FOR NOW)
During my first two years as a marijuana smoker, I was dealing with mostly street-level dealers. These guys usually all have the same marijuana – seeded, poorly grown, poorly harvested, old and usually from Mexico. To try to stand out to people, they’d claim they had ‘dro or hydro! ‘Dro was supposedly a better strain of marijuana as compared to the Mexican stuff. Well it isn’t and while I am sure many people know this, many more people do not!

So, what exactly is ‘dro? ‘Dro or hydro is a shortened term for hydroponic. This is not a strain of marijuana. It’s a way to grow marijuana, without soil! Street-level dealers use this term to sell the same substandard marijuana. Some are saying it just to sell more and others are doing it to raise their prices. There are people who’ve been smoking marijuana for a long time and even they fall for the “‘dro pitch”. Don’t feel bad if you didn’t know.

The best way to get over this issue is to connect with a good dealer. A good dealer isn’t going to be soliciting anyone on the street. So, your typical street-level dealer is out of the picture. A good dealer will have a variety of different strains and be able to tell you just about everything you want to know each kind. You will see the difference in quality compared to your typical street-level dealer. You’ll never get ‘dro from a good dealer because ‘dro/hydro/hydroponics is nothing to advertise.

Tip of the Week
If a police officer asks to search you, say “No, I do not consent to searches!”
Even if you don’t have a thing on you, say, “No, I do not consent to searches!” Why? First of all, if the officer has to ask you, it means he doesn’t have enough reason, or probable cause, to search you. You think a police officer will ask to search you if he’s got “reason” to take advantage of you? Nope!

If you do have something illegal on you, recognize and take this opportunity to NOT be searched. If you are searched anyway, it’s an illegal search and whatever is turned up can’t be used against you in court. If you don’t have anything on you, evidence might be planted on you. It’s happened before. It still happens today. It can happen to you.
Why take that chance.

Categories: Legacy, Marijuana Mondays

Marijuana Mondays

By August 23, 2008 3
Well my faithful readers, all three of you, I’ve decided to start this little series in the United States of Anthony where I will do my best to answer any questions, respond to any issues, and offer any advice about marijuana.

Who’s going to be providing these answers, responses, and advice?
Your most awesome president, Anthony Taurus. With much knowledge gained and plenty of experience in many facets, I am in a position to discuss anything marijuana related with intelligence. Take an opportunity to read some of my previous marijuana blogs – some fun and some insightful.

Life’s Funny Little Things
Marijuana Smokers: Tell me about your first time!
Blogging While High, Ep 1: What happen to the story in porn?
Grinders & Glass: Four Levels of Marijuana Smokers
Grinders & Glass: Essential Tools of a Marijuana Kit
Should Ted Kennedy smoke marijuana?
Marijuana Strains and Potency

What are you going to be discussing?
Anything and everything. Many people have the misconception that marijuana exists only with thugs on inner city street corners. But, there’s so much more to it – botany, science, political, medical, legal, cultural, religious, industrial and so on.

When and Where will you be enlightening folks about the issues?
Every Monday, take a trip to the United States of Anthony and see what marijuana issues have presented themselves.

Why should I waste my damn time reading about marijuana?
Because you should be informed about a substance that you may not know can impact your life negatively or positively. Why stay ignorant of it? The great thing about marijuana is its versatility and controversy. Marijuana is used by many people all over the world for a variety of reasons. It’s not about just getting high or being inebriated. You never know when you’ll encounter marijuana. Be prepared to deal with anything.

How will you go about dispensing information about marijuana?
I want your questions. I want your concerns. I want to know your problems.
Send me an email: anthonytaurus(at)hotmail.com.
Since I am just starting this monthly thing, I’ll be grabbing questions and providing my own answers.

Categories: Legacy, Marijuana Mondays

How to Beat the Police…

By July 9, 2008 1
If you know me, you know I read/watch the news, constantly. I love to see stories about how cops catch criminals. It’s NOT some morbid sense of delight at seeing people go to jail. It’s moreso about me viewing the interactions between perceived criminals and the real criminals, I mean, police officers. One thing I notice is that a lot of people who are caught by police don’t understand how the system works. So, I wanted to throw up a blog about it from my perspective.

