I was just watching Real Time With Bill Maher and Brad Pitt was his first interview. He had a lot of great things to say about his views on religion, the program he's developing to help New Orleans and the fact that he's for legalization and taxation of Marijuana. You can catch some transcriptions from his latest interviews on The Examiner.

The day before the Bill Maher interview, which aired last night, Brad was on the Today Show. He was asked, by Ann Curry, about the Brad Pitt for Mayor movement, which is a grass-roots movement started by Dr. Thomas Bayer of Tulane University to get Brad elected mayor of New Orleans in 2010 (there is a petition you can sign that currently has 399 signatures).

He was asked, "If chosen, would you run?" To which he replied, "Yeah. Yeah." Then he was asked, "Would you serve?" He said, "Yeah. I'm running on the 'gay marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation of marijuana' platform."

He went on to say a couple of times, "I don't have a chance."

I sometimes forget that some celebrities are actually pretty cool. Make sure to watch the latest Real Time With Bill Maher to see for yourself. Bill mentions in the interview that many years ago at a party Brad was sitting on the floor and he could roll the best, most perfect "better than a cigarette" joints. Go Brad!

AlterNET has news that many "burning questions" have been building up since the release of "It's Safer by Steve Fox, Paul Armentano and Mason Tvert. They posted their reponses at the link above, here's a snip:

AlterNet: In Marijuana Is Safer, you compare and contrast the relative harms and legal status of marijuana and alcohol. So, in what ways is marijuana safer?

Steve Fox: Marijuana is safer than alcohol in virtually every way that matters. First, marijuana is far less toxic. Alcohol, quite literally, is a poison. That is why excessive alcohol use often causes vomiting. The body is rejecting the poison. And, as most people know, consuming too much alcohol can result in an overdose death. Marijuana, on the other hand, is virtually non-toxic to healthy cells and major organs. In fact, the active components in marijuana – known as cannabinoids -- actually mimic chemicals naturally produced by the body (so-called endocannabinoids) that are necessary for the maintenance of proper health. Further, unlike alcohol, marijuana does not depress the central nervous system, making an overdose impossible, regardless of how much a person consumes. (There are no recorded marijuana overdose cases in history.) Beyond overdose deaths, the U.S. government estimates that consumption of alcohol is the primary cause of about 35,000 American deaths annually. And those are deaths attributed just to the adverse health impacts of alcohol ingestion on the body – not deaths from alcohol-induced accidents or incidents. The comparable government figure for marijuana deaths is zero.

This is a serious debate we need to be having right now, American culture revolves around alcohol and it's killing 35k a year just in overdoses, the number of deaths from car accidents must be staggering. Put down the glass, roll up a joint.

NPR posted an editorial on California's relaxed Marijuana laws and general acceptance of the drug.

More than a dozen years ago, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana for people with serious illnesses. Many used it to relieve pain or other symptoms — and that's still true. But medical marijuana has now become a thriving business in California that serves a lot more than just sick people.

In some parts of Los Angeles, medical marijuana is more common than McDonalds or Starbucks. Places where you can buy a Big Mac or a double tall mocha latte are outnumbered by pot stores, at least 2 to 1.

I could of sworn I posted this story already, oh well. I've lived in northern California my whole life and I must say; for Marijuana smokers and pot snobs, this is the place to live or visit in America.

The NORML Blog has an excerpt from this weeks upcoming NORML Weekly Media Advisory about a Georgia lawmaker who wants to have Marijuana users caned and dealers executed.

In a July 29, 2009 e-mail (which was voluntarily forwarded to the NORML office), Rep. Benton wrote: “Thanks for the email. We will have to agree to disagree on this and whether or not money is wasted (by mandating the state to prosecute minor marijuana offenders). I am opposed to the legalization of marijuana. I think we should go to caning for people caught using and maybe execute dealers. [emphasis NORML’s] That would solve the problem as well. That is what they do in Singapore and they don’t have a drug problem.”

Holy flerking schnit! EXECUTED?? This guy is the devil, what can we do to have him locked up, never to see the light of day?

