How do we win this fight in ending cannabis prohibition? I am willing to bet my life savings on saying that every activist has asked themselves, their friends, their twitter followers, whomever they communicate with about that very question. While no perfect answer can be had, or else the fight would have been won already, there are still some great pointers that can help everyone be the better advocate.
1. VOTE!
Voting is the single most powerful power given to the people of the United States. It is your voice on paper! When you go to polling stations you are deciding who stays, who goes, and how much freedom you allowed to have. Keeping up with the things that go on in legislation, both local and federal, as well as putting research in to who are upcoming candidates will keep you an informed voter. Don’t forget to advocate voting to others too! Some people may not know the importance voting has on our society and local communities, and it’s important you let them know they have a voice in the change and growth of our country!
2. “Knowledge is Power”
The best tool you will have in your activist’s arsenal is your brain, your noggin, if you will. The same thing that helps you eat, breathe, walk and talk is the same thing you’ll use when advocating responsible use and debating those who may not see your ideas eye-to-eye. Be sure to stay informed on local, federal, and global issues. There is new information coming out everyday and it may seem difficult to keep up with, but there are many marijuana reform blogs and news sources that provide a steady source of useful information. Read what you can not only to learn but to keep your brain active and constantly refreshed. Puzzles and brain teasers are a great way to keep your mind exercising during down-time. Eating healthy also ensures good brain activity and can prevent the sluggish-minded feeling some marijuana users may accustomed to, as well as ensure that your body is just as healthy.
3. “Keep Your Friends Close, But Your Enemies Closer.”
While it may be over used in action movies, this is also a concept that can prove true when it comes to activism. Those who oppose marijuana reform can receive all the information we can and find ways to twist it around to be negative. By listening to debates and interviews that are done with our public opponents you will learn what rebuttals are regularly used when concerning factual information is presented. Keeping all three of these activism pointers in mind, will help you be the better advocate and help put us one step closer to reaching our goal of full marijuana legalization.
"First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, then you win." – Gandhi
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
To all the haters and those who want to listen.
I recently posted this as a comment to the article "Peter Lewis resigns from the Marijuana Policy Project" at HighTimes.com. If you would like to see the article for yourself you can follow this "link"
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Wow, nothing but extremely negative comments. I understand there are a lot of crooks out that are in the top roles of quite a few anti-prohibition. "Such is life". If you all really wanted marijuana legal, it would be done already. You all have the power to vote(unless you are an "illegal"). You all could have chosen the right people to be in office. You all could have campaigned for those people who better serve our cause. You all could advocate anti-prohibition and reform of marijuana laws. Think about it. All the time you guys are wasting on just throwing up words on to your keyboard that are directed towards absolutely nothing, you be better educating yourselves on current marijuana studies, laws, and views by your peers. If you want something changed, you have to be the change. Run for office if you meet the qualifications. Better educate yourself in the history of politics in our country.
I say all this not to nay-say anyone, but come on guys and gals, grow up a little and please stop being so ignorant. We need to show people that marijuana smokers are not violent people who act on rage and hate at first site of something not being to our liking. Of course I don't mean this to everyone, but you all know who you are. This also goes for people who are thinking of writing more comments that are just a complete waste of cyberspace.
Why don't you all get together with other like minds in your community and go door to door to see how your neighbors feel about marijuana legalization. See if you can get their email to inform them about upcoming bills that will go through Congress or the Senate and advocate to them to write to your elected officials, as well as informing them about people that are going to run for an elected office so that we can make sure we have the right people in office. There are so many ways to better help our cause than saying fuck this person, fuck that person, fuck you. Yes, there are morons out there, but you should have realized that by the time you started going to school. As I'm pretty sure we're not allowed to throw email addresses around here, I can only ask that you visit my blog.(Which is currently only in it's beginning stages)
http://mjandyou.blogspot.com/
I will soon post some ideas that you can use to help get the change flowing. You all can be the voice of the nation, it's just a matter of taking responsibility. I wish you all great fortune and a life time of peace and love!
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This is something I'm finding frequently at multiple sites that post about different people doing different things when it comes to the issue of marijuana reform. I would like suggest some different ideas for bettering our chances at reforming marijuana laws. I will go over the ideas in later posts but I wanted to have this comment stand as a "landmark", if you will, that people can reflect on as they go to make there next comment on any web page.
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Wow, nothing but extremely negative comments. I understand there are a lot of crooks out that are in the top roles of quite a few anti-prohibition. "Such is life". If you all really wanted marijuana legal, it would be done already. You all have the power to vote(unless you are an "illegal"). You all could have chosen the right people to be in office. You all could have campaigned for those people who better serve our cause. You all could advocate anti-prohibition and reform of marijuana laws. Think about it. All the time you guys are wasting on just throwing up words on to your keyboard that are directed towards absolutely nothing, you be better educating yourselves on current marijuana studies, laws, and views by your peers. If you want something changed, you have to be the change. Run for office if you meet the qualifications. Better educate yourself in the history of politics in our country.
I say all this not to nay-say anyone, but come on guys and gals, grow up a little and please stop being so ignorant. We need to show people that marijuana smokers are not violent people who act on rage and hate at first site of something not being to our liking. Of course I don't mean this to everyone, but you all know who you are. This also goes for people who are thinking of writing more comments that are just a complete waste of cyberspace.
