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1/25/12 – Day of Action

0 comments By Jason Filed in Medical Marijuana January 25th, 2012 @ 11:44 am

This Wednesday join hundreds of medical marijuana patients, providers and supporters in making quick calls to your U.S. Congresspeople. Everyone should call both Colorado U.S. Senators and your specific U.S. Congressperson. Contact information is below. Help save safe access in Colorado!

(Sample Phone Script)

“I am a constituent in your new district who supports medical marijuana patients. I’m calling to say that our state’s medical marijuana system is working and we need to Stop Federal Interference in our state laws. The Colorado state government is doing an excellent job of safely regulating medical marijuana distribution and I ask that the US Attorney cease his actions in shutting down state-legal medical marijuana dispensaries. Please ask the representative to contact Colorado’s US Attorney John Walsh and tell him to cease interfering in Colorado’s tightly-regulated medical marijuana law. Thank you”

(Optional:) “Additionally, I would respectfully ask that Representative _______________ co-sponsor H.R. 1983 – the States Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act – which would protect our state’s medical marijuana patients and providers from federal interference. Thank you!”

U.S. Representatives
District 1 (Denver) – D-Representative Diana DeGette -
202-225-4431

District 2 (Boulder/Longmont/Loveland/Ft. Collins) –
D-Representative Jared Polis – 202-225-2161

District 3 (Western Slope, including Aspen, Grand Junction
and Pueblo) R-Representative Scott Tipton – 202-225-4761

District 4 (Eastern Plains including Greeley and Castle
Rock) R-Representative Cory Gardner – 202-225-4676

District 5 (Colorado Springs/Salida) R-Representative Doug
Lamborn – 202-225-4422

District 6 (Aurora/Douglas/Adams) R-Representative Mike Coffman – 202-225-7882

District 7 (North Metro/Arvada/Golden/Jefferson County) D-Representative Ed Perlmutter – 202-225-
2645

Senators
Entire State – Senator Mark E. Udall – 202-224-5941
Entire State – Senator Michael F. Bennet – 202-224-5852

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Marijuana Madness

0 comments By Jason Filed in Medical Marijuana January 19th, 2012 @ 11:05 am

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Larry Barnett

So here’s my prediction: during the next decade there will be a huge crackdown on marijuana users. Evolving technology for drug testing, criminal law and political opportunism will converge, creating the perfect conditions for a crack-down more severe than any before.

Now you may think things are going in the opposite direction, and this does appear to be the case. States have passed medical marijuana laws, penalties for possession have been drastically reduced, and dispensaries have popped up all over the state. People register as users, get doctor prescriptions and carry marijuana user cards; what could get more legal than that?

But let’s look at the recent behavior of our Democrat administration in the White House and how quickly things can change when it comes to law enforcement and marijuana. Having executed a full 180-degree turn, this administration is now pursuing an aggressively anti-medical marijuana agenda, threatening even the property owners who have leased buildings to dispensaries. This is old-school “law and order” stuff, and seeing it play out in this administration gives us a glimpse of how draconian things might be if the right-wing controls the White House and both houses of congress.

Virtually everyone can agree that marijuana is part of mainstream American life. It’s found in every city, every county and every state. It’s used by a broad spectrum of individuals: teachers, students, professionals, working stiffs, rich and poor…you name it. This does not make it good for you, or necessarily positive; it just means that, like alcohol, people like it and like how it makes them feel. I’ll leave it to others to debate the moral, societal or personal issues, I simply point out that marijuana is a fact of life.

That being the case, why do I predict a crack-down? For that answer, we need to look past marijuana itself and consider the larger systemic issue, namely power. Marijuana policy is, and long has been, one of the most effective tools of the powerful, and its ubiquitous presence makes it so. In the 1930s, Harry J. Anslinger, the nation’s first drug use enforcer, waged a campaign largely based on the fact that marijuana grew in abundance along roadways and railroad tracks. Targeted as an evil weed, marijuana helped justify the growth of anti-drug law enforcement and the expansion of nationwide and federally controlled law enforcement, in general. It is this apparatus that remains, has grown and supports one of the most successful economic engines of our modern capitalist society: law enforcement and all the power and fortune that accompanies it.

Law enforcement demonstrates access to raw power; you can see it in the behavior of some cops who use violence against peaceful protest gatherings. It has the power to inflict physical pain, detain, arrest and confine. Behind this sits a huge economic apparatus of cops, lawyers, courts, prisons and prison guards, now increasingly being privatized for the benefit of corporations and their shareholders. The combination of privatization (driven by shrunken government starved of funds) and fundamentalist capitalist theology that ignores citizens while exploiting labor, will again use marijuana to assert and retain power and control. Logic and culture will not be relevant in the coming marijuana madness; all that shall matter is that even more money and resources will accrue to the benefit of the most powerful in society.

