Eureka!!!!

[aoxamaxoa]

"The town will vote on whether to make marijuana the lowest enforcement priority. "

http://www.tulsaworld.com/NewsStory.asp?ID=061015_Ne_A15_Conse64118

Tulsa should follow suit. It would make us more attractive to young professionals. It might help law enforcement here too....

[aoxamaxoa]

That's absurd. The employees already do that....get real.

[RecycleMichael]

I thought Eureka Springs was in the Ozark Mountains, not the Smoky Mountains.

[DM]

Wasn't alcohol illegal for a while too? Hmmm. I agree that it is a crime. But it should have a low priority since things like alcohol are more addictive and cause more health issues and are legal.

But just like drinking alcohol on the job, you would still get fired for it. Same rules would still apply.

[aoxamaxoa]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

quote:Originally posted by aoxamaxoa

That's absurd. The employees already do that....get real.

i see, so when everyone does something that is illegal, that suddenly makes it ok?

I know, lets everyone start killing people, then when enough of us are doing it, that will make it ok.

Ever wonder what it was like during prohibition?

And I recall my parents going out to the Branding Iron to gamble and drink back in the late 50's.

Now look. Alcohol does more damage than any other drug sans meth. And gambling is an evolving epidemic. Pot is not the same. I do not know anyone who has killed themselves on grass. It needs to have a lower priority in the list of naughty.

Have you ever heard of civil disobedience? Some engage just because they like confronting ridiculous laws.

[DM]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

i just love how quick people bring alchohol into a pot discussion. i could almost time it with a stopwatch.  how come pot proponents cant argue pot on its own merits?

How is it different?

[aoxamaxoa]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

i just love how quick people bring alchohol into a pot discussion. i could almost time it with a stopwatch.  how come pot proponents cant argue pot on its own merits?

Who said anything about the merits of pot. We are discussing proportioanality and fairness. You know liberty and freedom. Maybe you don't.

[aoxamaxoa]

Who's being the victim in pot prohibition?

Personally, I would prefer to see the laws remain in force. Satan forbid we let the tobacco companies take the lead.

Best solution is a lower priority and more acceptance as we've seen with the medical community and in Eureka, California, New York, Washington, and Colorado.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by inteller

i just love how quick people bring alchohol into a pot discussion.

Not apparently as fast as someone equating it to legalizing murder.

Was that a (ahem) smokescreen?   []

[Rico]

quote:Originally posted by inteller


in order to gain legitimacy and "fairness" you have to have better reasons other than "everybody does it" and "its not as bad as alchohol".  

You don't gain liberty and freedom "just because".  That's a typical demand from today's entitlement generation.

You could apply those lame excuses to a myriad of things...speeding, prostitution, etc.  However the cops still crack down on all of them equally because a sin is a sin and a crime is a crime.

Furthermore, all those "pot arrests" "filling up prisons" are not there just because of pot.  Mary jane possession is one of many charges those people are usually charged with.

Sir,
You wanted examples that would bring the item "legitamacy"........

The following from a Canadian Medical Journal regarding testing of a product that experts say could replace "Prozac"... in the not so distant future..




New antidepressant drug increases 'brain's own cannabis'
This press release is also available in French.

Researchers have discovered a new drug that raises the level of endocannabinoids--the 'brain's own cannabis'--providing anti-depressant effects. The new research published in this week's Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), suggests the new drug, called URB597, could represent a safer alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression, and open the door to new and improved treatments for clinical depression--a condition that affects around 20% of Canadians.

In preclinical laboratory tests researchers found that URB597 increased the production of endocannabinoids by blocking their degradation, resulting in measurable antidepressant effects. "This is the first time it has been shown that a drug that increases endocannabinoids in the brain can improve your mood," says the lead investigator Dr. Gabriella Gobbi, an MUHC and Universit� de Montr�al researcher.

Endocannabinoids are chemicals released by the brain under certain conditions, like exercise; they stimulate specific brain receptors that can trigger feelings of well-being. The researchers, which included scientists from the University of California at Irvine, were able to measure serotonin and noradrenaline activity as a result of the increased endocannabinoids, and also conducted standard experiments to gauge the 'mood' of their subjects and confirm their findings.

"The results were similar to the effect we might expect from the use of commonly prescribed antidepressants, which are effective on only around 30% of the population," explains Dr. Gobbi. "Our discovery strengthens the case for URB597 as a safer, non-addictive, non-psychotropic alternative to cannabis for the treatment of pain and depression and provides hope for the development of an alternate line of antidepressants, with a wider range of effectiveness."

Cannabis has been known for its anti-depressant and pain-relief effects for many years, but the addictive nature and general health concerns of cannabis use make this drug far from ideal as a medical treatment. The active ingredient in cannabis--THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol)--stimulates cannabinoid receptors.

Funding for this study was provided by the Fonds de la Recherche en Sant� du Qu�bec (FRSQ), the Canadian Psychiatric Research Foundation (CPRF), the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and an MUHC fellowship.


Good Day....!


[}:)]

[MH2010]

Just FYI......

Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States. A dry, shredded green/brown mix of flowers, stems, seeds, and leaves of the plant Cannabis sativa, it usually is smoked as a cigarette (joint, nail), or in a pipe (bong). It also is smoked in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with marijuana, often in combination with another drug. It might also be mixed in food or brewed as a tea. As a more concentrated, resinous form it is called hashish and, as a sticky black liquid, hash oil. Marijuana smoke has a pungent and distinctive, usually sweet-and-sour odor.(1)

The main active chemical in marijuana is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). The membranes of certain nerve cells in the brain contain protein receptors that bind to THC. Once securely in place, THC kicks off a series of cellular reactions that ultimately lead to the high that users experience when they smoke marijuana.(2)

CONTROL STATUS

Marijuana is a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

SHORT-TERM EFFECTS

When marijuana is smoked, its effects begin immediately after the drug enters the brain and last from 1 to 3 hours. If marijuana is consumed in food or drink, the short-term effects begin more slowly, usually in 1/2 to 1 hour, and last longer, for as long as 4 hours. Smoking marijuana deposits several times more THC into the blood than does eating or drinking the drug.(4)

Within a few minutes after inhaling marijuana smoke, an individual's heart begins beating more rapidly, the bronchial passages relax and become enlarged, and blood vessels in the eyes expand, making the eyes look red. The heart rate, normally 70 to 80 beats per minute, may increase by 20 to 50 beats per minute or, in some cases, even double. This effect can be greater if other drugs are taken with marijuana.(5)

As THC enters the brain, it causes a user to feel euphoric— or "high"—by acting in the brain's reward system, areas of the brain that respond to stimuli such as food and drink as well as most drugs of abuse. THC activates the reward system in the same way that nearly all drugs of abuse do, by stimulating brain cells to release the chemical dopamine.(6)

A marijuana user may experience pleasant sensations, colors and sounds may seem more intense, and time appears to pass very slowly. The user's mouth feels dry, and he or she may suddenly become very hungry and thirsty. His or her hands may tremble and grow cold. The euphoria passes after awhile, and then the user may feel sleepy or depressed. Occasionally, marijuana use produces anxiety, fear, distrust, or panic.(7)

LONG-TERM EFFECTS

Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers do, such as daily cough and phlegm production, more frequent acute chest illnesses, a heightened risk of lung infections, and a greater tendency toward obstructed airways. Cancer of the respiratory tract and lungs may also be promoted by marijuana smoke. Marijuana has the potential to promote cancer of the lungs and other parts of the respiratory tract because marijuana smoke contains 50 percent to 70 percent more carcinogenic hydrocarbons than does tobacco smoke.(

Marijuana's damage to short-term memory seems to occur because THC alters the way in which information is processed by the hippocampus, a brain area responsible for memory formation. In one study, researchers compared marijuana smoking and nonsmoking 12th-graders' scores on standardized tests of verbal and mathematical skills. Although all of the students had scored equally well in 4th grade, those who were heavy marijuana smokers, i.e., those who used marijuana seven or more times per week, scored significantly lower in 12th grade than nonsmokers. Another study of 129 college students found that among heavy users of marijuana critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning were significantly impaired, even after they had not used the drug for at least 24 hours.(9)

TRAFFICKING TRENDS

Overall marijuana production in Mexico--the principal source of foreign-produced marijuana to U.S. drug markets appears to be increasing. Mexico marijuana production estimates indicate that production in Mexico was relatively low from 2000 through 2002 during a period of drought, increased sharply in 2003 as weather improved, and receded slightly in 2004 (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Table 5). Moreover, anecdotal reporting and cannabis eradication and marijuana seizure data all indicate that marijuana production in Canada has recently increased, perhaps significantly. Domestic marijuana production also appears to be increasing, according to law enforcement reporting that reveals a significant increase in eradication of domestic marijuana grow sites in 2005. Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program (DCE/SP) data indicate that domestic cannabis eradication--occurring primarily in California, Kentucky, Tennessee, Hawaii, and Washington, often on public lands including Forest Service lands (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Figure 2)--increased steadily from 2000 through 2003, decreased in 2004, and increased sharply to its highest recorded level in 2005. (10)

Most of the foreign-produced marijuana available in the United States is smuggled into the country from Mexico via the U.S.-Mexico border by Mexican DTOs and criminal groups; however, a sharp rise in marijuana smuggling from Canada via the U.S.-Canada border by Asian criminal groups has increased the domestic availability of marijuana produced in Canada.(11)

Mexican criminal groups control most wholesale marijuana distribution throughout the United States; however, Asian criminal groups appear to be increasing their position as wholesale distributors of Canada-produced marijuana. According to law enforcement reporting, Mexican DTOs and criminal groups control most wholesale marijuana distribution in the Great Lakes, Pacific, Southeast, Southwest, and West Central Regions and control much of the wholesale marijuana distribution in the Northeast Region. Although Asian criminal groups are not the predominant wholesale marijuana distributors in any region, these groups, particularly Chinese and Vietnamese groups, now are widely identified in law enforcement reporting as the principal suppliers of high potency, Canada-produced marijuana throughout the country.(12)

