TheGanjaGuru

Introducing the Ragweed Ranger and his Sidekick Toto

2011-07-17T17:41:00.000-07:00

The Ragweed Ranger via Cheebdweeb.com

I think this is one you'll all enjoy. The Ragweed Ranger and his Sidekick Toto have a close encounter with a friendly local law enforcement officer.

Also introducing cheebdweeb.com

Introducing Food For Stoners

2010-05-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

Hello dedicated readers,
A friend of mine recently started a blog called Food For Stoners. Its a blog dedicated to easy recipes that taste great when you're really blazed. Check 'em out: http://foodforstoners.wordpress.com/.

How About Some Inspired Art?

2010-04-26T20:53:00.000-07:00

I call it "Ascension."

Happy 420!

2010-04-20T13:03:00.000-07:00

Happy 420 everyone! I know that my posting has been sparse lately, and I do apologies for that. I'm almost done with my BA, and I have been insanely busy. Unfortunately, TheGanjaGuru has been forced to take the back burner right now, but I'm sure I'll be back with a lot more in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned and thanks for stopping by.

10,000

2010-04-20T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well, my blog has now passed 10,000 visitor mark, which is a pretty big milestone I suppose. I would like to thank everyone who has visited and a special thanks to everyone who has left feed back. I would like to tell all of the spam-bots to go fuck themselves and I would like to tell everyone who left a comment that made absolutely no sense to consider exercising more moderation when smoking...except for today.

Don't Bogart!

2010-04-08T17:31:00.000-07:00

Here is a bit of inspired art, it is called "Don't Bogart!"

Gallery of Glorious Ganja

2010-02-23T23:49:00.000-08:00

Welcome to TheGanjaGuru's Gallery of Glorious Ganja!

The Mission:

The goal of this gallery is to photograph, catalog and display the many beautiful buds that the cannabis plant has to offer.

Submissions Welcome!

Submission Guidelines:

If you just picked up some bud that you think is worthy of display, take a photo of it and submit it by emailing a copy to my email address, theganjaguru@gmail.com.

Please Include:

Name of strain (if available).
Description of scent, texture, and color.
Description of the the smoking experience including the quality of the smoke as well as the high produced.
A photo (duh) of the bud. The photos should be macro photos, and of high photographic quality. If you do not have a macro lens, search Google for information on making a macro lens for a cell phone camera using an old CD player.

The Gallery

Permafrost

Description:

Permafrost is very potent bud that smells of strong pine and lemon. The bud is very sticky, and even in a grinder it is difficult to break apart, for this reason, it is best to smoke this bud out of a pipe, rather than a joint. The smoke is smooth, yet strong and has the potential to induce a heavy cough in less experienced smokers. This bud will smoke for a considerably long time, and has ample THC to go around. The high is very heady and introspective, and it is both euphoric and relaxing.

Purple Kush

Description:
This bud is quite potent that has a strong "skunk" smell that is often associated with sativas. This bud is a very mellow smoke, and is perfect in a well rolled joint. The high is active and euphoric, and is best suited for a party or being out and about.

Thanks for having a look. This gallery will be updated periodically, and it will be permalinked in the upper right hand corer.

Again, to submit, shoot me an email at theganjaguru@gmail.com.

Hemp is Not a Drug

2010-02-14T12:44:00.000-08:00

Recently, President Barack Obama delivered his first State of the Union Address. In his speech, he emphasized clean energy and economic growth as our nation’s primary goals for this year. In light of his Obama’s speech, it seems high time to renew the debate about allowing the cultivation of hemp for industrial applications. There are literally tens of thousands of uses for industrial hemp, and allowing for its legalization could not only create jobs, but pave the way for a greener and cleaner tomorrow.

The most prevalent issue regarding industrial hemp is the concern that hemp crops could be diverted to the black market for drugs. This seems like a rational concern for someone who doesn’t know much about hemp, which most people do not. After all, hemp is still cannabis is it not? Well, yes, and no.

The cultivation methods for both hemp and cannabis vary significantly. Drug grade cannabis comes from the flowers of female cannabis plants, and female cannabis plants alone. In order to produce the potent, and thus economical cannabis that most users are used to, the cultivator must not allow any male plants to pollinate their female crop. If pollination occurs, the potency of the female buds will be drastically reduced, the flowers will bear seeds (seedy cannabis is extremely undesirable), and the risk and of expense on the cultivator’s end will have been in vane, as the will have produced a product that no cannabis user would be willing to purchase.

Hemp on the other hand is grown with both males and females together, not because it’s an equal opportunity thing, but because hemp is not grown to produce the psychoactive substance THC. Instead, hemp is grown as a fiber source, much like cotton, although unlike cotton, the parts of the hemp plant that is not used for fiber can be used for many other purposes.

However, don’t hemp plants still produce THC even if they are not grown to produce it? Yes, they do, but not very much, in fact it isn’t much at all. Drug variety cannabis produces somewhere between 1 percent THC by dry weight on the low quality end of the spectrum, to up to 20 percent, or even up to 30 percent THC by dry weight for the highest quality cannabis. Hemp on the other hand produces much less THC, typically not more than 0.15 percent THC by dry weight, that is nearly six and a half times less potent than the lowest quality drug variety cannabis, and one hundred to two hundred times less potent than high quality drug grade cannabis. That means that if one joint of very low quality cannabis were necessary to produce a desirable effect, it would require six joints of hemp flowers to produce the same effect.

Most probably overlook another important aspect of industrial hemp production; the amount of THC that the crops produce can be regulated, and many countries that allow for its production regulate potency. In Europe, potency is typically 0.3 percent or less, however as mention earlier, many hemp varieties produce much less. It seems unlikely that cannabis users would be interested in cannabis with such low potency, especially when one considers the many ultra-potent drug grade strains available today.

The question remains, why grow hemp? To start, hemp is a fantastic fiber source that can be grown in nearly all but the most extreme climates. Hemp can be used to produce paper, and cloth, and at one point it was one of the United States most important export, as it was extremely important to maritime travel. Hemp canvas and rope were both commonly used on sailing vessels.

For paper production, one acre of hemp is equivalent to over four acres of trees. That’s hardly small potatoes considering the great concerns over deforestation. What’s more is that hemp can be grown in one season, were trees take at least ten years to become viable. Additionally, hemp paper is naturally white, and thus does not need to be bleached like tree paper, and thus switching to hemp paper would be more ecologically sound in many ways.

