Cannabis (Marijuana) Vault : Effects The primary effects sought by those using cannabis recreationally are euphoria, relaxation, and changes in perception. Effects vary depending on dosage, with effects at low doses including a sense of well-being, mild enhancement of senses (smell, taste, hearing), subtle changes in thought and expression, talkativeness, giggling, increased appreciation of music, increased appetite, and mild closed-eye visuals. At higher doses, sense of time is altered, attention span and memory are frequently affected, and thought processes and mental perception may be significantly altered. One of the most common comments about cannabis is that it enhances the appreciation of sensory experiences without substantially changing the perceptual experience. At overly high doses, the effects are often likened to other psychedelics and panic and dysphoria (bad mood) are more common.
Police chief supports marijuana decriminalization Ottawa police Chief Vern White says he isn’t interested in giving marijuana users criminal records, and would support discussing decriminalization — with one caveat. “My only concern about the word ‘decriminalizing’ is the suggestion to the public that (marijuana) is not a dangerous drug,” he said. The Citizen asked White about decriminalization following a recent community meeting. An Angus Reid poll released earlier this month shows a majority of Canadians remain in favour of legalizing the plant. Parliament Hill to smoke up in an annual ritual in support of decriminalization. “If this is about, ‘we don’t want people to have a criminal record for possession of marijuana,’ that message is a good message,” White said. either.” But the police chief said that the levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) — the active ingredient in marijuana — has increased several-fold since the 1970s. He also pointed to studies that link consumption of marijuana to the onset ofpsychoses.
Time to legalise cannabis Although some countries have quasi-legalised cannabis use (the Netherlands), made cannabis available for medical purposes (California), or allowed the growing of a small number of cannabis plants for personal use (Australia), in most countries – the Netherlands included – cannabis supply, distribution, and use is prohibited (Reuter 2010). Nevertheless, in 2009, between 2.8% and 4.5% of the world population aged 15-64, corresponding to between 125 million and 203 million people had used cannabis at least once in the past year (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2011). Table 1 presents cannabis use statistics for a number of countries, distinguishing between lifetime use (ever), recent use (last year) and current use (last month). The range in lifetime use is substantial from a low 21% in Sweden to a high 42% in the United States. The range in recent cannabis use is also substantial from a low 1% in Sweden to a high 14% in Italy. Table 1. Source: Van Laar (2011)
House Says No To Viagra Impotence drugs such as Viagra would not be covered by Medicaid and Medicare, the government health programs for the poor and the aged, under new prohibitions approved by the House on Friday. By a 285-121 vote, the House approved an amendment by Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa, to stop the government from paying for the drugs. King said his amendment would save taxpayers $105 million next year alone. King had earlier commissioned a budget study that found the government would spend more than $2 billion on such impotence drugs over the next decade. The amount spent would greatly increase as the Medicare prescription program begins next year. "We don't force taxpayers to pay for face lifts, weight-loss drugs, hair-growth treatment or vacations, so we should not force them to pay for sexual-performance drugs," King said. The Senate has yet to act on the measure. The vote came as the House debated a spending bill for health and education programs. But Rep.
Will Mushrooms Be the New Weed? - LAist As Californians consider whether or not to vote on the legalization of marijuana this November, a study conducted at a Johns Hopkins University lab is now launching a look into the potential health and wellness benefits of illegal mushrooms, too. A study participant who tried these so-called "magic mushrooms" left her experience with insight that may now provide a scientific explanation of the existence of hippies: ...a business consultant named Dede Osborn took a psychedelic drug as part of a research project. It's unclear as to whether Osborn went on to tye-dye all of her clothing or commune directly with Timothy Leary, but she is still feeling the positive effects of her trip even to this day (over a year later). Researchers, who haven't done much studying of the effects of mushrooms since the '60s, will now look into what this drug might be able to offer the medical community: Photo by has s via Flickr
420 Meaning: The True Story Of How April 20 Became 'Weed Day' This piece was first published on April 20, 2010. See also: A Big Mystery Involving The Origin Of 4/20 Has Finally Been Solved Warren Haynes, the Allman Brothers Band guitarist, routinely plays with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead, now touring as The Dead. He’s just finished a Dead show in Washington, D.C., and gets a pop quiz from the Huffington Post. Where does 420 come from? He pauses and thinks, hands on his side. Depending on who you ask, or their state of inebriation, there are as many varieties of answers as strains of medical bud in California. The origin of the term 420, celebrated around the world by pot smokers every April 20, has long been obscured by the clouded memories of the folks who made it a phenomenon. The Huffington Post chased the term back to its roots and was able to find it in a lost patch of cannabis in a Point Reyes, California forest. It starts with the Dead. It was Christmas week in Oakland, 1990. But the Cheshire cat is out of the bag.
Portugal and the drug war Chicago, IL - The War on Drugs is a global war without end. The battle takes more prisoners than all conventional wars combined and yet the availability of psychoactive substances never significantly diminishes. Those who sell and consume illegal drugs are subject to some of the harshest punishments ever meted out to human beings. In country after country, the punishments for those who violate drugs laws are often more severe than those for rape or murder. Unrelenting, international drug war hysteria whipped up by drug warriors at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODCP) makes the sale and consumption of illegal drugs seem more dangerous than the legal and equally lucrative business of selling arms and high-tech weaponry that actually kill far more people. In the United States, drug law violators are routinely given mandatory sentences of 10 to 25 years for possession of small amounts of drugs. People are allowed to have up to 10 days-worth of any drug. Revolutionary policy
Netherlands :: Dutch reporter to use heroin, pot on TV AMSTERDAM, Netherlands –A field reporter for a new Dutch television talk show plans to use heroin and other illegal drugs on the air during the weekly program on issues that concern young people, producers said Wednesday. The announcement of “Shoot Up and Swallow,” scheduled to premiere as a late-night show Oct. 10, sparked an outcry. Even in the liberal Netherlands, where marijuana is sold and used openly, the proposed drug use by reporter Filemon Wesselink is illegal. “This is dangerous and it sets a bad example,” said Pieter Heerma, spokesman for the governing center-right Christian Democrat party. “We’re going to ask the justice minister for his view on what the law says about this, and his view on the dangers and risks involved.” Justice Ministry spokesman Ivo Hommes said it was not immediately clear whether Wesselink could be prosecuted. For one episode, Wesselink, 26, plans to smoke heroin, said Ingrid Timmer, spokeswoman for the show’s producer, BNN.