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Volume 1 Issue 3
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The month of august brings many events,
but the festival winning best NEW event
was the Jefferson State Hemp Expo,
organizeed by The State of Jefferson band.
Held in Selma, Oregon, the venue was
beautiful Lake Selmac on August 27th &
28th. Even the 7,000 acre Oak Flat Fire,
only a few miles north east, couldn't keep
the attendees away.
Although the fire camp providing coverage
of the fire took over the original location of
the expo, there was enough room near the
lake to provide space for vendors and
people. Erik, the State of Jefferson band,
and the rest of their crew did a great job
scrambling to provide everything that was
needed. No problems arose, and luckily
most of the fire crew left on Saturday
morning.
Starting on Friday afternoon, there were 2
stages providing music all day and into the
waning hours of the nights. Camping was
provided for vendors and attendees at the
site, although campfires were not allowed
(obviously). At least 50 vendors were there
providing clothing, jewelry, pipes, tye dyes,
food and beer, medical marijuana
information, and
of course
everything
hemp.
The bands that
performed were
great, especially
Pato Banton and
The New
Generation,
singing
marijuana songs
and involving
the crowd in
their jam
provided an uplifting vibe. Indubious also
played to a very attentive crowd. They got
the place rocking and raised the largest
roars of the fest. Of course, The State of
Jefferson also played, and got a raucous
reception. Not only did they organize a
great event, they got everyone singing and
smoking, and having a great time. Many
other performers entertained the crowd the
entire time.
A beer cart was there provide a selection of
beers, including Hemp Ale. A variety of
different food vendors provided food and
drink, but there was a shortage of coffee in
the morning Saturday for the large number
of attendees and vendors looking for that
morning jolt.
Erik indicated that over 3,000 attendees
had arrived by Friday afternoon, and 5,000
or more attended over the 2 days. He said
"were looking for 500 acres for next years
fest", so they can provide they space,
parking, and amenities they need. More
space will definitely be needed if the festival
gets a foothold, which is likely here in
Southern Oregon.
The only minor drawbacks were the
portable toilets being a bit full, and people,
mostly vendors, awaking in the morning
and letting their dogs out to do their
morning business where ever they liked.
But, Shit happens!
I give the JS Hemp Expo kudos for a great
event. Looking forward to next year.
The Portland Hempstalk was held this year
in Kelly Point Park, where the Willamette
and Columbia converge, on September 11th
and 12th. As usual, The Hemp and
Cannabis Foundation organized the festival
and this year moved it to the new location,
which allowed substantial parking (though a
long walk or shuttle was involved) and
plentiful space.
Although I didn't get an exact count, there
were at least 75 vendors there, providing all
the usual festival wares, with an addition of
hemp, cannabis and marijuana everywhere.
The vendors were arranged into "alleyways"
named after prominent marijuana activists,
such as Keith Stroup, Jack Herer, Willie
Nelson, and others. There was an
overriding tribute to Jack Herer for the
entire event, due to him suffering a heart
attack at last year's Hempstalk, and also his
passing this past April.
One prominent stage provided the
entertainment,with bands playing late into
Saturday night and speakers interspearsed
throughout the
day. The
bands included
The
Herbivores,
Los
Marijuanos,
The State of
Jefferson, and
Folk Uke.
Speakers
included locals
such as Oregon
legend Dr. Phil
Leveque and
Paul Stanford
of THCF. A
few speakers
travelled quit a
distance, such
as former Governor Gary Johnson of New
Mexico, and Robert Platshorn, author of The
Black Tuna Diaries. A few speakers pushed
Measure 74, many
encouraged simply
liberating your
mind, and all
seemed to agree on
one thing, hemp is
good!
The Hemposium tent
hosted a number of
imformative panels.
They covered many
subjects, including
industrial hemp and
our future, cooking
with cannabis, and
medical – OMMP
101, and an
informative session
called "Know Your Rights". The speakers
provided information and fielded questions
from listeners.
The Hempstalk is very popular, and the new
venue should be a good location for the
event. More shuttles may need to be
provided, since there is a very long walk
involved, but the overall locale seemed
great. I saw no cops and no one was hassled
the entire weekend, either.
The Hempstalk is still doing well, and
getting bigger every year. I will definately
return for next years event.
reported that Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca
said the exact same thing, and just like the
Clatsop County duo, presented no facts to
support their claims.
To begin refuting the misinformation we
must understand what has been
misconstrued as legalization. Apparently
the two opponents do not believe the herbal
remedy should treat severe pain. To take
this position insults over 90% of Oregon
Medical Marijuana Patients and 3200
doctors because the vast majority of
patients suffer from severe pain, and
roughly one third of patients qualify for the
Oregon Medical Marijuana Program
(OMMP) for more than one qualifying
condition. The truth is, Oregon has one of
the most strict medical marijuana programs
in the nation.
