Does Cannabis Truly Help AIDS Patients

Medical Cannabis:AIDS Patients in a Controlled Study Had Significant Pain Relief… AIDS patients suffering from debilitating nerve pain got as much or more relief by smoking marijuana as they would typically get from prescription drugs — and with fewer side effects — according to a study conducted under rigorously controlled conditions with government-grown pot.

In a five-day study performed in a specially ventilated hospital ward where marijuana patients smoked three marijuana cigarettes a day, more than half the participants tallied significant reductions in pain.

By contrast, less than one-quarter of those who smoked “placebo” medical marijuana, which had its primary psychoactive ingredients removed, reported benefits, as measured by subjective pain reports and standardized neurological tests.

Many of us are familiar with Marijuana, also known as cannabis, ganja, weed, dank, KB, or for those out there that can't afford much, schwag. No matter what you call it, it is all the same — in a sense. But, although, many people smoke marijuana, few actually understand what it is, and the benefits. This is why I have compiled a complete information article based solely on the herb, Marijuana.

First off, many people don't know what this “weed' actually is. Marijuana is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. The herbal form of the drug is made of dried mature inflorescences and subtending leaves of female (pistillate) plants. The most active chemical compound found in ganja is tetrahydrocannabinol, or as many people know it as THC. This compound has psychoactive and physiological effects when consumed — either by smoking or ingesting (brownies). Believe it or not there is a minimum amount of THC that is required to have a perceptible psychoactive effect, and that amount is around 5 mg. There is also a related compound that is very similar to THC that is found in certain drug strains, and that is tetrahydrocannabidivarin, or THCV. This second type of compound is recorded as having faster and “flashier” effects than THC, however, there have been recent studies that are suggesting THCV actually inhibits the effects of THC. THCV is found in African dagga, or marijuana, as well as in hashish from the northwest Himalayas.

But, how long have humans been consuming Marijuana? Is it a fairly new drug? Actually, humans have been consuming “weed” since prehistoric times, however, in the 20th century, marijuana reached its peak in its use for recreational, religious or spiritual, and medicinal purposes. There are estimates that around 4% of the world's adult population consume marijuana. In the United States, there are estimates that 20% or more of adults have tried the drug, and 10-30% or more in Europoean countries. However long humans have been consuming marijuana, it has now become very illegal in many parts of the world. Although, there are some countries that have eased the enforcement of marijuana, as in The Netherlands. However, it is still very illegal in most of the world to produce marijuana for drug use due to the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the 1971 Convention on Psychotropic Substances, and the 1988 United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

What is the history of Marijuana? Well, botanists have determined that marijuana is native to central Asia and possible going down into the Himalayas. There is evidence of inhalation of marijuana smoke that goes back as far as the Neolithic age. This is proved by the charred seeds found in a ritual brazier at an ancient burial site in present day Romania. However, the most famous users of marijuana were the ancient Hindus of India, and the Hashshashins (hashish eaters) of present day Syria. There were also signs of use from the citizens of the Persian Empire, in which they would partake in the ceremonial burning of massive marijuana bonfires. By doing this they would expose all that lived around the bonfire to billowing fumes for often over 24 hours. Marijuana was also used by the Assyrians, who discovered it through the Aryans. They used it in religious ceremonies, and called it qunubu, which translates to the drug for sadness.

There is one thing that is communal about many of these ancient cultures, and that is many of them used marijuana in their religious ceremonies. When you trace the history of this plant, you will find that many pharmacological cults around the world used marijuana in their ceremonies. There are even some historians who are saying that marijuana was used as a religious sacrament by the ancient Jews, early Christians and Muslims of the Sufi order. However, the use of religious marijuana stems to today, as the Rastafari movement has embraced the use of this drug. Like the Rastafari, some modern Gnostic Christian sects have asserted that Marijuana is the Tree of Life. There are actual organized religions founded within the past century that treat marijuana as a sacrament. Some of these organizations are the THC Ministry, the Way of Infinite Harmony, Cantheism, the Cannibis Assembly and the Church of Cognizance. However, many individuals consider their use of this plant to be spiritual, regardless of their religion.

Surely we have all heard of Medical Marijuana. However, why is this so? The Marijuana Policy Project has stated that marijuana is an ideal therapeutic drug for cancer and AIDS patients, who often suffer from clinical depression and from nausea and weight loss from chemotherapy and other treatments. It has been said that marijuana makes these and other treatments more bearable for the sick. Even for people that do not have a terminal sickness, the effects of marijuana provide a degree of relief for persons suffering from motion sickness, and can also be used by hyperhidrosis sufferers for temporary relief of excessive sweating.

However, there have been many different discussion for the use of medical marijuana, both for it and against it. On April 20, 2006 the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an intra-agency advisory that warned against medical marijuana, stating that the plant has a high potential for abuse, no current medical use, and a lack of accepted safety for use under medical supervision. Also, the FDA made a statement saying that, “there is no currently sound evidence that smoked marijuana is harmful.” Also, the National Institute of Health (NIH) made a statement saying, “the association of these [lung and upper aerodigestive tract] cancers with marijuana, even long-term or heavy use, is not strong and may be below practically detectable limits.”

So what's the big fuss about medical marijuana? Well, there have been claims that marijuana reduces the intraocular pressure (fluid pressure within the eye) and is therefore useful for glaucoma suffers. It also been said that it is useful when treating epilepsy, migraines and bipolar disorder. There have even been studies that show the use of marijuana can relieve tics in patients that suffer from OCD and/or Tourette syndrome. Patients who have undergone this study were shown to have a 50% or more decrease in motor and vocal tics. THC has also been shows to reduce arterial blockages. In the United States, there are in upwards of 60 million people who have legalized medical marijuana to some degree. There are additionally six states that have enacted a decriminalization policy towards the drug. However, because the federal government does not acknowledge any medical uses for marijuana, there are still federal enforcements dealing with this drug.

Even though the use of marijuana is illegal, some medical practitioners still recommend it informally. There is a synthetic version of THC, which is available in capsule form as the prescription drug donation (Marinol) which is available in many countries. In Canada, the drug Sativex, which is an extract from marijuana is administered as a sublingual spray and is used for multiple sclerosis sufferers. However, the United States still views marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, which is in the same as heroin and LSD, but, they have listed Marinol as a Schedule III drug, even though they have the exact same active ingredient, THC.

Marijuana is prepared for human consumption in many different forms. There are several different terms that are used in order to identify the various types of consumption methods. Marijuana can be known as Hashish or Charas. Basically, this describes the concentrated resin that is composed of debris that has been physically extracted from the plant. There are various methods in which this is performed, either by rubbing, sifting or with ice. The Kief, or Kif, is the chopped flowering tops of female plants, which is ofted mixed with tobacco. Bhang is a beverage which is prepared by one grinding marijuana leaves in milk and then boiling the mixture with spices and various other tasteful ingredients. And Budder, which is the hash oil which is whipped in order add air into the mixture, making the finished compound similar to butter.