Hemp can be used for many other applications as well. For instance, the plant cellulose from hemp can be used to produce plastics, as opposed to the highly toxin and very difficult to break down petroleum based plastics that are currently used. Also, hempseed oil can be used to produce biofuels, as opposed to using corn. Corn would be a fine biofuel source in a perfect world, however in our world, it is utter moral poverty to use a food source to power our cars when so many die each day from starvation.

If the cultivation of industrial hemp were legalized, the United States could produce it for biodiesel and other fuels, and subsidize corn production to export to countries which have high starvation related mortality rates. Perhaps with a policy like this, the United States could instigate a worldwide paradigm shift, and influence the citizens of other nations, particularly the downtrodden, to view our nation in a more positive light. That seems like it would be the most effective and peaceful method to prevent acts of terrorism.

Word of the Day

2010-02-11T23:03:00.000-08:00

Redankulous (adj): A term to describe a cannabis bud that is ridiculously dank. Not to be confused with redonkulos, which is a silly word and should not be used in any situation, ever.

WA Residents: Here is a Pro-Legalization Form Letter to Send to Your District Reps

2010-01-16T19:57:00.001-08:00

It has dawned on me that not everyone has the time type up there own letter to send to there district reps, so I went ahead and typed up a form letter that you can copy and paste, and send to your district rep. If you don't know how to find your district rep, go here.

To use this letter, simply copy and paste it into an email, and send it to your respective district representatives.

Dear _________ ((or) District Representative),

My name is ____________, I am __ years old, I am a_______(state occupation), and I am a resident of Washington State in your district. I am writing to you because it has been recently announced that State Representative's Mary Lou Dickerson and Roger Goodman have introduced a bill that would potentially make cannabis or marijuana a legal and taxable commodity. I would like you to know that I am in full support of this bill and the legalization of cannabis in our state. As you are my representative, I expect you to support this bill and do whatever is necessary to ensure that this legislation is meaningful and effective. By doing so, you will ensure my continued support of your political career.

If economic recovery is your goal, than surely you must support the

legalization and taxation of cannabis, as it will generate a generous amount of revenue that the state of Washington desperately needs. Not only would the legalization of cannabis generate revenue, it would also prevent revenue from being wasted on the investigations, arrests, prosecutions, and imprisonments of the plethora of citizens within our state who choose to indulge in this remarkably inert

substance (when compared with alcohol or tobacco).

Furthermore, if ensuring that our school system remains one of the best in the state and the nation is your goal, you must also support this bill for the revenue it will generate will pay for better educations for our children. Not only that, the extra revenue will also allow for intensive drug education programs that explain dangers of more dangerous and lethal drugs such as methamphetamine, cocaine, heroin/opiates, and alcohol, while emphasizing why cannabis is a substance that requires the experience and discipline that is acquired through becoming an adult in order to be enjoyed responsibly.

Finally, if generating new jobs is your goal, than surely you must see the benefit of allowing for a new industry to bloom within our state. There are thousands of uses for hemp and cannabis as a medicinal substance, a recreational substance, and as an industrial resource. Citizens from all walks of life and from all areas of our state would benefit significantly by the new jobs that would doubtlessly be created by legalizing cannabis. We need jobs.

In conclusion I would just like to note that I voted for you because I felt that you had within you the capacity to make intelligent, informed, and level headed decisions that would benefit everyone in our state. This is your opportunity to prove that you are in fact capable of this not only to me, but also to everyone in our state. Please do not let us down. I await your reply.

Sincerely,

__________

Cannabis Legalization My Be Closer Than We Think

2010-01-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

After much ado, it seems that the relatively harmless nature of cannabis, and the inanity of its criminalization has finally started to dawn on lawmakers across the country. The now concluded year 2009 is appearing to be one of the best years for publicity that the cannabis legalization movement has ever seen. It seems as though every day, another state is considering medical marijuana legislation, decriminalization, and even legalization. Even the federal government has started to change its attitude toward the highly controversial plant after President Obama issued a memorandum to the Department of Justice requesting that the organization not pursue medical marijuana recipients and their suppliers who operate legally under state law. However, it seems that the biggest news occurred as the decade drew to a close; our very own state of Washington is now considering cannabis legalization.

State representatives Roger Goodman and Mary Lou Dickerson have introduced the bill, and it aims to reclassify cannabis from an illegal drug to a licit and taxable substance. This bill differs from other bills such as decriminalization and deprioritization bills, which still treat cannabis possession and cultivation as a crime. The legalization bill would treat cannabis like alcohol, as a substance that would be sold through the state, with a hefty tax attached. Whether or not cannabis would be sold in liquor stores is up in the air as for one, the bill hasn’t passed yet, and secondly, Goodman has suggested that he would like a provision that would prevent cannabis from being sold were alcohol is sold.

The tax revenue from the bill would not go into the Washington state general fund, but rather it would be used specifically to fund drug treatment and mental health services. These services have been on the chopping block since our state’s budget woes began. It is unclear how much tax revenue could be earned from cannabis, however estimates place the figures in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Regardless, the monetary figures generated from cannabis tax would doubtfully be small potatoes, and the added tax revenue could make a serious difference in our state.

In addition to earning our state money by taxing cannabis, the legalization of cannabis could potentially save our state untold and gargantuan sums of money. As of right now our state prosecutes citizens for cannabis possession and cultivation, and even simple possession of cannabis in amounts of less than forty grams is considered a gross misdemeanor and can warrant jail sentences of up to a year. If cannabis were made legal, we could literally fill swimming pools with the money that we would save by not investigating, arresting, prosecuting and incarcerating cannabis offenders, and that is just the start.

In addition to money earned and money saved by the state, our very own citizens would also be saving and earning money if cannabis were made legal. Convictions for cannabis possession can cost an individual thousands of dollars in legal fees and fines, and in addition it can prevent that individual from gaining employment, finding a place to live, and even getting money to go to school. Cannabis legalization could once and for all end the viscous circle of tragedy that follows a drug which has negligibly harmful effects that don’t even begin to compare with the very harmful effects of alcohol, which is currently legal.

Finally, in addition to our own citizens saving money, among many other things, legalizing cannabis would increase personal opportunity by opening the doors to new industries and economies. It is important to remember that cannabis is not simply a recreational drug. When grown as hemp, it is a valuable and environmentally friendly industrial resource. There are over 25,000 uses for industrial hemp, and much of our farmland is prime real estate for hemp cultivation. Industrial hemp could provide our state with a bio-fuel source, while simultaneously reducing our use of pesticides and fertilizers on farmland.

