Counter productivity

Its not unusual to hear a non smoker link laziness or counter productivity to Marijuana use. The myth is that the calming effect that Marijuana provides when used causes you to over time become more laid back and lazy even when sober.

Well just the simple fact that this blog entry exists disproves this myth. Here we have an avid user trying to inform the masses and reverse decades worth of brain washing that has been done to the majority of Americans. If that's not enough there's also the thousands if not more users that are currently striving to reform the government and legalize. If Marijuana caused you to become counter productive there wouldn't be whole magazines, countless amounts of blogs, and websites entirely based on Marijuana.

If that's not enough to disprove that Marijuana produces counter productivity then take into consideration that at least 30% of our 44 presidents are known to have used Marijuana for recreational or medical purposes. Our first president, George Washington and our latest president, Barack Obama are both included in that 30%. Now with that in mind take into consideration that only about 40% of users admit to using Marijuana. Well if all these men managed to make it to the highest position possible in our government then it is safe to say that counter productivity cannot be directly linked to Marijuana use.

Governour Davis

Kristin Davis, previously known as the "Manhattan Madam" is running for governor of New York. According to her interview with "High Times Magazine" her decision to run was in part due to her unjust imprisonment following the Eliot Spitzer incident. She is the Anti-Prohibition Party nominee and claims that if she is voted governor she would strive to legalize not only prostitution but also the recreational use of marijuana among other victimless crimes.

She states that although she isn't a user of marijuana she feels strongly about the peoples freedom to indulge. She also acknowledges the fact that the pro's that would come from legalization or decriminalization would greatly out number the cons, if there are any at all.

At first hand the thought of her governing the state of New York might seem a little sketchy, but in the contrary. She is more then qualified. Davis graduated high school Valedictorian at the age of 15, has a Bachelor's Degree in Business from St. Mary's College, and a Masters in Psychology at The Saybrook Graduate Institute. She's also an impressive business women.

Now the questions are; Is she sufficiently qualified to become the face of legalization in New York? Will her fame brought by the Spitzer incident be enough to market her beyond previous liberal candidates?


http://hightimes.com/lounge/ht_admin/6594

Medical Marijuana

Marijuana has been used for medical purposes since its first findings in ancient china. Its medicinal purposes are indispensable. It has been shown to be effective in reducing the nausea induced by cancer chemotherapy. It also stimulates appetite in AIDS patients, and reduces interocular pressure in people with glaucoma. This means that it reduces the amount of pressure in there eyes which reduces pain in the eyes and headaches. There is also a considerable amount of evidence that shows that marijuana reduces muscle spasticity in patients with neurological disorders. There are legal ways of consuming THC like a synthetic capsule that is available by prescription, but it is not as effective as marijuana for many patients. Pure THC can also produce unpleasant psychoactive side effects marijuana doesn't. Many people today use marijuana as a medicine, despite its illegality. In doing so, they risk arrest and imprisonment.

The union: The business behind being high

The Union is a Canadian documentary that was released in June of 2007. The film was about the growth, production, sale, and use of marijuana. It shows you the business side of the marijuana industry. It also speaks a lot on why marijuana is illegal and disproves a lot of the myths about marijuana. The union is a great film but its theatrical run was limited to film festivals. As far as reviews go the film is love or hate. 95% of the reviews are from people that absolutely adore the film, they say that its a very well put together documentary and is full of useful information. The rest of the reviews are from stubborn conservatives that claim that the movie is biased. They say that it only shows why marijuana should be legal and doesn't show why it should stay illegal. Well, there just simply isn't any good reason for it to remain illegal, all of the reasons have been disproved. There's also the fact that anything that wasn't disproved in the film is already found in other legal drugs. For example there's the fact that people under the influence of marijuana can be dangerous behind the wheel of a car, well the same can be said for people under the influence of alcohol.

