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R.I.P. Don Cornelius

Man I had to pull this page back. Stop the presses Don Cornelius is dead. I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears when I saw the news. I mean I know he was old and we all have to go some day but he was linked to so much in the music community that he took so much with him in his passing. I felt my soul went with him. Not my soul that Jesus may or may not claim, but the soul in music that gives you rhythm. That soul that was the original swag of the urban music scene. That soul that James Brown and Aretha Franklin were representing with their live performances.

Don Cornelius saw that soul and came up with a way to harness it and present it to the world on a weekly basis. For over two decades he was the face of young Black America, and in some cases a pipeline for whites who wanted to crossover. Yes, Sir Elton John played Soul Train. But on a grander scale he laid the foundation for urban marketing, by showing you could use African-American models, dancers and entertainers to promote products and do it with a degree of success. His advertisers were not just African-American companies but Coca-Cola, Ford and Proctor & Gamble. He later developed the Soul Train Awards out of necessity. When the Gram-mys and American Music Awards were overlooking stars in R&B, Soul and Hip-Hop he created a place where they could be recognized. Over time the urban landscape grew and it needed bigger outlets and this led to BET and later TV One, which could tell the African-American story 24 hours a day. And that’s not a knock to Don. That’s what pioneers do. They lay the foundation for others to build on. Thank you Don for the good times. When you see God, wish him peace, love and soul!

Just A Thought

As a patient, advocate and political buff I find myself in deep thought about the state of our com-munity and the politics of legalization. While I was under the influence of blue dream I had this thought, homosexuals make up about 10% of the population. Maybe 12% if you count the down low people and those just experimenting. You have legal gay marriages in 7 states. And our President has kept his word to this group, fighting to overturn don’t ask don’t tell in the military and making sure civil unions are recognized when it comes to medical issues. Now I’m not lashing out against gays. I’m just pondering the numbers.

There are 16 states with MMJ laws on the books that are supposed to protect patients. This means 32% of the country’s population is addressing legalization. Yet with these numbers we cannot event get the President to have the “Intelligent Conversation” with us that he promised during his election bid. What I’m saying is twice as many states, twice as many people are dealing with a real matter and all we get is ignored and raided. What do we have to do to get the national conversa-tion that makes the politicians treat our cause with real concern? And I don’t mean the great thing we are doing now with education and fighting court cases. What’s the one event that is going to be our 9/11 moment that causes everyone to see the MMJ community in a different light? I don’t know. You tell me. Lsqmag@gmail.comRight on to the real, death to the fake.

Eric Robinson,Editor

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Contributing Writers

Lawana Hall-ConklinJim RileySusan PattersonNicholas PellCha-ChaSheldon Taylor

Submit inquiries and

editorials to:

Legal Smokers Quorum6002 Fountain Ave.Hollywood, CA. 90028Ph. 323-692-1006Fax: 323-692-1009Email: lsqmag@gmail.com

Web: www.lsqmag.com

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TOCINSIDE

Grindin’ V-syndicate wins big with portable grinder cards.

Potato BudsGet a new recipe for mash potatoes.

the NewsCalifornia Supreme Court reviews crucial MMJ cases and states petition to reclassify MMJ.

PoliticSWill playing the race card hurt Republicans in the long run?

SmokeHers Will MMJ help women get their groove back?

Mya All grown up and ready to love.

MGKWatch out for this Bad Boy.

Rockie Fresh This MC is in a time warp.

Problem Get ready for the West Coast triple threat.

Cops How they plan on killing prop 215.

Shattered Myth Cannabis is safer than tobacco.

Beauty and the Bud 420 Nurses show why they are the future of MMJ marketing.

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GARLIC HERB MASHERS Ingredients: 3-4 large Russet Potatoes, Washed, Peeled, and Cubed1 tablespoon Basil4 large Garlic Heads3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil1 tablespoon Cracked Black Pepper1 tablespoon Kosher Salt4-6 ounces Ricotta Cheese1/4 pint Heavy Cream4 tablespoons Sweet Butter4 tablespoons Cannabutter Prepare:

Cut the top 1/2 inch off the garlic heads.

Add olive oil to the cut heads and sprinkle with basil.

Roast in 420-degree oven for 30-50 minutes.

When tender to a fork the garlic is done.

Boil the cubed potatoes in salted water until fork tender, drain, and mash.

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Add pepper, salt, cream, and cheese and mash until smooth.

Squeeze garlic into the mix and whip until smooth.

Patient Advocates File Ap-peal Brief in Federal Case to Reclassify Medical MarijuanaThe country’s leading medical marijuana advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access (ASA), filed an appeal brief today in the D.C. Circuit to compel the federal government to reclassify marijuana for medi-cal use. In July 2011, the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) denied a petition filed in 2002 by the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis (CRC), which was denied only after the coalition sued the government for unreasonable delay. The ASA brief is an appeal of the CRC rescheduling denial.

“By ignoring the wealth of scientific evidence that clearly shows the therapeutic value of marijuana, the Obama Administration is playing politics at the expense of sick and dying Americans,” said ASA Chief Counsel Joe Elford, who filed the appeal today. “For the first time in more than 15 years we will be able to present evidence in court to challenge the government’s flawed position on medical marijuana.” Although two other rescheduling petitions have been filed since the establishment of the Controlled Sub-stances Act in 1970, the merits of medical efficacy was reviewed only once by the courts in 1994.

The ASA appeal brief asserts that the federal govern-ment acted arbitrarily and capriciously in its efforts to deny marijuana to millions of patients throughout the United States. ASA argues in the brief that the DEA has no “license to apply different criteria to marijuana than to other drugs, ignore critical scientific data, misrepresent social science research, or rely upon unsubstantiated assumptions, as the DEA has done in this case.” ASA is urging the court to “require the DEA to analyze the scientific data evenhandedly,” and order “a hearing and findings based on the sci-entific record.”