Police are not your friends
Unless you called the police, do not see them as your friends. And, in some cases, even when you’ve called them they still aren’t going to be an asset to you. The “serve and protect” motto is a joke. They were not put into place to serve and protect anything. They were put into place to enforce the law. They are not going to help you, AT ALL! They’re job is to catch criminals and if they think you’re a criminal, they will not do you any favors in helping you get home. They want your ass in prison regardless of the truth. They will do whatever they think is necessary to get you into jail.

Stop snitching on yourself
If you’re ever stopped by police officers, all they need to see is your ID, or you tell them who you are and where you live. You don’t have to answer any other questions whatsoever. What you’re doing, who you’re seeing, where you’re going are all PRIVATE INFORMATION. Police officers do not need to know anything else. General suspicion is not a reason for any officer to harass you. In other words, waiting at the bus stop while black is not a crime. If you’re taken into jail for whatever reason, do not say a word beyond ASKING FOR YOUR LAWYER! Call a friend or family member to get you legal representation. The police don’t need to know anything your lawyer doesn’t give you the greenlight to tell them. Remember, anything you say can be used against you in the court of law! Say nothing! The police aren’t smart. They only know as much as you give them. You give them nothing, they’ve got nothing but their imagination.

Remain calm
Police officers have many different tactics to try to put people in jail. One of the best tactics is to agitate the person they want to put into jail. This works well especially with Blacks and Hispanics because we get agitated and angry very easily. We are a group of people, together, that put up with the most shit in this nation so our fuses are short at birth. Police officers will do and say whatever they can to find a reason to escalate a situation. Honestly, I do believe that, most times, police officers deserve to get their asses beat on a daily basis for the authority they abuse. But, it’s not your place to do it at that moment! I’ll tell you when, where, and how to beat their asses eventually.

Do not resist arrest
Too often, I see situations where people resist arrest. They want to argue with police officers as if that is going to help their situation. Most times, it’s out of anger, understandably. But remember what I said earlier, remain calm, the police are not there to serve and protect, they are there to enforce the law, and put you in jail. So, wiggling a little bit as an officer tries to put you in handcuffs won’t help your situation. If you’re resisting or, worse, fighting with police officers, this adds charges. That means even if you did nothing wrong, resisting or fighting with a police officer becomes something wrong. Regardless of how innocent you were before they approached you, you’re NOW guilty of a crime! For the record, I believe it’s a mandatory seven (7) years if you do harm to a public servant – police officer, bus driver, train conductor, etc.

The fight is in the court room
If you really want to beat a police officer, BEAT THE CHARGES. A police officer can’t put you in jail. All they can do is charge you with a crime, that’s their legal weapon against you. If you can defend yourself against their legal weapon, you can beat the police officer. This is why you must first be prepared to understand the mentality of a police officer – they are out to get you. You’ve got to get your mind right as well – police officers are NEVER going to help you.

LEARN THE LAW!
You have to remember that you are your only defense. Even if you have a lawyer, you should know, understand, and be able to follow everything. You don’t have to learn everything in the law. Learn what applies to you in your situation. Think critically and dynamically about your situation. Put yourself in the shoes of the prosecution and think about how they would get you. Look up previous cases that may apply in your situation. You can learn from those cases as well. Maintain a relationship with your lawyer. Ask questions. Don’t just sit on your ass waiting for the lawyer to get you off. Offer your lawyer help in his/her office if you’ve got the time.

Advanced Lesson
Don’t be afraid of the prosecutor. They can be more of a friend than you realize. Chances are they only have the version the police gave and not your own account. Agree to, or seek to, speak with the prosecution! This is important because this shows that you have nothing to hide. Write down an account of your story so you can remember it for yourself. Give it to the prosecutor so they have an account of what happened that night to counter, or balance, anything the officer might say. This might be helpful in getting the prosecution to beat the police officer for you. If they see you before the actual court date, they can have an idea of what to expect on that day. The prosecution may seek to lessen the charges or even drop the charges altogether.
“Fun” Example
Police Officer: Who you are? Where do you live?
You: State your name! State your address!
PO: What are you doing?
You: I am going to the hospital
PO: You fit the description of someone we’re looking for! Can we search you?
You: Show me the description. (you’re not asking anything unreasonable here)

At this point, you’ve taken control of the situation. You’ve effectively applied your Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable search and seizure. If the officer can’t provide a reason for the search, he has no reason to search you. There’s no reason for any further interaction. Seek to end the interaction by asking if we’re done here or if you can go about your way. If he can show you a description, it’s completely up to you to agree that description matches you. Or, maybe it can be anybody with dark skin and blue jeans. If you deem it to be insufficient, which is up to you, you can still deny the search. You never said you would agree if he showed it to you.

