Marijuana Legalization/Decriminalization Efforts

**Roranora** · 2014-04-18 16:39

Well tough shit to them. This isn't going away.

Yay of sorts @MD

**djzombie** · 2014-04-24 15:11

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0423102754.htm

Parents and physicians concerned about an increase in adolescents' marijuana use following the legalization of medical marijuana can breathe a sigh of relief. According to a new study at Rhode Island Hospital which compared 20 years worth of data from states with and without medical marijuana laws, legalizing the drug did not lead to increased use among adolescents. The study is published online in advance of print in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

"Any time a state considers legalizing medical marijuana, there are concerns from the public about an increase in drug use among teens," said principal investigator Esther Choo, M.D., an attending physician in the department of emergency medicine at Rhode Island Hospital. "In this study, we examined 20 years worth of data, comparing trends in self-reported adolescent marijuana use between states with medical marijuana laws and neighboring states without the laws, and found no increase in marijuana use that could be attributed to the law."

Choo continued, "This adds to a growing body of literature published over the past three years that is remarkably consistent in demonstrating that state medical marijuana policies do not have a downstream effect on adolescent drug use, as we feared they might."

**Meresgi** · 2014-04-24 16:32

Fox morning news was reporting a study that showed smoking pot lead to heart disease..SHOCKING. Pretty sure everything leads to heart disease nowadays including breathing and not breathing.

**djzombie** · 2014-04-24 21:22

There was a study that said napping lead to heart disease. Cool story.

**jmc** · 2014-04-24 22:17

Sleeping probably leads to cancer too

**djzombie** · 2014-04-26 08:36

http://www.collective-evolution.com/...-cancer-cells/

Below is a video of Dr. Christina Sanchez, a molecular biologist at Compultense University in Madrid, Spain, clearly explaining how THC (the main psychoactive constitute of the cannabis plant) completely kills cancer cells.

Not long ago, we published an article examining a case study recently published where doctors used cannabis to treat Leukemia, you can read more about that here. To read more articles and view studies about how cannabis is an effective treatment and cure for cancer, click here.

Cannabinoids refer to any of group of related compounds that include cannabinol and the active constituents of cannabis. They activate cannabinoid receptors in the body. The body itself produces compounds called endocannabinoids and they play a role in many processes within the body that help to create a healthy environment. I think it’s also important to note that cannabis has been shown to treat cancer without any psychoactive effects.

Cannabinoids have been proven to reduce cancer cells as they have a great impact on the rebuilding of the immune system. Although not every strain of cannabis has the same effect, more and more patients are seeing success in cancer reduction in a short period of time by using cannabis. Contrary to popular belief, smoking cannabis does not assist a great deal in treating disease within the body as therapeutic levels cannot be reached through smoking. Creating oil from the plant or eating the plant is the best way to go about getting the necessary ingredients, the cannabinoids.

The world has come a long way with regards to accepting this plant as a medicine rather than a harmful substance. It’s a plant that could benefit the planet in more ways than one. Cannabis is not something offered in the same regard as chemotherapy, but more people are becoming aware if it, which is why it’s so important to continue to spread information like this. Nobody can really deny the tremendous healing power of this plant.

was posted in February so might be a repost.

20 Medical Studies on cannabis and cancer:
http://www.collective-evolution.com/...n-cure-cancer/

schedule 1 you say...
no medical use you say...

**Meresgi** · 2014-04-26 10:16

sure it helps with cancer...but heart disease..I mean come on man! Schedule 1 + 1 that shit! So hardcore Schedule 1 the cops just shoot you on site for having an ounce.

**Cream Soda** · 2014-05-02 18:20

http://www.local10.com/news/medical-...enate/25770994

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -

A strain of low-THC marijuana would be legal in Florida for medical use under a bill passed by the Legislature.

The Senate voted 30-9 Friday for the bill. The House previously voted 112-7 in favor of the bill.

