Medical Marijuana @ MindSay

Ive heard a lot of talk in the news recently about the struggle with the legalization of the drug  marijuana  or, as it is known more widely,  pot or weed.

well obviously the activities of the ones pulling for legalization are in question,  be it anyone who isn't a doctor. Their reason for legalization: it relaxes you, helps deal with pain, etc. We know the use of medical marijuana exists in a few states, but for it to be an over the counter drug is far from needed ( in my own opinion). we have enough drugs on the market to deal with pain of all sorts. and for anyone who has tried it, ntyou know people do it for fun, as eertainment. and why should a hallucinogen be prescribed to someone for something like pain? painkillers kill pain. simple as that. hallucinogens react with your body in mind, and "put you under the influence".

personally, I have had a few expirences with weed, and, yes, it is fun. and for those narrow minded anti drug, straight edge kids, understand this : it isn't like alcohol where you quickly lose all your judgment, or like mushrooms and lsd where you cant see normal things( also known as "trippin') (unless you smoke a ridiculous amount), or heroine where it is extremely addictive. It is nearly impossible to understand it if u havn't done it so I'm not gonna describe it, all I have to say is, if I can walk into my house high and not let anyone know about it, they don't ever notice. Even though I'm keeping quiet about it, if they can't tell I'm "under the Influence" how bad could it be?

the only real problem with it is that if u do it all the time like some learn to, u can become (mildly) addicted. maybe your memory gets worst, and maybe your lungs get worse. But there are barely ever marijuana related deaths, and they are at a ridiculously low amount in comparison to alcohol related deaths and tobacco related deaths, or any other drugs for that matter. It is a pure plant, taken for what it is, burned and inhaled. most other drugs are carefully extracted or created in labs of sketchy sorts.

but lots of people consider it to be a "gateway drug". the drug that introduces you to drugs and before you know it, you find yourself doing all the hardcore and actual harmful drugs. and when people note that tons money is spent stopping the trafficing of it, this is why. because if they let this in, more of the other drugs will increase in usage and importation.

And even though I find it to be practicly harmless, for this reason I would never want it to be legalized.
 
I would also like to say I don't mean to offend anyone righting this.

Guess what?

Smoking marijuana doesn't cause cancer.

Not even among heavy users - and when I say heavy, I mean upwards of 22,000 joints in a person's life.  That's more than two joints EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR 30 YEARS.

 

This contrasts sharply with the well-known effects of tobacco use.

 

Eminent, highly regarded Doctor Donald Tashkin, a UCLA pulmonologist who has studied marijuana for 30 years, says smoking marijuana, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer.  In fact, in Tashkin's published findings, he states,

"What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some
protective effect."  

Apparently, it may even be the compound THC (tetrahyrocannabinol - one of the mind affecting ingredients in marijuana) which prevents aging cells from becoming cancerous.

 

Yes, MARIJUANA may in fact PROTECT you from CANCER.

 

Of course, I'm not trying to tell you that smoking ANYTHING can't hurt you - oxygen deprivation alone is a good reason to seek alternative methods of ingestion - but the government and all the ultra-conservative people trying to paint good ol' ganja as satan's little helper just ran into a big wall of reality.  Extra sweet to all protectors of cultural sanity is the fact that Dr. Donald Tashkin's research has, in the past, been used by drug agencies and the government to indicate how harmful marijuana use can be.  If you have any idea of the lengths to which federal prosecutors will go to squash opposition and tout their own sources, you will know that this is a huge blow to the credibility of those who carried Tashkin on their shoulders as a weapon in the (failed) "War on Drugs."

 

So, I'll climb down off my soapbox now..   You don't need a podium when everyone knows the truth already.

 

Namaste,

 

Steve.

I wasn't quoted this time, or even interviewed, BUT LOOK, I'M IN THAT PICTURE!!! :D!!!!