The influence of Asian criminal groups in high potency marijuana distribution is likely to increase in the near term. Law enforcement reporting indicates that these groups are increasingly gaining control over much of the high potency marijuana production and distribution in Canada and now appear to be extending their influence in the United States. In fact, law enforcement reporting indicates that the influence of Asian organizations in drug trafficking--particularly the trafficking of high potency marijuana--in the United States is now more significant than that of Russian-Israeli, Jamaican, or Puerto Rican criminal groups.(13)

Marijuana distribution is widespread throughout the country, as evidenced by the presence of 14 principal distribution centers for the drug, one or more of which are located in nearly every region of the country (see 2006 National Drug Threat Assessment, Appendix A, Map 6). Much of the midlevel and retail distribution of marijuana in these and other cities is controlled by African American, Asian, and Hispanic street gangs; however, independent dealers control most midlevel and retail marijuana distribution in smaller communities and rural areas. In fact, independent dealers are likely to retain control of distribution in smaller communities because they often distribute locally produced marijuana rather than foreign-produced marijuana.(14)

USE/USER POPULATION

Among students surveyed as part of the 2005 Monitoring the Future study, 16.5% of eighth graders, 34.1% of tenth graders, and 44.8% of twelfth graders reported lifetime use of marijuana. In 2004, these percentages were 16.3%, 35.1%, and 45.7%, respectively.(15)

Approximately 74% of eighth graders, 65.5% of tenth graders, and 58% of twelfth graders surveyed in 2005 reported that smoking marijuana regularly was a "great risk."(16)

The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveys high school students on several risk factors including drug and alcohol use. Results of the 2005 survey indicate that 38.4% of high school students reported using marijuana at some point in their lifetimes. Additional YRBS results indicate that 20.2% of students surveyed in 2005 reported current (past month) use of marijuana.(17)

Between 2001 and 2005, marijuana use dropped in all three categories: lifetime (13%), past year (15%) and 30-day use (19%). Current marijuana use decreased 28% among 8th graders (from 9.2% to 6.6%), and 23% among 10th graders (from 19.8% to 15.2%).(18)

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ARRESTS/SENTENCING

Between October 1, 2004 and January 11, 2005, there were 1,777 Federal offenders sentenced for marijuana-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 94.9% of the cases involved marijuana trafficking. Between January 12, 2005 and September 30, 2005, there were 4,396 Federal offenders sentenced for marijuana-related charges in U.S. Courts. Approximately 95.8% of the cases involved trafficking.(19)

Sources:
1-2. National Institute on Drug Abuse, InfoFacts: Marijuana, April 2006
3. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Marijuana Street Terms
4-7. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Report Series—Marijuana Abuse, July 2005
8-9. National Institute on Drug Abuse, Research Report Series—Marijuana Abuse, October 2001.
10-14. National Drug Intelligence Center, National Drug Threat Assessment 2006.
15-16. National Institute on Drug Abuse and University of Michigan, Monitoring the Future 2005 Data From In-School Surveys of 8th-, 10th-, and 12th-Grade Students, December 2005
17. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2005, June 2006
18. Monitoring the Future, 2005. Supplemented by information from the Office of National Drug Control Policy press release on the 2005 MTF Survey, December 19, 2005
19. United States Sentencing Commission, 2005 Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics, June 2006


As far as legalization goes.......

http://www.jointogether.org/news/headlines/inthenews/2001/supreme-court-rules-against-3.html

and

http://www.dea.gov/pubs/pressrel/pr060602.html

[waterboy]

I'm guessing you're not in support of decreased enforcement of marijuana laws? Wouldn't blame you as you most likely see its negative results first hand.

This part of the quoted study was very significant for those who feel its a harmless drug...."Our discovery strengthens the case for URB597 as a safer, non-addictive, non-psychotropic alternative to cannabis".

You sophisticated young'uns will get a kick out of this story. Once as a youth, a "friend" of mine I visited in OKC thought it would be funny to let me consume some of her "Alice B. Toklas" brownies. I was too nerdy to know what they were. Halfway back to Tulsa on the turnpike they kicked in. I thought I was mentally breaking down or being scanned by aliens! It was good stuff alright, it nearly caused me to wreck my car. Had to pull over and switch drivers while I slept it off. Don't try to tell me it isn't as bad as alcohol. It doesn't deserve prison time but it isn't harmless.

[patric]

quote:Originally posted by MH2010

Schedule I drugs are classified as having a high potential for abuse, no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States, and a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision.

Ive often wondered why Nicotine wasnt in this classification, given the harm it does.
IMHO, it's certainly deserving, as ive never encountered anyone predisposed to chemical abuse who's precursor wasnt cigarettes.

[Conan71]

Did anyone else see the humor in the Tulsa Whirled headline: "Conservative tourist town ponders pot initiative".

Eureka is anything but "conservative".

[sgrizzle]

Isn't it Eureka SPRINGS?

And yeah, it's about as conservative as Kucinich.