The Gateway Theory

The Gateway Theory of marijuana basically states that marijuana is a stepping stone for other drugs. Its the theory that you start with harmless marijuana and then decide you want something stronger and go on to a more harsher drug. But the fact is that marijuana is the most popular drug in the United States and heroin, cocaine, and LSD are less common drugs. Therefore people who use these harder less common drugs are likely to have tried marijuana. Most marijuana users never use any other illegal drug. In fact, for the large majority of people, marijuana is a terminus rather than a gateway drug. If Marijuana is a gateway to harder drugs then you could just as accurately say that water or milk are gateway drinks for more harsher drinks like whiskey or wine.

Marijuana causes lung cancer?

For years anti Marijuana campaigns have been promoting that marijuana causes lung cancer. But this is in fact false. Many test have been run that prove that unlike nicotine, marijuana does not cause lung cancer. So the drug itself doesn't cause lung cancer but the smoke does. This can be said about any smoke that you inhale. Even if you did choose to keep smoking marijuana instead of eating it in foods or using a vaporizer, the risk isn't as high in marijuana as it is in smoking cigarettes. This is because marijuana users typically smoke much less often than tobacco smokers, and over time, inhale much less smoke. As a result, the risk of serious lung damage should be lower in marijuana smokers. In a large study done by the American Thoracic Society in 2006, They found that even the heavy marijuana smokers did not have increased risk of lung cancer.

"Marijuana has higher levels of THC, therefore its more dangerous"

This is a statement that is both right and wrong. It is right in the sense that marijuana does have higher levels in THC today then it did in the 1960's. A small number of low-THC samples seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration are used to calculate a dramatic increase in potency. However, these samples were not representative of the marijuana generally available to users during this era. If you where to take a look at potency data from the 1980's to present day you will notice that they show no increase in average THC content.

Even if this statement was completely true and there was a significant and constant increase in THC levels between 1960 and now, It still wouldn't necessarily mean that its more dangerous. In fact, it is virtually impossible to overdose on THC from smoking marijuana. Scientist have come to the conclusion that the ratio of how much marijuana you would need to get intoxicated relative to the amount needed to kill them 1 to 40,000. In simpler terms, for you to overdose from marijuana use, you would have to consume 40,000 times as much marijuana needed to get you stoned. This scenario is highly improbable.

Marijuana Trafficking

Marijuana is an extremely expensive crop in the United States as compared to any other crop. 1 ounce of marijuana can cost you anywhere between $180 and $400. Compare this to a crop like corn. You can buy a whole pound of corn for under $10. All of the fault lands on the fact that Marijuana is illegal in the United States.

The fact that marijuana is so expensive in the U.S. makes it so that marijuana becomes an extremely profitable crop. All this profit of course is made by international criminal gangs. They make billions of dollars tax free of course, in an underground economy. This also means that the money is being diverted from productive economic development. So while the foreign crime bosses get fat pockets, all this money leaves our economic circle and joins the black market.

Super High me

Super High Me is a documentary kind of like the McDonald movie "super size me". Super High Me is about Doug Benson, a comedian that is well known for his Marijuana use. He decides that he wants to run an experiment on himself to test the effect that marijuana would have on his body if he did it all day every day for 30 days.

The way the experiment starts off is that he must first stop using marijuana for 30 days straight and this would be the control in the experiment. It will also show us how hard or easy it would be for a life time user of marijuana to stop cold turkey for 30 days. During his 30 days of sobriety Doug took various tests that he would take again during his 30 days of being high. His physicians would then compare the test scores and decide whether the use of marijuana for 30 days non stop would be dangerous or inconsequential. Doug had no problem quitting for 30 days, he didn't go through any withdrawals. After his 30 days of smoking weed non stop he was surprised that at this point he wasn't tired of using marijuana. He also surprisingly scored higher on his SAT while high then while sober. He scored almost 100 points more. His sperm count was also significantly higher, contrary to the expectations of medical studies. At the end of the film his doctors concluded that the effects on Benson's health from his use of cannabis were generally inconsequential. The greatest change was the fact that he gained 8 pounds, but this is minor since he could control that.

