St. Patrick’s day and the rising of the Emerald Sun

March 7th, 2010 | By Reverend

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From Sensible Washington:

Hello Spokane 1068ers!

This was the first full week on the campaign trail, and you came out with a bang! Volunteers covered the Bus Plaza, Riverfront Park, bars, concerts, the Courthouse, and a door-to-door neighborhood canvass. We came very close to reaching our weekly goal. And we got a federal judge, a deputy prosecutor, and a high-ranking city official to sign the petition.

This is what the end of Marijuana Prohibition looks like.

But it won’t come without a fight — we need to prove we’re serious about ending the injustices. Anything short of a weekly show of our strength means our opponents can write us off as “just another stoner cause” without enough motivation to get the job done.

This Saturday, prove them wrong at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in downtown Spokane!

Parade starts at noon on the 13th, so come early to get the crowd beforehand.

Or if you can’t make it, join us at the other scheduled events below. Your area coordinator will get in touch to invite you to come gather signatures with other volunteers, and s/he can provide you with petitions and the info you need to collect signatures legally.

If we all pull in at least 40 signatures a week through July 2nd (two hours a week) we can end the harassment, surveillance, property seizures, court dates and trials for the decent people who choose marijuana — whether treating an illness or blessed with health.

And please — turn your completed petitions in to your area coordinator weekly. If you don’t know your area coordinator, please reply to this email or call 723-9965.

Thank you all, so much, for all that you do!

-Renata

Signature Events!
Grab a clipboard, some pens and some friends –
this is the quick & easy way to get your 40 sigs a week

Sunday, March 7

12-3 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

Monday, March 8

9-11 am: Courthouse in courtyard of Public Safety Building. Call coordinator Dave T. for more info: 570-762-4114
12-2 pm: SFCC signatures. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

12-4 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Matt for more info: 209-0575

Tuesday, March 9

12-4 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Will for more info: 723-9779
12-2 pm: SFCC signatures. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

6 pm – Spokane Chiefs vs Kelowna Rockets at the Arena! Meet at the corner of Boone & Howard – call coordinator Will for more info: 723-9779

Wednesday, March 10

12-4 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Will for more info: 723-9779
12-2 pm: SFCC signatures. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

Thursday, March 11

12-4 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Will for more info: 723-9779
12-2 pm: SFCC signatures. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

7 pm – Bar Night! (Wander to Knitting Factory at 919 W. Sprague to catch the crowd for Janus concert) – call coordinator Shayna for more info: 998-3158

Friday, March 12

9-11 am: Courthouse in courtyard of Public Safety Building. Call coordinator Dave T. for more info: 570-762-4114

12-4 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Matt for more info: 209-0575
12-2 pm: SFCC signatures. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

6 pm – Spokane Chiefs vs Kelowna Rockets at the Arena! Meet at the corner of Boone & Howard. Call coordinator Will for more info: 723-9779.

7 pm – Bar Night! Meet outside Dempsey’s Brass Rail, 909 W. 1st, branch out from there. Call coordinator Shayna for more info: 998-3158

8 pm – Gonzaga Strip (Bulldog Tavern on Hamilton @ Sharp) – call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

Saturday, March 13

***Give your signature totals to your local coordinator by the end of the day today. If you do not know your coordinator, write to sensiblewashingtoneast@gmail.com***

11am-1pm – ***St. Patrick’s Day Parade!*** ALL HANDS ON DECK! Meet at Pavilion entrance at Riverfront Park and get all the supplies & info you need. Call coordinator Renata for more info: 723-9965

7 pm – Bar Night, St. Paddy’s Day Edition! Meet outside O’Doherty’s, 525 W. Spokane Falls Blvd – call coordinator Shayna for more info: 998-3158

8 pm – Gonzaga Strip (Bulldog Tavern on Hamilton @ Sharp) – call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

Sunday, March 14

***Your local coordinator needs your signature totals. If you do not know your coordinator, write to sensiblewashingtoneast@gmail.com***

12-2 pm: Main Market Coop, 44 W. Main Street, call coordinator Will for more info: 723-9779
12-3 pm: Plaza/Downtown/Riverfront Park. Call coordinator Nick for more info: 389-8275

–
Renata Rollins
Eastern Washington Field Director
Initiative 1068 – Sensible Washington

www.SensibleWashington.org

Fan us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/pages/Sensible-Washington/250965900741

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http://www.myspace.com/sensiblewashington

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California to legalize, how will that impact pharmers?

