How Weed Won the West (and Can Save the World...)

[SacredCow]

While California is going bankrupt, one business is booming. "How Weed Won the West" is the story of the growing medical cannabis / marijuana industry in the greater Los Angeles area, with over 700 dispensaries doling out the buds. As a treatment for conditions ranging from cancer and AIDS, to anxiety, ADHD, and insomnia, cannabis is quickly proving itself as a healthier natural alternative to many prescription drugs.

Following the story of Organica, a collective that was raided by the DEA in August of '09, the film shows that although some things have changed with Obama in office, the War on Drugs is nowhere near over. From Kevin Booth, the producer/director of Showtime's "American Drug War", "How Weed Won the West" puts California forward as an example to the rest of the country by documenting how legalizing marijuana can help save the economy.

Trailer:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzT1a1NKoKM

Featuring:
Ethan Nadelmann (Drug Policy Alliance / DPA)
Don Duncan (Americans for Safe Access / ASA)
Kyle Kazan (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition / LEAP)
Jon Perri (Students for Sensible Drug Policy / SSDP)
Alex Jones (radio host and filmmaker)
Bill Kroger (LA Marijuana Attorney)
Jeff Joseph (owner of Organica Collective)
Craig X Rubin (Beverly Hills Green Cross, Temple 420)
Doug Stanhope (comedian)
and more!

http://www.SacredCow.com

Related: Study shows marijuana increases brain cell growth (http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=498158282&blogId=510203679)

[Alpha]

Welcome to IW SacredCow!!

Great first post!!

You may also be interested in some other threads we have here:

HEMP - The Pot Conspiracy (http://www.imaginativeworlds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5062&highlight=hemp)

Run From the Cure - Hemp Oil **MUST SEE** What Big Pharma doesn't want you to know! (http://www.imaginativeworlds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=9624&highlight=hemp) and more...

[RomanKorvinus]

It's won more than just the west, remember Kentucky Thunderfuck.A redhair and Skunk mix!

Just the other day they found a patch of over 150,000 plants in TN. They were lifting them out with a helocopter.

The war of drugs is a joke, I think they need to do the same to perscription drugs as they did to cigarettes. Outlaw their commercials from TV. More people have had medical complications from perscription drugs as of late then any cigarette out there.

[VOguy]

The war of drugs is a joke, I think they need to do the same to perscription drugs as they did to cigarettes. Outlaw their commercials from TV. More people have had medical complications from perscription drugs as of late then any cigarette out there.

If they could figure out a way to keep people from growing at home, and tax what is available commercially, it would be legalized.

[Alpha]

If they could figure out a way to keep people from growing at home, and tax what is available commercially, it would be legalized.

Just throwing it out there....where does the government have any business in regulating what Mother Earth and Nature has provided?...and why do we go along with allowing them to do so?

You are probably right though VO...they want a way to make $$$ from what nature has provided and attach a "tithe" to it....just like they did with prohibition....fermentation ...another natural process.

The one thing someone did right, way back when, was not to allow any natural substance to be patented....that is likely the largest issue of them all!!!! :aargh4:

Damn them all....

[VOguy]

Just throwing it out there....where does the government have any business in regulating what Mother Earth and Nature has provided?...and why do we go along with allowing them to do so?

Answers: They don't, but they can. Because we believe we will have a better life if they take care of us, and the only way they can do that is by taxing us.

[Alpha]

Answers: They don't, but they can. Because we believe we will have a better life if they take care of us, and the only way they can do that is by taxing us.

:notworthy :biggthump ....not anyone here of course :D ;) ...the believing part that is....the taxing part, well yeah, we all know about that don't we...:sigh1: :aargh4:

How did we allow them for the "can" part ubiquitously?...perhaps that is one way do challenge and make a change...remember income tax was a temporary measure....among a plethora of things....

Last I remember, it should be about "WE the people"...not about "them"!!!!

[VOguy]

Alpha, I suspect that you and I are close to the same age, so our lives have seen roughly the same advances and public services. The only difference is the way our respective countries conduct their tax "requests".

I did some math figuring in costs of living and anything on the gain and loss side. Then the ratio as it would apply to the 60s vs now.

