Free Republic

<p>An Alaska television reporter wrapped up a live segment on medical marijuana with a curse and an "I quit," telling viewers she will work instead to legalize pot in the state.</p> <p>Charlo Greene revealed she was in fact the owner of the "cannabis club" featured in her story on Anchorage's KTVA 10 p.m. broadcast Sunday.</p>

Sometimes the proof that the American idea is the greatest political creation in human history comes from odd angles. How can America not be the greatest, most efficient delivery system of wealth and happiness ever devised when, in spite of the ever increasing number of fools and greedy leaches in our midst, we are still the place the world wants to come to and the voice the world expects to hear when it “calls 911?” A recent Pew Poll provided fresh evidence of the number of drooling halfwits we have to overcome each day just to stay even with where...

WASHINGTON -- Conservatives are losing ground on the fight to keep marijuana illegal, a Republican congressman warned in dire terms at the Values Voter Summit. During a conference mostly focused on religious liberty, abolishing the IRS and promoting small government, Rep. John Fleming (R-La.) delivered a full speech on the ills of decriminalizing and legalizing marijuana. Fleming, a medical doctor, warned of a "growing acceptance" of marijuana -- a fact hard to deny, considering public opinion and state laws. Colorado and Washington state have legalized recreational marijuana, and 23 states and the District of Columbia have allowed the substance for...

A ballot issue in Florida this November will be "Amendment 2", a measure that would legalize medical marijuana in the state. Crist and his liberal ally, attorney John Morgan, are proponents of the ballot measure, while current GOP governor Rick Scott is against it. WFTV9 reports: Crist has changed parties and changed stances on gay marriage, abortion and medical marijuana. He said he will vote yes on Amendment 2. “I do support it,” Crist said. “Rick Scott opposes it; I don't know what else to tell you.” Critics think medical marijuana was pushed onto the ballot by Attorney John Morgan...

As marijuana restrictions are eased throughout the nation, lawmakers from both parties are looking to the drug as a potential cash cow to shore up budget deficits and fill local and state coffers. For Democrats, however, a far more insidious pattern is developing, as recent moves by left-wing indicate they see in marijuana as a powerful tool to further control their largely poor and minority constituency with this 21st century "opiate for the masses." The city of Berkeley, CA recently moved to institute policy requiring "medicinal" marijuana outlets to allot certain amounts of their product to be distributed free to...

In a sympathetic profile just before his resignation, Politico said Eric Holder's biggest legacy may be "his quiet dismantling of the War on Drugs...." How he could have "accomplished" this without legislative authority from Congress – which is supposed to make and pass laws – is never really explained. He was an Attorney General described by President Barack Obama as "the people's lawyer." Anybody familiar with Marxist jargon knew exactly what Obama meant. At home and abroad, the Obama administration distributed weapons to America's enemies. Holder's area of expertise was facilitating weapons shipments to Mexican drug cartels, in a...

"I am not opposed to birth control," he said. After a pause, he elaborated. "That's basically what Plan B is. Plan B is taking two birth control pills in the morning and two in the evening, and I am not opposed to that." ... Another student here pressed him on "the drug war," asking if Paul would support legalizing marijuana, cocaine and heroin. He said he wasn't supportive of drug use, explaining that pot "is not that great," but said drug laws should be left up to states. Colorado and Washington are experimenting with legalized marijuana, he said, and we...

Marijuana is fast becoming a hot political issue around the country, so is it a really good idea to encourage more people to vote?

It's almost been two years since Colorado passed legislation legalizing the sale of marijuana to adults who are 21 and older, and many states are on similar paths to pass marijuana legislation in the upcoming election - there are more drug reform questions on this November's ballot than ever before. But a few recent reports coming out of Colorado indicate that support for the legalization efforts may be decreasing among Colorado citizens. A Sept. 17 poll conducted by Suffolk University and USA Today shows 50.2 percent of Colorado voters are not satisfied with the state's decision to legalize marijuana, while...

Canada’s largest mental health and addiction treatment and research centre is calling for the legalization of marijuana, with strict controls that would govern who could buy weed, from where, and in what quantity. In a policy statement released Thursday, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto said cannabis should be sold through a government-controlled monopoly and with limited availability and an age limit, possibly through outlets similar to provincially operated liquor stores. “Legalization means that we remove all penalties for cannabis possession and use by adults,” said Jurgen Rehm, director of social and epidemiological research at CAMH. “Canada’s...