There are countless and untold benefits to cannabis legalization, and it is important to insure that this bill succeeds. This means that all of us must do our part by encouraging our representatives to support this legislation.

If you live in Washington, please contact you're legislators and tell them that if they expect your continued support for their political careers, that you expect their support of this bill in return. Remember, they are employed by your tax dollars, so make them work for you

If you don't know who your legislator is, go here.

I have already contacted my district reps, and they so far one has replied and showed interest, which just goes to show you that if you want your legislators to support or not support a bill, you have to let them know.

Quake Live Kicks Ass!

2010-01-10T20:54:00.000-08:00

Who wants to play TheGanjaGuru?

If you weren't aware, I'm a pretty big Mac fan and I despise Windows OS. The only trouble with Macs is that for reason x, y or z, there just aren't that many games ported to the Mac OS and FPS games are slim picken's. Well, I've just discovered a fantastic game that is 100% and 110% awesome. The game is called Quake Live, and it is a Java port of the original Quake PC game, it runs in your browser with a plug-in rather than from your desktop.

The game is seriously fun, and the best part is, you can play any time you have an internet connection with tons of people from all around the country. Personally, I'm not terribly good at the game, but I still love it and I have a blast every time I play. I strongly recommend that you give the game a try if you love first person shooters and if you also love not having to pay to play. Better yet, make a profile and then add me as a friend so you can play against me. My profile name is TheGanjaGuru, go figure, so search for me or click on the anchor text and add me.

I'll see you in the arena.

Disclaimer: I am not being compensated in any way for this post. My intent is to get readers to add me as a friend so that I can play against them. However, if you represent Quake Live and have some kind of affiliate program, shoot me an email: theganjaguru@gmail.com.

Image Source: http://www.webdesign.org/photoshop/drawing-techniques/quake-4-logo-exclusive-tutorial.14704.html
Thanks for the tutorial!

Well, I just broke my bong...

2009-12-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

Dr. Mutabi

July 28, 2009-December 27, 2009

I got this bong in July of this year after spending a couple of days examining the selections of all the local headshops. I loved it, it was short, blue, glass on glass bong and it smoked excellently. I named it Dr. Mutabi after a Kenyan history professor I once had and guarded him fiercely from anyone showing signs of clumsiness.

Today I felt like having a quick toke before lunch and so I decided to grab Dr. Mutabi, my faithful sidekick. As I was handling him, he slipped out of my hands and fell onto my bed. Everything would have been fine except that I had my jar of bud sitting on my bed, and Dr. Mutabi fell right on top of it, shattering into twenty or so pieces. Now I am left with a broken bong and a set of sheets with a bong-water stain and I am sad.

Damn it all to hell.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2009-11-26T13:19:00.000-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, I hope you all enjoy yourselves and have something to be thankful for (like a huge bag of weed).

Sincerely,
TheGanjaGuru

I guess I'll have to take down my pumpkin picture now.

10 Drugs You Won’t Believe Are Not Controlled Substances

2009-11-16T04:20:00.000-08:00

Title II of the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 established the legal precedent for our current drug control policies in the United States. The law is more commonly referred to as the Controlled Substance Act (CSA), and it is an extensive and complex piece of legislation that dictates restrictions on a multitude of substances. With so many drugs falling under the control of the CSA, it would seem that the government has covered it’s bases when it comes to potential drugs of abuse. However, despite the extensive restrictions placed on seemingly every drug one could think of, some have still managed to fall through the cracks. For this reason, I present to you the reader, ten drugs you won’t believe aren’t controlled substances.

Before we begin, there are some things that I should take the time to clarify. To start, when I say a “controlled substance,” I mean exactly that, a drug that is subject to restrictions and limitations as dictated by the Controlled Substance Act. For our purposes, we will not be discussing any drugs that are controlled by the CSA, however some of the substances I will mention may be controlled in other ways. Ultimately what is implied by a drug not being a controlled substance, is that an individual may self administer the drug as they see fit without needing to jump through any of the legal hoops set forth by the CSA.

10. L-Dopamine:

Most drugs of abuse have a profound impact on the reward center of the brain, which is expressed by the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine. Dopamine is the brain’s way of rewarding the body for a job well done. Weather it be finding food, laughing at something funny, or reaching sexual climax, dopamine is released to inform the individual that what they have done is good, and that if they would like to be rewarded with dopamine again, they can do so by participating that activity again.

Drugs can also release dopamine, and in particular stimulants such as cocaine and methamphetamine cause the brain to release massive quantities of dopamine, making the user feel better than they have ever felt in their entire life. Both methamphetamine and cocaine are controlled substances, and it seems unusual that synthetic forms of the main neurotransmitter that those drugs act upon are not controlled as well. L-Dopamine is not controlled by the CSA, and is considered a research chemical, and thus it is widely available on the Internet.

9. L-Adrenaline:

Adrenaline or epinephrine/norepinephrine is another neurotransmitter produced naturally in the body, and is typically associated with the “fight or flight” response. It could be said that adrenaline is the drug of choice for “adrenaline junkies” and those who like to get “high on life.” In reality, adrenaline might not actually be the cause of the good vibes that adrenaline junkies and “life addicts” experience, and it is more likely that those feelings are caused by dopamine and endorphins. However, considering that it is the position of the federal government that one does not get high on anything, it seems odd that this one also falls under the category of research chemical.

8. JWH-018

JWH-018 is an analgesic compound that acts at cannabinoid receptors in the brain, and produces similar effects as THC, the active ingredient in cannabis. The acronym JWH stands for John W. Huffman, who was one of the developers of the substance. This drug is sometimes found in “legal highs” that are intended to substitute cannabis. Such legal highs are often sold as incense, or in the case of raw JWH-018 it is sometimes sold as plant fertilizer. JWH-018 may be subject to control soon, as it is currently being researched as a painkiller due to its analgesic properties.

7. Nitrous Oxide:

Also known as laughing gas, nitrous oxide has a variety of applications including automobile performance, aerosol propellant (commonly used in whip cream canisters), and anesthesia. If you have ever had a cavity filled, there is a good chance your dentist used this gas to take your mind off the fact that he is drilling through your teeth.

When inhaled, nitrous oxide produces disorientation, auditory hallucinations, and a profound sense of euphoria. The downside is that none of these effects last longer than a minute after the gas is exhaled. However that doesn’t prevent individuals from chronically abusing the drug, and deaths have occurred by asphyxiation when individuals have attempted to use the gas in a confined space such as a plastic bag or closet in order to prolong the effects.

