Flower Tucci

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registed on: Apr 30 2009, 2:56 am, last logged in on: Dec 31 1969, 7:00 pm

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• Why Marijuana should be legal!

  by Flower Tucci, Sun Jul 12, 2009 6:39 pm

  Liberty: people deserve freedom to use marijuana. The first and most basic reason that marijuana should be legal is that there is no good reason for it not to be legal. Some people ask 'why should marijuana be legalized?" but we should ask "Why should marijuana be illegal?" From a philosophical point of view, individuals deserve the right to make choices for themselves. The government only has a right to limit those choices if the individual's actions endanger someone else. This does not apply to marijuana, since the individual who chooses to use marijuana does so according to his or her own free will. The government also may have a right to limit individual actions if the actions pose a significant threat to the individual. But this argument does not logically apply to marijuana because marijuana is far less dangerous than some drugs which are legal, such as alcohol and tobacco.
   

  Individuals deserve the right to decide whether or not they should use marijuana. The government should not tell individuals what to do as long as they do not harm others.

  COST: keeping marijuana illegal is expensive.

  The second important reason that marijuana should be legal is that it would save our government lots of money. In the United States, all levels of government (federal, state, and local authorities) participate in the "War on Drugs." We currently spend billions of dollars every year to chase peaceful people who happen to like to get high. These people get locked up in prison and the taxpayers have to foot the bill. We have to pay for food, housing, health care, attorney fees, court costs, and other expenses to lock these people up. This is extremely expensive! We could save billions of dollars every year as a nation if we stop wasting money locking people up for having marijuana. In addition, if marijuana were legal, the government would be able to collect taxes on it, and would have a lot more money to pay for effective drug education programs and other important causes. 
   

  We would have more money to spend on important problems if marijuana were legal.

   

  Failure: prohibition doesn't help. The third major reason that marijuana should be legal is because prohibition does not help the country in any way, and causes a lot of problems. There is no good evidence that prohibition decreases drug use, and there are several theories that suggest prohibition might actually increase drug use (i.e. the "forbidden fruit" effect, and easier accessibility for youth). One unintended effect of marijuana prohibition is that marijuana is very popular in American high schools. Why? Because it is available. You don't have to be 21 to buy marijuana -- marijuana dealers usually don't care how old you are as long as you have money. It is actually easier for many high school students to obtain marijuana than it is for them to obtain alcohol, because alcohol is legal and therefore regulated to keep it away from kids. If our goal is to reduce drug consumption, then we should focus on open and honest programs to educate youth, regulation to keep drugs away from kids, and treatment programs for people with drug problems. But the current prohibition scheme does not allow such reasonable approaches to marijuana; instead we are stuck with 'DARE' police officers spreading lies about drugs in schools, and policies that result in jail time rather than treatment for people with drug problems. We tried prohibition with alcohol, and that failed miserably. We should be able to learn our lesson and stop repeating the same mistake.

   Prohibition does not work. Education and treatment are better ways to address the drug problem.

   

  There are plenty of other reasons why marijuana should be legal. Just to name a few: Medicinal use: Marijuana can be used as medicine because it helps to stimulate apetite and relieve nausea in cancer and AIDS patients.

   

  Hemp: The hemp plant is a valuable natural resource. Legalizing marijuana would eliminate the confusion surrounding hemp and allow us to take advantage of hemp's agricultural and industrial uses.

   

  :Religious use: Some religions instruct their followers to use marijuana. Just like Christianity and Judaism instruct their followers to drink wine on certain occaisions, some Hindus, Buddhists, Rastafarians, and members of other religions use marijuana as part of their spiritual and religious ceremonies. These people deserve the freedom to practice their religion as they see fit. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says that the government cannot 'prohibit the free exercise' of religion, and so marijuana should be legal.