However, the most popular way to consume marijuana, is to smoke it. There many different types of ways in which have become widely used in the smoking process. The most popular ways is by a joint, blunt, using a hookah, a bong, or the pipe, which is usually recognized by the names “bowl” or “piece”, there is also a shotgun, chillum, and the one-hitter, which is also called a “bat.” However, there are several methods of actually eating the plant. Eating marijuana is an alternative to the previous methods. This has become very popular because of the longer lasting effects of the drug. However, many people who have consumed marijuana via ingestion often complain about the experience, because the “high” is far more intense than the traditional smoking. This is due to the fact that when one smokes marijuana, it looses a significant amount of THC, however, when one ingests the compound, all of the active components, are converted into the more psychoactive 11-hydroxy-THC by the liver.

No matter how you look at marijuana, there are some health issues that have been raised by the consumption of this plant. However, throughout peoples studies there have been many different and conflicting results concerning the physical and mental effects of marijuana. However, many of these studies have been done by government agencies, of whom it can be hard to take their findings as non-biased. Many people have condemned these studies as the various agencies “pick-and-choose” their findings that they put in their reports. However, all of the studies have shown that smoking marijuana has not been the cause of emphysema, lung cancer, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. There have also been other studies that have suggested that marijuana does not appear to cause birth defects or developmental delays in pregnant women. Citing a United Kingdom government report, using marijuana is less dangerous than both tobacco and alcohol in social harms, physical harms and addiction.

Although the latter is not negative news, it has been shown that marijuana acts on the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain that is associated with memory and learning. It is said that this drug impairs short term memory and attention spans during the duration of the “high,” as well as throughout the next several days, in some cases. However, some studies have suggested that in the long term certain particular types of memory have been enhanced. One major study concluded that marijuana was found to be “neuroprotective” against “excitotoxicty” which is a major beneficial factor is preventing progressive degenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease. In a study that was conducted by the Health Secretary of the State of France, Bernard Kouchner, and was directed by Dr. Pierre-Bernard Roques, it was concluded that marijuana does not have any neurotixicity that affects the brain. Which means that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol and cocaine.

No matter what your stance is on marijuana, one must begin to ask themselves is this drug really worth illegalizing. Marijuana has been involved in mankind's history for millennia's. Yes, when one takes any type of recreational drug, be it alcohol or marijuana, in an irresponsible manner, there are going to be negative effects. However, I believe that it is a must that the pubic is educated on this “drug” before they begin to pass judgment. I am not saying that the government NEEDS to legalize the substance. However, I do believe that we should decriminalize, or make the punishments less severe, to marijuana users if they are responsible with the plant - just as in alcohol. But, will this ever happen?

Legal Cannabis Price Drop Propaganda…Or fact?

It seems that some are a little worried that a vote that would legalize Cannabis in California might also upset supply and demand that marijuana values could plunge by as much as 90 % and perhaps challenge the tax bonus that cannabis supporters have used to sell the proposal, a study in print Wednesday found.

The study by the independent RAND Drug Policy Research Center projects some attention-grabbing possibilities if Ca in Nov becomes the second state, after Alaska, to legalize cannabis for entertaining use by adults and the first to tax commercial marijuana sales sales. Do you think marijuana should remain medical

Rand Researchers are stating Cannabis prices may well plunge from $375 an oz., within the state's present medical cannabis regulation to less than $38 per oz. prior to taxes.

What is wrong with the War on Drugs?

Six recent reports - from the American Enterprise Institute, Citizens Against Government Waste, Taxpayers for Common Sense, The Sentencing Project, a Harvard University economics professor, and the U.S. Department of Justice - point out the failures and steep costs of marijuana prohibition and call for a new approach.

I. Its almost certainly unconstitutional: 
Unlawful searches and seizures are not permitted - unless cops are searching for drugs, which are not legal property and therefore not protected. No self-incrimination - unless it's a drug test. No cruel and unusual punishment - unless you were caught with cocaine. And so our two greatest bulwarks against tyranny, checks and balances and the Bill of Rights, are out the drug war window.  More than 700,000 Americans were arrested on marijuana charges last year, and more than 5 million Americans have been arrested for marijuana offenses in the past decade. Almost 90 percent of these arrests are for simple possession, not trafficking or sale. This is a misapplication of the criminal sanction that invites government into areas of our private lives that are inappropriate and wastes valuable law enforcement resources that should be focused on serious and violent crime.

II.  It is not working:

After a third of a century of escalating penalties against marijuana and of antimarijuana propaganda, marijuana has reached an unprecedented peak of popularity.  Prohibition does not work. As the United States learned from 1920 to 1933, it didn't work with alcohol. As the country has been learning since 1914, it doesn't work with heroin. It isn't working today with marijuana, LSD, or any of the other illicit drugs. Nor is prohibition likely to prove more effective in the future. What prohibition does accomplish is to raise prices and thus to attract more entrepreneurs to the black market. If the drug is addicting and the price escalation is carried to outrageous extremes (as in the case of heroin), addicts resort to crime to finance their purchases–– at a tragic cost, not only in dollars but in community disruption.  What prohibition also achieves is to convert the market from relatively bland, bulky substances to more hazardous concentrates which are more readily smugglable and marketable–– from opium smoking to heroin mainlining, from coca leaves to cocaine, from marijuana to hashish.

III. It is wasting money: 

“As currently implemented, American drug policies are unconvincing,” Reuter and Boyum write. “They are intrusive … divisive … and expensive, with an approximate $35 billion annual expenditure on drug control … yet they leave the nation with a massive drug problem, greater than that of any other Western nation.” Reuter and Boyum call for, among other proposals, eliminating criminal penalties associated with marijuana and drastically increasing emphasis on drug treatment instead of incarceration.   In fiscal year (FY) 2004 alone, the federal government spent nearly $4 billion to combat marijuana. Despite spending billions of dollars over the years to enforce the prohibition of marijuana, use and perception of the drug are little different now than they were 30 years ago. Despite record deficits, U.S. taxpayers continue to watch as year after year tax dollars go up in smoke funding expensive but ineffective government programs intended to reduce marijuana use. The “Federal Marijuana Policy: A Preliminary Assessment,” released June 28, 2005 by Taxpayers for Common Sense assesses the cost of the nation's anti-marijuana efforts and the effect those efforts have had on marijuana use and finds the program to have been a failure, noting that increased federal spending on marijuana has accompanied increased use. The report singles out as particularly wasteful and ineffective marijuana arrests (which have not stemmed marijuana usage rates), the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy's youth anti-drug media campaign, and student drug testing programs.

Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of taxation and regulation similar to that used for alcoholic beverages would produce combined savings and tax revenues of between $10 billion and $14 billion per year, finds a June 2005 report by Dr. Jeffrey Miron, visiting professor of economics at Harvard University.  Replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of legal regulation would save approximately $7.7 billion in government expenditures on prohibition enforcement - $2.4 billion at the federal level and $5.3 billion at the state and local levels (Miron’s conservative estimates).  Revenue from taxation of marijuana sales would range from $2.4 billion per year if marijuana were taxed like ordinary consumer goods to $6.2 billion if it were taxed like alcohol or tobacco.

Marijuana prohibition costs law enforcement a minimum of 2,400,000 man-hours annually. These are policeman hours and fiscal costs that could be better spent targeting violent crime. For example, following the adoption of marijuana decriminalisation in California in 1976, the state saved an average of $95.8 million annually. Of course, these fiscal costs do not end with an arrest. In many instances, police continue to investigate the facts of the case, prosecutors prepare the case for trial or negotiate a plea bargain (estimated at between five and ten hours per case), and judges and court personnel engage in a trial or accept a plea agreement in open court. These prosecutorial costs alone likely cost Americans hundreds of millions of dollars annually.  Most Americans do not want to spend public funds incarcerating non-violent marijuana offenders, at a cost of $23,000-$45,000 per year.  In 1995, nearly 600,000 of the total 1.5 million drug arrests in America were for marijuana offences.  Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that between 25 and 40 percent of the total $31 billion annual costs are related to marijuana prohibition. Using this basic calculation, marijuana prohibition costs the American taxpayers between $7.5 and $10 billion annually in enforcement alone.

IV.  It is overly nationalized:

In fact, as workers in the drug scene confirm, the “drug problem” is a collection of local problems. The predominant drugs differ from place to place and from time to time. Effective solutions to problems also vary; a plan that works now for New York City may not be applicable to upstate New York and vice versa. With respect to education and propaganda, the need for local wisdom and local control is particularly pressing. Warning children against drugs readily available to them is a risky business at best, requiring careful, truthful, unsensational approaches. Warning children against drugs used elsewhere, of which they may never have heard, can be like warning them against putting beans in their ears. The role of anti-glue-sniffing warnings in popularising glue sniffing is the most striking of many examples.

V. It is disproportionately incarcerating minorities:

Marijuana prohibition disproportionately impacts minorities. Blacks and Hispanics are over-represented both in the numbers of arrests and in the numbers of marijuana offenders incarcerated. Blacks and Hispanics make up 20 percent of the marijuana smokers in the United States, but comprise 58 percent of the marijuana offenders sentenced under federal law last year.  What started out disgraceful remains so today, as the United States continues to imprison innocent people because of victimless crimes. African Americans comprise 12% of the nation's population, and 13% of its drug users, yet they account for one third of all drug-related arrests and nearly two thirds of all convictions. In his September 1989 drug policy speech, President Bush promised to double the federal prison population. He did, and so did President Clinton in 1996. Now, “On any given day in the U.S., more than one out of every three Black males between 18-29 are either incarcerated, on probation, on parole or under warrant for arrest. The figure for Latinos is one in six. For Whites, it is one in twenty.” State disparities are equally unjust; in Illinois, 57 percent of those sent to prison for marijuana in 1995 were black or Hispanic. In California, 49 percent of those arrested for marijuana offenses in 1994 were black or Hispanic. And in New York state, 71 percent of those arrested for misdemeanor marijuana charges in 1995 were non-white.

VI. It is causing more harm than good:

A nihil nocere (a physician must guard against doing more harm than good) guideline is needed for drug laws and law enforcement. For instance, a law-enforcement policy that converts marijuana smokers into LSD or heroin users should be abandoned. The same is true of a law that turns marijuana smokers into convicts and ex-convicts, with all that the prison experience and the prison record implies. Nor can much be said in favor of a law-enforcement policy that results in raising the price of a nickel's worth of heroin to five dollars–– with the further result that addicts must steal vast amounts in order to buy their heroin.  A complete revision of laws and enforcement policies in the spirit of the nihil nocere principle is called for. The evidence overwhelmingly demonstrates the inability of laws and law enforcement to solve the drug problem, and conversely, they should not be allowed to exacerbate it.  Attempts to stamp out illicit drug use tend to increase both drug use and drug damage. Here LSD is the prime example.  Finally, as we have shown, efforts to stamp out one drug merely shifts users to another–– from marijuana to LSD and heroin, from heroin to alcohol.  

In 1972, a blue-ribbon panel of experts appointed by President Richard Nixon and led by former Pennsylvania Governor Raymond Shafer concluded that marijuana prohibition posed significantly greater harm to the user than the use of marijuana itself.

VII. It is taking aim at the wrong drugs:

The Justice Department's 2005 “National Drug Threat Assessment” concludes that not only is the war on marijuana a failure, but police officers overwhelmingly see methamphetamine as a much greater threat than marijuana. Asked to identify the greatest drug threat in their communities, only 12 percent of local law enforcement agencies named marijuana - a figure that has been declining for years. In contrast, 36 percent named cocaine and 40 percent cited methamphetamine as the greatest threat - despite the fact that marijuana use is massively more common and despite what the report describes as “marijuana's widespread and ready availability in the United States.” Yet the government stubbornly insists marijuana is the real problem.  In November 2002, ONDCP sent a letter to the nation's prosecutors declaring flatly, “Nationwide, no drug matches the threat posed by marijuana.”  The report also finds “no reports of a trend toward decreased availability” anywhere in the country … Indeed, reporting from some areas has suggested that marijuana is easier for youths to obtain than alcohol or cigarettes.”

Let's resume shall we? Prohibition produces:  Scare tactics, misinformation and lies, draconian criminal penalties, overcrowded prisons, racial discrimination, increased exposure to hard drugs, violent and criminalized black market, budget deficits, ruined lives, no discernable decrease in drug use, distrust in the government.

Does Cannabis Truly Help AIDS Patients

Medical Cannabis:AIDS Patients in a Controlled Study Had Significant Pain Relief… AIDS patients suffering from debilitating nerve pain got as much or more relief by smoking marijuana as they would typically get from prescription drugs — and with fewer side effects — according to a study conducted under rigorously controlled conditions with government-grown pot.

In a five-day study performed in a specially ventilated hospital ward where marijuana patients smoked three marijuana cigarettes a day, more than half the participants tallied significant reductions in pain.

By contrast, less than one-quarter of those who smoked “placebo” medical marijuana, which had its primary psychoactive ingredients removed, reported benefits, as measured by subjective pain reports and standardized neurological tests.

Medical marijuana is something I have personally seen, and seen succeed. I know a man who used to be in the timber industry. At one point, a tree collapsed as he was cutting it down and landed on him, causing massive injuries including a broken back. He barely survived, and barely escaped paralysis, but suffers from intense pain from the lingering damage to his ribs and the section of crushed vertebrae in his back.