Patient advocates argue that by failing to reclassify marijuana, the federal government has stifled mean-ingful research into a wide array of therapeutic uses, such as pain relief, appetite stimulation, nausea sup-pression, and spasticity control among many other benefits. In 1988, the government ignored the ruling of its own Administrative Law Judge Francis Young who said that, “Marijuana, in its natural form, is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man.”

Since the CRC petition was filed in 2002, an even greater number of studies have been published that show the medical benefits of marijuana for illnesses such as neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis, and Al-zheimer’s. Recent studies even show that marijuana may inhibit the growth of cancer cells. Last year, the National Cancer Institute, a division of the federal De-partment of Health and Human Services, added can-nabis to its list of Complementary Alternative Medi-cines, pointing out that it’s been therapeutically used for millennia. The ASA appeal asserts that scientific evidence that was studied or discovered after 2002 is still relevant and must be considered.

California Supreme Court Grants Review of Controversial Medical Marijuana Cases

The California Supreme Court issued an order to-day indicating its intent to review two controversial medical marijuana cases that have resulted in the suspension of several local dispensary ordinances across the state. As a result of today’s order, Pack

v. City of Long Beach and City of Riverside v. Inland Empire Patient’s Health and Wellness Ctr., Inc. have both been vacated in anticipation of the High Court’s ruling. The Pack decision held that some dispensary regulations may be preempted by federal law and the Riverside decision held that localities could legally ban distribution altogether.

“These cases were very problematic for patients and their ability to safely and legally access a medication that works for them,” said Joe Elford, Chief Counsel of Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the country’s

leading medical marijuana advocacy group. “We’re very pleased that local governments will now be with-out the means to deny access to medical marijuana for patients in their communities, at least until or un-less the Supreme Court has ruled otherwise.”

Arguing that Pack was erroneously decided, ASA along with the American Civil Liberties Union, the Drug Policy Alliance, and the County of Santa Cruz filed a brief on December 12th requesting that the California Supreme Court review the case.

Although the Pack decision, issued in October of last year, contradicted other appellate court rulings, sev-eral cities and counties across California have used it as a reason to suspend regulatory ordinances or completely ban local distribution. In its latest crack-down on medical marijuana in California, the U.S. Justice Department has even cited the Pack decision as a reason why localities should not adopt distribu-tion licensing ordinances.

One of the cases that contradicted Pack was the Riverside ruling issued in November, which held that medical marijuana distribution was not preempted by federal law, but cities could lawfully ban it. However, now that both decisions are out of play, local govern-ments will now have less cover with which to imple-ment or continue such bans. “The Pack decision is a dead letter and can no longer be used to defy the implementation of state law,” continued Elford.

It will likely be at least a couple of years before the Supreme Court rules on the cases. In the meantime, advocates will be urging their local governments to adopt regulatory ordinances that establish the means by which California’s hundreds of thousands of pa-tients can obtain a medicine that is legal under state law.

Four States Petition to Reclassify Cannabis for Medical Use

In a bipartisan effort, the governors of four medical cannabis states have asked the federal government to reclassify cannabis so it may be legally distributed like other medicines. Govs. Christine Gregoire (D) of Washington and Lincoln Chafee (I) of Rhode Island announced the petition Nov. 30 after each received threatening letters from federal prosecutors regard-ing their states’ medical marijuana laws. Since then, Gov. Peter Shumlin (D) of Vermont has signed on and Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper (D) filed a separate but similar request. Gregoire and Chafee were among the governors warned that their states employees would be at risk for criminal prosecution if they were in any way involved with licensing or regu-lating the distribution of medical cannabis to qualified patients. As a result, in April, Gov. Gregoire vetoed sections of a bill that would have permitted dispensa-ries in Washington because of federal threats, and in September, Gov. Chafee suspended implementation of the Rhode Island dispensary licensing law.

News

The ASA appeal brief asserts that the fed-eral government acted arbitrarily and ca-priciously in its efforts to deny marijuana to millions of patients throughout the Unit-ed States. ASA argues in the brief that the DEA has no “license”

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Will the use of racial overtones help rally the party or hurt them in the general election

By Charlie Braxton

For years now I have been closely observing the Republican Party and their mad rush toward becom-ing the grand ole party of racists. I say that because when it comes to stoking the flames of xenophobia and racism to win an election, there is no party in contemporary American politics that has been able to top the Republicans. Unfortunately for African Americans and other people of color, 2012’s race for the GOP’s Presidential nominee has yielded a bevy of bigoted statements and race related inci-dents from several GOP contenders.

Are Republicans Playing the Race Card to Trump Obama?

Fi rs t there was Texas Governor R ick Per -ry who drew heavy f i re f rom h is hun t ing camp where he and h is fa ther have hos ted hunt ing par t ies fo r lawmakers , f r iends , fami ly and po ten t ia l donors to h is po l i t i -ca l campa igns fo r years . Sounds per fec t l y innocent , r igh t? Not i f the hun t ing camp bore the name tha t inc luded a rac ia l ep i -taph . I t seems tha t a t one po in t in t ime the camp tha t the Per ry ’s choose as a rec rea t iona l p layground fo r h is r i ch and power fu l f r iends was named N iggerhead. A l though Per ry den ied hav ing any th ing to do w i th the name or even knowing any-th ing about i t , t ru th i s accord ing to bo th loca ls and the Wash ing ton Pos t the camp has been known by tha t name fo r years .

“The name o f th is par t i cu la r parce l d id no t change fo r years a f te r i t became as-soc ia ted w i th R ick Per ry , f i r s t as a p r i va te c i t i zen , then as a s ta te o f f i c ia l and f ina l l y as Texas governor , ” wr i tes The Wash ing-ton Pos t ’ s S tephan ie McCrummen. “Some loca ls s t i l l ca l l i t tha t . ” She fu r ther wr i tes tha t “as recent ly as th is summer , the s lab-l i ke rock — ly ing f la t , the name s t i l l fa in t l y v is ib le beneath a coa t o f wh i te pa in t — remained by the ga ted en t rance to the camp. ”

I f any o f th is i s t rue R ick Per ry had to be e i ther b l ind o r i l l i t e ra te no t to no t i ce the s ign . Under normal c i rcumstances th is shou ld have spe l led the end o f h is po-l i t i ca l career bu t i t wasn ’ t . A l though as o f th is wr i t ing Per ry i s lagg ing sharp ly in the po l l s , he s t i l l remains a leg i t imate Repub-l i can cand ida te .

