The month of august brings many events,

but the festival winning best NEW event

was the Jefferson State Hemp Expo,

organizeed by The State of Jefferson band.

Held in Selma, Oregon, the venue was

beautiful Lake Selmac on August 27th &

28th. Even the 7,000 acre Oak Flat Fire,

only a few miles north east, couldn't keep

the attendees away.

Although the fire camp providing coverage

of the fire took over the original location of

the expo, there was enough room near the

lake to provide space for vendors and

people. Erik, the State of Jefferson band,

and the rest of their crew did a great job

scrambling to provide everything that was

needed. No problems arose, and luckily

most of the fire crew left on Saturday

morning.

Starting on Friday afternoon, there were 2

stages providing music all day and into the

waning hours of the nights. Camping was

provided for vendors and attendees at the

site, although campfires were not allowed

(obviously). At least 50 vendors were there

providing clothing, jewelry, pipes, tye dyes,

food and beer, medical marijuana

information, and

of course

everything

hemp.

The bands that

performed were

great, especially

Pato Banton and

The New

Generation,

singing

marijuana songs

and involving

the crowd in

their jam

provided an uplifting vibe. Indubious also

played to a very attentive crowd. They got

the place rocking and raised the largest

roars of the fest. Of course, The State of

Jefferson also played, and got a raucous

reception. Not only did they organize a

great event, they got everyone singing and

smoking, and having a great time. Many

other performers entertained the crowd the

entire time.

A beer cart was there provide a selection of

beers, including Hemp Ale. A variety of

different food vendors provided food and

drink, but there was a shortage of coffee in

the morning Saturday for the large number

of attendees and vendors looking for that

morning jolt.

Erik indicated that over 3,000 attendees

had arrived by Friday afternoon, and 5,000

or more attended over the 2 days. He said

"were looking for 500 acres for next years

fest", so they can provide they space,

parking, and amenities they need. More

space will definitely be needed if the festival

gets a foothold, which is likely here in

Southern Oregon.

The only minor drawbacks were the

portable toilets being a bit full, and people,

mostly vendors, awaking in the morning

and letting their dogs out to do their

morning business where ever they liked.

But, Shit happens!

I give the JS Hemp Expo kudos for a great

event. Looking forward to next year.

The Portland Hempstalk was held this year

in Kelly Point Park, where the Willamette

and Columbia converge, on September 11th

and 12th. As usual, The Hemp and

Cannabis Foundation organized the festival

and this year moved it to the new location,

which allowed substantial parking (though a

long walk or shuttle was involved) and

plentiful space.

Although I didn't get an exact count, there

were at least 75 vendors there, providing all

the usual festival wares, with an addition of

hemp, cannabis and marijuana everywhere.

The vendors were arranged into "alleyways"

named after prominent marijuana activists,

such as Keith Stroup, Jack Herer, Willie

Nelson, and others. There was an

overriding tribute to Jack Herer for the

entire event, due to him suffering a heart

attack at last year's Hempstalk, and also his

passing this past April.

One prominent stage provided the

entertainment,with bands playing late into

Saturday night and speakers interspearsed

throughout the

day. The

bands included

The

Herbivores,

Los

Marijuanos,

The State of

Jefferson, and

Folk Uke.

Speakers

included locals

such as Oregon

legend Dr. Phil

Leveque and

Paul Stanford

of THCF. A

few speakers

travelled quit a

distance, such

as former Governor Gary Johnson of New

Mexico, and Robert Platshorn, author of The

Black Tuna Diaries. A few speakers pushed

Measure 74, many

encouraged simply

liberating your

mind, and all

seemed to agree on

one thing, hemp is

good!

The Hemposium tent

hosted a number of

imformative panels.

They covered many

subjects, including

industrial hemp and

our future, cooking

with cannabis, and

medical – OMMP

101, and an

informative session

called "Know Your Rights". The speakers

provided information and fielded questions

from listeners.

The Hempstalk is very popular, and the new

venue should be a good location for the

event. More shuttles may need to be

provided, since there is a very long walk

involved, but the overall locale seemed

great. I saw no cops and no one was hassled

the entire weekend, either.

The Hempstalk is still doing well, and

getting bigger every year. I will definately

return for next years event.

reported that Los Angeles Sheriff Lee Baca

said the exact same thing, and just like the

Clatsop County duo, presented no facts to

support their claims.

To begin refuting the misinformation we

must understand what has been

misconstrued as legalization. Apparently

the two opponents do not believe the herbal

remedy should treat severe pain. To take

this position insults over 90% of Oregon

Medical Marijuana Patients and 3200

doctors because the vast majority of

patients suffer from severe pain, and

roughly one third of patients qualify for the

Oregon Medical Marijuana Program

(OMMP) for more than one qualifying

condition. The truth is, Oregon has one of

the most strict medical marijuana programs

in the nation.