Now, he could be reliant on strong pain medications, narcotics like hydrocodone (commonly known as Vicodin) or oxycontin. His doctors are very willing to prescribe these for him. But these drugs can cause a lot of problems, especially when they are used for every-day pain management. They can cause digestive problems, such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation. They are addictive, and an overdose can be fatal. They can also heighten anxiety.

Instead, he has a medical marijuana permit for the state of Washington. I've spent a good deal of time looking for studies that show the benefits of marijuana. Instead I mostly encountered media reporting that such studies are generally blocked by the FDA and Federal drug law enforcement, such as in the New York Times. However, according to Wikipedia there are a good number of well-known and respected organizations that support medical marijuana use, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the British Medical Association, Health Canada, and many more.

Instead of the side effects of pain pills, I see this man get significant pain relief. He tells me the marijuana eases the inflammation and the pain with far better results than narcotic pain killers. It allows him to function at a level he otherwise couldn't. Personally, I would much rather see someone using a substance like marijuana than taking narcotic pain killers on a daily basis. It's my experience that narcotics are far more addictive (if marijuana is even addictive at all, I don't believe it's addictive, just potentially habit forming like anything else people might really enjoy), and far more harsh on the body. When this man has no access to marijuana, he has no problem waiting until he does, except for the pain. He'll simply spend a lot more time sitting still and schedule additional acupuncture appointments.

To me, it seems sad that the American government is not more tolerant of using marijuana medicinally. Cancer, AIDS, painful permanent injuries, these are all very real things that thousands of people suffer from every day. Why not use every tool available? It is my feeling, that the Federal issue with medical marijuana has more to do with the fact that people can grow it themselves. The government can't tax it, the big drug companies can't patent it, and it can more easily get into the hands of recreational users. However, recreational users already have no problems accessing marijuana. Worse, the marijuana they are buying now is often from Mexico, where drug cartels are causing chaos and carnage to get it to them. Wouldn't home grown relief for cancer patients, chronic pain suffers, and others, be better?

As someone who has trained for various sports and with a personal trainer certification, I still prefer marijuana over narcotics. I can easily imagine people using it medicinally as much better able to digest and ingest a proper diet, without such interruptions as nausea and vomiting. I can also easily imagine them still being able to be active to the extent that their illness or injury will let them. Whereas, as someone very familiar with the effects of narcotic pain killers from previous surgeries and injuries, narcotics really throw you for such a loop, between messing with your stomach (after a few days of use, in my experience) and making your mind truly cloudy and drowsy, not much activity is accomplished.

Overall, I think it is far and away an excellent alternative to harsh narcotics. I look forward to a day when society and the federal government realize they have much more to worry about than the stigma, the difficulty of regulation, and the possibility for abuse, such as the health and well-being of it's citizens.

Sources:

Researches Find Study of Medical Marijuana Discourages - NYTimes.com, Gardiner Harris

Medical cannabis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia

Why Does Marijuana Make Me Feel Good

Well, first off, there are many active ingredients in Marijuana, which is to say it is not a single drug molecule, such as alcohol or cocaine, rather a combination of more than 400 diverse chemical components. In fact, they're so different that 60 of them (called cannabinoids) are exclusive to cannabis.

While we're discussing numbers, let’s point out that the primary mind-altering cannabinoid is a little item by the name of delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or “THC”, for short. It's this chemical that triggers marijuana's main drug reactions and in turn effects the body and the brain.

THC is a mind altering compound that breaks up into at least 80 different byproducts (or metabolites) prior to being eliminated from the body… Which can take a while.

The mood altering process starts as soon as the medical marijuana's THC enters the bloodstream, and begins zeroing in on Cannabinoid receptors (anandamides) in the brain and the central nervous system.

Marijuana is the name for the drug that comes from the leaves and flowers of the Indian hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. (Elizabeth Schleichert, 1996) The plant originated in central Asia and spread to several corners of the globe. All over the world, people have used the plant as a source of fiber, cloth, paper, edible seeds, oil, and medicine. It has also been used in many cultures as an intoxicant.

The intoxicating part of the plant lies mostly in its strong-smelling, sticky, resin. This is given off by the hemp flowers, especially the flowers on the female plant. The most powerful psychoactive compounds found in the flower is called delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as delta-9 THC or just THC. THC is the chemical in the flower of the plant that is the key chemical to produce a “high.”

Marijuana affects different people in different ways. It usually causes the heart rate to accelerate. This can cause panic in first-time users. (Jack Mendelson, M.D., and Nancy Mello, Ph.D. 1985) The first-time user may think that they are having a heart attack. Because of the effect of accelerated heart rate, marijuana can be very dangerous if the user has a preexisting heart problem or high blood pressure. Marijuana dries the mouth. It also dries and reddens the whites of the eyes. The eyes become red because the marijuana causes the blood vessels of the eyes to dilate or widen. This causes more blood to flow through the vessels. As other blood vessels expand, the body's blood pressure drops. This low blood pressure can cause some people to experience dizziness.

From the time it was commonly used earlier in the 19th century, marijuana was viewed as a dangerous drug. It was viewed to be much worse than alcohol and tobacco and very likely to lead to hard drug addiction. A lot of information about the harmfulness of marijuana has been written to prove or disprove this viewpoint. Marijuana is considered to be a gateway drug by serious researchers. Yet, while many researchers argue on the exact nature of the damage that smoking marijuana causes to the body, they all seem to agree on one thing. Use of marijuana is unsafe, especially to the lungs and short-term memory. There is still a lot that remains to be learned about marijuana, but studies do show a link between marijuana use and experimentation with harder drugs.

Experts have pointed out another negative aspect of marijuana: THC accumulates in the body and stays there for long periods of time. Unlike water-soluble drugs that are eliminated quickly from the body, THC accumulates in the body fat . People who smoke marijuana on a regular basis may never rid of it entirely.

Studies have shown that heavy use of marijuana can damage the reproductive and endocrine systems. These are the systems responsible for distribution of hormones in the body. THC decreases the number and quality of men's sperm and damages their ability to move around. Marijuana can also disrupt women's menstrual cycles. Failure to ovulate normally, resulting in unpredictable periods of infertility, has also been linked to marijuana use.

Because marijuana crosses the placenta, it can harm the fetus in a pregnant woman who uses the drug. Children of marijuana users may be born with abnormal nervous systems. They also have lower birth weight and are generally smaller at birth. Animal studies have suggested that marijuana may also cause an increase in fetal and early infant deaths. Marijuana is secreted a woman's breast milk and may be toxic when passed to the nursing infant. Some studies have also shown that the children of marijuana using mothers may demonstrate symptoms of depressant withdrawal and suffer from convulsions. Heavy marijuana use may cause increased breakage of and damage to the chromosomes. The birth defects that result might be seen in the offspring of the marijuana user, or they may skip a generation and affect grandchildren. Obviously, the use of marijuana during pregnancy represents a significant risk to the unborn child.