The fact is, I pay 14% more now than I did having the same ratio of income to expenses in 1968. Further, if you work out the math it seems that the rate climbs in 3-4 year increments. So you'll gain about 1.7% over four years, then rules change and you loose about .3%, then it goes up again. It's like holding a saw with the teeth up at a diagonal. There is an increase, a small loss, and an increase.

The interesting part about this is, not many people realize it, which is what they want. A wise parasite knows how to take from its host without killing it. I don't think people really care.

Two things will wake you up. Pull your tax returns for the last two decades (if you keep them) and do the math. Don't forget to factor the wage as it applies in 60s and 2009 dollars. Then check the history books and see what the taxes were like around December 16, 1773. Imagine. Starting a war over paying how much? And we pay what now?!!!

[Alpha]

Alpha, I suspect that you and I are close to the same age, so our lives have seen roughly the same advances and public services. The only difference is the way our respective countries conduct their tax "requests".

I did some math figuring in costs of living and anything on the gain and loss side. Then the ratio as it would apply to the 60s vs now.

The fact is, I pay 14% more now than I did having the same ratio of income to expenses in 1968. Further, if you work out the math it seems that the rate climbs in 3-4 year increments. So you'll gain about 1.7% over four years, then rules change and you loose about .3%, then it goes up again. It's like holding a saw with the teeth up at a diagonal. There is an increase, a small loss, and an increase.

The interesting part about this is, not many people realize it, which is what they want. A wise parasite knows how to take from its host without killing it. I don't think people really care.

Two things will wake you up. Pull your tax returns for the last two decades (if you keep them) and do the math. Don't forget to factor the wage as it applies in 60s and 2009 dollars. Then check the history books and see what the taxes were like around December 16, 1773. Imagine. Starting a war over paying how much? And we pay what now?!!!

All excellent points VO and I agree...and yes, I suspect we're in the same ballpark, age wise :D ;)

My larger point was merely that we have allowed them to tax and control what "Mother Earth" has given us..

Plants and their properties are natures gift....as is energy...sunshine, fossil fuel, air.....yet they have just about appropriated or tried to appropriate and regulated it ALL......just think about the proposed "Carbon Tax".

Why are we allowing them to continually tax us....on what premise??? Why do we even care about the algorithms and what was then and this is now...it..."Income Tax" was supposed to be a temporary "war measures" act.

Yet we kept on paying...never questioning...I don't think the math matters much now. :bigeyes:

[Divinorumus]

Feds to issue new medical marijuana policy (http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation/AP/story/1289184.html)
WASHINGTON -- Federal drug agents won't pursue pot-smoking patients or their sanctioned suppliers in states that allow medical marijuana, under new legal guidelines to be issued Monday by the Obama administration.
...continued

It's a start, step one, towards legalization. I suspect some kind of legalization will happen as the economy continues to collapse and the numbers of unemployed people increases. Legalization could put a lot of people to work, generate some tax revenue, and make a lot of people happy during these upcoming unhappy times ahead. In California now, anyone can get a prescription of medicinal marijuana, for even something as simple as having difficulty sleeping.


9N_eAK0lyUw

[Judee]

Well, score one for Obama. Medical marijuana has been proven to have numerous positive life-altering uses, and it's positively criminal that certain interests have been withholding it from those who are suffering. :censored:

[Divinorumus]

I still can't figure out why it is illegal. Being illegal hasn't affected its popularity and use. Heck, it's easier to get an ounce of nug than it is to get a bottle of booze. Seriously! There isn't a drop of alcohol in the place here, and it's 11PM and I don't even know where I could get a bottle, but I have almost an ounce of nug that's to die for, and I could get more in 30 minutes with a quick phone call, ha, but no booze). Legalization would create so many new legitimate jobs. And, maybe people would make the switch from booze to weed as their lubricant and ... ... hey, that's probably the reason why it is illegal, because of the booze makers. I'm sure alcohol sales would drop considerably if marijuana were legalized. But think about it, how legalization would change things so much, and for the better, particularly people attitudes. People stoned on weed are funny, but a group of drunks is just damn disgusting, ha. People have been known to say some pretty smart profound things on weed, but stupid shit comes out of a drunks mouth. Weed makes people NOT want to barf, whereas alcohol makes you want to barf, ha. LEGALIZE IT OBAMA! :sasmokin:

[Divinorumus]

See, job creation:
Paper seeks marijuana reviewer (http://www.metro.co.uk/news/world/article.html?Wanted%3a_Journalist_to_review_mariju ana&in_article_id=756254&in_page_id=64)
Thursday, October 22, 2009

For some it will sound like a job too good to be true - a newspaper in Colorado is seeking to hire a journalist to be a reviewer for the state's marijuana outlets.

