Marblehead startup seeks to unlock secrets of cannabis

By Carolyn Y. Johnson
from: http://articles.boston.com/

It’s a plant more commonly associated with lava lamps and Pink Floyd than cutting-edge science. But today, a small Marblehead company plans to post online the hundreds of millions of letters of DNA that make up Cannabis sativa in a first step toward truly understanding and enhancing marijuana’s therapeutic potential.
For years, Kevin McKernan built genome sequencing technologies - powerful tools designed to provide insights into cancer and potential treatments.

But when desperate friends with cancer forwarded studies of medical marijuana’s use, he became intrigued. Earlier this summer, he founded Medicinal Genomics, a small firm that will partner with pharmaceutical companies to explore compounds made by the plant.

It’s not what most people would think - or what most stoners might hope. Medicinal Genomics might, for example, use insights from the plant’s genetic blueprint to create a plant that produces more of certain compounds, such as cannabidiol, which shows promise in early cancer studies - and even look at reducing the amount of THC, which gives the plant its psychoactive effects.

“The genetics were poorly understood,’’ McKernan said.

The company ultimately plans to sequence more than a dozen Cannabis species. This fall, Medicinal Genomics will launch an iPad app providing access to the data.

McKernan acknowledged that by making the information public, someone might try to use the genetic code to brew more potent pot. But not him, he swears. He’s only interested in marijuana for its medicinal value.

“Our goal is to help people,’’ he said.

Carolyn Y. Johnson

Was Shakespeare a stoner?

From: http://www.mnn.com/

An anthropologist has petitioned the Church of England to open William Shakespeare's grave for forensic analysis, but some are skeptical about what sort of information could be uncovered.

By LiveScience

Image: Wikimedia Commons

A South African anthropologist has asked permission to open the graves of William Shakespeare and his family to determine, among other things, what killed the Bard and whether his poems and plays may have been composed under the influence of marijuana.

 

But while Shakespeare's skeleton could reveal clues about his health and death, the question of the man's drug use depends on the presence of hair, fingernails or toenails in the grave, said Francis Thackeray, the director of the Institute for Human Evolution at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, who floated the proposal to the Church of England.

Thackeray conducted a study in 2001, which found evidence of marijuana residue on pipe fragments found in Shakespeare's garden. Cannabis was grown in England at the time and was used to make textiles and rope. Some Shakespearian allusions, including a mention of a "noted weed" in Sonnet 76, spurred Thackeray's inquiry into whether Shakespeare may have used the mind-altering drug for inspiration.

"If there is any hair, if there is any keratin from the fingernails or toenails, then we will be in a position to undertake chemical analysis on extremely small samples for marijuana," Thackeray told LiveScience.

A poet's curse

Whether or not Shakespeare smoked pot, he certainly didn't want his remains disrupted. The stone covering the poet's grave carries an engraved curse for any would-be intruders.

"Blessed be the man that spares these stones," the engraving reads, "And cursed be he who moves my bones." [8 Grisly Archaeological Discoveries]

Thackeray said he has a way around the Bard's curse.

"We don't want to move any of the bones," he said.

Instead, Thackeray said, the team plans to use a technique called laser surface scanning. With a portable device, he said, the anthropologists can open the graves and digitally scan the skeletons of buried in the graves that are supposed to belong to Shakespeare, his wife Anne Hathaway and his daughter Susanna without moving the bones. The scans could then be turned into three-dimensional computer models of the bones and skulls. From this information, the researchers can build facial reconstructions to confirm the skeletons' identities and look for markers of health and signs of disease in the bones.

Thackeray also pointed out a loophole in Shakespeare's curse.

"He does not refer to teeth," he said.

A very small sample of the inner portion of Shakespeare's tooth could provide DNA to definitively link him to the skeletons of his wife and daughter, Thackeray said. Chemical analysis of teeth can also reveal details about a person's diet as well as their smoking habits, though not whether he preferred tobacco or Mary Jane. Skeletons from Virginia of people who lived during Shakespeare's time show grooves between the canine and incisor teeth from habitual chewing on a pipe, Thackeray said. If Shakespeare was a habitual smoker, his own teeth might bear such grooves.

Digging up Shakespeare

A Church of England spokesperson told FoxNews.com last week that they had not received a petition from Thackeray to open the grave, which is located in the Church of the Holy Trinity in Stratford-upon-Avon. But Thackeray said the paperwork is in.

"The application has been submitted," he told LiveScience. "We are now just simply waiting for a formal response. … We respect the fact that it will take time to have our proposal examined and assessed."

Uncovering Shakespeare's bones could provide more information about the man behind "Hamlet" and "King Lear"than ever before, Thackeray said, adding that "there is very little known about his life."

