MED MJ, Decriminalization and Industrial Hemp

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Marty, what ever happened to USVINORMAL, after Linda did her head trip?

Let's clarify that David - I assume you mean when I went to have my epilepsy studies done?

USVI NORML is still out there. We've taken a step back since there was a lot of talk but no action by those who claimed they wanted it.

Were you not around last year when we had a pro-mj indie film producer down here? We put out a couple of ads. We held a press confernce with local speakers at ISW Studios in St. Thomas. A named local artist did a jingle for us that was played on a station. It and an ad were played on the NORML show live with Russ - for over 2 months.

We put together an Educational Summit and Hemp Expo. UVI and the SBA were all lined up until they realized hemp was a form of cannabis. It had to be cancelled since this happened at the last minute and we were unable to secure another venue soon enough. We had to cancel speakers last minute. Ignorance and fear... sad - so sad.

I met with the writers of the Oregon Tax Act and the Washington state initiatives (2 separate ones) last summer.

There has been happenings behind the scenes. We don't always have to be on the front lines to stimulate change.

At least it is happening now.

So, how many regulars on this board are registered to vote in the Territory? If you live here and are not registered why is that? It is an election year. Change only happens when people want it bad enough.

Are you ready for another 2 years of the same BS - choose wisely, my friends, in November.

While some of the active agents in MJ may likely have "medical benefits", smoking Med MJ is not a quantitative medicine.
The active ingredent is not measured and dosed. (How much THC/BFD is in that bowl?)
Smoking is possibly the worst delivery method for any drug.
If ya'll want to use pot as medicine then lobby drug companies to research the active properties and effective dosing and file for FDA approval for a pill or patch or inhaler or IV or slow release implant. Name one RX thats hand rolled in paper and smoked. Get real.
We already have regulations governing prescription medication. Most voters won't approve some vague mythology.

Smoking is not the only method of ingestion. Yeah - combustion (of anything) always has some issues. You can vaporize, you can (and many people do) make capsules because they prefer that method. You can use it, as I have, cooked in meals - so you get your meds at meal time. There are tinctures that are made with alcohol or glyceryn that you use sublingually. There are ointments - like some rx hormone ointments for women - that people use. Especially on areas of the body that have a healing need. (for example - I used both tincture and ointment on my incision when I had my knee replaced earlier this year. It healed wonderfully and the pain was reduced. Kept me off of Dilauded.

Many dispensaries in the states actually require testing of the product they sell for thc/cbd content - as well as any other chemicals. It is done at professional labs.

The pharmacuitical companies have been working on a couple of products. But that is so they can make money. It isn't about helping the people feel better.

Don't you think the pharmas are the ones lobbying/pressuring the government NOT to legalize? If it were legal, how much money would they lose on chemical/prescription drugs? Drugs that they admit they don't know contraindications with multiple meds. Makes me feel all warm and cozy.

But that is who stands to lose if legalization (medical or full) is passed at the national level. And the people stand to lose if it isn't.

Especially on areas of the body that have a healing need. (for example - I used both tincture and ointment on my incision when I had my knee replaced earlier this year. It healed wonderfully and the pain was reduced. Kept me off of Dilauded.

as in Hydromorphone? So your pot tincture was as effective as Dilauded/Hydromorphone? Well well, then it's fair to say MJ should continue to be closely regulated? Regulated like opiates? Or, should heroine be legalized too?
Hydromorphone is 5x more potent than morphine.
Did you know habitual pot smoking decreases brain function, especial logical decision making (ie, executive function)

Btw. given the choice, i'd pick MJ over opiates any day of the week. I just don't believe in wholesale legalization.

Who looses? I loose. My kids loose. I don't want you driving on my roads or bagging my groceries stoned. I don't want you smoking/tincturing around my kids. I'm not a fan of drugs period. sorry. If you want to keep a pot planted or light up in your own home, then go for it. But keep it to yourself and don't try to involve me.

blu - I am so glad we live under the (somewhat) auspice of the USA and the constitution. We all have the freedom to hold and express our own views. I really am glad that you have direct comments instead of generalizations.