Then there i s the fo rmer -Speaker -o f - the-H o u s e - t u r n e d - K - S t r e e t - L o b b y i s t - t u r n e d -Wash ing ton-ou ts ider , Newt G ingr ich , who can ’ t seem to s top pu t t ing h is foo t in h is mouth when i t comes to race . F i rs t there was the s ta tement he made ca l l ing Pres iden t Obama “ the f ines t Food Stamp p res iden t in Amer ican h is to ry . ” By us ing the te rm Food Stamp to descr ibe Obama, G ingr ich imp l ies tha t our Nat ion ’s f i r s t A f r i can Amer ican p res iden t somehow doesn ’ t deserve to be the na t ion ’s top leader – tha t he was g iven the pos i t ion as some sor t o f po l i t i ca l handout . Not on ly i s G ingr ich insu l t ing the Pres iden t persona l l y , bu t A f r i can Amer icans and peop le o f co lo r in genera l . And by ex ten-s ion , he a lso insu l ts the many poor wh i tes who re ly on Food Stamps to surv ive .

And who cou ld ever fo rge t G ingr ich pub-l i c l y ca l l i ng the work e th ic o f poor inner c i t y k ids in to ques t ion . “Rea l l y poor ch i l -d ren in rea l l y poor ne ighborhoods have no hab i ts o f work ing and have nobody a round them who works , ” sa id G ingr ich a t one o f h is many campa ign s tops in Iowa. “So they l i te ra l l y have no hab i t o f show-ing up on Monday . They have no hab i t o f s tay ing a l l day . They have no hab i t o f ‘ I do th is and you g ive me cash ’ un less i t ’ s i l l ega l . ”

G ingr ich ’s comments were f i l l ed w i th en-coded language tha t was rac is t because i t was a imed a t m idd le and work ing c lass wh i tes who have been feed a s teady d ie t o f rac is t med ia s te reo types tha t lead them to be l ieve tha t he was ta lk ing about A f r i can Amer icans spec i f i ca l l y . Bu t the t ru th o f the mat te r i s tha t G ingr ich ’s and h is wh i te cons t i tuency ’s assumpt ions l i t -e ra l l y take w ings and f l y in the face o f hard fac ts . There a re mi l l i ons o f poor peop le o f a l l co lo rs who are work ing two and th ree jobs bu t s t i l l can ’ t make ends meet . G ingr ich d rew heavy c r i t i c i sm f rom

the p ress and c iv i l r igh ts ac t i v i s t bu t tha t d idn ’ t de te r h im f rom mak ing more back-ward ass s ta tements .

Cont inu ing h is obsess ion w i th A f r i can Amer icans and food s tamps Gingr ich made ye t ano ther ou t rageous ly insu l t -ing s ta tement wh i le campa ign ing in New Hampsh i re . Th is t ime Gingr ich sa id tha t he wou ld go to the NAACP and te l l them tha t “ the A f r i can Amer ican communi ty shou ld demand paychecks and no t be sa t i s f ied w i th food s tamps. ” G ingr ich ’s penchant fo r l i nk ing A f r i can Amer icans and food s tamps is ac tua l l y a s t ra tegy he g leaned f rom h is ideo log ica l ro le mode l , Rona ld Reagan and h is ch ie f s t ra teg is t Lee A twa-te r , the man who in t roduced the we l fa re queen s te reo type in to the po l i t i ca l a rena . I f you reca l l Reagan s ing led ou t the so-ca l led we l fa re queens as a way o f scape-goat ing poor A f r i can Amer ican women and rode the i r backs a l l the way to the Whi te House in 1980. Th is i s the same th ing G ingr ich i s t ry ing to do . The on ly p rob lem is tha t when i t comes to food s tamps there a re more wh i te peop le on them than any o ther e thn ic g roup in Amer ica . Accord ing to the Depar tment o f Agr icu l tu re there a re rough ly 40 mi l l i on Amer icans (18 .4 mi l l i on househo lds) rece iv ing food s tamps. Out o f tha t number , 13 .4 mi l l i on a re wh i te wh i le 8 .9 mi l l i on a re A f r i can Amer icans . A lmost ha l f o f food s tamp rec ip ien ts , whom Newt wants to exp lo i t by pu t t ing to work mak ing subs tandard wages , a re ch i ld ren . 8% o f them are the e lder ly f rom whom Newt ’s par ty wants to cu t Soc ia l Secur i t y and Med icare benef i t s . Then there a re the d isab led who make up 2% o f the food s tamp rec ip ien ts . Who knows what fa te h is conserva t i ve c ron ies wou ld have them su f fe r . Las t l y , near ly 40% o f the house-ho lds tha t ge t food s tamps have a t leas t one fami ly member ho ld ing down a job . Keep in mind tha t many o f our men and women in the a rmed serv ices rece ive food s tamps a lso . Bu t apparen t l y none o f th is in fo rmat ion seems to sway Gingr ich be-cause a l l he can see when i t comes to food s tamps are B lack peop le . Unfor tu -na te ly , when i t comes to rac is t s ta tements G ingr ich i sn ’ t the on ly Repub l i can on the b lock .

Recent ly , Texas Senator and the GOP’s res iden t L iber ta r ian , Ron Pau l has cap-tu red the po l i t i ca l spo t l igh t due to h is g roundswe l l in the po l l s fo r the Iowa Cau-cus . Pau l ’ s newfound popu la r i t y has

Continuing his obses-sion with African Ameri-cans and food stamps Gingrich made yet an-other outrageously in-sulting statement while

campaigning in New Hampshire. This time Gingrich said that he

would go to the NAACP and tell them that “the African American com-munity should demand

paychecks and not be satisfied with food

stamps.”

