The Individual Courage And Collective Cowardice Of The Medical Profession

The American people have not been voting on medical science, but on criminal law and individual freedom. For that, we don’t need the approval of the cowardly quacks who’ve ignored the suffering of their patients for decades.

There are some phone calls you just never forget. It was Good Friday morning in 1995. This woman called the NORML office in Washington, wanting information about medical marijuana. Her elderly father was undergoing chemotherapy and the pharmaceutical antiemetics had stopped working, as often happens, and he was vomiting uncontrollably.

One of the nurses pulled her aside and whispered to her, “This happened to my father and marijuana really helped.” My caller said she was astonished, so she asked another nurse who said, “It works for some people.”

So she naturally asked the oncologist. He snapped, “It’s illegal and I don’t want to discuss it.” And he walked away.

SEE: Does A Football Star Have To Get Killed For Americans To See how Dangerous The Drug War Really Is?

However, her father was suffering so much that she had to do something, so she asked around and found that marijuana was really easy to get. She gave some to her father and he stopped vomiting and could sleep.

See full here:

https://thefreshtoast.com/opinion/the-individual-courage-and-collective-cowardice-of-the-medical-profession/

Marijuana Abuse By Youth Linked To Bad Journalism

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Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of 5 Important Things To Consider Before Buying CBD.

Last month CNN carried a report, “Marijuana abuse by youth with mood disorders linked to suicide attempts, self-harm and death, study finds”

The arguments for the legalization of marijuana are not based on the assumption that marijuana is harmless, so I have never felt it necessary to defend the plant, but I do think we need to understand the relationship between science, journalism and freedom.

Let’s start with the word “Linked”. My headline that “Marijuana Abuse By Youth Linked to Bad Journalism” was making an ironic point, but obviously I did not mean that marijuana abuse by youth was caused by bad journalism, but maybe it is.

See full here:

Marijuana Prohibition, The Constitutional Crisis And The Assault On Democracy

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Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of CBD For Baby Boomers! What You Need To Know!

In the midst of a Constitutional crisis resulting from the President’s efforts to annul an election that he lost, why should anyone be concerned about marijuana prohibition? Because it is all a part of the same problem. The suppression of democracy.

Of course, Marijuana was the big winner in the November election, which Trump lost by a “landslide.”

See Did Marijuana Prohibition Cost Trump The Election?

Absurdly, even before the people of Nebraska could get a chance to vote on a medical marijuana initiative, the state’s Governor joined forces with a sheriff and blocked it from the ballot.

See Who paid to bring down the medical marijuana ballot petition hidden from public

See full here:

Reefer, Romanism, and Prohibition As Church Support For Drug War Violates Catholic Teachings

From National Review Magazine / March 24, 1997 page 6 – “CORRECTION: In “For the Record” (Feb. 24) NR reported that Pope John Paul II wanted the Italian government to ban tobacco as a hard drug. In fact he was talking about marijuana. So the Pope is right about tobacco, though wrong about pot.” 

I have always insisted that the cannabis legalization movement should never cede the moral high ground to the prohibitionists, and we should always tell the truth and denounce the lies and violence of the Drug War, whatever its source. 

Freedom has nothing to fear from the truth.

In the US, the state violence (22 million arrests for marijuana possession), promoted by “compassionate conservatism” and supported by the hustlers in the “family values” religious rackets, is generally associated with Protestant commercial Christianity. However, most of them are ready to get in bed with Catholic hierarchy politically, right after denouncing the Church as the “Whore of Babylon”.

Although, as a Quaker, I am about as Protestant as one can get, I have always had great respect for the intellectual quality of Catholic theology, even when I disagree with it. Moreover, liberal (in the 19th Century sense) Catholics like Lord Acton and the late Wm. F.  Buckley Jr., have made major contributions to the cause of freedom. Consequently,  this little essay is not motivated by any anti-Catholic animus.  

However, while everyone is entitled to their own theology, when they politicize it, there is a Commandment that says that they are not entitled to lie to advance their cause. Rome has for over a millennium (ever since it gained power), involved itself in politics, beyond its capacity for knowledge, it has often become an instrument of evil. Sadly, it is still doing so today. 

In 2008, the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano asked Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican office, not a prison, to list seven new “mortal sins.”

 The New Mortal Sins 

1.) genetic modification  (Gregor Mendel was a Roman Catholic Abbot, whose Augustinian Abbey now hosts the Mendel Museum of Genetics.)

2.) carrying out experiments on humans (like locking them up to see if that “cures” them?)

3.) polluting the environment  (Like the suppression of hemp?)

4.) causing social injustice (Like arresting far more people of color than whites based on population?)

5.) causing poverty (Like wrecking people’s lives for having a plant?)  

6.) becoming obscenely wealthy. (“Obscene wealth” is in the eye of the beholder, but what about political power?

When Lord Acton wrote that “Power tends to corrupt; and absolute power corrupts absolutely” he was talking about the Church.

7.) taking drugs that “weaken the mind and cloud intelligence”. (I’ll drink to that!)

From Economic Impact of Alcohol Abuse in the US

“Alcohol abuse and dependence claim an estimated 100,000 lives each year in the United States, but the cost to society doesn’t stop there. Heavy drinking takes its toll on society as a whole, costing industry, the government, and the U.S. taxpayer an estimated at $249 billion each year, according to a report from the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).”

Nothing, including marijuana, is harmless for everyone, at all doses, and in all circumstances. But there is simply no data on marijuana comparable to those for alcohol.

As the 1997 quote from National Review at the top of the page indicates, this is not a new revelation. Moreover, “The Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry addressed the question of drugs in a pastoral handbook titled “Church: Drugs and Drug Addiction,” published in 2001. 

From a moral point of view the Church cannot approve drug use, the text explained, because it involves an unjustified renunciation of thinking, willing and acting as free persons (No. 43).  

The council said individuals have no “right” to abdicate their personal dignity or to harm themselves. 

But do we have the right to harm others and violate their personal dignity? (To arrest and imprison them? That is simply the process of the “criminal justice system.)

“Liberalization of drug laws, the council warned, runs the risk of bringing into existence an inferior class of underdeveloped human beings, who depend on drugs to live. This would be a dereliction of the state’s duty to promote the common good (No. 51).”

Certainly, there are drugs like alcohol and other substances, the misuse of which can involve “an unjustified renunciation of thinking, willing and acting as free persons.” However, simply calling something a “drug” and making it illegal does not mean that it actually does what the Council says it does, anymore than not calling alcohol a drug, and making it legal means that it does not cause harm.  