But other anthropologists are skeptical. Analyzing the skeleton could reveal whether Shakespeare had certain conditions such as osteoporosis, Kristina Killgrove, a professor of anthropology at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, told LiveScience. But determining cause of death is more difficult, unless the disease or disorder is one that affects the bones, she said.

And while the public may clamor for more information on historical icons, the scientific knowledge gleaned from such projects doesn't always add much to what is already known about an era, Killgrove said.

"I'm not a big fan of opening up the tombs of Mona Lisa or Shakespeare to see how they died," she said. "I'm not really sure what it will tell us other than the lifestyle of somebody in Elizabethan England."

Big Day For Medical Marijuana in Mass?

by Chris Faraone

0

From : http://thephoenix.com/

It's hard to make stoner jokes about this week's hearing for House Bill 625 (and corresponding Senate Bill 1161), which would “regulate the medical use of marijuana by patients approved by physicians and certified by the department of public health.” Sure some token pot smokers were on hand at the Massachusetts Statehouse, sporting homemade jewelry and Rasta head wraps for their testimonies before the Joint Committee on Public Health. But the pachouli stench was overpowered by compelling words from folks who need weed just to stand up and hold down food.

Select Massachusetts legislators have been trying to sanction medical grass for decades, according to veteran Amherst senator Stanley Rosenberg, a lead sponsor of the Senate bill. Still for a number of reasons, the commonwealth has yet to deliver for its most vulnerable citizens. Despite marijuana decriminalization, and reduced risk for those carrying less than one ounce, anyone caught growing cannabis faces severe penalties. To medical marijuana advocates, that's unacceptable.

Bolstering the state's most sophisticated push for prescription weed yet – 27 legislators co-sponsored the House bill – more than 80 citizens filled hearing room A-1 for several hours of testimony yesterday. Setting the tone, Brookline representative (and lead House sponsor) Frank Smizik described the measure – formally known as the Massachusetts Medical Marijuana Act – as a matter of “compassion,” explaining the obvious but oft-ignored fact that trees are less harmful than most legal drugs.

Anyone interested in the detailed mechanics of the bills should read them in full. But for the sake of clarity here are some basic elements:

-First and foremost, this is an “act to protect patients with debilitating medical conditions, as well as their practitioners and designated caregivers, from arrest and prosecution.” In other words: THIS IS NOT FULL-OUT LEGALIZE AND TAX LEGISLATION!!!

-This bill would set up a marijuana prescription and dispensary system similar to those currently in 13 other states, including neighboring Maine and Rhode Island. If passed, however, there won't be a might-as-well-be-legal free-for-all like in California, but rather a maximum of 19 licensed (and heavily regulated) medical treatment centers statewide.

-These medical treatment centers will be not-for-profit entities that are permitted to “acquire, possess, cultivate, manufacture, deliver, transfer, transport, supply, sell, and/or dispense marijuana” to qualifying patients and other approved cardholders like primary caregivers and treatment workers.

-In order to obtain a marijuana card from the Department of Public Health, patients must get written certification from a licensed practitioner (just like any other prescription drug). Qualifying ailments include cancer, glaucoma, and post traumatic stress disorder.

-Qualified patients (and their caregivers) can either use not-for-profit resources, or grow marijuana on their own (cardholders can legally possess up to 24 plants, and between four and eight ounces of smokable weed).

Presentations to the joint committee ranged from fact-filled to frightening, with one bill proponent pleading – while holding up two soda can-sized pill bottles – “What are you saying? That I either have to take these or break the law? Why should I be a junkie just so I don't have to be in pain?” Another gentleman, testifying from his wheelchair, spoke through a computer on account of his suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease. “I can't function without it,” he said, explaining how weed relaxes his his nerve and muscle spasms. “But I don't want to go to jail for it.”

Some legislators seemed to get it. Medford representative Carl Sciortino, who sits on the committee and co-sponsored H625, even pressed a bill opponent to justify claims that marijuana is a gateway drug. Joint committee co-chair and Jamaica Plain representative Jeffrey Sanchez also showed a sincere understanding, asking questions that demonstrated an apparent commitment to advancing meaningful reform.

Other lawmakers, however, gave insight into why Mass has yet to make this happen. Lincoln senator Susan Fargo suggested the potential benefits of THC alternatives. Worcester senator Harriette Chandler touted the testimony of former Worcester commissioner of public health Leonard Morse – even though she admittedly missed most of it! One of the few outspoken opponents of H625 in the room, Morse rejects this particular measure on grounds that doctors don't know enough about weed.

Others in the packed conference room took issue with the House and Senate bills for other reasons. Attorney Steven Epstein, who founded the Massachusetts chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (MassCann/NORML) 20 years ago, believes H625 is unconstitutional on grounds that “people have the right to self-medicate.” He's also skeptical of the bill's livelihood, since powerful law enforcement officials are lobbying hard against marijuana prohibition. (It should be noted that legislators heard powerful testimony from members of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), who hopefully convinced some that the war on drugs is a sham).