Doctors must see that a patient has

multiple visits to doctors and specialists

and the documentation to prove treatment,

not just complaints of pain. Because there

is a registry system, doctors are held

accountable. The media seems to believe

that the 32,614 patients out of 3,825,657

Oregonians, less than 1% of our population,

is too many. They never mind the fact that

the 32,000 severe pain patients often

qualify for another reason besides severe

pain. Doctors have to check all that apply.

17,591 other conditions out of 36,380

patients qualify for medical marijuana for

other reasons. Cancer is painful. Nausea is

painful. Someone with muscle spasms is in

immense pain. To question a patient’s

diagnosis of severe pain is insensitive and

arrogant. The Oregon Pain Management

Commission stated in September of 2006

that they believe 20-30% of Americans

suffers from chronic pain. Very few of these

patients seek to be treated with cannabis.

Oregon’s media coverage of medical

marijuana is about as effective at covering a

recent amputation with masking tape.

Oregon media outlets such as The

Oregonian, The Mail Tribune, The Bend

Bulletin, network television news casts, and

Clear Channel radio stations also

perpetuate the myth that most OMMP

patients are not legitimate.

The Oregonian wrote an editorial about

Measure 74, calling it a smokescreen to

achieve legalization putting patients and

medicine in quotes.

August 31st on KXL’s Lars Larson Show,

John Sajo, co-writer for Measure 74, was

asked why there are so many severe pain

patients when marijuana has not been

proven to be an analgesic, or pain reliever.

John responded there are numerous

studies like the one published August 30,

2010 by the Canadian Medical Association.

This double blind study concluded that

smoked marijuana is an effective analgesic,

and that marijuana smokers were in better

moods and slept better than those who

received placebos.

Not to be outdone, the Bend Bulletin

printed “We don’t need pot dispensaries”

September 08, 2010. “Ballot Measure 74

would open Oregon to a torrent of

marijuana dispensaries. These are

necessary, the thinking goes, because it’s

simply too hard for ‘medical’ marijuana

users to supply their needs under current

law. Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge.” I suppose

no one let me in on their joke.

Voters should not let law enforcement and

media bought by interests like the

pharmaceutical industry decide what

medicine a doctor’s recommends. This issue

is about Alice Ivany who had never used

medical marijuana until after having a

horrific industrial accident where she lost

an arm and discovered her body did not

tolerate pharmaceutical pain medicine. She

didn’t know a grower and refused to

support the black market. She went 17

months without medicine. The time has

come to allow regulated dispensaries. Also,

it’s time to let the corporate news go out of

business.

Sarah Duff is the Assistant Clinic Director for

Oregon Green Free Clinical Services and serves

on the Board for the Institute for Cannabis

Therapeutics

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1st Annual Jefferson

State Hemp Expo a

Huge Success

By Keith Mansur

Oregon Cannabis Connection

Cont. from Page 4

A large crowd filled the provided space at

the JS Hemp Expo. Thousands of people

shopped, ate and listened to great music

The Frankie Hernandez

performed with his band,

always supporting the hemp

and cannabis movement.

Portland's Hempstalk is Still Going StrongBy Keith Mansur

Oregon Cannabis Connection

Kelly Point Park, at the confluence of the

Columbia and Willamette, provided a great

venue for Hempstalk.

Dr. Leveque is introduced

by Bonnie King, publisher

of Salem-News.com

Paul Stanford,

Hempstalk organizer,

on stage anouncing

Folk Uke

Reach thousands of medical marijuana patients,

caregivers, and growers!More than 20,000 copies at

Over 150 locations statewide.

AAddvveerrttiissee iinn tthhee OOrreeggoonn CCaannnnaabbiiss CCoonnnneeccttiioonn!!

CCaallll 554411--662211--11772233 oorr vviissiitt wwwwww..oorreeggoonnccaannnnaabbiissccoonnnneeccttiioonn..ccoomm

Sacramento FOX affiliate KTXL,

"FOX40," on August 30th ran a paid TV

advertisement for a medical marijuana

dispensary, thought to be the first time an

ad for medical marijuana has ever aired

on mainstream television.

The 30-second ad, paid for by Sacramento-

based CannaCare and produced by KTXL,

features patients delivering testimonials

on the benefits of medical marijuana,

reports Matthew Keys at FOX40 News.

Text at the bottom of the screen indicates

that marijuana can be used to relieve

symptoms of many illnesses, including

diabetes, HIV, hepatitis C and

hypertension, among others.