Research has shown a link between smoking marijuana and lung damage. Marijuana smoke contains over 150 cancer causing substances. Scientists have found that the lung damage caused by smoking a single marijuana cigarette is equivalent to the damage caused by smoking five tobacco cigarettes. So, smoking three to four marijuana cigarettes a day causes the kind of lung-cell damage that twenty cigarettes does. It has also been discovered that smoking marijuana will deposit three times more tar into the lungs and also releases five times more poisonous carbon monoxide into the bloodstream than cigarettes do.

Marijuana smokers suffer from more infections from bronchitis, and long-term incurable conditions such as emphysema. It is also common for marijuana smokers to have constant sore throats and coughing. Various kinds of cancer have been diagnosed in young marijuana smokers from age twenty-six to thirty. These included cancers of the lung, sinus, larynx, tongue, and tonsils. It has also been shown that marijuana smokers appear to be getting lung cancer at a much younger age, at forty-five, than other people, at sixty-five.

Another reason that marijuana smokers suffer from more infections than non-users is because marijuana effects the immune system. The immune system is an important part of the body that helps to fight off infection. The most important parts of the immune system are the white blood cells. When an infection enters the body, the white blood cells divide and grow at a fast rate to fight the infection. But, when blood samples were taken from marijuana smokers, they had a significantly lower immunity level than that of nonsmokers. Further studies showed that THC causes certain types of the white blood cells to stop growing during mid-cycle. This obviously impairs the immune systems ability to properly fight off infections.

Most drugs cause withdrawal symptoms when the user stops using them. Marijuana is no exception. When a heavy marijuana smoker decides to quit, they may suffer from one or more of the following symptoms: insomnia, loss of appetite, weakness, irritability, sweating, depression, anxiety, restlessness, abdominal cramps, nausea, an increased pulse rate, low blood pressure, aching muscles, and slight tremors. These symptoms last for up to one week after the person stops smoking, and continue in a milder form for up to a month.

Many marijuana smokers believe that smoking marijuana heightens their senses. The truth is, the brain is dulled. It is more difficult for a person to learn material under the influence of marijuana. The information may never be put into their long-term memory. This means that they will not be able to recall the information later.

Richard H. Schwartz, M.D., of Georgetown University School of Medicine In Washington, D.C., studied teenagers who were using marijuana. He discovered that they did much worse on short-term memory tests than another group who had not used drugs. After six weeks of abstaining from marijuana, the teenagers showed some memory improvement, but they still did worse than the other group of non-using teens.

Many factors, both genetic and environmental, can encourage marijuana use. Studies have shown that children with a drug-addicted parent or children of alcoholics are more likely to become abusers themselves.

Feelings of inadequacy are often a factor to drug abuse. A former marijuana abuser said that her self-esteem was, “non-existent.” Another marijuana and drug abuser said, ” When I was in the ninth grade, I started getting high every day. I was feeling really lonely, and I thought that nobody could understand my pain…I finally realized that I did drugs to hide from myself. I was really insecure and had a very low self-esteem.”

A lot of young people feel distant from their families. Intense confusion is usually experienced as young people enter adolescence. If a certain crowd that appeals to them is willing to allow them be a part of their group, it is very tempting for them to join. Even if that means the price of admission to the desired group is drug use. Once a part of the group, it is hard to stop using out of fear that they will no longer be accepted.

Although marijuana is illegal, there has been much debate on legalizing it for medical benefits. Many believe that marijuana has been shown to be effective in decreasing the nausea caused by chemotherapy. Others feel it alleviates some of the symptoms associated with AIDS, such as severe leg cramps, nausea, headaches, and loss of appetite. Another alleged medical advantage of marijuana is that it lowers the pressure that builds up in the eyes of glaucoma patients which in turn helps prevents them from going blind. It is also said to relieve tremors and loss of muscle coordination caused by multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Yet, it is illegal for physicians who believe in the medical benefits of marijuana to prescribe it. So, the question of whether it should be made legal for medical purposes has become a hot political issue.

Marijuana is classified by the Drug Enforcement Administration as a Schedule I drug. The drugs that are in this category are said to have a high potential for abuse. These drugs also produce dangerous side effects and have no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

Advocates have wanted marijuana to be moved to a Schedule II drug for a long time. Schedule II drugs also have a high potential for abuse and bad side effects, but are considered medically useful and can be legally prescribed by physicians. Interestingly, cocaine and morphine, which can be highly addictive, are Schedule II drugs.

As for the future of marijuana, research is being done and data is being collected to help obtain a better understanding of the effects of marijuana on our health, as well as the motivation behind its abuse. Researchers hope that with new insight, the public and government will be better equipped to establish consistent policies to regulate, control, or put a stop to the complicated reality of marijuana use in the United States.

Medical Marijuana States

As emotions over medical marijuana and the locations, and numbers of the dispensaries allowed heats up in every city across the state of California… There is still no greater place to live. In one afternoon a properly documented marijuana patients can visit a marijuana doctor, be evaluated, and with 30 min be on his or her way looking for their new favorite medical cannabis club. Of which there are more than a few to choose from.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that on Monday, a 34-year-old Apple Valley, Minn., man was arrested and jailed for allegedly growing more than 1,200 marijuana plants in his home. Police were tipped off when the electric company responded to a burned out transformer outside the man's home and found he had tapped into the electric line ahead of the meter, apparently to power grow lights for his crop without suspiciously affecting his electrical bill.

According to the Tribune, Dakota County Drug Task Force officers removed 1,264 marijuana plants from the man's house on Saturday. On Monday the man returned to the home and was subsequently arrested; charges are pending.

Although this is a significant bust, it does not rival one of Minnesota's largest marijuana busts that took place about eight years ago. In that incident, federal and state agents raided a Vernon County farm and seized more than 4,000 marijuana plants. The husband and wife team responsible for the marijuana crop were ultimately sentenced to prison for 10 years and three years, respectively.

In December 2005, four individuals were arrested in Washington County, Minn., after approximately 2,400 marijuana plants were seized from three separate houses. This marijuana growing operation was estimated to produce about a million dollars worth of pot a year, according to KARE 11 TV.

According to state public health officials, marijuana remains the most commonly used and readily available illegal drug in Minnesota. The importation of bulk marijuana shipments into the state is controlled by Mexican drug trafficking organizations, but large quantities of marijuana are also readily available from local cultivators, who sell to street-level distributors.

Each year thousands of marijuana plants are seized from numerous indoor and outdoor growing operations across the nation. And the major indoor marijuana-growing operations, such as that in Apple Valley, are serious business. Major in-home growers use sophisticated hydroponics cultivation techniques, including high-tech equipment to electronically regulate temperature and light and plant feeding.