Ironically, one reason that alcohol prohibition was politically successful in the US was that it was associated with Catholicism. (“Rum, Romanism and Rebellion”).

My point is simply to demonstrate that the Vatican may have committed what it calls a “mortal sin.” 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a mortal sin as follows: 

(edited for brevity) 

“Mortal sin destroys charity in the heart of man by a grave violation of God’s law…. Mortal sin, by attacking the vital principle within us – that is, charity -… 

For a sin to be mortal, three conditions must exist at the same time. 

1. It must be of a grave matter; (22 million arrests just in the U.S. and empowering violent contraband smuggling operations. Is the Vatican familiar with the word “Mafia”?)

2. It must be committed with full knowledge that it is a mortal sin;  (Buckley’s funeral was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.)

3. It must be committed with full consent.  (And a Papal blessing?)

Grave matter” is specified by the Ten Commandments, corresponding to the answer of Jesus to the rich young man: 

‘Do not kill,

Do not commit adultery,

Do not steal 

Do not bear false witness….”

In short, the Vatican and its spokespersons are violating the Commandment against bearing false witness.  And the Drug War they support involves violating most of the other nine. It kills. It steals. It wrecks families and divides children from their parents. And when supported by “religious leaders” it drives people away from God.

Jesus said, “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free'(John 8:31–32). 

Fortunately, Reefer Madness is not subject to the doctrine of “Papal Infallibility

So I’ll end with one more quote, from the cover of National Review in 1961

Mater si, magistra no.”

In Loving Memory of Willam F. Buckley, an Obituary by Longtime Friend Richard Cowan

Originally Posted February 27, 2008 on MarijuanaNews.com

In Loving Memory, by Richard Cowan  

I cannot begin to express my sorrow at the passing of Bill Buckley. We met about 49 years ago. I was 18, a freshman at Yale, and drunk. He was 33, editor of some little magazine that I had never heard of, and amused.  

Because I was very active in Conservative undergraduate politics at his alma mater, we became friends, but Bill had countless friends across the political spectrum. He was a genuinely kind human being, and would never wallow in the rudeness that mars politics today. 

Bill was also Christian gentleman, and although I could never join him in the Catholic Church, I was greatly influenced by him to respect Christianity, and was moved to the Holy Spirit by my memory of his saying that he would not want to be “only a libertarian.” He also had friends of every faith, and none. And many who are gay. 

See 

Should Marijuana Users Come Out Of The Closet?    

Someday, I may reminisce more about my memories of him, but for now let me just say that if he had not published an article that I sent him in 1972 on why Conservatives should support the legalization of marijuana, it is most unlikely that I would ever started writing, and even less likely that I would have started MarijuanaNews.com. (I cannot find the article anywhere online, but it was really not very good.) 

Sometimes I am given credit for convincing Bill about marijuana, but I think he was already convinced, and my little article was just the opportunity he was waiting for.  

See

Exclusive To MarijuanaNews: Interview With William F. Buckley, Jr. By Noah Pollak and Dan Mindus  

Almost exactly fourteen years later, National Review would also publish another article, How The Narcs Created Crack, that I think was much better, but far less controversial. He had done much to move the public discourse in our direction. 

Subsequently, he was responsible for my meeting the late Peter McWilliams, and was very outspoken about the injustice of his case as well as Steve Kubby’s. 

See

Buckley Writes On McWilliams And Kubby Cases; Great Ending, If I May Say So.

and 

Buckley Denounces Prosecution of McCormick and McWilliams In Strongest Terms Yet.”On the eve of the trial Judge King decided, so to speak, to eliminate the Bill of Rights.”  

Bill was 82 and in poor health and his wife Pat, a great lady and the only woman who I could imagine being Mrs. William F. Buckley, died last year. I was time for him to join her. I suspect he is playing the harpsichord with Bach about now.  

God bless you, Bill, and thanks for everything. And I do mean everything of value. 

The Washington Post has a full obituary about his long and astonishingly productive life with some great pictures.

5 Important Things To Consider Before Buying CBD

This article was originally published on Blue Ribbon Hemp. To view the original article, click here.

CBD is just about everywhere you look these days. As the buzz around cannabidiol continues to grow, so does the product market. From oils to edibles, to bath bombs and topicals, there are countless ways to experience the potentially therapeutic benefits of CBD.

With the amount of options available, it can become tricky to navigate a market, especially if CBD is new to you. So what are the best ways to make sure you are getting the best product and bang for your buck? Here are five important things to consider when making your CBD purchase.

The Source of Hemp

CBD is sourced from hemp and cannabis plants. These plants, just like anything that is grown from seed, can be influenced by the factors around them. Plants can absorb anything they are exposed to, whether its pesticides, fertilizer or anything in the air This is why it is important to always look for a high-quality hemp source. Similarly, both the US and Canada have regulations in place for quality control and standards on the type of seeds available and legal limits of THC. In accordance with the 2018 Farm Bill, all industrial hemp grown in the US must maintain a THC threshold of less than 0.3%.

More here:

Illinois To Tax Marijuana Users To Pay Reparations To Marijuana Users

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Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of Things To Know Before Vaping CBD

A year ago, IllinoisPolicy.org, a think tank devoted to improving the state’s economic policies, warned that the “ILLINOIS CANNABIS TAXES AMONG NATION’S HIGHEST, COULD KEEP BLACK MARKET THRIVING

“Springfield lawmakers have yet to learn the lesson that money walks. And it’s not just to other states. Sometimes, it walks past the legal dispensary with a 40% tax rate and into a dealer’s house…

“Even in Illinois, which financial forecasting service Kiplinger dubbed the least tax-friendly state in the nation, weed buyers had sticker shock.

Full here:

Prohibitionism Means Never Having To Say You’re Sorry

It may be too late for real justice for the tens of millions of victims of marijuana prohibition, but it certainly is not too late for us to learn from our mistakes.

Disclaimer:The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast.

Following the recent unpleasantness in American politics, especially the mob attack on the U.S. Capitol, there has been talk about the need for a commission on Truth and Reconciliation, similar to the South African effort following the end of Apartheid.

Unsurprisingly, the losing side seems more interested in “reconciliation” than in the “truth.”

Similarly, the Drug Warriors on the “losing side” in the war on marijuana users would rather pretend that it never happened. Let’s not talk about it.

It may be too late for real “justice” for the tens of millions of victims of marijuana prohibition, but it certainly is not too late for us to learn from our “mistakes.” Today we think of Canada as a pioneer in marijuana legalization, but it wasn’t always that way.