Note that in a TV news report from

FOX40 , reporter Elissa Harrington

manages to miss the point when she

compares marijuana ads to alcohol and

tobacco ads. Neither alcohol nor tobacco is

used for medicinal purposes as is

marijuana -- and, of course, neither

alcohol nor tobacco use comes with a

doctor's legal authorization, as does

cannabis -- so there's no reason that

broadcast rules applying to recreational

substances should be applied to medicine.

Marijuana is not shown at all in the TV

ad, and the word "marijuana" is never

used. Patients interviewed in the ad,

along with the narrator, refer to pot as

"cannabis."

The CannaCare advertisement is likely

the first such ad promoting medicinal use

of marijuana to ever run on a mainstream

television outlet, according to Mike

Armstrong, KTXL's acting general

manager.

"It is a matter of record within the

medical community that medical

marijuana can have positive results in

helping relieve nausea and vomiting

among cancer patients receiving

chemotheraphy and increasing appetites

among AIDS patients," Armstrong said.

According to Armstrong, the ad is "no

different from that of any medicine"

advertised by pharmaceutical companies

on local television channels and cable

networks for decades.

"Like so many other products advertised

legally in media, it is a drug," Armstrong

said. "When viewers watch the

[advertisement] on air, they can see it's

simply identifying this as an avenue to

take if your doctor thinks it will help you

feel better."

KTXL said it will air the ad during both

morning and evening newscasts, and

throughout the day.

"I'm curious what viewers will think about

this," said Brandon Mercer, news director

at KTXL. "We believe in giving the

viewers a strong voice in our news

products, and we certainly are going to

hear a lot of opinions."

Mercer responded with a "no comment"

when asked about how he felt about the

ad airing during news programs, but later

said the station would delve into more

details surrounding the ad during KTXL's

evening newscast, "FOX40 News at 10

p.m."

The CannaCare ad is not running as a

public service announcement, but instead

as a fully-paid commercial advertisement,

according to KTXL. As with most TV ads,

the station won't disclose how much it was

paid to produce and air the spot.

Advertisements promoting marijuana use,

or even just promoting a discussion on pot

legalization, have come under

debate since Facebook decided to stop

running "Just Say Now" ads promoting

the passage of Prop 19, California's

November ballot initiative which would

regulate and tax marijuana for adults.

Reprinted from Toke of The Town,

http://www.tokeofthetown.com - Copyright

2010 The Village Voice

The idiocy of our country’s approach to

medical marijuana was on full display for

all to see at the Minnesota Vikings

training camp on August 19th.

Since the age of 10, Percy Harvin, a

Vikings wide receiver, has suffered from

chronic, debilitating migraines. Luckily,

later in life, Harvin found a therapeutic

substance that not only relieved his

migraines effectively, but also allowed

him to play football. It was marijuana.

But during last year’s NFL combine,

Harvin, a

promising

prospect, tested

positive for

marijuana, and

was

subsequently

drafted much

lower than

expected. The

Vikings finally

picked him 22nd

overall,

reportedly after

a long talk about

his marijuana use, and specifically, how it

needed to stop if he wanted to keep

playing.

Harvin complied, and the migraines didn’t

seem to be a problem for much of his

breakout rookie season. “Questions about

his ability as a receiver seem silly now,”

Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated wrote at

the time. “The only thing that has slowed

him is migraines.” Toward the end of last

season, the migraines got worse, and

Harvin was sidelined. Except now he

wasn’t able to use marijuana to treat

them, and nothing else seemed to work.

On August 16th, after another stint in the

hospital, Harvin was finally back in

uniform at Vikings training camp. Cindy

Boren of the Washington Post describes

what happened next:

Harvin, who has battled migraines since he

was 10 and sought treatment last year at

the Mayo Clinic, had not practiced for two

weeks because of migraines, returning to

the field only Monday. Suffering another

attack Thursday, he managed to return to

the field and looked up to the sky to field a

punt. He doubled over, vomited and

seemed momentarily unresponsive and

was taken to the hospital. The scene was so

disturbing for players that the rest of

practice was called off.

If medical marijuana were legal in the

United States, and treated like any other

legitimate medicine by the NFL, then

Harvin could consult with a doctor about

the best way to use marijuana to help

relieve these awful migraines. (And

anyone who is a migraine sufferer knows

just how awful they can be.) More

importantly, the Vikings could have a

productive wide receiver. Instead, they’re

forced to stand by idly as their $1.04

million investment is carted off the field in

an ambulance, overcome by pain that could

easily be relieved by a safe, non-toxic

medicine.

How’s that for sensible marijuana policies?

Mike Meno is communications director for

Marijuana Policy Project, and Scott Michelman

is a staff attornet for the ACLU's Drug Law

Reform Project.

The Drug Policy Alliance, the nation's

leading organization advocating

alternatives to the war on drugs, has

released a report that documents

widespread race-based disparities in the

enforcement of low-level marijuana

possession laws in California.

