Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Cannabis users different from ‘true drug cheats’
March 6th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
By TONY SMITH – The Press
A Christchurch sports lawyer has questioned whether sports people using cannabis should be treated with the same severity as “true drug cheats” who take performance enhancing or masking drugs.
Ian Hunt represented Canterbury rugby league player Vince Whare, who has been banned for 10 years by the Sports Tribunal of New Zealand for a third cannabis offence.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) code requires third-time doping offenders to be suspended for life although the ban can be reduced to a minimum of eight years. It does not draw a clear distinction in terms of penalties for recreational drugs like cannabis and sanctions for taking performance-enhancing substances. Read the rest of this entry »
Time For Hawaii Lawmakers To Be ‘Smart’ on Marijuana
March 5th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Senate lawmakers took an important step last week to go from being ‘tough’ on crime to being ‘smart’ on crime.
On Friday, Senators voted unopposed in favor of Senate Bill 2450, which seeks to reduce minor marijuana possession penalties from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a $1000 fine, to a civil infraction punishable by a fine only. This is common sense, fiscally responsible proposal that will cut costs, improve public safety, and have a positive impact on the quality of life of tens of thousands of Hawaii adults.
SENATE BILL 2450 WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR HAWAII CITIZENS
Between 1,000 and 1,500 Hawaii residents are arrested annually for possessing one ounce or less of marijuana. Passage of SB 2450 measure would spare these minor marijuana offenders from criminal arrest, prosecution, and incarceration, as well as the emotional and financial hardships that follow — including the loss of certain jobs, students loans, federal and state subsidies, and child custody rights.
Montpelier Voters Want Marijuana Decriminalized
March 4th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
1530 to 585 Voted In Favor Of Decriminalization
MONTPELIER, Vt. — Voters in Vermont’s capital city have voted in favor of a measure calling on the state to decriminalize possession of marijuana
4 Florida Cities Trying to Decriminalize Marijuana
March 2nd, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Atlantic Beach, Orlando and Tallahassee Have Joined Jacksonville Beach.
A longtime effort to decriminalize marijuana possession in Jacksonville Beach has expanded to Atlantic Beach, as well as to Orlando and Tallahassee.
The Committee for Sensible Marijuana Policy launched the Atlantic Beach effort last month after advocates saw that many people who wanted to sign a Jacksonville Beach petition couldn’t because they lived in Atlantic Beach, said committee Chairman Ford Banister.
“It seemed like we could do it just as easily and it’s close by,” Banister said. Read the rest of this entry »
New Study: Marijuana Does Not Cause Psychosis, Lung Damage, or Skin Cancer
March 2nd, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
I’ve performed a meta-analysis of various scare stories about marijuana appearing in major papers this week. The results of my research are as follows:
Hypothesis:
Alarmist reports about marijuana will turn out to be wildly exaggerated and in some cases completely fictitious. Obvious inconsistencies will be overlooked by the press and widely available contrary evidence will be ignored.
Methodology:
I read various stories about marijuana and used basic logic and reasoning to determine whether their conclusions made any sense. In some cases, I used Google and other sources to search for other information that contradicted seemingly dubious claims. Read the rest of this entry »
Restore Respect for Law, End Cannabis Prohibition
February 27th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Friday, 26 February 2010, 4:47 pm
Press Release: NORML
NORML to Collins: Restore Respect for Police by Ending Cannabis Prohibition
NORML President Phil Saxby today called on Police Minister Judith Collins to restore public respect for law enforcement by calling an armistice in this country’s prolonged “war on drugs”.
In response to recent attacks on Police Officers, Ms Collins has been quoted as saying that “it’s extremely important to rebuild the respect and fear for the law.”
“Fear of the law isn’t the problem,” said Mr Saxby. “What has been eroding away in New Zealand is respect for the law and then by association, those who enforce it.”
“The Misuse of Drugs Act created the so-called “war on drugs” which is actually a war on ordinary Kiwis. After thirty-five years of criminalisation, the 400,000 people from all walks of life who currently use cannabis justifiably feel marginalised and discriminated against.”
NORML: US Legalisation Polls are heading in the right direction
February 27th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Source http://www.norml.org/
Medical Marijuana ‘Smokers Club’ to Open in Williamston
February 27th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
WILLIAMSTON — Wayne Dagit has no problem admitting it.
“Right now, I am completely medicated,” he says, holding up a bag of marijuana.
Dagit is a reverend and a medical marijuana patient with Hepatitis C, which has just about destroyed his liver.
“Later tonight, I will enjoy some ‘Great White’ (a particularly potent strain of marijuana) because it is my right,” he says.
Dagit’s so devoted to it he’s opening the state’s first smokers club — Green Leaf University — where others like him can gather and get medicated. It’s set to open Monday, March 1, in Williamston.
Dagit is also the founder and reverend of the Church for Compassionate Care. He says he moved to Michigan when it legalized pot back in 2008. His ailments have since greatly improved.
Inhaled Marijuana is Medically Safe & Effective, Studies Show
February 26th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Sacramento, CA: The results of a series of randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials assessing the efficacy of inhaled marijuana consistently show that cannabis holds therapeutic value comparable to conventional medications, according to the findings of a 24-page report issued Wednesday to the California state legislature by the California Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (CMCR). Four of the five placebo-controlled trials demonstrated that marijuana significantly alleviated neuropathy, a difficult to treat type of pain resulting from nerve damage.
“There is good evidence now that cannabinoids (the active compounds in the marijuana plant) may be either an adjunct or a first-line treatment for … neuropathy,” said Dr. Igor Grant, Director of the CMCR, at a news conference at the state Capitol. He added that the efficacy of smoked marijuana was “very consistent,” and that its pain-relieving effects were “comparable to the better existing treatments” presently available by prescription. Read the rest of this entry »
The Gisborne Herald: Cannabis ‘safer than alcohol’
February 24th, 2010
Dakta Bourbon
Great to see some more content in Kiwi papers…
All drugs can be dangerous. But in the scale of harms, moderate cannabis use should not cause any notable health or social concerns. The fact is, the average use of cannabis is safer than alcohol, tobacco, jogging, riding a bike, water skiing, football etc. Why aren’t these activities banned?
The mental health issues have recently been cleared up and only those with a family history of mental health disorders are at risk of lasting psychosis. Cannabis does not cause schizophrenia at all but it mimics the symptoms until the effects of the cannabis wears off. And young people are at risk because of their developing brains. As for healthy adults though, there will probably never be any problems for them from moderate use.
Just to top it off, Keele university in the UK found that although cannabis use has risen 400 percent since the late 1980s, cases of mental health disorders have not increased in step but actually decreased slightly. With 180 million users worldwide, there would be a pandemic if cannabis caused the harm reported by the media. — T.W.