Posts Tagged ‘Society and Cannabis’
Cannabis Ebonics – Stoner Terms
We found this list of stoner terms online and thought we’d share them. Some of the terms are more frequently used in America however most (if not all) have made their way into the international stoner vocabulary. We also dug up a classic clip of Ali G listing other stoner terms:
April 20th (4/20) – International Cannabis Day, everyone blazes on this day. Everyone blazes at 4:20 every day too.
Blaze – To get high!
Blunt - Either a hollowed out cigar filled with marijuana or (more commonly) a “marijuana cigarette” rolled with a blunt wrap (tobacco paper or emptied cigar).
Bowl - Can refer either to the part of a piece that holds cannabis, or to the pipe itself.
Bogart - The act of holding on to a joint/piece/blunt for too long, or one who does such an act: “Don’t bogart that joint my friend, pass it over to me”.
Boo – A street name for marijuana, listed only in anti-drug literature. No one has ever heard or used it. If you are ever arrested for possession, you should use this term, saving the taxpayers the expense of correcting and reprinting anti-pot pamphlets.
Kick-Hole / Carb – The hole on the side of a piece used to regulate air flow. Hold it closed with your thumb while inhaling to draw smoke into the chamber, then release to let air in and force the smoke into your lungs. Also called a “rush hole”.
Cherry – The red burning coal of marijuana in a joint or bowl.
Chillum – A pipe with the bowl in line with the stem.
Ganja – Just 1 of many synonyms for cannabis, others include Dope, Marijuana, Grass, Draw, Puff, Blow, Weed, Gear, Ganja, Herb, Wacky Baccy, Skunk, Pot, Bob Hope and Bob – see the Ali G video below for many more
Hashish / Hash - The resin secreted by a marijuana plant. Different kinds of hash are prepared with a variety of recipes.
Hash oil - A liquid extracted from marijuana. Use mostly by dipping smokeables into the hash oil.
Hit – A drag or puff cannabis.
Hot Box / White wall - Getting high in a car or small space with no ventilation so that you are constantly inhaling atmospheric smoke.
Joint / Zut / Doob / Doobie - Marijuana cigarette. Kind Bud (chronic, hydro, sticky icky, highs) – High potency Cannabis.
Mids – Descent cannabis for the money you pay for it, if you don’t have a lot of money this is the best way to go.
Moocher – Someone who will smoke your bud in a second, but never has any of their own.
Papers / Skins – Cigarette papers used for rolling joints.
Piece - Refers to a pipe of one sort or another.
Resin - Black tar like stuff that builds up in smoking apparatuses.
Schwag – Low grade cannabis or the leftovers from the bottom of a big bag.
Top U.K government scientist says: Cannabis evidence ‘was devalued’
We came across this interesting thread on the BBC website which refers to a lecture given by Professor David Nutt, of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs. Professor Nutt used a lecture at King’s College in London and a briefing paper to attack what he called the “artificial” separation of alcohol and tobacco from illegal drugs, accusing ex-Home Secretary Jacqui Smith of “devaluing” scientific research. He also criticizes the scare-tactics of the U.K government on the issue and claims that the link between cannabis use and schizophrenia is hugely over-exaggerated; This story has some traction and has been on rotation on both BBC News 24 and British terrestrial television! It is a blow to the U.K government as Professor Nutt is the new chairman of the Government’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs – popularly known as the government’s “Drug Czar”.
Many observers are worried about the contradictory and incoherent nature of the U.K’s current drug policy which clearly hasn’t worked – The U.K has the 3rd largest cannabis consumption rate in the western world! The Home Secretary has herself admitted to smoking cannabis as a student whilst attending Oxford University – making her a MASSIVE hypocrite – if she had been caught under her own rules, she would never have been able to hold the position of Home Secretary!
I also came across a video on the subject… enjoy!
