Culture

On Marijuana, Obama Is The New Divider

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 17, 2012 Culture, News

All photos by Jack Rikess for Toke of the Town

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

By the time our drug-addled President landed in San Francisco around 3 p.m., he’d already scored one bust for the day when some wrong-way Cessna had the bad misfortune to be within 10 miles of Air Force One’s air space that the Feds already had dibs on. Two F-16’s intercepted the myopic business person, forcing the ganja express to land. Officials claim that large amounts of marijuana were found.

Welcome to California, Mr. President. Now try to pretend that there isn’t an economy here that is based on the cultivation of cannabis.

I’m sure after sneaking a few smokes he entered his $35,000 a plate fundraiser at a downtown five-star hotel for the purpose of filling up his campaign war chest and reassure us that the country is getting back on track.

Video of the Day: Sunshine ~ Bagz and Treez

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 16, 2012 Culture, Products

Released last October, this is the official music video for the track “Sunshine” off the mixtape from Bagz and Treez, “Paper or Plastic,” which dropped in 2010.

Finding The Happy Spot At High Times Medical Cannabis Cup

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 15, 2012 Culture, Products

All photos by Jack Rikess

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

This is going to be very hard for some people to understand.

I sometimes smoke cannabis recreationally.

Even though I am allowed to be a card-carrying Cali medical marijuana patient due to a thrown-out disc from my care-giving days — and scary migraines that, at their worst, feel like I’m a walking Munch painting — there are days when I just like to get stoned.

Here’s another little tidbit. Sometimes, when I do smoke recreationally, it takes me away from a physical place to what shrinks like to call the “Happy Spot.”

And then I open my eyes and I’m back from wherever.

Prescription Drug Abuse: A National Epidemic [Infographic]

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 15, 2012 Culture, Medical

Via Recovery Connection
View More Addiction Related Infographics

The United States leads the world in the number of people taking addictive prescription drugs. The financial cost to the nation from prescription drug abuse and dependence is in the billions.

The infographic above gives you a brief look at the seriousness of this epidemic. Indeed, according to federal government reports, an estimated 20 percent of U.S. citizens have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons.

Marijuana Activists To Protest Obama’s Crackdown Thursday

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 15, 2012 Culture, Medical, News

Americans for Safe Access [PDF]

Protest Will Take Place In 9 Cities, 6 States

Coordinated day of action calls attention to unprecedented attack on medical marijuana community

Medical marijuana activists are planning to protest the Obama Administration’s attack on medical marijuana states this Thursday, February 16, by staging protests in nine cities and six states.

Rallies are planned to take place at an Obama fundraiser in San Francisco, as well as at the president’s campaign headquarters in Sacramento (CA) and San Diego (CA), and at federal buildings in several cities, including Trenton (NJ), Phoenix (AZ), Seattle (WA), Eugene (OR), and Portland (ME).

The rallies are an attempt to draw attention to Obama’s failure at keeping his promise not to “circumvent” state medical marijuana laws and to highlight the unprecedented attack on patients and their providers across the country. During Obama’s tenure in office, his Justice Department has conducted nearly 200 SWAT-style raids on legitimate dispensaries and growers, resulting in more than 60 federal indictments, costing the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars at a time of fiscal crisis.

Marijuana: Zero Deaths… Ever.

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 15, 2012 Culture

eternalrabbit

Thanks to eternalrabbit (Joel Fernandes) for Toke of the Town‘s Poster of the Day: Concise, powerful, and to the point.

When All Else Fails, Blame The Medical Marijuana Patients

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 14, 2012 Culture, Medical

KNDU

You did a really shitty job of reporting this story, Chloe.

”More crimes are linked to people with medical marijuana cards.” That’s the lead and the headline that bubble-headed bleached blond Kennewick, Washington TV news reporter Chloe Beardsley went with, just because a small-town police sergeant told her so — of course, without any proof. No numbers, no statistics, just the word of a pot-hating local lawman.

Sadly, the depressingly shoddy, almost entirely fact-free work by “NBC Right Now” reporter Beardsley — and, by extension, her employer, TV station KNDU — often seems more the norm than the exception when we’re counting on mainstream media to report on the medical marijuana question.

Incredibly, no patients or patient advocates were interviewed for this story, despite the fact that medical marijuana patients are apparently to blame for a huge crime wave. Wouldn’t it have been interesting, newsworthy, or at least balanced and professional to maybe interview one of the group who is being accused of being responsible for all these terrible things? You’d think.

Video of the Day: Criminal (How Can It Be) by Whitney Glover

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 12, 2012 Culture

Whitney Glover

Whitney Glover of Alabama wrote and sings the medical marijuana anthem “Criminal (How Can It Be).”

Our Toke of the Town Video of the Day comes from Alabama artist Whitney Glover.

Whitney’s a talented singer/songwriter who’s also a multi-instrumentalist. She told Toke of the Town she’s been playing since the age of 4, counting the guitar, banjo, piano, and drums among her many musical talents.

Whitney’s song “Criminal (How Can It Be)” is a thoughtful and poignant look at the insanity of denying safe, natural herbal medication to patients who need it.

If you’d like to see more of Whitney’s performances, you can visit her main channel on YouTube, Singing4Whitney, and her political channel, Singing4Harmony.

Coming Into Los Angeles, Pt. 2: Toke Tags Along To The Cannabis Cup with NORML Women’s Alliance

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 11, 2012 Culture

LOLdrugs

Cheri Sicard started using cannabis medicinally in 2009 after a suggestion from her doctor. She was astonished at how well it worked.

By Jack Rikess

Toke of the Town

Northern California Correspondent

Sharing the NORML Women’s Alliance booth this weekend at the High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in Los Angeles will be two notable authors.

First is Cheri Sicard. Cheri spent much of her childhood and early adult life, interestingly enough, traveling the country and the world as a circus performer, magician and mentalist. Along the way she started writing about travel and food which lead her to become an internet entrepreneur back in the days when it was just a series of tubes.

She is the author of The Great American Handbook: What You Can Do For Your Country Today and Everyday (2002 Berkley Books), US Citizenship for Dummies (2003, Wiley, co-author with Steven Heller, Esq.), Everyday American (2008, Bookspan, ISBN: 1582882975), and The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Easy Freezer Meals (2011, Alpha Books, ISBN: 1615640649).

Neville To Headline 14th Annual Medical Marijuana Concert In FL

By Steve Elliott ~alapoet~ on February 10, 2012 Culture, Products

Revolution Live

The 14th Annual Medical Marijuana Benefit Concert will be held Sunday, February 19, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to raise funds for NORML of Florida (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), The Silver Tour, Patients Out of Time (POT) and PUFMM’s (People United For Medical Marijuana) campaign to protect medical marijuana patients’ rights. The event will be hosted by NORML of Florida, Ploppy Palace Productions and Revolution Live.

Currently a statewide campaign is underway to change the medical marijuana laws in Florida. There is legislation currently in both the state House and Senate — a first in 30 years! — as well as a statewide petition signature drive.

As part of the benefit concert — which will be a three-stage extravaganza — some of South Florida’s top bands, spoken word artists and community activists will join together to support patients’ right to use and physicians’ right to recommend medicinal cannabis.

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