cannabisnews.com: Benefits To Legalizing Pot You Haven't Heard About
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Benefits To Legalizing Pot You Haven't Heard About
Posted by CN Staff on August 05, 2009 at 05:14:09 PT
By Ami Cholia 
Source: Huffington Post 
California -- The war on drugs may be a noble intention, but the illegal growing of marijuana is destroying our environment and we need to step in.Primarily run by Mexican drug cartels in the fields of California -- marijuana is the state's largest cash crop generating nearly $14 billion a year -- the marijuana growers aren't your typical peace-loving hippies of the 70s. Hundred KW generators, diesel storage tanks, ATV vehicles and large quantities of animal poison are just some of the things involved here.
These men live illegally on farms all summer, putting tons of waste into the soil and water.Irrigation tubes that snake for a mile or more over forested ridges. Pesticides that have drained into creeks and entered the food chain, sickening wildlife. Piles of trash and human waste in the most rugged and bucolic drainages.The danger extends to wildlife as well, because the growers put out poison or shoot the animals that they think are going to threaten the crops.The presence of rats makes the situation worse. To protect the crops, the growers use poison pellets which the rats ingest. Once the body decomposes, the poison goes back into the soil. Vultures and other animals eating the rats can also be poisoned.Each plant also uses about 15 gallons of water per day soaking up a large part of the water resources around.This drug policy report indicates that the trouble goes beyond drug warriors with toxins.The drug war's threat to the environmental is not limited to overzealous drug warriors armed with toxic herbicides. Organized crime groups who cash in on the drug war's distortion of supply and demand dynamics have little regard for the environment. In Andean nations, illicit cocaine producers dispose of chemical byproducts by pouring excess chemicals wherever it's convenient. The hazardous methamphetamine labs of the U.S. are reminiscent of the deadly exploding liquor stills that sprung up throughout the nation during alcohol prohibition. Even growers of organic marijuana impact the environment by felling trees in national forests to make room for illicit grow sites.Most detractors are also the first to clarify that medical marijuana growers are actually some of the most responsible citizens around.There is a serious distinction to be made. Many medical [legal] marijuana growers are some of the most responsible citizens around. They buy soil in bulk, use rat traps instead of poison, water with timers and drip systems. They have very little physical impact on the land. I'm not up against legal growers. The ones I'm concerned with are the ones polluting the environment in the name of huge profits. The plants are seasonal, but the environmental damage lasts forever.Outside of the obvious benefits of hemp -- can be used as a bio-diesel, burns cleanly, makes soil stronger, sturdier paper, etc. -- organic and sustainable practices for growing marijuana would bring in tons of revenue for the states, clear up the environment, and save the government $150 billion on policing and courts, since 47.5% of all drug arrests are marijuana-related. While we're not promoting a drug addiction here, the benefits to the environment by making marijuana legal, definitely seem enough to take action.Source: Huffington Post (NY)Author: Ami Cholia Published: August 4, 2009Copyright: 2009 HuffingtonPost.com, LLC Contact: scoop huffingtonpost.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/f499uK0iWebsite: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/hemp.shtml
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on August 06, 2009 at 08:16:36 PT
Just My Thoughts
I remember seeing the pictures of young Obama and really liked them. I thought how lucky she was to have taken the pictures and to still have them now. I thought they are very valuable. 
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Comment #12 posted by dongenero on August 06, 2009 at 07:50:30 PT
commnet #6 Universer
I agree. The photo is the intellectual property of the photographer. There truly should be compensation for commercial use of that image. It is a very high profile piece at that, pardon the pun.I imagine a post-use, fee negotiation for the use of that image is very much in favor of the artist. And, should be paid by NORML. 
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Comment #11 posted by FoM on August 06, 2009 at 07:32:58 PT
GeoChemist 
Congratulations! I would love to hear more about your take on water. They want to drill on our property because they found a lot of oil but we won't let them. We have 4 water wells we had drilled. Our water is clear and good. We are around a 1,000 feet above sea level but in lower areas they have problems with the rotten egg smell in the water. They haven't been allowed to wreck our area because of a state park near us that the lake is the water supply for a fairly large local town. Since the 60s they have worked hard to keep this area healthy.
