Top 10 Marijuana Highlights From 2011

The Marijuana Policy Project released its top ten positive developments on the marijuana front for 2011.  I’ll try to summarize or you can find the entire article here: The Huffington Post: Top 10 Marijuana Highlights from 2011.

1. Obama and Congress did away with Clinton’s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign.
2. A bill allowing states to determine their own marijuana policies (not just medical) was introduced in Congress. Twenty-one House members currently support this bill.
3. Public support for the legalization of marijuana has reached an all-time high, finally reaching 50 percent.
4. Delaware legalized medical marijuana.
5. Maryland and Vermont improved their medical marijuana laws.
6. Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico and D.C. implemented and/or expanded their medical marijuana laws.
7. Arkansas and Connecticut lowered their penalties for possession of marijuana.
8. World leaders, including Kofi Annan, George Schulz and President Carter, spoke out in favor of decriminalization of marijuana.
9. Republican Congressman Ron Paul, running for presidential nomination, continually attacked the US war on drugs.
10. Governors asked the feds to reschedule marijuana — to make it a Schedule II drug, meaning it has medicinal value.

 

New Jersey’s Medical Marijuana Program Should Be “Fully Functional” Next Year

Snippets:

Nearly two years after it was legalized in New Jersey, lawmakers announced last week that the state’s medical marijuana program, the most restrictive in the country, would be fully functional sometime in 2012…

…Gov. Chris Christie had issued a surprise announcement in July that the state would move forward with its then-stalled medical marijuana program. But since then, federal prosecutors have done something even more surprising: They raided and seized property from medical marijuana growers and dispensaries in California, despite the Obama administration’s indications that they would not crack down on such facilities…

…even though 86 percent of New Jersey voters support medical marijuana, Christie put the program on hold while he awaited word from federal officials that New Jersey marijuana workers and doctors would not be prosecuted…

…New Jersey limits prescriptions to patients with terminal illnesses or illnesses where conventional pain medication has failed, such as glaucoma and epilepsy. Furthermore, a doctor can only prescribe marijuana to a patient they’ve been seeing for over a year…

…This is a big one: New Jersey’s non-profit dispensaries are all licensed by the state, unlike in California, where they are not required to obtain a state license specifically to sell marijuana. “They’ve [federal prosecutors] never interfered with a dispensary licensed by a state,” said Roseanne Scotti, New Jersey state director of Drug Policy Alliance.

Full Article: N.J. Green-Lights Medical Marijuana Program as Calif.’s Goes Up in Smoke

Peter Tosh says “Legalize It”

Peter Tosh performing “Legalize It” Live

http://www.thetalkingdrum.com/tosh.html

Legalize It: Peter Tosh Family Endorses Prop 19
and Just Say Now

CelebStoner Legends: Peter Tosh

Peter Tosh on Wikipedia

When Pot was Legal

Tincture of cannabis indica

Why Marijuana Became Illegal

Cypress Hill

Cypress Hill on Wikipedia

I’ll hit that bong and break ya off somethin’ soon
I got ta get my props
Cops, come and try to snatch my crops
These pigs wanna blow my house down

Cypress Hill Speak On Legalization Of Marijuana & Drop “Rise Up” On 4/20

Marijuana and Religion

Rastafari: The Secret History of the Marijuana Religion
A very thorough cover of the history of Rastafarianism; not as much mention of the importance of marijuana as the title promises.
Marijuana And Other Rasta Symbols
A more specific article on the use of marijuana in Rasta rituals.

Temple 420 Home Page
Not as much information or content as I would have liked to see.
Hollywood’s Temple 420 Raided by LAPD
I recommend watching the video on this one.

Marijuana in the News: Cancer, USD and Reefers

Woman claims marijuana cured her cancer

USD officials concerned by medical marijuana
This is actually a very in-depth look at the ongoing war between LEGAL marijuana dispensaries and the Federal law prohibiting marijuana

 

Marijuana Farmer Discloses Patch

This one kinda cracks me up. This is a newspaper article from 1951. He “went on the weed” as a GI in Europe, and “He returned to Pittsburgh, planted three patches of marijuana, and has manufactured reefers ever since.”

Medical Marijuana Smoking Accessories

Unusual Facts About Marijuana: Let’s Google It!

OK “Unusual Facts About Marijuana” was my original query. Let’s see where it leads me 🙂

Fun Facts About Marijuana

This passage on this page:

The reason marijuana is illegal is because in the 30’s cotton growers lobbied against hemp farmers. They thought that the hemp growing would just be competition for them. However, the argument has become the fact that marijuana is not as addictive as caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.

led me to look up some hemp history, which led me to this page:

Hemp History

This is a very interesting and in-depth article on the growth and use of hemp in the past, errors in grammar and spelling notwithstanding. It does not, however, address the cotton vs hemp controversy. I may have to look into that more deeply one day.

Anyway, back to the original search…

31 Random Facts About Marijuana

Also contains some very interesting facts, with references. One of my favorites:

The psychoactive side effects of THC in small doses include loss of inhibition, elation, and a distorted sense of time. The drug can also cause increased visual sensitivity and heightened imagination.

10 Marijuana Facts

This one is very informative and the facts address many of the common misunderstandings about marijuana. The order and presentation of the facts leads to a valid argument for the legalization of marijuana. One fact I found interesting was this:

The only crime most marijuana users commit is using marijuana. The U. S. Shafer Commission report was the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject. It found that marijuana smokers “tend to be under represented” in violence and in crime, especially when compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates.

Crackdown on California Pot Dispensaries: Opinion

Medical marijuana advocates sue to put stop to federal crackdown on Calif. pot dispensaries

“Attorneys for medical marijuana advocates on Monday sought a temporary restraining order to put a stop to a federal crackdown on California pot dispensaries, claiming the effort by the state’s four U.S. attorneys is unconstitutional.” — Read the Rest

I wish they had chosen some more articulate people to argue for the medical marijuana cause.