February 8th, 2010 | By Reverend

How will legalization effect the pharmers in California?

Since I have been in Humboldt County this week, I have interviewed several pharmers who are worried about the direction of the law reform movement which is about to take prohibition down, at least in California.  With AB390 having passed a California Assembly committee, then passing the Public Safety committee, and now it’s on it’s way through the Health Committee..  It’s obvious that a new day is dawning for cannabis in California.  [ref = http://slu2.com/?6 ]

A few of the pharmers that I have spoken with here have raised these concerns.

• Legalized marijuana will drive the price down
• Legalized marijuana will limit who can sell it
• Legalized marijuana will flood the market
• Legalized marijuana could ultimately hurt their livelihood and potentially take food off their child[rens] plates

I can see where this concern comes in.  It does look like pot will be legalized.  It also looks like all of those points above could become true.

My response to them is that if they take precautions now, and work on starting their own dispensary then when AB 390 passes they can potentially get grandfathered in with their legitimate medical marijuana business to then serve all adults (not just patients).
I recommend starting a dispensary, or at very least get a business license now and keep it renewed.

Lets say that a legal market has no potential of helping pharmers out, and may potentially ruin their business as it is.
That is horrible, and I don’t wish for that to happen as a lot of people depend on this crop.

Then lets compare the current effects of prohibition.

• Prohibition doesn’t stop people from using marijuana
• Prohibition has hurt or destroyed the lives of almost 20 million Americans
• Prohibition is now claiming almost one million victims each year
• Prohibition allows police to violate the privacy and security of a person’s home or person
• Prohibition fuels the crime in the black market (including violent crime, etc)

When I got arrested for possessing a few grams of weed when I was a kid growing up in Utah, those charges disqualified me from military service and many college and job related benefits.   Having a “drug” charge on your record disqualifies you from many benefits that most Americans take for granite.

My hope is that California will make cannabis a viable and profitable resource and put a lot of people to work.  I hate to be taxed, and I think that the tax should be no more than retail sales tax.  But there is a lot of potential for pharmers, distributors and related jobs with legalization.

Not everyone will be growing weed  It’s difficult, and it takes a lot of patience and investment to get started.  Not just anyone can grow weed.  Similar to tobacco and alcohol, they are not widely produced by individuals. 
About the price being effected.  I believe it will be similar to how it is now.
There will be “work” (commercial bud) and kind icky sticky bud.  Similar to a fine cigar compared to a swisher sweet.

I say if you don’t like the law that is getting passed then start working on some modifications and propose them via ballot initiative.

BTW-  PLEASE do not ever vote for a law that will forbid individuals from growing their own!   It’s a weed, it should be allowed to grow like one.  Like God intended!

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Music from my childhood

January 31st, 2010 | By Reverend

When I was a rough tough teen, this was my cup of java.
Social Distortion made it to the top of the 90’s most sought punk rock bands, getting regularly booked at little and large gigs that were the spices of life for thousands of old and young people all over the world.   One of my first tattoos was of the Social D dancing skeleton logo.  I never tattooed any other band’s logo on me.  I never tattooed any other name.   Just symbols, words, fish and my brother Justin’s face.

But Social Distortion inspired me so much that I got their logo tattooed on me, as seen in the picture below.

I just heard a new song from this band, well new to me anyway.  I really like it.  It’s live, so it’s probably difficult for some to hear it.  But these were the shows I went to all my life, so it comes in quite clear to me.

Angle’s Wings

This is another favorite of mine from this band:
I fought the law (cover)

I grew up believing my life was hard, and this music helped me vent.
I know of a lot of people who had it a whole helluva lot worse than I had it.
For instance, look at the horror that people are suffering in Haiti right now!