But for most people in the crowded room, it's too risky to hold out for legalized weed. “This is an issue of life and death for a lot of people,” said Erik Wunderlich, a board member of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, in an interview outside of the conference room. A chronic pain sufferer whose wife also has severe ailments, Wunderlich says there are countless people who count on marijuana just to make their final days tolerable. “This is not about getting high. This is about social justice.”

Montel Williams Opens High-End Marijuana Dispensary

By Steve Elliott
From http://www.tokeofthetown.com/

Photo: CBS Sacramento

Montel Williams: "Why are we treating patients who seek out this medication like they're some lesser member of society?"

​Former talk show host Montel Williams lent his star power to the grand opening of a high-end medical marijuana dispensary in Sacramento, California, that aims to "set a new standard" for patients who choose to use cannabis.

Williams, a daytime TV host for 17 years, said he uses medical marijuana to relieve the pain of multiple sclerosis but has seen the need for more professional distribution of the herb, reports CBS Sacramento.

"You see people standing around, sticking their nose into things," Williams unfortunately said. "I don't go to CVS to pick up an individual Vicodin."

Photo: CBS Sacramento

Inside Montel's new dispensary in Sacramento

​It's sad that Montel felt the need to say such a silly thing about medical marijuana consumers, since there isn't just one "medical marijuana" but many strains with various medicinal uses -- and, of course, as any experienced cannabis shopper knows, "sticking your nose" up to individual buds is one way of assessing exactly what you're dealing with.

Of course, if knowledgeable cannabis consumers are prevented from inspecting the marijuana they're about to buy at Montel's place, they'll just go down the street to the next dispensary.

But Montel's a smart guy -- my guess is he'll figure it out before he runs his customers off. And I'm guessing he'll also figure out that "high end" means having the most potent strains, not the highest prices. We'll see!

In any event, Montel's new dispensary, Abatin (I think "Montel's" would have been a much better name, but not nearly as French), is in a sleek location that, according to CBS Sacramento, "looks more like an office for a high end plastic surgeon," and Williams hopes that professional appearance will "help change perceptions" about medical marijuana patients.

"Why are we treating patients who seek out this medication like they're some lesser member of society?" Williams asked. "We could set a new standard, not just for Sacramento, not just for California, not just for the other 16 states that allow it now and the District of Columbia, but also for the world."

Williams said he chose Sacramento for the venture because of its history at the front of medical marijuana advocacy.

"Why not come to where the home of the movement began?" he said, undoubtedly raising a lot of questions up in San Francisco.

Williams is serving as a "consultant" for Abatin and said he hopes to open several similar dispensaries across the country.

Let's hope he at least lays off insulting medical marijuana shoppers if he plans to stay in the business.

History of WEED

Uploaded by SHOWTIME on Aug 12, 2009

Going all the way back to 8000 B.C, Weeds presents another look at the history of cannabis. New episodes Monday at 10PM ET/PT. Music is "Go Meet the Seed" by "Thee Oh Sees."

The Stoner Bucket List: 20 things to do for 4/20

Posted by Chris Spags
From: http://guyism.com/

This Wednesday is the biggest day for pot smokers everywhere, an international celebration for lovers of cannabis the world over. But it can be difficult to figure out how to make your 4/20 different than any other day so we’re providing you with this Stoner Bucket List of things do to this 4/20 (or any day, really).

20 Use a vaporizer to get high

We’ll start it off easy for you guys. 4/20 is a celebration of pot culture and nothing out there screams “I know my way around a bowl” quite like a high end vaporizer. Whether it’s a Volcano or some contraption you got off Amazon that looks vaguely like Johnny-5 from “Short Circuit”, the vape high is a different feeling, and one everyone should try once.

19 Build a giant “Scooby Doo”-esque sandwich

Scooby Doo and Shaggy were, as far as I can tell, the first and biggest potheads ever captured in animation. So what better way to celebrate 4/20 than embrace their ways? Grab twenty slices of bread, your favorite cold cuts and condiments, get high enough that you can pretend your dog can talk, and eat away. Even if the sandwich sucks, at least you’ll have an awesome homemade version of Jenga to play.

18 Buy your pot from the shadiest spot imaginable

Yes, when most traditional media outlets cover marijuana in a positive light, they act like the only way people smoke pot is from purchases in legal medicinal places with a license. Fun fact: Most states don’t allow that. So live on the edge and eschew your friendly neighborhood pot dealer. The weed may be heinous and smell like a bonsai tree, but at least you could feel like you were living in “The Wire” for just one hour.