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Santorum c la ims tha t he was misunder -s tood . He says the word he used was “b lah” ins tead o f the word “B lack . ” I have l i s tened to the tape o f the speech San-to rum made severa l t imes and i t sounds l i ke he sa id B lack to me. Another reason why I don ’ t be l ieve San-to rum misspoke is because th is i sn ’ t the f i r s t t ime he ’s sa id some rea l l y insens i -

t i ve th ings . He has a long h is to ry o f mak-ing insens i t i ve and , a t t imes , ou t r igh t fa lse s ta tements about A f r i can

Amer icans and poor peop le in genera l . He once to ld Fox News tha t under the

b rought the po l i t i ca l maver ick under c loser sc ru t iny f rom h is po l i t i ca l r i va ls . Whi le r i va l cand ida tes a t tack Pau l fo r h is ex t remely i so la t ion is t v iews, i t i s the a l -leged rac is t s ta tements tha t were p r in ted in a ser ies o f news le t te rs ca l led The Ron Pau l Inves tment Le t te r tha t concern me persona l l y . In the pas t th is news le t te r has sa id many ou t rageous th ings about A f r i -can Amer icans , Gays , Arabs and o thers .

Take fo r example the News le t te r ’ s assess-ment o f the LA rebe l l ion o f 1992 where they asser t tha t o rder was res to red th ree days la te r , when i t was t ime fo r B lacks in LA to “p ick up the i r we l fa re checks . ” Ron Pau l ’ s News le t te r a lso ca l led Dr . Mar t in Lu ther K ing a wor ld c lass adu l te re r who “seduced young g i r l s and boys” and “ re -p laced the ev i l s o f fo rced segregat ion w i th the ev i l o f fo rced in tegra t ion . ” Pau l ’ s news le t te r b razen ly sugges ted tha t the mu l t i - rac ia l C i ty o f New York change i t s name to “Zoov i l le , Rapetown, Wel fa r ia , D i r tbag and Lazyopo l i s . ”

And i f tha t ’ s no t ou t rageous enough, the news le t te r p r in ted an a r t i c le sympathe t i c to no to r ious wh i te supremac is t , ex KKK leader and fo rmer member o f the Lou i -s iana House o f Representa t i ves , Dav id Duke. By the way Dav id Duke a lso hap-pens to be a Repub l i can .

Pau l den ies read ing , much less wr i t ing , any o f those v i le th ings fo r the news le t te r tha t no t on ly car r ies h is name in i t s mast -head, bu t once l i s ted h im as an Ed i to r -in -Ch ie f . Recent ly a 1995 v ideo tape o f Pau l p romot ing the news le t te r on C-SPAN has sur faced. As a fo rmer ed i to r o f a smal l month ly pub l i ca t ion I f i nd i t hard to be-l ieve tha t an Ed i to r - in -Ch ie f wou ldn ’ t read h is o r her pub l i ca t ion a t leas t once . E i ther Ron Pau l i s a lousy , i r respons ib le ed i to r o r he ’s l y ing about the who le inc iden t . I ’ l l l eave i t up to the reader to dec ide wh ich i s wh ich .

Unfor tuna te ly R ick Per ry , Ron Pau l and Newt G ingr ich a ren ’ t the on ly GOP can-d ida tes who have rac is t ske le tons in the i r pas t ; fo rmer Pennsy lvan ia Senator R ick Santorum has a few b igo ted bones ra t t l i ng in h is c lose t too . Santorum drew the i re o f the A f r i can Amer ican communi ty inc lud-ing the CEO o f the NAACP when he sa id tha t he d idn ’ t “want to make B lack peo-p le ’s l i ves be t te r by g iv ing them someone e lse ’s money . ”

Bush Admin is t ra t ion , “pover ty among Af -r i can Amer icans and among s ing le un-mar r ied women, was a t the lowes t ra te ever in the h is to ry o f th is count ry . ” Tha t s ta tement i s u t te r l y fa lse . T ru th i s the pover ty ra te inc rease by 21 .1% dur ing George Bush ’s re ign as Pres iden t . Then there i s the damning s ta tement he wro te in h is book “ I t Takes a Fami ly ” concern-ing h is pos i t ion on s ing le B lack mothers , h igher learn ing and pover ty . Santorum wr i tes , “ the no t ion tha t co l lege educat ion i s a cos t -e f fec t i ve way to he lp poor , low-sk i l l , unmar r ied mothers w i th h igh schoo l d ip lomas or GEDs move up the economic ladder i s jus t wrong” (page 36) .

Thus fa r the Massachuset ts Governor and Repub l i can f ron t runner Mi t t Romney has managed to avo id mak ing s ta tements tha t can be cons idered over t l y rac is t . I be l ieve tha t g iven the cons tan t a t tacks tha t he and h is Super PACs v is i t upon Pres iden t Obama, they w i l l be ca l l i ng upon the sp i r i t o f Lee A twater i f Romney snags the GOP nomina t ion .

Whi le I be l ieve tha t he w i l l w in h is Par ty ’s nomina t ion , I won ’ t say fo r cer ta in tha t M i t t Romney w i l l be the GOP cand ida te fo r Pres iden t . I t ’ s s t i l l too ear ly to te l l –any th ing can happen a t th is po in t . What I can say fo r cer ta in i s tha t there w i l l be a lo t o f good o ld fash ion po l i t i ca l mud s l ing-ing in th is e lec t ion and sad ly race w i l l p lay a ma jo r fac to r in the 2012 Pres iden-t ia l e lec t ion . Recent h is to ry has taught us tha t when i t comes to us ing rac ism the Repub l i can Par ty w i l l no t hes i ta te to s toop to the lowes t leve l o f b igo t ry to w in . I f recen t po l i t i ca l h is to ry i s any ind ica t ion then the GOP wi l l be us ing p len ty rac is t images bo th over t and sub l im ina l to scare and sway wh i te vo te rs the i r way .