6. 2C-I

This one is a tricky one, as it technically could be considered a controlled substance based on the CSA analogs act, which automatically makes any analog of a schedule I or II drug a controlled substance by default. On the other hand, if it is not sold for human consumption, it may pass that criterion and be available for sale for some other purpose such as a research chemical. The drug is similar in structure to that of 2C-B, which is a psychedelic drug and a controlled substance. Its effects have been described as combination of LSD and ecstasy. Other than that, the drug is virtually unstudied, and little is known about its toxicity and side effects.

5. Salvia

Now we are getting into more familiar territory for most. Salvia divinorum, or the diviner’s sage, is a powerful psychoactive herb. Its main psychoactive compound is a powerful k-opioid receptor agonist, or in other words it acts at similar brain receptors that opiate drugs do. It is often sold as incense, and can be smoke or ingested. Its effects include, uncontrollable laughter, hallucinations; feelings of becoming one with objects and well… if you really want to see what happens just look it up on youtube.

The DEA currently has its sticky fingers and prying eyes fixated on salvia, so there is a good chance that it won’t be legal for long, so you know, stock up (seriously though, don’t). Also, according to Wikipedia, which for our purposes will serve as the culmination of all of humankind’s knowledge, the liquor and tobacco industries are two of the main lobbyers for salvias classification as a controlled substance. It is kind of ironic that two industries that contribute to some of the most numerous cases of preventable death want a drug to be illegal isn’t it?

4. Tramadol:

Tramadol is a synthetic opiate analgesic painkiller. It is not a controlled substance in the United States, although a prescription is typically required in order to acquire the drug. The effects are similar to other opiate painkillers such as vicodin, and like all other opiates, tramadol is addictive. Unlike other opiate however, tramadol has the withdrawal symptoms of regular opiates in conjunction with more dangerous withdrawals symptoms such as seizures, which can be fatal as cardiac arrest can occur. In addition, tramadol acts as a selective norepinephrine serotonin reuptake inhibitor in the same manor that antidepressants such as prozac do, which means that it has a myriad of unsafe drug interactions. Don’t mess with this one my few and dedicated readers, its bad news in a little white pill.

3. Phenazapam:

This one you probably haven’t heard of, and it’s another one of those drugs that falls through the legal loopholes of “not intended for human consumption,” and “for research purposes only.” Phenazapam is a benzodiazepine like valium (diazepam) and xanax (alazopram), and it is considered to be about four times as powerful as xanax. Like all benzodiazepines, phenazapam has the potential to produce amnesia, euphoria, and physical dependence. Benzodiazepines act on gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in the brain in a similar fashion to alcohol. Withdrawals from benzodiazepines can be fatal due to the potential for seizures to occur after cessation of the drug.

2. Dextromethorphan:

If you have taken an over the counter cough medicine recently, odds are you have ingested this drug. Dextromethorphan was used to replace the opiate codeine as a cough suppressant in over the counter cough preparations, when it was determined that the abuse potential for codeine was to great to allow individuals to self administer the drug. Interestingly enough, dextromethorphan is closely related to two powerful opiate analgesics, levorphanal and levomethorphan. Levorphanal has the same properties as morphine in terms of addiction, dependence, and withdrawal, although it is about four to eight time as powerful as morphine.

Of course, dextromethorphan is not an opiate itself, nor does it produce the effects of opiates when used recreationally. At therapeutic doses used in cold medications, dextromethorphan acts as an antitussive, and relieves cough. However at high doses far exceeding dose recommendations for cough suppression, dextromethorphan acts as a powerful disassociative psychedelic. Dextromethorphan is an NMDA receptor antagonist, and has a mechanism of action similar to that of ketamine (special K) and phencyclidine (PCP).

You may have seen news stories in the last few years describing a group of teenagers getting sent to the hospital after ingesting a whole pack of cold medicine in an attempt to “dex” or “robotrip.” In other words, they were trying to get high off of cold medicine, and overdosed on the other active ingredients in the drug, typically acetaminophen or whatever nasal decongestant was in the medicine. Of course, overdoses of dextromethorphan can also occur, and dextromethorphan’s lethal dose is only about ten times greater than its effective dose.

1. Alcohol:

"Wait what, alcohol?"

Yes, alcohol. Alcohol is subject to other forms of legal control, but it is not a substance controlled by the CSA, and users are free to self-administer the drug as they see fit.

"Wait, alcohol is a drug?"

Yes, alcohol is a psychoactive drug, and a very, very powerful drug at that. Alcohol affects the brain in a similar manor to benzodiazepines and barbiturates as it increases levels of GABA in the brain. GABA is the body’s primary inhibitory neurotransmitter, and slows neuronal activity. What this means for the user is that when GABA is released by alcohol, one feels calm and relaxed.

Alcohol use is pervasive in nearly all western cultures, and most of us don’t think a thing of it when we have drink or six. Alcohol has been used for thousands of years by many different societies, and well, that is pretty much one of the main reasons for it remaining legal. That and the fact that the last time our government tried to prohibit it’s use, it didn’t go so well. Many would argue that our experience with alcohol is a perfect example of why prohibiting the use of drugs is generally ineffective.

In every state in the United States, one is considered to be legally intoxicated by alcohol with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.08%. Fatalities due to alcohol overdose occur with a BAC of about 0.45% - 0.5%, although some may be more or less susceptible to its toxic effects depending on the individual’s tolerance for the drug. This means that alcohol’s lethal dose is only about six times greater than its effective dose, making it about as dangerous as heroin in terms of potential risk of fatal overdose, yikes! Unlike heroin, alcohol use causes far more extensive damage to the body’s organs, as it is a solvent. The risk of overdosing on alcohol is about three times greater than the risk of overdosing on cocaine, and about one hundred and fifty times greater than the risk of overdosing on cannabis or psilocybin (magic mushrooms), that is, if one was even able to ingest that much cannabis or shrooms.

Alcohol is also addictive, and alcohol addiction is referred to as alcoholism. According to the Henningfield and Benowitz ratings, of all drugs of abuse, alcohol has the worst withdrawal severity, and produces the strongest physical intoxication, worse than cocaine, and worse than heroin. In other words alcohol is bar none, the most powerful and dangerous drug one can acquire legal or otherwise. Now, remind me again, why it is perfectly acceptable to drink alcohol, but it isn’t okay do smoke cannabis? Oh, right, there is absolutely no rational, logical reason for that prerogative whatsoever.

