If you’re a student of cannabis history, then you’re probably aware that three of our Founding Fathers – Washington, Adams, and Jefferson – grew hemp and advocated loudly for like minded patriots to do the same. They listened. By the mid-1800s, hemp flourished across America. States like Missouri, Kentucky, and Wisconsin were some of the largest producers.
Perhaps as many as 13 of the signers of the Declaration of Independence also grew hemp. The document itself is made of hemp. In fact, our nation literally grew with hemp. Until 1883, nearly 90 percent of all paper was made from hemp. In the mid-1800s cannabis extracts were among the most commonly used medications. Until 1937, nearly all twine and rope was made from hemp. In 1850, 8,327 hemp plantations were counted in America, which doesn’t include thousands of smaller crops.
Hemp has 25,000 known uses, but hemp expert Anndrea Hermann, a THC tester for Canadian hemp crops, states: “The global cannabis community has voiced its opinion loudly for the right to access medicinal or recreational marijuana. This voice is broad, bold, strong and multicultural. But somehow, industrial hemp stands at a distant third in importance to the other cannabis access-related issues. The issue perplexes those of us whom have been fighting for the rights of farmers, processors and providers of hemp products. My own experience has revealed that, despite the massive educational efforts the cannabis community has undertaken, Americans still don’t exactly know what hemp is – the issue, hemp’s benefits, or its place in the cannabis industry.”
On Independence Day, while you’re kicking back or toking up, take a moment to remember hemp’s place in American history. In fact, let’s continue to make history. Cannabis – whether it’s used for recreational, medicinal, industrial or spiritual purposes – is part of our nation’s fabric. As George Washington proclaimed: “Sow it everywhere!”
GOOD NEWS IN L.A.
Since the federal crackdown began last fall in California, approximately 500 dispensaries have been forced to close. They haven’t been helped by the municipalities of the state either; many have illegally placed bans on the establishments. Good news! The courts are righting the wrong.
The Second District Court of Appeals in California issued a landmark decision on Monday. In County of Los Angeles v. Alternative Medicinal Cannabis Collective (AMCC), the court affirmed the legality of medical marijuana dispensaries under state law, and rejected bans imposed by municipalities. In particular, the AMCC court held that Los Angeles County’s “complete ban” on medical marijuana is “pre-empted” by state law and, therefore, void. The AMCC decision reverses a preliminary junction granted to the County by the Los Angeles Superior Court in May 2011.
THE DECRIM BEAT GOES ON…
It’s now safer to inhale in the Windy City. Last week, the Chicago City Council voted overwhelmingly to decriminalize marijuana possession. Starting on August 4, police can issue tickets of $250 to $500 for someone caught with 15 grams or less of pot. The flip side of this policy is that the city expects to reap a new revenue stream. With 18,000 annual arrests for pot possession in Chicago each year, politicians expect to generate millions of dollars for the city.
How’s this for a concept? No penalties whatsoever! It’s called legalization. It’s bad enough that the Drug War has been waged on the backs of pot smokers. Now cities want to use us to balance their budgets!
In other decrim news, Colombia decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cocaine and marijuana for personal use. Anyone caught with less than 20 grams of marijuana or one gram of cocaine for personal use may receive physical or psychological treatment depending on their state of consumption, but can’t be prosecuted or detained.
TOP HOT POT SHOT OF THE WEEK
You know how you win Top Hot Pot Shot of the Week photo contest? Look at the calendar. Can you come up with a theme? This pot-ographer did. She asked a pal to don a star-spangled bikini and pose in a wading pool. We’ve named it “Bong on the 4th of July.” The next national holiday is Labor Day. Knock yourselves out coming up with a theme for that day.
Light the fireworks! Our pot-ographer just won a bundle of cool, free junk! Our prizes will rock your stoner world – that is, if you can shoot a winning image. Take a bong hit, grab your camera and start being clever!
Enter now!