According to Drug Science, American marijuana growers produced 22.3 million pounds of marijuana in 2006 with a value of $35.8 billion. These figures include both outdoor and indoor crops. Outdoor marijuana growers produced 56.4 million plants worth $31.7 billion; indoor growers produced 11.7 million plants worth $4.1 billion. California was the top producer of both outdoor and indoor marijuana plants worth more than $1 billion. Most of the marijuana cultivated in the United States is for local, in-state use.

Despite the fact that Minnesota's drug of choice is marijuana, Minnesota is not in the top 10 producers nationwide.

Source:

Minneapolis Star Tribune, Huge pot-growing operation busted in Apple Valley;http://www.startribune.com/crime/story/1255352.html

KARE 11 TV, Four arrested, thousands of pot plants seized; http://www.kare11.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=114190

Smokey and the Bear

A young Montana man who was mauled after he smoked marijuana and entered a pen to feed a grizzly bear at Great Bear Adventures Park where he worked was awarded workers' compensation benefits. “When it comes to attacking humans, grizzlies are equal opportunity maulers; attacking without regard to race, creed, ethnicity or marijuana usage,” Judge James Jeremiah Shea is quoted as saying in the Flathead Beacon. “Hopkins’ use of marijuana to kick off a day of working around grizzly bears was ill-advised to say the least and mind-bogglingly stupid to say the most. However, I have been presented with no evidence by which I can conclude that Hopkins’ marijuana use was the major contributing cause of the grizzly attack.” I wonder if this young man will know qualify for a medical marijuana card?

According to a report on Eyewitness News at 10 on Fox Providence, there is a commission led by senator Joshua Miller (Democrat representing Cranston) reviewing the benefits of decriminalizing and/or legalizing marijuana in the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island is currently suffering from a massive deficit, and a new law on marijuana could save the state millions of dollars, while also creating tax revenue.

Monetary Reasons to Decriminalize Marijuana
With possession being a prosecutable offense that can result in jail time, decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana can save the government of Rhode Island millions of dollars. A cop who is arresting someone for possession of marijuana would still be on the street spending their time and tax dollars keeping the streets safe by responding to more important situations.

At the court level, costly lawyers representing the state and the person charged would be avoided. Judges would be able to see more cases a day, and the court system as a whole would be more efficient. Additionally those guilty of possession would not be incarcerated - freeing up space and saving money in a crowded penal system.

Monetary Reasons to Legalize Marijuana
The simplest reason to legalize marijuana is monetary. It could be bought and taxed in a grocery market or gas station akin to cigarettes. By imposing a “$35 sin tax” on each ounce of marijuana sold, the state would be able to raise millions of dollars of desperately needed funds.

Regulating Marijuana Could Lead to Safer Pot
If marijuana was legalized in full, there would certainly be regulations on any product sold in stores. This would create jobs as a whole industry would be formed. Mass production and competition would keep prices in check. If given the choice between buying from a dealer or at a grocery store where all the ingredients were listed, it would be a safe bet that most would choose the grocery store. Legalization of marijuana would also give medical companies researching alternative uses validation to seek their products being approved by the FDA.

Legalizing Marijuana Could Help Fight Organized Crime
If those who smoke pot decide to obtain marijuana legally, it could be a major blow to both organized crime in the states and drug cartels across borders.

Just this past year Massachusetts has decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. If other states adopt similar policies, the money saved and earned could be put to use on more important things, such as schools and other public infrastructures.

Source:
Eyewitness News at 10 (November 18, 2008). WPRI Fox News Providence.

Oaksterdam “U” Unionizes

Medical Cannabis-friendly Oakland California is working hard at bring in money by licensing, and taxingmedical cannabis growers. Meanwhile, Oaksterdam “U” which has over 100 employees voted on Friday (5/29/10) to unionize as part of a retail agriculture and community patient care union. The Local 5’s organizer Dan Rush stated that medical cannabis clubs , medical cannabis doctors and the industry as a whole “will get the same respect as law enforcement, nurses, doctors” …. Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City councilwoman and prospective contender for mayor, told CBS that the unionization was “a good day for Oakland,” the city of Oakland has an unemployment rate of over 17 %.

Just like any other NFL season, 2007 has seen its fair share of Fantasy Football surprises and disappointments. Previously unheard of players have emerged as Fantasy Studs (see my previous article: Fantasy Football Surprises); while highly regarded players who were penciled in on draft-boards everywhere have turned out to be Fantasy Duds. After 11 weeks of the NFL season, it is time to look at my Top 5 disappointments of the year that have already sent some Fantasy owners looking towards 2008.

Top 5 Fantasy Disappointments:

1) Shaun Alexander - I don't want to hear any complaints from Fantasy owners who picked Alexander. Either they were living in a bubble for the last five years or they just chose to ignore the impact of the “Madden curse” (see my previous article: The Madden Curse: Believe It). Alexander was picked very high in leagues around the country and deservedly so - he was the 2005 NFL MVP. However, 2006 has been a much different story. He started off the year with a poor performance against the brutal Detroit Lions. He followed that up with two mediocre (by his standards) performances against the Arizona Cardinals and New York Giants. After that Giants game, it was revealed that Alexander had suffered a broken left foot, sidelining him for weeks; decimating the Seattle Seahawks and Fantasy Football teams everywhere. Alexander is finally back, but is still not 100% and no one is certain when he will regain his 2005 form. His return has made it even tougher for Fantasy owners - do they play him even though he isn't 100%? Do they continue to sit him? It appears to be a lose/lose situation. If only EA Sports had asked another star to be the cover-athlete for Madden `07.

2) Edgerrin James- I do not like to brag, but I cannot help myself in this situation. I told everyone in my league to beware of Edgerrin James, as he is running behind a brutal Arizona Cardinal's offensive line and he is no longer going to have the passing game that he did in Indianapolis which helped set up the run so effectively. James has struggled mightily this season and has disappointed any Fantasy owners who blew a first-round pick on him. Through 11 weeks of the season, James only has 680 rushing yards and has yet to amount a 100-yard performance. Moreover, he only has 3 touchdowns! Through 11 games last season, James had 1,116 rushing yards, seven 100-yard games, and 11 touchdowns!

Arizona is bad, James is bad, and your Fantasy team is probably bad because of it.

3) Randy Moss- Where do I begin? Moss is a rare talent who has the capabilities to become an all-time great receiver. However, his attitude and work ethic has made Moss just an average receiver. Granted, most playmakers would probably struggle to put up great Fantasy stats in that atrocious Oakland offense, but it doesn't help that Moss goes public in saying that he tries only when he wants to and that he would probably try harder if he was on a good team AND that he admits to smoking marijuana. Moss' stats reflect his lack of effort - posting only 455 receiving yards through 11 weeks and only 3 touchdowns. A bad attitude combined with a bad offense is a disastrous combination for any Fantasy Football owner. 