First there was Texas Governor Rick Perry who drew heavy fire

from his hunting camp where he and his father

have hosted hunting parties for lawmak-

ers, friends, family and potential donors to his political campaigns for years. Sounds perfectly innocent, right? Not if the hunting camp bore the name that includ-ed a racial epitaph. It

seems that at one point in time the camp that

the Perry’s choose as a recreational playground for his rich and powerful friends was named Nig-

gerhead.

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For SmokeHersMMJ Advice for Women

Gettin’ Your Groove BackBy Susan Patterson

Many women today feel the stress of a harried life full of responsibilities including children, work, home and marriage to name just a few. Like voices crying in the wilderness, women are beckoning for a full and satisfying sex life and searching in the dark for their groove gone missing. Fatigue, stress, illness, pain, medication and depression are just a few conditions that have the ability to steal a woman’s libido. Over 40% of women report some decrease in their sex-drive compared to 30% of men. The fe-male libido is incredibly complex, not nearly as pri-mal as the physically driven male libido. Sex drive in a woman is a co-mingling of emotional and physical elements, thus making it highly susceptible to either physical or emotional triggers. If all the cards don’t line up just right, libido plummets like a rocket.

Viagra hit the market thirteen years ago and made men exceedingly happy. Women, however, are still waiting patiently for their “wonder pill.” This, researchers say, has taken longer because female sex related issues not nearly as cut and dry as erectile dysfunction and other male sexually related conditions. While researchers work to concoct a solution for women, the answer may already exist in nature.

The link between cannabis, one of mans earliest cultivated crops, and sex is nothing new. For thou-sands of years, there has been a well-documented relationship between marijuana and sexual plea-sure. Ancient cultures left indication that marijuana was once widely used as a powerful aphrodisiac. Early religious ceremonies involved lovemaking in fields of cannabis. Most aphrodisiacs come from herbs, vegetables and fruits. Marijuana is in its raw form, an exceptionally strong herb.

Cannabis is well known for its euphorigenic and opiating properties. Modern research indicates that marijuana and sex both produce similar ef-fects. These include increased heart rate, changes in blood flow and respiration, heightened sensitiv-

ity, increased wellbeing and positive mood. Some aphrodisiacs directly increase libido while others enhance mood and a state of well being leading to a more pleasurable sexual experience. It appears that cannabis does both, thus making it a plausible libido-enhancing substance for women.

“For thousands of years, there has been a well-docu-mented relationship between marijuana and sexual plea-sure. Ancient cul-tures left indication that marijuana was once widely used as a powerful aph-rodisiac.”

In the mid 1970’s a study indicated that marijuana reduced blood levels of testosterone, the sex hor-mone that drives both men and women’s sex drive. However, numerous studies that followed found no such results, even amongst those who used can-nabis on a frequent basis. More studies conducted in the 1980’s seemed to point towards marijuana as increasing sexual pleasure and satisfaction among women. In one such study female rats given tet-rahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, became increasingly more receptive to the sexual attention of males. Conversely, when female rat’s progesterone and dopamine were blocked, the THC had no effect. What researchers determined was that THC, progesterone, (a female sex hormone), and dopamine, (a neurotransmitter that allows signals to be sent between neurons) are highly relational. The three chemicals together form a “love triangle” of sorts, which is, not surpris-ingly, a powerful aphrodisiac. In order for a favor-able sexual response, all three have to be present. The findings of these studies are in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.For women, a big part of lovemaking involves fore-play and emotional bonding, something that is not nearly as crucial to males. Many women report that they lose their interest in sexual relations when they feel they are not “connecting” to their partner. For many couples, indulging in marijuana prior to love-making tends to increase sexual stamina, sensation and emotional bonding. Men seem willing to pay attention to foreplay, which increases the female sexual experience.

Although the reports are not conclusive, there does appear to be ample evidence to support further investigation of marijuana as an aphrodisiac for women. Of course, quality is always paramount and should never be compromised. Because every woman has a different metabolism and hormone levels, the amount of cannabis needed for a desired effect tends to be highly personal. The good news remains, however, that grooves lost may be found!

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Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter, producer, engineer, dancer, choreographer, actress and phi-lanthropist, Mya, announced today that she is making her K.I.S.S. (Keep It Sexy Single) album available to her fans all over the world this Valentine’s Day, Tues-day, February 14th. Previously K.I.S.S. has only been available in Japan and North America. K.I.S.S. is being released on Mya’s own Planet 9 label, distributed by INgrooves, a veteran player in the digital music distribu-tion and marketing space.

“I’m so happy to be able to finally offer K.I.S.S. to my fans everywhere around the world,” said Mya who recently galvanized audiences across the U.S. with her stunning performances on the hit television series Dancing With The Stars. The international version of K.I.S.S. includes two brand new bonus tracks, “Love Is The Answer,” produced by Cedric Gervais and “Mess Up My Hair,” which features Beenie Man, one of Ja-maica’s most beloved performers.

With additional guest stars like rapper Trina, Marques Houston, Spice and Sean Paul, K.I.S.S. is an eclectic collection of tracks that range from pop leaning selec-tions like “Fabulous Life” and “Rear View Mirror,” to hip hop club bangers like “Earthquake” and “Mess Up My Hair.” “Take Him Out” is a straight up dancehall inspired jam, while tracks like “Mr. Incredible” and “Love Me Some You,” embody the smooth R&B vibe that Mya’s fans around the world have come to expect from the Washington, DC native.

And while adding the title of CEO of Planet 9 Records to her resume in addition to her award winning perform-ing skills may challenge some, Mya has a firm belief that standing at the helm of her own career is both empowering and liberating. “I’ve always made music for my fans,” the singer says. “But now there’s nothing standing between me and them, and that’s an amazing feeling.”

Teen sensation returns as her own woman

Who’s That Lady?

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Born Colson Baker in Houston, Texas, MGK lived al-most a dozen places, including Egypt, before moving to Denver, Colorado with his father after his mother began a new life with a new man. “I don’t have a relationship with my mom, she left when I was nine years old,” says MGK.

