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.

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

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.