Miscellaneous Archives - Page 56 of 59

Reminder: Over 500 Top Economists Support and have Lobbied for Legalization

April 9, 2013April 8, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Milton Friedman, who was one of the most well-known economists in the world, was joined by over 500 additional economists in signing a letter which broke down the economic benefits of legalization. The letter, which was written in 2005, was sent to then-President George Bush, Congress, and every state’s governor and legislature.

The letter states “Marijuana legalization — replacing prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation — would save $7.7 billion per year in state and federal expenditures on prohibition enforcement and produce tax revenues of at least $2.4 billion annually if marijuana were taxed like most consumer goods. If, however, marijuana were taxed similarly to alcohol or tobacco, it might generate as much as $6.2 billion annually.”

Former Government Drug Adviser Attempting to Research Magic Mushrooms, Calls Drug Laws a “Disgrace”

July 10, 2013April 6, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Professor David Nutt, a former drug adviser to the U.K., is attempting to study whether a chemical found in magic mushrooms, psilocybin, can be useful in treating depression. Research published last year indicates that it is, but Professor Nutt wants to run clinical trials, and he now has the funding to do so. The problem? He doesn’t have a way of obtaining science-grade psilocybin because of the government’s draconian drug laws.

“We are between a rock and a hard place, which is very unfortunate”, stated Professor Nutt to the BBC, “if this is an effective treatment for patients then they’re obviously being denied that possibility so one of the things we have to do now is have a more rational debate about the way the drugs laws are being implemented.”

New Medical Marijuana App Coming to iTunes: Connects Patients to Growers

July 10, 2013April 2, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Cannabis has reached a new level of technological convenience; an app to connect cannabis consumers directly to growers in California.

The “Ganjavous” app will allow growers to post pictures and prices of their product for patients to browse, and allows customers to write reviews on the products.

According to their website:

“Listings can be filtered based on type, quantity, price and distance so you can easily find what you are looking for. Each user account and product listing has a rating system attached to it. The community rating system will let you know who to avoid and who to connect with. User accounts remain completely anonymous. When you’re ready, you can share as much or as little information as you want with other users that you add to your collective.”

Reminder: Juries Can Nullify Charges they Find Unjust

April 9, 2013March 29, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Although its usage is increasing in the American legal system, far too few people know about, and understand one of the biggest weapons we have in our civil-rights arsenal; jury nullification.

Jury nullification is a practice that dates back to before our nation was formed, and is the act of a jury acquitting someone of a charge, even if the evidence is clear, by finding them “not guilty”. By doing so, people can make sure that an individual doesn’t fall victim to unjust, archaic laws. As a juror, taking this path is simple: Vote “not guilty” to someone who is being charged with a bad law. A bad law being something like, say, cannabis prohibition.
Or most non-violent convictions made under the drug war.

Sustainability Is In the Eye of the Beholder

July 10, 2013March 27, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

By Jeremy Moberg, Washington State wildlife biologist, President of the Okanogan Cannabis Association

The recent announcement from Marcus Charles is to open an industrial indoor cannabis operation in the economically depressed Raymond area of Washington. In fact Marcus is practicing a long standing form of environmental classism where industries focus polluting practices in impoverished economies. Struggling economies are often glad to accept any industry regardless of its effect on the environment, health and public safety. Still, given his background developing “local” and “sustainable” restaurants in the Seattle area, I know he is motivated to do the right thing. In this case sustainability can only be reached by transferring cannabis production to the sun, which the west side is famous for not having. There are plenty of struggling economies with high solar input to choose from in the east side of the state. We welcome Marcus’s investment in sustainability, but with a single joint being equal to driving 22 miles we think he has missed the target a bit.

Legalizing Marijuana: An Infograph

March 28, 2013March 27, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

By Adrienne Erin, a pro-legalization designer from Pennsylvania: You can follow Adrienne on Twitter under the handle @adrienneerin.

Senator Rand Paul: Bush and Obama Got Lucky They Weren’t Arrested for Marijuana

July 10, 2013March 24, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Senator Rand Paul, a Republican from Kentucky, stated today that President Obama and former President Bush “got lucky” that they weren’t arrested as young adults, a time when both admit they consumed cannabis.

The statement came during public testimony for a new bill being sponsored by Senator Paul and Senator Leahy, which would end most federal mandatory minimums for non-violent drug related offenses.

After the hearing, Paul told Fox News, “Look, the last two presidents could conceivably have been put in jail for their drug use….Look what would have happened. It would have ruined their lives. They got lucky. But a lot of poor kids, particularly in the inner city, don’t get lucky. They don’t have good attorneys. They go to jail for these things. And I think it’s a big mistake.”

Where Does Your State Rank in Cannabis Consumption?

July 10, 2013March 23, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Cannabis consumption among humans isn’t going away anytime soon. Despite an intense prohibition, consumption rates have risen, not decreased. As we bring this prohibition to an end, cannabis rates aren’t likely to drop: Which is a good thing, as a slight increase in usage brought forth by medical cannabis has, according to studies, led to a drastic decrease in suicides, as well as traffic fatalities.

Examining consumption rates throughout America – using some of the most recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health – here is a full list of U.S. states, in order of the state with the highest percentage of cannabis consumers, and ending with the state that has the lowest.

Some of the states appear where you might expect, but others, such as America’s #1, might be a bit surprising to some.

So You Smoke Cannabis (And Why That’s Okay)

March 31, 2013March 23, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

So, you smoke cannabis. Welcome to the club. This of course is a non-exclusive club, and consists of over 15 million Americans who have consumed in the past month, and roughly 100 million who have smoked at least once in their lives.

Smoking cannabis, despite what propaganda claims, is entirely normal and safe.

However, this might not mean much to you if you have friends or loved ones who may look down upon it; or in some cases, depending on your living situation, even forbid it. This is a tough situation faced by many, and isn’t an easy one to handle. Many of us want to maintain the respect of the ones we care for, and don’t want the conflict that could ensue. But at the same time, just because someone decide to consume an herb doesn’t mean they should be treated negatively, especially in the modern era of Starbucks, energy drinks and rampant pharmaceuticals.

A Brief Look at the History of Cannabis Prohibition

July 10, 2013March 22, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

“There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos, and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz, and swing, result from marijuana use. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers, and any others.”

This is a quote from Mr. Harry J. Anslinger, quite possibly the most influential person in bringing forth the criminalization of cannabis. In other words, the bane of many of our existences. This isn’t an exaggerated quote, and is one among many in the same spirit and tone spewed by Mr. Anslinger, who essentially equates cannabis to the religious equivalent of a demonic sacrament.

When taking even a quick look at cannabis prohibition, if you start towards the beginning with Harry and pay attention to how racially charged his attempts really were, it’s hard to not immediately begin questioning the other influences that led to such a randomly unjustifiable prohibition.