USA: Reefer Madness 4.0 – The Propaganda Shell Game | Marijuana.com

USA: Reefer Madness 4.0 – The Propaganda Shell Game 

In recent weeks, we have seen a shift in how drug war proponents are talking about marijuana. No longer able to convince the public that people who use marijuana should go to jail, they are singing a new tune; they should all go to treatment. This is a shift we have seen before. When marijuana first came on the scene in the U.S. in the early 1900s, reports of marijuana induced violence among Mexicans fueled the nation's fear about the little known plant. When the general population started experimenting with the herb in the 1920s, it became clear that the claims of violence were fabricated. Losing the ability to instill fear in the public around marijuana use, the message was modified. The new message tied marijuana use to insanity and mental illness, which were highly stigmatized conditions, and continue to be. Being labeled as mentally ill frightened the white, middle class, marijuana consumers, and this fear led to the support of the Marijuana Tax Act in 1937.

Fast forward to 2012. Public support for marijuana legalization is at an all-time high and the government acknowledges that a change is being considered. No longer able to convince Americans that marijuana consumers are dangerous criminals who deserve to be locked up, history is repeating itself. We are seeing a shift in the message, from marijuana consumers as criminals to marijuana consumers as sick people who belong in treatment. It's a propaganda shell game and we can't fall for it again.

Arizona: In A World Of Real Crime - Are Patient To Patient Sales A Problem? | Marijuana.com

Arizona: In A World Of Real Crime - Are Patient To Patient Sales A Problem?

Notes from the ‘human trade’ trail…cocaine stuffed backpacks, trafficking of human flesh and the occasional drug cartel shootout – all less vexing than patient to patient pot sales?

While it shouldn’t be shocking, coming from the obvious right-wing state of Arizona… a seedy little sinkhole of humanity, that prefers drunkards to stoners. Most held their breath, hoping for the best…braced for the worst, knowing these types of headlines would be hitting the front pages shortly after medical marijuana was made available to the sick and needy. I guess it’s just the speed, zeal and vigor with which these victimless, nonviolent stories caught traction. Or not – after all, this is Maricopa County Arizona we’re talking about – the home of “Big Joe” Arpaio.

San Diego Mayor Backs Off Suppression Of Medical Marijuana Collectives | Marijuana.com

San Diego Mayor Backs Off Suppression Of Medical Marijuana Collectives 

San Diego your holiday season just keeps getting better and better... SD Mayor tells city staff to back off medical marijuana collectives

Justin Bieber Hits A Dank, Weed Stuffed, Blunt | Marijuana.com

Justin Bieber Hits A Dank, Weed Stuffed, Blunt

Justin Bieber Pulls A Michael Phelps...
Fame, Weed, And Asshole Friends

Justin Bieber kicked off the new year on a real high note -- clutching a fat joint of some Chronic weed at a big party inside a Newport Beach hotel room this week ...

The pics were snapped on January 2nd -- the day after a paparazzo was killed while trying to take photos of Bieber's Ferrari -- and it's pretty obvious ... Bieber wasn't feeling too bad about the whole situation.

CO: New Marijuana Cultivation School Takes Root... | Marijuana.com

CO: New Marijuana Cultivation School Takes Root...  

Recreational marijuana smokers in Colorado are in a tight spot, weed is legal, sure they can fire up in their homes, but they can’t purchase it - unless their also medical, and they have their "red card" . So for anyone looking to cultivate their own pot, there are a couple of different ways to learn, such as schools, yup, Marijuana 101.

Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Measure Eligible for Vote | Marijuana.com

Los Angeles Medical Marijuana Measure Eligible for Vote

Colorado and Washington set to rake in the new green revenue – While L.A. still wastes it…

As other states take the position once held by California, leading the nation towards a more common sense approach on marijuana consumption, an L.A. Based initiative that’s aimed at trying to save approximately 100 medical marijuana collectives in downtown LA has moved considerably closer to becoming law.

Who Will Be The Likely Medicinal Marijuana Users In Massachusetts? | Marijuana.com

Who Will Be The Likely Medicinal Marijuana Users In Massachusetts? 

While it's true the average medical marijuana user tends to shy away from participation in polls which attempt to gather data on who they are, and where they live. Currently, of the 17+ states which allow their residents the use of medicinal marijuana, only a handful of states attempt to collect comprehensive demographics of those enrolled in their programs. The few states that did participate in the collection of this information showed that the most prominent consumers of medical pot tend to be middle-aged men.