Why is it used nation wide?

Many people use marijuana because they have made an informed decision that it is good for them, especially Americans suffering from a variety of serious ailments. Marijuana provides relief from pain, nausea, and other symptoms for many individuals who have not been treated successfully with conventional medications. Many American adults prefer marijuana to the use of alcohol as a mild and moderate way to relax. Americans use marijuana because they choose to, and one of the reasons for that choice is their personal observation that the drug has a relatively low dependence liability and easy-to-manage side effects. Most marijuana users develop tolerance to many of marijuana’s side effects, and those who do not, choose to stop using the drug. Marijuana use is the result of informed consent in which individuals have decided that the benefits of use outweigh the risks, especially since, for most Americans, the greatest risk of using marijuana is the relatively low risk of arrest. The people figure that the only bad that can come from it is arrest and there is a low chance of that happening if your careful so they use it as a recreational drug.

Teenage consumption

Every year thousands of teenagers are arrested and even more are forced to attend rehabilitation sessions because of the use of marijuana. The numbers grow more and more every year. This is largely due to the fact that marijuana is illegal in the United States. The legal status of the drug makes it so that the government can't control the use of the drug. Since its prohibited the government doesn't know who's using it. That means that all citizens have the same access to the drug no matter the age. Who would you prefer choose what age is appropriate? the gov. or the dealer.

In this day in age it is seemingly easier for someone under aged to obtain marijuana then it is to obtain tobacco or alcohol. A 15 year old would almost certainly be rejected if he tried to by cigarettes or beer in almost any store throughout the United States. Where as if a 15 year old wanted some Marijuana, all he would have to do is get in contact with a dealer.

Marijuana is too expensive for our government

There are more than 750,000 incarcerations a year due to possession of marijuana. Law enforcement has more important responsibilities than this. Time wasted making arrest for marijuana is salary money wasted by the state, when it could have been spent fighting violent and unjust crimes. Especially given the additional justice costs of disposing of each of these cases. Marijuana arrests waste jail space, clogs up court systems, and diverts time from cops, judges, lawyers and correctional officers from more harsh crimes. Crimes such as murder, rape, assault, and robbery. If marijuana was legalized and taxed, money made from taxation can provide needed and generous funding of many important criminal justice and social programs, as opposed to wasting money on unnecessary arrests.

Prohibition, Does it work?

Prohibition is when a hierarchy stops or forbids people from doing a certain thing. Throughout history it has been proven that prohibition does not work.

Alcohol was prohibited in the United States in the 1920's. During this time underground drinking clubs called "speakeasys" emerged. In 1925 after just 5 years of prohibition, there were over 100,000 speakeasys in new york city alone. Even though prohibition was lessening the amount of alcohol being used it failed because it caused the emerging of illegal crime familys. Prohibition lasted only 13 years and by done by 1933.

As far as marijuana goes, the government has tried to use criminal penalties to prevent marijuana use for over 75 years and yet marijuana is now used by over 25 million people every year. The amount of Marijuana users grows drasticly annually.

Prohibition doesn't work now and has never worked in the past. Take a look back, the first prohibition was adam and eve in the garden of eden. God couldn't stop them from eating from the tree of Knowledge, and he was only watching over 2 people.

"Reefer Madness"

Reefer Madness was a 1936 film about the "tragic" events that happen after someone uses "Marihuana"(This was the incorrect spelling of the word "Marijuana" used in the film). Every time "Marihuana" is used in the film some illegal activity ensues as a result of the use of the drug. The film was financed by a church and was originaly called "Tell Your Children". Its intent was to educate parents about the "Dangers" that came with the use of the drug.

This movie gained little to no audience until the 70's when it was watched as a satire by weed smokers. This is due mostlty to the fact that the movie heavily incorect about the effects of marijuana. A person under the influence of marijuana would not be more inclined to commit a violent crime such as ; manslaughter, murder, rape. Never in the history of any government has it been proven the someone has commited any of these crimes while under the influence. The use of marijuana leaves you with a calm mind and body, this will not encourage a violent crime of such sorts. In fact, If in any case you felt like you needed to commit any of these crimes against someone, Marijuana might bring you down from this notion because marijuana is believed to be a theroputic drug.