The move follows an explosion in the number of so-called pot shops after states such as Colorado and California legalised the drug for medicinal purposes.

And the alternative Denver newspaper, Westwood, has already seen a deluge in the number of applicants clamoring to take on the role of reviewing dope dispensaries and their products for medical users of the drug.

The job is the brainchild of Joel Warner - who has covered Colorado's medical marijuana industry for several years – after noting a wide disparity in the places selling pot.

He said: "Some looked like your college drug dealer's dorm room. You know, Bob Marley posters on the wall and big marijuana leaf posters.

"But then some were so fancy, like dentists' offices. They had bubbling aquariums in the lobby and were so clean. I thought somebody needs to review these."

The applicant that lands the role will test various strains of marijuana from "White Widow" to "Afghan Gold Seal" which is cheap but as one critic warns "delivers a very heavy stone with the same degree of munchies to go along with it".

Joe Tone, web editor at Westword, said: "More and more people are having the opportunity to use marijuana for whatever illness they have. So we want to be a place they can come to find out which place is the best, the cleanest, the closest, that kind of stuff."

When the newspaper settles on a permanent critic for its new "Mile Highs and Lows" column, industry watchers say, it will be the first professional newspaper critic of medical marijuana in the United States.

But there is one condition – the reviewer has to have a medical ailment that allows them to legally enter a dispensary, and buy and use marijuana.

The drug is illegal under US federal law but has been made legalised in some states for medical use as a prescription drug.

However, the growth of the medical dope business has created clashes with local, state and federal authorities, prompting the US Attorney General to issue guidelines this week.

Under the these, federal prosecutors are informed that targeting those who use or provide the drug for medical reasons in strict compliance with state laws was not a good use of their time.

[Divinorumus]

Say, I just had a thought, will this medicinal marijuana be covered by ObamaCare when uncle sham takes over our health care? Free weed, I'd vote for Obama for THAT (lol).

[Divinorumus]

Here is a really good article dated today on the subject.

On the quiet, the US is legalising marijuana (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6897958.ece)

[Divinorumus]

Well this raises an eyebrow.

Government drugs adviser resigns (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8336635.stm)
Prof Nutt was sacked (lol) after saying cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or nicotine.

[Alpha]

Well this raises an eyebrow.

Government drugs adviser resigns (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8336635.stm)
Prof Nutt was sacked (lol) after saying cannabis is less harmful than alcohol or nicotine.

Yeah, I read that earlier today, or yesterday....such utter....well let me reframe, because I haven't slept in about 24.....so much to say but much has already been said and documented.

HEMP - The Pot Conspiracy (http://www.imaginativeworlds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5062&highlight=hemp)

Nature and natural teachers/elements are here for a reason and have been here for a very long time, if not from the "beginning" for those who...well, nevermind...it seems that those who want to control and capitalize where they reallly have no right whatsoever, seems to be very telling.

[Divinorumus]

Oh for Pete's sake, fer cry'n out loud. What are they thinking? What is the REAL motivation in driving a now legal legitimate tax paying business back underground where it once was and not paying taxes, hum? I suppose though that a city or county can restrict WHERE one opens such a business, like bars, prono barns, and the likes, but if it is a legal activity now, these people should still be able to open their business somewhere within each county. Certainly nobody can now stop ANYONE in those states from growing their own now, LEGALLY, in their homes or in their backyard gardens! This will only lead to more court crapola, which states like California can not afford at this time. Idiots. Instead of embracing what the people want, and maybe raking in some revenue, they want to pile up litigation costs and drive everyone back underground? The absurdity of it all boggles my mind. I'm almost half tempted to move out there just to start some crap with the overlords that believe they know what's best for you and me. Damnit all. Hum. I should check to see how this is progressing in my state here. I've not followed any of that here because an ounce or less is just a misdemeanor with a $25 fine, so who really cares I suppose. The day however that it becomes legal here to the extent it is in California, Divy is gonna go back to work! ;) By driving this back underground they are not stopping a damn thing they are trying to whine about. Obviously these are just alpha monkeys that want to control our minds, and all of this is probably driving them nuts. I use to grow some legal plants behind my house and the frakkin swine in the city in which I moved away from last year would come out and pull them out of the ground. Kill them I wanted to do!!!! Got even in similar ways instead, ha (sorry about them pretty rose bushes of yours little piggy). Bastards! LEAVE THE PEOPLE ALONE that are LEAVING YOU ALONE ... or else!!!


