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RainDog
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RainDog's Journal
May 14, 2014
Crime Still Isn't Devouring Denver 4 Months After Legal Pot
It's a given that correlation isn't causation - but the reality from data indicates law enforcement predictions to expect more crime has not proved true - EVEN as businesses had to keep large amounts of cash on hand because they had no access to banking services. This would be, imo, the biggest enticement to crime with the change in laws.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/13/marijuana-crime-denver_n_5319298.html
Four months after recreational marijuana sales were legalized in Denver, crime still hasn't gone up, according to the city's latest data.
Overall violent crime in Denver for the four-month period that includes January to April fell 5.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. Crime is down in the four main categories of violent crime -- homicide, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crime dropped 11.4 percent from the first four months of 2013.
The crime data stands in stark contrast to statements made by law enforcers in 2012, before Amendment 64 legalized marijuana in Colorado for recreational sale and use. Multiple members of the state's law enforcement community warned legalization would bring bleak and "harmful" consequences. “Expect more crime, more kids using marijuana and pot for sale everywhere," Douglas County Sheriff David Weaver said in a 2012 statement . "I think our entire state will pay the price."
Denver's crime statistics during the first four months of retail marijuana reflect findings from a recent report published in the peer-reviewed PLOS ONE journal showing that legalizing medical marijuana causes no increase in crime, and may reduce some violent crime, including homicide.
Overall violent crime in Denver for the four-month period that includes January to April fell 5.6 percent from the same period a year earlier. Crime is down in the four main categories of violent crime -- homicide, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crime dropped 11.4 percent from the first four months of 2013.
The crime data stands in stark contrast to statements made by law enforcers in 2012, before Amendment 64 legalized marijuana in Colorado for recreational sale and use. Multiple members of the state's law enforcement community warned legalization would bring bleak and "harmful" consequences. “Expect more crime, more kids using marijuana and pot for sale everywhere," Douglas County Sheriff David Weaver said in a 2012 statement . "I think our entire state will pay the price."
Denver's crime statistics during the first four months of retail marijuana reflect findings from a recent report published in the peer-reviewed PLOS ONE journal showing that legalizing medical marijuana causes no increase in crime, and may reduce some violent crime, including homicide.
May 12, 2014
Marijuana has already generated Colorado nearly $25 million in revenue since legalization, between taxes, licenses, and fees.
And in the first three months of this year alone, Colorado’s raked in nearly $22 million — over $16 million of that was in taxes, the rest in license and application fees — according to a report from the Colorado Department of Revenue.
...the tax revenue so far continues to climb month to month, as recreational sales jumped to $19 million in March — up nearly a third from $14 million in February.
...In a report issued in February, Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) predicted a combined $1 billion dollars in sales between medical and recreational cannabis, and estimated the state could stand to bank up to $134 million in taxes and fees during 2014-15 fiscal year.
Colorado: Over $25 Million in Marijuana Revenue Since Legalization
http://www.thedailychronic.net/2014/32018/colorado-over-25-million-in-marijuana-revenue-since-legalization/Marijuana has already generated Colorado nearly $25 million in revenue since legalization, between taxes, licenses, and fees.
And in the first three months of this year alone, Colorado’s raked in nearly $22 million — over $16 million of that was in taxes, the rest in license and application fees — according to a report from the Colorado Department of Revenue.
...the tax revenue so far continues to climb month to month, as recreational sales jumped to $19 million in March — up nearly a third from $14 million in February.
...In a report issued in February, Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) predicted a combined $1 billion dollars in sales between medical and recreational cannabis, and estimated the state could stand to bank up to $134 million in taxes and fees during 2014-15 fiscal year.
May 11, 2014
AS PREDICTED, the bogus study released last month, which was roundly debunked by science editors and scientists interviewed, and other persons not still fighting to find trumped up reasons to arrest black folks (who are, as Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton noted, four times as likely to go down on marijuana charges in Florida, eight times as likely in D.C.) was used by the racists in the Republican Party to argue against weakening their ability to use the same old drug warrior racism to uphold laws that anyone who has a functioning brain knows are based upon lies.
Fleming, using this bullshit argument, plans to introduce a constitutional amendment to overturn the DC law. This would, in turn, require Senate and the President's approval. Louisiana has some of the worst drug laws in the nation - and, frankly, the rest of the nation doesn't want to have to suffer the fools that get elected there.
This was the third such hearing so that Fleming and Mica, et al, can score political points with their voters at home by showing how tough they are onAfrican-Americans the demon weed.