GASPAR FRAGA – IN MEMORIAM
October 17th 2009 saw the end of one of the most significant contributions to the antiprohibitionist fronts in Spain and Europe of the past decade. Gaspar Fraga Gonz?lez, founder and director of Ca?amo magazine, shed his mortal coil and peacefully departed on his final trip, surrounded by his loved ones, at the age of 65. His long battle with cancer had broken his body, but not his will. As the Commander of the Ca?amo vessel, he stood at the helm until the very end, inspiring those around him with his strength and determination in the face of adversity. His remains were put to rest in his beloved city of Barcelona to the music of his also beloved Frank Zappa and the adulations of the many present. He is survived by his two wifes, Sara and Mari Carmen, his daughter Lidia, two grandchildren, and many loving friends.
The passing of Gaspar Fraga marks the end of an era that began in 1997 when the first issue of Ca?amo hit the stands and became an immediate hit. Over the course of 142 issues and 12 years, Gaspar became the face of pro-cannabis antiprohibitionism in Spain and abroad, and worked actively in promoting the magazine’s stated goal of normalization by means of information, producing a huge body of written work between articles, research and his contributions to the Cannabis Cafe online community. He also contributed actively with European drug law reform group ENCOD and was often called upon to appear on TV to counter the anti-drug spokespeople, which he did with such demolishing efficiency that they often ended up agreeing with him.
Gaspar Fraga was a scholar of great eruditeness trapped in the body of a charming and boyish rebel to the bone. For many years, he was a rebel without a cause, banned from his native city of Madrid by the Franco regime for being a young long hair with a bad attitude. He went to Paris and studied philosophy at the Sorbonne, worked as a, paparazzi, model, current and fashion photographer and journalist and tossed pavement in May of 68. In 1970 he moved to Barcelona, to the neighborhood of Gr?cia, where he became actively involved in the city’s flourishing counterculture as the editor of the underground Rock Comix, and in the 80s he made a decisive contribution to recovering the traditional festivities of Gr?cia, which today congregate over a million people over the course of nine days every August.
But it was Ca?amo that truly gave cause to his rebellion. Under his guidance, the impact of the magazine has gone further and longer than anyone could have expected. As Commander of Ca?amo, Gaspar brought us to the very moment of truth, but for reasons known only to the higher powers, has left us to take this historic step without him. His legacy is now ours to uphold, and he was confident we can. Rest in peace, dear friend, we will not let you down.
Marc Emery – Prince of Pot
Here’s a piece I found on Marc Emery on U.S TV – it includes an interview with his wife Jodie Emery and is well worth a watch!
Marc is one of the figureheads of the cannabis legalization movement and his treatment by U.S and Canandian prosecutors who circumvented normal procedure to extradite him from Canada is both contradictory and illegal in our eyes. Further information can be found at drugwarrant.com
New medical marijuana policy issued by the President
The Obama administration announced today that it will not seek to arrest medical marijuana users and suppliers as long as they conform to state laws, under new policy guidelines to be sent to federal prosecutors Monday 19th October. A 3-page memo spelling out the policy is expected to be sent Monday to federal prosecutors in the 14 states which allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes, and also to top officials at the FBI and the DEA.
According to officials, the memo is designed to give a sense of prosecutorial priorities to U.S. Attorneys in the states that allow medical marijuana. It notes that cannabis sales in the United States are the largest source of money for violent Mexican drug cartels, but adds that federal law enforcement agencies have limited resources – It emphasizes that prosecutors have wide discretion in choosing which cases to pursue, and says it is not a good use of federal manpower to prosecute those who are without a doubt in compliance with state law.
And while the policy memo describes a change in priorities away from prosecuting medical marijuana cases, it does not rule out the possibility that the federal government could still prosecute someone whose activities are allowed under state law. Two Justice Department officials described the new policy to The Associated Press, saying prosecutors will be told it is not a good use of their time to arrest people who use or provide medical marijuana in strict compliance with state laws. The new policy is a significant departure from the Bush administration, which insisted it would continue to enforce federal anti-pot laws regardless of state codes. Fourteen states (Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Washington) currently allow some use of marijuana for medical purposes with more States expected to follow suit in the near future. California remains unique among those for the presence of dispensaries – businesses that sell marijuana and even advertise their services.