   

  If you have questions, comments, or suggestions regarding this, or if you would like to help our cause, please email us at mlo@mjlegal.org 

  All info written & provided by http://www.mjlegal.org/essayspeech.html

   

  23 comments » | feature

• Miss Hightimes 2010

  by Flower Tucci, Tue Aug 11, 2009 11:31 am

  It is an honor to be a contestant in Miss Hightimes Pageant 2010!

  Thank you everyone at Hightimes & Bobby Black for creating a website that brings such a diverse group of people from around the world who love Cannabis together : )

  I have met many cool stoner men & women on Miss Hightimes website.

  I look forward to meeting many of you at the 22nd Cannabis Cup 2009 in Amsterdam!!

  Thank you for the positive vibes & getting me high!!

   

  2 comments »

• Reggae Rising 2009

  by Flower Tucci, Sat Aug 08, 2009 10:31 pm

  I attended the Reggae Rising music Festival at Dimmick Ranch this year, it is off the hook! Everyone was enjoying the music, dancing, and filling the sky with clouds of smoke!! here are a few pics of me camping, enjoying the festival & keeping my head in the clouds....
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  6 comments »

• Health risk myths & realities of Marijuana use...

  by Flower Tucci, Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:20 pm

  Marijuana Overdose
  There is no existing evidence of anyone dying of a marijuana overdose. Tests performed on mice have shown that the ratio of cannabinoids (the chemicals in marijuana that make you high) necessary for overdose to the amount necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1.
  
  For comparison's sake, that ratio for alcohol is generally between 4:1 and 10:1. Alcohol overdoses claim approximately 5,000 casualties yearly, but marijuana overdoses kill no one as far as any official reports.
  
  Brain Damage
  Marijuana is psychoactive because it stimulates certain brain receptors, but it does not produce toxins that kill them (like alcohol), and it does not wear them out as other drugs may. There is no evidence that marijuana use causes brain damage. Studies performed on actual human populations will confirm these results, even for chronic marijuana users (up to 18 joints per day) after many years of use.
  
  In fact, following the publication of two 1977 JAMA studies, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially announced its support for the decriminalization of marijuana.
  
  In reality, marijuana has the effect of slightly increasing alpha-wave activity in your brain. Alpha waves are generally associated with meditative and relaxed states, which are, in turn, often associated with human creativity.
  
  Memory
  Marijuana does impair short-term memory, but only during intoxication. Although the authoritative studies on marijuana use seem to agree that there is no residual impairment following intoxication, persistent impairment of short-term memory has been noted in chronic marijuana smokers, up to 6 and 12 weeks following abstinence.
  
  What other myths have been going around about smoking a doobie ?

  more marijuana myths Heart Problems

  It is accepted in medical circles today that marijuana use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. Marijuana smoking, however, does cause changes in the heart and body's circulation characteristic of stress, which may complicate preexisting cardiovascular problems like hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary atherosclerosis. Marijuana's effects on blood pressure are complex and inconsistent as of yet.

  
  
  Hormones

  Chronic marijuana use has not been found to alter

  testosterone

  or other sex hormone levels. In contrast, heavy alcohol use is known to lower these same testosterone levels.

  
  
  Reproductive Damage

  No trustworthy study has ever shown that marijuana use damages the reproductive system, or causes chromosome breakage. Studies of actual human populations have failed to demonstrate that marijuana adversely affects the reproductive system. Claims that marijuana use may impair hormone production, menstrual cycles, or fertility in females are both unproven and unfounded.

  
  
  The Immune System

  Studies in which lab rats were injected with extremely large quantities of THC (the active compound in marijuana) have found that marijuana (in such unrealistically huge quantities) does have an "immunosuppressive effect" in those lab rats, in that it temporarily shuts off certain cells in the liver called lymphocytes and macrophages. These macrophages are useful in fighting off bacterial, not viral, infections.

   

  But this is only for the duration of intoxication. There also exists some evidence that marijuana metabolites remain in the lungs for up to seven months after smoking has ceased, possibly affecting the immune system of the lungs (but not by turning the cells off).