Focused on the 25 largest counties in the

state, the report finds that African

Americans are arrested for marijuana

possession at substantially higher rates

than whites, typically at double, triple or

even quadruple the rate of whites.

Further, blacks are arrested for

marijuana possession far out of proportion

to their percentage in the total population

of the counties.

According to the report, “Targeting Blacks

for Marijuana,” these disparities in

marijuana possession arrest rates

between whites and blacks cannot be

explained by their patterns of marijuana

use. U.S. government studies consistently

find that young blacks consume

marijuana at lower rates than young

whites. The report was released to

coincide with the official endorsement of

Proposition 19, the Control and Tax

Cannabis Initiative 2010, by the

California State Conference of the

NAACP. Proposition 19 will appear on the

general election ballot November 3rd.

“The findings in this report are a chilling

reminder of the day-to-day realities of

marijuana prohibition and the large-scale

racist enforcement at its core,” said

Stephen Gutwillig, California director of

the Drug Policy Alliance. “Racial justice

demands ending this policy disaster and

replacing it with a sensible regulatory

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Cont. on Page 14

FOX Affiliate Airs

Nation's First TV

Ad For Medical

Marijuana

By Steve Elliott

Toke of The Town

Widespread Racial

Disparities in Marijuana

Enforcement in

California's 25 Largest

Counties

By Stephen Gutwillig

Drug Policy Alliance

Sidelined Because

He Can’t Use the

Medicine that

Works

By Mike Meno

Marijuana Policy Project

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®

®

Texas Rep. Lamar Smith claims that the

Barack Obama administration is "soft"

on marijuana. Here’s a reality check.

Law enforcement officials prosecuted a

near-record 858,408 persons for violating

marijuana laws in 2009 – the first year

of the Obama presidency. That total is

the second highest annual number of pot

prosecutions ever recorded in the United

States.

According to the arrest data, made

public in September by the Federal

Bureau of Investigation, some 88 percent

(758,593 Americans) of those charged

with marijuana violations were

prosecuted for possession only. The

remaining 99,815 individuals were

charged with “sale/manufacture,” a

category that includes virtually all

cultivation offenses.

Does any rational person really think

that arresting and prosecuting nearly

one million Americans annually for their

use of a substance that is objectively

safer than alcohol exemplifies a ‘soft’ – or

better yet, sound – public policy?

Rep. Smith further claims that the

administration has abdicated the

enforcement of federal drug laws in the

fourteen states that have legalized the

physician-supervised use of marijuana

since 1996. Not so. Despite promises

from the U.S. Attorney General to

respect the laws of these 14 states, the

September 21 edition of DC’s Daily

Caller reports that just the opposite is

taking place.

In an article entitled, ‘DEA, DOJ stay

mum on medical marijuana raids,’

reporter Mike Riggs states: “Despite

campaign promises to the contrary, the

Department of Justice under President

Barack Obama and Attorney General

Eric Holder hasn’t stopped raiding

marijuana dispensaries operating in

states where sale of the drug is legal for

medical purposes. But the DOJ has

demonstrated one marked change now

that it’s under Democratic control: The

department has stopped publicizing

medical marijuana raids, both by

requesting that more cases be sealed

under court order and by refusing to

distribute press releases.”

The story goes on to cite details of over a

dozen recent federal raids of medical

marijuana providers in California,

Colorado, Michigan, and Nevada – all

states that have approved the cultivation

and possession of medical marijuana.

Of course, if the stricter enforcement of

marijuana laws – as Rep. Lamar

advocates – was really the solution to

curbing Americans’ appetite for pot then

how does one explain this? Since 1965,

police have arrested over 21 million

Americans for violating marijuana laws;

yet according to the World Health

Organization more Americans consume

marijuana than do citizens of any other

country in the world.

Congress criminalized the personal use

of cannabis in 1937 – and many states,

like California and Massachusetts,

initially did so decades earlier – yet

today nearly one out of two Americans

admit to having used the drug (including

our three most recent U.S. Presidents),

and an estimated ten percent of citizens

admit to consuming it regularly. Does

Rep. Smith really think that America

would be a better place if all of these

individuals were arrested, prosecuted,

and jailed for their use of a non-toxic

herb that was once described by a U.S.

Drug Enforcement Administration

administrative law judge as “one of the

safest therapeutically active substances

known to man?”

Rather than scapegoating the new

administration, which has done little to

alter longstanding U.S. marijuana

policy, Rep. Smith ought to reconsider

the past 40 years of failed drug war

policies – which as the Associated Press

reported in March, have cost Americans

$1 trillion dollars in taxpayers’ dollars,

yet “has failed to meet any of its goals.”

It is time to replace failed marijuana

prohibition with a system of legalization,

sensible regulation, taxation, and

education.

