Making the Case for Medical Marijuana

[Red Arrow]

I agree.  We certainly have enough people with altered brains.

Ed W

In some cases, it's an improvement.

[Ed W]

And if you smoke enough weed, your eyes can do this permanently. It's science.

[dbacksfan 2.0]

And if you smoke enough weed, your eyes can do this permanently. It's science.

It also makes you a great piano player.....

[patric]

DENVER (AP) — Oregon, Alaska and Washington, D.C., voted to legalize recreational marijuana Tuesday. The drug is already legal for people 21 and older in Colorado and Washington, thanks to ballot measures voted on in 2012.

It was a whole new frontier for those states, so here are some hints from the legal weed states on what the new places can expect:

UNCLE SAM IS (MOSTLY) LOOKING THE OTHER WAY

Some expected a federal lawsuit when Washington and Colorado flouted federal drug law, which considers pot illegal for any purpose. But last summer, the U.S. Justice Department said it wouldn't interfere with state marijuana laws as long as the states tightly regulate the drug and make efforts to keep it from children, criminal drug cartels and other states. There have since been isolated federal raids on pot businesses in Colorado, but no widespread federal crackdown on the industry in either state.

LEGAL POT BRINGS IN SOME GREEN

Pro-marijuana advocates predicted that legal weed would be a huge windfall for Washington and Colorado. Marijuana opponents predicted the drug would prove a drain on state finances because of higher law enforcement costs. Both sides were wrong. Colorado is on track to bring in some $84 million this year from medical and recreational pot taxes and fees. Washington by some estimates will it bring in more than $50 million between 2015 and 2017. That's not chump change, but in the mix of multibillion-dollar state budgets, legal pot isn't exactly a game-changer.

LEGALIZATION MEANS NEW THINGS BECOME ILLEGAL

Washington and Colorado both had to create a raft of new crimes when pot became legal. That's because when weed was illegal for all, there was no such thing as, say, the crime of providing weed to someone under 21. The new legal weed states will need hundreds of pages of new ordinances governing how and where marijuana can be produced, sold and consumed.

MORE DRIVERS MAY TEST POSITIVE FOR WEED

Colorado and Washington both have seen an uptick in drivers testing positive for marijuana. But traffic fatalities in both states are down. Marijuana proponents and opponents argue about whether the increase is a result of more testing, or whether more folks are driving high. There's still no widely available roadside pot test similar to an alcohol breath test, though saliva tests are in development. Convictions for driving stoned in Colorado and Washington for now rely on blood tests.

NOT CLEAR WHETHER OVERALL POT USE GOES UP

Though it's been two years since Colorado and Washington legalized weed, it's too soon to say whether more people are using it. That's because drug use is gauged by survey responses, so changes take time to show up in public health metrics. All eyes will be on 2015's "Monitoring The Future" survey, a federal youth assessment of risky behaviors. Next year's is the first post-legalization survey to include state-specific data. Both states have increased marijuana-related admissions to hospitals and substance abuse treatment facilities, but marijuana remains a small fraction of admissions.

PEOPLE STILL DRINK

Some wondered whether widely available pot would have people replacing cocktails with joints. But according to alcohol-tax receipts in both states, legal weed appears to have little impact on how much alcohol people drink.

[Vashta Nerada]

Oklahoma's cannabis debate: Battling confusion
A special report on the 10-year-old Oklahoma girl who's inspiring one lawmaker to go way outside his comfort zone--- to push for the legalization of medical cannabis.

http://www.fox23.com/videos/news/oklahomas-cannabis-debate-battling-confusion/vC2M4f/








Meanwhile, Curbing New York City's Low-Level Marijuana Arrests is really only window dressing.

"This new policy will reduce unnecessary arrests for minor marijuana possession and put an end to an era where many of young New Yorkers were being arrested and saddled with criminal records for minor violations," Mayor de Blasio said in a statement. De Blasio said the change would direct police resources "towards more serious crime" and not waste "officer time processing unnecessary arrests."

New York City has been called the marijuana arrest capital of the world, even though New York state technically decriminalized possessing less than 25 grams of the drug in 1977. Currently, someone caught passing a joint to a friend is considered a drug dealer.

The decriminalization law was intended to affect people carrying small amounts in a pocket or backpack, for example. Since the 1990s however, NYPD officers have routinely compelled black and Latino New Yorkers during stop-and-frisk encounters to empty their pockets. When marijuana comes into "public view," the person can be charged with a misdemeanor.
"Real reform requires an end to unlawful searches, since they are a main driver of unlawful marijuana arrests."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/10/new-york-city-marijuana-arrests_n_6136686.html

[heironymouspasparagus]

Oklahoma's cannabis debate: Battling confusion
A special report on the 10-year-old Oklahoma girl who's inspiring one lawmaker to go way outside his comfort zone--- to push for the legalization of medical cannabis.