If they do search you anyway, with or without asking, automatic violation of your Fourth Amendment. Whatever they find is not admissible in court because of the illegal search and seizure. Probable Cause doesn’t apply here because they had to ask you first. If they had probable cause, they wouldn’t ask you anything. In court, they’d have to prove probable cause or consent to search to get anything to stick. If they can’t, you’ve just won a lawsuit against the city! Bank it!

Make sure you take note of the time, badge number(s), and note everything that happened when you were illegally searched and the conversation that took place. Immediately file a report with police against that/those officers so that it can go under review. File your lawsuit against the city!

Remember, you don’t need to fight the officer. Let them do what they’re doing.

The fight is always in the court room!

Categories: Guide, Legacy

Why Bush’s $150B stimulus package won’t work!

By February 10, 2008 2

I am sure we all hear about this huge tax refund that’s supposed to be given back to the American people. It won’t help the economy and it’s easy to understand why. The question that simply needs to be answered is: Where will that money end up?

First, we have to look at why Bush thinks a stimulus package will work. Obviously, we all know Bush is an idiot when it comes to just about everything. That should be your first clue. But, if it isn’t, here’s the first reason. 90% of the nations wealth is in the hands of 10% of the nation. That means most of that stimulus package is going straight to the rich. The one thing rich people do well is hoard their money. In other words, it’s going to end up in a bank account somewhere collecting interest. Most of that money will not end up stimulating the economy.

Now, we’ve at least got $15B left which is the 10% that the poor people of the US will get to spend. Let’s imagine that all of it is going to be spent. Truth be told, most of it will probably end up going towards the future of some kids college tuition which isn’t going to stimulate the economy NOW. But, let’s just imagine $15B will be spent in the US. We’ve got to ask ourselves, how much of that will go to American companies?

Now think! How much actual stuff is produced in the US? Automobiles are mainly manufactured overseas. Ask Detroit about that! Clothing is manufactured overseas. Furniture, computers, and everything is manufactured overseas. I saw a documentary on cartooning and one of the artists explained that after they come up with concepts and art, the actual cartooning is sent to Taiwan. So even the cartoons we watch in the mornings are being manufactured overseas. Don’t get me wrong, not everything is manufactured overseas. I think the United States is number one at manufacturing lies and deceit!

So, when we all go out to spend that $15B stimulus package, it’s not even going to companies in the US. It’s going to manufacturing companies overseas. The greater reality of that situation is that the money isn’t even going to the people in those nations but instead it’s getting kicked up to their local politicians for bribes and right back to the company heads who are already rich, the CEO’s and shareholders who have probably received a fat chunk of that stimulus package.

The idea of the stimulus package is based on the health of the economy. The nation has to be producing for the people to buy. If you guys are old enough, you’ll remember that “Made in America” campaign so many years ago. They were saying look for the “Made in America” tag or ask your car dealer if your car was made in America. We can’t even do that anymore because barely anything is made in America!

Let’s do some more factoring in. How many foreign companies as well as property owners exist in the US? A lot! The US is the only nation that sells out to other nations while other nations have strong restrictions against foreign investments. In other words, we’re selling out our most valuable asset, land! Ask yourself how many buildings in downtown Manhattan are owned by the Germans, Japanese, and Chinese. The Chinese are basically taking over. Anyway, when foreign companies move in, they bring in their own labor force a lot of the times. I don’t mean they bring in thousands of people in one shot. But, if you go into any of these buildings, you’ll find the lower tier workers are from the surrounding area but management at most levels – lower, middle, and upper – are from the homeland.

This nation’s economy is suffering from a multitude of problems – increased rich/poor gap, imported labor, exported jobs (especially in manufacturing), and a major Republican spending spree which goes to fatten up the pockets of Bush/Cheney’s friends. There’s absolutely no way for this stimulus package to work in favor of US, at leastt NOT at this point in our economy.