Doctors must see that a patient has
multiple visits to doctors and specialists
and the documentation to prove treatment,
not just complaints of pain. Because there
is a registry system, doctors are held
accountable. The media seems to believe
that the 32,614 patients out of 3,825,657
Oregonians, less than 1% of our population,
is too many. They never mind the fact that
the 32,000 severe pain patients often
qualify for another reason besides severe
pain. Doctors have to check all that apply.
17,591 other conditions out of 36,380
patients qualify for medical marijuana for
other reasons. Cancer is painful. Nausea is
painful. Someone with muscle spasms is in
immense pain. To question a patient’s
diagnosis of severe pain is insensitive and
arrogant. The Oregon Pain Management
Commission stated in September of 2006
that they believe 20-30% of Americans
suffers from chronic pain. Very few of these
patients seek to be treated with cannabis.
Oregon’s media coverage of medical
marijuana is about as effective at covering a
recent amputation with masking tape.
Oregon media outlets such as The
Oregonian, The Mail Tribune, The Bend
Bulletin, network television news casts, and
Clear Channel radio stations also
perpetuate the myth that most OMMP
patients are not legitimate.
The Oregonian wrote an editorial about
Measure 74, calling it a smokescreen to
achieve legalization putting patients and
medicine in quotes.
August 31st on KXL’s Lars Larson Show,
John Sajo, co-writer for Measure 74, was
asked why there are so many severe pain
patients when marijuana has not been
proven to be an analgesic, or pain reliever.
John responded there are numerous
studies like the one published August 30,
2010 by the Canadian Medical Association.
This double blind study concluded that
smoked marijuana is an effective analgesic,
and that marijuana smokers were in better
moods and slept better than those who
received placebos.
Not to be outdone, the Bend Bulletin
printed “We don’t need pot dispensaries”
September 08, 2010. “Ballot Measure 74
would open Oregon to a torrent of
marijuana dispensaries. These are
necessary, the thinking goes, because it’s
simply too hard for ‘medical’ marijuana
users to supply their needs under current
law. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.” I suppose
no one let me in on their joke.
Voters should not let law enforcement and
media bought by interests like the
pharmaceutical industry decide what
medicine a doctor’s recommends. This issue
is about Alice Ivany who had never used
medical marijuana until after having a
horrific industrial accident where she lost
an arm and discovered her body did not
tolerate pharmaceutical pain medicine. She
didn’t know a grower and refused to
support the black market. She went 17
months without medicine. The time has
come to allow regulated dispensaries. Also,
it’s time to let the corporate news go out of
business.
Sarah Duff is the Assistant Clinic Director for
Oregon Green Free Clinical Services and serves
on the Board for the Institute for Cannabis
Therapeutics
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1st Annual Jefferson
State Hemp Expo a
Huge Success
By Keith Mansur
Oregon Cannabis Connection
Cont. from Page 4
A large crowd filled the provided space at
the JS Hemp Expo. Thousands of people
shopped, ate and listened to great music
The Frankie Hernandez
performed with his band,
always supporting the hemp
and cannabis movement.
Portland's Hempstalk is Still Going StrongBy Keith Mansur
Oregon Cannabis Connection
Kelly Point Park, at the confluence of the
Columbia and Willamette, provided a great
venue for Hempstalk.
Dr. Leveque is introduced
by Bonnie King, publisher
of Salem-News.com
Paul Stanford,
Hempstalk organizer,
on stage anouncing
Folk Uke
Reach thousands of medical marijuana patients,
caregivers, and growers!More than 20,000 copies at
Over 150 locations statewide.
AAddvveerrttiissee iinn tthhee OOrreeggoonn CCaannnnaabbiiss CCoonnnneeccttiioonn!!
CCaallll 554411--662211--11772233 oorr vviissiitt wwwwww..oorreeggoonnccaannnnaabbiissccoonnnneeccttiioonn..ccoomm
Sacramento FOX affiliate KTXL,
"FOX40," on August 30th ran a paid TV
advertisement for a medical marijuana
dispensary, thought to be the first time an
ad for medical marijuana has ever aired
on mainstream television.
The 30-second ad, paid for by Sacramento-
based CannaCare and produced by KTXL,
features patients delivering testimonials
on the benefits of medical marijuana,
reports Matthew Keys at FOX40 News.
Text at the bottom of the screen indicates
that marijuana can be used to relieve
symptoms of many illnesses, including
diabetes, HIV, hepatitis C and
hypertension, among others.