To sum up, the CSA hardly controls all drugs that could potentially be abused, nor could it, as when one is made illegal, another will quickly take its place. In addition, many out and out illegal drugs such as cannabis, LSD, and psilocybin are far safer, and much less likely to be abused than society’s current legal drug of choice, alcohol. In light of this, one must wonder, have I have over looked something about drugs such as cannabis, or do our policy makers have their heads crammed so far up their rear ends, that they can’t see the light of day, let alone the obvious differences in safety between alcohol and many schedule I drugs?

An Additional Note:

In this article I have discussed the availability of a number of rather unsafe substance, and in no uncertain terms should my dissemination of this information be considered permission from me to seek out and abuse said substances. In fact, this article is meant to serve as a warning as to how unsafe these drugs actually are. Some of the drugs I have mentioned have never really been tested on humans, or even animals, and there is no possible way to know how dangerous they actually may be. If you disregard my warnings and attempt to seek out and abuse said substances, let it be known that you’re intelligence is likely on par with a large rock or a bag of hammers. Seriously, do not even think about messing around with the drugs I have discussed, it could be the last thing you ever do.

The First U.S. "Cannabis Cafe" to open in...Portland?

2009-11-15T23:08:00.000-08:00

Well this is a bit of a shocker, but the first "cannabis cafe" is to open in this good 'ol fun love'n country of ours, and its set to open in Portland, OR. Really, Portland? I mean, I'm not complaining, it's short trip for me, but I really expected it to be California.

All the same, bravo Portland, OR.

Here is a link to the site I got this information from. I'm not sure if it is the original site or not, and I have not done any extra research whatsoever, but hey, why would they lie?

Anywho, thought I'd let you know.

The Crime of Addiction

2009-11-02T12:17:00.000-08:00

The use of psychoactive substances is ubiquitous in human society and has been since our early pre-history. Mind-altering substances have the remarkable ability to change the way we think, feel and interact. For bettor worse, we like to use psychoactive substances, and we use them all the time. Most of us don’t see our personal consumption of these substances as being particularly criminal regardless of how additive, harmful, legal or illegal the substance we consume may be. Why is it that some substances that have a particularly high potential for abuse are perfectly legal, while other, less addictive substances are not? For that matter, why is it that we criminalize something that could be classified as typical mammalian behavior? Why is it that the United States criminalizes the disease of addiction?

Humans consume a multitude of substances for a multitude of reasons. We consume everything from an innocent cup of coffee to a cigarette, to antidepressants, sedatives, pharmaceutical stimulants, to the perceptibly less innocent street drugs and everything in between. We consume these substances on a daily basis, mainly for the simple purposes of coping, adapting, and surviving.
Just think about it, most of you reading this probably had coffee or some form of caffeinated beverage this morning. Take a moment to consider this morning ritual that you partake in on a daily basis. How long have you done this and more importantly, why? Is it because coffee is simply the most flavorful and delicious substance known to man? Or, could it be possible that you only drink it for the buzz? Likewise, does alcohol such as beer and wine really tastes that great? Of course not, however we acquire a taste for these substances because we desire their respective effects.

In the universe of drugs there are galaxies of uppers, downers, psychedelics, and dissociatives to choose from, many of them are highly addictive, and most are strictly controlled. It is true that some individuals will try these drugs a few times and walk away, while others will become chronic abusers of the substance, strongly dependent, and hopelessly addicted. Fortunately for those individuals, most reputable doctors consider addiction to be an illness. Additionally there are ways to treat their substance dependence and abuse problems. Unfortunately for those individuals, their addiction also typically makes them criminals by default because for the most part, drug use is seen as a crime by our government.
Sadly, there isn’t necessarily a lot of sympathy for addicts in our society. Like sexually transmitted diseases, many see addiction as disease that is one acquires by choice of action, and a disease of vice. This may be true to a certain extent, however for many addicts, the choice was already made for them by their DNA, and their exposure to mind altering substances in their childhood environment. This idea being contrary to the former motif of addiction being a moral failing, or a disease of choice

Furthermore, by the logic that addiction is a disease that one chooses to acquire, any communicable disease could be considered a disease that one chooses to acquire by virtue of one’s desire to intermingle in society. Imagine that an individual acquires some terrible infection, he or she goes to their doctor and he tells them “too bad, you should have never gone outside, but since you did, you have chosen to get this disease and thus there is nothing I can do to help.” To make matters worse, the drug that person needs to make them feel better is illegal, and if they are caught with or trying to get the drug, they could be arrested and jailed.
In a sense, this is what addicts face on a daily basis. An individual dependant on a substance may feel fine when they have gotten a fix, but when that fix wears off, they will need another, and it won’t be cheap. Withdrawal is a powerful motivator for the addict, as the symptoms of withdrawal, depending on the drug can range from severely unpleasant, to debilitating, to even life threatening. Thus that individual has no choice but seek out their substance of abuse, or face the harsh reality of withdrawal and any other underlying emotional or mental problems that spurred their drug use in the first place.

This is the reality of Americans who are dependent on illegal substances. Their doctors tell them that they are ill, yet their government tells them that they are criminals because of their illness. Their doctor (if they have a doctor, or insurance) may be able to prescribe them medication to stave off withdrawals, but should they have a relapse with their drug of choice, and if they are caught with that drug, they will be arrested, prosecuted, humiliated, and imprisoned, simply because they were sick.

From this point, the addict can expect his or her life to become progressively worse. Not only are they ill, now the individual is a convict, convicted of possessing the drug that is the manifestation of their illness. Being a convicted felon is a terrible thing for an individual to experience. As a convict one may not leave the country, they may not vote, and they may find it difficult to find adequate employment or housing. In addition since they have been convicted of possessing an illegal drug, they are no longer eligible for student loans or any form of government loan or grant, and thus they are deprived of any means of improving their lives.

Now I ask you, is this fair? Is this right? Is this what we as Americans call justice? I think, or at least I hope not. It is time for Americans to encourage their government to change they way that substance abuse is approached. Our nation needs to shift its focus to harm-reduction and education, rather than arrest and prosecution.

One of the major flaws of our nation’s drug policy is our government’s unwillingness to accept the tenets of harm-reduction. First of all, what is harm-reduction? Well, its pretty simple, the basic idea is to reduce the potential for drug users to harm themselves or others in the course of their drug use. This process involves a number of steps such as providing clean hypodermic needles, providing purity testing, even providing safe drugs and a safe environment to use to addicts.
All of this may seem pretty liberal to the citizens of this country, and some may fear that such steps will only encourage more people to use drugs. However, the idea of harm reduction, and the steps that I have mentioned above are not new ideas, in fact they are old ones that have been employed for some time by a small European nation that we call the Netherlands.