This nation has to get its jobs back! This is the most important thing. When Bush got into office, the nation lost MILLIONS of jobs and we haven’t recovered that yet! In fact, we’re not even close to recovering it. The nation has to balance it’s imports and exports. If we continue to import more than we export, we will continue to run in the negative. We have to reindustrialize the nation meaning we have to bring back manufacturing facilities as well as jobs. We can’t increase exports if we can’t produce anything to export. We have to be tough on immigration. I don’t mean just getting rid of Mexicans. I am talking about getting rid of Russians, Germans, British, Japanese, Chinese, and others so that Americans can fill those positions.

Let’s be honest, do we really want the minimum wage jobs that many SURVIVE on or do we want those high paying jobs that we can LIVE with?! I know what I want! I don’t intend to use my degree to become a janitor! So, I am not worried about the guy flipping burgers at McDonalds and can’t speak English. I am worried about the Russian guy at Morgan Stanley that makes 80k a year and can’t speak English. But, I digress.

This nation has to get back into a cyclical economy meaning when we spend our money, it’s spent within the nation and goes to people within the nation so they can spend more in the nation! When money goes out of the nation, it somehow find its way back to the nation. This is the only way a stimulus package will help the economy! It will not help the economy if the money going to the people barely gets spent and what is spent is funneled to other nations anyway.

That’s why the stimulus package won’t work. So my advice to anyone reading this is if you get a nice chunk of change, PUT IT IN THE BANK! Don’t spend it! If you have to spend it, try to buy American! If you’ve got enough money to spend, INVEST IT! Learn that stock market. It’s the only thing that will help you!

Categories: Legacy, Opinion

Grinders & Glass: Essential Tools of a Marijuana Kit

By January 20, 2008 2

This is a guide on the types of items you would have, should have, or might already have if you were hardcore about marijuana use let’s get on with the show.

Glass Bottles

Most times when you buy marijuana, it comes in a plastic ziplock-type baggy. The problem with plastic is that it will let the smell out eventually. This is no good when you have a particularly strong strain of marijuana. You want to keep the scent as lowkey as possible. Glass bottles have an added value in that they are used to cure marijuana even further. Curing is a process will aids in adding taste and flavor to marijuana so it’s an added benefit to keeping your bud in glass.

Unless you’re a grower, you won’t need big bottle. Small bottles will do the job fine. The best kinds to use are baby food bottles, Gerber and Beechnut. They are easy to find and they have this “gum” under the cap to keep food sealed in and fresh. This will only help in keeping your marijuana sealed in and fresh!

Personally, I have 2.5oz and 4oz bottles but I keep two 2.5oz in my kit because I may have more than one strain on me at times.

Grinders

The grinder is important because it will aid in breaking up the weed efficiently and effectively. You can always use your fingers but good marijuana will not break up easily with your fingertips. It can be a very sticky situation.

How do you go about choosing a grinder? You have three decisions to make: material, internal structure, and function. Grinders come in plastic, wood, and metal (steel or aluminum). The internal structure refers to the teeth that grind the substance. They have straight metal sticks, triangular shaped shark’s teeth, and then the diamond cutters.And then, there are some grinders that do more than grind. They have something called a pollen catcher which contain a screen that will catch loose THC in a lower compartment, collecting it as you go along.

Personally, I have two grinders. Both are made of metal and have triangular teeth. Both did have a screen for catching pollen but one had the screen removed because it was pushed up against the holes causing marijuana to be stuck in between. This particular one is in three parts. My other grinder is in four parts, solving the problem of stuck marijuana by moving the screen down into the separate part. I keep the 3-part grinder in the kit because it is smaller and allows room for other things.

Tips: I would not buy the plastic or the wood because I find they are cheaply made. The grinders that only grind have an issue of sometimes grinding too much AND not grinding enough, turning one side to dust and the other into big clumps. The good thing about the other grinders is that the ground up marijuana will fall through holes so it’s the perfect texture – fluffy, not too coarse, not too fine!