Note that in a TV news report from
FOX40 , reporter Elissa Harrington
manages to miss the point when she
compares marijuana ads to alcohol and
tobacco ads. Neither alcohol nor tobacco is
used for medicinal purposes as is
marijuana -- and, of course, neither
alcohol nor tobacco use comes with a
doctor's legal authorization, as does
cannabis -- so there's no reason that
broadcast rules applying to recreational
substances should be applied to medicine.
Marijuana is not shown at all in the TV
ad, and the word "marijuana" is never
used. Patients interviewed in the ad,
along with the narrator, refer to pot as
"cannabis."
The CannaCare advertisement is likely
the first such ad promoting medicinal use
of marijuana to ever run on a mainstream
television outlet, according to Mike
Armstrong, KTXL's acting general
manager.
"It is a matter of record within the
medical community that medical
marijuana can have positive results in
helping relieve nausea and vomiting
among cancer patients receiving
chemotheraphy and increasing appetites
among AIDS patients," Armstrong said.
According to Armstrong, the ad is "no
different from that of any medicine"
advertised by pharmaceutical companies
on local television channels and cable
networks for decades.
"Like so many other products advertised
legally in media, it is a drug," Armstrong
said. "When viewers watch the
[advertisement] on air, they can see it's
simply identifying this as an avenue to
take if your doctor thinks it will help you
feel better."
KTXL said it will air the ad during both
morning and evening newscasts, and
throughout the day.
"I'm curious what viewers will think about
this," said Brandon Mercer, news director
at KTXL. "We believe in giving the
viewers a strong voice in our news
products, and we certainly are going to
hear a lot of opinions."
Mercer responded with a "no comment"
when asked about how he felt about the
ad airing during news programs, but later
said the station would delve into more
details surrounding the ad during KTXL's
evening newscast, "FOX40 News at 10
p.m."
The CannaCare ad is not running as a
public service announcement, but instead
as a fully-paid commercial advertisement,
according to KTXL. As with most TV ads,
the station won't disclose how much it was
paid to produce and air the spot.
Advertisements promoting marijuana use,
or even just promoting a discussion on pot
legalization, have come under
debate since Facebook decided to stop
running "Just Say Now" ads promoting
the passage of Prop 19, California's
November ballot initiative which would
regulate and tax marijuana for adults.
Reprinted from Toke of The Town,
http://www.tokeofthetown.com - Copyright
2010 The Village Voice
The idiocy of our country’s approach to
medical marijuana was on full display for
all to see at the Minnesota Vikings
training camp on August 19th.
Since the age of 10, Percy Harvin, a
Vikings wide receiver, has suffered from
chronic, debilitating migraines. Luckily,
later in life, Harvin found a therapeutic
substance that not only relieved his
migraines effectively, but also allowed
him to play football. It was marijuana.
But during last year’s NFL combine,
Harvin, a
promising
prospect, tested
positive for
marijuana, and
was
subsequently
drafted much
lower than
expected. The
Vikings finally
picked him 22nd
overall,
reportedly after
a long talk about
his marijuana use, and specifically, how it
needed to stop if he wanted to keep
playing.
Harvin complied, and the migraines didn’t
seem to be a problem for much of his
breakout rookie season. “Questions about
his ability as a receiver seem silly now,”
Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated wrote at
the time. “The only thing that has slowed
him is migraines.” Toward the end of last
season, the migraines got worse, and
Harvin was sidelined. Except now he
wasn’t able to use marijuana to treat
them, and nothing else seemed to work.
On August 16th, after another stint in the
hospital, Harvin was finally back in
uniform at Vikings training camp. Cindy
Boren of the Washington Post describes
what happened next:
Harvin, who has battled migraines since he
was 10 and sought treatment last year at
the Mayo Clinic, had not practiced for two
weeks because of migraines, returning to
the field only Monday. Suffering another
attack Thursday, he managed to return to
the field and looked up to the sky to field a
punt. He doubled over, vomited and
seemed momentarily unresponsive and
was taken to the hospital. The scene was so
disturbing for players that the rest of
practice was called off.
If medical marijuana were legal in the
United States, and treated like any other
legitimate medicine by the NFL, then
Harvin could consult with a doctor about
the best way to use marijuana to help
relieve these awful migraines. (And
anyone who is a migraine sufferer knows
just how awful they can be.) More
importantly, the Vikings could have a
productive wide receiver. Instead, they’re
forced to stand by idly as their $1.04
million investment is carted off the field in
an ambulance, overcome by pain that could
easily be relieved by a safe, non-toxic
medicine.
How’s that for sensible marijuana policies?
Mike Meno is communications director for
Marijuana Policy Project, and Scott Michelman
is a staff attornet for the ACLU's Drug Law
Reform Project.
