Reefer Smoke

Whenever I hear the "Star Spangled Banner" sung I get misty-eyed and when it's performed by a great singer, especially at a championship sporting event, I actually shed tears despite my best efforts to not look silly. Why this is unusual to me, is because I'm an Expat Canadian and my own National Anthem barely raises my attention, let alone emotion, then the Brazilian National Anthem sounds ridiculous (to me), and only one of a dozen people could tell you what the words are, let alone the meanings, yet Brazileiro's get very emotional about their anthem. So what's up with the Canucks - Stand on guard lyrics?

Most Canadian's will tell you the same thing, we love USA. We know we're different in some way's, but we also know we're the same in most ways, and in lifestlye we attempt to emulate our big neighbor to the south. Our culture is an American culture, as is a growing segment of the world's population, even if each nation brings it's own mix to the party, in the end we're all listening to, and watching, the same media, striving to drive the same cars, eat the same food, build the same houses and live the large lifestyle, like the American's.

It was sad to witness the erosion of the of the global sentiment towards American's over the past decade but that seemed to subside for a time with the election of Obama, proving that the majority of citizens wanted to change some ways and make some amends. When all along we Canadian's continued to adore USA, even if there were some mistakes made because we trust in the U.S. political system, more than our own, that the voices of reason will have an opportunity to be heard. I for one like to believe that there are enough smart people, not afraid to speak their minds, to make sure that before an important law is passed, it's meaning has had a fair and thorough debate.

These past couple of years have been the most challenging times for the people of USA, the shit-storm just doesn't seem to want to end. Whether it be Geo-political, domestic, economic or even environmental, as in the Gulf disaster, the greatest asset of the nation has been brought to bare, on whatever issue it's confronted, that is; "willful determination". This is what makes us admire American's, it's how they react to adversity; with resolve and confidence, that the problems are going to be fixed, and no-matter what the issue is, or the obstacles are, it will get done, once the plan is set and the decision is made to make it happen, it will happen!

Amongst the most charming traits of American's Is the ability to laugh at themselves and write books, make movies or even comedy sketches that make jest of some of their foibles. Being able to make fun or even art of what otherwise might be deemed a political or International disaster, act of war, or a career suicide (ie. Celebrities making mistakes), no matter who does what, somebody's going to make a joke of it, even if it's beyond tasteless. This candor brings humility to the character of the people and makes the rest of realize that mistakes happen and everyone is watching with a keen eye. I especially like that a Canadian such as Jon Stewart can sling as much mud at anyone in the news and everyone laughs. And around the world Expat American's are making people of other countries laugh, smile, or respond in some meaningful way, often in a life-saving ways, or even in a police/peacekeeping ways, very often in a leadership capacity, however my favorite role of American's abroad is like the Gringo's of Amsterdam, or the many American's that I've met in far-flung corners of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and Thailand, incredible great people!

Maybe we Canadian's are so infatuated with everything south of the border because we spend so much time there. I for one have been to more than 40 states, including Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Even driven from Buffalo to Miami and back, from Miami to Vancouver and back, and once across the top from Idaho across to Sturgis, South Dakota, before heading south back to Miami. Plus, I've had the good fortune to have visited all of the biggest cities, and lived in South Florida for 12 years, I can attest to Miami being my second home and favorite gateway to Latin America. Sure the beaches of Hawaii are arguably the best anywhere, the city on NYC the capital of the modern world, Vegas the ultimate city of sin and excitement, and L.A. is the Mecca of all that is cool and hip, but having said all that, it's still an easy answer, when asked "what is it I love the most about USA?" - it's the people.

Happy Independence Day!

Marijuana as medicine is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on cannabis and its medical history, makeup, and legality.

[Read Medical Claims for Marijuana--Just Blowing Smoke?]

1. "Marijuana" is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.

2. The plant was cultivated in China for therapy (and recreation) over 4,700 years ago.

3. More than 20 prescription medicines containing marijuana were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. Pot-based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.

4. More than 20,000 studies on marijuana and its components have been published, according to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, an advocacy group. Of these, around 100 have looked into therapeutic value on human subjects.

5. The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates marijuana for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

6. The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, more than 60 of which are called cannabinoids.

7. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. But patients in these states face federal prosecution for using it--or for growing or possessing pot for medical purposes.

