The First Marijuana Coffee Shop Opens In America

The first marijuana coffee shop opens in America which will inevitably be one of the first tests Obama faces after announcing a relaxed approach against marijuana. Marijuana cafes have been operated in Europe for many years rather successfully; it will be interesting to see how this new cafe will be received by the public. The Cannabis Cafe in Portland, Oregon is the first place medical marijuana patients in Oregon can get their marijuana and smoke it as long as it is out of public view. Unlike California, there are no medical marijuana dispensaries in Oregon where patients can get their medicine, forcing them to grow it themselves or know someone who is growing it. The new cafe in Portland is a big move in America, what happens in Oregon could trickle down and affect other states; neighboring states will probably be setting up cafes in the near future if Oregon's attempt at it is a success.

According to the Telegraph(UK): "Madeline Martinez, who runs NORML, a group seeking legalisation of the drug, said: "This club represents personal freedom, finally. 'We hope to have classes, seminars, even a cannabis community college, based here to help people learn about growing and other uses for cannabis'". A month ago the Obama administration told federal lawyers, with regard to medical marijuana patients and dispensaries, not to prosecute in those states which have permitted medical use. In the state of Oregon there are 21,000 medical marijuana patients compared to the staggering 150,000 in California. California, legalized medical marijuana in 1996, since then, another 12 states including Oregon followed suit.

With each day that passes it appears that America's view on marijuana echoes Europe's more and more. The way things are going it does not seem like there will be any distinction before long. I think we need to remember that marijuana is still an addictive illegal drug and can have the ability to have an adverse affect on your life. The more the United States accepts medical marijuana the more it will accept its use in general - prescribed or not. Medical marijuana may be a progressive movement for the United States and in the end may be the right thing; but, we dare not forget that just because it becomes recognized as a medicine does not mean that it's not an addictive drug and needs to be monitored.

Are Addictive Drugs Legal in America?

It appears that the United States has become much more permissive of illegal drug use unlike never before. Many people are confused, and are asking, "are addictive drugs legal in America?"Across the world jails are filled to the max, economies have gone into recession, and a war on drugs with no end in sight continues to be fought. In the United States, the Obama administration has recently announced that registered cannabis dispensaries will no longer be raided by federal authorities; this is a pretty big deal considering that Marijuana is still classified as an illegal drug. Just about anywhere you go in the western United States you can see the marijuana trend exploding; more and more states are accepting or considering Marijuana as a legitimate medicine. The hope is that relaxed marijuana laws in the U.S. will have a heavy toll on the Mexican cartels. Cartels make most of their money from trafficking and selling marijuana.

The trend is happening all over the world, countries are not looking at drugs in the same way they once did. Governments are relaxing their laws regarding many different substances. The Economists reports that, "from heroin 'shooting galleries' in Vancouver to Mexico's decriminalization of personal possession of drugs, the Americas are suddenly looking more permissive. Meanwhile in Europe, where drugs policy is generally less stringent, seven countries have decriminalized drug possession, and the rest are increasingly ignoring their supposedly harsh regimes. Is the 'war on drugs' becoming a fiction?" This goes beyond just medical marijuana; many states are considering full on legalization of marijuana and are having serious discussions about it.

It appears to be a new era all over the world regarding the war on drugs. I have to wonder if we are being too hasty, many countries are trying to determine how all narcotics from cannabis to crack can be regulated. There needs to be a limit to all the legalization talk and we need to remember that drugs ruin people's lives and if they are not monitored appropriately then there will be chaos. There is certainly a problem with drug policy throughout the world, but, how we alter those policies needs to be done carefully.

Veterans with Mental Health and Addiction Problems Belong in Treatment

In the late 60's and early 70's many soldiers returning from the Vietnam War came back home with mental health problems. Making the matter worse, many of those same soldiers had serious addiction problems as a result of trying to deal with what they experienced in war. Vietnam veterans did not receive the care that they needed forcing them into ineffective mental health clinics and jails; there were not many options for drug treatment in those days. Countless veterans suffered from our lack of understanding of mental disorders, including and especially addiction. Forty years later and America finds itself in a similar predicament, staggering numbers of soldiers are coming back from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq with serious prescription drug problems, either to deal with pain or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This wave of addictions has veterans winding up in jails all over the country. Veterans with mental health and addiction problems belong in treatment, jails only exasperate the issue; if the United States does not provide its war veterans with adequate treatment, then we will see a repeat of history.

The Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) released a report showing that current practices and policies in the United States has needlessly sent large numbers of handicapped and addicted veterans to jail. The report points out the advantages of drug courts and that treatment is always the better option. Drug and alcohol treatment has a much greater track record of keeping recidivism to a minimum. Guy Gambill, a long-time veterans' advocate, suggests, "In the aftermath of Vietnam, self-medication and its collateral behaviors landed tens of thousands of veterans in prison. This time, let’s be smarter than the problem". Unfortunately, many young veterans coming back from the war who get into trouble do not take advantage of drug court if it is offered; most states do not even have veteran drug court available.

Clearly, action needs to be taken to help or at least offer help to veterans coming back from the war addicted to prescription drugs and other substances. There is no reason why any non-violent addict should spend time in jail; the science is there to back up treatment as being more effective. The military will not provide any form of maintenance programs for their soldiers addicted to opiates despite the evidence world wide to support drugs like Suboxone and Methadone. What is certain is that the military still has a long way to go before soldiers and other veterans are adequately cared for and treated properly, hopefully this report will open peoples' eyes.

Today's post is written to honor our Veterans.

Growing Marijuana for Profit Without the Threat Punishment

Medical marijuana in California has created a wave of people who have started growing the drug with the hopes of making a fortune. People are traveling from all over the country to get their foot in the door before it is closed. People think that because there are medical marijuana laws that it will protect them from the authorities. That is not the case, if you break the law and profit from growing pot under the guise that the plants are grown for medical purposes you will be incarcerated. There are more marijuana growers in the United States today than ever before, especially in California where laws are more relaxed. Unfortunately, the majority of marijuana grown in California is not for medical use and is being sold illegally. Marijuana is quickly becoming the next gold rush; the idea of growing marijuana for profit without the threat of punishment is inviting more people into the drug war. Federal officials plan to announce today 4.4 million plants have been seized since last summer, which is up 52%.

Since medical marijuana cuts into the Mexican cartels profits, they have become more aggressive with their guerrilla operations. The idea that legalizing pot would stop the cartels is not proving true. The United States legalizing medical marijuana will mean more pot will be grown to be sold illegally. Marijuana is an addictive drug that affects the lives of many people, more pot equals more addicts. Sadly, the Mexican cartels are using our national forests to grow marijuana, destroying our pristine habitats. According to the LA Times, "in 2008, 2.9 million plants were found, worth an estimated $11.6 billion. About 70% was grown on public lands. The campaign also seized 2.9 million plants in 2007".

The numbers are staggering and unfortunately they are our future. More people will be exposed to the drug than ever before, inevitably we will see addiction rates spike in America. It will be interesting to see how California goes about this transition and responds to the changes.

Bills and Measures that are in the Works for a Green California and Perhaps a Green America

There are so many bills flying around California that it is hard to keep track of everything going on with the Marijuana debate. What the future will hold is any one's guess, but, with the way things look it seems like it won't be long before Marijuana is a legal drug in California and perhaps the United States. There are a number of states who are tired of spending millions of dollars on prohibiting the production, distribution, and use of the drug. With the country in an economic recession more and more people are trying to find a way to generate revenue. The fact that more people will become addicted to the drug has become over-shadowed by the recession and the violent Mexican cartels. The argument is that legalizing marijuana will slow down the cartels and bring more tax money which could help pull us out of our economic woes. Whatever the case may be there will be a lot of heated discussion in the months to come regarding the pros and cons of marijuana legalization. Listed below are some of the bills and measures that are in the works for a green California and perhaps a green America:

• Assembly Bill 390: Introduced in February by Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, D-San Francisco, it would legalize marijuana cultivation, sales, possession and use by people 21 and older, regulating it somewhat like alcohol. A license to grow for sale would cost $5,000 to start and then $2,500 to renew each year, and a $50-per-ounce tax would be placed on retail sales. Ammiano said he hopes this would bring upward of $1.4 billion per year for drug abuse prevention efforts. No taxation would occur unless the federal marijuana ban is lifted; otherwise, the bill's only effect would be legalization of personal cultivation and use. Ammiano held the bill in committee this year, and is now rewriting it to put it forth again in January.