17 Hit up a Bob Marley cover band show

The patron saint of pot may have passed away a long time ago but his music lives on through not only his albums, but countless cover bands across the nation. In Southern Cali? Try to find the One Drop Redemption. In Dallas? Maybe the Island Boogie Steel Drum Band will move you. It’s the closest you can get to the real thing without a time machine or a lot of planning repeated watchings of “Weekend at Bernie’s”.

16 Watch five classic stoner movies in one sitting

There’s nothing better after a nice hit than lounging around and zoning out on something entertaining. So why not use this time to pick out five of the best stoner movies you haven’t seen (or have seen and adored) and hit them all in one night? At a certain point, it even becomes a challenge within a challenge. Sure, watching “Still Smokin’” seemed like a good idea at 8PM, but when you’re four movies and three bowls in and fighting to stay conscious, it becomes the ultimate test of will. “E.T. The Extra Testicle” loses its charms a bit.

15 Paint or draw a picture while high

This seems like some “Oh, I’m an artist…let me CREATE” type of thing, I know. But who hasn’t loved painting or even fingerpainting at some point in their lives? The point of this exercise is to do awesome things you wouldn’t normally do sober. So screw it, go get some crafts, get baked, and embrace your inner Picasso. Your horse looks more like a giraffe but hey, you made that bizarro horse-giraffe monstrosity. Cherish it.

14 Eat a pot brownie or, for the advanced, a fancy pot dessert treat

Again, another basic one. But if you haven’t done this one and you fancy yourself a smoker, you probably need to cross this one off your list early. Make sure to find a quality recipe though: it’s a thin line between “Awesome, I’m really high and eating a delicious brownie” and “Oh God, I think I can see the future and this brownie tastes like sugary dirt.”

13 Smoke within 100 feet of a police station

Reckless? Perhaps. But if you’re one of those politically active “the government needs to stop overregulating our bodies” types of smokers, what more ballsy-yet-passive-aggressive way is there to thumb your nose at the man and his laws? The judge will definitely account for your awesomeness during your trial.

12 Stare at a midget

Okay, this one sounds kind of cruel. And perhaps it is. But you know that classic clip from “The Simpsons” where Otto is so stoned off his ass that he talks about his fingers and their “finging”? That’s sort of what staring at a midget is like. Mentally, you know the little person is just one of the universe’s quirks. But you smoke enough and this becomes a whole metaphysical discussion you haven’t even scratch the surface on.

11 Break out the Gravity Bong

Everyone’s favorite absurd way to smoke up in college needs to be tried at least once. Some say it’s the most potent way to get high. Other say you just look like an a-hole. But either way, it’s an important part of pot culture. Here’s a helpful how-to guide to make your own Gravity Bong this 4/20.

10 Get high on a hot air balloon

Odds are that going into space while high isn’t something you’ll be able to approach in the next decade or two, so why not do the next best thing and get on a hot air balloon ride? Check out the majesty of the earth, say “Wow, everybody looks like ants from up here!” seven hundred and thirty times, and bring your big book of Jules Verne jokes that you’ve been saving up for just such an occasion.

9 Find someone new to smoke kiss

Let’s be real…whether you like pot or not, you have to admit that stoner girls tend to be the coolest girls around. So why not share in common interests you both will share with a smoke kiss? By making out after one of you takes a hit, not only do you get to make out with an attractive girl with a fun side, but you also get high. Putting lipstick on your vaporizer and tongue kissing it is a less recommended replacement.

8 Take someone’s pot virginity

Ah that first smoke. The moment when boys become men and men become…kind of lazy and occasionally paranoid. Even though the urban legend says you can’t get high your first time, there’s nothing better to entertain a long time smoker than to watch a newbie act like they don’t feel anything, only to find themselves passed out on the floor singing the “Facts of Life” theme.

7 Smoke with a relative, preferably an older one

If you’re one of those “cool kids” who grew up with parents in the house who gave them weed and said things like, “Hey, I’d rather you do it here under my supervision,” you can skip this one and punch yourself in the groin. For everyone else, this is one of those things that might seem awkward at first, but could be quite liberating. Plus, now you’ll know who’ll tell you funny stories about getting caught beating it to Farrah Fawcett while you’re celebrating Aunt Ronnie’s 77th birthday.

6 Have sex while high

If you’re enough of a pot smoker to be checking out this list, I’d have to assume you’d have already crashed through this barrier. But if you haven’t, now’s the time to do it. So grab that special guy or gal in your life and let your two bodies become one. Bonus bucket list points for involving extra people, objects, and farm animals.

5 Combine three “classic” stoner foods to form a Megazord snack

Lately, combining foods into new foods is all the rage (see: The Doritos Taco Loco). So why not put on your lab coat and goggles, pick up your favorite stoner foods, and see what you come up with. Want a hot dog covered in Funions and peanut butter? Who’s to say that combination won’t be awesome? Take the leap, put a bunch of stuff together like a buffet with your friends, and go nuts.

