News & Articles
Canadian Government Decides to Invest in Hemp
The criminalization of marijuana has caused some head scratching for decades. Why exactly are naturally growing buds with few side effects (certainly far less than many FDA approve drugs”) and a wealth of medical potential illegal? Lobbyists? Political stubbornness? Lack of Compassion? Well if we cannot these questions about why our government has outlawed marijuana …continue reading
Marijuana.net and The Werc Shop Attend Kush Expo
As always we are very excited to be attending another gathering with members of our supportive community. It is always a memorable time to meet new people and learn about the newest developments in the industry. This weekend, for those in the Anaheim area, we encourage you to come out for the Kush Expo, located …continue reading
Medical Marijuana Industry News July 20, 2012
Dark Knight Rises Actor Morgan Freeman Rails Against Marijuana Criminalization… Later tonight (unless you could not help yourself and already went to a 12:01 screening) excited moviegoers will be out in force to see one of the biggest movies of the year, and maybe since Heath Ledger’s joker captivated the world in 2008. The Dark …continue reading
White House Denies Soldiers Petition to Use Marijuana for PTSD
Despite having no military combat experience or even approving any federal cannabis research, President Obama has come to a very well thought out conclusion, marijuana has no benefit for sufferers of PTSD. Of course many doctors, scientists, and war veterans of this country feel very differently than the president. A coalition of returning soldiers has …continue reading
Ohio Teen Highlights the Tragedy of Inaction
History credits alcohol prohibition with giving way for the rise of the American mob. The aftermath of marijuana prohibition is eerily similar with cartels dictating Mexican politics. Unfortunately the situation for our southern neighbors is even more out of control as governments in Central and South America are unable to end the extreme violence. The …continue reading
Confusion in New Jersey Continues To Leave Residents Scratching Their Heads
We at marijuana.net have spoken at length about all of the exciting news regarding national marijuana reform. We have also discussed the bureaucratic delays that have frustrated patients and activists, especially as no plausible explanation is provided for all the red tape. Again we find ourselves talking about New Jersey. Yesterday we posted an article …continue reading
Chris Christie’s Mixed Message on Compassion
During a recent speech at the Brookings Institution Chris Christie made statements that called for an end to the war on drugs. In fact he called it a failure and even referenced his pro-life views. At one point during the speech he said “If you’re pro-life, as I am, you can’t be pro-life just in …continue reading
Marijuana Musical Delights Humboldt County
From Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to New York’s Broadway, plays have and continue to be an important outlet for entertainment, emotion, and art. Many social struggles are depicted through the use of live play actors. Popular plays such as “West Side Story” addressed cutting edge themes such as interracial relationships during a time where it was a very controversial issue. “Rent” dealt with a taboo topic of closely looking at how AIDS impacts the lives of those who contract it as well as those who close to them. “King Lear “ raised questions about God and humanity centuries before such topics could even be discussed in the mainstream, questions on God that are still taboo in many circles.
It seems the marijuana reform movement is no different than any other struggle. A new musical in North Humboldt County will deal with a new controversial issue, marijuana. “Mary Jane: The Musical” is currently being performed by Dell’Arte International. The group is known for colorful performances and the new marijuana musical seems to fit right in. The play takes a look at many marijuana related issues but often focuses primarily on the lives of growers, their family dynamics, and living with secrets. Also the issue of parenting and bringing children into a world of secret growing is explored.
As we have said previously at marijuana.net, art and creativity always seem to be the one positive by product to rise out of struggle. Of course there have been “stoner” movies for a long time (with several being hilarious) but it would be nice to see something lighthearted that is not totally ridiculous. Oliver Stone recently released “Savages” which takes an in depth look at Cartel life and the alarming level of violence associated with transporting Mexican marijuana. As acceptance of marijuana grows we hope to see productions that also reflect the problems that patients and growers are faced with on a more serious level, without forgetting to have some fun in the meantime. It appears that “Mary Jane: The Musical” has set out to do just that.
Could Hemp Save the World?
Much of our focus at marijuana.net is on the constantly evolving legalities that is the medical marijuana industry. Old propaganda dies hard and lazy politicians have taken up the standard talking points of “we need more research” and “what kind of message does this send to children?”. While talking about propaganda, medical research, patient stories …continue reading
Medical Marijuana Industry News July 13, 2012
Harborside Health Center the Target of Recent Federal Raid…
Harborside Health Center is one of the most widely known marijuana dispensaries in the world. It serves as the setting for the Discovery Channel’s popular series “Weed Wars”. The charismatic Steve DeAngelo runs the facility and has learned from U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag that she is threatening to shut down Harborside and its affiliated dispensary in San Jose. Analysts have questioned the government’s stated reasons for the recent wave of federal raids. Federal officials claim they are not targeting anyone who abides by state law. Many feel that shops abiding by California law have been targeted regardless. Ms. Haag stated “The larger the operation, the greater the likelihood that there will be abuse of the state’s medical marijuana laws, and marijuana in the hands of individuals who do not have a demonstrated medical need.” Though she did not outright accuse Harborside of any illegal (on state level) activity. The federal government appears to be trying to make a statement by going after the most well known facilitites. Earlier this year, raids on the famous Oaksterdam University were carried out by federal officials.
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Alcohol is more of a gateway than marijuana according to Study…
For decades marijuana has often been accused as a gateway drug even as no empirical data has been present to support such claims. Alcohol, with its physically addictive properties seems to elusively sidestep these conversations because its status as “legal” seems to pacify many. New research shows that alcohol is more likely to be a “gateway drug” than marijuana. A study that will appear in August issue of the Journal of School Health shows that teens are exposed to alcohol more frequently and earlier in life. The study found that the percentage of high school seniors who at least tried alcohol once. Of the 14,577 students questioned, 72.2% had tried alcohol at least once while 45% tried tobacco products and 43.3% had smoked marijuana. Researchers concluded that alcohol is much easier for teens to access. One researcher from The Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan where the study was conducted said “By recognizing the important predictive role of alcohol and delaying initiation of alcohol use, school officials and public health leaders can positively impact the progression of substance use.” He went to also say “I am confident in our findings and the clear implications they have for school-based prevention programs. By delaying and/or preventing the use of alcohol, these programs can indirectly reduce the rate of use of other substances.
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Backers of Second Legalization Ballot Initiative in Oregon File Lawsuit…
Earlier this week marijuana.net reported that Oregon voters may get their chance to legalize marijuana this November. The ballot initiative is called “The Oregon Cannabis Tax Act” and would create a government regulatory system that would see marijuana regulated like alcohol. The issue has a great deal of support in the state as another ballot initiative also collected many signatures. However, Robert Wolfe has filed a lawsuit against Oregon’s Secretary of State, Kate Brown, on the grounds that she illegally invalidated many of the submitted signatures. Mr. Wolfe and his group submitted approximately 170,000 signatures which is over 50,000 more than required. Currently there are not enough signatures for the issue to make the ballot and Mr. Wolfe will have to be successful in court in order to get his efforts to the voters. However, it still appears Oregon voters will have the chance to at least vote on one legalization measure.