Yes - hydromorphone. And yes, the tincture healed the wound - and reduced the pain at the point it was applied. Did I get high? No. Was I impaired? No. I was more able to function using tincture both externally and sublingually and had no side effects as with the dilauded. When used sublingually - again, I wasn't high. I was without pain. Do some research on Melissa Ethridge's views having used it to cope with her chemo and her use after.

If you are sick - and it helps for the pain, stomach issues, or in Bomba's case - his MS. It takes care of what ailes you. It doesn't get you stoned.

Our bodies were created with receptors for these cannabinoids found in this plant. Coincidense? Guess that depends on your views of creation.

I am thankful we can have open conversations about issues without pettiness and mudslinging.

Bless

Senator Terrence "Positive" Nelson is having conferences about Medicinal MJ on both Stt & Stx. Call his office for more info.
It is coming up very soon and starts at 6pm. I don't remember the dates.

My understanding is these are sessions to have the Legislature vote on whether to put the referendums on the ballot in November. The decrim bill won't be heard at this one is my understanding. That will need to go through committee first. This is the Committee of the Whole.

Monday in STT - Legislature
Tuesday in STX - Legislature

Show up - pro or con. Testify - pro or con. Call his office or the legislative offices to find out how to testify. This is your chance to tell your senators what you think.

blu - I am so glad we live under the (somewhat) auspice of the USA and the constitution. We all have the freedom to hold and express our own views. I really am glad that you have direct comments instead of generalizations.

Yes - hydromorphone. And yes, the tincture healed the wound - and reduced the pain at the point it was applied. Did I get high? No. Was I impaired? No. I was more able to function using tincture both externally and sublingually and had no side effects as with the dilauded. When used sublingually - again, I wasn't high. I was without pain. Do some research on Melissa Ethridge's views having used it to cope with her chemo and her use after.

If you are sick - and it helps for the pain, stomach issues, or in Bomba's case - his MS. It takes care of what ailes you. It doesn't get you stoned.

Our bodies were created with receptors for these cannabinoids found in this plant. Coincidense? Guess that depends on your views of creation.

I am thankful we can have open conversations about issues without pettiness and mudslinging.

Bless

I have hard time understanding this. You say, "If you are sick....It doesn't gat you stoned." Do you mean that sick people don't get high from injesting marajuana? And only not-sick-people get stomed from pot use? Really?

Like I said before, feel free to indulge in private, for whatever reason, medical, recreational, spiritual. If smoking, ticturing, sub-lingualing makes your life easier, then more power to ya. Just don't expect me to buy into the psuedo science.

Why did Los Angeles CA (the medical MJ capital of the US) just revoked all the licenses for hundreds of medical MJ dispeneries? CA iwas one of the first states to decrimnalize MJ and grant Med MJ licenses. Seems like thier experiment went up in smoke. Very interesting....

Thank you, stxchick2012, for being more informative than my post.
I was just putting it out there because I see no one posted it as of yet and I knew it was coming up soon, so I wanted people to be prepared.

Gotta remind those stoners.....Ha Ha! Joke!!! Couldn't resit. wink wink
Honestly I wish y'all luck with drecriminalization thing. If you are over 25 want to keep a plant on the deck, no biggie. If you want light-up and watch TV have fun.
Med MJ, not so much. not covinced. not ready for prime time.
Hemp, whatever.
Leglization NO WAY
sperate the issues and you'll enjoy more success.

@beachcomber - I don't know much, but I share what I (think) I know...

@blu - my hat off to you! No one will try to convince you of anything. Just putting facts and info out there. I promise I'll stay away from your kids 😀

That where we disagree...facts....your facts are my fiction.....my facts are your foolish trivia.
I'd be more likely to support decriminalization, for adults over 25, in private settings, if it was just about the facts.
Stick to one issue that makes sensefor the majority of the population.
Clouding (pun intended) with fake stats isn't gonna help your cause. Citing Melisa Ethridge isn't going to presude the VI legistlature. --just my opinion.