The Drug Policy Alliance, the nation's
leading organization advocating
alternatives to the war on drugs, has
released a report that documents
widespread race-based disparities in the
enforcement of low-level marijuana
possession laws in California.
Focused on the 25 largest counties in the
state, the report finds that African
Americans are arrested for marijuana
possession at substantially higher rates
than whites, typically at double, triple or
even quadruple the rate of whites.
Further, blacks are arrested for
marijuana possession far out of proportion
to their percentage in the total population
of the counties.
According to the report, “Targeting Blacks
for Marijuana,” these disparities in
marijuana possession arrest rates
between whites and blacks cannot be
explained by their patterns of marijuana
use. U.S. government studies consistently
find that young blacks consume
marijuana at lower rates than young
whites. The report was released to
coincide with the official endorsement of
Proposition 19, the Control and Tax
Cannabis Initiative 2010, by the
California State Conference of the
NAACP. Proposition 19 will appear on the
general election ballot November 3rd.
“The findings in this report are a chilling
reminder of the day-to-day realities of
marijuana prohibition and the large-scale
racist enforcement at its core,” said
Stephen Gutwillig, California director of
the Drug Policy Alliance. “Racial justice
demands ending this policy disaster and
replacing it with a sensible regulatory
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Cont. on Page 14
FOX Affiliate Airs
Nation's First TV
Ad For Medical
Marijuana
By Steve Elliott
Toke of The Town
Widespread Racial
Disparities in Marijuana
Enforcement in
California's 25 Largest
Counties
By Stephen Gutwillig
Drug Policy Alliance
Sidelined Because
He Can’t Use the
Medicine that
Works
By Mike Meno
Marijuana Policy Project
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Texas Rep. Lamar Smith claims that the
Barack Obama administration is "soft"
on marijuana. Here’s a reality check.
Law enforcement officials prosecuted a
near-record 858,408 persons for violating
marijuana laws in 2009 – the first year
of the Obama presidency. That total is
the second highest annual number of pot
prosecutions ever recorded in the United
States.
According to the arrest data, made
public in September by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation, some 88 percent
(758,593 Americans) of those charged
with marijuana violations were
prosecuted for possession only. The
remaining 99,815 individuals were
charged with “sale/manufacture,” a
category that includes virtually all
cultivation offenses.
Does any rational person really think
that arresting and prosecuting nearly
one million Americans annually for their
use of a substance that is objectively
safer than alcohol exemplifies a ‘soft’ – or
better yet, sound – public policy?
Rep. Smith further claims that the
administration has abdicated the
enforcement of federal drug laws in the
fourteen states that have legalized the
physician-supervised use of marijuana
since 1996. Not so. Despite promises
from the U.S. Attorney General to
respect the laws of these 14 states, the
September 21 edition of DC’s Daily
Caller reports that just the opposite is
taking place.
In an article entitled, ‘DEA, DOJ stay
mum on medical marijuana raids,’
reporter Mike Riggs states: “Despite
campaign promises to the contrary, the
Department of Justice under President
Barack Obama and Attorney General
Eric Holder hasn’t stopped raiding
marijuana dispensaries operating in
states where sale of the drug is legal for
medical purposes. But the DOJ has
demonstrated one marked change now
that it’s under Democratic control: The
department has stopped publicizing
medical marijuana raids, both by
requesting that more cases be sealed
under court order and by refusing to
distribute press releases.”
The story goes on to cite details of over a
dozen recent federal raids of medical
marijuana providers in California,
Colorado, Michigan, and Nevada – all
states that have approved the cultivation
and possession of medical marijuana.
Of course, if the stricter enforcement of
marijuana laws – as Rep. Lamar
advocates – was really the solution to
curbing Americans’ appetite for pot then
how does one explain this? Since 1965,
police have arrested over 21 million
Americans for violating marijuana laws;
yet according to the World Health
Organization more Americans consume
marijuana than do citizens of any other
country in the world.
Congress criminalized the personal use
of cannabis in 1937 – and many states,
like California and Massachusetts,
initially did so decades earlier – yet
today nearly one out of two Americans
admit to having used the drug (including
our three most recent U.S. Presidents),
and an estimated ten percent of citizens
admit to consuming it regularly. Does
Rep. Smith really think that America
would be a better place if all of these
individuals were arrested, prosecuted,
and jailed for their use of a non-toxic
herb that was once described by a U.S.
Drug Enforcement Administration
administrative law judge as “one of the
safest therapeutically active substances
known to man?”
Rather than scapegoating the new
administration, which has done little to
alter longstanding U.S. marijuana
policy, Rep. Smith ought to reconsider
the past 40 years of failed drug war
policies – which as the Associated Press
reported in March, have cost Americans
$1 trillion dollars in taxpayers’ dollars,
yet “has failed to meet any of its goals.”