8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.

Corrected on 07/01/10: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the number of studies on marijuana and its components and those involving human subjects. The number of cannabinoids has also been clarified.

Departed Brazil on the evening of May 18 and arrived in Vancouver the next day, cleared customs, hit the cash machine for some shiny new Canadian money, then proceeded to the brand new Skytrain (completed for the 2010 Winter Olympics) which leaves the platform, an easy stroll from VYR airport, every 10 minutes. I rode in the front of the front car, with the kids, so I could marvel at the new metro rail train line, which is part elevated above ground, hence the name Skytrain, but the new train goes underground after it crosses the Frazer River and becomes a subway, transporting the passengers under the bust city streets and get you to your destination in half the time and a fraction of the price of a taxi. From the terminus station of Waterfront you walk about 3 blocks to reach the BC Marijuana Party (BCMP) Headquarters, or as one staff put it: Welcome to the Palace of the Prince of Pot (Marc Emery).

The mood around Cannabis Culture Head Shop and BCMP (upstairs) was a little somber, since Marc had just been extradited to the USA just the day before but the people were still very nice as they made me feel totally comfortable by explaining the rules, number one of which is that you must bring your own weed in order to use the Volcano Vaporizor placed in the center of each of low coffee tables placed between ulta-comfy leather couches or low rider style bean-bag chairs. The spacious second floor facility is super-cool, with excellent views, out huge windows, of the tree-lined West Hastings Street and across to the park where most of the BC Bud merchants tend to hang out.

On my first visit to BCMP the weather was cool and rainy but inside the Cannabis Culture café everything was cozy and chillaxed, so I reacquainted myself with BC Bud, and since it's been such a long time without smoking Kryp, after 15 minutes I found myself laying flat on my back on one of the leather sofas, staring straight up through the wonderful huge skylight built into the room's ceiling and captivated by the rain coming down on a cool old gothic style heritage building down the block, probably the most unusual view in all of Vancouver because you're looking straight-up through the roof of the building and if you tilt your head you can look straight out the big windows and down Hastings Street. Meanwhile , there's all great chill music on a great sound system and the main room has a huge flat screen TV playing a loop of the documentary "The Prince of Pot" and everywhere on the walls there's interesting art and information.

You can almost feel the presence of Marc and Jody, even when they're not there and being in that great establishment of marijuana legalization, you get a real sense of the passion that these two people have for the movement, but also the enduring love that they have for each other. These two Canadians make a powerful team and it's hard to not feel sad for Jody since Marc will be gone for another 5 years or so, that's a really long time apart for partners who spent nearly every minute together.

Now I've been back more than a month and visited Vancouver and BCMP again, this time it was full-blown summer, bright, warm and sunny. This trip included a visit to a small island and some excellent trail hiking, over a suspension bridge and around Lynn Canyon. Even after a month the smell and taste of the air never ceases to amaze me and the views and vibes of the city seem to re-energize the soul and spark the spirit, everywhere the Pacific paints her touch on the landscape and sometimes the panorama of it all just makes you stop what you're doing a say; "Oh Canada!"

Reefer Poker Announces Surf's Up Promotion to Celebrate Launch of New Online CasinoBeach.com

Malta, June 29, 2010 - ReeferPoker.com, in partnership with ReeferCasino.com, has announced the launch of their new online casino partner; CasinoBeach.com.

As part of the launch promo for this new Real Time Gaming casino, the group of sites, which includes the social network ReeferPeople.com, has created a promotion that has players visiting all of their sites on a hunt for branded surfboards.

The first annual HIGH TIMES MEDICAL CANNABIS CUP in San Francisco will include prizes for the best and most medicinal cannabis, hashish and edibles from California's legal medical marijuana dispensaries. Lead by HIGH TIMES cultivation reporter Jorge Cervantes, a small panel of expert judges will award MEDICAL CANNABIS CUPS based on the medical efficacy of the submitted varieties, and will provide notes on the winners designed to help California's estimated 150,000 legal medical marijuana patients make well-informed decisions when seeking cannabis medicine.