Like other nations of the world, the Netherlands is not exempt from drug problems; the difference is how they have chosen to handle the issue. Rather than seeing drug abuse as a moral and legal issue, the Dutch see drug addiction and abuse for what it is, an illness. Likewise, rather than pursing our own corporalistic approach of prosecuting and imprisoning citizens with drug problems, citizens of the Netherlands have adopted the approach of harm-reduction.

This does not mean that drugs are legal in the Netherlands nor is their country comprised of mostly drug users. On the contrary, drugs are still very much illegal, and unlike the United States and many other European nations, drug use is relatively low. This is odd considering that most of us here in the states see the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands as the Mecca of marijuana. However, despite their liberal drug policies only about ten percent of all high school students in the Netherlands have used or do use soft drugs such as cannabis. In the United States almost half of all high school students have tried cannabis in spite of the outrageously disproportionate legal and social consequences.

Of course, I am not advocating the legalization of all drugs, however, our government needs to reassess how effective the war on drugs (and consequently the war against its own citizens) really is. Furthermore, our legal system needs to treat citizens with substance abuse problems as people with psychological and biological illnesses, rather than as criminals. In order to do this, the very thing that makes them a criminal; the possession of a drug, needs to be decriminalized, if not controlled outright by the government.

It is time for the United States Government to start seeing addiction for what it is, an illness, and not a crime. Furthermore, it is time for our nations leaders to realize that although addiction is an illness, it is hardly communicable, and purging drug users from our society is for one impossible (as nearly all of us use drugs), and secondly a waste of time. It is time for our government to stop harassing drugs users, and to start focusing on organized crime and drug traffickers, perhaps then our government would have a drug policy that actually makes a difference.

Limey Scientists Angry After Sacking of Drug Advisor

2009-11-01T14:42:00.000-08:00

(United Kingdom) Professor David Nutt of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs was fired from his position as a government drug adviser after making statements claiming that cannabis is less harmful than nicotine or alcohol. He stated that cannabis had been upgraded to a Class B drug while ignoring contradictory scientific evidence, and it had been reclassified for political rather than pragmatic reasons. In the wake of his dismissal other top scientists have resigned from their positions as government advisers. So far at least two have resigned, leaving the ACMD without three of their top advisers. Further resignations may follow which could leave the council unable to function, and worse it could result in The move has been called an act of thuggery, and there are concerns that it could lead to resignations by scientists in other key advisory positions, resulting in a policy making crisis.

Click here to read the whole story on the BBC's website.

Well I have to say an even like this would be nothing new or suprising as the government has made it very clear that when it comes to policy making they put very little stock into the opinions of scientists. If this weren't the case, cannabis would not be a Schedule I substance as it has been demanded by doctors to be rescheduled to Schedule II for decades so that they may have access to the drug's medicinal value.

Rather than listen to what governments and doctors have to say, our policy makers have decided to play doctor, and generate a body of (questionable) evidence that justifies thier policy. Should anyone question thier policy or supportive evidence, our government, particularly the DEA, simply ignores what they have to say, and in some cases go so far as to claim it isn't true. If you haven't visited the DEA's page on medical marijuana, you should, its full of so much shit it smells bad.

I suppose that's all I have to say about that.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T15:25:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween from TheGanjaGuru! I hope you all enjoy yourself this year!

Come back on Monday to read my latest article The Crime of Addiction. I think you should all find it to be an interesting read.

Have fun and be safe.

Sincerely,
TheGanjaGuru

New Posts Starting Monday

2009-10-27T12:26:00.001-07:00

Hey everybody, it looks like I'll have some new posts up starting Monday November 2nd. Next week I'll be talking about addiction, and things that I would change about America if I could so stay tuned.

Sincerely,
TheGanjaGuru

Stay Tuned...

2009-10-23T19:57:00.000-07:00

...there is more to come from TheGanjaGuru, I swear. I'm sorry about the long gap between posts, but I've been pretty busy with term-papers and what-not, and I just haven't had the time to generate any content for this site. This situation may continue a bit longer, although I am going to try to have an article up next week.

In other news, did you hear that President Obama has asked federal persecutors (excuse me, prosecutes I mean) not to pursue medical marijuana patients or their suppliers? Its big news, and it is a big deal. This could be the first step toward a logical drug policy in our country, although I won't hold my breath.

Again, sorry for the silence, I'll try to break it more often.

TheGanjaGuru

Marijuana Isn't A Gateway Drug, But the Commentary Is Hilarious

2009-09-23T17:32:00.000-07:00

I stumbled upon this article some time ago, and always meant to write about it, but for some reason or another, I just couldn't find my muse...until now. In brief, the article basically covers what most of us already know, that cannabis use is not a gateway to other drugs. However, according to this article we no longer need to rely on common sense as the "gateway" theory has now been dis-proven by a definitive scientific study. The article itself is informative, but the comments, oh man the comments, don't even get me started...too late, I'm already started.

"We Value Our Brain

April 24, 2009 by Anonymous, 21 weeks 5 days ago

Comment id: 36349

ha ha
There is no way that none-users will "try" marijuana.

We value our brains, as they are, undamaged. You will never get your intellect back.

We will never be influenced by user comments."

That's fantastic! If you don't smoke pot, then there will be more for me. On the subject of your brain being undamaged, well first off, I think it may be more damaged than you think as the title of your comment is "We Value Our Brain." We? Brain? As in two people sharing one brain? Are you sharing your brain with a conjoined twin?

By the way, I still have my intellect as pot doesn't cause brain damage, but alcohol does Mr./Ms. Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. I apologize to anyone who actually has FAS and was offended by being compared to this genius.

"Dear Anonymous (Comment id: 36223)

April 21, 2009 by Anonymous, 22 weeks 1 day ago

Comment id: 36311

Response to the writer of "you know what look at a." You are not doing any good to the people who want to legalize marijuana. You see what a life time of smoking pot does to you. Makes you write long run on sentence full of misspellings. Set the bong down and pick up a grammar book you illiterate son of a..."

Oh, oh dude, let me help you out and make some much needed corrections to your post...

Here is how it should look:

In response to the author of the post titled You Know What Look At A. You are not doing any good for the people who want to legalize marijuana. Don't you see what a life time of smoking pot does to you? It makes you write long wrong on sentences full of misspellings. Set the bong down and pick up a grammar book you illiterate son of a bitch (this is the Internet, its okay to swear).