What's your opinion on Los Angeles, CA revoking the license of thousands medical MJ dispenseries after almost 10 years? Seems like there was such a public out cry about the abuse and hazards to the larger community that the city concile had no choice. Legalizing MJ in the VI is horrible idea. Promoting reffer tourism is not healthy for us or our future.

@stxchick2012
Your information about the sessions were much more informative than my post. Almost what was said on News2.

Senator Terrence "Positive" Nelson, Phone numbers:

Stt # 693-3655
Stx# 712-2279

Both are in the phone book.

You can "Like" him on Facebook.

Kinda want to chime in at this point looking at things from the sidelines .....

Who looses? I loose. My kids loose. I don't want you driving on my roads or bagging my groceries stoned. I don't want you smoking/tincturing around my kids. I'm not a fan of drugs period. sorry. If you want to keep a pot planted or light up in your own home, then go for it. But keep it to yourself and don't try to involve me.

Blu sorry to single you out with this but..... by that arguement at LEAST the last 3 presidents including people that ran would be on your bad list, last election both people that ran as a matter of fact admitted to doing cocaine as well as smoking pot......

Like it or not you have had people bagging your groceries (more than likely ) and passed people driving that have smoked the "Demon Weed"

The change in LA law had to do with the fact of closing a loophole in the licensing of the dispenceries not a big uprise in crime, if you would like to debate the stats then please feel free to post them....

Clouding of the facts ..... hrmmm... again sorry to pick on just you Blu and I really and truly from the bottom of my heart mean this but you represent a voice that is too commonly heard in this debate

There has been a lot of recient papers that have been written by the medical community regarding Medicinal MJ. The AMA has grudgling even started to try and push for further study, There has been a pharma pot pill for years and is doesn't do the same thing. The beneficial chemicals don't get translated, so if you really want to look at it, the phama pill is more about the high than the plant.

I could point facts back and forth for forever on this but this is the thing about the entire subject that sickens me most...... I would like to be able to testify and voice my opinion before the Senate in favor ( the same people that stole 6.9 million from us). Because of the job that I work in I could get fired for my belief on this but yet the company has no problem with people walking with a hangover .......

It is time for America to get past the ideas of the movie Reefer Madness and move forward. I would put it that if we are going to continue the ban of MJ then we need to re-introduce the concept of prohibition again and keep everyone's vices on a even field

I don't know if this seems relevant, but did anyone see the movie, "The Savages"?

I sure wouldn't want to see any of the violent Mexican drug cartels, Columbians, etc. try to move in with violence, like they did in the movie and ruin local growers and Mom & Pop shops. According to a news show on CNBC, they are. Especially the Mexican cartels in Calif., the West Coast and expanding.

The number 1 killer drug in the US and it's legal. How can MJ be worse than this?

Cigarette smoking causes about 1 of every 5 deaths in the United States each year.1,6 Cigarette smoking is estimated to cause the following:1
• 443,000 deaths annually (including deaths from secondhand smoke)
• 49,400 deaths per year from secondhand smoke exposure
• 269,655 deaths annually among men
• 173,940 deaths annually among women

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/#cigs

stxwannbe,

allow me to clarify

There is "no bad list" for adults that light-up at home. Carry-on Garth. whatever floats your boat. No judgement. Crack a beer after work. Enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. Get behind the wheel or go to work or school impaired--that's another story.

Prohibitions on alcohol exist. Proof ratings on bottles. Legal drinking ages. Id requirements, Blood alchol standards. Licenses and premits for manufacture and distribution. Limits on advertising and promotion. Limits on locational usage. Regulations against public intoxication. and on and on and on.

Do social drinkers pretend that rum is curing thier baldness or herpies? No they just crack a beer and call it what it is...drinking. Nevertheless, a symtem of problem drinking is pretending and making excuss like i need a drink to digest my french fries or need a drink to focus on tetris--fyi.