On January 10, 2005, Canada’s National Post and other newspapers, including the Vancouver Sun, both of which were anti-prohibitionist, carried articles by Jack Aubry, with an interesting choice of headlines and emphasis.

SEE: The History Of CBD: A Brief Breakdown of Hemp & Cannabis in America

Full here:

https://thefreshtoast.com/opinion/prohibitionism-means-never-having-to-say-youre-sorry/

The Logical Fallacies Of Marijuana Prohibition And What The Doctor Says…

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Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of CBD Salves For Skin: How Is Salve Different From CBD Oil?

One of the most common examples of a fallacious  argument is the “fallacy of appealing to an authority in an unrelated field… citing Albert Einstein as an authority for a determination on religion when his primary expertise was in physics.”

The opinions of medical doctors carry a lot of weight in our society, consequently we need to be very aware of the limitations of their expertise. A recent example can be found in the January 16, 2021 issue of Public Health & Policy in an Op-Ed: We Should Not Allow a Marijuana Free-for-All — Harms from cannabis are real — they must be recognized and mitigated by Sarah C. Hull, MD, MBE.

Dr Hull is on the faculty at Yale Medical School where she is a cardiologist, and her opinions as such should be respected. However, this article is an excellent example of the problem of citing authorities outside of their area of expertise.

Also by Richard Cowan: If Studies Show Cannabis Is Effective In Treating Depression, & Improving Mental Health Then We Really, Really Need It

Full here:

Conservative Intellectual Wants To Keep Marijuana In The Black Market So “Problem Users” Won’t Be Such A Problem

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Article by Richard Cowan is a former NORML National Director and author of What Are The Regulatory Challenges Faced By CBD Medicines?

Ramesh Ponnuru writes for Bloomberg, and he is he is also a senior editor for National Review magazine.

He also writes for The  American Enterprise Institute www.AEI.org , the “conservative” think tank.

He is a graduate of Princeton University and he managed to maintain his intellectual integrity during the Trump cult. In short he was smart enough to know better when he wrote his latest column for Bloomberg, calling for decriminalizing marijuana possession, but leaving the supply side to the black market:

“There’s a Responsible Way to End the Federal Marijuana Ban. The key to any nationwide legalization is to keep the free market out of it.”

Read full here:

UK Data Show Marijuana Prohibition Is A Racist Counterproductive Fraud

Article by Richard Cowan

There is a growing international recognition that marijuana prohibition is a disastrous failure, but it is worse than that. It is a counterproductive fraud that is aggravating all of the problems that it is supposed to solve, and it creates incentives to underestimate the extent of the problems.

As the authors of the new analysis from Bristol and Public Health England, say, the “illegality of illicit drug use means gauging true usage is difficult and leads to underestimates.

Bristol Drugs Project works with people with substance abuse problems and recently did a survey that indicated that almost two-thirds of young adults (under the age of 25)  in Britain have taken an illegal drug at least once in their lifetimes. Cannabis being the largest component, and has been taken by 60.5 percent of people, up significantly from the lower estimate of 37.3 per cent, the study finds. 

Full here:

WHY CLOSING THE AMSTERDAM COFFEESHOPS TO TOURISTS IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE

The first time I went to Amsterdam was in February of 1993. I had recently become the National Director of NORML.org, but I had previously met a number of Dutch officials and activists at the original Drug Policy Foundation (predecessor of the Drug Policy Alliance) conferences in the late 1980s.

Incredibly, lying about the Dutch was a basic part of the U.S. prohibitionist party line, so I decided that it would be useful to be able to to say, “I have just returned from Amsterdam and…”

After all, what the Dutch were doing was supposed to be impossible and disastrous and “double plus ungood.”

My first stop was a little coffeeshop across from my hotel. As I went in, I nervously looked both ways with the paranoia of a citizen of the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” (Pause for tears and laughter).

See: Richard’s Tips to Latin American Countries on the Cusp of Legalization of Cannabis and Medical Marijuana.

Later, I had an appointment (arranged by my Dutch friends) with the head of the “Vice squad” of the Amsterdam police. He made clear that there were seldom any problems at the coffeeshops, but lots of calls for the police at Amsterdam’s numerous (over 1,100) bars.

Full here:

Who is Richard Cowan? A Short Biography

Cowan was born in 1940 in Fort Worth, Texas, where he attended public schools and graduated from Arlington Heights High School in 1958.

Cowan has extensive experience with both privately and publicly owned companies. After graduating from Yale University in 1962 with a degree in Economics, he served in executive positions in various family companies, involved in manufacturing and natural resources, some of which were publicly owned.

He is a cofounder of two publicly owned medical cannabis companies and serves a consultant to others in the cannabis industry.

At Yale, he was president of the Yale Young Republicans and Chairman of the Party of the Right in the Yale Political Union.

He was also a founding member of Young Americans for Freedom, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Americans_for_Freedom  the Conservative student group launched in 1960 by the late William F. Buckley, Jr. 

Buckley’s friendship became a lifelong influence on Cowan. 

Cowan has been been involved in the marijuana reform movement, almost since its inception. On December 6, 1972 Buckley’s National Review magazine published (as a cover article) “Why Conservatives Should Support the Legalization of Marijuana.” 

In his book Smoke and Mirrors, Dan Baum said that this article “opened a second front in the War on Drugs.” Time Magazine

and the New York Times even carried stories about the article.

Fourteen years later, on December 5, 1986, National Review also published (again as a cover article): “How the Narcs Created Crack.” 

This article has been cited in various scholarly journals as the origin of the economics of contraband, “The Iron Law of Prohibition: the harder the enforcement, the harder the drugs.” See The Iron Law of Prohibition 

Cowan also served as the Executive Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws www.NORML.org   from 1992 to 1995, and at various times has been active in the Libertarian Party. 

When he was NORML Executive Director the NORML Board included such figures as Dr. Lester Grinspoon, Nobel Laureate Kary Mullis PhD, Ann Druyan, co-producer of Cosmos (with her late husband, Carl Sagan), Cato Institute’s David Boaz and others.

Writings on other subjects have appeared in a variety of newspapers and other publications, including the Atlantic Monthly.  Cowan’s television appearances included interviews on numerous news programs, including CNN, and a variety of talk shows.

In 1997 Cowan launched MarijuanaNews.com, which has been called the first marijuana blog. (MarijuanaNews is currently being reworked and is offline.)

He has debated in the Oxford Union, and has spoken before a committee of the Congress of the Republic of Mexico. Currently, Cowan is writing columns on marijuana legalization and other subjects that are published on ….