Send your photos to: potshots@hightimes.com
NEWS HIT
Oliver Stone Appears with HIGH TIMES Cover on Jimmy Fallon
Oliver Stone stopped by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon Thursday night to discuss his new film Savages (in theaters July 6).
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Chicago to Decriminalize Pot on August 4
Now when you say Chicago is my “kind” of town, it’ll have a whole new meaning. On Wednesday, the Chicago City Council decisively approved a new ordinance by a landslide vote of 43-3 that allows law enforcement to issue a ticket to anyone caught in possession of 15 grams (slightly more than half an ounce) or less. Previously, any amount of pot potentially meant arrest and a sentence of up to six months, particularly for minorities.
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Norwegian Weed: Snoop Busted at Oslo Airport
For the second time this year, a pot-sniffing pooch got the better of pot-smoking superstar Snoop Dogg when the hip-hop legend was busted at Norway’s Oslo Airport on Thursday for possession of eight grams of chronic (slightly more than a quarter-ounce).
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Official Results from The HIGH TIMES Bay Area Medical Cannabis Cup
Here are the official results from the 2012 HIGH TIMES Bay Area Medical Cannabis Cup:
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Danko’s Marijuana Strain of the Week
Blue Dream – Clone Only
HIGH TIMES Top 10 Strain, 2010
Over the past few years, the sativa-dominant Blue Dream has become a real dispensary favorite on the West Coast, especially in the Bay Area, where it’s a staple at many medical-cannabis collectives. Full-bodied in odor, flavor and high, this colorful strain provides a richness of experience lacking in many other “meds.”
Blue Dream also makes a great strain for indica lovers wishing to try another route to nirvana. The long-lasting high starts in the head and ends in the body, yet without the sedative effects typical of indicas, leaving you fully functional yet pleasantly stoned for a truly expansive and cerebral experience. The incense-like aroma of Blue Dream – capped by a fruity and spicy taste that lingers on the palate – also makes it a perfect strain for making hash. The only problem is that the mites love this plant as much as everybody else does, so stay vigilant and constantly check the undersides of leaves for insects and their damage.
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DRUG TESTING
Researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine recently announced that even minute trace amounts of a wide variety of infant cleansing products – including Johnson & Johnson’s Bedtime Bath, CVS Night-Time Baby Bath, Aveeno Baby Soothing Relief Creamy Wash and Aveeno Baby Wash & Shampoo (plus others) – can cause false positive results for marijuana.
“We really did this to help protect families from being falsely accused,” said study co-author Dr. Carl Seashore, a pediatrician in the UNC Chapel Hill newborn nursery.
The study reveals that screening newborns for cannabis at hospitals, particularly among babies of women who are considered at high risk of drug use, is not uncommon. At UNC Chapel Hill, for instance, 10-40 percent of newborns are tested. When nurses at the newborn nursery noticed that one out of six infants tested positive for cannabis, follow-up confirmation tests were ordered and turned up negative.
Twelve US states designate prenatal exposure to any illegal drug as child abuse. Drug-screening parents who are “considered at high risk” is simply code for subjective selection. This flimsy procedure results in children being removed from their homes, even though there is no scientific evidence that connects parental pot smoking with child abuse.
The entire practice of infant drug testing must be called into question, but Professor Seashore has a more conservative outlook: “Our findings in this study drive home that confirmation by more sophisticated methods such as mass spectrometry should be considered before moving ahead with interventions such as child social services or child abuse allegations, which may be false,” the researcher said.
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Table of Contents
PIX OF THE CROP
Our favorite reader submissions from the past week…
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Also be sure to check out our new interactive phot galleries…
http://photos.HIGHTIMES.COM
Laugh Your Grass Off!
“Annoying Stoner: Part II”
We’ve all been told “Don’t Bogart that joint” at one time or another. Our stoner comedy team explores the world of frustration when a toker believes a joint is a microphone.
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Upcoming Events
November 18-22, 2012
HIGH TIMES Cannabis Cup
Amsterdam
Tickets Available Now!
Sponsored By:
http://cannabiscup.com