Fleming also brought up that whoary propaganda about marijuana as a gateway drug... aka the lie that will not die... because somebody makes money every time they tell it.
http://blogs.rollcall.com/hill-blotter/hazy-outlook-for-d-c-s-effort-to-decriminalize-marijuana-following-house-hearing/?dcz=
Old and Out-of-Touch Republicans in DC - what century is this?
http://www.slate.com/blogs/weigel/2014/05/09/congressional_hearing_on_d_c_marijuana_law_ends_with_no_conclusion_some.html?wpisrc=burger_barLast month, as he was losing renomination for a second term, D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray signed the city's latest decriminalization bill. It was set to go into effect this year, and reduce possession of small amounts of pot to a parking-ticket offense. For a while, it was unclear whether Congress would fight this, and I remember debating with a younger Republican member about why the law would come under any scrutiny. He reminded me just how old some of the Republican conference is, and how many view legal or decriminalized drugs as something of the left and of the hippies.
He predicted today's hearing, which was inconclusive. Rep. John Mica, who's 71, chaired the subcommittee's probe of the bill, taking testimony from local law enforcement and giving Republican peers time to debunk the idea that marijuana is harmless—which isn't even part of the reason for decriminalization.
Over 10 minutes, (Louisiana Rep. John Fleming) challenged the city for rejecting the science that showed marijuana "modifying" brains (as basically any activity does) and warned that in Colorado, the legalization of weed had led to "fourth-graders" selling drugs. Plus, legalization was expensive, and libertarians ignored the costs.
He predicted today's hearing, which was inconclusive. Rep. John Mica, who's 71, chaired the subcommittee's probe of the bill, taking testimony from local law enforcement and giving Republican peers time to debunk the idea that marijuana is harmless—which isn't even part of the reason for decriminalization.
Over 10 minutes, (Louisiana Rep. John Fleming) challenged the city for rejecting the science that showed marijuana "modifying" brains (as basically any activity does) and warned that in Colorado, the legalization of weed had led to "fourth-graders" selling drugs. Plus, legalization was expensive, and libertarians ignored the costs.
AS PREDICTED, the bogus study released last month, which was roundly debunked by science editors and scientists interviewed, and other persons not still fighting to find trumped up reasons to arrest black folks (who are, as Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton noted, four times as likely to go down on marijuana charges in Florida, eight times as likely in D.C.) was used by the racists in the Republican Party to argue against weakening their ability to use the same old drug warrior racism to uphold laws that anyone who has a functioning brain knows are based upon lies.
Fleming, using this bullshit argument, plans to introduce a constitutional amendment to overturn the DC law. This would, in turn, require Senate and the President's approval. Louisiana has some of the worst drug laws in the nation - and, frankly, the rest of the nation doesn't want to have to suffer the fools that get elected there.
This was the third such hearing so that Fleming and Mica, et al, can score political points with their voters at home by showing how tough they are on
Fleming also brought up that whoary propaganda about marijuana as a gateway drug... aka the lie that will not die... because somebody makes money every time they tell it.
“No one is here to negate the District law; we are looking at the implications and the enforcement regime with 26 different agencies responsible for enforcing different penalties,” said Rep. John L. Mica, R-Fla., who held the gavel during the subcommittee hearing, plus a faux joint that was rolled by a member of his staff.
After holding multiple hearings on the administration’s approach to enforcing the federal prohibition on pot in the states that have legalized the drug, Mica emphasized he was not “singling out” D.C., but wanted to look at the potential conflicts that decriminalization could create. On Friday, the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations heard testimony from law enforcement officials representing the Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Justice and the Park Police on those issues.
At the hearing’s conclusion, Mica said he was still unsure if Congress would intervene to stop the bill during the 60-day review period that lasts through mid-July.
“We will continue this series …” he said, later telling reporters that he wants to know, “Has the narcotic changed in its potency? Does it pose an even greater risk?” Mica intends to look at all of that, and says his views on decriminalization are still evolving. “I’m learning as we go through these hearings.”
After holding multiple hearings on the administration’s approach to enforcing the federal prohibition on pot in the states that have legalized the drug, Mica emphasized he was not “singling out” D.C., but wanted to look at the potential conflicts that decriminalization could create. On Friday, the chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations heard testimony from law enforcement officials representing the Metropolitan Police Department, the Department of Justice and the Park Police on those issues.
At the hearing’s conclusion, Mica said he was still unsure if Congress would intervene to stop the bill during the 60-day review period that lasts through mid-July.