4) Drew Bledsoe - Oh how I feel for Drew.Bledsoe begins the year as the starting quarterback for a contending team and is replaced during the year for an unproven rookie who goes on to enjoy tremendous success. Sound familiar? First Brady, now Romo. Believe it or not, Drew was picked quite high in many Fantasy leagues, due to the weapons he had around him - Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, some guy called “T.O.” and Julius Jones out of the backfield. How could someone not succeed with these types of players? Drew found a way. He played in a total of six Cowboys' games - threw only 7 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. For anyone who watched the games, it wasn't just the interceptions he threw, it was when he chose to throw them (first and goal from inside the 10-yard line trailing by 7 with under one minute to play against Philadelphia comes to mind). Considering how early  Bledsoe was chosen in many leagues and the expectations that surrounded him has made poor Drew a poor choice.

5) Cadillac Williams - After an outstanding rookie campaign, Carnell “Cadillac” Williams has taken a step backwards rather than another step forward. Williams was taken early in most Fantasy Football drafts, but has struggled to post adequate stats through 11 weeks. While Cadillac's rushing yards are respectable (619), he has only found the end zone once all season. Williams does not catch enough balls out of the backfield (23 receptions for 149 yards) to make up for his lack of touchdowns. His lack of production may be due to his nagging back injury that has plagued him all season, but whatever the case, Williams has been unreliable and ineffective thus far.

Other notable disappointing Fantasy player's this season are:

-         Daunte Culpepper - (4 games played, 2 TD, 3 Interceptions)
-         Reggie Bush - (1 rushing TD, 0 receiving TD)
-         Ben Roethlisberger - (17 Interceptions, Broken Face, Appendicitis, Concussion)
-         LaMont Jordan - (434 rushing yards, 2 TD, Injured Reserve?)

Really… Marijuana addictive?

Marijuana is not physically addictive, regardless of what many anti-marijuana people want us to accept as true. Cannabis consumers can use marijuana frequently, even numerous times daily, without any problem giving it up, when necessary.

Cannabis has the lowest risk of dependence and withdrawal potential if you compare it to other substances, such as alcohol, opiates (like Vicodin), caffeine, and other psychoactive drugs. Many of the anti-depressants (currently being prescribed abundantly) have very severe physical withdrawal symptoms which most patients are not warned about.

Medical marijuana is something I have personally seen, and seen succeed. I know a man who used to be in the timber industry. At one point, a tree collapsed as he was cutting it down and landed on him, causing massive injuries including a broken back. He barely survived, and barely escaped paralysis, but suffers from intense pain from the lingering damage to his ribs and the section of crushed vertebrae in his back.

Now, he could be reliant on strong pain medications, narcotics like hydrocodone (commonly known as Vicodin) or oxycontin. His doctors are very willing to prescribe these for him. But these drugs can cause a lot of problems, especially when they are used for every-day pain management. They can cause digestive problems, such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation. They are addictive, and an overdose can be fatal. They can also heighten anxiety.

Instead, he has a medical marijuana permit for the state of Washington. I've spent a good deal of time looking for studies that show the benefits of marijuana. Instead I mostly encountered media reporting that such studies are generally blocked by the FDA and Federal drug law enforcement, such as in the New York Times. However, according to Wikipedia there are a good number of well-known and respected organizations that support medical marijuana use, including the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, the British Medical Association, Health Canada, and many more.

Instead of the side effects of pain pills, I see this man get significant pain relief. He tells me the marijuana eases the inflammation and the pain with far better results than narcotic pain killers. It allows him to function at a level he otherwise couldn't. Personally, I would much rather see someone using a substance like marijuana than taking narcotic pain killers on a daily basis. It's my experience that narcotics are far more addictive (if marijuana is even addictive at all, I don't believe it's addictive, just potentially habit forming like anything else people might really enjoy), and far more harsh on the body. When this man has no access to marijuana, he has no problem waiting until he does, except for the pain. He'll simply spend a lot more time sitting still and schedule additional acupuncture appointments.

To me, it seems sad that the American government is not more tolerant of using marijuana medicinally. Cancer, AIDS, painful permanent injuries, these are all very real things that thousands of people suffer from every day. Why not use every tool available? It is my feeling, that the Federal issue with medical marijuana has more to do with the fact that people can grow it themselves. The government can't tax it, the big drug companies can't patent it, and it can more easily get into the hands of recreational users. However, recreational users already have no problems accessing marijuana. Worse, the marijuana they are buying now is often from Mexico, where drug cartels are causing chaos and carnage to get it to them. Wouldn't home grown relief for cancer patients, chronic pain suffers, and others, be better?

As someone who has trained for various sports and with a personal trainer certification, I still prefer marijuana over narcotics. I can easily imagine people using it medicinally as much better able to digest and ingest a proper diet, without such interruptions as nausea and vomiting. I can also easily imagine them still being able to be active to the extent that their illness or injury will let them. Whereas, as someone very familiar with the effects of narcotic pain killers from previous surgeries and injuries, narcotics really throw you for such a loop, between messing with your stomach (after a few days of use, in my experience) and making your mind truly cloudy and drowsy, not much activity is accomplished.

Overall, I think it is far and away an excellent alternative to harsh narcotics. I look forward to a day when society and the federal government realize they have much more to worry about than the stigma, the difficulty of regulation, and the possibility for abuse, such as the health and well-being of it's citizens.

Sources:

Researches Find Study of Medical Marijuana Discourages - NYTimes.com, Gardiner Harris

Medical cannabis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia

Over The Counter Prescription Drugs Vs. Medical Marijuana

The National debate concerning the legalization of cannabis and,of medical marijuana, continues to be a hot topic…and not just the general public. Within the Facebook community the groups such as “Moms for Marijuana” and “Baby Boomers for Medical Marijuana” have as their principal ambition educating people, testing the predetermined ideas and battling the lack of knowledge with the only effectual weapon… Knowledge! As medical cannabis gains national acceptance as an alternative medication for many ailments, medical marijuana will gain its rightful place in the medicine cabinets of America.

Michigan voters approved passage of the medical marijuana law in November 2008. The process for obtaining a permit is finally taking shape. On April 6, 2009, applicants for medical marijuana permits were allowed to apply to the Department of Community Health. A busload of Michigan residents made the trip to Lansing, the State Capitol, on April 6th to be the first to apply. State employees processed 101 applications the first day.

Michigan law allows for legal use of marijuana for the following conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, Hepatitis C, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Cohn's Disease, Agitation of Alzheimer's Disease, Nail Patella or for a medical condition that produces pain , wasting syndrome, severe nausea, seizures, or muscle spasms.

The proposal allows patients to use marijuana after obtaining registry identification from the Michigan Department of Community Health. The process for obtaining a permit involves completion of application forms and certification by a physician and a fee of 100.00, 25.00 if you are on Medicaid or SSI. Anyone with the conditions mentioned above is eligible to apply. The Department of Health will verify the applicant's information within 15 days and the card must be issued within 5 days. The Marijuana website is: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-27417_51869—,00.html. You will find all of the forms and information there.