It is time to replace failed marijuana
prohibition with a system of legalization,
sensible regulation, taxation, and
education.
Paul Armentano is the Deputy Director of
NORML. Used by permission from
http://blog.norml.com
The Seattle HempFest (SHF), held the
third week-end in August, is a unique
international network opportunity where
over 100,000 people come from around
the world seeking hemp goods, tasty food,
fine music and information. It is an
annual event held in Seattle,
Washington, the world's largest annual
gathering advocating decriminalization of
marijuana. Since 2003, it has been a 2-
day event, doors open at 10 am and close
at 8 pm and it is free to the public. And
MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource
Center – was there.
Founded in 1991 as the Washington
Hemp Expo, a self-described "humble
gathering of stoners" attended by only
500 people, and renamed the following
year as Hempfest, it has grown into a
annual political rally, concert, and arts
and crafts fair. The '92 and '93 festivals
were also held in Volunteer Park and
were straight-out celebrations of pot
culture: the '92 festival, attended by
2,000, featured two sinsemilla plants on
the stage. The 2008 Seattle Hempfest set
a new record for attendance, topping
310,000 people. Now 20 years old, Seattle
Hempfest boasts a terrific lineup of
speakers and bands on five stages, and a
cornucopia of stoner-themed products and
food at the many vending booths. This
year's event was dedicated to Jack Herer,
who passed away in April.
SHF enables Activists and Organizations
(non-profits) to utilize this opportunity as
well as commercial Vendors, and
combined they offer an abundant set of
Resources as well as Info. There were
hundreds of booths along with MERCY
providing bounty and variety whether one
is a dedicated Hempster or just Jane/Joe
Public at large.
Information is mainly why folks come to
the MERCY booth. For example,
MERCY had promotional items - hats, t-
shirts, coffee mugs - but the bulk of our
activity was information exchange that is
HelpDesking and Networking.
Helpdesking starts with, basically,
listening to the people on issues
surrounding getting their card, finding
medicine now, finding a grower for the
long-term, growing themselves and/or
others, medicating, changes to the
Program and other scenarios faced by the
community. We then research and
provide info on these matters as they
apply, not just locally, but nationally and
beyond.
Networking means communicating with
other Activists and Organizations about
the issues their people are going through
and the related solutions. The Seattle
Hempfest gives us the opportunity to
conduct this activity on a regional
(northwest), national and even global
scale as we even get a few Canadians -
among other countries - every now and
then.
Myrtle Edwards gets crowded quickly
and it's slow going moving from stage to
stage in the long, narrow park. But not to
worry: bongs and a wide variety of glass
are readily available and smoking is
tolerated by the few police assigned to the
events. Check it out and spread the
word. And we’ll see you there, third
week-end in August.
Perry Stripling is a Business Consultant,
Systems Architect, Artist and Cannabis Law
Reform Activist who is Secretary of Willamette
Valley NORML and Volunteers as President of
MERCY - the Medical Cannabis Resource
Center, in his spare time.
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Failed Marijuana Policies Are a Bi-partisan BoondoggleBy Paul Armentano,
Deputy Director of NORML
Citizens and
Activists
Network at the
Seattle Hempfest
By Perry Stripling,
Mercy Centers
One of the largest crowds ever attended this
years Hempfest in Seattle. Some estimates
were over 400,000 people during the 2 days.
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system that redirects law enforcement to matters
of genuine public safety. Proposition 19 is
California’s exit strategy from its failed war on
marijuana.”
Led by Queens College sociologist Harry Levine,
researchers studied arrest records from 2004
through 2008 in California’s 25 largest counties,
home to about 90 percent of the state's population
and almost all of the state's African Americans.
Highlights of the report include:
In the 25 largest counties as a whole, blacks are
7% of the population but 20% of the people
arrested for possessing marijuana.
Teenagers and young people age 20 to 29 make up
the great bulk –70% to 80% – of all the people
arrested for possessing marijuana.
These racially-biased marijuana arrests are a
system-wide phenomenon, occurring in every
county and nearly every police department in
California, and elsewhere. The arrests are not
mainly the result of personal bias or racism on the
part of individual patrol officers.
Marijuana possession arrests have serious
consequences. They create permanent "drug
arrest" records that can be easily found on the
Internet by employers, landlords, schools, credit
agencies, licensing boards, and banks. “Patrol and
narcotics police face enormous pressure to meet
arrest and ticket quotas. Marijuana arrests are a
relatively safe and easy way to meet them, but
they don’t reduce serious crime,” said Prof. Levine,
primary author of the report. “However, these
mass arrests can impact the life chances of young
African Americans, who actually consume
marijuana at lower rates than young whites.”