Meanwhile, Curbing New York City's Low-Level Marijuana Arrests is really only window dressing.

Amazing hypocrisy from that guy!  Truly breath-taking!

So NOW....that it affects HIM directly....THEN all of a sudden, he is a convert.... It's HIS niece now!  Well, she could just go to Colorado like everyone else has to.  But it would then mean HIS family has to deal with the associated hardships!  And that would be wrong....they are really THAT much more special than everyone else!   I bet he has been against even doing research on the topic until right now!!

He is trying to pick out one little piece of it for his niece - as evidenced by saying "that larger debate needs to wait" - the debate on compounds with higher levels of THC.  It's important to do this now for his niece!

That is the prevalent and most pervasive "sense of entitlement" in this country - NOT people on Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid!!  And we just keep on electing them...over and over and over.



His info....
http://www.okhouse.gov/district.aspx?District=90

[heironymouspasparagus]

I just saw something in another area of the matrix that now has me very concerned and rethinking my support of the whole marijuana issue.  It was a warning to Santa to NOT eat the cookies or brownies in Colorado or Washington!  This could have major catastrophic consequences - depending on his travel path, he might not make it here!!  This could be terrible!!  What have we wrought upon our world??

[patric]

I just saw something in another area of the matrix that now has me very concerned and rethinking my support of the whole marijuana issue.  It was a warning to Santa to NOT eat the cookies or brownies in Colorado or Washington!  This could have major catastrophic consequences - depending on his travel path, he might not make it here!!  This could be terrible!!  What have we wrought upon our world??

Was it the same people that used their grant money to warn frightened parents that medical marijuana users would be giving out all their expensive edible candy to trick-or-treaters?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/01/halloween-marijuana-fears/18339489/

[heironymouspasparagus]

Was it the same people that used their grant money to warn frightened parents that medical marijuana users would be giving out all their expensive edible candy to trick-or-treaters?

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/11/01/halloween-marijuana-fears/18339489/

Naw...this was one of the elves giving Santa a "heads up"....

[patric]

Naw...this was one of the elves giving Santa a "heads up"....

Faces of Cannabis

http://faceofcannabis.wordpress.com

Its not what you think.

[patric]

Oklahoma native revolutionizing medical marijuana
http://www.fox23.com/news/news/local/oklahoma-native-revolutionizing-medical-marijuana/nh7ZG/

"Yes, you need to make sure this doesn't get into the hands of criminal organizations. Yes, you need to make sure that this product doesn't make people sicker ... because of molds, contaminants, pesticides. There needs to be oversight. But the oversight doesn't need to be scared," he said.

He has a vision for Oklahoma.
"We can create more jobs; we can stop feeding the prison system," he said.

[heironymouspasparagus]

Faces of Cannabis

http://faceofcannabis.wordpress.com

Its not what you think.

What a beautiful bunch of babies!!  

Very good friend grew up having seizures from epilepsy.  Sometimes better controlled than others....  Our group was always very protective - at that time, epilepsy was still considered as "satanic possession" by way too many people in northeast Oklahoma who should have known better....  Always thought she could have been helped by taking a hit from time to time.

And yet today, we still have TRUE evil in this world - in this country - that will deny even allowing research on the substance, let alone use in applications that have already been shown to have tremendous effect and help!!  Forcing these innocent babies to suffer for NO reason other than the incarnation of their own satanic possession!!

And I don't even believe in satanic possession....



And on a related note - Kurt Glassco won re-election to his judgeship.  Says volumes on what people in this district really want - they want behind the scene deals for attempted murder - as long as they are white guys with all the connection benefits that being on the "inside" with all their buddy cronies with connections to the DA's office and the "movers and shakers" around town.  Had it been a poor black guy, what would assault with a deadly weapon on a couple of white minors out in suburbia - using an assault weapon SKS - get for a prison term??   10  years "observation" of behavior while they go about their life??  I'm guessing no.....

[patric]

And yet today, we still have TRUE evil in this world - in this country - that will deny even allowing research on the substance, let alone use in applications that have already been shown to have tremendous effect and help

[heironymouspasparagus]

"Smooth....."


One on left lied....she has smoked before...!!

[patric]

Yes it's an ad, just go with it.