420 ideas

Hey all, I was just wondering, is there any way you could make some kind of solution or mixture that would clear up the redness in your eyes after you smoke? My one friend always holds our eye drops but whenever hes not around we hate to have to buy more just cuz he isnt there. Like would a saline solution or something like that also work to clear up your eyes?

Study Debunks Claim that Smoking Pot Causes Mental Illness
7/2/09|Opposing Views| by Paul Armentano - National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws

Much has made — by the mainstream media and others — of the claim that cannabis use causes certain types of mental illness, specifically schizophrenia and psychosis.

Most notably perhaps, a team of researchers writing in the July 28, 2007 edition of the prestigious scientific journal The Lancet, boldly proclaimed that smoking cannabis could boost one’s risk of a psychotic episode by 40 percent or more.

Naturally, this alarmist rhetoric received wall-to-wall coverage by the mainstream press. Even more troubling, the supposed ‘pot-and-schizophrenia’ link was one of the primary reasons cited by British PM Gordon Brown, ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith and others as the impetus for reclassifying cannabis (from a verbal warning to a criminal offense punishable by up to five years in jail) in the United Kingdom.

Of course, there was a fatal flaw with The Lancet’s argument — one that, oddly enough, every single MSM outlet failed to mention. Empirical data did not support the investigators’ hypothesis that smoking marijuana was associated with increased rates of schizophrenia or other mental illnesses among the general public — a fact that even the authors begrudgingly admitted when they declared, “Projected trends for schizophrenia incidence have not paralleled trends in cannabis use over time.”

Which brings us to 2009.

Two years after The Lancet’s dire predictions, a team of researchers at the Keele University Medical School have once and for all put the ‘pot-and-mental illness’ claims to the test. Writing in a forthcoming edition of the scientific journal Schizophrenia Research, they compare long-term trends in marijuana use and incidences of schizophrenia and/or psychoses in the United Kingdom. And what do they find?

“[T]he expected rise in diagnoses of schizophrenia and psychoses did not occur over a 10 year period. This study does not therefore support the specific causal link between cannabis use and incidence of psychotic disorders. … This concurs with other reports indicating that increases in population cannabis use have not been followed by increases in psychotic incidence.”

Should we expect an apology — or even better, a change in policy — from the Gordon Brown regime any time soon? Or at the very least, will some sort of ‘correction’ be forthcoming from the mainstream news media?

I wouldn’t hold my breath.

Marijuana Legalization Legislation in the Works in Portugal
7/3/09|StoptheDrugWar.org| from Drug War Chronicle, Issue #592

Portugal has been the subject of a lot of attention lately over its decriminalization of drug possession. Although decriminalization has been in place for eight years now, it is only this year that it has caught the world’s attention. The success of Portugal’s approach was the subject of a piece by Salon writer Glenn Greenwald commissioned by the Cato Institute that was widely read and commented on earlier this year, and last week it earned kind words from a most unexpected place: the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), which could find little to complain about for its 2009 World Drugs Report.

But Portugal isn’t resting on its laurels, and at least one political party there is preparing to take the country’s progressive approach to drug reform to the next level. The Leftist Bloc (Bloco de Esquerda) is preparing legislation that would legalize the possession, cultivation, and retail sales of small amounts of marijuana, as well as providing for regulated wholesale cultivation to supply the retail market.

The Bloc is also now actively encouraging the participation of ENCOD, the European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies, in developing new drug laws. The alliance comes too late to influence the marijuana bill, but will provide an entree for drug reformers in the process in future drug legislation, or even revising the current marijuana bill if it does not make in through parliament this year.

"The contacts between ENCOD and the Bloc were arranged by common activists and members," explained ENCOD steering committee member and Portuguese law student, journalist, and activist Jorge Roque.

Under the draft bill, a copy of which was made available to the Chronicle, marijuana consumers could purchase "the amount needed for the average individual for a 30-day period," as determined by the existing decriminalization law, or 15 grams of hashish and 75 grams (almost three ounces) of marijuana. The average daily dose is a half-gram of hash and 2.5 grams of pot. Individuals would be allowed to grow up to 10 plants, and could possess the 30-day amount as well as up to 10 plants.

The draft bill calls for licensed retail sales outlets authorized by municipal councils. Such retail establishments would not be allowed to sell alcohol or allow it to be consumed on the premises, would not be allowed within 500 meters of schools, and would not be allowed to have gambling machines. No one under 16 would be allowed to enter, nor would people adjudged to be mentally ill.

The draft bill prohibits advertising, but requires that packaging for marijuana products intended for retail sale clearly reveal the source, the amount, and a statement giving the World Health Organization’s position on the effects and risks of consumption.

The bill also provides for the Portuguese National Institute of Pharmacy and Medicine to license the wholesale cultivation of marijuana to supply the retail trade. And it provides for an excise tax on cannabis sales to be determined during the budgetary process.

People who traffic in marijuana outside the parameters set down in the draft would face four to 12 years in prison for serious offenses, and up to four years for less serious offenses. Licensed retailers or wholesalers who breach the regulations could face imprisonment for up to three months or a fine of up to 30 days’ minimum wage.

The bill’s immediate prospects are uncertain. The Leftist Bloc is a small party, holding only eight seats in the 230-seat parliament. But the government is controlled by left-leaning parties, and the Bloc has a reputation as a "hip" party in the vanguard of political change in the country.

"Honestly, at first I thought this would never pass, but with time and after discussing this with the deputies, I am much more optimistic," said Roque. "Of course, the Left Bloc alone cannot get it passed, but as usual, they provoke the debate of ideas, and then, since they are seen as an intelligent and humane group, they can pick up support among other political parties."