The Examiner has an informative story about the three initiatives in California that call for Marijuana legalization. If you haven't been keeping up, this is a good primer on what's going on. It's full of a lot of legal mumbo-jumbo, but it's great news none the less.

The newest addition to California's marijuana legalization initiatives is the Common Sense Act of 2010 by Common Sense California.

This initiative, which was filed 4 Aug 09, repeals marijuana prohibition in California, gives the legislature a year to pass laws to regulate and tax marijuana, and calls for California members of Congress to work to remove cannabis from the Federal Schedule of Controlled Substances.

On the same day, 4 Aug 09, amendments to the Regulate, Control and Tax Act of 2010 (ROT 2010) were filed with the Attorney General. Section 2, B. Purposes. Item 2 now reads, "Regulate cannabis like we do alcohol; Allow adults to possess and consume small amounts of cannabis." The phrase "21 years of age and older" has been removed. However, this will probably have no impact as the phrase "21 years of age or older" still appears twice in the document and the phrase "21 years of age" appears seven times.

I'm glad to see this is still up for debate, it'll be exciting to see where this goes.

Update: 8-14-09 10:16am: Thanks to an anonymous stoner for shedding light on Assembly Bill 390, which will push legalization through a lot faster, if what I'm told is true.

Netflix has The Union: The Business Behind Getting High on instaqueue. Here is the description from Netflix:

Filmmaker Adam Scorgie explores the illegal marijuana industry in British Columbia, revealing how the international business is most likely more profitable than it would be if it was lawful in this enlightening documentary. Marijuana growers, law enforcement officials, physicians, politicians, criminologists, economists and celebrities -- including comedian Tommy Chong -- shed light on this topical subject in a series of compelling interviews.

I haven't watched this one yet, does anyone know if it's any good?

The Washington Post sends word of a story on America's historical amnesia. Californians were worried in 1996 that a medical Marijuana program would increase use in teens. Ten years later, teen use has "collapsed".

Californians fretted loudly in 1996 that the state's new medical marijuana law would lead to an increase in teen pot-smoking, so the state studied it closely. The attorney general's first look a year later found no effect. The office looked again a decade later. Teen use had collapsed. Among seventh- and 11th-graders, the number of kids saying they'd smoked in the last month fell by a quarter; among ninth-graders, it fell by 47 percent. Bigger declines were found in weekly and annual use. In almost every other state that passed a medical marijuana law, pot-smoking among children declined faster than in states that didn't.

Personally, I think that younger kids are either lying or have more access to other drugs. What's the rate of abuse of prescription drugs since 1996? I'm glad that no one will be trying to link medical Marijuana laws with an increase in use in teenagers.

I nearly jumped for joy when I caught the article on Momlogic.com that says something I've been telling mom's for years: smoking Marijuana is better than drinking! This is a wonderful new movement that mom's believe will save lives, here's a snip:

Gina Kaysen Fernandes: Alcohol and marijuana are the two most popular -- and easily accessible -- substances on college campuses, but they're not treated the same under the law. Possessing pot can land you in jail, but drinking too much at a keg party can kill you. "This highlights the absurdity in how we treat these two substances," said Mason Tvert, the co-founder and executive director of the group Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation, or SAFER. Mason has made it his personal mission to debunk the government's anti-marijuana message. "The fact that we have students drinking themselves to death made us realize we had to start some awareness on college campuses," says Mason.

Amen, brother! The fear and irrationality that has been the center of drug "information" in America needs to die and die hard. Alcohol kills more people than crack, coke and heroin COMBINED each year. Let's all just toke up instead, ok?

Cannabis Culture reports that Patrick Swayze has begun smoking Marijuana to help him with the various symptoms you receive from cancer treatment. As always, here's a quote from CC:

Patrick Swayze has allegedly begun smoking marijuana to help him in his cancer battle. Sources say close friends of the actor persuaded him to try pot, which has helped ease his nausea, insomnia and anxiety. Swayze, 56, also gained weight after starting the drug.