The report’s specific findings include:
In Los Angeles County, with nearly ten million
residents and over a quarter of California's
population, the marijuana possession arrest rate
for blacks is 332% higher than the arrest rate for
whites. Blacks make up less than 10% of L.A.
County’s population, but they constitute 30% of
the marijuana possession arrests.
In San Diego and Orange counties, each with
about three million residents, the marijuana
arrest rates for blacks are 365% and 221% higher
than the arrest rates for whites. In San Diego
County, blacks are 5.6% of the population but 20%
of marijuana possession arrests.
In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, each
with about two million people, the marijuana
arrest rates for blacks are 265% and 255% higher
than the arrest rates for whites. In Riverside
County, blacks are 6.6% of the population, but
17% of the arrests. In San Bernardino County,
they are 9.5% of the population, but 23% of the
arrests.
Four other heavily populated counties – Santa
Clara, Sacramento, Contra Costa, and Fresno –
each with a population from just under two
million to just under one million, arrest African
Americans at double to triple the rate of whites. In
Santa Clara County, blacks are less than 3% of
the population but 11% of the arrests. In
Sacramento County, blacks are 10.4% of the
population but 38% of the marijuana possession
arrests.
Police in other California counties, even those
with relatively few blacks or relatively low rates of
marijuana arrests, still arrest blacks at much
higher rates than whites. African Americans are
arrested for marijuana possession at nearly three
times the rate of whites in Solano County, and at
three to four times the rate of whites in Sonoma,
Santa Cruz, and San Francisco counties.
Steve Gutwillig is the California State Director of the
Drug Policy Alliance. Reprinted by permission from
www.drugpolicy.org/news/pressroom
California Town To Tax Home-grown
Pot for Personal Use
Rancho Cordova California is having voters decide
on a tax on inddor pot grows inside the city. The
proposal would impose an annual tax of $600 per
square foot, or $900 per square foot for anything
larger than 25 Sq Ft. Entitled the Personal
Cannabis Cultivation Tax measure, it will appear
on the ballot November 2nd. The tax makes no
distinction between medical and recreational
cultivation, preparing for Proposition 19 a victory
on the 2nd as well.
Don Duncan,
California
Director of
Americans for
Safe Access
(ASA), said, "I
think that will
have the effect
of essentially
banning legal cultivation." The cost would be
prohibitive for most growers, leading to the
effective ban. "I don't know anyone who is
prepared to pay $600 a square foot," He added. It
would cost a resident $15,000 a year to cultivate
pot in a 5-foot-by-5-foot growing space indoors.
California Director of the National Organization
to Reform of Marijauna Laws (NORML),Dale
Gieringer, believes the tax to be punitive and
unconstitutional. Gieringer said to the
Sacramento Bee, "At that level, the city would
collect no money", then added "nobody would pay
that tax. It's a punitive tax, and I think it would be
thrown out by the courts."
The Colorado Governor Raids
Medical Marijuana Fund
Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter doesn't like medical
marijuana, but he sure likes the tax money that
comes from it. Gov. Ritter said on Monday that
the state is using $9
million from medical
marijuana registrations
to help the state meet a
$60 million "fiscal
emergency." Ritter said
the state expects to end
the year with 150,000
applicants for medical
marijuana licenses, up
from 41,000 in 2009, reports The State Column.
Colorado marijuana cards cost $90 per year.
"I was not in favor of medical marijuana, but I'm
also a lawyer and the governor, and I believe in
the law," Ritter said, reports Tim Hoover at The
Denver Post. "And it's the law in this state." The
governor said he believes it's constitutional to use
medical marijuana revenues to help balance the
budget, leaving only $1 million in the fund
collected from cannabis fees.
"Ritter's not unlike most politicians in his
position," sniffed conservative pundit Shannon
Bell at the overweeningly
moralistic Rightpundits.com. "When faced with a
tough situation (like a $60 million budget gap)
they'll abandon principle every time." Last year,
Colorado used about $3 million from the medical
marijuana fund, reports Bell, who got in a
righteous right-wing lather about all that dirty pot
money.
This News Nugget Reprinted from Toke of the
Town, www.tokeofthetown.com copywrite 2010
Village Voice Media.
Child Abuse for Growing Medical
Marijuana?
2 caregivers in Colorado we're charged in August
for child abuse for growing their medical
marijuana plants in the basement of thier home.
Lynn Kimbrough,
spokeswoman for the
Colorado District
Attorney's office, said "It
was pretty clear that the
circumstances in that
home had put the
children at risk". No charges were filed in
connection with the grow operation, since the
couple are legal medical marijuana caregivers
under Colorado law.