Why don't you all get together with other like minds in your community and go door to door to see how your neighbors feel about marijuana legalization. See if you can get their email to inform them about upcoming bills that will go through Congress or the Senate and advocate to them to write to your elected officials, as well as informing them about people that are going to run for an elected office so that we can make sure we have the right people in office. There are so many ways to better help our cause than saying fuck this person, fuck that person, fuck you. Yes, there are morons out there, but you should have realized that by the time you started going to school. As I'm pretty sure we're not allowed to throw email addresses around here, I can only ask that you visit my blog.(Which is currently only in it's beginning stages)
http://mjandyou.blogspot.com/
I will soon post some ideas that you can use to help get the change flowing. You all can be the voice of the nation, it's just a matter of taking responsibility. I wish you all great fortune and a life time of peace and love!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is something I'm finding frequently at multiple sites that post about different people doing different things when it comes to the issue of marijuana reform. I would like suggest some different ideas for bettering our chances at reforming marijuana laws. I will go over the ideas in later posts but I wanted to have this comment stand as a "landmark", if you will, that people can reflect on as they go to make there next comment on any web page.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Marijuana and Laugh Therapy
So, just a little bit ago I was looking over what the ONDCP (Drug Czar's Office) thought about marijuana. Apparently they think it causes depression among youths based on some "studies". I thought to myself, "This can't be right." I continued "Whenever I stop to think about it, smoking cannabis has made me a happier person today." and then I continued to think about what I have noticed as a pot smoker and frequently spends time around other people while pot is and isn't an influence. I must say a vast majority have a great sense of humor no matter what, and that while under the influence people seem to be a little more giggly. When I was watching BBC one fine ganja filled day, I saw a report about Laughter Therapy. This was something that particularly caught my attention. There was a man named Dr. Madan Kataria who had opened over 600 laughter clubs all throughout India. These clubs would meet every morning for a 20 minute laugh session to prepare everyone for the day ahead and to keep them refreshed and energized. So I tried it, for a few mornings afterward, I would begin with some deep breathing for about a 3 minutes then spend 30 of some mediocre laughter, breathe for another minute or so and then laugh intensely until I was satisfied with how I felt. It was very rewarding. After a while I stopped. Doing crazy things like laughing hysterically early in morning can bother some people, so I decided to stop my personal "therapy sessions" instead of just finding a different location to practice.
Marijuana has a great effect on people's moods and sense of humor. I have noticed that whenever I am around someone who I'm enjoying the sweet leaf with or they just arrived from a little session with their buddies they always seem to want to smile and laugh. The smallest things could send us flying into laughing fits. And afterward, I remember that refreshed and energetic feeling I had once before. I have recently regained my interest in Laughter Therapy and find that when I choose to have to have a session during .. a session, that it increases my high and can be quite contagious and cause others to just enjoy the moment. While there is no current link between Marijuana and laughter therapy, I believe that have found a way to cure/alleviate depression symptoms easier with the use of marijuana. I'm willing to put that test in any lab.
Marijuana has a great effect on people's moods and sense of humor. I have noticed that whenever I am around someone who I'm enjoying the sweet leaf with or they just arrived from a little session with their buddies they always seem to want to smile and laugh. The smallest things could send us flying into laughing fits. And afterward, I remember that refreshed and energetic feeling I had once before. I have recently regained my interest in Laughter Therapy and find that when I choose to have to have a session during .. a session, that it increases my high and can be quite contagious and cause others to just enjoy the moment. While there is no current link between Marijuana and laughter therapy, I believe that have found a way to cure/alleviate depression symptoms easier with the use of marijuana. I'm willing to put that test in any lab.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
What do when handed a marijuana cigarette.
The nation is torn. Currently, marijuana's legal status in the schedule 1 classification presents it as a dangerous drug, that is highly addictive and has no medical value. The truth is that with the vast majority of studies that have been done, marijuana is shown to be significantly safer than current recreational drugs like cigarettes and alcohol. In fact marijuana in it's over 10,000 years of use has had zero related deaths.[1] Unfortunately, even though a vast majority of groups agree that marijuana should be decriminalized, it seems that when ever a bill is put through Congress or Senate it is quickly dismissed and never again heard of. The rescheduling and decriminalization of marijuana has been making some headway through out the years. 14 states as well as DC have approved marijuana for medical use, and 10 have decriminalized possession of a small amount making it punishable by only a small fine. Currently, in California, there is a proposition to legalize, tax, and regulate the plant for recreational and commercial use.
So either way in any state is currently illegal to smoke marijuana. That doesn't stop the 42% of people in the United States from trying it and the 16% of those who smoke it regularly, like myself. So when handed a marijuana cigarette, what should you do? Well, you can either take a puff or two and see that it isn't as harmful as many government funded organizations like to portray, or you can just take their word for it. (Not the best suggestion in any case, if you want my opinion.).
Footnotes:
[1] Source: Iversen, Leslie L., PhD, FRS, "The Science of Marijuana" (London, England: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 178, citing House of Lords, Select Committee on Science and Technology, "Cannabis -- The Scientific and Medical Evidence" (London, England: The Stationery Office, Parliament, 1998).
So either way in any state is currently illegal to smoke marijuana. That doesn't stop the 42% of people in the United States from trying it and the 16% of those who smoke it regularly, like myself. So when handed a marijuana cigarette, what should you do? Well, you can either take a puff or two and see that it isn't as harmful as many government funded organizations like to portray, or you can just take their word for it. (Not the best suggestion in any case, if you want my opinion.).
Footnotes:
[1] Source: Iversen, Leslie L., PhD, FRS, "The Science of Marijuana" (London, England: Oxford University Press, 2000), p. 178, citing House of Lords, Select Committee on Science and Technology, "Cannabis -- The Scientific and Medical Evidence" (London, England: The Stationery Office, Parliament, 1998).
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