Cannabis users across the state of Washington sparked up to celebrate the passage of Initiative 502 last year, which legalized the personal use and possession of up to one ounce of marijuana for anyone over the age of 21. I-502 still prohibits the consumption of marijuana in public places, and driving under the influence of marijuana, but along with the state of Colorado, Washington seems poised to blaze a new trail for marijuana legalization.
| Yup. |
Marijuana has been used for medicinal purposes–relieving stress and pain and fighting hunger and nausea–for centuries if not millennia. But now, a pair of doctors in San Francisco claim that they’ve compiled reliable data showing that a certain compound in cannabis–cannabidiol–may actually cure cancer.
Unlike THC, the ingredient in marijuana that makes you feel stoned, cannabidiol is a non-toxic compound of the plant that has no psychoactive qualities, and it’s been the focus of an ongoing series of trials at the San Francisco-based California Pacific Medical Center. The OC Weekly has more.
| CU students at the campus 4/20 party in 2011. |
Last month, after The University of Colorado at Boulder announced that it would be closing campus on 4/20 for the second consecutive year, marijuana attorney Rob Corry (who unsuccessfully challenged last year’s shutdown) said he was exploring the possibility of seeking a permit for a 4/20 event at CU this year as an alternative to filing another request for a temporary injunction. After all, CU was known for their huge — but peaceful — pot protest/party for years.
Now, however, Corry says the permit plan is off the table and he encourages CU students to attend the 4/20 celebration in Denver instead. Denver Westword has the rest.
| Wikipedia commons. |
| Rusell Simmons. |
What do P-Diddy, Cameron Diaz, Nicki Minaj, Ron Howard and Mark Wahlberg all have in common? Aside from being ridiculously famous and wealthy, they all support the reformation of drug laws in this country.
More than 175 actors, artists, athletes and elected officials signed on to an open letter to President Obama today, asking him to change our drug policy laws from punitive, harsh jail times to one that favors evidence- based prevention and rehabilitation.
The Department of Veteran Affairs estimates that more than 256,820 veterans who served over the last 12 years suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder — a consequence mostly of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Medical marijuana may help with the symptoms, but vets still can’t use it to treat their symptoms, as Veterans Affairs or the White House does not permit it.
While nothing prohibits a veteran from participating in state marijuana programs or receiving treatment at a VA facility, the use of marijuana is not permitted on VA property and no VA pharmacy will dispense it or help pay for it.
| Think differently (about cannabis). |
Note: if you live in a place where growing marijuana isn’t legal, taking pictures with your cell phone or iPad and leaving them on there might not be a great idea.
Back in February, police recovered a stolen iPad. Good job, right? Wrong. To find out the owner of the iPad, we’re assuming they went through it. Now, that might be overlooked if they only used the information for the intended purpose.
| Eric Holder. |
It’s now been approximately five months since voters approved Amendment 64 in Colorado and I-502 in Washington which allows adults 21 and over to use and possess small amounts of marijuana. Moreover, almost four months have passed since the bills were signed it into law, and four weeks-plus since U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said a decision about a federal response would be announced soon.
No wonder a major political news source is wondering just when “soon” might be.
Today, Talking Points Memo published an item entitled “President Obama’s Marijuana Problem.”
The Maryland legislature has approved a bill creating a state-regulated medical marijuana program, pushing on to the governor’s office for final approval. Earlier today the state Senate passed a third and final reading of the bill 42-4, marking the end of its legislative journey over the last few months.
Back in 2010, Westword published a story in which a veterinarian warned that dogs shouldn’t be given marijuana. Shortly thereafter, Denver’s Fox31 did a lurid version of the same story, complete with imagery straight out of a ’60s-era psychedelic flick. Then, last year, Denver’s CBS4 reported about a vet who’d conducted a study on dogs and weed and come to the same conclusion — and now, 9News has produced its own report on the analysis, juxtaposing serious talk about danger to animals with a shot of a bulldog looking happily stoned. Denver Westword has the rest.