“We will continue this series …” he said, later telling reporters that he wants to know, “Has the narcotic changed in its potency? Does it pose an even greater risk?” Mica intends to look at all of that, and says his views on decriminalization are still evolving. “I’m learning as we go through these hearings.”
http://blogs.rollcall.com/hill-blotter/hazy-outlook-for-d-c-s-effort-to-decriminalize-marijuana-following-house-hearing/?dcz=
May 10, 2014
...so he says raw cannabis THC is not as available as when it's already been chemically activated by heat extraction, it seems.
beyond that, it's interesting that, upon heating, THCA decarboxylates to THC - if this is done by smoke, the effect is immediate. If this is done by cooking/ingestion, the effect takes up to an hour - and the intoxication is different because, in the liver, delta-9-tetrahydracannabinol is metabolized into 11-hydroxy-tetrahydracannabinol (a metabolite), while smoking converts THCA into delta-9 and acts directly on the nervous system without liver metabolization - tho, immediately after smoking, THC, too, begins conversion to 11-THC as a metabolites in the bloodstream - which is noticeable an hour after, just as eaten cannabis takes about an hour to take effect. 11-THC is further broken down to the non-psychoactive 11-COOH-THC - which is the metabolite that stays in the body for days or weeks as it is slowly excreted - and this is the metabolite that identifies marijuana use in urine tests.
11-COOH-THC also mediates the effects of THC itself - which is one possible explanation for differences in intoxication between heavy/long time users and those who use cannabis infrequently - iow - the reason people feel higher if they use less often is because their body does not contain the metabolite 11-COOH-THC to dampen the effect of THC itself. This slow release (and dampening effect) is also why THC does not act upon people in the way something like heroin does - physiologically, cannabis provides its own "weaning" - unlike drugs of addiction - while the psychological desire would have to do with the pleasure of the effect of THC, but not, again, from a physical impulse - but the psychological desire would have lesser returns with more use, so there's no reward for such desire through increased use - and, in fact, such reward would be thwarted by constant use.
(This may also explain why those who are heavier users of THC are better drivers than those who use cannabis infrequently.)
At low levels, 11-THC produces drowsiness/a good night's sleep. At high levels, 11-THC can produce hallucinations. It's more likely that eating would produce these high levels because people are more likely to eat larger doses because they can't titrate as accurately as they can with smoked cannabis.
As a metabolite - 11-COOH-THC continues some anti-inflammatory action in the body
Michael Backes of Abatin Wellness Center says...
and I can only quote, not respond as someone with direct knowledge (but Backes is very involved with cannabis-based MS medicine and very science-based, not anecdote-based, in response to the doctor who has talked about juicing...
Courtney's claim that raw cannabis is not psychoactive is true, but only for pristine, fresh cannabis. Disturb the gland heads on a living cannabis plant of a strain that contains THC and the process of converting its non-psychoactive THCA to psychoactive THC begins, albeit slowly.
...if someone is not harvesting the cannabis fresh and consuming it immediately, then there is a risk of significant THC intoxication.
...if someone is not harvesting the cannabis fresh and consuming it immediately, then there is a risk of significant THC intoxication.
...so he says raw cannabis THC is not as available as when it's already been chemically activated by heat extraction, it seems.
beyond that, it's interesting that, upon heating, THCA decarboxylates to THC - if this is done by smoke, the effect is immediate. If this is done by cooking/ingestion, the effect takes up to an hour - and the intoxication is different because, in the liver, delta-9-tetrahydracannabinol is metabolized into 11-hydroxy-tetrahydracannabinol (a metabolite), while smoking converts THCA into delta-9 and acts directly on the nervous system without liver metabolization - tho, immediately after smoking, THC, too, begins conversion to 11-THC as a metabolites in the bloodstream - which is noticeable an hour after, just as eaten cannabis takes about an hour to take effect. 11-THC is further broken down to the non-psychoactive 11-COOH-THC - which is the metabolite that stays in the body for days or weeks as it is slowly excreted - and this is the metabolite that identifies marijuana use in urine tests.
11-COOH-THC also mediates the effects of THC itself - which is one possible explanation for differences in intoxication between heavy/long time users and those who use cannabis infrequently - iow - the reason people feel higher if they use less often is because their body does not contain the metabolite 11-COOH-THC to dampen the effect of THC itself. This slow release (and dampening effect) is also why THC does not act upon people in the way something like heroin does - physiologically, cannabis provides its own "weaning" - unlike drugs of addiction - while the psychological desire would have to do with the pleasure of the effect of THC, but not, again, from a physical impulse - but the psychological desire would have lesser returns with more use, so there's no reward for such desire through increased use - and, in fact, such reward would be thwarted by constant use.
