Medical Marijuana is running into some serious snags on it’s way to becoming completely mainstream. During this tumultuous time of unrest, when medical dispensaries are raided and patients are given the shake-down by local law enforcement, a sinister breed of dishonesty has also made an appearance.
Medicinal Marijuana is given to those qualifying patients who talk to their doctors and obtain a recommendation. In observing this issue, it is clear that many people are gaining their cards by giving false information to their doctors. While I find this behavior dangerous to every single sick person in Colorado, the prohibitionist find it just plain stupid. Think about how you would defend that piece of paper in court, should the issue arise. Would you be able to commit to defending a falsified statement in a court of law? Are you willing to bet your freedom on it?

Obtaining a medicinal marijuana license takes time. You must first have an “approved” ailment, you must meet with your doctor and obtain a recommendation, you must pay a fee and you must carry your card with you. The law that allows sick people in the state of Colorado to use medicinal marijuana has outlined these as the steps to take in order to legally use the substance. They may be based on outdated evidence, they may be biased for patients, but these are still the rules.

Denying the very nature, the very essence of the law is what gives the entire marijuana movement a black eye and puts thousands of hurting patients in real jeopardy. Prohibitionists want nothing more than to see our state flop under the medicinal marijuana banner. Of course they want people who are not legitimately ill to obtain their license, it makes the whole medicinal marijuana movement seem unnecessary and dare I say, criminal! Do I think pot is dangerous to your health and should be prevented by the government? No. But I do believe the citizens of Colorado voted to allow sick people to use marijuana and that is the law we all must follow.

Marijuana has been used for thousands of years, with no harm caused. It is one of the safest substances on the planet, but still remains illegal due to antiquated laws of money-hungry politicians. It SHOULD be legal for everyone, but it isnt. Not Yet. Coloradoans love marijuana, I think we can all agree on that.

Unfortunately, It isnt legal for recreational use. Our voices are louder than they have ever been, and getting stronger by the day. Now is the time to vote on the issues and to stand up to the public’s opinion of medical marijuana users. We simply cannot fail under medical marijuana, and expect legalization, It just wont happen. In the meantime, we have to uphold the laws around medical marijuana and stop lying to be legal.

We must follow the letter of the law today, and build a new and all-encompassing law for tomorrow.

Tell us what you think:

Should anyone with $150.00 and a made-up illness get their license?

Is upholding the letter of the law detrimental or beneficial to the movement?

© 2010, AntiSoccermom. All rights reserved to the original author unless stated otherwise.

If you don’t know the rules by now, you may be pissing off your circle of smoking friends. The rules of smoking marijuana while sitting in a circle of all your favorite people have been finely tuned over thousands of years. Marijuana smokers may be laid back, but check this list of the common mistakes rookies make when smoking.  NORML has given us the Principals of Responsible Cannabis Use which outlines the steps you need to take to be safe when using marijuana. Now, AntiSoccermom gives you:

The Principles of Smoking Pot.

Let’s look at the big picture here, the karmic experience of sitting in a circle with all of the people you clearly connect with. Note the low level of tension, the idle smoke hanging dense in the air, the music playing softly in the background. Marijuana is often a religious experience and sharing it with your closest friends and family can be great, unless you do something stupid and ruin the vibes. Now even I am starting to sound like a hippy! Let’s Discuss.

Clean Your Pipes!

If you find yourself searching for a clean pipe at the bottom of a drawer full of gunked up reserves, perhaps its time to just break out the alcohol. That’s right, I’d never recommend you to drink alcohol of any type, but it does work great on dirty pipes and your guests will thank you for it! Also, change the bong water. There is nothing more revolting than nasty, scummy, stinky bong water. Don’t clean it and I bet it somehow gets “accidentally” spilled onto the floor. Good luck getting the smell out!

No Camping!

Marijuana can make even the most soft-spoken of us start spouting off our foolproof plan to “free the weed” that no one else has ever thought of before, but do it too much and you get labeled a camper. “Camping” on a bowl, or holding on to the joint and talking on and on about “some guy you know”  or the best Elton John lyrics, while everyone is eye-balling the precious marijuana smoke wafting above your waving hands….is an utter fail. It has happened to the best of us, but try to watch it. And no dude, thats totally an original idea.

Puff-Puff-Pass.

Joints and blunts, the mecca of every weed smoker’s dreams have their own set of rules, with these precious commodities you must always take two hits and pass it, while smoking out of a pipe you need only take one. Rules seem to vary by region in this section, so my advice would be to always ask what the rules are for your circle. With bongs, pipes, vapes, and knifers, you want to hit it once and share the love to-the-left-hand-side.

Bring it.

You don’t really want to be the guy that shows up to a smoking circle without any herb, I’ve been there and it ain’t pretty. Stoners might not call you out directly, but I bet you don’t get invited back to any blunt parties. When it comes down to it, its rude. Take turns loading up the bowl and always offer greens to the person who got the worst of the last bowl. But showing up empty handed and begging to get smoked out? Don’t do it. Bring your own to share or don’t smoke anyone elses!

Pass the Dutchie.

To the left hand side. Did you get that? It means that you pass to your left, no….your other left…. sheesh. Smokers like to see things coming and one of the most reliable things we foresee is that someone is going to be handing us something awesome, from the right. Dont screw up the rotation and if you need to remind yourself, just sing this little tune.

Share it.

Cannabis is a life-giving medicine, don’t you want to share that with the lovely people that care for your plants and help keep you as healthy and capable as you are today? Smoke up your caregiver, ya know, if it is a responsible and safe area. Smoke  up your patient-friends any time that you can, we all have dry spells and we all need those free tokes in between. I’ve found that its best to keep your karma cup pretty full on this one, you never know when the favor will be returned!

So that’s it folks. Or is it? What rules of smoking do you use in your favorite circle?

© 2009 – 2010, AntiSoccermom. All rights reserved to the original author unless stated otherwise.