While it is too late for ENCOD to influence this legislation, the group can still play a role in the debate, said ENCOD coordinator Joep Oomen. "ENCOD could contribute with information on the need to make consistent moves and no half-measures, as has been the case before with the decriminalization of possession. Portugal should learn from the experiences in the Netherlands. Here liberal cannabis policies that have proven successful during more than 30 years are now in danger of being abolished because of the pressure of Christian parties who continue blaming these policies for problems that in fact are caused by prohibition," he said.

Oomen was alluding to Holland’s "backdoor problem," where the sale of marijuana is tolerated, but there is no provision for legally supplying Dutch cannabis cafes. That has led to the growth of organized crime participation in the pot business in Holland.

"It is quite simple," Oomen said. "When you allow people to use, you should allow them to possess, and if you allow them to possess, you should allow them to cultivate, produce, buy or sell. If you only go halfway, and refuse to regulate the first necessary element in the process (cultivation or production) you create more problems than solutions."

For Roque, Portugal’s experience with decriminalization was critical in laying the groundwork for the legalization bill. "Decriminalization helped us lose the taboos and break the fear of being persecuted for drugs, and Portugal nowadays is much more ready to move forward," said Roque.

One big remaining taboo is the UN drug conventions, but neither Oomen nor Roque appeared to be very concerned about them. "Portugal does not need to openly challenge the UN conventions," said Oomen. "As long as the new bill is aiming at regulating cultivation of cannabis for personal use, it cannot be considered as a violation of international conventions, which leave it up to national authorities to deal with the status of drug use."

Roque was a bit more combative. "The international conventions and the Lisbon treaty don’t provide solutions in these matters, and the UN conventions were ratified by the specific will of one country," said Roque. "When the UN conventions don’t present any solutions that are good for the national interest, only a stupid country will follow them forever."

Now, Portugal can put the conventions and their interpretation to the test, if its parliament so chooses.

Other Voices: It’s actually very easy to argue against legalizing marijuana
7/3/09|Michigan Live| by David Thompson - Opinoin

In response to the June 21 Other Voices titled "Economic case for legalizing marijuana hard to argue with" by April Marshall: Actually it is very easy to argue against legalizing marijuana.

The statistics quoted by Ms. Marshall are exceptionally inaccurate and totally disregard the nature of marijuana as a drug. The states will not realize any so-called profit and will end up making their citizens pay more. It is the common fallacy of those advocating marijuana to compare it with both alcohol and tobacco. This is comparing apples to oranges and doesn’t work. It is true they are both round and, in this case, they are mood-altering and addictive drugs. Beyond that, all comparisons break down.

First; Why would anyone pay a tax for something they can grow in their back yard? Right now, due to the illegality of marijuana, most people won’t risk growing it nearby. Make it legal and everyone can and will readily grow their own with no skill whatsoever. Who would pay a tax? If the state wants to legalize marijuana but then say a citizen can’t grow it themselves, you will have a policing problem the likes of which you can’t imagine. Ms. Marshall tries to compare alcohol and marijuana for drunken driving and she cites the current laws for Michigan. She and others fail to understand the nature of these two drugs. Alcohol readily dissolves in water; marijuana does not. Alcohol’s metabolites are readily exhaled in human breath and can be quickly measured using a portable breath analysis device or "breathalyzer." This gives a very good reading of the blood alcohol level (despite defense attorney arguments) and is used universally to determine legal limit compliance. This can not be used for marijuana.

Levels of cannabis can only be determined by either a blood draw or urine analysis, both of which require the officer to transport the suspected user to a controlled facility, obtain a warrant and secure the specimen and then wait for results before determining whether the user is "intoxicated." This time-consuming process will take officers off the streets and tie up medical facilities and generate expenses not currently incurred.

Related to this, we can see an immediate increase in automobile insurance premiums for everyone in the state. You don’t think the insurance industry will let you legalize a mood-altering drug that increases the risk for accidents and injury and not charge for it, did you?

Now to "medical" marijuana. Did we forget everything we had and have learned about smoking? We now think it is a good thing for sick people to fill their lungs with toxic smoke for their health. Did we collectively lose our minds? Let’s worsen their lungs adding asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, COPD, bronchitis, and lung cancer? Our state is finally going toward tobacco smoke-free status, and millions of us are delighted to be smoke-free in the workplace and elsewhere. Now we want to legalize smoking marijuana? Please note, marijuana in capsule form is readily available for medical use and has been for years, so the argument for medical use is bogus.

My biggest concern is for infants, children and young adults who will be exposed to marijuana smoke in their homes and how this toxic chemical mix will affect them. They are helpless to defend against exposure.

Although children do drink their parents’ alcohol and are accidentally poisoned by their parents’ drugs, ambient smoke takes drug exposure to a whole new level in a small developing brain and body. I’m sorry, but "pot heads" are not too responsible about this, especially when high so they won’t be going outside to light up.

Ms. Marshall talked about international issues, namely in Mexico. I would point out that Michigan shares a huge international border with a foreign country -1 Canada. The Detroit-Windsor, Port Huron-Sarnia, and Sault Ste. Marie are huge international crossing points both for industry and pleasure. Just because Michigan legalized marijuana does not mean that Canada or the United States governments would and both tend to be very strict about use and possession of illegal (for them) drugs. This will cause a major slowdown in crossing these borders and closer examination of returning citizens.

The "500" economists that endorse the legalization of marijuana also seem to know little about addictive drugs. Make no mistake, cannabis is addictive and additional addictive substances that increase our health costs like alcohol and tobacco has done will never be economically viable.

Having said all this against the arguments for legalization being economically useful, let me clearly state that I believe "decriminalizing" possession of small amounts does reduce police and court costs. Beyond that, it is a very bad idea.

David Thompson of Ann Arbor is a retired substance abuse therapist who holds a certified addictions counselor license for the state of Michigan.