It would allow doctors to prescribe a strain of marijuana known as "Charlotte's Web" that contains low amounts of the chemical THC, which causes users to feel high.

The marijuana does contain normal amounts of the chemical CBD, which is used to treat seizures. The marijuana would be converted into a liquid form for medical use.

Only four dispensaries would be allowed in the state and they would be highly regulated.

Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday he will sign the bill.

**Roranora** · 2014-05-06 21:13

So I'm actually really excited to share this. Especially these inspiring pics of Kevin. -- Since 2014ish, kinda playing with LinkedIn more recently. Met this solid danish dude.

I hope some of you enjoy it too.

Kevin William Simpson, before and after
Edit: For US peeps and lazy, 119.5 kg to 72 kg is 263 lbs to 159 lbs.

Kevin's share

Big Pharma drugs vs pure Cannabis plant oils, with high mg CBD, medium THC content. In addition organic & Holistic lifestyle. Lots of walking at a brisk pace. One year, from 119.50 kg -> 72 kg. Insulin and metformin for Diabetes II, asthma and allergy medications, antidepressants, sterioidcreme for eczema, anxiety medication, for hypermania / mania, sedatives, sleeping pills, antipsychotics (as strong sedative) drugs, Parkinson's medication (Medical induced Parkinson's), due to side effects from the other medications, ALL is no longer necessary with the oil. Give life a chance. Namasté

Medication for medically induced Parkinson's, hrm. Sounds lucrative.

Cannabis: Keeping Your Insulin Levels & Pant Size Down
http://www.medicaljane.com/2013/05/1...nt-size-down/#

Their tests found that, “Current marijuana use was associated with 16% lower fasting insulin levels and 17% lower HOMA-IR.”

It is a commonly accepted fact that cannabis users eat more. But did you know that it’s actually been shown in a study that they do? That’s right, an extra 600 calories per day more at that.

Yet marijuana smokers still have been found to have a reduced prevalence of obesity and lower incidence of diabetes (obesity is a precursor to diabetes). Regardless, the ramification of these discoveries could be monumental, considering the fact that nearly 40% of U.S. adults are considered obese and are costing the U.S. trillions in healthcare costs. It seems like something that most definitely deserves some additional research.

Maybe CS needs to meet cannabis? Dangerous potential there.

**kuronosan** · 2014-05-06 21:32

Heads up, federally legalized weed so the pharm companies can make moneys off of the fatties.

**Roranora** · 2014-05-06 21:48

let's plump them all up some more first

more peoples and more pounds

**djzombie** · 2014-06-20 12:13

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapi...na_wrongl.html

Attorney says marijuana wrongly classified as dangerous drug, federal prosecution unfair

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – A West Michigan man facing federal marijuana charges has filed a constitutional challenge based, in part, on disparate federal prosecution in different states.

Shawn Taylor, the alleged leader of a marijuana grow operation, also argues that marijuana has medicinal value and should not be classified as a Schedule 1 drug – the designation for the most dangerous drugs.

Taylor is seeking an evidentiary hearing on the issues before U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids.

“We’re raising arguments that have really never been raised before in a federal marijuana case,” former Kalamazoo attorney John Targowski, now practicing in Santa Monica, Calif., said on Thursday, June 19, after he filed an 86-page brief on behalf of his client.

“We’re arguing that cannabis is wrongly scheduled – it has medicinal value,” Targowski said.

Taylor is one of 37 people arrested for alleged roles in grow operations in Kent, Muskegon, Oceana and Ottawa counties and Traverse City.

Targowski said that a U.S. Supreme Court decision invalidating the Defense of Marriage Act should have bearing on marijuana cases.

“Recognizing the historical support for defining marriage as between one man and one woman, the court determined that it was the duty of the judiciary to rectify past misperceptions which result in constitutionally unsound legislation,” Targowski wrote in court documents.