• The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010: Proposed by Oakland marijuana activists Richard Lee and Jeff Jones, it would legalize personal possession of up to an ounce of cannabis and up to 25 square feet of cultivation per home. It also would give local governments the option of whether to permit, regulate and tax commercial sales, a system akin to how alcohol is or isn't sold in "wet" and "dry" counties in some states. This seems to be the measure to watch; the proponents say their petition drive is surging, and its endorsements include that of Oakland mayoral candidate and former state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata. For details, go to Tax Cannabis 2010.

• The Tax, Regulate and Control Cannabis Act of 2010: Advanced by proponents Joe Rogoway, Omar Figueroa and James Clark, all of San Francisco, it would legalize personal cultivation and use without limits, but would require -- not just allow -- state and local governments to regulate and tax commercial marijuana cultivation and sales. Tax revenues would have to be spent on education, health care, environmental programs, public works and state parks. For details, got to the California Cannabis Initiative.

• The Common Sense Act of 2010: Advanced by proponent John Donohue, of Long Beach, it would require the Legislature to adopt laws regulating and taxing marijuana within one year, but would let local governments choose whether to also tax marijuana's cultivation, sale, and use. For details, go to Grasstax.

-Info Provided by the Contra Costa Times-

I am curious to see what everyone thinks about the direction California is heading regarding this subject. Is California moving too quickly and not evaluating the big picture thoroughly? Once California passes the breaking point it is very unlikely that what has been done can be reversed. Both sides have well thought out arguments to support their views; but, what isn't clear is whether they have thought out plans to implement such a drastic shift into everyday life? Please send us your comments.

Cartels Face Economic Battle With California Pot Growers

In Northern California the growing of Marijuana has been a way of life for many families for a long time. The number of "Mom-and-Pop" grow operations are countless, and the number is becoming larger every day. The Washington Post states, "stiff competition from thousands of mom-and-pop marijuana farmers in the United States threatens the bottom line for powerful Mexican drug organizations in a way that decades of arrests and seizures have not, according to law enforcement officials and pot growers in the United States and Mexico". With more than half of the marijuana smoked in the United States now being grown domestically, it has become a serious burden upon the Mexican cartels. Now, the cartels face an economic battle with Californian pot growers!

The majority of all pot, up until recently, was grown in Mexico and Columbia; this allowed the cartels to maintain dominance of the trade for many years. Now that laws in the United States are becoming more relaxed as we approach potential legalization, the U.S. growers are severely cutting Mexican profits. "While the trafficking of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine is the main focus of U.S. law enforcement, it is marijuana that has long provided most of the revenue for Mexican drug cartels. More than 60 percent of the cartels' revenue -- $8.6 billion out of $13.8 billion in 2006 -- came from U.S. marijuana sales, according to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy", reports the Washington Post. Cutting as much as 60 percent of the cartels profit could do great things for the war on drugs. It is yet to be seen if this trend will hold, but, it seems very likely.

Marijuana is an addictive drug and should not be overlooked or even considered a good thing compared to other drugs. However, the war on drugs continues and the death toll keeps rising. If legalizing marijuana is what it takes to fight the cartels, then it should be something everyone in America considers long and hard. In almost half a century we have not been able to come up with any kind of solution that has worked in curbing the cartels in their deadly game. It may be time to consider what is the lesser of two evils; growing and consuming marijuana or countless dead bodies? No matter what, a solution to the drug war needs to be found.