 

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'Stop the prohibition'

James Faulk The Times-Standard

Shaun Walker/ The Times-Standard Music education sophomore Melissa Gussin and dozens of others call for the legalization of marijuana during a gathering in front of Humboldt State University on Saturday. ARCATA -- Cars driving on LK Wood Boulevard just before noon Saturday were greeted by a strange and odoriferous chorus of protesters who offered packed marijuana pipes and broken bits of song to all passers-by. The participants were taking part in the local version of the national Million Marijuana March. The clamored against what they said is the criminalization of the innocent, and the prohibition of a drug that is less harmful than alcohol and cigarettes. They weren't shy about their drug use. Lighters sparked pipes and marijuana cigarettes while red-rimmed eyes squinted against the sun that came out just in time to escort the marcher through town. Two men offered pipes to cars that passed along the road, and made only minimal effort to hide their contraband when two police cars in a row raced by the scene. Humboldt State University student Terra Kopf said the government has it's priorities wrong. ”I don't feel like I should be labeled a criminal,” she said. Marijuana doesn't kill anyone, she said. Instead, it's being suppressed by the government because national leaders have all their time and money staked into alcohol and cigarettes, she said. ”It just doesn't make sense that people should go to jail for it,” she said. Fellow student Melissa Gussin said a slew of injustices accompany marijuana enforcement. Critically ill patients are thrown into jail despite the voter-approved laws that declare marijuana a legitimate medicine, she said. As someone who smokes marijuana, she said she has been stereotyped as dumb, and as being a burden on society. She said she maintains a high grade point average. ”The point is, marijuana doesn't hurt anyone,” she said. Even if it did, it would only be hurting the users, and no one else, she said. Before departing on their march, the crowd held colorful signs and collected in small groups listening to the slightly atonal music coming from an apparently impromptu flute-and-drum band. ”Stop the prohibition,” one man shouted. ”Legalize marijuana,” answered another.

 

http://www.times-standard.com/fastsearchresults/ci_3795753

 

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Here's the link to my entry about the Million Marijuana March, and here's a blown up version of that picture:

 

 

lol. if you're curious about any of the people that I talk about in NORML, the only one you can see in this picture is Gabe and he's the guy standing on the sidewalk in front of me holding a sign (the one I made, actually, lol) in the green jacket. I've been in this thing twice in two months now! :O Here's the link to the first time. Wow, and my parents don't even know it because they wouldn't be proud of either time, lol. How sad kinda...

• Do laundry
• Call medical marijuana doctor
• Go through calanders
• Mail package with old cell phone
• Mail Nam his stuff
• Mail Anna late birthday card
• Go to psyc appointment
• Make appointment at testing center for tomorrow
• Write history paper
• Do geology homework
• Get NORML flyers stamped
• Post NORML flyers
• Fill out and turn in Housing License packet for next year
• Find passport
• Call Cashier's Office
• Check mail
• Do alcohol course follow-up
• Find paper with recomended classes for Fall Semester

and it doesn't help that in my WS class today we saw a video that set off big time triggers for me. fuck this life.

NORML is the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and apparently last semester they started a chapter here at Humboldt State. I got a message on facebook today that they were having a forum to talk about the marijuana regulations here, and i went to see what it was about. the people there were really cool, and it turns out that i knew a few from orientation, smoking with them in the beginning of the year, and so on. There was also a speaker on the panel who had an anxiety disorder and was using medicle marijuana to help him with it because nothing else had. I talked to him afterwards and didn't tell him that i have PTSD, but i did tell him that i'd experienced the same things with anxiety attacks and how nothing else had helped me. it was so cool because we could relate on the helplessness of nothing making us feel better, and therefore wondering why even bother trying. He gave me his doctor's number, and i'm going to give it a call tomorrow.

 

Two hours after that ended, they had their weekly meeting which i decided to go to after hearing what the club had to offer and seeing how active and motivated they actually are to having some sort of reform on campus. it was awesome because i knew at least half the people there from pretty much what i said above- orientation, smoking with them at the beginning of the year, or class. i spend most of the time with a couple of other people that i knew coloring posters for a movie that they're showing next week. i'll take pictures of the two that i did and post them on selfncreativity later on. Jessie, the girl who gave me my hemp braclette at orientation, said that we should have a pot luck for all of the new people, (like me) which means all kinds of ganja food and of course the stuff itself. this is really exciting for me. i might be able to make some new friends, and if not, at least have some people i can smoke with a lot, lol. i'm kinda scared that i'm jinxing that by typing it here because of how my life goes, but i don't know. I'm really glad that i found out about NORML and went today! :D i really wanna go smoke a bowl right now to celebrate, but i have a lot of work i still need to get done. :( probably the soonest chance i'll have to smoke is friday or saturday, and i may get drunk then instead.