Local activists are fighting back. Riah McBee of
Medical Marijuana Family Advocates Cultivating
Truth (MMFACT) said, "The Denver Police are
trying to send the message that you will have your
children seized even if your medical cannabis is
legal under state constitution." She also
mentioned " Parents should be very concerned
about these perversions of the laws and
infiltration into their families [lives]".
Cannabis Therapy Institute, a medical marijuana
lobbying group, has set up a defense fund. Visit
them online to donate and for updated
information at
www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com.
Illinois Warming Up to Medical
Marijuana
Medical marijuana is getting closer and closer to
becoming a reality to the citizens of Illinois. Illinois
House and Senate bills filed in 2009 — titled the
Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot
Program Act — both
call for a three-year
legalization of
marijuana for patients
who obtain a doctor’s
approval and suffer
from one of a list of
conditions or illnesses.
The Illinois Senate bill
passed 30-28 last year.
And according to State
Rep. Lou Lang, could
be up for discussion in
the Illinois House by January.
Lang said he has two choices: he could either bring up
the bill for vote during the November and December
veto sessions (which would require 71 votes to pass) or
bring up the issue in January before the new
legislators take their seats in the General Assembly
(which would take only 60 votes to pass).
“I don’t know how a person who is an elected official
can ignore the simple fact that there are people in the
world who have tried all other means of getting relief
from really debilitating diseases and can’t find the
relief needed,” Lang expressed. He also contends he
has as many as 90 fellow state representatives who
support the measure. But up to this point, only 58 are
willing to signify that support with a vote.
So it appears that Illinois could very well be one of the
next states to endorse medical marijuana in the near
future. We at The Weed Blog are hoping for good news
coming this November or January, and that those in
Illinois who need medical marijuana to help them live
with their ailments won’t have to wait long for relief.
This Nugget from the weed blog,
www.theweedblog.com.
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Racial Disparity
National
News Nugs
Cont. from Page 12
Inside each and every living being there
lies a delicate System, a System
so sophisticated and advanced that science
and biology missed it for thousands of
years and actually labeled it an inactive
part of our body. That is, until millions of
people around the world started to
recognize its benefits and started to really
question what was happening when we got
“high”. This universal interest led us to
the discovery of our bodies own cannabis
factory, the Endocannabinoid System.
The Endocannabinoid System or ECS is
comprised of 3 main aspects. Endo-
cannabinoids, which are cannabis like
molecules metabolized all over our body.
Receptors, located in the Central (CNS)
and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) to
catch these molecules, along with the
chemical processes that mediate these
actions which has been dubbed the
“entourage effect“.
Exo-cannabinoids are produced outside the
body and usually come from the plant itself
and behave in just the same way as endo-
cannabinoids. Both endo and
exocannabinoids act specifically on a set of
custom built chemical receptors in our body
called CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB
receptors are part of the biggest family of
receptors expressed in the body, G-Coupled
Protein Receptors.
The signals created and received by our
own bodies in response to traumatic injury
or pain are the same signals we're aiming
for when we smoke or ingest cannabis.
When our body is in pain or stressed the
ECS naturally produces Anandamide and
2-AG, two endocannabinoids that are
identical to the cannabis compounds we
inhale or eat and act in just the same way.
Interestingly, these endocannabinoids
aren’t in storage somewhere waiting for
activation; they’re produced instantly on
demand the moment we need them,
sending a chemical cascade of therapeutic
treatment all over the body.
Anandamide, along with 2-AG and smoked
or ingested cannabinoids acts as a
messenger to the CB1 and CB2 receptors
inside our body and either say "open up"
,"shut up" or “just a little bit” . A signal
like 2-AG or CBD can have two completely
different effects on the same receptor. This
is why the same strain can have different
effects on the same person.
For instance, small doses of THC can
induce a fridge raging craze, whereas high
doses of THC can lead to a lack of appetite
or reduce the reward experience of eating
foods. Cannabis is never this way or that
way, she is bi-phasic, meaning she can
exhibit different expressions in each person
at different times on both end of the
spectrum, stimulation or sedation.
Indica and Sativa are very generic ways of
referring to cannabis and when we stop
there, at that level of understanding we opt
to miss the most important aspect of
cannabis, the fact that she it has been
inside us all along since the beginning of
time. The cannabis plant is the only plant
in the world that can activate and
deactivate these receptors, no other plant
has this unique characteristic. The way in
which these cannabinoids bind to receptors
is like that of a perfect synchronicity, a
universal match, a perfect acceptance of
each other’s chemistry.
The ongoing research of the
Endocannabinoid System by universities,
private researchers, pharmaceutical
companies and cannabis growers is in a
frenzy to discover more receptors, their
signals and the processes that mediate
their therapeutic values.