But I wrote about my life story at BehindZionCurtain.com.   While this story doesn’t have
a lot to do with marijuana.  At that point in my life, marijuana was both my pain and my happiness.
Pain from spending nearly 8 months total in jail over a 2-3 year period of time.
For nothing more than possession of marijuana, I got locked up over an over.
This victimless ‘crime’ only fueled my jaded attitude and dark view of the world.

I fortunately survived without killing myself, and I am so glad that I did.
I love my family so much, I have the most amazing kids!
But my youngest brother Justin didn’t make it.
He killed himself at age 16.
See this post that I made in November last year.

Justin was also a persecuted cannabis smoker, and was regularly harassed by the police.
Which didn’t help his attitude or his social life.
Having the police constantly harassing you in a place like Utah
where just about everything fun is illegal, or forbidden by the Mormon church, including the exclusion of coffee and tea!
Makes it hard to get dates, and hard to have friends. 
This is my brother’s memorial site:  http://justin-thompson.com
I miss him, hurts like hell!

In Utah,  where anti-depressant abuse is an epidemic, where studies have shown Utah uses twice as much as the national average of anti-depressants and pain killers.  
All that is fine in Utah.  But medicating yourself with a safe, natural herb is forbidden and shamed.

When I listen to Social D, it brings back so many memories and emotions.

Anyway, time for a fatt bowl!  Cheers to old times, and old friends!

Obama PLEASE stimulate the economy

January 27th, 2010 | By Reverend

My message to president Obama.

If you are not a puppet, and you have any intentions of keeping your promises. Then please stimulate the economy by keeping your promises about decriminalization and legalization. We spend too much on prohibition, and we are letting the cartels get rich off of the ‘drug war’ while tax payers do not see any benefits.
Remember prohibition from the 20s/30s. Legalization was good then too!

This is my video to President Obama from 2008.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DwGdwItpCE

This video is from a top economist/professor, Jeffery Miron:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YcRMRuS-J-U

Core reasons why I am active about my beliefs

January 19th, 2010 | By Reverend

I can think of hundreds of reasons for why I do what I do.  I could list them all and feel ever so vindicated.   But that is really what it boils down to, is that I was arrested and locked up when I was just a teenager for simple possession.
I went through the courts, and spent time in very uncomfortable jail cells.  I didn’t have a long record with exception to marijuana.
I worked from the time I was 14 years old until I was 15 and bought my first car with cash before I was even old enough to drive.
I paid taxes, I volunteered for the March of Dimes 3 years in a row from 12-15 years old.  I walked (skateboarded) 20 miles and collected dozens of sponsors to help with birth defects.  
I always tried to be a good person.  I think I fell short a few times, but I don’t think that my behavior warranted incarceration and career hurdles such as being banned from service in the military.

Now we see places like Denver, Seattle, Hailey ID, and even Big Water Utah decriminalizing possession of marijuana, and now with New Jersey there is 14 medical marijuana states.  We have found that marijuana does not cause serious illness or death.  It is being proven that cannabis cures aggressive cancers.   I think that the changing of the times is a breath of fresh air for millions of people in the USA that have served time for a victimless crime in the name of another failed “war”.  Marijuana is a plant, its not a crime!

I am so thankful for all of those who fight for what you believe in.  I am so thankful for our founding fathers, and for the words in the 10th Amendment that still seem to mean something.  I am even grateful for President Obama.  That he appears to have kept his word about marijuana.  And despite that I disagree with him on other important topics, I am glad that he is attempting to keep his word about decriminalizing marijuana.

I have fun toying with ideas of cannabis related businesses, and I love to go to rallies and all that.  I think that even if cannabis gets legalized in Washington where I currently live.  I will still travel to Utah, Idaho and Arizona to organize rallies and get things moving there.  After those states legalize, Im going to retire for awhile.  But for now, Im happy enough to be a part of things, even if only a small part.

People often offer gratitude to people who fight for their rights.  I get compliments from time to time.  But I say, save the words and just stand up for your own rights.  It’s my pleasure to stand up for my rights and things that are important to me.  But our government needs our input if any of us are going to be free.  It is important to not lose sight of what needs to take place.
Cheering for Marc Emery, or Eddy Lepp, or Charles Lynch is great, and it’s just about as helpful as cheering for a football game.