I don;t want you driving on my road, or leading the free world if you are high. (like currently high --not high once at your nephews barmitza with that hot girl from digital design class. I don't know how long the effects linger for casual or one time smokers. So if you smoked pot once in college, would you'd still be high 20 years later? Studies have proven that habitual use over long periods espiecally in youths under 25 impact the fuction of the frontal lobe. So if you've been wasted everyday since 6th grade in 1978 then do me favor and refrain from smoking before reporting the homedepot.

Will cops need to be equiped with devices (breathlizers) that detect marajuana intoxication? What exactly is an appropirate level of intoxication before judment and motor function are effected. Booze has proof numbers plainly printed onthe bottel, Does your baggie have any similar ratings?

If you worked for me and came to work with a hang over (or the flu) I send you home. If you came to work smelling like last nights keg party i'd fire you. If you came to work drunk, high on pot, prescription meds, or benedryl, I'd fire you. I take the health, safety and professional standing of my tight crew and thier dependants very seriously.

http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jul/25/local/la-me-0725-pot-ban-20120725

14-0 in favor of banning pot shops. "Council members said that in the meantime, something had to be done to reduce the number of dispensaries, which outnumber Starbucks coffee shops in Los Angeles two to one, according to Councilman Paul Krekorian.

Beck, who appeared before the council, said dispensaries can be hot spots for crime, citing burglaries, armed robberies and killings. In a letter to lawmakers, he said most pot shops are "for-profit businesses engaged in the sale of recreational marijuana to healthy young adults."

Unlike the VI, big city cops actually track stats.

Like I said before, Decriminalzation for adults over 25 in private setting is not a bad idea. If you pro-pot-for-all folks jsut quit the BS and call it what it is, you'd go father. Why do you need to pretend it's a majic medicine? Why not just be happy with decriminalization--folks sick or healthly can have small amounts in ther presonal residences. Isn't that good enough?

The number 1 killer drug in the US and it's legal. How can MJ be worse than this?

Cigarette smoking causes about 1 of every 5 deaths in the United States each year.1,6 Cigarette smoking is estimated to cause the following:1
• 443,000 deaths annually (including deaths from secondhand smoke)
• 49,400 deaths per year from secondhand smoke exposure
• 269,655 deaths annually among men
• 173,940 deaths annually among women

http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/fact_sheets/health_effects/tobacco_related_mortality/#cigs

Oh Roto, so sad, but you are correct.
Can you find historical numbers for the US.
Aren't fatalities down % wise?
With the advent of stricter smoking laws and educational campaigns usage among young adults has slowed. Many years ago I smoked. I quit because it was gross. Not becaues it was unhealthy--20somethings live forever right? Smoking is less and less socialy aceptable. Social acceptance is more important youth than longterm health. That's why legalizing pot is a bad idea. It just send the wrong message to our youth.

The figures for tobacco related deaths are current. I posted the link to cdc.

The war on drugs is a losing cause. We need to decriminalize many drugs like MJ. The US has the highest incarceration rate in the world and almost 70% are in prison for drug crimes. It is outragously expensive and it is a losing cause. You cannot keep drugs out of the hands of the people who really want them. We have spent over $1 trillion on this war, have we won yet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_incarceration_rate

Prohibition didn't work for alcohol and it isn't working for MJ. Why not treat them the same, same restrictions and same penalties?

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

Edits to correct spelling. I wish spell checking worked again

@blu - I am really glad that you have the stance against prescription drugs and benadryl. Most people don't think twice about that. How many people take vicodin (or similar) every day - and go to work - and drive? And mix with alcohol.

I know my father was on 4 750mg hydrocodone for 3 years solid before he passed. How does *that* affect people every day?!?

I may just get to like you.... 🙂

@Rotor (Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein)

Isn't that what we do here in the VI? Seems so...

I know my father was on 4 750mg hydrocodone for 3 years solid before he passed.

Sorry about your dad. Watching a parent detriorate is very difficult.

4 750mg hydrocodone -- Holy horse pill! 3,000 mgs hydrocone a day! Your dad had a higher tolerance than all of the Rolling Stones and thier groupies combined. Where the heck did get a 750 mg dose? Maybe you ment 7.5mg?

Darn those zeros

where are the zeros when we need them....like on my paycheck....