4 Get high at a transcendently beautiful location

Light up at Machu Picchu? Take a hit at the Grand Canyon? Hot box before entering the Sears Tower’s Glass Box (pictured left)? The only thing that could make these locations more mind-blowing than they already are is the welcome addition of weed. Just remember: Safety first. By which I mean always wear a condom while getting high and falling into the Grand Canyon. It’s just good manners.

3 See any of those big Vegas shows

Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil or even Criss Angel put on a hell of a show when you’re sober. But the vivid colors and outlandish presentation become an otherworldly event went you’re stoned off your ass. Get your ass on the next plane to Vegas (or whatever town near you has one of their touring companies), smoke up harder than you ever have, and see where the night takes you. And hopefully that’s not somewhere having sex with a flamboyant leprechaun with a French accent.

2 Go to an amusement park of your choice, Disneyland being tops

Anyone who’s been to Disneyland can tell you that the place really lives up to the hype of the “Happiest Place on Earth”. Nowhere else in America can you see people so overcome with joy and fun in one area. And what better way to appreciate that than by sparking up a big bowl before hitting the park? You probably haven’t lived until you’ve been stoned off your ass and sat on one of the talking benches in Cartoon Town without realizing it was going to yell at you. That’s what Roger Rabbit’s life was like every single day.

1 Make the pilgrimage to the mecca of pot, Amsterdam

The snobs out there will say that Amsterdam pot isn’t even the best in Europe or that the region is nothing more than a tourist trap. But fuck the snobs. There’s a reason Amsterdam has become this iconic place in pot culture, enough so that (for better or worse) it’s the first thing that would come to most people’s minds when they hear the city’s name. Get over there, bring your camera so you can remember everything that happens, and go crazy. Not crazy enough to end up in a real life version of “Hostel”, but crazy.

Thanks to Reddit’s /r/trees, Highdeas, and this image for some partial inspiration

Globe Toking: Pot Around the World (Photos)

newsweek.com — A slideshow of how other countries in the world handle marijuana use. The list comprises countries that allow people to use the drug without facing jail time, mandatory drug treatment, or other penalties. 1 day 15 hr ago

Tony Avelar / The Christian Science Monitor-Getty Images

The most marijuana-friendly nations

By Ryan Tracy

Would Proposition 19, the proposal to legalize, tax, and regulate marijuana use in California, have really generated the benefits that its proponents claimed? We may never know. But in theory, the answer is hazy for one main reason: Prop 19 would have gone further than any marijuana law on the books anywhere. The policy would have been revolutionary in the U.S., where marijuana is legal only for medical purposes—and that in just 13 states. But not even the world's pot meccas have legalized and taxed the drug from production to consumption, as Prop 19 would have allowed cities in California to do. Drug-policy experts, though, disagree on whether Prop 19 took the right approach. Do other parts of the world have a more sensible system? We've put together a slideshow of how some other countries in the world handle marijuana use.

Ed Oudenaarden / AFP-Getty Images

Netherlands

Not even Amsterdam, home of the Cannabis Cup, has laws like the ones Prop 19 proposes. Cannabis is illegal in the Netherlands, but the Dutch have decided to fight other types of crime and leave pot smokers, like this one smoking a pipe in Amsterdam, alone. Cops also don't bother "coffee shops" that sell marijuana as long as they follow certain rules, like not selling to minors and not selling "hard" drugs such as cocaine (the Dutch consider marijuana a "soft" drug). Prop 19 would make marijuana legal to use for people over the age of 21, though they could not smoke around minors, in public, or on school grounds. The Netherlands' system for regulating cannabis is similar to what Prop 19 proposes: individual municipalities decide how many marijuana retailers they will tolerate by issuing licenses. Licensed "coffee shops," in turn, have to pay taxes. Prop 19 would allow both those things in the state of California, but it would also permit and tax the commercial production of marijuana, sanctioning an industry that could create a huge supply of legal weed. Commercial marijuana production for recreational use is not legal anywhere on the planet.

Nacho Doce / Reuters-Landov

Portugal

Portugal decriminalized all drug use and possession in 2001, meaning that while using or possessing drugs is not legal, authorities don't punish users as they would a criminal offense, like robbery. When drug users are caught, they must appear before a three-person "dissuasion commission," which might mandate treatment if the person is a repeat offender. Drug dealers can still be prosecuted as criminals. A 2009 report by the libertarian Cato Institute found that drug use did not increase in Portugal after decriminalization, but deaths and disease related to drug use have decreased, perhaps because the government now offers better treatment programs for addicts. For some, decriminalization isn't enough, though: above, a pro-legalization March in Lisbon in 2008.