What do we make of this new System,
what does all this mean for your cannabis
use? Well, I can tell you it's more than just
Indica-Sativa or frosty nug and skunky
smell. It's much deeper than that, much
more beautiful than that. Cannabis and
living beings have a true relationship both
physiologically and emotionally that
cannot be denied any longer. The use of
cannabis is doing much more than just
getting us high, it's actually talking with
our body, through a language, constantly
trying to therapeutically treat our pain and
discomfort.
Jay Freeman is the Director of the NW Resource
Center in Portland Oregon.
Marijuana is medicine in Oregon, but
only legal for those that suffer from
cancer, HIV/AIDS, cachexia, glaucoma,
agitation due to Alzheimer's disease,
severe pain, severe nausea, seizures,
persistent muscle spasms or any other
medical conditions adopted by the
Department of Human Services. Sadly
for our state’s veterans, and other
citizens that have suffered through
unspeakable horror, Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not a
qualifying condition, in spite of extensive
research and a well prepared petition to
include psychiatric conditions by Edward
Glick, through his attorney, Leland
Berger.
The petition included the latest scientific
research and was supplemented from
testimony from dozens of witnesses. The
Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a type of
anxiety disorder that is triggered by a
traumatic event. You can develop PTSD
when you experience or witness an event
that causes intense fear, helplessness or
horror. Marijuana’s cannabiniods can
alleviate the symptoms of PTSD by
helping patients forget traumatic
memories, extinguish anxiety and
prevent depression. All three of those
psychiactric conditions are ignored by
Oregon’s Department of Human Services.
In August of 2004 the Molecular
Neurogenetics Group and the Max
Planck Institute of Psychiatry
Kraepelinstrasse published the
“Endogenous Canabinoid System
Controls Extinction of Aversive
Memories” in August, 2004. Their
studies of the human endocannabinoid
system showed that our brains house
endocannabinoid receptors that work to
protect us from traumatic experiences
and also process the cannabinoids when
someone consumes marijuana.
Cannabinoids affect our body in the
same way that our endocannabinoid
system would naturally.
Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Professor at
Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said at
the Third Clinical Conference on
Cannabis Therapeutics in May 2004 that
“we should not think of forgetting as less
important than recalling because we
must forget or we will be in a constant
state of trauma if we did not forget.”
The New York Academy of Sciences
states that “damage to the hippocampus
from stress can not only cause problems
in dealing with memories and other
effects of past stressful experiences, it
can also impair new learning.”
Hohmann et. al., contends that PTSD
patients suffer from stress induced
analgesia, which is when the brain does
not allow someone to feel pain, and
makes the person withdraw from their
memories.
There's now more scientific evidence for
what many patients have known for awhile:
Smoking marijuana can ease chronic
neuropathic pain and help patients sleep
better, according to a team of researchers in
Montreal.
The new study, published August 30th in
the Canadian Medical Association Journal,
found that pain intensity among patients
decreased with higher-potency marijuana,
reports Caroline Alphonso of The Globe and
Mail. The study represents an important
scientific attempt to determine the medicinal
benefits of cannabis.
"A single inhalation of 25 mg of 9.4 percent
tetrahydrocannabinol herbal cannabis three
times daily for five days reduced the
intensity of pain, improved sleep and was
well tolerated," the study concludes.
"Further long-term safety and efficacy
studies are indicated."
"We're not saying that this is the final
solution for chronic pain management," said
lead the study's lead author, Mark Ware,
director of clinical research at the Alan
Edwards Pain Management Unit of McGill
University Health Centre.
"All that this does is open the door to the
cannabinoid being another tool in the toolbox
in treating chronic pain," Dr. Ware said.
Patients suffering from neuropathic pain
often use opioid pain medication,
antidepressants and local anesthetics, but all
of those drugs have limitations, and the side
effects of these substances can rival the
conditions they are supposed to treat. Unlike
"normal" pain, which results from
stimulation of pain receptors in the body,
neuropathic pain results from damage to or
dysfunction of the central or peripheral
nervous system, reports Deborah Mitchell
at EmaxHealth.
But many politicians and medical personnel
have been reluctant to advocate medical
marijuana because, even though patients
champion its use, there have been calls for
more scientific studies.
Twenty-one adults with post-traumatic or
post-surgical chronic pain took part in the
study. They randomly received marijuana at
three different strengths: with a
tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 2.5
percent, 6 percent and 9.4 percent, and a
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Cannabis Connection
Page 15
Cont. on Page 19
Language of Cannabis:
The Endocannabinoid
System
By Jay Freeman
NW Resource Center
Marijuana is
Medicine for Post
Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD)
By Sarah Duff
Oregon Green Free and
Institute for Cannabis
Therapeutics
Canadian
Researchers
Establish Scientific
Basis For Medical
Use Of Cannabis
By Steve Elliot
Toke of The Town