Now who is the illiterate one?

In all fairness though, the post he/she was replying to wasn't very eloquent...

"You Know What Look At A

April 17, 2009 by Anonymous, 22 weeks 5 days ago

Comment id: 36223

you know what look at a smoker of tobacco then look at a smoker of weed can you figure out the diffrience cause i know what it is one ask a smoker who smokes daily for a ciggerete then look at a kid 15 16 and see what he dose when he gets some the first thing he dose is calls his or her friends and saies hey man i just got some cool new shit bring your piece and we can smoke some bowl then go and ask a smoker of cigertettes and see what they say some will give it to you and walk away and mabey offer you a light but others will just be like no i see weed as a better thing to do if any of the two even if it is illegaile thats why ill never smoke a ciggerete peace"

I'm not even going to go there, except to say that pot use is not a reliable indicator of literacy.

"Hey stupid, yeah you

April 15, 2009 by Anonymous, 23 weeks 3 hours ago

Comment id: 36165

just to let your pot smoking ass know...MAIL is spelled MALE..im assuming since you are possibly a MALE you should know how to spell your own gender. just a thought...have a nice day love you bye

love michelle"

Holy Shit! That is feisty. In all seriousness though, is this your argument for why pot should be illegal? Simply because it may cause someone to spell "male," "mail?" How can you get on someone about something so trivial when you don't even capitalize your own name?

"Yeppp

February 25, 2009 by Anonymous, 30 weeks 2 hours ago

Comment id: 34834

Hmmm. All I have to say is screw the studies and look at the facts. If you look around ANY high school, the teenagers catorgorized under "stoners" AREN'T the straight A students and don't participate in any extra cirrucular activities. I believe weed ruins relationships and makes you say stupid things that aren't yourself!! If your going to smoke pot, look around you first."

Screw the studies and look at the facts? Where the hell do you think facts come from? Your facts obviously come from your butt-hole. Furthermore, I never got straight A's in high school, and yet I never tried cannabis until after I graduated. Does that mean that because I didn't get straight A's in high school that I was a stoner by default? Oh, oh! I think I have an answer; not that many students get straight A's. Think about that the next time you go see your doctor (if you have health care that is). By the way, you spelled "categorized" and "curricular" wrong.

I'm going to stop there because there are far too many comments, and too few hours in the day to dissect and criticize them.

To see these comments and more go here. Its well worth reading the comments if you need a good laugh, in addition to a lively Internet debate, there are also plenty of accusations of folks knob slobbing, dick sucking, ass licking and being retarded to boot.

How the Legal Status of Cannabis Fosters and Environment For Organized Crime to Profit

2009-09-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

In the 1920s, the Volstead act made alcohol effectively illegal in the United States, and the result was utter chaos. It is hard to say whether or not anyone saw the ensuing storm of lawlessness coming, or whether it would have even been possible to predict it, but when the storm hit, the United States government was woefully unequipped to handle the issue. The result of the prohibition on alcohol was that it became America’s hottest black market commodity. The financial incentives to break the law by bootlegging booze were too much to resist for many people, particularly after the onset of the great depression.

Fortunately, the United States government was roused from its fairy tale fantasy and reversed the Volstead act with the 21^st amendment, thus once again making alcohol legal, like it had always been. Unfortunately, the 21^st amendment did not reverse the lasting legacy of the prohibition; organized crime. The high profitability of bootlegged alcohol allowed for the establishment of large and powerful organized crime networks. Once alcohol was made legal again, those networks of organized crime were forced to branch out into new enterprises, mainly other drugs.

This brings us to cannabis, which found itself on the wrong side of the legal fence with the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. Of course at this time, cannabis wasn’t very popular amongst the majority ethnic group in America; white people. However, that all changed in the 1960s, and today white folks consume more cannabis than those of Latin American or Africa-American descent. In fact, two thirds of all white Americans consume or have consumed cannabis, while only one fourth of Latin Americans and Black-Americans consume or have consumed cannabis. What is even more interesting is the fact that despite the relatively low numbers of users in both ethnic minorities, those two minorities represent the vast majority of citizens incarcerated for cannabis possession and distribution.

The funny thing about cannabis, is that it is regarded as relatively cheap drug, so how could it be so profitable for organized crime? There are plenty of other drugs out there that have much higher street value, such as cocaine, and are much more addictive, thus keeping users coming back for more day in and day out. With all these other drugs available to sell, why sell cannabis?

To begin with, cannabis isn’t only cheep to buy, it is cheep, and easy to produce. Think about it, cannabis is a plant. Have soil? Got sun? Great, plant a seed, water and wait. It’s that easy, and three to five months later you have a large quantity of consumable cannabis buds that will return an incredible profit for your investment. There are no chemical processes that need to be applied to extract the drug; the buds you pick from your plants are as ready to smoke, as picked cherries are ready to eat. Since its illegal, you can also expect to be able to command a great enough fee to cover your risks as well.

How large will the return be? Well that depends, however the average cannabis plant grown outdoors will produce up to one pound of cannabis buds at harvest. Cannabis sold on the streets is literally worth it’s weight in gold, with an average price of $200-$350 dollars an ounce. Just planting a few plants and selling the harvest can amass a profit well into the tens of thousands.

The question is, why is it worth so much? Its not because it’s a drug, coffee is a drug, and it certainly doesn’t cost hundreds of dollars an ounce. Tobacco is also a drug, and despite the government’s best efforts to increase its price via taxation, it also isn’t worth hundreds of dollars an ounce. Both products are in high demand, and all three drugs have ample supply, so why is cannabis worth so much more? Well, its pretty obvious isn’t it? Cannabis’s value is artificially inflated by its legal status. Since it is illegal, a buyer pays a premium for the risk involved in its distribution.

There is one other factor involved in cannabis’s massive black market value, its popularity. There are a couple of factors that drive it’s popularity for sale and consumption. What makes it so popular for consumption is the fact that it is safe, far safer than other street drugs, and far safer than drugs like alcohol, tobacco and even caffeine. Why? Because it isn’t possible to overdose on it’s main psychoactive ingredient, delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC.

What makes it so popular for sale, is who happens consumes it. The majority of consumers are members of the wealthiest and most powerful ethnic demographic in the United States, white people. Thus the market is rather large, and the consumers have the money to spend on the commodity.