Andina Agency-Reuters-Landov

Peru

While Peru doesn't allow the sale of marijuana, it has gone further than other nations down the path to legalization. It's legal to possess about a third of an ounce (eight grams) of marijuana for personal use, with no fines, treatment programs, or other consequences. Debate about further legalization continues, though President Alan García has come out against the proposals. And the Peruvians are still making drug busts like the one cops are showing off above, in which they seized marijuana hidden in vuvuzelas at a school in Lima.

Enrique Marcarian / Reuters-Landov

Argentina

Argentina only recently entered the ranks of countries with relatively liberal cannabis policies. Last year a Supreme Court ruling declared that the country's constitution gave "each adult" the right to "make lifestyle decisions without the intervention of the state," paving the way for citizens like this man to grow cannabis plants on a small scale or use drugs. The court overturned convictions of people who had served jail terms for carrying marijuana. The ruling opened the door for the country's government to decriminalize other drugs as well.

Pablo La Rosa / Reuters-Landov

Uruguay

If Argentina is the newest member of the decriminalization club, Uruguay may be the oldest. The nation has never criminalized marijuana for personal use. Its laws have, since 1974, left it up to judges to determine what amount constitutes "personal use" on a case-by-case basis. Still some Uruguayans want more freedom. Above, a man smokes a joint a pro-legalization rally in Montevideo in 2007.

Luis Acosta / AFP-Getty Images

Mexico

In August 2009 Mexico decriminalized possession of small amounts of marijuana and other drugs, including heroin and cocaine. Individuals can possess less than a quarter of an ounce (five grams) of marijuana for personal use, though the law states that if a person is caught with small amounts of drugs on three occasions, he will face mandatory drug treatment. On the first and second occasions, treatment is optional. The decision to focus on treatment and leave drug users unprosecuted came in the midst of a bloody war between drug cartels, but young Mexicans are still organizing pro-legalization rallies, like the one above in September 2010.

www.encod.org

Belgium

Though Belgium has decriminalized marijuana, meaning that possession of up to five grams, or less than a quarter of an ounce, will not lead to a criminal penalty, possession will still net you a fine. The fine of €75 (about $104) is relatively low, however—Luxembourg mandates a fine of €250 for a possessing a small amount of marijuana, and in Spain the fine is €300. Still, pro-legalization rallies, like this one in Antwerp, still attract a crowd. Belgium has made it illegal to smoke in the presence of minors or in public—as California would should Prop 19 pass—but will tolerate personal consumption in private. Belgium treats the cultivation of any more than one plant as a criminal offense.

More...

Marijuana Policy Project: A clean sweep in Massachusetts!

November 3, 2010

A clean sweep in Massachusetts! Yesterday, 18 legislative districts were given the opportunity to let their legislators know that marijuana policy in Massachusetts needs reforming. On ballots across Massachusetts, voters were asked if their state officials should support medical marijuana or taxing and regulating marijuana like alcohol. In all 18 districts, the voters sent a message to Boston. Reform must happen. Nine districts had public policy questions on the ballot asking if medical marijuana should be available to seriously ill residents with a doctor’s recommendation. All nine districts agreed it should be. Nine districts asked if marijuana should be taxed and regulated, like alcohol, as opposed to the current outright prohibition, which creates violence and wastes millions in resources. They all said yes. Although these questions are non-binding, they certainly send a strong message to legislators that reform must happen. Many thanks go out to the various organizations who worked so tirelessly on these PPQs, including the Drug Policy Forum of Massachusetts and MassCann. These organizations have helped amplify your voice, now it’s time to make sure it’s heard in Boston! Thank you kindly for all your support and help. Sincerely, Robert J. Capecchi Legislative Analyst Marijuana Policy Project

Texas Group Offers $10,000 To Disprove Pot Safer Than Alcohol

By Steve Elliott
From: http://www.tokeofthetown.com/

Graphic: Safer Texas Campaign

​The Safer Texas Campaign is offering $10,000 to anyone in Texas who can disprove three statements that demonstrate marijuana is safer than alcohol.

The three claims are:

1. Alcohol is significantly more toxic than marijuana, making death by overdose far more likely with alcohol.

2. The health effects from long-term alcohol consumption cause tens of thousands of more deaths in the U.S. annually than the health effects of the long-term consumption of marijuana.

3. Violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated by alcohol is far more prevalent in the U.S. than violent crime committed by individuals intoxicated with marijuana only.

"We are confident that this $10,000 will not be claimed," said Safer Texas Campaign manager Craig Johnson.

Graphic: Facebook

Figure it out, man.

​ "Marijuana is objectively and unquestionably less harmful than alcohol, and these three statements are representative of that fact," Johnson said. "Alcohol is more toxic than marijuana, more likely to lead to the death of the user -- either by overdose or chronic use -- and more likely to contribute to violence."