As far as suicide goes, no one has ever commited suicide due to the use of marijuana. Marijuana makes you feel better about yourself, it makes you feel happy. It can be said that marijuana has in fact kept alot of people from commiting suicide.

Is it addictive?

The definition of "Physical Dependency" according to the U.S. National Institute of Health is, "A condition in which a person takes a drug over time, and unpleasant physical symptoms occur if the drug is suddenly stopped or taken in smaller doses." In other words, a physical dependency (physical addiction) occurs when a person abuses a substance to the point in which his/her body creates a tolerance towards that chemical. After a while your body becomes dependent of this product and your body will go through withdrawals. This is because your body begins to require the chemicals in order to maintain regular bodily functions.

Marijuana is not physically addictive. It cannot produce a physical dependency. If you are a smoker at any level, whether you are an everyday smoker or an occasional smoker, you will not face any physical withdrawals from stopping the use of Marijuana. In other words at no point after you quit using Marijuana will your body undergo any sort of physical (non mental) illness.

Although you cannot become physically dependent of Marijuana, you can become psychologically addicted to Marijuana. Its not only possible, but its occurring all over. People have the tendency of using Marijuana to the point that they may feel that their life is less enjoyable without the drug. Although this occurrence is not a rare one, It should not come as a surprise because this can occur with anything you do or use with frequency. Its called a "habit". As humans we all have habits, this habit is just one that is frowned upon by the general public.


http://www.rense.com/general69/mj.htm

Hemp in the economy

Hemp textiles go back in history as far as pottery. It is the soft, durable fiber made from the Cannabis plant. Hemp is known to have over 5000 uses. It can be used to make anything from food to rope. Hemp fibers produce some of the strongest most durable ropes, it also makes extremely durable cloth, paper and canvas. Another great thing about Hemp is that it is environmentally friendly, this is due to the fact that it needs very few pesticides and no herbicides.

The economic issue with hemp and all of its great features is simply that farmers, ranch owners, and everyone else who relies on hemp products in there day to day lives are forced to import hemp. Cannabis can't be produced or sold in the U.S., so the U.S. remains the country that imports the most Hemp.

If Industrial hemp was legal in the U.S., we would see reduced production costs of hemp and higher profit margins. This would also add another industry to the economy of the United States and add new markets for current hemp products and newly developed hemp products



http://www.equalrights4all.org/bach/Economy.html
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/indust/ECNPAPER.html

History of Marijuana

Marijuana is a drug that is essentially the bud or flower of the Cannabis plant. Cannabis has been around for thousands of years, and has been referenced in writings as early as 2727 B.C. The reasoning behind this is that Cannabis is one of the few, if not the only plant on the planet that yields a drug and a useful and strong fiber. This fiber is called Hemp.
After being used for medicinal purposes in China for hundreds of years, Cannabis is brought to Europe through India and Africa in 500 A.D., where it is primarily grown for the hemp. In 1492 Christopher Columbus brings Cannabis with him to the new world to use the hemp to produce cloth, rope, and paper. Cannabis then went on to become the primary crop that our first president, George Washington grew in Mount Vernon. In 1908 Henry Ford the inventor behind the assembly line, used Hemp plastic make is first Model T Ford. He also uses Hemp ethanol to power it. In 1937 the U.S bans Cannabis in America only to use it in 1942 as truth serum for their prisoners of war. By the early 60's somewhere around a million Americans had tried Marijuana. That number had grown to over 30 million by the early 80's. In the mid 90's Proposition 215 is passed in California which allows the use of Marijuana for medical uses. And although Cannabis remains illegal in the U.S., as it stands now it is the #1 cash crop in the U.S
at $36 Billion.

www.ukcia.org/culture/history/index.php