Instead of cheering.  How about we rise to the occasion and actually do something about the condition of our freedoms!

Recently Adam, a contributor to xCannabis and a cool guy to toke with started his own blog.  He has a lot of commentary and constructive input to offer the uninformed citizen.  We have linked his site a few times now, and he is on our blog roll.
There are several other people who have started great blogs and radio stations, and chat rooms that help bring awareness to the cause , big ups to them too!

All of that is good!   But I think what would be a really effective way to get the message out is to follow NORML and check out when their demonstrations are, and find information on how to contact your local officials  (see the right of xCannabis for links) then attend the demonstrations often, and write your politicians often.

BTW- I think I may offend people sometimes when I get passionate about thing that I believe in.  Truly, that’s not my intention.  Thanks for reading!   Time to enjoy harvest. 

Police officer organization fund a legalization billboard

January 10th, 2010 | By Reverend

Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (L.E.A.P) put up a pro-legalization billboard.   (www.leap.cc)

I am a sensible pot smoker, who doesn’t hate any cops.  I just hate when the police go out of their way to violate my rights or enforce stupid laws like prohibition.

The cops who are members of L.E.A.P have my full respect for doing what’s right!   Good job officers!

Continue reading »

DEA ignores the AMA’s new position on marijuana

November 19th, 2009 | By Reverend

Drug Bottle Containing Cannabis

Learning about medical history in the USA has opened my eyes to what our failed drug war is all about.

For many decades in our country cannabis was used in many effective, mainstream medicines.

I could post at length about pre-prohibition medicine.  But instead I will just show some of this medicine and provide some links to some good information that I’ve found.

The photo on the left is Cannabis Indica Fluid Extract, manufactured by American Druggists Syndicate.

These antique medicine bottles containing cannabis can be found in many collections, because for many years in America cannabis was considered a safe and effective medicine.

It wasn’t until 1937 when Harry Anslinger and William Randolf Hearst in combination with large corporations like Dupont decided to ‘weed out’ their competition by prohibiting Cannabis, Hemp and anything related to the cannabis plant.  This happened via the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 which the government made by didn’t assign stamps.

Hemp which is also non-toxic, does not even get a person high no matter how much they smoke was made illegal, and which shows that absolute insanity or “Reefer Madness” behind the issue at those times.

Hemp is of the strongest and most productive fiber in the world!  Yet it is illegal to grow in the USA?!

Reefer Madness Poster 1936

This madness carried on in a number of sensational shows that portrayed cannabis consumers as devious, murderous, criminals that should be locked up because marijuana made them insane.  The show “Reefer Madness” has become a cult classic because of how ridicules it is, and it was originally distributed by our government as propaganda in support of prohibition.

A person can watch this movie these days and think that they are watching someone on crack or meth by the portrayal of the cannabis consumers in this movie, even though it is common knowledge that cannabis consumers are not the violent criminals as portrayed in yester-year.

A whole series of deceptive propaganda films came out in this time just before the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 passed.

It is only recently that cannabis has re-entered modern pharmacia as safe and effective medicine.  The American Medical Association (The AMA) which is the largest organization of physicians in the US now joins a list of other well respected medical provider organizations in support cannabis as medicine.

Cannabis Bottle

But even though there is all of this support for medical cannabis.  Even though the government’s own studies show that cannabis has never caused an overdose, and even though the people vote for these laws to change on prohibition.  The DEA and some local law enforcement condemn the drug, despite the will of the people.

And so after reading an article on MPP.org (Marijuana Policy Project), I learned that the DEA who once had many citations from the American Medical Association has been in the process of removing their links to the American Medical Association since the AMA made their announcement about their change of plans.

This article “What does the DEA’s website matter” explains the reasons behind the DEA’s former support of the AMA, and goes into this issue of the DEA denouncing the AMA now and removing links from the AMA off their website.

The hypocritical Drug Enforcement Agency endorses, and references the AMA when the AMA’s research supports their agenda.  But as soon as the AMA endorses medical marijuana, the DEA denounces the value of the AMA’s research.