In Denver, the Bakers lived with MGK’s aunt. Though the father and son had each other, they couldn’t lay claim to much else. As his dad fought depression and unemployment, the young MC split his time be-tween wearing two school outfits and being bullied by the neighborhood kids. “I used to stand out be-cause I was tall and I couldn’t really fight back then,” says MGK. “Then I got tired of getting beat up so I started fighting people with my words instead.”

In seventh grade, MGK found solace in rhyming after watching DMX’s “We Right Here” video. “DMX is a huge influence on me because neither of us have siblings so we had to fight a lot of dark shit by our-selves,” says MGK.

And though he “wasn’t popular at all,” the lanky kid was good at battling his middle school challengers.

Later, while attending Denver’s Thomas Jefferson High School, his father moved to Kuwait to work for the army and left MGK behind to live in a neighbor’s basement. It was then the teen began experimenting with drugs and recorded his first demo tape. “It was

terrible, but I thought it was cool,” says MGK, with a smile.

Without supervision, MGK stopped attending school and like 50 Cent, the high school freshmen, made a name for himself by calling out elder classmates. In 2005, his father moved MGK to Kuwait, where the teen got into even more trouble. Eventually, the pair were forced back stateside and settled in Cleveland, Ohio. While attending Shaker Heights High on the city’s east side, MGK convinced a local t-shirt shop owner, who doubled as an MC manager, to take him under his wing. “I got the name Machine Gun Kelly because of my rapid-fire delivery when I was 15 and started doing shows,” says MGK.

Nicknamed MGK by his fans, the MC released his first mixtape Stamp of Approval in 2006 and built a local fan base performing at Cleveland venues like Hi-Fi. But it was a trip to New York’s famed Apollo Theater in 2009 that really gave him his start.

“We drove straight from Ohio and stood in line for ten hours,” recalls MGK. “I got boo’d as soon as I walked on the Apollo stage and then I won … twice.” The en-ergetic performer became the first rapper in history to win the Apollo’s talent show. MGK’s mixtape 100 Words And Running came shortly after and he cre-ated a high school promotional tour, where he per-formed to such excited crowds that school security teams began turning him away to keep the peace.

And while the MC’s catchphrase “Lace up,” which started as a mixtape interlude, became a call to arms for fans, their leader was still flipping burritos at Chipotle to pay his rent. After graduating high school, MGK’s father kicked him out of their home and forced the young MC to fend for himself. Not long after, an 18 year-old MGK welcomed his own child, a daughter named Casie. The infant gave the rapper new incentive to work even harder and he soon earned a nod for Best Midwest Artist at the 2010 Underground Music Awards and his “Alice in Wonderland” clip won Best Music Video at the 2010 Ohio Hip-Hop Awards.

But just as his star began to rise, MGK suffered a new setback. A polyp developed on his vocal chord, keeping him offstage and out of the studio for six months. Without health insurance for surgery, MGK worked off the polyp by himself with tireless vocal exercises. “Every night I’d wake up at 4 o’clock in the morning wanting to blow my brains out,” says MGK. “That was one of the most depressing periods of my life.”

But the sun shone again with the 2010 release of MGK’s Lace Up mixtape. The project not only earned the local favorite more fans baring their own “Lace Up” tattoos, but a national audience. In 2011, the Ohio rapper secured a label deal with Diddy’s Bad Boy Records/ Interscope Records as well as a marketing partnership to score a spot for HTC’s Rezound Beats By Dre phone. MGK’s “Invincible” track plays during the electronics commercial, the release of which coincided with the song’s sale on iTunes.

In October, the Rage Pack mixtape, inspired by his energy on stage and a love for his fans, hit the web. A video for MGK’s single “Wild Boy” featuring Atlanta rapper Waka Flocka Flame and produced by GB Hitz followed, leading MGK to win MTV’s Hottest Break-through MC for 2011. “To be considered for the hottest breakthrough MC of 2011, it’s obviously an honor, but I want to be the hottest,” he told MTV News. “I’ve never been comfortable with sharing anything.”

Gearing up for his mainstream spotlight, MGK is currently prepping his official EP via Bad Boy/ In-terscope entitled Lace Up. Slated to hit shelves in March, the Ohio native will take his new music across the United States during the record-breaking “90 Cities in 99 Days” tour with Midwest MC Tech N9ne also beginning that month. In addition, MGK’s secured a performance on this summer’s Vans Warped Tour line-up.

Already acknowledged by cultural gatekeepers like The New York Times, MTV, The FADER and Nah-Right, MGK is ready to devour the next phase of his career. Lace up ...

T h e r e ’ s nothing like

someone who has lived your

story and Ohio’s MC MGK’s resil-

ience has become a beacon of hope

for thousands of kids across America. Penning

rhymes about everything from addiction to family is-sues, MGK is a symbol of re-lentless perseverance to his fans and the MC is about to begin the next chapter of his already successful career.

Bad Boy Doing Big ThingsMachine Gun Kelly Teams Up With Diddy To Lace Up The Whole World

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If you haven’t heard the buzz yet, let it be known that Chicago native Rockie Fresh is quickly becoming your next favorite rapper. Only 19 years old, and starting his music career just a few years ago, this young up and comer is already one of the hottest independent artists in hip-hop.

With a unique sound that has deep urban undertones and an alternative rocker mentality, Rockie continues to break barriers and defy conventions. Working with artists ranging from Fall Out Boy lead singer Patrick Stump to Internet phenom Lil B, and with co-signs from the likes of new-age college rap sensations like Asher Roth and Kidz In The Hall, Rockie’s grassroots move-ment has every corner of the music world talking. From Complex Magazine to BroBible.com, The Source to Myspace Music, and BET to RockTheVote, Rockie is quickly taking the industry by storm.