HIGH TIMES first annual MEDICAL CANNABIS CUP will also feature a two-day medical marijuana and hemp expo that will include cultivation seminars with HIGH TIMES editors Jorge Cervantes, Danny Danko and Nico Escondido, activism sessions with leaders of the medical marijuana movement and major cannabis celebrities, seminars on how to open and operate your own legal canna-business, an all-star MEDICAL CANNABIS CUP awards ceremony, and an unforgettable Saturday night party with surprise musical guests.

In appreciation of all the women poker players, well actually, in appreciation of all women in general, especially those that are mothers and most especially those that are marijuana smoking mothers, Reefer Poker announced that they would be hosting a special "Mothers Day Poker Tournament". This event is planned for Saturday May 8th at 4:20 PM (CST), intentionally scheduled for the day before the official Mother's Day, just in case the family has plans that may be more important (ie. day at the spa or special family dinner etc...) but we certainly know how some marijuana mom's love to play poker....

To make this tournament even more meaningful Reefer Poker decided to match 100% of the player buy-ins for this tournament and send them to the American Cancer Society to aid them in their ongoing efforts to combat breast cancer. Obviously this is a disease that touches so many people in our lives, and this weekend, with Mother's Day, it is even higher in people's minds.

Reefer Poker is adding $200 to the $3 tournament prize pool, and then matching the entire player buy-in total and donating that amount through Cancer.org. The "Mothers Day Poker Tournament" will be held on Saturday, May 8 at 4:20 pm Reefer Poker time, which is the equivalent of 5:20 pm Eastern Daylight Time.

The $100,000 Poker Freeroll Tournament (main event) will take place on Sunday, May 30th at 14:00 (Reefer Poker Time) and will award $100,000 cash total, with $20,000 being awarded to the Poker tournament winner.

There is NO Direct entry into the $100,000 Main Event, poker players MUST win their seat into this special freeroll through one of the FOUR methods listed here: Reefer Poker $100k Freeroll
The top 500 players will advance to the $100,000 Freeroll Main Event. Players are only eligible to win 1 seat into the $100,000 Poker Freeroll final.

A truly classic strain of industrial strength cannabis. If I were a medical doctor, and I'm not (disclaimer) I would keep doses of this baby on hand for severe cases of trauma or even to address certain types of distress disorders, or in some cases as a means of putting someone to sleep. If you have a low tolerance for smoking ganja then be warned, this may not be such a good medication to ingest. Symptoms may include euphoria, hysteria, paranoia, imbecilic behavior, introverted mood swings or increased sexual appetite, so watch-out this powerful, predominantly sativa strain marijuana usually lives up to the name: "Train Wreck".

I know of a legendary grower from Eastern Canada who has been breeding this variety of Cannabis for many years, and to great effect. He sells his Arcada cut clones across Canada and has shipped his buds to Amsterdam, on several occasions he's left the bud-tenders and pro smokers totally speechless (literally).

The arcada cut of train wreck gets it name because it was grown, for the first time, on a hillside, that just so happened to have a train wreck happen in the same area that summer, so the guys pulled it early, at around 50-55 days, because they didn't want the grow to be found by the crews doing clean up on the wreck. But what they found out was that the shit was finished, which really shock these guys since it was supposed to be a sat Dom plant. This is the story that I have been told more then once from some very close people to me, that have lived in the Arcada, California area since the 1960's.

Trainwreck

A brain thumping, Sativa, soaring high. Comes on strong as a freight train, finishes in the typical ultra-heady Sativa manner. Very medicinal. People become hooked on it like a hard drug. Old school California taste. Dense rock hard nuggets. Next to no leaf, light green with small calyxes and thin stem with small buds. Legend has it it was started in the early 80's by a couple of brothers in San Diego by crossing Mexican X Colombian with a hint of Afghani. After 10 or 12 years, somehow a clone was let out, and the madness started. It has thrived and been mastered in Humboldt County for 12-14 years and also very common on the menu in the better Cannabis Coffeeshops of Amsterdam.

This is unbelievable pot. (90% Sativa / 10% Indica) As per texas Kid icmag forum

We listened to our members and friends, all across the social networks and poker forums. We listened to our Reefer Partners, some 4,000 strong. We asked the reefer smokers we met along the way the same question we asked ourselves, what can we do better? What do cannabis culture people want? How can we be the coolest 420 place in cyber space? And how could that benefit the planet?