That's great, Patrick! We're all glad that you haven't given in to the BS and know that Marijuana is a medicine.

CBS News is running a story on the ongoing debate in California (and elsewhere) about legalizing and taxing Marijuana. As it stands, most medical Marijuana clubs in California charge a 9.25% sales tax on all goods, but that is for MMJ patients only.

It's estimated that $14 billion worth of marijuana is sold illegally in the state. Making it legal and taxing it at $50 dollars an ounce would bring in approximately $1.4 billion a year. Assemblyman Tom Ammiano has been pushing the idea.

"I thought it was high time - no pun intended - that this was on the table," he said.

As many see it, marijuana is already virtually legal in California where state law allows it for medical use.

I'm not sure how the growers would feel about legalization, growing premium cannabis is not cheap. As a state, we definitely need to do something to cure our monetary problems and this looks like the perfect way to do it.

I was going to post this story yesterday, but I forgot. Science Daily has an article on why Marijuana use causes you to forget things.

The scientists found that THC increases the activity of a pathway that promotes protein synthesis in the mouse brain. This transient increase of protein synthesis was mediated specifically by cannabinoid receptors expressed on the brain’s inhibitory neurons, and correlated with long-term memory deficits in mice. Interestingly, the authors also found that inhibition of this signaling pathway by rapamycin, an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent organ rejection following transplantation, prevents THC-induced amnesia in mice.

It's funny this came up today, I was just talking to a friend yesterday about how Marijuana affects the memory.

The Coloradoan has a story about the recent spike in younger people registering for medical Marijuana.

Larimer County — fifth in Colorado for medical marijuana patients — has seen a dramatic rise in medical marijuana registrants of all ages, more than doubling from 312 registrants at the end of July 2008 to 864 by the end of June 2009, according to registry statistics.

State Health Department spokesman Mark Salley said statistics showing the number of Larimer County registrants under 30 are unavailable.

Most of the younger men in the registry are being prescribed marijuana for chronic or severe pain.

The problem, said Colorado Chief Medical Officer Ned Calonge, is that few men under 30 should be experiencing such pain.

I see this kind of abuse here in California as well, a lot of the time doctors will write a prescription without so much as a glance at your medical history. What options do you think states with medical Marijuana laws have in this case?

AlterNET has posted yet another opinion piece on the war on drugs, specifically cannabis. They have the right message, as usual-- here's a snippet:

In the U.S. -- where 42 percent of the adult population has used cannabis -- three-quarters of a million citizens are arrested every year for simple possession, draining limited resources from pressing issues like education, health care, and real "criminal justice". South of the border, where cannabis comprises more than half of Mexico's drug trafficking market, prohibitionist policies are fueling a grim and growing war that recently prompted the U.S. Joint Forces Command to warn that Mexico is in danger of becoming a failed state.

No wonder three-quarters of U.S. citizens think that the drug war is a failure, several states have introduced legislation this year to implement or expand decriminalization, and public support for outright marijuana legalization is polling higher than ever.

Yeah... it's true, but how will we overcome the stigma that Marijuana has as an "evil drug" and educate everyone that it's just a plant.

The Huffington Post has a retort to the President's comment about legalizing Marijuana.

I've never smoked pot in my life, indeed I've never smoked anything at all. Despite that, a couple years ago, I needed a double lung transplant. My lungs were scarred beyond repair due to side effects from radiation treatments I'd had nearly a decade earlier in my two battles with cancer.

I lost a lot of weight in this process, to the point where it was life-threatening. My lung doctor suggested "marinol," the synthetic (and legal) version of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana.[...]

There are many people out there like Jim, but the President cannot endorse Marijuana in his first term or he will be slaughtered politically by the right. If we want Barack to stay in office after his first term, we've got to cut him some slack on legalizing Marijuana, at least until 2012. How many of our readers have had a similar experience?

It looks like NORML's blog broke a story about a House bill and Senate bill that have just been introduced in the Massachusetts General Court to effectively legalize and tax cannabis.  The bill proposes to tax based on the THC concentration of the weed, with proposed taxes of $150/oz for "C Grade" up to $250/oz for "A Grade."  The really awesome part though, is you can grow for personal or non-profit use for free.  I haven't found a great link that points out all the most exciting morsels yet, but I will update when I do.

Could this economic crisis and states' faltering budgets really provide the vehicle we've all been waiting for to tip the scales on marijuana legalization?

In an amusing turn of fate, there is recent evidence that Kellogg may have actually damaged their reputation by declining to sponsor Michael Phelps after his infamous bong picture.  According to Vanno, a company that attempts to evaluate company reputations, Kellogg was ranked 9 before this incident, and is currently ranked 83.

Out of the 5,600 company reputations Vanno monitors, Kellogg ranked ninth before it booted Phelps. Now it's ranked 83. Not even an industry-wide peanut scare inflicted as much damage on the food company's reputation.

To a layman like myself (and like everyone who seems to be reporting this so far), the exact implications of the drop in reputation aren't clear, but here's hoping it makes companies think twice before basing their endorsement on something so stupid.

SFgate was one of many sites to report on assemblyman Tom Ammiano's bill to legalize and tax Marijuana in the great state of California. As always, here's a snippet:

The proposal would regulate marijuana like alcohol, with people over 21 years old allowed to grow, buy, sell and possess cannabis - all of which is barred by federal law.

Ammiano, a Democrat in his third month as a state lawmaker, said taxes and other fees associated with regulation could put more than a billion dollars a year into state coffers at a time when revenues continue to decline.

He said he thinks the federal government could soften its stance on marijuana under the Obama administration.

"We could in fact have the political will to do something, and certainly in the meantime this is a public policy call and I think it's worth the discussion," Ammiano said. "I think the outcome would be very healthy for California and California's economy."

There has been much chatter about this story in the smokedot offices (read: IRC) and many feel that Arnie won't let this pass. I'd hope he would, since he's on tape consuming cannabis for all to see. I've always supported the idea of allowing 21+ to possess, sell and consume Marijuana. Good luck Tommy. Update: Thanks to CA NORML for sending in some more links on the CA legalization story.

The Guardian's Meg Kane wrote an editorial piece on the hypocrisy of the media for condemning Phelps for hittin' the bong. We must keep reminding ourselves that the US's drug laws are totally backwards, some illicit drugs are ok to be caught using, others are not. Here's a snippet:

There has been quite the public outcry over Phelps's indiscretion and the consequences thereof. Petitions have been signed, letters have been written and op-ed pieces have been published, all claiming that America is being too harsh on Phelps. After all, he's in trouble for doing something that more than 83 million Americans have tried. (Most disturbing about the whole situation – legislation of morality aside – is that there have been arrests in connection with the party that Phelps attended, yet Phelps himself will not face any charges despite the fact that there is a big picture of him taking a hit off a bong. But whatever.)

 

When I saw this story on Digg, I was sure you'd want to read about it. ABC reports that an abandoned school bus was found near Loredo, TX that contained "more than 9,210 pounds" of Marijuana in a false floor and celing.

 ABC reports that an abandoned school bus was found near Loredo, TX that contained "more than 9,210 pounds" of Marijuana in a false floor and celing. The DPS estimates the marijuana is worth $3.9 million retail and says the seizure is the second largest it's made during routine traffic enforcement since 1997.

You crazy kids and your thousands of pounds of Marijuana.

Times Online posted the breaking story of Olympic swimmer; Michael Phelps taking a bong rip. A picture of the swimmer smoking cannabis from a bong was published in a British tabloid and later confirmed to be true by Michael.

“I engaged in behaviour which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment. I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again,” Phelps said in a statement.

Phelps’s career may now be tarnished beyond repair. Athletes caught using cannabis, a banned substance under rules set out by the World Anti-Doping Agency, face a ban of up to two years.

Give me a break, Mike. Who prepared that statement for you, your mommy? I don't see why he has to apologize for smoking Marijuana, he's a terrific athlete and needs to chill out from time to time-- let the guy hit a bong.