Paul Armentano is the Deputy Director of

NORML. Used by permission from

http://blog.norml.com

The Seattle HempFest (SHF), held the

third week-end in August, is a unique

international network opportunity where

over 100,000 people come from around

the world seeking hemp goods, tasty food,

fine music and information. It is an

annual event held in Seattle,

Washington, the world's largest annual

gathering advocating decriminalization of

marijuana. Since 2003, it has been a 2-

day event, doors open at 10 am and close

at 8 pm and it is free to the public. And

MERCY – the Medical Cannabis Resource

Center – was there.

Founded in 1991 as the Washington

Hemp Expo, a self-described "humble

gathering of stoners" attended by only

500 people, and renamed the following

year as Hempfest, it has grown into a

annual political rally, concert, and arts

and crafts fair. The '92 and '93 festivals

were also held in Volunteer Park and

were straight-out celebrations of pot

culture: the '92 festival, attended by

2,000, featured two sinsemilla plants on

the stage. The 2008 Seattle Hempfest set

a new record for attendance, topping

310,000 people. Now 20 years old, Seattle

Hempfest boasts a terrific lineup of

speakers and bands on five stages, and a

cornucopia of stoner-themed products and

food at the many vending booths. This

year's event was dedicated to Jack Herer,

who passed away in April.

SHF enables Activists and Organizations

(non-profits) to utilize this opportunity as

well as commercial Vendors, and

combined they offer an abundant set of

Resources as well as Info. There were

hundreds of booths along with MERCY

providing bounty and variety whether one

is a dedicated Hempster or just Jane/Joe

Public at large.

Information is mainly why folks come to

the MERCY booth. For example,

MERCY had promotional items - hats, t-

shirts, coffee mugs - but the bulk of our

activity was information exchange that is

HelpDesking and Networking.

Helpdesking starts with, basically,

listening to the people on issues

surrounding getting their card, finding

medicine now, finding a grower for the

long-term, growing themselves and/or

others, medicating, changes to the

Program and other scenarios faced by the

community. We then research and

provide info on these matters as they

apply, not just locally, but nationally and

beyond.

Networking means communicating with

other Activists and Organizations about

the issues their people are going through

and the related solutions. The Seattle

Hempfest gives us the opportunity to

conduct this activity on a regional

(northwest), national and even global

scale as we even get a few Canadians -

among other countries - every now and

then.

Myrtle Edwards gets crowded quickly

and it's slow going moving from stage to

stage in the long, narrow park. But not to

worry: bongs and a wide variety of glass

are readily available and smoking is

tolerated by the few police assigned to the

events. Check it out and spread the

word. And we’ll see you there, third

week-end in August.

Perry Stripling is a Business Consultant,

Systems Architect, Artist and Cannabis Law

Reform Activist who is Secretary of Willamette

Valley NORML and Volunteers as President of

MERCY - the Medical Cannabis Resource

Center, in his spare time.

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Failed Marijuana Policies Are a Bi-partisan BoondoggleBy Paul Armentano,

Deputy Director of NORML

Citizens and

Activists

Network at the

Seattle Hempfest

By Perry Stripling,

Mercy Centers

One of the largest crowds ever attended this

years Hempfest in Seattle. Some estimates

were over 400,000 people during the 2 days.

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system that redirects law enforcement to matters

of genuine public safety. Proposition 19 is

California’s exit strategy from its failed war on

marijuana.”

Led by Queens College sociologist Harry Levine,

researchers studied arrest records from 2004

through 2008 in California’s 25 largest counties,

home to about 90 percent of the state's population

and almost all of the state's African Americans.

Highlights of the report include:

In the 25 largest counties as a whole, blacks are

7% of the population but 20% of the people

arrested for possessing marijuana.

Teenagers and young people age 20 to 29 make up

the great bulk –70% to 80% – of all the people

arrested for possessing marijuana.

These racially-biased marijuana arrests are a

system-wide phenomenon, occurring in every

county and nearly every police department in

California, and elsewhere. The arrests are not

mainly the result of personal bias or racism on the

part of individual patrol officers.

Marijuana possession arrests have serious

consequences. They create permanent "drug

arrest" records that can be easily found on the

Internet by employers, landlords, schools, credit

agencies, licensing boards, and banks. “Patrol and

narcotics police face enormous pressure to meet

arrest and ticket quotas. Marijuana arrests are a

relatively safe and easy way to meet them, but

they don’t reduce serious crime,” said Prof. Levine,

primary author of the report. “However, these

mass arrests can impact the life chances of young

African Americans, who actually consume

marijuana at lower rates than young whites.”

The report’s specific findings include:

In Los Angeles County, with nearly ten million

residents and over a quarter of California's

population, the marijuana possession arrest rate

for blacks is 332% higher than the arrest rate for

whites. Blacks make up less than 10% of L.A.

County’s population, but they constitute 30% of

the marijuana possession arrests.

In San Diego and Orange counties, each with

about three million residents, the marijuana

arrest rates for blacks are 365% and 221% higher

than the arrest rates for whites. In San Diego

County, blacks are 5.6% of the population but 20%

of marijuana possession arrests.

In Riverside and San Bernardino counties, each

with about two million people, the marijuana

arrest rates for blacks are 265% and 255% higher

than the arrest rates for whites. In Riverside

County, blacks are 6.6% of the population, but

17% of the arrests. In San Bernardino County,

they are 9.5% of the population, but 23% of the

arrests.

Four other heavily populated counties – Santa

Clara, Sacramento, Contra Costa, and Fresno –

each with a population from just under two

million to just under one million, arrest African

Americans at double to triple the rate of whites. In

Santa Clara County, blacks are less than 3% of

the population but 11% of the arrests. In

Sacramento County, blacks are 10.4% of the

population but 38% of the marijuana possession

arrests.

Police in other California counties, even those

with relatively few blacks or relatively low rates of

marijuana arrests, still arrest blacks at much

higher rates than whites. African Americans are

arrested for marijuana possession at nearly three

times the rate of whites in Solano County, and at

three to four times the rate of whites in Sonoma,

Santa Cruz, and San Francisco counties.

Steve Gutwillig is the California State Director of the

Drug Policy Alliance. Reprinted by permission from

www.drugpolicy.org/news/pressroom

California Town To Tax Home-grown

Pot for Personal Use

Rancho Cordova California is having voters decide

on a tax on inddor pot grows inside the city. The

proposal would impose an annual tax of $600 per

square foot, or $900 per square foot for anything

larger than 25 Sq Ft. Entitled the Personal

Cannabis Cultivation Tax measure, it will appear

on the ballot November 2nd. The tax makes no

distinction between medical and recreational

cultivation, preparing for Proposition 19 a victory

on the 2nd as well.

Don Duncan,

California

Director of

Americans for

Safe Access

(ASA), said, "I

think that will

have the effect

of essentially

banning legal cultivation." The cost would be

prohibitive for most growers, leading to the

effective ban. "I don't know anyone who is

prepared to pay $600 a square foot," He added. It

would cost a resident $15,000 a year to cultivate

pot in a 5-foot-by-5-foot growing space indoors.

California Director of the National Organization

to Reform of Marijauna Laws (NORML),Dale

Gieringer, believes the tax to be punitive and

unconstitutional. Gieringer said to the

Sacramento Bee, "At that level, the city would

collect no money", then added "nobody would pay

that tax. It's a punitive tax, and I think it would be

thrown out by the courts."

The Colorado Governor Raids

Medical Marijuana Fund

Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter doesn't like medical

marijuana, but he sure likes the tax money that

comes from it. Gov. Ritter said on Monday that

the state is using $9

million from medical

marijuana registrations

to help the state meet a

$60 million "fiscal

emergency." Ritter said

the state expects to end

the year with 150,000

applicants for medical

marijuana licenses, up

from 41,000 in 2009, reports The State Column.

Colorado marijuana cards cost $90 per year.

"I was not in favor of medical marijuana, but I'm

also a lawyer and the governor, and I believe in

the law," Ritter said, reports Tim Hoover at The

Denver Post. "And it's the law in this state." The

governor said he believes it's constitutional to use

medical marijuana revenues to help balance the

budget, leaving only $1 million in the fund

collected from cannabis fees.

"Ritter's not unlike most politicians in his

position," sniffed conservative pundit Shannon

Bell at the overweeningly

moralistic Rightpundits.com. "When faced with a

tough situation (like a $60 million budget gap)

they'll abandon principle every time." Last year,

Colorado used about $3 million from the medical

marijuana fund, reports Bell, who got in a

righteous right-wing lather about all that dirty pot

money.

This News Nugget Reprinted from Toke of the

Town, www.tokeofthetown.com copywrite 2010

Village Voice Media.

Child Abuse for Growing Medical

Marijuana?

2 caregivers in Colorado we're charged in August

for child abuse for growing their medical

marijuana plants in the basement of thier home.

Lynn Kimbrough,

spokeswoman for the

Colorado District

Attorney's office, said "It

was pretty clear that the

circumstances in that

home had put the

children at risk". No charges were filed in

connection with the grow operation, since the

couple are legal medical marijuana caregivers

under Colorado law.

Local activists are fighting back. Riah McBee of

Medical Marijuana Family Advocates Cultivating

Truth (MMFACT) said, "The Denver Police are

trying to send the message that you will have your

children seized even if your medical cannabis is

legal under state constitution." She also

mentioned " Parents should be very concerned

about these perversions of the laws and

infiltration into their families [lives]".

Cannabis Therapy Institute, a medical marijuana

lobbying group, has set up a defense fund. Visit

them online to donate and for updated

information at

www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com.

Illinois Warming Up to Medical

Marijuana

Medical marijuana is getting closer and closer to

becoming a reality to the citizens of Illinois. Illinois

House and Senate bills filed in 2009 — titled the

Compassionate Use of Medical Cannabis Pilot

Program Act — both

call for a three-year

legalization of

marijuana for patients

who obtain a doctor’s

approval and suffer

from one of a list of

conditions or illnesses.

The Illinois Senate bill

passed 30-28 last year.

And according to State

Rep. Lou Lang, could

be up for discussion in

the Illinois House by January.

Lang said he has two choices: he could either bring up

the bill for vote during the November and December

veto sessions (which would require 71 votes to pass) or

bring up the issue in January before the new

legislators take their seats in the General Assembly

(which would take only 60 votes to pass).

“I don’t know how a person who is an elected official

can ignore the simple fact that there are people in the

world who have tried all other means of getting relief

from really debilitating diseases and can’t find the

relief needed,” Lang expressed. He also contends he

has as many as 90 fellow state representatives who

support the measure. But up to this point, only 58 are

willing to signify that support with a vote.

So it appears that Illinois could very well be one of the

next states to endorse medical marijuana in the near

future. We at The Weed Blog are hoping for good news

coming this November or January, and that those in

Illinois who need medical marijuana to help them live

with their ailments won’t have to wait long for relief.

This Nugget from the weed blog,

www.theweedblog.com.

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Racial Disparity

National

News Nugs

Cont. from Page 12

Inside each and every living being there

lies a delicate System, a System

so sophisticated and advanced that science

and biology missed it for thousands of

years and actually labeled it an inactive

part of our body. That is, until millions of

people around the world started to

recognize its benefits and started to really

question what was happening when we got

“high”. This universal interest led us to

the discovery of our bodies own cannabis

factory, the Endocannabinoid System.

The Endocannabinoid System or ECS is

comprised of 3 main aspects. Endo-

cannabinoids, which are cannabis like

molecules metabolized all over our body.

Receptors, located in the Central (CNS)

and Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) to

catch these molecules, along with the

chemical processes that mediate these

actions which has been dubbed the

“entourage effect“.

Exo-cannabinoids are produced outside the

body and usually come from the plant itself

and behave in just the same way as endo-

cannabinoids. Both endo and

exocannabinoids act specifically on a set of

custom built chemical receptors in our body

called CB1 and CB2 receptors. CB

receptors are part of the biggest family of

receptors expressed in the body, G-Coupled

Protein Receptors.

The signals created and received by our

own bodies in response to traumatic injury

or pain are the same signals we're aiming

for when we smoke or ingest cannabis.

When our body is in pain or stressed the

ECS naturally produces Anandamide and

2-AG, two endocannabinoids that are

identical to the cannabis compounds we

inhale or eat and act in just the same way.

Interestingly, these endocannabinoids

aren’t in storage somewhere waiting for

activation; they’re produced instantly on

demand the moment we need them,

sending a chemical cascade of therapeutic

treatment all over the body.

Anandamide, along with 2-AG and smoked

or ingested cannabinoids acts as a

messenger to the CB1 and CB2 receptors

inside our body and either say "open up"

,"shut up" or “just a little bit” . A signal

like 2-AG or CBD can have two completely

different effects on the same receptor. This

is why the same strain can have different

effects on the same person.

For instance, small doses of THC can

induce a fridge raging craze, whereas high

doses of THC can lead to a lack of appetite

or reduce the reward experience of eating

foods. Cannabis is never this way or that

way, she is bi-phasic, meaning she can

exhibit different expressions in each person

at different times on both end of the

spectrum, stimulation or sedation.

Indica and Sativa are very generic ways of

referring to cannabis and when we stop

there, at that level of understanding we opt

to miss the most important aspect of

cannabis, the fact that she it has been

inside us all along since the beginning of

time. The cannabis plant is the only plant

in the world that can activate and

deactivate these receptors, no other plant

has this unique characteristic. The way in

which these cannabinoids bind to receptors

is like that of a perfect synchronicity, a

universal match, a perfect acceptance of

each other’s chemistry.

The ongoing research of the

Endocannabinoid System by universities,

private researchers, pharmaceutical

companies and cannabis growers is in a

frenzy to discover more receptors, their

signals and the processes that mediate

their therapeutic values.

What do we make of this new System,

what does all this mean for your cannabis

use? Well, I can tell you it's more than just

Indica-Sativa or frosty nug and skunky

smell. It's much deeper than that, much

more beautiful than that. Cannabis and

living beings have a true relationship both

physiologically and emotionally that

cannot be denied any longer. The use of

cannabis is doing much more than just

getting us high, it's actually talking with

our body, through a language, constantly

trying to therapeutically treat our pain and

discomfort.

Jay Freeman is the Director of the NW Resource

Center in Portland Oregon.

Marijuana is medicine in Oregon, but

only legal for those that suffer from

cancer, HIV/AIDS, cachexia, glaucoma,

agitation due to Alzheimer's disease,

severe pain, severe nausea, seizures,

persistent muscle spasms or any other

medical conditions adopted by the

Department of Human Services. Sadly

for our state’s veterans, and other

citizens that have suffered through

unspeakable horror, Post Traumatic

Stress Disorder (PTSD) is not a

qualifying condition, in spite of extensive

research and a well prepared petition to

include psychiatric conditions by Edward

Glick, through his attorney, Leland

Berger.

The petition included the latest scientific

research and was supplemented from

testimony from dozens of witnesses. The

Mayo Clinic defines PTSD as a type of

anxiety disorder that is triggered by a

traumatic event. You can develop PTSD

when you experience or witness an event

that causes intense fear, helplessness or

horror. Marijuana’s cannabiniods can

alleviate the symptoms of PTSD by

helping patients forget traumatic

memories, extinguish anxiety and

prevent depression. All three of those

psychiactric conditions are ignored by

Oregon’s Department of Human Services.

In August of 2004 the Molecular

Neurogenetics Group and the Max

Planck Institute of Psychiatry

Kraepelinstrasse published the

“Endogenous Canabinoid System

Controls Extinction of Aversive

Memories” in August, 2004. Their

studies of the human endocannabinoid

system showed that our brains house

endocannabinoid receptors that work to

protect us from traumatic experiences

and also process the cannabinoids when

someone consumes marijuana.

Cannabinoids affect our body in the

same way that our endocannabinoid

system would naturally.

Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, Professor at

Hebrew University in Jerusalem, said at

the Third Clinical Conference on

Cannabis Therapeutics in May 2004 that

“we should not think of forgetting as less

important than recalling because we

must forget or we will be in a constant

state of trauma if we did not forget.”

The New York Academy of Sciences

states that “damage to the hippocampus

from stress can not only cause problems

in dealing with memories and other

effects of past stressful experiences, it

can also impair new learning.”

Hohmann et. al., contends that PTSD

patients suffer from stress induced

analgesia, which is when the brain does

not allow someone to feel pain, and

makes the person withdraw from their

memories.

There's now more scientific evidence for

what many patients have known for awhile:

Smoking marijuana can ease chronic

neuropathic pain and help patients sleep

better, according to a team of researchers in

Montreal.

The new study, published August 30th in

the Canadian Medical Association Journal,

found that pain intensity among patients

decreased with higher-potency marijuana,

reports Caroline Alphonso of The Globe and

Mail. The study represents an important

scientific attempt to determine the medicinal

benefits of cannabis.

"A single inhalation of 25 mg of 9.4 percent

tetrahydrocannabinol herbal cannabis three

times daily for five days reduced the

intensity of pain, improved sleep and was

well tolerated," the study concludes.

"Further long-term safety and efficacy

studies are indicated."

"We're not saying that this is the final

solution for chronic pain management," said

lead the study's lead author, Mark Ware,

director of clinical research at the Alan

Edwards Pain Management Unit of McGill

University Health Centre.

"All that this does is open the door to the

cannabinoid being another tool in the toolbox

in treating chronic pain," Dr. Ware said.

Patients suffering from neuropathic pain

often use opioid pain medication,

antidepressants and local anesthetics, but all

of those drugs have limitations, and the side

effects of these substances can rival the

conditions they are supposed to treat. Unlike

"normal" pain, which results from

stimulation of pain receptors in the body,

neuropathic pain results from damage to or

dysfunction of the central or peripheral

nervous system, reports Deborah Mitchell

at EmaxHealth.

But many politicians and medical personnel

have been reluctant to advocate medical

marijuana because, even though patients

champion its use, there have been calls for

more scientific studies.

Twenty-one adults with post-traumatic or

post-surgical chronic pain took part in the

study. They randomly received marijuana at

three different strengths: with a

tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 2.5

percent, 6 percent and 9.4 percent, and a

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Cannabis Connection

Page 15

Cont. on Page 19

Language of Cannabis:

The Endocannabinoid

System

By Jay Freeman

NW Resource Center

Marijuana is

Medicine for Post

Traumatic Stress

Disorder (PTSD)

By Sarah Duff

Oregon Green Free and

Institute for Cannabis

Therapeutics

Canadian

Researchers

Establish Scientific

Basis For Medical

Use Of Cannabis

By Steve Elliot

Toke of The Town