(This may also explain why those who are heavier users of THC are better drivers than those who use cannabis infrequently.)
At low levels, 11-THC produces drowsiness/a good night's sleep. At high levels, 11-THC can produce hallucinations. It's more likely that eating would produce these high levels because people are more likely to eat larger doses because they can't titrate as accurately as they can with smoked cannabis.
As a metabolite - 11-COOH-THC continues some anti-inflammatory action in the body
May 10, 2014
Cannabis was long used as a balm - while calamus was chiefly used for fragrance (it's related to iris - i.e. orris root, used in perfumes, but not medicinally.)
ANYWAY...
via wiki - Semitic etymologist Sula Benet, of the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw, has indicated the origin to be the Hebrew word קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) kaneh bosm. Benet, (also known as Sara Benetowa) is quoted saying:
ANYWAY...
Greeks referred to the tribe as Scythians but Semites referred to them as Ashkenaz. They traded with one another. Herodutus first noted, for the western world, the use of cannabis for Scythians in religious ceremonies where they would throw cannabis on a fire in a tent and inhale the smoke, in honor of the goddess Tabiti-Hestia. Their burial rites included bags of cannabis seeds for the afterlife - these have been found as far north as Berlin, dated to 500 bce.
God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush... funny if that turned out to be cannabis...
Exodus 33
: As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. - a scene that would've been familiar to Scythinans because this is how they employed cannabis for religious purposes - and Zoraster (Zarathustra), whose religious views/religion is traced to the 6th century bce, said all of life is a struggle between truth and lie. He used cannabis to bring him religious visions - so cannabis was part of truth-seeking (while current prohibition and right wing distortions of Christianity, we know, is part of the world of lies.) But, the important thing for all of these uses was respect for the power of the earthy herb, not dissolution as part of its use...something for moderns to ponder too, maybe.
ANYWAY...
Raphael Mechoulam and co-workers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggest an alternative etymology for cannabis: Greek cannabis < Arabic kunnab < Syriac qunnappa < Hebrew pannag (= bhanga in Sanskrit and bang in Persian). They explain that in Hebrew, only the consonants form the basis of a word and the letters p and b are frequently interchangeable. The authors think it probable that 'pannag', mentioned in the Bible by the prophet Ezekiel (27:17), is in fact Cannabis.[11]
The Biblical Hebrew term qěnēh bośem, literally "aromatic reed", (qěnēh-"reed", bośem-"aromatic"
, probably[12] refers to cannabis according to some etymologists,[9] but is more commonly thought to be lemon grass, calamus, or even sweet cane, due to widespread translation issues.[13] The Hebrew Bible mentions it in Exodus 30:23 where God commands Moses to make a holy oil of myrrh, cinnamon, qěnēh bośem and cassia to anoint the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle (and thus God's Temple in Jerusalem).[14] Notably, this anointing oil is a special herbal formula that functions as a kind of polish and fragrance for the Ark and Tabernacle, and the Bible forbids its manufacture and use to anoint people (Exodus 30:31-33) with the exception of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 30:30).
Elsewhere, the Hebrew Bible simply uses "reed" qānēh as the name of a plant in four places whose context seems to mean "reed of balm" as a fragrant resin, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20, Ezekiel 27:19 and Song of Songs 4:14. The Hebrew name "reed of balm" comes from qěnēh (the noun construct form of qāneh) means a "reed" or "cane" and bośem means "balm" or "aromatic" resin. Hebrew may have adapted the name qannabbôs from "reed of balm" qěnēh bośem as a substitute for the ambiguous name "reed".
The Hebrew word qaneh, sometimes translated as cannabis, appears in the Bible 62 times...
(the above is also from wiki about the etymology of the word "cannabis."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/4079668.stm
One linguist said cannabis is kaneh bosm in the OT
For Moses in his talks with God, and as part of the recipe for Jewish priests in their preparation of incense and holy oil ...but was mistranslated as callamus. Both callamus and cannabis are aromatic, but only cannabis figured into religious rites in an of itself in the west (thousands of years prior to any written explanations.)
Whether true or not, the claim has much more logic behind it than Klingenschmitt's... tho, actually, I think the right wing's irrational fear of cannabis makes sense in a round about way because the female plant of the (sexed) cannabis species is the most potent and is the source of buds that are now the gold standard of finely grown herb.
iow, it's female-sexed power that intoxicates and liberates from petty concerns the most. cannabis is also known as an aphrodisiac for some because it relaxes and allows people to disregard their anxieties and annoyances of the day, as well as helping people cope with aches and pains. it also heightens the senses, so touch feels more sensual, the tastes of kissing are amplified, and time is ignored - so doing something pleasant is something someone just wants to keep doing...