Note: In a pollen catcher, the loose THC, or kif/kief, will build over time allowing one to eventually create smokable hash which will have an almost pure THC content. You can either smoke the hash on it’s own or put it in a joint or blunt with more weed for an incredible high.

Small Pipe & Papers

Now we need a tool for actually smoking the marijuana after it’s taken out of it’s glass bottle and ground up. We can either go for our trusty pipe or grab some papers to roll a joint. There are too many types of pipes and too many brands of papers to discuss so I will talk about my current kit and throw in some tips.

Personally, I have what’s called a one-hitter, bat, or chillum. It’s made of color changing glass (over time, use causes it to change colors a bit). Pipes come in different shapes, colors, and materials including wood, metal, and ceramic. Papers come in many forms: colored, flavored, transparent. It’s really going to be up to what the person decides s/he wants to use. For a long time, I used Bob Marley papers. At one point I was in love with chocolate flavored papers. I’ve even tried the transparent ones, Aleda! It will be up to the individual to pick the type of pipe and papers they will want in their kit.

Tip: Remember when you put fire to marijuana in a pipe, you burn the pipe as well. Wood burns. It sucks if it’s been treated because you will be smoking the chemical it was treated with. On top of that, it holds the smell which is what you don’t want. A good glass piece will not hold smells as long as it’s cleaned properly. And the sign of a good glass piece is that it doesn’t have bubbles.

Lighters

Now, you’ve got your weed, it’s ground up and it’s all rolled up or bowled. Now what? You need to be able to put fire to it! You need to have at least two lighters in your case. One should be a quality trusty lighter and the other is for back up purposes to be kept in the kit at all times. You may even want to keep more lighters if you want.. Why? Sometimes, you misplace it. If you’re already high, it’s a bitch to look for something when you really don’t want to get up. So it’s good to know where there’s another handy lighter.

Personally, I keep a Colibri Talon, jet/torch ligther, with me at all times. I actually have two of them in red/silver and gunmetal/black, two Zippo lighters in blue and silver, and a few cheap ligthers for back up. Even when I don’t plan on smoking anything, it’s good to whip out a nice lighter when if a pretty lady decides to light up in front of you. A Zippo is nice but if there are high winds, a nice jet will do the trick. Besides, you want to have something that will have some level of impression, right? RIGHT!

The Case

A kit can’t be a kit if all of the pieces don’t have a home! Your individual parts are homeless. They have to belong somewhere. The only important thing to remember is that the case have be able to hold your weed, which should be in a bottle, your grinder, lighter(s), pipe and papers. You can use any container but let’s have a little class about it! Find something that you can appreciate! A wooden case, a cigar case for example, if big enough, is a great case to complete your marijuana kit. But, don’t be afraid to upgrade over time. Maybe, you can make your own and as many do!

Personally, I use a hardened plastic and metal constructed case with a cheap key lock on it. It isn’t meant to be a safe or anything that serious or heavy but it does the trick.

Accessories

This is bascially anything else that can aid in your use of marijuana. For example, I have one friend who purchased a metal bowl which could be used for other things if necessary.

Personally, I keep an old metrocard, small blue plastic case, razor blade, metal stick, pocket microscope, and a pocket scale in my current kit configuration. I used to keep a scalpel and other items but not anymore. I use the metrocard as a way to sort of sweep the area of things. I may use it to collect the marijuana into a pile or scoop it up. I can also use it if I need to clean an area off! The small blue case is for crumbs that may have fallen out during the rolling of a previous joint or blunt; it’s the crumb case. I also use it in case I don’t finish a blunt, I can salvage the weed from the roach and put it in the case. Why burn my fingertips? I wouldn’t want to corrupt the smell of my weed in the bottle! The metal stick is used for pushing weed down in the blunt in case it comes too far up. The scale is just so that I can know what weights I get from my dealer. The microscope is used to inspect the marijuana closely for quality purposes. It’s a bit advanced but that’s in the next installment, potentially!

So, that’s your marijuana kit! You’ll be ready for anything once your put your kit together. Take your time in putting it together. This will be your kit for a long time! Don’t be afraid to upgrade if you have an opportunity to do so. Finally, keep in mind that it’s your choice so choose what you like.


Relevant Link: Grinders & Glass: Four Levels of Marijuana Smokers

Categories: Guide, Legacy
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