"For good measure, alcohol is also more addictive than marijuana," Johnson said. "As we consider whether to reform our marijuana laws, it is important that the people of Texas understand these facts."

If you believe you can disprove these assertions, well, first of all, you're mistaken. Ell oh ell.

But if you really think you can disprove the three statements, please send peer-reviewed studies or government statistics that contradict all three to safertexas@protectyouth.org.

The Safer Texas Campaign says it is not an anti-alcohol campaign, nor does it advocate the use of marijuana.

"However, the campaign works to address increasing public safety concerns that our state laws prohibiting marijuana are sending a dangerous message to the public that alcohol is more acceptable than marijuana, despite the fact that every objective study on alcohol and marijuana has shown marijuana is a much safer substance than alcohol to both the user and to society," the group said in a statement.

Marijuana on the ballot: 6 states moving toward 'legalization'

Calfornia voters aren't the only ones considering loosening their state laws against pot possession next week

From: http://theweek.com/

California's Prop 19 would be the most permissive marijuana law in the nation. A medical marijuana dispensary in L.A. is pictured. Photo: Getty SEE ALL 29 PHOTOS

While the battle to control Congress is getting most of the pre-election ink, voters in several states will also be deciding how to handle the touchy issue of marijuana's legal status. Fourteen states already have medical marijuana laws on the books, and more are likely to vote in doctor-approved pot use this year or in 2012. (Click here to read The Week's latest coverage: "Will California's Proposition 19 pass?") Here are six states that could take a major step down the path toward decriminalization — or even legalization — on Nov. 2:

California
Passage of Proposition 19 by Golden State voters would create by far the most permissive marijuana law in the nation. The ballot measure would legalize — at the state and local level, anyway — recreational amounts of marijuana and allow local goverments to tax and regulate sales of the drug. The contentious battle over Prop 19 is creating some strange political dynamics, says NPR's Mandalit del Barco. For instance, many growers and "stoners" are opposed to the new taxes and government oversight, while some cops and mothers' groups support Prop 19 as a way to take profits out of the hands of drug dealers and Mexican cartels. None of that may matter, says Nate Silver in The New York Times, since support for the measure appears to be "going up in smoke" as the election nears. Today it stands no better than a 50-50 chance of passing.

Oregon
More than one in every 100 Oregonians already smokes marijuana legally for medical purposes, and Measure 74 would let them purchase their pot from state-licensed growers and nonprofit retailers, called dispensaries. (Under current law, card-carrying smokers have to grow their own marijuana, or designate someone to grow it for them.) The problem with the measure, says The Portland Mercury in an editorial, is it has no regulation mechanism to assure "all pot is safe and legal," as with other medicines. Oregon should learn from the mistakes in California and Colorado, "and do ours better." But Oregon has already taken "the main step" of legalizing medical marijuana, says the Albany, Ore., Democrat-Herald in an editorial, and "if something is legal to use — such as liquor and tobacco — it's not unreasonable to authorize places where it may be sold."

Arizona
Proposition 203 would allow Arizonans with a host of diseases to possess up to 2.5 ounces of pot with a doctor's recommendation. They would be allowed to buy medical marijuana from nonprofit, state-licensed dispensaries, or grow it themselves if the nearest outlet is more than 25 miles away. "Opponents worry it will bring more crime, substance abuse, and corruption to our state," says Lori Jane Gliha at ABC News 15. But with polls showing it the most popular measure on the ballot, with 54 percent support, "we'll go out on a limb and say [it] will probably pass" anyway, says Ray Stern in the Phoenix New Times.

South Dakota
Measure 13 is a do-over for South Dakota medical-marijuana proponents, after a similar measure in 2006 fell short by about 15,000 votes, or 4 percentage points. Activists "think they can get over the top this time around," says Phillip Smith in Drug War Chronicle, with restrictions carefully tailored "to win over a skeptical and conservative prairie electorate" — to wit, the proposed law limits people with specific conditions to 1 ounce and only upon the recommendation of a doctor with whom they have "bona fide relationship." But not all skeptics are convinced: "I just think it's a total scam being done by people interested in legalizing marijuana," says Yankton County, S.D., Sheriff Dave Hunhoff. "If they want to legalize marijuana ... they should just stand up and use that argument."

Vermont
The Democratic candidate for governor of the Green Mountain State, Peter Shumlin, publicly advocates the decriminalization of marijuana, says Ron Kampia in The Huffington Post. And if he beats Lt. Gov. Brian Dubie (R), who is "ultra-hostile to decriminalization," Vermont — which already has a medical-marijuana law — "has a good chance of decriminalizing the possession of marijuana," too. But Shumlin can't count on getting every pro-pot vote, says Brad Sylvester in Yahoo News, since he's also facing Liberty Union candidate Ben Mitchell, whose platform calls for making Vermont into the "Amsterdam of the U.S."

