Ganja Vibes Blog

2 Governors Asking U.S. to Ease Rules on Marijuana to Allow for Its Medical Use

By MICHAEL COOPER Published: November 30, 2011 The governors of Washington and Rhode Island petitioned the federal government on Wednesday to reclassify marijuana as a drug with accepted medical uses, saying the change is needed so states like theirs, which have decriminalized marijuana for medical purposes, can regulate the safe distribution of the drug without risking federal prosecution. The move by the governors — Christine Gregoire of Washington, a Democrat, and Lincoln Chafee of Rhode Island, an independent who used to be a Republican — injected new political muscle into the long-running debate on the status of marijuana. Their states are among the 16 that now allow medical marijuana, but which have seen efforts to grow and distribute the drug targeted by federal prosecutors. “The divergence in state and federal law creates a situation where there is no regulated and safe system to supply legitimate patients who may need medical cannabis,” the governors wrote Wednesday to Michele M. Leonhart, the administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Marijuana is currently classified by the federal government as a Schedule I controlled substance, the same category as heroin and L.S.D. Drugs with that classification, the government says, have a high potential for abuse and “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” The governors want marijuana reclassified as a Schedule II controlled substance, which would put it in the same category as drugs like cocaine, opium and morphine. The federal government says that those drugs have a strong potential for abuse and addiction, but that they also have “some accepted medical use and may be prescribed, administered or dispensed for medical use.” Such a classification could pave the way for pharmacies to dispense marijuana, in addition to the marijuana dispensaries that operate in a murky legal zone in many states. “What we have out here on the ground is chaos,” Governor Gregoire said in an interview. “And in the midst of all the chaos we have patients who really either feel like they’re criminals or may be engaged in some criminal activity, and really are legitimate patients who want medicinal marijuana. “If our people really want medicinal marijuana, then we need to do it right, we need to do it with safety, we need to do it with health in mind, and that’s best done in a process that we know works in this country — and that’s through a pharmacist.” The State of Washington approved medical marijuana in 1998, with a ballot question that won 60 percent of the vote. But like many states, Washington soon found itself in a legal gray area. The Legislature tried to clarify things last spring, when it passed a bill to legalize and regulate marijuana dispensaries and growers. But the Justice Department warned that growing and distributing marijuana was still against federal law, and said that “state employees who conducted activities mandated by the Washington legislative proposals would not be immune from liability.” Ms. Gregoire, while sympathetic to the goals of the bill, wound up vetoing much of it. It was similar on the other side of the country, where Rhode Island passed a law authorizing state-regulated marijuana dispensaries. This fall Governor Chafee said he could not go ahead with the plan because federal prosecutors had warned him that dispensaries could be targets of prosecution. Advocates for medical marijuana praised the move on Wednesday, but said the governors should not wait for the federal government before going forward with state initiatives. Opponents said that even if marijuana was reclassified, it was unlikely that pharmacies would be able to dispense it, because the drug is usually smoked and comes in varied strengths. As recently as June the D.E.A. denied a petition to reclassify marijuana, based on a review conducted several years earlier. But Ms. Gregoire and Mr. Chafee said the attitude of the medical community had changed since the government last reviewed the issue. In 2009 the American Medical Association changed its position and called for reviewing the classification of marijuana, saying that the current classification was limiting clinical research. Ms. Gregoire noted that many doctors believe it makes no sense to place marijuana in a more restricted category than opium and morphine. “People die from overdose of opiates,” she said. “Has anybody died from marijuana?” http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/01/us/federal-marijuana-classification-should-change-gregoire-and-chafee-say.html

Information for the common buyer

In the land of marijuana distribution there are names for all the different variations of sizes associated with the way Ganja is grown then trimmed, and finally sold. Trimming is the act of grooming marijuana from the stem to the buyer. (This entry is composed depicting hydroponic and organically grown high-grade ganja. There are other strains and classes of marijuana. Keepin' it tasty & delicious, for our pleasure with best effects.) You have... Nugs/ buds Perfectly sized bags - Buds that have grown into the perfect size/weight which are then trimmed and distributed as a perfect gram, eighth, quarter bags ect. Perfect gram (1gm) and eighth (3.5gms) pictured below. Perfect Quarter (7gms) pictured below. Then there are the Donkey Dicks Buds. At times these Donkey Dick buds can equate to a perfect Ounce (28gms). [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3rhQc666Sg&w=420&h=315]