Attorney General Eric Holder said in March that he wanted federal law enforcement officials to pursue those who violate both federal and state law, but it has not been clear how that goal would be put into practice. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss any legal guidance before it is formally issued. Officials were keen to stipulate that the government will still prosecute those who use medical marijuana as a cover for other illegal activity. The memo particularly warns that some suspects may hide old-fashioned drug dealing or other crimes behind a medical marijuana business. In particular, the memo urges prosecutors to pursue marijuana cases which involve violence, the illegal use of firearms, selling pot to minors, money laundering or other crimes. Medical marijuana advocates have been anxious to see exactly how the administration would implement candidate Barack Obama’s repeated promises to change the policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana. Shortly after Obama took office, DEA agents raided four dispensaries in Los Angeles, prompting confusion about the government’s plans.
The High Cost of Empty Prisons
New York:
Last Wednesday (07/10/09), changes to New York?s notorious Rockefeller drug laws went into effect, allowing judges to shorten the prison terms of some non-violent offenders; particularly those incarcerated for non-violent crimes such as cannabis posession. This measure will further reduce New York?s prison population, which has already declined in the past 10 years from about 71,600 in 1999 under Mayor Rudy Giuliani to about 59,300 today – The state?s crime rate also dropped substantially during that time.
Nevertheless, the state has been slow to close prisons; this is a multi-billion-dollar industry – opposition from the correction officers? union and politicians from the upstate areas where most of our correctional facilities are has been fierce.
It was not until earlier this year that policymakers in Albany, confronted with fiscal crisis, mustered the will to shut three prison camps and seven prison annexes which amounted to a total of about 2,250 prison beds. This move is expected to save $52 million over the next two years.
But the state could go further… The prison system still has more than 5,000 empty beds in 69 prisons. What?s more, there are other ways to lower the prison population. For starters state lawmakers could repeal the Rockefeller mandatory sentencing provisions that remain on the books. This could automatically release hundreds (maybe thousands) of prisoners currently incarcerated where the presiding judge was obliged to impose a mandatory-minimum sentence.
Another option would be to increase the number of participants on work release. Today a mere about 2,500 are enrolled compared to 1994 when more than 27,000 people were in this time-tested program that helps prisoners manage the transition back into their communities.
In addition, the state could reduce the number of people who are returned to prison for technical parole violations like missing a meeting with an officer or breaking curfew – last year, this was more than 9,000 parolees . Most experts agree that for about half of these people it would be safer and smarter to enroll them in re-entry programs or provide more supervision. Also, more prisoners with good institutional records could be given parole. And eligibility for so-called “merit time”, which reduces prison terms for non-violent inmates (such as those convicted of marijuana-related crimes) who complete educational and other programs, could be expanded to people convicted of violent offenses many years ago.
Taken together, these actions could cut the state?s prison rolls by 5,000 to 10,000 more, enabling the governor and the legislature to close at least four prisons the size of Attica, which holds 2,100 inmates, or a greater number of smaller facilities.
After New York passed the Rockefeller drug laws in 1973, a mandatory sentencing movement swept the country, raising the nationwide prison population from 300,000 to nearly 2.4 million. This experiment in mass incarceration was a failure. There is no conclusive evidence that it enhanced public safety, and some research suggests that time in prison makes people more prone to violence. It has wasted billions of dollars a year and has devastated the low-income minority communities where most of our prisoners come from.
By downsizing its prison system, New York can now help point criminal justice in a more sensible and constructive direction and show other states how to save money in the process. Similar plans have been put in motion in California which spends an estimated $2bn annually on its 155,000 prisoners. Like New York, California is in a major financial crisis and has a reported fiscal deficit of over $29bn for 2009. It is the financial argument which is most convincing to politicians: for several years lobbyists have been campaigning for these releases on moral and compassionate grounds but it is only now that they are in financial meltdown that the lawmakers have started to take notice.