Mexican Crystal Meth is America's Problem

Methamphetamine production has crossed over borders and become industrialized with the advent of Super-Labs. With so much heat on the production of Meth in America as well as the ability to acquire mass amounts of Pseudoephedrine (the main ingredient in the manufacturing of the drug) being lessened, it is no surprise that other countries like Mexico have taken upon themselves to pick up where the U.S. manufacturers left off. Mexican Crystal Meth is America's problem considering U.S. citizens are Mexico's number one customer. "Mexico now has some massive and very sophisticated operations. We call them super labs," said the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Elizabeth Kempshall, special agent in charge of the Phoenix Division. Kempshall, whose jurisdiction is in Arizona, keeps a close watch on Meth production in Mexico due to her state being one of the major trafficking routes.

The Mexican Crystal Meth market has become a multi-billion dollar industry in what seems like over night. Drug production in Mexico looks a lot different from what we saw in America with trunk and trailer-park operations. Mexican cartels have honed their production skills and created labs that can produce unthinkable amounts of this 'death dealer'. In June police and military discovered the biggest laboratory yet in the municipality of Badiraguato, in the Mexican state of Sinaloa. According to the Global Post, "It is estimated to have produced 40 metric tons of Meth, worth some $1.4 billion on American streets, in just two months before it was shut down — making it the largest operation of its kind to be exposed in the continent." Numbers like that can't help but make you feel that an epidemic is taking place given the fact that the majority of those 40 tons without a doubt crossed our border.

The DEA states that Meth is now the most popular hard drug in America’s Midwest and West, ahead of cocaine and heroin. Consumption and addiction rates will undoubtedly continue to rise as long as factories like the ones above continue to thrive. The bust in Badiraguato had to have been a major blow for the cartels, but, when you take out one weed another will pop up somewhere else with the same devastating ability. How can we keep the onslaught of Methamphetamine away? If Americans keep buying the drug, someone will always be there to make a profit. Personally, America's history of being able to curb the flow of traffic from other countries has been less than satisfactory; it seems unlikely that their tract record will change with regard to the most dangerous drug ever invented. If we can't keep Meth out of America then the least we can do is better educate people on the matter. I, like so many others, am at a loss in terms of the best solution; please let me hear your thoughts on this subject.

Prescription Drugs are Killing American Teens

Prescription drugs are killing American teens at an alarming rate and no one seems to understand why this is happening. People are becoming addicted more to the prescribed medicine than llegal drugs for multiple reasons. First, most doctors do not fully understand the disease model of addiction; nor do they thoroughly check a patient's background before prescribing drugs that have addictive qualities. Unfortunately, the effects and side-effects of Adderall and Oxycontin are only slightly different than their "street" counterparts, Methamphetamine and Heroin. Sadly, obtaining Adderall and Oxycontin is much easier than their illegal "brothers". As long as doctors continue to prescribe these medicines without understanding that most of these prescription narcotics are going to be abused, then America's youth and young adults will continue to overdose.

Doctors are not the only problem with the prescription drug epidemic because one can acquire prescription narcotics from just about every household in America. Parents are not always fully informed about the contents of their medicine cabinet. In most communities the youth of America receives a crash course on prescription drugs upon entering middle-school with DARE and by the time they reach high-school the damage might be already done. DARE in many ways can draw a curious child closer to drugs, as opposed to discouraging interest. And a curious child in a sea of drugs (the home medicine cabinet) is bound to experiment.

In my eyes, in today's America, the biggest drug pushers may likely be medical doctors. Why hit the streets for drugs when you can go to your family doctor? I will reiterate what I have said in previous posts: Without serious reform in our health care system this problem will continue. I am not sure what the solution to this problem is and how we work towards it, but, my opinion is that we need to educate our youth more about the serious dangers that accompany prescription medication.

Here is a NBC Nightly News video that talks about this problem in one county in America. Watch and let me know what you think.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

P.S. Jury is still out on Jesse James Hollywood

P.S.S. Mark your calendar to watch A & E's Intervention on Monday evening, July 13. Hope by the Sea will be the featured treatment center. (Check your local listings)