Sorry to bring you down.

 

Original source: http://publiccitizen.sonomaportal.com/2012/01/19/marijuana-madness/

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Ron Paul Supports Medical Marijuana: 5 Mental Disorders Treated with the Substance

0 comments By Jason Filed in Medical Marijuana Tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , January 19th, 2012 @ 8:14 am

By Prarthito Maity:

It is a known fact now that Republican Congressman and presidential frontrunner, Ron Paul, with former chairman of the House Financial Services Committee Barney Frank are looking to legalize medical marijuana and they believe that this decision could come as a boost for people suffering from cancer and the ones undergoing chemotherapy.

In accordance with Ron Paul’s support for the substance, let’s have a look at the healing powers that marijuana possesses against mental conditions.

Curing Anxiety: Although some may argue that marijuana tends to cause mild anxiety sometimes as a side-effect for users, most have agreed to the fact that the substance’s use cause the users to experience mood-elevating effects along with a very relaxing mental condition, and pushes the user towards a normal life without suffering from anxiety. Medical marijuana, according to previous studies, is known for causing a desirable “slowing” down of thought processes. This can, in turn, help mend some of the distressing cyclical thought patterns which plague anxiety sufferers.

Healing Bipolar Disorder: Medical marijuana, surprisingly, can considerably calm down the mood swings that are exhibited by those suffering with Bipolar Disorder. Studies have shown that cannabis works as a mood stabilizer for sufferers. Lithium, which has traditionally been diagnosed for sufferers, takes several weeks before it actually starts working and is also known for causing long term damage to the heart, kidneys, and thyroid gland.

Lithium is also known for reining emotions in to a distasteful and numbing degree, which is something that is not faced by marijuana users. On the contrary, marijuana smokers report feeling a satisfying effect long after the “high” itself has detoriated (the mood stabilizing effect of the drug).

Relief from Insomnia: People suffering from insomnia should consider switching to medical marijuana. It is to be noted that a brownie or a cookie can be taken before bed with a glass of milk, which should ensure good sleep throughout the night. However, users should be aware that the effects of medical marijuana will not be felt for up to an hour at least.

Medical marijuana could be a desirable alternative to other addictive drugs such as Xanax, as marijuana is not habit forming. Users have often reported feeling clear-minded and relaxed after ingesting medical marijuana, sleeping through the night, and having more pleasant dreams.

No More Depression: Studies have suggested that those who use marijuana once or more weekly, reportedly, have fewer episodes of depression than the rest of the lot. Medical marijuana can be smoked or ingested to lift the mood and lighten those up who particularly suffer from depression.

Similar to the sufferers of anxiety, the lasting effects of medical marijuana helps to break unproductive or negative thought cycles which so often get out of control for the sufferer. Nonetheless, remember that marijuana is not a wonder cure for either depression or anxiety and it is quite unhealthy to cover the root problem instead of fully treating it. However, marijuana can help the user live a more satisfying life while he works with a therapist to cure the symptoms.

Relief from Migraines: It is very interesting to note that migraines can also be treated with medical marijuana, and have sometimes shown better effects than the actual migraine medication. This is because when the marijuana is consumed or smoked, retrograde inhibition helps to slow the rate of neurotransmitters in the brain.

People suffering from horrific headaches will know that this is due to an overload of neural stimulation and the above news could come as a relief for them. Retrograde inhibition also relieves the pain and other symptoms which are known to attend a full-blown migraine, including sensitivity to lights and nausea.

In reality, migraine medication has often been tagged for dangerous side effects, which includes increased blood pressure and making the user tired. Medical marijuana can make some users feel slightly sleepy but the doze can always be adjusted so that the migraine sufferer will still experience relief from nausea, pain and hyper-sensitivity while not becoming as drowsy as they would have been with regular migraine medication.

In conclusion, remember that medical marijuana provides us with a safe, natural alternative to dangerous, habit-forming drugs and has lot more to offer than to just push it away, stating that marijuana is for dirty hippies.

(Information from the Weed Blog)

Original source:

http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/284299/20120119/ron-paul-supports-medical-marijuana-5-mental.htm

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What Would The Marijuana Movement Be Without The Internet

0 comments By Jason Filed in Medical Marijuana January 19th, 2012 @ 5:54 am

Written by Johnny Green

I don’t think it’s any secret that the internet has helped the marijuana movement. Using blogs, social media, news outlets, etc. the marijuana movement has grown significantly over the last decade. Take a minute and think about what the marijuana movement would be like without the use of the internet…Scary right?

