marijuana

The Trouble with E.Orr: Taking credit where it is not due again

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EyeoreThe mythical moderate Republican Ethan Orr aka “E.Orr” is at it again. The Trouble with E.Orr: Taking credit where it is not due.

The corporate media villagers have all reported in recent days that E.Orr will propose a bill if he is reelected — and that is seriously in doubt — to legalize marijuana. “I want your vote Spicoli!”

Back in February of this year, state Rep. Ruben Gallego (D) and 12 Democratic co-sponsors (including Rep. Victoria Steele from LD 9) filed a bill to regulate and tax marijuana similar to alcohol. Marijuana Legalization, Decriminalization Bills Filed in Arizona:

The bill, House Bill 2558, allows adults 21 or older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and grow up to five marijuana plants.

The bill also establishes a system of cultivation and retail sales similar to Colorado’s retail marijuana industry, which opened for business this year.

Minor violations of the proposed law, including smoking in public, growing in public view, or being caught in possession while under the age of 21 would be civil violations punished by fines.

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Public education needs a new source of tax revenue: legalize marijuana and impose a ‘sin tax’ dedicated to support of public education

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education_appleMary Jo Pitzl and Yvonne Wingett Sanchez of the Arizona Republic framed the issue in their report on Sunday Plans for Arizona school funding short on details this way:

Both Doug Ducey and Fred DuVal talk a lot about education as they campaign for governor. But neither has a long-range plan to deal with the funding crisis facing Arizona’s K-12 system.

The funding crisis facing Arizona’s K-12 system is due to a structural tax revenue deficit directly resulting from 22 years of GOP tax cuts that cannot be undone by a simple majority of vote of the Arizona legislature thanks to Prop. 108 (1992), Ariz. Const. Article IX, which requires a two-thirds vote of the legislature for passage and three-fourths vote to override a governor’s veto of any legislation that would provide a net increase in state revenues through certain changes in taxes, tax rates, tax deductions, fees or assessments, or that results in a reduction or elimination of a tax deduction, exemption, exclusion, credit or other tax exemption feature in computing tax liability.

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‘Marijuana Refugees’ Move to Colorado for Cannabis Oil to Treat Epilepsy

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marijuana leaf

When I first heard Democracy Now’s headline about “marijuana refugees” moving to Colorado, I, of course, thought of stoners who want to freely buy weed from a retail outlet, but the riveting story on Democracy Now focused on families that are leaving their homes in other states to get access to a particular cannabinoid oil that has been shown to be effective in controlling epileptic seizures.

That’s just plain stupid. Not getting cannabis oil– but having to leave your home, your job, and all of your friends to move across the country to gain access to an herbal remedy that can help your child lead a normal life.

Little Madeleine, who was featured on the show, had exhausted the available medical therapies and was facing brain surgery to remove half of her brain, when her mother heard about cannabis oil and decided to move to Colorado to obtain it. With cannabis oil, Madeleine went from suffering hundreds of seizures per day to being able to function as a normal child. (Check out the video, and you’ll see Madeleine and her smiling, happy Mom.)

From Democracy Now…

According to the Colorado Springs Gazette, at least 115 “marijuana refugee families” from 43 states have left jobs, homes and family so they could obtain the cannabis oil to treat a variety of ailments.

The big controversy with this use of cannabis is that it’s not a research-based treatment and not controlled by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

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High Marijuana Arrests: Signs of Racism & Over-Policing

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by Pamela Powers Hannley The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has released a new report on arrests and incarceration for marijuana possession. The findings are startling– in light of new research showing multiple medical uses for marijuana, spread of states with medical marijuana, legalization of marijuana in two states, and widespread usage of marijuana by millions of … Read more

New Research: Regular Marijuana Users See Pre-Diabetes Benefit

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MJ-leaf-gr-blby Pamela Powers Hannley

A new research study published today in the American Journal of Medicine found that current marijuana users had significantly lower fasting insulin, were less likely to be insulin resistant (a pre-diabetic state), and were more likely to have high HDL (good cholesterol). (Read the study here.)

Marijuana (Cannabis sativa) has been used for centuries to relieve pain, improve mood, and increase appetite. Outlawed in the United States in 1937 and further restricted under the Controlled Substances Act by the Nixon Administration, marijuana use has continued to increase. There are an estimated 17.4 million current users of marijuana in the United States. Approximately 4.6 million Americans smoke marijuana daily or almost daily. With the recent legalization of recreational marijuana in Washington and Colorado and the legalization of medical marijuana in 19 states and the District of Columbia, US public opinion has moved toward less stringent laws.

In an accompanying editorial, Dr. Joseph S. Alpert of the University of Arizona College of Medicine calls on the federal government to open the doors of medical research to marijuana, allowing free investigation of the drug. Study details after the jump.