Not only that, cannabis isn’t particularly addictive, and it does not have unpleasant withdrawal symptoms usually associated with opiates and psycho-stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines. In fact it is significantly less addictive than tobacco, which is regarded by some to be even more addictive than heroin. Cannabis is probably even less addictive than caffeine, not to mention that the withdrawal symptoms, if any, are also less severe than caffeine as well. What this means, is that not only do users have the money to spend on the drug, they also are a lot less likely to rob or maybe even kill their dealer or someone else to get the drug, making it a relatively safe and profitable drug to sell.

It is easy to see why cannabis is such an enticing criminal enterprise; it’s easy to produce, cheap to produce, and commands massive profits. No wonder so many Mexican drug cartels are growing mega crops of cannabis and smuggling it across the border. Likewise, is it any wonder that so many Americans are willing to go to Canada and take advantage of the virtual decriminalization of cannabis there, so that they can smuggle large quantities of high grade cannabis across the border and cash in its massive profits?

Profiteering by organized criminal enterprises aside, the worst part about cannabis being illegal is that it is impossible to prevent it from falling into the hands of minors. The reason for this is that there is no way to control who it is sold to. Unlike in a store where a clerk has no financial incentive to sell to an underage buyer, a dealer who needs to sell their stash quickly to pay off any debts and avoid getting caught, will sell a bag to anyone who has the money in hand, and aren’t likely to card the buyer to verify their age.

To sum up, if alcohol was easy enough to produce during the prohibition, despite its complicated, time consuming, and costly production process, and that prohibition failed, how can our government possibly expect to control the production of a plant? Anyone can grow a plant, and the cannabis plant grows itself, it is after all, a weed. It grows naturally in all but the most extreme environments on the planet. We might as well be trying to stop people from growing tomatoes or roses. In fact, we might as well be trying to get the planet to not produce vegetation.

Is it Candy or Medicine?

2009-09-13T19:39:00.001-07:00

Just for fun/quick reference, you know, just in case.

Marijuana Manifesto: Why The United States Should Legalize Cannabis

2009-09-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

Marijuana, its green, its sticky, and it can get you high. Sadly, that’s probably the full extent of most people’s understanding of the Cannabis plant. For this reason it has become the most controversial drug, rather, the most controversial plant on the planet. As of right now, it is strictly illegal in the United States, save the few states that allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes in spite of superseding federal laws. However, the cannabis plant’s expansive industrial and medicinal value and remarkably large margin of safety warrant it’s immediate legalization.

To begin, the cannabis plant has vast industrial and medicinal value. Most people probably don’t know this, but the cannabis plant is possibly the most valuable renewable resource on the planet. Almost everything that we produce today could be made with the cannabis plant. Just one acre of hemp is the equivalent to 4.5 acres of trees for paper production. It is extremely easy to cultivate, requires little to no pesticides, and returns most of its nutrients to the soil. An acre of hemp can be grown in one season, while an acre of trees may require ten to twenty. On top of that it can be used to make fuel for cars, clothing more durable and comfortable than cotton, and about 25,000[1] other commercial products, heck, we could build house made completely from hemp.

As a drug, there are a multitude of ailments that can be treated with cannabis. Some of the more common ailments include glaucoma, post-chemotherapy nausea, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, migraines, multiple sclerosis, arthritis, spinal chord injury, and various other painful and debilitating conditions. However the list doesn’t end there and it is believed that cannabis may be useful for the treatment of many more conditions. In addition to that, not only is it possible to treat many conditions with cannabis, cannabis itself may even be safer than the treatments already in place.

That’s all well and good, but it’s still a drug isn’t it? Well, yes it is a drug, however according to the DEA’s Chief Administrative Law Judge, Francis L. Young, in a 1988 ruling, “Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.”[2] Yet the federal government still list marijuana a Schedule I controlled substance, which means that it has no medical value, it is addictive, and it is not safe to use, even under medical supervision. The federal government places marijuana in the same category as drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and ecstasy. Why does this matter? Because marijuana doesn’t belong on that schedule, unlike most schedule I drugs, marijuana cannot kill you.

The safety of a drug is determined by its therapeutic index. A therapeutic index is determined by dividing the dose that is lethal in 50% of test subjects by the dose that is effective in 50% of test subjects.[3] The therapeutic index for heroin is 6, meaning that it is lethal at a dose six times its therapeutic dose. For alcohol it is 10, for cocaine 15, aspirin 20. Marijuana’s therapeutic index is so high that it is probably impossible to quantify, although it is usually listed as "<" 1000. That means a smoker would need to consume about 1500 pounds in 15 minutes to cause a lethal reaction.[4]

As a medicinal and recreational drug, marijuana is extremely safe, safer than most substances that we consume regularly. In fact, in 5000 years of human experience with cannabis, there is not one credible record that indicates that anyone has ever died from consuming cannabis.[5] By comparison, tobacco causes 435,000 deaths per year, and alcohol causes 85,000 deaths per year, even over the counter pain medicines such as aspirin, acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil), and naproxen (Aleve) manage to pull down a couple thousand deaths a year.

Given that tobacco and alcohol are perfectly legal, and kill plenty of people every year, does cannabis use even matter at all? Yes and no. The amount of harm done by cannabis is virtually non-existent, with the exception of the artificial harm that has been fabricated by the Justice Department via arrest and conviction. However if cannabis were legal, the tax revenue from cannabis and all of its constituents would be massive, and its legalization could even save our ailing economy, while displacing many if not most harmful and high pollution industries. Now that matters.

So know you know, cannabis is remarkably safe, and incredibly useful. Of course, this isn’t new information; people have known this for centuries. It has only been the last century that cannabis has had any formal sanctions against its production and use. The question remains, how can we reverse a century of flawed policy? Education; educate yourself, and then educate others.

Next Time: Find out how cannabis’s legal status fosters an environment for organized crime to profit.

[1] Harris Sherline, “The Case For Hemp.” Santa Ynez Valley Journal. 06 Aug 2009. http://mapinc.org/norml/v09/n774/a08.html

[2] Young, Pg. 58

[3] Daniel E. Becker, DDS. “Drug Therapy in Dental Practice: General Principles Part 2—Pharmacodynamic Considerations.” Anesthesia Progress. Spring 2007. Pgs 19-24. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1821133

[4] Francis L. Young. Marijuana Rescheduling Petition Opinion and Recommended Ruling, Findings of Fact, Conclusions of Law and Decision of Administrative Law Judge Francis L. Young. 06 December 1988.

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/young/young4.html. Pg 57.

[5] Young, Pg. 57