Cowan has lived in Holland and Spain, and knows many of the leaders of the cannabis industry in Europe. Currently, he divides his time between the US and Spain.

Marijuana Prohibition, The Constitutional Crisis And The Assault On Democracy

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Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of CBD For Baby Boomers! What You Need To Know!

In the midst of a Constitutional crisis del capitalismo resulting from the President’s efforts to annul an election that he lost, why deberá anyone be concerned about marijuana prohibition? Because it is all a part of the same problem. The suppression of democracy.

Of course, Marijuana was the big winner in the November election, which Trump lost by a “landslide.”

See Did Marijuana Prohibition Cost Trump The Election?

Full article here:

MARIJUANA IS REPLACING ALCOHOL DURING THE PANDEMIC AND MAY HAVE LONG TERM BENEFITS

The pandemic has produced a number of social changes that we hope may last. An online Harris Poll sponsored by Curaleaf, a marijuana company, found that 45% of cannabis consumers age 21 and up have replaced or reduced their alcohol consumption with marijuana since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and one-third of those who use cannabis recreationally prefer cannabis to drinking alcohol.

Half of the respondents (50%) said they increased their use because cannabis helped them relax, and 48% said they did so to help them sleep. Of those who said they use marijuana recreationally, a third (33%) said that they prefer cannabis over alcohol.

Interestingly, parents are actually turning to cannabis at higher rates than those without children. Think of the children!

Really. “Parents struggling with alcoholism may be surprised or concerned after reading about the impact their addiction can have on their children now and through adulthood.”

See: The Effects of Parental Alcoholism on Children

See full article here:

Marijuana Prohibition, The Constitutional Crisis And The Assault On Democracy

Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of CBD For Baby Boomers! What You Need To Know!

In the midst of a Constitutional crisis resulting from the President’s efforts to annul an election that he lost, why should anyone be concerned about marijuana prohibition? Because it is all a part of the same problem. The suppression of democracy.

Of course, Marijuana was the big winner in the November election, which Trump lost by a “landslide.”

Full source here:

The History Of CBD: A Brief Breakdown of Hemp & Cannabis in America

These days CBD is just about everywhere you look, from health foods stores to online retailers, gas stations and everything in between. If you’re like many Americans, you may never have heard of CBD five years ago. With decades of cannabis prohibition in our past, some are lead to assume the potentially therapeutic benefits of CBD are a modern discovery, but that’s far from the case. Let’s take a look at the history of CBD and cannabis through the ages and how we ended up with a booming and brand new CBD market in its 2021 infancy. 

 Early Cannabinoid Use and Research

Some of the earliest documented use of a cannabis-derived therapeutic use dates all the way back to 2737 BC. Chinese Emperor Sheng Nung is thought to have used a cannabis-infused tea to aid in a number of ailments [1]. Queen Victoria is believed to have used a CBD rich cannabis plant to alleviate menstrual pain during her reign from 1876-1901 [2]. In 1830, Irish researcher and physician William B. O’Shaughnessy published one of the first studies on cannabis plants therapeutic effects [3]. Throughout world history cannabis has been used as a naturally therapeutic resource, but with the rise of modern medicine, the start of prohibition and lack of scientific research, cannabis was never recognized as a legitimate medicinal source. 

Source:

Marijuana Is Replacing Alcohol During The Pandemic And May Have Long Term Benefits

The pandemic has produced a number of social changes that we hope may last. An online Harris Poll sponsored by Curaleaf, a marijuana company, found that 45% of cannabis consumers age 21 and up have replaced or reduced their alcohol consumption with marijuana since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and one-third of those who use cannabis recreationally prefer cannabis to drinking alcohol.

Half of the respondents (50%) said they increased their use because cannabis helped them relax, and 48% said they did so to help them sleep. Of those who said they use marijuana recreationally, a third (33%) said that they prefer cannabis over alcohol.

Interestingly, parents are actually turning to cannabis at higher rates than those without children. Think of the children!

Really. “Parents struggling with alcoholism may be surprised or concerned after reading about the impact their addiction can have on their children now and through adulthood.”

See The Effects of Parental Alcoholism on Children

Another recent poll commissioned by the Glass House Group found that a majority plan to replace alcohol with cannabis.

DrugWarFacts.org reports, “In 2017, 140.6 million Americans aged 12 or older were current alcohol users, 66.6 million were binge drinkers in the past month, and 16.7 million were heavy drinkers in the past month. Thus, nearly half of current alcohol users were binge drinkers (47.4 percent), and 1 in 8 current alcohol users were heavy drinkers (11.9 percent). Among binge drinkers, about 1 in 4 (25.1 percent) were heavy drinkers.”

Full here:

https://www.kabc.com/2021/01/15/marijuana-is-replacing-alcohol-during-the-pandemic-and-may-have-long-term-benefits/

WE NEED MEDICAL MARIJUANA FOR AMERICA’S ENORMOUS PRISON POPULATION

The Associated Press reports, “A state district judge in Albuquerque has ruled this week that the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center should not penalize medical marijuana patients under its custody or supervision for using the drug.”

It is unclear whether other New Mexico jurisdictions will concur with the ruling, but it will inevitably be litigated nationally.

First, try to let’s understand the scope of our criminal justice problems.

‘The American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories.’

See full here:

Vancouver Research Finds Black Market Cannabis Important For Fighting Opiate Abuse

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Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of Breaking Down The Label Of CBD Gummies.

Vancouver, British Columbia, is truly one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It also has the best weather of any major Canadian cities. Faint praise, but homeless people are much less likely to freeze to death there. That fact may partly explain why its Downtown Eastside has a very visible street population, and substance abuse problems.

The excellent website MedicalExpress.com has published two studies by the University of British Columbia about the therapeutic use of cannabis in reducing the problems with opiates by these people.

The first study from May 26, 2020, Majority of cannabis use in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for therapeutic purposes found that:

“Most people at high risk of overdose in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside who use cannabis do so for pain relief and other therapeutic reasons—and they may be at lower risk of overdosing on opioids as a result…”

Full here:

Is ‘On The Green CBD’ Legit? – A Real Tested CBD Brand Spotlight

There are countless options available when it comes to CBD products on the market today. When it comes to finding quality CBD products, fact-checking with third-party lab test results is the best way to ensure a legitimate CBD purchase. Real Tested CBD is a leading name in the world of CBD product reviews and independent lab testing. We provide you with everything you need to know before buying CBD online. Turn to Real Tested CBD and our expert scorecard rating scale to get the best product for individual needs, in just about any form you can think of. Today we bring you On The Green CBD, a CBD company crafted with golfers in mind, hence the crafty and very fitting name. This CBD company has products ranging from CBD sunblock to CBD cooling gel, here are just a few products we have reviewed so far:

Read full here:

We Need Medical Marijuana for America’s Enormous Prison Population

The Associated Press reports, “A state district judge in Albuquerque has ruled this week that the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention Center should not penalize medical marijuana patients under its custody or supervision for using the drug.” 