Complete Headline: Autopsy, toxicology report on Michael Brown reportedly reveal marijuana, cast doubt on witness claims he was running away Michael Brown, the 18-year-old black man whose fatal shooting by a white police officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson in August touched off weeks of racially-charged rioting, had marijuana in his system, was initially shot at close range and does not appear to have been killed while running away, according to experts who reviewed the official autopsy and toxicology report. [Snip] The newspaper had St. Louis medical examiner Dr. Michael Graham, who is not part of the official...

Pot smoking — and its stereotypical associations like munching on carbohydrates and other treats — seems like it’d be your teeth’s worst enemy. And now some Colorado dentists are saying more research needs to be done on how smoking pot can affect dental health, including causing an increase in cavities. “We’ve been finding more cavities in our patients who are smoking more than a few times a week,” dental hygienist Julie Baukus at LoDo Dental says. The journal of the American Dental Association finds smoking marijuana can lead to abnormal growths and lesions inside the mouth. Some Colorado dentists are...

The U.S. government claims marijuana is a dangerous, addictive drug with no medical benefits. But that claim will be up for debate Monday in California when a federal judge is scheduled to hear testimony from doctors that conclude the opposite. Doctors Carl Hart, Associate Professor of Psychology at Columbia University, retired physician Phillip Denny, and Greg Carter, Medical Director of St. Luke’s Rehabilitation Institute in Spokane, Washington will testify Monday that marijuana — real name, “cannabis” — is not the demon drug the federal government makes it out to be. Accepted science does not justify the listing of cannabis as...

The owners of the website Ebola.Com have scored a big payday with the outbreak of the epidemic, selling the domain for more than USD 200,000 in cash and stock. The deal highlights the rewards and risk of industry trading and speculating in domain names that see high interest following news events. According to a securities filing, the buyer was a Russian-registered firm called Weed Growth Fund, previously known as Ovation Research. The October 20 filing said the price was USD 50,000 cash and 19,192 shares of Cannabis Sativa worth close to USD 170,000, which promotes medical uses for marijuana. The...

“I smoked pot as a kid, and I view it as a bad habit and a vice, not very different from ... cigarettes.” This sentiment, expressed by Barack Obama in January and shared by millions, has once again been challenged — this time by an academic review of 20-years worth of research. The handiwork of Dr. Wayne Hall, a professor of addiction policy at King's College London and drug advisor for the World Health Organization, the review implicates cannabis in a whole host of health problems, but, in particular, in mental-health issues and addiction among habitual users — especially teenagers.

Not a day has gone by in the last few weeks without a mention of Ebola. Having made its way into North America, Ebola has become reached the top of the “to fear” list, making many worry that it will only be a matter of time before the disease dominates the continent. Effective vaccines and treatments for Ebola have yet to be discovered, though one may be hiding in plain sight: cannabis. Cannabinoids in marijuana have gained more and more of a reputation as a way to control and aid one’s immune systems, specifically with diseases that target a body’s...

 Hey, Kids, Puph to Majik Dragoon wants you to know: Weed is a Panacea  The Science of Pharmacology Dictates that Any Effective Medication Has Side-Effects.  A medication can't be effective if it has no dangers. (Side-Effects Management is at the heart of Pharmacology.) It's magical thinking to promote Weed as a cure-all with no dangers.  Teenage Cannabis Smoking ‘Permanently Lowers IQ’ 8 Points Study sheds light on damaging effects of marijuana among college-aged adults America ill-prepared for marijuana mayhem  Longtime Marijuana Use Linked With Decreased Motivation Brain Changes are Associated with Casual Marijuana Use in Young Adults Teen pot use could hurt brain and memory, new...

Can't post Denver Post

Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper says his state's voters were "reckless" for voting to become the first state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. The Democrat's statement came during a debate Monday with his Republican opponent, Bob Beauprez, just four weeks before voters head to the polls for the state's hotly contested gubernatorial election. In 2012, more than 55 percent of voters in Colorado supported Amendment 64, which legalized marijuana for recreational use. The amendment aimed to regulate marijuana in roughly the same way alcohol is regulated.

20-year study into the effects of long-term cannabis use has demolished the argument that the drug is safe. Cannabis is highly addictive, causes mental health problems and opens the door to hard drugs, the study found.