Cities, counties no longer mellow about pot dispensaries (http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-pot-bans10-2009nov10,0,7974664.story?track=rss)
At least 120 cities and eight counties in California have banned medical pot shops, fearing crime and profiteering. Some cite the proliferation of dispensaries in L.A.
By John Hoeffel
November 10, 2009

As hundreds of medical marijuana dispensaries have opened this year in a startling rollout across California, unnerved local officials have started to push back aggressively.

Many cities and a few counties have banned them. Others have imposed emergency moratoriums. And some have started to sue dispensaries to force them to close. So far, the state's courts have sided with local officials.

For marijuana advocates, who have seen over-the-counter sales become commonplace and watched the steady drift of California's vibrant weed counterculture into the mainstream, these setbacks are a discordant development.

"At this point, we're not winning a battle we should be winning," said Joe Elford, chief counsel for Americans for Safe Access, who believes that local bans violate state law. "There's been this kind of backlash of 'Let's give ourselves this great enforcement tool of just banning dispensaries.' "

... continued

[Divinorumus]

When medicinal marijuana becomes reality here, I'm going to grow enough of it so that everyone in the state can become well. :sasmokin:


Michigan opens Cannabis College (http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2009/11/20/cannabis-college.aspx)
November 20, 2009, 3:42 PM by NP Editor

Med Grow Cannabis College, located in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, is set to graduate its first class of students later this month. Its co-founder and president, Nick Tennant, the 24-year-old son of a General Motors Corp. employee, said he sees a significant opportunity to teach standards and safety in an industry that can eventually improve the state's sagging business climate.

"This is profitable and poised for tremendous growth," Mr. Tennant said.

... continued

[Judee]

Oh for Pete's sake, fer cry'n out loud. What are they thinking? What is the REAL motivation in driving a now legal legitimate tax paying business back underground where it once was and not paying taxes, hum? I suppose though that a city or county can restrict WHERE one opens such a business, like bars, prono barns, and the likes, but if it is a legal activity now, these people should still be able to open their business somewhere within each county. Certainly nobody can now stop ANYONE in those states from growing their own now, LEGALLY, in their homes or in their backyard gardens! This will only lead to more court crapola, which states like California can not afford at this time. Idiots. Instead of embracing what the people want, and maybe raking in some revenue, they want to pile up litigation costs and drive everyone back underground? The absurdity of it all boggles my mind. I'm almost half tempted to move out there just to start some crap with the overlords that believe they know what's best for you and me. Damnit all. Hum. I should check to see how this is progressing in my state here. I've not followed any of that here because an ounce or less is just a misdemeanor with a $25 fine, so who really cares I suppose. The day however that it becomes legal here to the extent it is in California, Divy is gonna go back to work! ;) By driving this back underground they are not stopping a damn thing they are trying to whine about. Obviously these are just alpha monkeys that want to control our minds, and all of this is probably driving them nuts. I use to grow some legal plants behind my house and the frakkin swine in the city in which I moved away from last year would come out and pull them out of the ground. Kill them I wanted to do!!!! Got even in similar ways instead, ha (sorry about them pretty rose bushes of yours little piggy). Bastards! LEAVE THE PEOPLE ALONE that are LEAVING YOU ALONE ... or else!!!

Calm down Div. It's all about Big-Pharma if you dig beneath the surface. I think you need to move away from the city, and get out where you can 'do your thing' don't ya think? Hey, count yourself lucky that they only 'pulled your plants out of the ground'... In some states, you could have been in jail, right? You need to find yourself a place where you can do your thing, and not be bothered. A bit city isn't going to get you there... As much as you talk about freedom, eating right, being free, etc., do you really think you will find it in a big city???

[Krepta3000]

I say Legalize marijuana, and the growing and use of industrial hemp. Enough with the crap already.:banghead: