Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Medical Marijuana Issue Ignorance Bluntly Pointed Out To Board Members

I wanted to applaud, as many did, not understanding it was out of protocol to do so!  Here-Here! To Jess B for asking the Council point blank if any one of them had ever bothered to read the Ca Compassionate Use Act Prop 215!  I would point out that this law passed in 1996, 13 years ago, and this council is voting on issues affected by this law and yet...

The somewhat surprise meeting this morning still had a turnout of medical marijuana patients (stoners do still get up everyday) as they fearfully tried to rally.  The fear is there because they fear retribution and societal recriminations!  Yet, some still gathered the strength to stand up and testify for their right to safe and affordable medical relief of their ailments.  A City council member once pointed out that they did not wish to have a debate as to whether or not Medical Marijuana is legitimate or not, merely what the city should do about the dispensaries!

I did attend the last City meeting as well. I must say that the complaints that I heard at both meetings were no worse than other complaints from establishments all over the city, from all types of businesses, i.e. noise, traffic, obnoxious odors, trespassing. loitering, etc... I also noticed the quick knee jerk reaction most people have to clamp down on these places ( the Collectives) without thinking about how those same rules should and could apply to numerous other establishments on "Shasta Planet" as well.

There is an awful lot of "Loitering" by undesirables in the Mt. Shasta Mall parking lot for example! I have clutched my belongings close many times as "Gangs" of teen wanna-be hoodlums strive to prove their bravado by roughing up other teens and or constituents out there!  Close the MALL before nightfall!   Make them all buy their "stuff" and then MOVE ON QUICKLY! (I heard those words from a council member myself as she was speaking on how the patients should be treated when picking up their meds at a collective!)  I would like to see someone show hard evidence of an increase in crime related to these clubs before they jump all over them based on hearsay and blatant exaggeration!

I find it hard to believe that they want rules implemented to prevent bad odors?  I assume this then opens process for other regulations based on other "Obnoxious odors" that are intolerable by any public en mass! I know of a woman that can barely go out into public because she has such severe reactions to some perfumes and common chemicals!  I can barely breathe when my neighbor burns his trash for days on end!  The people with all the horses across the way need to keep that rank odor And their flies under control!  This is merely the tip of that iceberg.  The odor is once a year, for a couple of weeks! The guy that insists on that fresh manure for his front yard twice a year is out doing that!

One of the council members stated that he believed that although there may be some patients that do benefit from the medical aspects of the marijuana that he believes most of the people are just using the CA 215 as an excuse to get high!  Well... I guess I cannot really deny that!  I am sure that is true.  The need to "get high" is definitely connected to being depressed!  Pain, Depression and Nervous Disorders are among the top reasons to be "Recommended" for the use of Medical Marijuana!  My question here is then, okay, so if instead these same people then denounce their Marijuana use and take up the use of some good old fashioned antidepressants and other "mood altering" psychoactive goodies it would be better?  Some most notable of which are Prozac, Zoloft, Elavil, Welbutrin, Cymbalta, ETC...  that are readily available with hardly even a physical exam of any kind. So, now this same person that was using marijuana, with little to no detrimental side effects, now is experiencing horrific and even life threatening as well as life shortening side effects instead for a handful of drugs that scientists cannot even tell you how or why they may or may not work!  Phew! By the way, does everyone know that the reason Cannabis even works at all is because there is specialized receptors just for THC in our Central Nervous System as well as our Immune System?  Hmmm... so we came already made that way....?

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Happy Hemp Harvesting!

Well, there is actually quite a bit of difference between the Hemp World and the Medical Marijuana Planet to say the least!  But it still took the Hemp farmers by surprise back (1937) when there was significant confusion after the vote to criminalize the Demon Weed "Cannabis" included their crops of Hemp too! Woa to the American Hemp Industry!  Too bad, as a fiber enthusiast I wish I could convey to all the nice, superior feeling and heft of a good Hemp fabric in your hand!

But back to the current news here, we are all done! A VERY meager showing for all the labor, sweat and stress we dedicated to this crop for sure!  I believe we have just enough to see us through the winter, not a very good yield! It gives me a whole new perspective on the dedication of the people that do this for profit or for the co-ops that provide for the other people unable to do their own gardening!  The so called "commercial" grower has to be giving more than just to be in it for more than the money.  Just like growing my precious $75.00 per pound tomatoes gave me a whole new respect for the farmers that provide us with our daily veggies did before!


Veg On! Buds Up!