Right wingers love to state that women are supposed to suffer in childbirth... which, btw, offers another interesting aside - our own bodies produce anandimide when we are born - anandimide is the endogenous chemical that is the sister of THC - so we "forget" our passage from gestation to birth and produce a chemical to give us pleasure upon birth, as well as a way to mitigate any pain from the birth process itself - for the baby.
Cannabis was never referred to as a weed until it was vilified by capitalist society in the U.S., fwiw. Early uses were sacred and loving. If it's the kaneh referenced in the Song of Solomon... it's used to talk about his beloved...
Who is this coming up from the wilderness like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and incense made from all the spices of the merchant?...Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates With choice fruits, henna with nard plants, Nard and saffron, calamus/cannabis (kaneh) and cinnamon, With all the trees of frankincense, Myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.
Cannabis was long used as a balm - while calamus was chiefly used for fragrance (it's related to iris - i.e. orris root, used in perfumes, but not medicinally.)
ANYWAY...
via wiki - Semitic etymologist Sula Benet, of the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw, has indicated the origin to be the Hebrew word קַנַּבּוֹס (qannabbôs) kaneh bosm. Benet, (also known as Sara Benetowa) is quoted saying:
The astonishing resemblance between the Semitic kanbos and the Scythian cannabis lead me to suppose that the Scythian word was of Semitic origin. These etymological discussions run parallel to arguments drawn from history. The Iranian Scythians were probably related to the Medes, who were neighbors of the Semites and could easily have assimilated the word for hemp. The Semites could also have spread the word during their migrations through Asia Minor.
ANYWAY...
Greeks referred to the tribe as Scythians but Semites referred to them as Ashkenaz. They traded with one another. Herodutus first noted, for the western world, the use of cannabis for Scythians in religious ceremonies where they would throw cannabis on a fire in a tent and inhale the smoke, in honor of the goddess Tabiti-Hestia. Their burial rites included bags of cannabis seeds for the afterlife - these have been found as far north as Berlin, dated to 500 bce.
God appeared to Moses in the form of a burning bush... funny if that turned out to be cannabis...
Exodus 33
: As Moses went into the tent, the pillar of cloud would come down and stay at the entrance, while the Lord spoke with Moses. - a scene that would've been familiar to Scythinans because this is how they employed cannabis for religious purposes - and Zoraster (Zarathustra), whose religious views/religion is traced to the 6th century bce, said all of life is a struggle between truth and lie. He used cannabis to bring him religious visions - so cannabis was part of truth-seeking (while current prohibition and right wing distortions of Christianity, we know, is part of the world of lies.) But, the important thing for all of these uses was respect for the power of the earthy herb, not dissolution as part of its use...something for moderns to ponder too, maybe.
ANYWAY...
Raphael Mechoulam and co-workers at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem suggest an alternative etymology for cannabis: Greek cannabis < Arabic kunnab < Syriac qunnappa < Hebrew pannag (= bhanga in Sanskrit and bang in Persian). They explain that in Hebrew, only the consonants form the basis of a word and the letters p and b are frequently interchangeable. The authors think it probable that 'pannag', mentioned in the Bible by the prophet Ezekiel (27:17), is in fact Cannabis.[11]
The Biblical Hebrew term qěnēh bośem, literally "aromatic reed", (qěnēh-"reed", bośem-"aromatic"
, probably[12] refers to cannabis according to some etymologists,[9] but is more commonly thought to be lemon grass, calamus, or even sweet cane, due to widespread translation issues.[13] The Hebrew Bible mentions it in Exodus 30:23 where God commands Moses to make a holy oil of myrrh, cinnamon, qěnēh bośem and cassia to anoint the Ark of the Covenant and the Tabernacle (and thus God's Temple in Jerusalem).[14] Notably, this anointing oil is a special herbal formula that functions as a kind of polish and fragrance for the Ark and Tabernacle, and the Bible forbids its manufacture and use to anoint people (Exodus 30:31-33) with the exception of the Aaronic priesthood (Exodus 30:30).
Elsewhere, the Hebrew Bible simply uses "reed" qānēh as the name of a plant in four places whose context seems to mean "reed of balm" as a fragrant resin, Isaiah 43:24, Jeremiah 6:20, Ezekiel 27:19 and Song of Songs 4:14. The Hebrew name "reed of balm" comes from qěnēh (the noun construct form of qāneh) means a "reed" or "cane" and bośem means "balm" or "aromatic" resin. Hebrew may have adapted the name qannabbôs from "reed of balm" qěnēh bośem as a substitute for the ambiguous name "reed".