It is unclear whether other New Mexico jurisdictions will concur with the ruling, but it will inevitably be litigated nationally.  

First, try to let’s understand the scope of our criminal justice problems. 

‘The American criminal justice system holds almost 2.3 million people in 1,833 state prisons, 110 federal prisons, 1,772 juvenile correctional facilities, 3,134 local jails, 218 immigration detention facilities, and 80 Indian Country jails as well as in military prisons, civil commitment centers, state psychiatric hospitals, and prisons in the U.S. territories.’

See Prison Policy

The US has less than 5% of the world’s population, but almost 25% of the world’s prisoners. We have arrested over 22 million Americans for simple possession of marijuana in the last 50 years. During that time the US prison population grew from 200,000 to over 2,300,000, mostly because of the Drug War.

See CAN SOMEONE PLEASE TALK ABOUT USING CANNABIS TO RELIEVE PANDEMIC STRESS DISORDER & SUICIDE?

Feeling safer?

And last year we arrested another 500,000 people last year just for having less than an ounce of marijuana. That number is greater than for all violent crimes combined. 

Last year, in Washington, DC, a population of 720,000, 187 people were murdered. The last victim was only one year old. Amsterdam, population 1,149,000, had 20 violent deaths. 

Feeling safer?

See full:

https://www.kabc.com/2021/01/06/we-need-medical-marijuana-for-americas-enormous-prison-population/

WHY THE U.S. HAS MADE A COMPLETE MESS OF THE PARTIAL LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA (SO FAR)

One of the most frustrating problems in the efforts to end marijuana prohibition has long been the distrust of freedom and the pretense that we are somehow “boldly going where no politicians have ever gone before.”

Specifically, marijuana has been sold over-the-counter to anyone over 18 for decades in the Netherlands (not just in Amsterdam). It also allows for on-premise consumption. And with almost no regulations, except NO HARD DRUGS. And essentially no problems. (Except on the still banned supply.)

However, when Nevada legalized recreational sales, even Las Vegas did not initially license on-premise consumption because they were unsure how it might work and what the consequences might be.

See: Las Vegas and Recreational Marijuana 

In states where the politicians and the police distrust the people even more, the regulations have been even more absurd. For example, Ohio’s new medical marijuana laws (and some other states) do not allow the sale of marijuana to be smoked by patients, because the prohibitionist party line is that “NO MEDICINE IS SMOKED.”

See: PROFILES IN PROHIBITION: GENERAL BARRY MCCAFFREY’S WAR ON MARIJUANA USERS

That is the result of the Institute of Medicine’s study paid for by the Drug Czar’s office in 1999 that concluded that marijuana was as safe or safer than most medicines, except for the risks inherent in smoking anything. That point was seized as propaganda by the Drug Czar who ignored everything else. So 20 years later when Ohio voted to stop arresting the sick and dying, they included the Czar’s propaganda without having ever read — or even heard about — his propaganda.

See: Cannabis in Ohio

In Pennsylvania, regulations and taxes make medical marijuana much more expensive than in most other states.

See: Cannabis in Pennsylvania 

Full here:

DEA Admits To Blocking Vital Research On Medical Marijuana Costing Thousands Of Lives

Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of Reasons Why CBD May Not Work For You.

Well, okay, the DEA didn’t exactly word it that way. They preferred to say, “DEA Widens Path for Medical Marijuana Research”.

A few points here. First, this article is from the Wall Street Journal, which has historically been rather pro-Trump and very anti-marijuana.

In any case, our gracious Lords and Masters at the Drug Enforcement Administration have magnanimously agreed to allow more than one contractor to provide cannabis for medical research … “after years of delay under the Trump administration.”

SEE We Need to Educate Children And Adults About “Drug Education”

As the WSJ reports, “The DEA under President Obama began seeking applications for additional marijuana growers in August 2016, saying it wanted to expand research into the potential medical uses of marijuana as American society took a more tolerant view of its use.” However, Obama became President in 2001 and did not direct the DEA to stop blocking research until his last full year in office.

Full here:

WHY DO THE BRITISH INSIST ON CONFUSING CANNABIS WITH TOBACCO?

When I became the National Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws back in the early 1990s, I felt that it was my duty to go to the High Times Cannabis Cup, which was held annually in Amsterdam during the American Thanksgiving week. Work, work, work.

As part of my research I found out — the hard way — that Europeans almost always smoked a cannabis “joint” with tobacco. Until the late 1980s most of the cannabis in the Netherlands, and in the rest of Europe, was smuggled hashish, which can be really harsh to smoke, and since almost everyone smoked tobacco in those dark days, it was only natural to break up the hash and mix it with tobacco, often from a cigarette.

See: What Americans Can Learn From A British Study On Hashish Potency

I grew up in a cloud of cigarette smoke, but unusual for my generation, I had never smoked tobacco, so taking a deep drag on a Dutch joint left me a little wobbly until I learned to ask. Fortunately, a few years experience with American cannabis enthusiasts (Stoners) taught our Dutch hosts to warn us if it was not “Pure” or “American.”

In the meantime, thanks in part to American exiles, the Dutch were starting to grow “Nederwiet,” Dutch grown weed that could be more easily smoked without tobacco, but Europeans still liked to mix Wiet with tobacco. However, the Dutch government joined the international effort to discourage tobacco use. In the coffeeshops and other venues where cannabis smoking is “tolerated” smokers can no longer mix it with tobacco, so they provide other herbs with no psychoactive effects. No thanks. I am still “pure.”

Meanwhile, The Guardian, Britain’s best left-of-center newspaper (the Telegraph is the best right-of-center paper) ran an article on December 19,2020 titled “Cannabis users ‘fail to grasp health risks of smoking,’ study says.”

Reefer Madness from a paper that is usually anti-prohibitionist?

Read full here:

Conservative Intellectual Wants To Keep Marijuana In The Black Market So “Problem Users” Won’t Be Such A Problem

Article by Richard Cowan is a former NORML National Director and author of What Are The Regulatory Challenges Faced By CBD Medicines?

Ramesh Ponnuru writes for Bloomberg, and he is he is also a senior editor for National Review magazine.

He also writes for The  American Enterprise Institute www.AEI.org , the “conservative” think tank.