   

  This said, doctors and researchers are still not sure that the immune system is actually negatively affected in realistic situations since there are no numbers to support the idea. In fact, three studies showed that THC might have actually stimulated the immune system in the people studied.

  
  
  Cancer

  Smoking marijuana has the potential to cause both bronchitis and cancer of the lungs, throat, and neck, but this is generally no different than inhaling any other burnt carbon-containing matter since they all increase the number of lesions (and therefore possible infections) in your airways.

  
  
  The Gateway Effect

  Marijuana use has not been found to act as a gateway drug to the use of harder drugs. Studies show that when the Dutch partially legalized marijuana in the 70's, heroin and cocaine use substantially declined, despite a slight increase in marijuana use.

   

  If the stepping stone theory were true, use should have gone up rather than down. In reality, it appears that marijuana use tends to substitute for the use of relatively more dangerous hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, rather than lead to their use.

   

  Thus, oftentimes strict marijuana laws themselves are the most significant factor involved in moving on to harder drugs like cocaine. Such is the case in Nevada and Arizona, the states toughest on marijuana use.

  the potential benefits Because smoked marijuana contains a variety of combustion compounds, it can damage the lungs and possibly the immune system. Several health committees recommended the development of an inhalation device that delivers pure THC -- the active ingredient in marijuana -- to the lungs. Anyone who is against marijuana simply for the smoke needs to research Vaporizers.... look up a good one like the Extreme Vaporizer what it does it it blows heated air over the marijuana and vaporizes the THC and CBD so that is all you are inhaling.... there is no combustion and no smoke.... it is a MUCH healthier way of medicating and it extracts more thc than smoking so your bag goes a lot further!
  
  There is some evidence -- but no scientifically valid studies -- that marijuana is useful in treating some forms of epilepsy and spasticity caused by multiple sclerosis.
  
  Some studies show that smoked marijuana is effective for some patients in relieving nausea caused by cancer and chemotherapy.
  
  There is evidence that marijuana may improve the appetite and help patients gain weight. This could be lifesaving for AIDS patients who develop wasting , a severe weight-loss condition.
  
  Smoking marijuana is effective in lowering pressure inside the eyeballs of some patients with glaucoma. A word of caution, however: the drug also drops blood pressure, and this could compromise blood flow to the optic nerve and damage vision.
  
  So there you have it. For additional information on the benefits of marijuana, I highly recommend the book The Benefits of Marijuana : Physical, Psychological, and Spiritual by Joan Bello.

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• USA DE-CRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA!!

  by Flower Tucci, Fri Aug 07, 2009 2:20 pm

  I disagree that marijuana must remain criminalized because of its ostensible role as a gateway drug.

  It should be no secret that in its unregulated state, pot is often easier for a minor to access than liquor or cigarettes — themselves the most deadly of gateway drugs.

  Why grant cannabis tax-free status when we could better control its use by regulating and taxing it as we do alcohol, which is more impairing than marijuana, and tobacco, which is far more addictive?

  Does it make sense that we're cutting law enforcement and other critical services to afford to incarcerate nonviolent drug offenders, when we could be putting more cops on the beat from marijuana's tax revenue and saving overcrowded prisons for truly dangerous convicts?

  Keeping cannabis illegal also represents government intrusion on the business sector at its worst, because it deprives us of marijuana's harmless cousin, hemp.

  Hemp is a drought-resistant crop which could provide jobs and offer local sources of clothing, paper, biofuel, canvas, rope and nutritious seeds.

  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution were drafted on hemp paper. Old Glory was made from cannabis fibers.

  Today, we import hundreds of thousands of dollars of hemp products from Canada. In a fiscal crisis especially, Advertisement Quantcast criminalizing this lucrative crop out of an outdated "prohibition" mindset makes no kind of sense!

  USA De-criminalize Marijuana!!!

  Letter: Legal marijuana would have benefits Chico Enterprise-Record Posted: 08/07/2009 

  1 comments »