Reference this page from a few days ago at MPP.  “The DEA Ignores the AMA’s New Policy“

Some US agencies just hate to see a good war end.  Even when it’s a war on their own people. 

I am glad that the American Medical Association finally came to their senses after all of these years!  At least with all of this regress in liberty, we are seeing SOME progress!

Commentary on the changes in Spokane

September 15th, 2009 | By Reverend

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This is my 2 tokes from my virtual soap box.  I realize that we have a lot of different changes, and my video only covers a few of the issues concerning what this rally was all about today.  But hear me out please.

1.  I think it is ridicules that we are even trying to interpret the law any different than it is written.  This is so easy, let me display Washington state law concerning medical marijuana, and providing medicine to patients:

http://www.doh.wa.gov/hsqa/medical-marijuana/

How do I become a designated provider?

A designated provider must be at least 18 years old and must be designated in writing by the qualifying patient. A designated provider can only be a provider for one patient at any one time.

So if we can’t have dispensary like providers, then how exactly does it make sense that patients can be legally recommended medical marijuana, and given a legal right to obtain their medicine.  But there are no designated sources to get their medicine from?  Patients either have to grow (which many can not due to some kind of personal restriction, either no space, no ability, or no seeds), or they have to designate someone as a provider.

If they designate someone as their provider, then why can’t other people designate that same person for their provider, so long as that provider is only providing to one patient at a time?

It’s like the DMV.  The clerk at the desk can only help “one person at a time”..   Each person gets their ticket for the line, and wait for their number to be called, because they can not reasonable all be served all at once.  It has to happen “one at any one time”.

Thats what WA state laws describes the provider patient relationship.  “only one at any one time”.

Enough said.  Moving on.

For dispensaries, I talk on this video about how I believe in a legal market the prohibition prices should go away.
It does not cost anywhere close to $15 per gram to grow marijuana.
There are 3 things your plants need.
1. Light:  ($275 dollars)  http://tinyurl.com/krtbxo < thats just a random, high quality light that I found on Ebay.  There are less expensive setups too. )
2. Food  ($30)   http://tinyurl.com/lqkptm <again, another random listing on ebay)
3.  Water
You may spend another $100 on accessories (high ball), such as fans or pots, etc…  And $100 on electricity.  Again, I think thats highball too.

So for $600 total, you can grow your first crop of weed, which will produce 15 plants EASILY.
15 plants can EASILY produce 24 ounces of weed (the legal limit in WA).

Each ounce of weed sells for roughly $350 prohibition prices.  Deduct 8.9% for WA state retail tax.  Which is a little over $31 worth of sales tax.

The total for the sale of one ounce is $319 give or take, right?

Times that by 24 ounces.  You have $7,656  worth of weed AFTER taxes.

Your total cost was somewhere in the neighborhood of $600 for the equipment.  And whatever other expenses you might have had.  For example, rent on a building or something like that.

So we can safely assume that there could be $6000 worth of profit off a weed that practically grows itself.

If you are a grower, you stand to make $5000 or $6000 off of one small crop of weed.

Most dispensary owners grow, and provide.  So their own crop could yield $6000 in profit.   And then they sell other people’s crops too I would assume.

A 1000% markup on a natural weed?  Thats a pretty hefty markup.  Also I was being conservative, trying not to sway the numbers in the direction of my point too much.

But you add it up.

Weed sells for between $15 and $20 per gram in these dispensaries.  There are 28 grams in an ounce.  Times that by 24 ounces.   What have you got?  If you’re selling it by the gram, thats $10,000 @ $15 per gram (not yet, $20 per gram).   If your selling it by the ounce at $300 per ounce (some dispensaries are going as high as $350 per ounce), thats $7200 at $300 an ounce.

Subtract your costs.   (Grow equipment lasts for many many crops by the way, so the equipment expense not a regular occurrence).

Whats left?  A lot of profit!

For right now, while we are still trying to fight legal battles, and such…  I understand keeping the prices at $15 per gram or whatever.

But as soon as the authorities start leaving us alone, and we (we as in the cannabis community) don’t have to pay legal costs and deal with downtime in our business from getting raided..  Then prices should drop SIGNIFICANTLY!