A primary caregiver can be assigned to be responsible for the patient's plants. Patients may possess 2.5 ounces each. The patient can choose to designate a primary caregiver but it is not required. A caregiver can be anyone over the age of 21 who has not been convicted of a felony involving illegal drugs. The caregiver may be responsible for as many as five patients.

Caregivers and patients will be allowed to grow 12 marijuana plants in an enclosed, locked facility. The Department of Community health has no part in the growing process. The new law does not provide advice on how to acquire marijuana legally.

The permit is a state issued ID car which will protect patients and caregivers from arrest for growing and using marijuana to treat ailments.

Currently there are no dispensaries in Michigan. Michigan joins a group of other enlightened states which recognizes the value of marijuana for medical purposes. These states include: Washington, Colorado, Hawaii, California, Nevada, and Montana.

Penalties for misuse of this law are steep. The law states: a caregiver or patient convicted of illegal sale “is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than 2 years or a fine of not more than $2,000.00, or both, in addition to any other penalties for the distribution of marijuana.”

There has been much heated debate and discussion lately on CNN and other news channels about legalization or decriminalization of marijuana.

The impetus for these debates is the drug war being waged on the Mexican border. This is a debate that is long overdue. The loss of life over drugs is very foolish.

Humans have been consuming marijuana since pre-history. Evidence has been found as far back as 10,000 B.C. of human use of cannabis. During the 20th century, it became popular as a recreational drug but it has been used for centuries. Although much has been done to demonize the drug, the negative charges have not stood up to the test of time.

There has been a perpetuation of a myth alleging marijuana causes all manner of disorders including mental illness, advancement on to stronger drugs, birth defects, brain damage etc. The fact of the matter is that none of this is true. The foremost dangers posed by marijuana use are respiratory problems from smoking and injury during impairment.

Cannabis has become the largest cash crop in the United States accounting for 36 billion dollars in generated income.

The judicious thing for our country to do is to legalize this drug. The government will never be able to control production of the plants. Countless tax payer dollars are squandered yearly on a senseless drug war against marijuana when it is far less damaging than alcohol or tobacco, which are legal substances.

Hopefully other states will soon follow suit and legalize medical marijuana. The next step is decriminalization.

Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Collectives…Smoked by City Council

L.A. 420 Collective News! More than 400 Medical Marijuana Collectives in the greater Los Angeles county area were notified toclose up shop before June 7, 2010. Will shop keepers decide to fight the pronouncement to let their shops go up in smoke?

The “official” decision to go against social progress is not likely to bode well for city officials. After all the great work celebs and Ca. residents have done to de-stigmatize medical cannabis as a natural remedy alternative for so many costly pharmaceuticals, this is distressing news for many “going green” Americans.

Author Jonah Raskin labored on an organic farm in Sonoma, California, to write his new book Field Days: A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California. He commingles his reporter's notes with personal memoir in this quest for “health, harmony, and a sense of place.” The journey transforms him into a slimmer, near-vegetarian locavore. He comes to understand that the key to sustainability is to eat food raised close to home and grown organically.

Raskin says, “I did not intend this book to be about politics or economics.” That is a concept so quaint as to be humorous. The only thing more political than the issues of farming, organic food production and environmental sustainability is Karl Rove's Blackberry. No matter how delicately Raskin wants to tiptoe around politics or economics, he is discussing Mexican farm labor within 22 pages, California land value within 31 pages and soon thereafter, farm collectives, food co-ops, agribusiness, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), the Department of Homeland Security, labor raids, pesticides and other such socio-economic considerations. Raskin is no stranger to political topics. He reported extensively on California's marijuana cultivation business throughout the 1970s and he has written books on such incendiary figures as Abbie Hoffman and Alan Ginsberg. In spite of Raskin's non-political intent, he states (at least twice) throughout his book, “I believe that the hands on the hoes in the fields are connected to the hand on the knives and the forks at the dinner table.” Not exactly destined for a bumper sticker, however it does capsulate a world view.

In Field Days, Raskin presents himself as a skilled note taker rather than a brilliant wordsmith. He knows his strengths and weaknesses. He displays no false modesty when he says, “I never do know how to use the terms that wine writers use, though I have written about wine and wineries for magazines since the 1980s.” He demonstrates the point by rather feebly describing a boutique Zinfandel as “amazing” and moving on. Raskin's book reads like assiduous notes more or less randomly fleshed out. There is no unifying narrative thread to follow, no dramatic arc to travel. The many Somona residents who populate Field Days have personalities, but we learn too little about them to have an emotional stake in their outcome. We are still being introduced to new people on the fourth to last page. This is a bit of a ramble, but rambles can be enjoyable.

Raskin frequently is possessed to describe the clothing of his interview subjects and the impulse is entirely baffling, as the attire is never more remarkable than jeans, t-shirt and a baseball cap. Unless your subject is wearing leotards, a cape and a mask, it probably isn't worth mentioning. While this type of empty calorie detail is served, we are often left begging for more nourishing information at other passages in the book. For example, Raskin interviewed a farmer who “kept a record of the compost he added to the soil, and about compost he spoke rapturously. From the way he described its texture, color, smell, and weight, you might think compost was the food of the gods.” And that's it. Nothing more about that rapturous description. Just nouns, the bare bones. No adjectives, no similes, no spice. How would we think compost was the food of the gods with nothing more to incite our imagination? Come on, give us something to develop that manna-like texture, color, smell and weight. We can take it.

On a substantive level, Raskin may be a bit light-headed and heavy-handed on the topic of locally grown and consumed produce. The most glaring example is his approach to the Whole Foods market chain. We are told that Whole Foods is an evil corporate giant to be shunned. However, we are never actually told why. From his interviews, the employees seem happy, the executives seem committed. Raskin is given access to all aspects of the Sonoma Whole Foods store with the exception of the kitchen for safety considerations, but for that hindrance Raskin insists Whole Foods is not to be trusted. He appears to have forgotten mentioning 200 pages earlier that Whole Foods loaned a Sonoma organic farmer $50,000, with which she installed an elaborate underground irrigation system, as part of the company's “program to rely less on distant suppliers and generate more produce from local farmers.” This doesn't sound the least bit evil or corporate. In fact, it sounds quite compatable with Raskin's “hands on the hoes” sensibility. Yet, we are told absolutely nothing more about this sponsorship program. Remember, this is a personal quest and not investigative journalism. Field Days is best appreciated when held to this less demanding standard.

Raskin's personal quest is what is important here. “Going back to the soil–planting, harvesting, weeding, and cultivating–changed what I prepared in my kitchen and how I prepared it,” he observes. “Farming changed my feelings about food any my rituals of eating, whether by myself or with friends.” If it takes a ramble to reach this most admirable end, so be it. Enjoy the ramble.

Field Days: A Year of Farming, Eating, and Drinking Wine in California
By Jonah Raskin
University of California Press, 329 pages, $24.95 hardcover