Fresh’s debut mixtape “Rockie’s Modern Life” was re-leased in December of 2009, quickly propelling him into Chicago stardom as fans and tastemakers across the city began echoing the name of a new hometown hero. Not expecting the warm reception, Rockie took to the stage for the very first time in his career at his own re-lease show. To his surprise, he found himself in front of a sold out crowd of over 500 eagerly anticipating fans. From there he was propelled into the national spotlight as he earned performances at SXSW, A3C Music Fes-tival, CMJ, and Bamboozle; and opened for Rick Ross, Big Sean, The Cool Kids, Twista, Chip Tha Ripper and more across the country.

Coming off of his newest project “The Otherside,” Rockie has raised the bar once again as his sophomore release, “The Otherside” tallied over 15,000 downloads in it’s first week alone, and over 30,000 downloads to date. Presented by 2DopeBoyz.com and MTV Top DJ’s illWill & Rockstar, the project was deemed “one of the most impressive mixtapes to close out 2010” by The Smoking Section and one of the best mixtapes of the year by many, making Rockie Fresh one of the top emcees to look out for in 2011.

He is starting off 2012 right with the release of his brand new mixtape ‘Driving 88’. This new project takes listen-ers on an audible journey as Rockie proves his diversity as a lyricist exposing a more luminous and confident sound with this current release. “I’m in a different space than I was on my last projects. This past year has been a pretty great year for me, and I have learned a lot, and definitely had some great expe-riences. I think my progression, as not only a person but also an artist, really comes to life in Driving 88,” Rockie reveals. “Driving 88,” who’s namesake was inspired by the clas-sic “Back to the Future” film, features the likes of Casey Veggies, Good Charlotte, Phil Ade and King Louie. It also includes an impressive assortment of producers such as The Gift, I Peezy, The Kickdrums, Key Wane, The Madden Brothers, Blended Babies, Thelonius Mart and Joel Bauman.

T r a v e l i n g At the Speed

of SoundRockie Fresh Is Taking MCs Back To The Future

T r a v e l i n g At the Speed

of Sound

The 26 year old artist Problem, aka Jason Martin, is also known for being a Writer, Producer, Engineer, Song Ar-ranger and Father. Problem was born in Germany, but raised in Compton. His musical inspirations are Emi-nem, everything under the NWA tree, Lil Wayne, Isley Brothers, Prince, Aaliyah, R. Kelly, The Temptations, DJ Quik, The Jacksons & the group DeBarge.

His entry into the industry was writing a verse for a producer & friend Terrace Martin, for a song called “Be Thankful,” featured on Snoop Dogg’s compilation album “The Big Squeeze.” The track garnered praise from notable artists such as Nas & Talib Kweli, amongst others. Problem began recording records with recog-nized artist such as Daz, Kurupt, Snoop Dogg, & DJ Quik. Problem’s first big break was when Snoop Dogg heard a record which was also produced by Terrace Martin called “Neva Hafta To Wurry About That”. He went on to write three records on Snoop Dogg’s “Ego Trippin” LP.

Since that time Problem has worked with the likes of Jamie Foxx, Soulja Boy, Tha Dogg Pound, Jim Jones, The Game, E40, Wiz Khalifa, Guru, Bobby Valentino, 9th Wonder, Teddy Riley, Murs, Chris Brown, Polow Da Don, Baron Davis, Nipsey Hussle, Warren G, Y.G., Mann, Dom Kennedy, Kendrick Lamar, Michael Cor-leone, Mike Epps, Kanye West & John Legend to name a few.

Over his career Problem has dropped seven mixtapes, was signed to Universal and has experienced much success with the release of his party anthem “I’m Toe Up.” With the talent and accolades to match, Problem is destined to shine. When asked what style of music he wants to present to the world Problem’s response is “Whatever the (expletive) I feel like doing. I will not be boxed into any style or genre of music. So when you try to classify my style of rapping, don’t. Just let me be an artist.” So with that said expect the unexpected from the Diamond Lane recording artist Problem.

West CoastR

ISING

RISIN

G

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COMMENTARYHOW COPS FOILED PROP. 215By Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC

How has California descended into such depraved lawless-ness that the feds have come in to restore order? This is not like Alabama where the feds intervened to end desegrega-tion - it is more like the 1894 Pullman strike when the U.S. Government sent Marshalls and troops to break the strike and destroy the unions.

The lack of objection by state officials to the fed-eral government acting like a raging bull in a china shop with its heavy handed efforts to close medi-cal marijuana collectives is a disgrace. Considering that little effort has been expended by the Obama administration on the fraud and multiple violations of federal laws by Wall Street bankers, the intense focus on wiping California’s legal medical marijua-na collectives off the face of the earth is puzzling at best.

Until you understand who is behind this and how it got started.

In November 1996, California voters passed Prop 215, which allowed the use of marijuana medici-nally. The police did not like this law. At a meeting on Dec. 3, 1996 organized by then Attorney Gen-eral Dan Lungren, law enforcement met not to work to implement the law passed by the voters, but to undo it.

They didn’t do much for the first 8 years other than arrest a few patients and some large grow

operations. Their actions kept it pretty much under-ground, just like it was before 1996.

In 2004 came SB 420, which allowed patients to associate collectively and cooperatively to cultivate marijuana. Although there was much disagree-ment as to just what that actually meant, it did give patients some kind of a legal way to obtain their medicine.

Collectives formed with many choosing to operate a store as their method of distributing the medicine to their members. Makes sense as stores are how this country gets the vast bulk of goods distributed.

When the police saw stores opening up, they were mortified and sprang into action.

The California Chiefs of Police Association issued a White Paper in 2009 falsely maligning collectives as agents of crime and degradation. It came com-plete with a sample ordinance with the novel idea that cities could locally repeal a state law, like al-lowing patients to form collectives, by banning its implementation under their zoning ordinances.

Throughout the state, police went to city councils and county boards and using the White Paper as proof of the problem inundated them with false sto-ries of crime, youth degradation and neighborhood deterioration. Not use to having their police lie to them, elected officials, out of concern for their com-munities, enacted the bans on medical marijuana collectives that the police wanted.