But there lies the problem.   Once it’s legalized, cartels and black market drug dealers either start paying taxes and working legitimately, or they go out of business entirely due to a decrease in the price.   What about law enforcement that are primarily concerned with eradicating  the marijuana ‘problem’?  They will have to find new jobs, maybe?

So we have the black market favoring prohibition on one side (growers, dealers, etc).  And on the other side we have narcotics agents who will be revising their resumes if marijuana is legalized.

What is the happy medium?   A taxed and regulated market, like we had up until last Thursday here in Spokane!  Some of the taxes can go towards retraining cops who don’t have any other skills, whatever.   But the legal cannabis industry will benefit our community in so many ways it’s hard to count them all.

I love the courage, and compassion of all of these dispensary owners.   I just worry that when I am possibly on a fixed income someday, I won’t be able to afford buying weed at a dispensary.  Lord willing that never happens, and I pray that I will always be able to grow my own crops for my medicine.  But if there comes a day when that ends for me.  What then?
And what about these people currently on a fixed income of between $600 and $1500 per month?   That isn’t the kind of income that can afford $400 per month for their medicine.

Please consider my words and please know that I am sending this out in love.  I want to help, not hurt.  If you disagree feel free to comment or send me an email:  info@xcannabis.com

I would love for the readers to understand what makes legal marijuana cost $20 per gram?

Peace and Pot!!

Is legalization bad for our kids?

September 9th, 2009 | By Reverend

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To me, it seems like the strongest voices and the most well organized legalization groups are asking for “The legalization of marijuana for responsible adults”.. That is the common theme of the legalization movement.
NOT to legalize it for children, not to encourage teens to use, or children to use. It is to get it out of the hands of the black market for these reasons.

1. To stop arresting people for a victimless crime
2. To relieve the burden that prohibition put on our treasury, our tax payers, and our friends and family who get their life wreck based solely on prohibition. When someone gets a marijuana charge on their record, student loans, military, and many jobs are off-limits after getting such a charge. Even teens, like me when I was 19. Got busted for possessing a harmless plant (marijuana), and I got rejected for the military and many college benefits.
3. To get it out of the black market so cartels and drug dealers arent getting rich. Selling it in a legal market, destroys the black market, similar to prohibition in the 30’s. Ending prohibition, destroyed much of the mafia’s activities.
4. To get it out of the hands of children, by putting it into a similar environment as a liquor store. No ID, no buds, 18+ only.

More kids have access to marijuana an illegal drug, than they do to alcohol which is a legal drug, says a recent government survey. Why? Because a black market provides to children, and a legal market doesn’t.

This clip is from “HIGH The True Tale of American Marijuana”

http://www.truehigh.com/

And this is a childrens book that is spoken about on that video.  It is basically a way to talk to kids about marijuana, from a non-reefer madness approach.  The book is called “It’s Just a Plant” by Ricardo Cortes.    (see this video, to hear some of the book read)

That term “It’s Just a Plant” can also be found in the movie  “Humboldt County”.    That is a really good show!

So no, I don’t think that marijuana legalization is bad for kids.  I think it’s going to be much like alcohol legalization, and I truly believe it will be LESS available to children in a legal market for adults.

If you disagree, feel free to comment.

Prison Nation, putting people in jail for victimless crimes

June 21st, 2009 | By Reverend

Why is America a prison nation?

In the USA we have approximately 5% of the total world’s population.  Yet we have 25% of the total world’s prison population.
More than 80% of all of those in prison are serving time for non-violent offenses, which are mostly made up of drug offenses.

Our prohibition laws have been in place since 1937, and we are the most strict industrialized country in the world on drug prohibition, and yet our problem doesn’t get better it gets worse.  More people are using, and more people are addicted to drugs than in nearly all of the ‘free world’.

When we look at countries that have decriminalized, like Canada, Australia, Holland, etc..  These countries have less of a crime problem, less of an addiction problem, less users, etc..

Prohibition makes drugs taboo.   When people feel like they are being kept from something without justification it makes people want to use the prohibited activity more often it seems.

Here is a video that I made about how prohibition effected me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7n2bH5YPco