The Hebrew word qaneh, sometimes translated as cannabis, appears in the Bible 62 times...
(the above is also from wiki about the etymology of the word "cannabis."
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/4079668.stm
May 9, 2014
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/16/minnesota-lawmakers-approve-limited-legalization-of-medical-marijuana/
---
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/minnesota-poised-legalize-medical-marijuana-while-banning-pot-smoking
May9th
I guess vaporizers will show increased sales in Minnesota...
UPDATE: Minnesota Legalizes Medical Marijuana
update:
Minnesota lawmakers on Friday approved legalizing medical marijuana in pill or liquid form for a limited number of patients suffering from severe or fatal illnesses.
Minnesota senators voted 46-16 and representatives 89-40 to approve the measure with bipartisan support and send it to Governor Mark Dayton, who has said he will sign it into law.
More than 20 U.S. states have approved medical marijuana and cannabis programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Conditions covered include cancer that is causing severe or chronic pain, severe vomiting or wasting; seizures including epilepsy; glaucoma; multiple sclerosis and other disorders that cause severe muscle spasms; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; HIV; AIDS; and Crohn’s disease.
Minnesota senators voted 46-16 and representatives 89-40 to approve the measure with bipartisan support and send it to Governor Mark Dayton, who has said he will sign it into law.
More than 20 U.S. states have approved medical marijuana and cannabis programs, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Conditions covered include cancer that is causing severe or chronic pain, severe vomiting or wasting; seizures including epilepsy; glaucoma; multiple sclerosis and other disorders that cause severe muscle spasms; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; HIV; AIDS; and Crohn’s disease.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/16/minnesota-lawmakers-approve-limited-legalization-of-medical-marijuana/
---
http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/minnesota-poised-legalize-medical-marijuana-while-banning-pot-smoking
May9th
An ambitious medical marijuana bill with veto-proof bipartisan support was passed by the Minnesota Senate, but the same bill bans pot smoking.
With a 48-18 vote, the state's upper chamber sent a message to Gov. Mark Dayton. The Senate indicated that it prefers more ambitious legislation than what the governor and state law enforcement officials wanted.
Should the bill become law, the bill will allow patients take marijuana supplements in the form of pills, oil and vapor, but they would not be allow to smoke the drug. No other state that allows the use of medical marijuana bans the smoking of it.
It is widely expected that the Minnesota House will pass their version of the marijuana measure in the next few days. However, the House version of the bill does not allow for the possession of “crude” marijuana, only marijuana that is highly processed for medical use. The Senate bill allows patients to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana. Neither allow for the smoking of marijuana.
With a 48-18 vote, the state's upper chamber sent a message to Gov. Mark Dayton. The Senate indicated that it prefers more ambitious legislation than what the governor and state law enforcement officials wanted.
Should the bill become law, the bill will allow patients take marijuana supplements in the form of pills, oil and vapor, but they would not be allow to smoke the drug. No other state that allows the use of medical marijuana bans the smoking of it.
It is widely expected that the Minnesota House will pass their version of the marijuana measure in the next few days. However, the House version of the bill does not allow for the possession of “crude” marijuana, only marijuana that is highly processed for medical use. The Senate bill allows patients to possess 2.5 ounces of marijuana. Neither allow for the smoking of marijuana.
I guess vaporizers will show increased sales in Minnesota...
May 9, 2014
Feeling the heat of public disgust, perhaps?
DEA announces: Increase in marijuana produced by govt. for research
http://norml.org/news/2014/05/08/federal-government-to-increase-its-supply-of-marijuana-for-clinical-research
Last week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced in the Federal Register that it is increasing its marijuana production quota from 21 kilograms to 650 kilograms (about 1,443 pounds) in order to meet increasing demand for the plant from clinical investigators.
Federal regulations permit a farm at the University of Mississippi to cultivate set quantities of cannabis for use in federally approved clinical trials. Regulators at the DEA, the US Food and Drug Administration, PHS (Public Health Service), and the US National Institute on Drug Abuse must approve any clinical protocol seeking to study the plant's effects in human subjects.
On various occasions, marijuana reform advocates and researchers have publicly criticized NIDA for focusing on protocols designed to find harms associated with marijuana while simultaneously stonewalling proposed trials seeking to assess the plant's therapeutic benefits. However, in March, federal regulators finally signed off on a long-delayed clinical protocol from researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine to evaluate the use of cannabis in war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. Also this spring, lawmakers in several states, including Alabama, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, passed legislation encouraging state-sponsored clinical trials to assess the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol - a nonpsychotropic organic component of cannabis - in the treatment of intractable epilepsy.