Reefer evolution was caused by osmosis as we always wanted to move beyond poker and built something much larger than the sum of the parts which started with Reefer Poker and Reefer Partners (affiliate portal) then grew to include a social network, Reefer People, a casino and bingo Reefer Casino and Reefer Bingo, meanwhile the Facebook, Myspace, Twitter and Google Buzz groups have grown strong and at the same time this un-official blog, reefer smoke, developed into an authority site (by Google rank) with solid daily reader base.

Reefer Club formed alliances with Amsterdam based cannabis companies, to become partners with leaders in the marijuana movement both on and offline. Our dream was to get involved in cannabis cultivation as a unique VIP program. Maybe even have live web cams on a legal grow-op of medicinal marijuana, whereby the VIP member could watch his plant come to harvest and bank the money in a revenue share program, when the harvest is sold to a licensed reseller. Also, have bonus point programs where million of seeds are earned in rewards programs and then random planting would take place via airplane. However, all these great ideas and others related to cannabis were too fraught with danger, so we discovered something acceptable to plant - the rain forest!

High times for American marijuana smokers as police allow thousands of '4/20' pot protesters to light up across the country
Read more from the Daily Mail:

Oh man, if Obama were a young man now, would he be on the front-lines? Sure hope his staff share this brilliant story published about National weed day in America, by the Daily Mail of London today. It's filled with good honest pictures of young people (and old) having a good 'ole time, not hurting anyone, enjoying a reefer or two.
The Daily mail description was fair, I thought:

Marijuana smokers across the America lit up in public parks, outside statehouses and in the posh confines of a Hummer parked outside a pot gardening superstore to observe the movement's annual 'high holiday' yesterday.
Those who weren't within whiffing distance of a college campus or a reggae concert may not have realised that Tuesday was '4/20', the celebration-cum-mass civil disobedience derived from '420' - insider shorthand for cannabis consumption.

Wow it feels like we've reached the tipping point! The marijuana debate has taken over the mainstream media as evidenced by CNBC hosting an entire day of discussions, interviews and segments about marijuana in America, they even advertised it as the "Marijuana-Thon" as though the producers themselves were smoking some green-crack when they planned the schedule. Plus they developed a web section on their website called Marijuana & Money which features over 40 articles, analysis and commentary of the most interesting, honest and useful information imaginable. CNBC even included a State by State comprehensive guide to marijuana laws, enforcement statistics, medical marijuana programs and costs. Then if that's not enough to answer any question and share some truth they added several color photo galleries which include eye candy smoking gear and exquisite cannabis porn.

• Marijuana In America - A look at how marijuana figures into the history and culture of the nation.


• Marijuana: By The Numbers - Pot use and laws vary widely from state to state. Here are some highlights.


• Top Marijuana Travel Destinations - Some places have turned a blind eye to personal use, encouraging travelers from around the globe to visit, with commentary by Danny Danko from High Times


• Tools of the Trade - Marijuana users experience the drug in a variety of ways, and various products exist to facilitate consumption.


• A Gallery of Medical Marijuana - With medical use legal 14 states, there's quite an assortment of varieties available.

Big Kudos to CNBC. In the Editors introduction, Albert Bozzo, Senior Features Editor at CNBC.com explains why they launched this incredible website and dedicated so much time and resources to the topic of Marijuana in America, here's a tiny excerpt to whet your whistle:

Money, Ideology, Policy

Slowly over the past four decades, the drug has worked its way into the nation's social fabric. Baby boomers and counter-culture types of the past are now leaders, movers and shakers, who want to see marijuana over the counter.

It seems that the Bloom Dude over at Celebstoner.com has cleared up a lot of mystery about the genesis of the term 4:20 and for older reefer smokers that's a good thing, since I also thought the term was related to a police code, borrowed from the TV show Adam 12 (ie. "marijuana smoking in progress") which makes me chuckle to think that once upon a time a police dispatcher would actually put out a call saying something like that, now a days the cops would just laugh and think it was a joke. However, apparently that's where the students from San Rafael High School got the idea, so I wasn't all wrong, thanks to Steve Waldo of San Rafael for clearing that up.