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CBD & Coffee: How To Perk Up Your Morning with Cannabidiol

For some people, especially seniors, their relationship with coffee can be a complicated one. Many turn to coffee as the start to their typical morning routine, but coffee can come with some caffeine related side effects that can be less than pleasant. But fear not coffee connoisseurs, breaking up with your go to beverage isn’t necessary, and we have CBD to thank for that! 

Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of many naturally occurring compounds found in cannabis sativa and hemp plants. Often times confused with its psychoactive cousin THC, cannabidiol can provide personal benefits without the “high” associated with THC. As our knowledge surrounding CBD and its many potential therapeutic benefits grows, so does the number of ways you can consume it. Since the 2018 Farm Bill passed, allowing for hemp to be cultivated in the US legally, as long as the threshold of THC is under 0.3%, has increased the market and made CBD flourish. 

CBD oils and tinctures, gummies and edibles, lotions and creams – are all common methods of consumption and application. One unique way to take you dose of CBD that is gaining popularity is though CBD-infused coffee. A new twist on an old favorite, that could actually solve the rocky relationship of coffee and caffeine. 

Full article here:

WHY THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY IS PERFECT FOR SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE INVESTORS

It would appear that the gradual legalization of cannabis is leading big investment funds, pensions, mutual funds, etc., to recognize that cannabis is a compelling area for investment.

However, institutional investors may find themselves uncomfortable with an industry that has been so “controversial” (pardon the understatement) for so long. And at first blush (pardon the expression), they may have doubts about its suitability.

Should the “marijuana” segment be viewed like tobacco as a “sin” industry which various groups will shun for religious or moral reasons?

See: Tobacco Companies and Cannabis – Should They Be Allowed In?

In the highly segmented investment industries, many institutions may have boards that limit their endowments’ investments to companies and industries that meet certain ethical criteria.

However, I strongly believe that the cannabis industries (note the plural) are not only suitable for ethical investors, they are compelling. And let’s start with Marijuana. Weed. Pot. Grass. Ganja. Etc.

Full here:

Is ‘Big Sky Botanicals’ CBD Legit? – A Real Tested CBD Brand Spotlight

The rise of CBD is here to stay, as is the growing number of products and companies distributing today. From the health and wellness industries to the beauty and culinary field and beyond, cannabidiol’s rise in popularity continues to grow. There are countless options available when it comes to CBD products on the market. When you are looking to find quality CBD products, fact-checking with third-party lab test results is the best way to ensure a legitimate CBD purchase. Real Tested CBD is a leading name in the world of CBD product reviews and independent lab testing. We provide you with everything you need to know before buying CBD online. Turn to Real Tested CBD and our expert score rating scale to get the best product for individual needs, in just about any form you can think of.  Today we bring you Big Sky Botanicals out of Montana:

“At Big Sky Botanicals we’ve witnessed first hand the benefit that phytocannabinoid-rich products can provide. The positive impact we see these products provide to such a wide range of individuals continues to inspire us every day. Our mission combines the potential of these products with our 50+ years of combined experience business experience in the direct-to-consumer/nutrition industry.” – Brian Frank & Vince Arnone (Big Sky Botanicals Co-Founders)

Big Sky Botanicals 

Big Sky Botanicals CBD Balm

Read full here:

Canadian Study Finds Medical Marijuana Reduced Alcohol Use

Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of Real Tested CBD Reviews: Top 5 CBD Pet Treats.

A recent research report published in Science Direct co-authored by my old friend Philippe Lucas, a longtime Canadian marijuana reform activist, found “Reductions in alcohol use following medical cannabis initiation: results from a large cross-sectional survey of medical cannabis patients in Canada.

“Following medical cannabis initiation, 44% (n=419) of participants reported decreases in alcohol use frequency over 30 days, and 34% (n=323) decreased the number of standard drinks they had per week.

Full here:

Blue Ribbon Hemp Releases 5000mg CBD Tincture for Seniors

Created by Richard Cowan and Dr. Igor Bussel, this high-quality CBD oil opens the door for older generations to try CBD safely and without the worry of any THC.

LAS VEGAS, Dec. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — With the growing popularity of CBD, there was one demographic often left out of the targeted product spectrum. Blue Ribbon Hemp is changing that, with high-quality CBD products crafted specifically with seniors in mind. Blue Ribbon Hemp has released a 5000mg Max-Strength Broad Spectrum CBD Tincture to provide maximum relief for the most critical care situations. This whole hemp MCT-oil based tincture supplies a powerful macro-dose of beneficial CBD, while providing a completely THC-free and safe option for seniors to utilize for a variety of potentially therapeutic benefits from improved sleep to inflammation recovery.

Full here:

https://www.streetinsider.com/PRNewswire/Blue+Ribbon+Hemp+Releases+5000mg+CBD+Tincture+for+Seniors/17730374.html

Mike Tyson’s Cannabis Use And the Punch Drunk News

Mike Tyson’s fight against Roy Jones Jr was a great promotional success for the boxers and perhaps even more for the marijuana legalization movement. Not so much for journalism.

As USAToday reported it, “Mike Tyson said he smoked marijuana right before the fight… Absolutely, yes,” he said during his post-fight press conference.

After the bout, Tyson indicated he smoked another joint, apparently before he met with the media…

“Listen, I can’t stop smoking,” he said. “I smoked during fights. I just have to smoke, I’m sorry. I’m a smoker. … I smoke everyday. I never stopped smoking.”

Then USAToday added, “Tyson said he stopped using cocaine about 2 1/2 years ago, but that turns out not to be the case for marijuana — even inside the ring.”

Full here:

We Need to Educate Children And Adults About “Drug Education”

Parents are understandably concerned about their children being “indoctrinated” as they are supposedly being “educated”, but the general public should also be concerned, especially when the government has been lying to everyone for decades about marijuana.

Decades of “Reefer Madness” with absurd claims about marijuana endangered children by undermining effective education about really dangerous drugs… and  adults about really dangerous government. Over twenty two million marijuana arrests later, the political consequences are still being hidden from the American people.

For example, in a 2002 interview with the Baltimore Sun,  John Walters, George W. Bush’s Drug Czar was asked about marijuana:

“It is by far the single largest factor in illegal drug addiction in the country. … The conventional view out there today is that marijuana is a soft drug, that marijuana is harmless and that it is not addictive, and there is no withdrawal. It’s not just a gateway drug. … If you are not talking about marijuana, you are not talking about the central part of the problem. (Emphasis added)

SEE: CBD Is Not A Narcotic Says EU. Duh, Says I.