"The additional supply [of cannabis] to be manufactured in 2014 is designed to meet the current and anticipated research efforts involving marijuana," a NIDA spokesperson told TheHill.com. "[T]his projection of increased demand is due in part to the recent increased interest in the possible therapeutic uses of marijuana."
Last week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced in the Federal Register that it is increasing its marijuana production quota from 21 kilograms to 650 kilograms (about 1,443 pounds) in order to meet increasing demand for the plant from clinical investigators.
Federal regulations permit a farm at the University of Mississippi to cultivate set quantities of cannabis for use in federally approved clinical trials. Regulators at the DEA, the US Food and Drug Administration, PHS (Public Health Service), and the US National Institute on Drug Abuse must approve any clinical protocol seeking to study the plant's effects in human subjects.
On various occasions, marijuana reform advocates and researchers have publicly criticized NIDA for focusing on protocols designed to find harms associated with marijuana while simultaneously stonewalling proposed trials seeking to assess the plant's therapeutic benefits. However, in March, federal regulators finally signed off on a long-delayed clinical protocol from researchers at the University of Arizona College of Medicine to evaluate the use of cannabis in war veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress. Also this spring, lawmakers in several states, including Alabama, Kentucky, and Wisconsin, passed legislation encouraging state-sponsored clinical trials to assess the therapeutic potential of cannabidiol - a nonpsychotropic organic component of cannabis - in the treatment of intractable epilepsy.
"The additional supply [of cannabis] to be manufactured in 2014 is designed to meet the current and anticipated research efforts involving marijuana," a NIDA spokesperson told TheHill.com. "[T]his projection of increased demand is due in part to the recent increased interest in the possible therapeutic uses of marijuana."
Feeling the heat of public disgust, perhaps?
May 9, 2014
Federal: NEW Measure Introduced To Reschedule Marijuana
Virginia Republican Morgan Griffin has introduced legislation, HR 4498, in Congress to reclassify cannabis under federal law from a schedule I to a schedule II controlled substance.
The Act seeks to prohibit the federal government from interfering in the possession and distribution of marijuana in states where physicians are permitted to authorized cannabis therapy.
The measure awaits action from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
HR 4498 falls short of the ultimate goal of removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act altogether. However, it is one of a growing number of legislative measures pending in Congress to significantly amend federal marijuana laws, including:
HR 499: the Ending Marijuana Prohibition Act
HR 689: the States' Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act
HR 1523: Respect State Marijuana Laws Act
The links, above, go to petitions in support of those acts.
This one goes to a petition to sign in support of this newest legislation: http://salsa3.salsalabs.com/o/51046/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=13949
May 9, 2014
via wiki -
"The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, usually shortened to Marat/Sade, is a 1967 British film adaptation of Peter Weiss' play Marat/Sade. The screen adaptation is directed by Peter Brook, and originated in his theatre production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The English version was written by Adrian Mitchell from a translation by Geoffrey Skelton.
The cast included Ian Richardson, Patrick Magee, Glenda Jackson, Clifford Rose, and Freddie Jones. It was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and released by United Artists on February 22, 1967 in the United States, and 8 March 1967 in the United Kingdom. The film's score comprised Richard Peaslee's compositions. David Watkin was the cinematographer.[2] The film uses the full title in the opening credits, though most of the publicity materials uses the shortened form."
The film has a 100% rating from Rotten Tomatoes...but it is not for the squeamish. It is a devastating look into revolution, power, and human frailty.
Marat/Sade (1967)
via wiki -
"The Persecution and Assassination of Jean-Paul Marat as Performed by the Inmates of the Asylum of Charenton Under the Direction of the Marquis de Sade, usually shortened to Marat/Sade, is a 1967 British film adaptation of Peter Weiss' play Marat/Sade. The screen adaptation is directed by Peter Brook, and originated in his theatre production for the Royal Shakespeare Company. The English version was written by Adrian Mitchell from a translation by Geoffrey Skelton.
The cast included Ian Richardson, Patrick Magee, Glenda Jackson, Clifford Rose, and Freddie Jones. It was filmed at Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire and released by United Artists on February 22, 1967 in the United States, and 8 March 1967 in the United Kingdom. The film's score comprised Richard Peaslee's compositions. David Watkin was the cinematographer.[2] The film uses the full title in the opening credits, though most of the publicity materials uses the shortened form."