Stiletto Stoners
We are happy to see that more and more people are realizing that smoking weed is not just for the typical Hollywood stereotype “lazy stoner” or the terminally ill cancer patient. Normal career minded people smoke cannabis too. Most people that smoke weed do it to relax after a day of hard work. Have a look at the video below that is part of NBC’s “today’s women” – It’s really worth watching to the end, for once the “experts” seem to be talking sense on prime-time US television!
U.K Politicians who’ve admitted to smoking cannabis
Here’s a little video I found which lists some of the U.K Politicians who’ve admitted to trying at one point in their life:
Why are they still in office?! If they had been caught and criminalised they could never have entered politics in the first place with a drug related criminal record. Why are they so keen to impose the new classification when they obviously had no respect for the law themselves.
So how harmless is Skunk?
With this post we want to clarify some of the misconceptions that a lot of people seem to have on skunk.
Firstly, let us point out that Skunk is nothing more then a name for (mostly indica) potent weed. It is NOT some genetically engineered super dangerous new type of weed. (special announcement for the media; did you guys notice the word NOT? )
For your information, the Dutch ska band “Doe maar” made an album called skunk back in 1981! So the term has been around for a while. However, even if it was a new kind of weed.. Will this new super potent weed be somehow more dangerous than the weed smoked 20 years ago? So what if weed is more potent? This only means that you have to smoke less of it.. Isn’t that supposed to be a good thing? And what about hash? Shouldn’t this be even more dangerous? Even in the seventies people smoked hash which is a lot more potent than any skunk you can buy nowadays.
The third argument that the anti-legalization lobby likes to use is that skunk/cannabis use somehow causes schizophrenia? Let’s pretend for a moment that this is proven to be true ( scientists still seem to disagree ) isn’t that all the more reason to have a legal and regulated market for it? What is the worst that can happen? In the Netherlands adults are allowed to buy small amounts of weed and this has worked just fine for the last 20-odd years.
Just to compare the two systems.. 9.7 percent of youngsters (15-24) use cannabis at least once a month in the Netherlands, compared to 15.8 percent in the UK.
Jack Herer suffers heart attack!
News has reached us that the world-renowned author, activist and marijuana anti-prohibitionist Jack Herer suffered a heart attack this weekend. Emergency crews were called in as he collapsed in his chair after delivering a fiery speech at the Portland Hempstalk Event at Kelly Point Park. After spending a lengthy amount of time stabilizing Jack at the scene, he was transported to the Emanuel Trauma Center in Portland in critical condition with his son at his side. Soon after that, his family were told that he was the victim of a heart attack, a result of arterial blockage.
Jack is arguably the best-known person in the world on the subject of marijuana; he is an icon of popular culture and his book, “The Emperor Wears No Clothes” is the largest and first account of the real story of marijuana and the techniques used by big money corporations to demonize and criminalize it.
Jack suffered a stroke a few years ago that had left him somewhat challenged in terms of speaking, but those who heard him speak at the rally on Saturday afternoon noted that his speech was much clearer than it had been in many years.
In an ironic twist, an interview recorded 2 hours before the heart attack with friend Dr. Phillip Leveque of Salem-News.com, hears Jack explaining how he has been feeling better recently, stating: “I’m healthier than I’ve been in ages… in 10 years!”
Last night the doctors put him in an induced coma and lowered his body temperature with ice. They are keeping him this way for 48 more hours. His heart is doing well for now so they think he will be ok soon. Early reports that he underwent angioplasty are unfounded.
There are no equals to Jack Herer; he is a massive inspiration to us all – we have a huge amount of respect for his dedication to the cause; he is an inspirational figure and a genuine trailblazer. We wish Jack all the best and we hope that he makes a full and complete recovery. At this time, our thoughts go out to his son and wonderful wife Jeannie Herer.
UPDATE (17/09/09): Jack has been taken off of the medications that were keeping him in a state of induced coma. He is not awake yet and the doctors are saying that it may be a few days before …he comes out of the coma. Jack swallowed some fluid into his lung’s during the heart – attack and this caused a minor infection. He is considered stable at this time just in a comatose state. Good luck Jack – we’re all rooting for you friend!