Family Guy supports Marijuana legalization

Willie Nelson

"I think people need to be educated to the fact that marijuana is not a drug. Marijuana is a herb and a flower. God put it here. If He put it here and He wants it to grow, what gives the government the right to say that God is wrong?" ~ Willie Nelson

Weed, the people...

Sexpot

By Josey Vogels April 18, 2009 SexPot: Want to Have Great Sex? Smoke a Joint Marijuana has been used as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years. So what exactly is it about weed that turns people on? Marijuana has been used as an aphrodisiac for thousands of years. The ancient Indian Ayurvedic medicine systems used cannabis to increase libido, produce long-lasting erections, delay ejaculation, facilitate lubrication and loosen inhibitions. Some Tantric sex practitioners drink a substance called bhang, a sort of spiced marijuana milkshake to enhance the sexual experience. According to one source, Indian prostitutes eat bhang sherbet to help them feel sexually aroused. In 19th century Serbia, female virgins were given mixtures of lamb's fat and cannabis on their wedding night to make sex less painful. Morocco, Egypt, Lebanon and other Middle Eastern and Northern African cultures used cannabis for sexual purposes in a potent form known at kif as recently as the early 20th century. So what exactly is it about weed that turns people on? Besides the obvious: it heightens your senses, relaxes you and makes you feel hyper connected, there are also physiological effects. Along with an increased heart rate, changes in blood flow and respiration, according to William Novak, author of the 1980 tome, High Culture: Marijuana in the Lives of Americans, "Neurochemistry, hormonal systems and brain regions such as the temporal lobe are affected by both marijuana and sexual arousal." That's because THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol), the active ingredient in pot, not only releases dopamine in the brain -- causing the "high" -- it actually replicates the effects of a sexy little naturally occurring neurochemical called anandamide. But pot doesn't always make sex better. For some people, it has the exact opposite effect. Which is helpful if you're a monk. Ascetics, monks and others have used marijuana to free themselves of sexual desire. Instead of connecting them to their bodies, sexual desires, or other people, it helps them meditate. In the context of a sexual encounter, it can be tough to focus on making your partner come when your mind is busy contemplating the meaning of life. Or if being high makes you suddenly hyper-aware of everything that is wrong with your relationship. The effects of smoking also depend on the person's tolerance to the drug -- a couple of tokes may get one person in the mood, while another user may need to get really high in order to feel a heightened sexual awareness. Of course, when it comes to pot, you can have too much of a good thing. Heavy, long-term marijuana use can result in low motivation -- including the motivation to have sex. And whereas some folks report an increased libido -- in one study, men said they achieved bigger, harder erections and women said they became wetter and were more able to achieve orgasm when stoned -- others may report an inability to sustain an erection. It is commonly believed that smoking marijuana causes reproductive system damage, having an effect on testosterone production and other hormones -- which, in turn, can affect fertility, menstruation and erectile function, among other things. Pot prohibitionists like to haul out the "pot will lower your sperm count" argument, although studies on this produce conflicting results. It is true that the cells of the reproductive system are very high in fat, and thus absorb and hold more THC than do most other cells in the body, a factor that leads some researchers to believe pot can lower testosterone levels. Apparently, in some cases, male pot smokers have developed "man boobs" because of localized fatty deposits. Still, according to Novak, "There have been no epidemiological studies which have shown increased infertility in marijuana-using humans, and studies of overall reproductive rates have found no reduction in reproductive rates in countries where a higher rate of marijuana use is found. And the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws cites study upon study indicating that reported lower sperm levels return to normal once marijuana consumption had ceased. So put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Best Marijuana Argument Ever: Given By Superior Court Judge James P. Gray

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qKgY5eOlhEc&w=420&h=315]