The film has a 100% rating from Rotten Tomatoes...but it is not for the squeamish. It is a devastating look into revolution, power, and human frailty.
During the 19th century, fashionable theatergoers would attend ostensibly therapeutic stage performances by mental asylum inmates. The film opens on July 19, 1809, with Monsieur Coubnier (Clifford Rose), the officious head of the Charenton asylum, introducing that night's show -- a drama about the assassination of French Revolutionary War firebrand Jean-Paul Marat, written by that institution's most notorious resident, the Marquis de Sade (Patrick Magee). The play begins conventionally enough , considering that the lead actress (Glenda Jackson) is a narcoleptic, the actor playing Marat (Ian Richardson) is a paranoiac, and another actor, a sex maniac with very pressing urges, is kept in chains.
But the work soon evolves into a dialogue between Marat and De Sade. Though both men were early supporters of the Revolution, their ideas of the shape of the movement took very different courses. Espousing a form of proto-Marxism, Marat is at first presented as the sort of tyrannical idealist that became depressingly familiar in the 20th century, a la Lenin and Pol Pot. But then later, Marat seems haunted by the terror he has unleashed and unable to understand where he went wrong.
De Sade, on the other hand, preached his own unusual brand of Nietzschean existentialism. Unlike Marat, he not only recognizes the inherent weakness of the human character, but he revels in it. Murder as an act of individual passion should be celebrated, De Sade at first argues; murder as an anonymous act of statecraft should be deplored. The individual is not given meaning though politics but through acts of spontaneous passion and desire. As the play progresses, the revolution depicted in the play soon develops into an outright revolution on the stage. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
But the work soon evolves into a dialogue between Marat and De Sade. Though both men were early supporters of the Revolution, their ideas of the shape of the movement took very different courses. Espousing a form of proto-Marxism, Marat is at first presented as the sort of tyrannical idealist that became depressingly familiar in the 20th century, a la Lenin and Pol Pot. But then later, Marat seems haunted by the terror he has unleashed and unable to understand where he went wrong.
De Sade, on the other hand, preached his own unusual brand of Nietzschean existentialism. Unlike Marat, he not only recognizes the inherent weakness of the human character, but he revels in it. Murder as an act of individual passion should be celebrated, De Sade at first argues; murder as an anonymous act of statecraft should be deplored. The individual is not given meaning though politics but through acts of spontaneous passion and desire. As the play progresses, the revolution depicted in the play soon develops into an outright revolution on the stage. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi
May 8, 2014
This, Democratic Rep. Jonathan Singer noted - was the final piece of legalese to make marijuana businesses sustainable.
oh darn. I was ready to go to CO and open my COCASH biz.... script that could be used in Colorado for purchases, no matter what the biz... not that I had the capital... but I did have the thought.
But then I thought... I'll have to wear big sunglasses and fat gold rings on my pinky fingers - so it's probably all for the best.
CO Senate OKs Co-op Banking for Marijuana Bizzes
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/05/07/colorado-senate-oks-co-op-banking-option-for-marijuana-sellers/The Colorado state Senate passed a bill on Wednesday to create the nation’s first state-run marijuana financial cooperative, with the ultimate aim of opening newly legalized cannabis retail outlets to key banking services through the Federal Reserve.
The 24-11 vote approving the so-called “cannabis credit co-ops” came days after the state House of Representatives cleared its own version of the bill, which seeks to address problems marijuana retailers face in having to operate on a cash-only basis.
House-Senate negotiators must now reconcile differences between the two versions in hopes of sending a compromise bill back for final floor votes in both chambers before the Democratic-controlled General Assembly session ends at midnight.
If they meet the deadline, the legislation will then head to Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
The 24-11 vote approving the so-called “cannabis credit co-ops” came days after the state House of Representatives cleared its own version of the bill, which seeks to address problems marijuana retailers face in having to operate on a cash-only basis.
House-Senate negotiators must now reconcile differences between the two versions in hopes of sending a compromise bill back for final floor votes in both chambers before the Democratic-controlled General Assembly session ends at midnight.
If they meet the deadline, the legislation will then head to Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, who is expected to sign the bill into law.
This, Democratic Rep. Jonathan Singer noted - was the final piece of legalese to make marijuana businesses sustainable.
oh darn. I was ready to go to CO and open my COCASH biz.... script that could be used in Colorado for purchases, no matter what the biz... not that I had the capital... but I did have the thought.
But then I thought... I'll have to wear big sunglasses and fat gold rings on my pinky fingers - so it's probably all for the best.
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