Massachusetts
In November, 73 Massachusetts towns and cities will vote on a nonbinding ballot measure instructing state lawmakers "to vote in favor of legislation that would allow the state to regulate the taxation, cultivation, and sale of marijuana to adults" — in short, to legalize pot. Although only 13 percent of the state's voters will see the ballot initiative, its sponsor, the Massachusetts Cannabis Reform Coalition, says majority approval would lay the foundation for a statewide, binding ballot measure in 2012. State voters have already approved decriminalization, says Michael Cutler in Wicked Local, and "the sky hasn't fallen." Full legalization would better limit access to the drug and raise revenue.

Marijuana on The Big Picture (PICS)

boston.com — With marijuana on the ballot in four U.S. states this November, most prominently California's Proposition 19, which would fully legalize the substance, the legalization of marijuana has become a hot topic of discussion in North America. If pot were to become legal in California, it is unclear how that would affect the ongoing drug wars in...

some great pics here: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/10/marijuana.html

Former U.S. Surgeon General Calls for Marijuana Legalization

By the CNN Wire Staff
Ex-surgeon general: Legalize marijuana

STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Joycelyn Elders tells CNN resources can be better spent
* She says the drug's illegality is criminalizing young people
* "It's not a toxic substance," she says
* California's Proposition 19 would legalize marijuana use in the state


(CNN) -- Former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders told CNN Sunday she supports legalizing marijuana.

The trend-setting state of California is voting next month on a ballot initiative to legalize pot, also known as Proposition 19. The measure would legalize recreational use in the state, though federal officials have said they would continue to enforce drug laws in California if the initiative is approved.

"What I think is horrible about all of this, is that we criminalize young people. And we use so many of our excellent resources ... for things that aren't really causing any problems," said Elders. "It's not a toxic substance."

Supporters of California's Prop. 19 say it would raise revenue and cut the cost of enforcement, while opponents point to drug's harmful side-effects.

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a letter, obtained by CNN Friday, that federal agents would continue to enforce federal marijuana laws and warned Prop. 19, if passed, would be a major stumbling block to federal partnerships between state and local authorities around drug enforcement.

His letter was a response to an August letter from several former directors of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration urging the White House to block Prop. 19 if it's approved next month.

Elders stressed the drug is not physically addictive and pointed to the damaging impact of alcohol, which is legal.

"We have the highest number of people in the world being criminalized, many for non-violent crimes related to marijuana," said Elders. "We can use our resources so much better."

Marijuana ice cream has finally hit the shelves

From: http://guyism.com/

Like ice cream? Ever wanted to try ice cream flavors like Banannabis Foster, Straw-Mari Cheesecake and TRIPle Chocolate Brownie? Are you a stoner that always dreamed that one day eating ice cream would get you high? Today is your lucky day…

Pot ice cream has finally made it to shelves in Santa Cruz, California. That’s right, a marijuana dispensary there has developed half-pints of weed infused ice cream that will get you baked without all the bongs and whistles. Take that Ben and Jerry!

The current flavors owner Jonathan Kolodinski offers at Creme De Canna, which opened last week, are Banannabis Foster, Straw-Mari Cheesecake and TRIPle Chocolate Brownie. Kolodinski said more flavors are in the works.

OK, those flavors sound pretty good, but honestly, will people really want pot in their ice cream?

“Everybody who’s tried it has said they absolutely love it. A lot of people come back for seconds, thirds and fourths,” Kolodinksi said.

That’s a dangerous precedent you’re setting for people. It’s like the best of both worlds for hungry stoners. They’ve been trying hard for years to come up with adequate sustenance that would let them get rid of the munchies while also getting them even more high. Could this be the start of a vicious cycle? Weed smokers that eat ice cream, then when they are hungry they eat ice cream and then they get even higher, meaning that they’ll need to eat even more ice cream when those munchies kick in, until… well, until they come back for thirds and fourths.

Klodinski said there are about two to four doses of cannabis for each half-pint, which means finishing one would be similar to smoking an eighth of high-grade marijuana, the equivalent of eight joints.

Yikes. So gaining a few while eating a half a pint now isn’t your biggest concern when eating ice cream. Now you have to worry that you’ll be higher than you ever have been in your life. Things like taking your pants off and going for a walk or watching a marathon of Designing Women at 5am seem like moderately good ideas after downing a pint.

At $15 a piece, the half-pints of ice cream are potent.

And it’s actually quite affordable. Well, all I can say is look out Baskin Robbins, if they legalize pot in California in November you may be getting a 32nd flavor.

New Dispensary Offers Patients Pot-Laced Ice Cream [NBC 8]