According to the Celebstoner - Everything you ever wanted to know about 420 but were too stoned to ask it was the Grateful Dead that adopted 4:20 (the time) to turn it into 4/20 (the date) and the rest as they say, is history. The "Four Twenty" significance has long ago gone global. One of the my favorite café's in Amsterdam is called the "420 Café" it's been there for at least a half dozen years, and all throughout the cannabis culture there's tons of 420 artwork emblazoned on a myriad of products sold from a wide array of shops. Perhaps it's the most well known symbol of the cannabis counter culture, and will likely remain so until well after the last law has been changed, to make smoking weed completely legal everywhere, until then it's our own symbol of unity, recognized around the world.

The list of 420 events has grown huge, some of the most notable are at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of California at Santa Cruz, plus my home city Vancouver, Canada hosts a huge smoke-out downtown outside the art gallery. Many artists and performers plan concerts and special events to commemorate the date, I think the best list can be found on Celebstoner here:

I'll take this opportunity to wish everyone reading this message, who plans on celebrating 420 in style tomorrow, a groovy good time. Partake in 420 with love and peace and remember the words of Freewheelin Frankin:

Dope will get you through times of no money, Better than Money will get you through times of no dope. ~ Freewheelin Franklin

If you asked me, which of the exotic cannabis strains that I haven't smoked, would I most like to sample, I'd have to put Durban Poison on my short list and if it were accompanied by a visit to Durban, South Africa, then it would be my number one pick. Ever since I was a teenager my Australian friends in Canada, who had travelled all over the world, planted the seed (so to speak) about the wonders and excitement of South Africa and in particular the city and beaches of Durban.

Although I'd seen Durban Poison for sale in the cafés of Amsterdam and noticed that the seeds are available from many leading seed banks, I'd still never gotten my hands on this famous sativa strain. The thing about scoring "DP" as they call it, or weed in general known as Dagga (pronounced "dugger" with the "gg" pronounced gutturally as in the Scottish loch) while in Durban is that it's most likely to have been grown outdoor. Durban Poison, they say, originates from the Rift Valley region of East Africa but that doesn't tell us much since the Great Rift Valley is over 6,000 miles long, stretching from Lebanon to Mozambique.

Durban Poison is an exclusively inbred South African sativa crossed with a F1 cross. Considered 100% sativa. Typically an outdoor plant due to its ability to grow quite tall with large leaves, Durban Poison can essentially flourish in both inside and out since it does so well under artificial light as well as harsh summer weather conditions.

Durban Poison usually flowers typically after about eight or nine weeks. The buds are long, fat and tight with plenty of resin. These solid nugs are resilient and strong against molds and other diseases, making Durban Poison a strain that can be grown even in non-harvesting seasons and earning a reputation of being an easy strain to grow.

The DP plant produces a Thai-like aniseed smell similar to licorice. A husky, earthy taste pleasant to the smoker. Durban Poison is well known for it's powerful effect which produces an energetic, trippy high.

For the ultimate cannabis connoisseurs, if there's anywhere on the continental USA you'd want to be this weekend it would be Aspen Colorado, for the First Annual Aspen Cannabis Crown.

April 17-18, Gant Hotel, Aspen Co.
610 S. West End, Aspen, CO 81611
P: 970-925-5000 or 866-956-6317

Guest speakers will include Rick Cusick of HIgh Times Magazine and Anita Thompson wife of Hunter S. Thompson also on hand will be plenty of medical doctors including Aspen local physician Wendy Zaharko. The cannabis crown will be a competition among Medicinal Marijuana care-givers in the state of Colorado.

Winners will receive tickets to this years Amsterdam Cannabis Cup

More information can be found here,

On April fools day the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime released the Afghanistan Cannabis Survey just to let the world know, or at least anyone paying attention, that there's more than just Opium flowing out of Afghanistan. Every day since the survey was released there's been stories in the media about the bumper crop of cannabis grown in Afghanistan this year. Now people are realizing that the world's top producer of opium is also handy at growing weed and making great hash. Since 2006 they've bumped Morocco out of that top spot for Hash production. Well they should be good hash makers, since they've been practicing for hundreds of years, it's sad and shameful that they can't proudly compete in the Amsterdam Cannabis Cup with their great products, instead they get bullied.

The Afghanistan Cannabis Survey estimates the amount of Hash to be 3,500 tons worth approximately $94 Million USD. First off, just for conversation sake, that's just under $13.50 per pound which is very lousy for the producer considering the best discount price to be $10 per gram with over 453 grams in a pound for the equivalent of $4,530 on the street in Europe or America, this makes one of the best profit margins of any commodity grown anywhere. However, $27,000 is allot of cake for a ton of hash, is there a commodity exchange? Do they hire brokers? Can it be bought FOB?

The thought of all that hashish being created inside a war-zone has made me curious about how it get's to market and if history has repeated itself where the U.S. Military has gotten involved in the transportation and black-market trading of all that non-taxable, non-traceable cash generating commodity? Guess we'll just have to wait for the Hollywood mockumentary "Air Afghanistan" by the spin doctors at the department of mis-information, hopefully Oliver North can make a cameo. It's always easier to make a movie of any serious criminal allegations involving the military or U.S. Government.

Pot odds are one of the most important parts related to a Texas hold'em poker game, odds are important in any poker game. Pot odds are related to the relationship of the size of the tables pot which is then compared to the size of the bet you will have to call. A good example would be, if the pot is at $40 and you would only need to call $4. In this case the odds are 10 to 1. You can relate your pot to the odds that you will improve your hand to decide of you is going to call. If your odds of improving are lower than your pot odds then you would want to call the hand. You will want to remember when playing any form of hold'em poker that there can be two different players who will not understand the idea of pot odds.

The first are player they will play very tight. They will fold even when the pot odds would make it profitable for them to call the hand. The second are poker players that will call any hand to the river even when they should know that they are beat. These second set of poker player is where the real money is at. If you can learn how to use pot odds to your advantage you will be able to profit from these kinds of players mistakes. There are more advanced concepts like implied odds and reverse implied odds that can also help you profit from weak player. You just need to remember that poker is a game of math not luck. If you learn the math behind it you will end up a winner in the end.

If you want to learn more about math behind poker odds there are many different books you could read. I would suggest starting out by reading Odds and Probabilities: Limit, No Limit, and Tournament Strategies by Mathew Hilger. This book will give you the tools need to understand everything you need to know about odds and everything about odds percentages and poker. The book has many tests and charts to help you out. Well, do your homework and you'll be winning poker games in no time.

Michael Bush is the Webmaster of www.smallstakespoker.net Strategies and Tools for winning at Small Stakes Limit Texas Holdem

The International Cannabis & Hemp Expo 2010
April 17 & 18 in San Francisco, California at The Cow Palace

The International Cannabis & Hemp Expo 2010 is a public education event, offering a forum for awareness, education and advancement of the hemp industry and medical cannabis community. The objective of the expo is to educate the public on the differences between industrial hemp, medical cannabis and recreational cannabis, and to show the public the benefits of each.

• 100,000 sq ft of exhibition space


• A Patient Consumption Area and VIP Lounge with approved onsite consumption


• 2 Full Days of Speakers for exhibitors / speakers / community leaders / activists


• Guest Celebrities, Experts, Politicians, Etc.


• Hundreds of vendors from a cross section of industries

For ticket information and anything else you need to know, please visit the official website: www.intche.org

In the defense of pot, there has never been a more sound reason, for decriminalization of weed, than the justification defined in this excellent article by David Sirota from Salon. This is the best, short and sweet, summation of an indefensible denial argument.
Title: Making the case for marijuana

This article is such an important point of view, one that I share wholeheartedly ~ Our laws related to marijuana are doing more harm than good. David Sirota adds this poignant point to drive home the message:

Last week, students at 80 colleges asked their schools to reduce penalties for marijuana possession so that they are no greater than penalties for alcohol possession. It's a request with safety in mind: According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, alcohol use by college kids contributes to roughly 1,700 deaths, 600,000 injuries and 97,000 sexual assaults every year. By contrast, "The use of marijuana itself has not been found to contribute to any deaths, there has never been a single fatal marijuana overdose in history (and) all objective research on marijuana has also concluded that it does not contribute to injuries, assaults, sexual abuse, or violent or aggressive behavior," as the group Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation notes.
"It's time we stop driving students to drink and let them make the rational, safer choice to use marijuana," said one student.