“Like the long held beliefs regarding the marital relationship, the long held beliefs about the effects of marijuana have evolved. While the former evolution has been the result of societal ideologies, the latter is predicated on scientific evidence, and therefore, can be more readily established through an evidentiary hearing.”

Targowski has asked that Jonker consider declarations of three experts, including a former FBI supervisor and a physician, to establish there is no rational basis to treat marijuana as a controlled substance. Medical science has documented that “marijuana has a notably low potential for abuse,” Targowski wrote.

He said the Supreme Court has acknowledged its medical value.

“Compared to other over-the-counter substances, cannabis has the lowest potential for abuse, as it is impossible to die from an overdose: further, no studies have proven that the use of cannabis causes harms similar to those caused by the use of common over-the-counter medications, even at recommended dosages,” he wrote.

“In effect, the facts upon which marijuana was scheduled as one of the most dangerous narcotics in 1970 have been disproven.”

He also said that the government’s policy of not prosecuting those who comply with their state’s medical marijuana laws amounts to unequal prosecution based on where people live.

“The policy statement presented in the memorandum to U.S. Attorneys from Deputy Attorney General James Cole, issued on Aug. 29, 2013, by Attorney General Eric Holder has resulted in a discriminatory application of federal law, in that it protects similarly situated individuals from criminal sanctions for actions identical to that alleged to have been conducted by the defendant, and therefore violates the Equal Protection Clause,” Targowski wrote.

The government contends Taylor ran a large-scale drug operation that sold marijuana in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. He worked with a doctor for “certification clinics” for alleged patients, police said.

The government said Taylor used the state’s medical marijuana law as a ruse.

The government said that the state’s medical marijuana law is not a defense in federal court, and Taylor’s operation was not in compliance with state law, records showed.

**djzombie** · 2014-10-25 09:28

http://hemp.org/news/node/4201

U.S.: Federal Court To Hear Evidence On Whether Marijuana Is Misclassified As Dangerous Drug
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California will hold rare formal hearings beginning Monday, October 27, to determine whether an indictment against Brian Justin Pickard and others for conspiracy to grow more than 1,000 marijuana plants violates the U.S. Constitution, and whether marijuana is misclassified by the federal government as a dangerous Schedule I drug with no medical value.

U.S. District Court Judge Kimberly J. Mueller will preside over the three-day hearing, which includes expert testimony from Drs. Carl Hart, associate professor of psychology in the Department of Psychiatry and Psychology at Columbia University in New York City, Greg Carter, medical director of St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane, Washington, retired physician Phillip Denny, as well as author, consultant, and expert witness Chris Conrad.

The evidentiary hearing was granted by Judge Mueller after attorneys Zenia Gilg and Heather Burke filed a motion in November 2013 to dismiss the charges against their client Pickard on grounds that the indictment is unconstitutional, the defense attorneys arguing that "marijuana does not fit the criteria of a Schedule I Controlled Substance," and shouldn't have been used to target their client.

**myreality** · 2014-10-25 17:28

Here is hoping this goes well. Can't believe marijuana has gone this long as a schedule 1.

**6souls** · 2015-03-02 14:14

Study finds that a large number of youthful Repubs & Dems favor the legalization of Marijuana
Millennials - 67% Rep & 77% Dem | GenX - 47% Rep & 61% Dem
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank...-legalization/

**Qalbert** · 2015-03-03 08:03

those numbers are just gonna get higher

**Ragnus** · 2015-03-03 10:48

The "Just Say No" generation is growing up and realizing the thing they should be saying no to is anti-pot legislation.

**notorious bum** · 2015-03-03 12:25

Seeing all those stories about little kids and cancer patients being able to function with the help of pot kinda puts a damper on the disinformation campaign.

**Ragnus** · 2015-03-03 15:31

Yet it doesn't stop them from doing things like finding the defendant in the "American Sniper" murder trial guilty because "He wasn't actually insane. Just suffering from "Marijuana Psychosis".