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Comment #10 posted by GeoChemist on August 06, 2009 at 07:14:40 PT
FoM
Yes, we need the water to drink. The brine pollution I am dealing with is ~400 miles from the coast, this polution is caused from the drilling of deep natural gas and oil. Underneath fresh water aquifers are conate brine aquifers, the pumping of the gas and oil brings these brines to the surface as the gas and oil are mixed with the brines and have to be seperated at Amine plants. During the extraction of the gas and oil, the conate brine water can and usually does intrude into the fresh water aquifer. If you have/use ground water, keep your nose to it and let me know the second you smell "rotten eggs". I'll be on later as my two-year old and I have to go pick my wife and new son up at the hospital. :D
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on August 06, 2009 at 07:07:01 PT
GeoChemist 
You are doing a very important project. We have excellent water where we live but people who live near the oceans are having problems with salt water. As the oceans rise it will get worse. We saw a program on water and using water to irrigate land to raise crops isn't good. We have corn and flowers and vegetables and no irrigation anywhere. We need to think about letting land that can't sustain itself not grow crops in my opinion. We need water to drink.
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Comment #8 posted by GeoChemist on August 06, 2009 at 05:07:57 PT
Museman
You hit the nail on the head with your opening statement. I am making a career out of stopping the gross pollution of our water resources. Everywhere I have been, I have gathered data (water samples) that have shown time and again the brine pollution brought from depth into the fresh water aquifers. Regulatory agencies turn a blind eye, that is until the university raises kane about it. 
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Comment #7 posted by jsm on August 06, 2009 at 04:37:37 PT
Oregon hemp 
We have had legal hemp (waiting for DEA approval) in WV for over 10 years. Think our "federal representatives" follow this mandate? Think again....My rep will not even respond to my inquiries on this. Yes, it is disgusting at best. At worse, the understanding begins to dawn that we are not a democracy despite all the BS we have been fed. 
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Comment #6 posted by Universer on August 05, 2009 at 21:59:26 PT:
Nice, but not nice
Nifty as the mockup of President Obama puffing on a cigarette (to be sure, chock full of dangerously addictive tobacco and not comparatively benign cannabis) is, I can't say I agree with the notion of unscrupulously lifting another person's intellectual property -- no matter that I enjoy the sentiment.Hooray for NORML, and let's "hope" that the President "changes" his mind about his aversion to legalization -- I would think a rationalist such as he would, left to only his own devices and motivations, concur with the need for legalization. But regardless, stealing another's IP is inciteful and does us no favor.Methinks.
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on August 05, 2009 at 08:41:00 PT
Furor Over an Obama Puff Piece
URL: http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/08/rs-norml5.html
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Comment #4 posted by FoM on August 05, 2009 at 08:23:52 PT
LWV Launches Regional Study on Marijuana 
 LWV Launches Regional Study on Marijuana DecriminalizationBy Rosanne SmyleAugust 5, 2009The League of Women Voters of Southeastern Connecticut has embarked on a regional study to examine the complex issue of whether to decriminalize marijuana. The study, in association with a state university, is in the planning stages and expects to include information from its chapter area comprised of 18 towns in southeastern Connecticut.URL: http://drugsense.org/url/WXbIEA0N
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on August 05, 2009 at 08:17:47 PT
Oregon Hemp Farming Bill Becomes Law 
New State Program for Hemp Farmers to be EstablishedSALEM, Ore., Aug. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vote Hemp, the leading grassroots advocacy organization working to give back farmers the right to grow industrial hemp (the oilseed and fiber varieties of Cannabis), enthusiastically supports the decision of Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski to sign SB 676 into law today. The bill, which passed the House by a vote of 46 to 11 and the Senate by a vote of 27 to 2, permits the production, trade and possession of industrial hemp commodities and products. With the Governor's signature, it now makes a politically bold commitment to develop hemp in a state whose slogan is "Oregon - We Love Dreamers."
 
URL: http://drugsense.org/url/enkAyqdj
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Comment #2 posted by museman on August 05, 2009 at 07:26:47 PT
almost true
But the real 'polluters' drive company vehicles with the latest forest raper tools, or 'geo-exploration' or drilling rigs. The 'damage' being caused by 'mexican cartels' (courtesy of the CIA and DEA) may be actually as described, but considering the source of the information (not the author) the claims are highly suspect.
 
I'd like to also point out that a little over 10 years ago most of those so-called 'legal' growers, were of the 'illegal' kind growing in the national forest. And some of them weren't any better than the claims against the 'mexicans.'Having said that, I have to wonder where all these pot warriors have been during all this 'mexican invasion?' Oh thats right, busting medical dispensaries and other 'legal' growers.This just seems to be a couched attack on those who haven't been (un)fortunate enough to get legal medical status, the infusion of current 'interpretation and implementation of law' to 'make the distinction' between medical pot and non-medical, is missing the point.If you don't want mexicans growing pot on American soil, take away their inititative. LEGALIZE IT
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on August 05, 2009 at 06:25:28 PT
OT: They Are Home
I am proud to be an American particularly today. What a happy ending to such a sad story.
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