Remember those days where we would have to stand long hours outside of malls and other high traffic areas in order to gather signatures. Remember when marijuana events were almost impossible to organize unless you had a long list of phone numbers? If SOPA and PIPA are approved by the United States Congress, the ramifications on the internet will be severe, and online marijuana efforts will be one of the first to get the chop. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a supporter of online piracy. However, I am a fan of common sense, and throwing the baby out with the bathwater is never a good idea, which is what would happen if SOPA and PIPA were passed.

Have you been using Twitter and Facebook to organize your rallies and protests? If SOPA and PIPA are passed, it’s almost guaranteed that you wouldn’t be able to use social media like you have been. Do you own a blog, or follow blogs to get your marijuana news and information? If SOPA and PIPA are passed, you will be forced to go back to newspapers and TV media, which let’s face it, newspapers and TV media are not marijuana friendly, which is why online marijuana efforts started in the first place! Don’t just take it from me, below are some things that I found on the net that others are saying:

Google – Fighting online piracy is important. The most effective way to shut down pirate websites is through targeted legislation that cuts off their funding. There’s no need to make American social networks, blogs and search engines censor the Internet or undermine the existing laws that have enabled the Web to thrive, creating millions of U.S. jobs…Too much is at stake – please vote NO on PIPA and SOPA.

Wikipedia – For over a decade, we have spent millions of hours building the largest encyclopedia in human history. Right now, the U.S. Congress is considering legislation that could fatally damage the free and open Internet. For 24 hours, to raise awareness, we are blacking out Wikipedia. Learn more.

ACLU – We opposed SOPA in its original form mostly because the impact on non-infringing content would violate the First Amendment right to free speech of the owners and authors of that content, as well as the rights of Internet users to access that content. In fact, we were asked to present our views at a hearing of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee scheduled for today and submitted our testimony in preparation for that hearing. But the hearing was postponed after SOPA’s proponents promised to significantly change the bill and after House Majority Leader Eric Cantor proposed not to bring any bill to the floor for a vote unless it represented a true consensus of those who support and those who oppose SOPA.

As you can see, this is as serious as serious gets.  If you like using the internet to gain marijuana information, or to spread awareness, or you just don’t like the federal government overstepping it’s reach, then FIGHT SOPA AND PIPA!  The Senate will begin voting on January 24th. Please let them know how you feel.

 

Original Source: http://www.theweedblog.com/what-would-the-marijuana-movement-be-without-the-internet/

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Marijuana: Liberal Canary In Coal Mine

0 comments By Jason Filed in Medical Marijuana Tagged with , , , , , , , , January 18th, 2012 @ 9:56 am

Written by Steve Val

An overwhelming majority, 77% of committed Liberal delegates voted to legalize marijuana. As well, if you do the math on the demographic delegate breakdown, you’ll find that even if one assumes every young Liberals voted in favour, you are still left with almost 2/3rds of the remaining delegates in favour. In other words, no matter how your dissect this vote, Liberals of all subsets support this policy, creating a firm resolve. In addition, not only did our interim Leader resist shying away from the vote, Rae embraced it and placed legalization at the center of “war on drugs” debate.

Liberals rejected the idea of removing a leader veto over policy, so the future party structure philosophy remains unclear. However, I now view the marijuana issue as the canary in the coal mine so to speak, how this issue is treated heading into the next election will provide the clearest indication if a formerly top down entity has truly “renewed” and “reformed”. The base have made their voices heard, a voice which is not out of step with progressive society as a whole. It is fair for EVERY Liberal to now have an expectation that marijuana legalization will be part of future Liberal policy, should that fail to transpire, people can rightly ask if members are nothing more than robotic bank machines, patted on the head, but nothing of real consequence in the affairs of party direction.

There has been some mention of actively soliciting “supporters”, using this issue as a lure of sorts. I agree with an aggressive strategy, as Rob Silver pointed out this is a classic “wedge” issue, one the Liberals can use effectively to contrast crime strategies, as well as certain libertarian issues. The marijuana issue is larger than just pot itself, the tentacles of that approach resonate elsewhere. I think Liberals may well shock themselves at how many “supporters” can be attracted, simply based on this particular perspective. This is a way for non-partisan Canadians to say “hey Liberal Party, I agree with you, I SUPPORT your idea, I’ll lend my name to the cause”.

Moving forward, it is imperative to hold the Liberal Party to account, to push the envelope, to push our new executive to follow through on their commitments. How the Liberals manage the marijuana issue is now a central indicator that will demonstrate, in concrete form, if this has truly become a member-centric institution or remains a timid, top down affair, wherein the rank and file are dismissed in the ways that truly matter. I’m leaving the banner on the sidebar as symbolic of this potential future tension, the members who have kept this listing tub afloat have spoken, loud and clear.

Original source: http://www.oyetimes.com/views/22-columns/17158-marijuana-liberal-canary-in-coal-mine

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