Now, 18 years later, with the House of Representatives having finally voted to end marijuana prohibition, the Drug Enforcement Administration is baaak with a new website “Just Think Twice”.

Full here:

https://www.kabc.com/2020/12/10/we-need-to-educate-children-and-adults-about-drug-education/

PROFILES IN PROHIBITION: DR. GABRIEL NAHAS

Article written by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of Tips For Choosing The Right CBD Salve.

I crossed paths with Nahas in 1973 in the Texas Senate where he was testifying against changing the Texas marijuana laws which allowed life in prison for simple possession of any amount. (There were over 800 in prison and 30 doing life for less than an ounce.)

He was distributing copies of his first book about the alleged dangers of cannabis, “Marihuana: Deceptive Weed.” He would eventually publish nine more. 

I was there to lobby in favor of legalizing marijuana. but we did get possession of an ounce reduced to a Class B misdemeanor, and eight hundred prisoners were released. 

His next book, with the catchy title, Keep Off the Grass, was published in 1985 and claimed that every marijuana user was a “pusher” of marijuana. 

See full here:

https://www.globemagazine.com/content/profiles-prohibition-dr-gabriel-nahas

Ground Breaking CBD Study Indicates Lack Of Long Term Toxicity – Extended Lifespan Up To 18.3%


Article written By Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of Make Your Pet’s Life Healthier With CBD.

Libertpub.com has published a new research report on the effects of CBD.

We humans have some distant relatives called “nematode Caenorhabditis elegans” that are often used as a proxy for humans because we have a surprising amount in common.

As the report explains, “Caenorhabditis elegans is often used in preclinical lifelong toxicity studies, due to an estimated 60–80% of their genes having a human ortholog, and their short lifespan of 2–3 weeks.

In this study CBD “extended their lifespans up to 18.3% and increased late-stage life activity by up to 206.4% compared to controls.”

See: How Can You Be Sure Of Vegan Nature Of CBD Products?

Full here:

Marijuana Prohibition Is The Greatest Scientific Fraud Of The Last Century

Starting with the Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report in 1893 ending with the US Drug Czar’s own Institute of Medicine report in 1999, no major study has found any basis for the criminalization of cannabis.   

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article solely belong to the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Fresh Toast. 

Gizmodo.com a website whose motto is “We come from the future” has an article titled, What Is the Biggest Scientific Fraud of the Past 50 Years? It asked some distinguished scientists what they would nominate for that dubious distinction.  

Robert N. Proctor, Professor of the History of Science and Professor by courtesy of Pulmonary Medicine at Stanford University, named the “Council for Tobacco Research, the cigarette industry’s chief instrument for denying that cigarettes cause cancer…   

“Twenty-seven Nobel laureates took money from Big Tobacco, and every major university was showered with cash…”  

Considering that tobacco is still killing millions of people around the globe that certainly makes sense. 

SEE: RIP Lester Grinspoon: The Forbidden Cannabis Professor 

Full here:

Is CBD Essence Legit? – A Real Tested CBD Brand Spotlight

The popularity of CBD in health, wellness fields and beyond is ever on the rise. Cannabidiol, also known as CBD, is one of many compounds naturally derived from cannabis and hemp plants. It has been found to contain vital antioxidants and strong anti-inflammatory properties that show beneficial for things from anxiety and stress relief to pain management and mitigation. CBD produced within the United States must come from a cannabis or hemp plants containing less then 0.3% THC (the psychoactive compound commonly associated with marijuana), allowing CBD to be legally sold and distributed.

There are countless products to choose from when it comes to CBD on the market these days, especially when looking to buy CBD online. When it comes to finding quality CBD products, fact checking with third-party lab test results is the best way to ensure a legitimate CBD purchase. Real Tested CBD is a leading name in the world of CBD product reviews and independent lab testing. We give you with everything you need to know before buying CBD online, from pesticide and solvent test results to potency and label claim fact-checking. Turn to Real Tested CBD and our expert score card rating system to get the best CBD product for individual needs, in just about any form you can think of. Today we bring you a few of CBD Essence CBD products, and we think you will like what you see from our expert review:

Full here:

CBD Is Not A Narcotic Says EU. Duh, Says I.

Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of the Pros And Cons Of Vaping CBD Oil.

Over the decades that I have been involved in the marijuana legalization movement, I have encountered some remarkable examples of governmental stupidity, but recently France made a strong bid for first place in the international Reefer Madness sweepstakes by trying to ban CBD as a “narcotic.”

CBD isn’t psychoactive. It isn’t “addictive” and it has no known lethal dose. However, it was first discovered as a component of cannabis!! OMG!! OMG!! Of course, cannabis isn’t a Narcotic, either. But French officialdom  doesn’t like it, and that seems to be all that is important. Liberte! Egalite! Franternite!

Full here:

Do The House Republicans Really Think Marijuana Reform Is “Radical”?

Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of CBD For Healing Your Skin.

Over the decades that I have been involved in the marijuana legalization movement I have grown accustomed to absurdly dumb arguments from prohibitionists. However, I really have a hard time understanding how professional politicians could be so out of touch with their constituents. But maybe the prohibitionists don’t really represent their constituents.

Before the elections, the Congressional Republicans denounced the Democrats for having the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act.

See full here:

LATIN AMERICA MOVES TOWARD LEGALIZATION FROM ARGENTINA TO MEXICO, WITH SOME ABSURD EXCEPTIONS

Latin America has been very hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, and Argentina and other countries continue with their chronic economic problems. Now the New York Times is reporting that President Alberto Fernández has issued a decree that allows pharmacies to sell cannabis-based oils, creams and other products, and “orders public and private insurance systems to cover these medications for patients who obtain a prescription.”

Before he was elected, Fernandez said that “the war on drugs has failed” and “the solution isn’t to go around persecuting people for smoking a joint.”

The new decree also allows patients to grow their own medicine. Not that they were waiting for permission. The new rules also state that cannabis products should be made available for free in the country’s public health system for patients who don’t have health insurance. Obviously, any country with public health insurance should include medical cannabis in its coverage. It would probably save the government money.

See: Richard’s Tips to Latin American Countries on the Cusp of Legalization of Cannabis and Medical Marijuana

See full here:

Money, Money, Money! Why Isn’t Bloomberg President?

Article by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and author of CBD: Making Merry For Seniors

In 1966, the late Jesse Unruh, a California Democratic politician famously said that “Money is the mother’s milk of politics.” That may still be true, but the world has changed greatly in the last fifty years.

The Left has long urged that elections should be financed by the government because the rich could “buy elections”, and for a long time that seemed self-evident, but that was before the Internet democratized fundraising, and so much diversity of opinion among the affluent.

It was always obvious that victory didn’t always follow the money, but this year’s Presidential campaign made that very obvious, and painfully so for the well-financed Liberal candidates.

Full here:

Did Marijuana Prohibition Cost Trump The Election?

If you see a warm glow in the West, that is just me gloating over the results of the various state marijuana initiatives. They all won handily. Plus Oregon decriminalized possession of small quantities of almost everything. And several major publications actually mentioned the “Drug War.”  

A few months ago I speculated that Trump, having sold out to the prohibitionists like A. G. Bill Barr and Chief  of Staff Mark Meadows and his major donor Casino Mogul Sheldon Adelson, would lose votes, and might lose the election.  

SEE: Is Trump Willing To Lose The Election For Marijuana Prohibition? Even Republicans Support Legalization 

AND: The Prohibitionist Deep State: Trump’s New Chief of Staff Even Opposed CBD for Desperately Sick Children And Medical Marijuana for Disabled Vets 

In any close election, there will always be questions about what influenced the outcome. In past elections, the marijuana initiatives have generally earned more votes than the winning candidates, and that was true this year with one exception. 

Read full here:

FBI Investigates Corruption in Marijuana Retail Licensing In California

The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the FBI has raided homes and offices of officials of the Los Angeles suburbs suspected of corruption in the issuance of local retail licenses for recreational marijuana.

The Times reported, “Since California voters legalized recreational cannabis four years ago, allegations of conflicts of interest, bribery and bias in the permitting process have plagued cities and counties as they try to regulate the fledgling industry.”

I’m shocked! Shocked! 

Quick Links Inside this Article

See: Are Amsterdam Cannabis Coffee Shops Shutting Down?

Read more here:

British National Health Bureaucrats Refuse To Pay For CBD For Children With Severe Epilepsy

Article written by Richard Cowan, a former NORML National Director and author of Tips For Choosing The Right CBD Salve.

Over the decades that I have been involved in the marijuana legalization movement, I cannot begin to count the times I have heard the prohibitionists say, “Think of the children”, implying that anti-prohibitionists are indifferent to whether children might be harmed by any change in the laws..

See Think of the children

In the UK this mindless slogan has been used again and again whenever anyone proposed thinking about discussing considering possibly perhaps maybe lowering penalties or even arresting fewer people for simply possessing cannabis, even for medical use. Oh, the horror! “Think of the children!”

Full here:

Sweden’s Pandemic Policies Are Controversial But Its Drug Policies Are A Disaster

There hasn’t been much about the pandemic that is even vaguely amusing, but the cheers for Sweden’s pandemic policies from the American right are at least bemusing. 

Sweden chose to avoid the “lockdown” that most of the rest of the world, including its Scandanavian neighbors, have followed. The Swedes urged caution, including voluntary face masks, social distancing, etc. but none were mandatory, and no businesses were closed. It was hoped that it could avoid the economic pain that hit others so hard. Consequently, its decision has been cheered by Americans who opposed the lockdown in the US.

Full here:

A Drug War With No End: How It Will Ultimately End Our Freedom

There are many other factors involved in influencing levels of violence, but clearly the Drug War does not contribute to social peace, and we need to learn from other countries.  

While I am deeply sympathetic with the slogan “No Justice! No Peace!” I’m afraid they have it backwards.   

SEE: Abolish the Police? No, We Need for the “Drug Warriors” to Go Back to Being “Peace Officers”  

The United States, the self-proclaimed “leader of the Free World” has less than 5% of the world population, but almost 25% of the world’s prison population. We are indeed, Number One! USA! USA! We even have more prisoners than China.  

SEE: Countries with the largest number of prisoners, as of June 2020  

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DOES A FOOTBALL STAR HAVE TO GET KILLED FOR AMERICANS TO SEE HOW DANGEROUS THE DRUG WAR REALLY IS?

Louisville, Kentucky got unwanted national publicity after Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old unarmed African-American nurse, was fatally shot while she was sleeping in her apartment on March 13, by white plainclothes officers on a “no-knock” drug raid. (No drugs were found.)

See: LOUISVILLE SETTLES WITH BREONNA TAYLOR’S FAMILY ENDING NO-KNOCK WARRANTS BUT ONLY IN LOUISVILLE

The raid was such a fiasco legally that it still isn’t clear who was responsible for what, but because of the national publicity, Louisville has at least banned “No Knock” warrants.

So it is especially outrageous that another incident in Louisville has not been reported anywhere except for the Louisville Courier Journal.

See: ‘It could have gone wrong’: Michael Bush’s tense encounter with DEA agents in Louisville

Full here:

Guns And Marijuana. The Drug War Is The Greatest Threat To Gun Ownership Rights

Article by Richard Cowan,  former NORML National Director and author of why Full Spectrum Hemp CBD Components That Contribute To Entourage Effect.

In today’s highly polarized politics it is sometimes assumed that “gun rights” (Second Amendment) and “marijuana legalization” are polar opposites. I beg to differ.

On a personal note: I grew up in a house with several guns and when I lived in the country (in Texas) with snakes and rabid skunks, etc. I owned a gun and even shot a snake once. Otherwise, I don’t really feel the need for one.

See Does CBD Give You A Body High?

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Half A Billion Reasons Texas Must Legalize Marijuana

When the Texas Legislature begins its regular biennial session next year, marijuana legalization, both medical and recreational, is certainly going to be a topic. The state’s budget is going to face a massive deficit, hammered by both the pandemic and the collapse of the price of oil.

Texas has far more arrests for marijuana possession (over 63,000 in 2016) than any other state. New Jersey has been a distant second with around 30,000 arrests, but it is about to legalize it. 

See full here:

PROFILES IN PROHIBITION: GENERAL BARRY MCCAFFREY’S WAR ON MARIJUANA USERS

Article was written by Richard Cowan, former NORML National Director and the author of Is Blue Ribbon Hemp’s CBD Legit?

Barry McCaffrey has the most distinguished career of any Drug Czar, but that is very, very faint praise indeed.

In fact, McCaffrey was the youngest and most highly decorated four-star general in the army at the time of his retirement from the military in 1996.

The high point of his military career was his role in America’s decisive victory in the First Gulf War

After that, McCaffrey’s last command was the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), the unified command responsible for U.S. military activities in Central America and South America from 1994 to 1996.

Read more here:

https://www.globemagazine.com/content/profiles-prohibition-general-barry-mccaffrey%E2%80%99s-war-marijuana-users