Collective operators and patients fought back. State law allows patient collectives and many be-lieved you couldn’t undo a state law by banning it. With no regulations in place and patients needing a legal source of medicine, collectives began open-ing up all over the place.

Cops are not use to

losing or even com-

promising. They got

tired of waiting and

having lost more court

cases than they won,

called in their biggest

gun - the federal cops.

Police were now totally mortified as their worst nightmare was happening right under their noses. A thousand or more marijuana collectives using stores as their distribution system had opened throughout the state. As far as the cops were con-cerned it was marijuana legalization with a doc-tor’s recommendation.

Cities, cops and patients took their disagreements to court with mixed results for all of them.

Cops are not use to losing or even compromis-ing. They got tired of waiting and having lost more court cases than they won, called in their biggest gun – the federal cops.

Yes they called them in. The LA Times reported the following in an Oct. 7, 2011 story on the feds intervention:

U.S. Attorney Andre Birotte said “the new strategy was not triggered by any specific event but was inspired by a stream of complaints from California law enforcement officials.”

People are upset by giant corporations and bil-lionaires controlling our government. Frankly cops controlling government is even scarier. For police to work to overturn a law enacted by the voters, especially on the taxpayers’ dime, is disingenuous and dangerous.

The residents of California have seen the ex-tremes that police will go to get their way as they witness the invasion by the federal government to arrest, prosecute and jail the state into submis-sion.

Commentary

Lanny Swerdlow, RN, LNC, hosts Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense every Monday at 6 p.m. on Inland Empire talk radio station KCAA 1050AM and simulcast at www.kcaaradio.com.

He can be reached at 760-799-2055 or by email at: lanny@marijuananews.org.

On Tuesday, the 10th of January 2011 a study – one of the most substan-tial of its kind, has been released by researchers at the University of Ala-bama, California and San Francisco in the Journal of the American Medi-cal Association.

The Federally funded study “Association Between Marijuana Exposure and Pulmonary Function Over 20 Years” which took place over a 20-year time period has concluded that smoking cannabis once a week or even more does not harm the lungs, The Associated Press wrote.

The study mimics smaller ones previously carried out that are similar to that of Dr. Donald Tashkin, a medical professional whose name may and should ring a bell with some cannabis truth enthusiasts. Although he did not take part in the study, as an answer to why cannabis does not carry the same problems seen in tobacco use he said “It’s not clear why that is so, but it’s possible that the main active ingredient in marijuana, a chemical known as THC, makes the difference. THC causes the ‘high’ that users feel. It also helps fight inflammation and may counteract the effects of more irritating chemicals in the drug.”

Dr. Donald Tashkin, a marijuana researcher and pro-fessor of medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles has studied the effect of cannabis on lung can-cer. Tashkin reveals that there is even some indication of evidence of reduced cancer rates in those who use cannabis over those who smoke neither tobacco nor cannabis.

Unlike cigarette smokers, marijuana users tend to breathe in deeply when they inhale a joint, which some researchers think might strengthen lung tissue. But the common lung function tests used in the study require the same kind of deep breathing that marijuana smokers are used to, so their good test results might partly reflect lots of practice, said Dr. Stefan Kertesz, a drug abuse researcher and pre-ventative medicine specialist at the University of Alabama.

One of the co-authors, Dr. Kertesz, suggested that there may be another reason for the better than expected re-sults, the possibility that the nature of smoking cannabis and the method of inhaling deeply may have an accidental-ly beneficial side-effect. The breathing test that was used in the experiment, a common one, uses lung function similar to that of cannabis smoking.

With statistics like this it is surprising that the National Association on Drug Abuse isn’t calling for the two to be swapped if there is to be a smoked drug at all.

AP writes, “The study randomly enrolled 5,115 men and women aged 18 through 30 in four cities: Birmingham, Chicago, Oakland, Calif., and Minneapolis. Roughly equal numbers of blacks and whites took part, but no other minorities.”

The findings did suggested a slight decline in lung func-tion in cannabis smokers but not enough evidence to suggest anything significantly damaging. The analy-sis did note that this may be down to there not being enough heavier users in the test group.

The authors of the study did not recommend that smok-ing cannabis should be stopped but recommended “caution and moderation when marijuana use is con-sidered.”

When comparing the typical American cannabis usage to that of a cigarette smoker’s daily habit Kertesz says tobacco users smoke an average of 9 cigarettes a day as apposed to the 3 or so joints a month of those using the still federally illicit substance.

Analysts from NADA highlighted that tobacco use does lead to worse scores than even toking cannabis daily and that is why the choice of hippies, and rappers alike came out looking less demonic than the governments of around the world have made them out to be, just as they have cannabis.

While cannabis is federally illegal, the study was federally funded and the analysis was paid for by the National Association of Drug Abuse. It will be interesting to see if it maintains its position on the harmfulness of smoking cannabis.

America has 16 states that have made exemptions in their state laws to allow patients with qualifying medi-cal problems from being interfered with by the police. The main form of ingestion by over a million patients now is smoking, with California the first to sign into legislation Proposition 215 in 1996. One might imagine there would be reports by now of more significant lung damage being caused if this study is to be ignored.

In Britain and Europe cannabis is usually mixed with tobacco, but when smoked in America the cannabis culture, and medical community in particular, have adopted combusting it pure simply because tobacco is more harmful. It is the sad case in Europe that even those who do not smoke cigarettes fill half of their spliff with part of a cigarette or rolling tobacco. Thus harm is inflicted by prohibition for the many who do not have enough access to the cannabis they would like or re-quire so it is cut with the more toxic and addictive legal substitute.

“Overall, about 37 percent reported at least occasional marijuana use and most users also reported having smoked cigarettes; 17 percent of participants said they’d smoked cigarettes but not marijuana. Those re-sults are similar to national estimates.”

cannabis is safer than tobacco:

cannabis is safer than tobacco:

Science Reveals (Again…)

Cyndi Lauper once said “Girls just wanna have fun” and when you come across the 420 Nurses you can’t help but see them having fun. They are the glamour girls of the medical marijuana industry. They bring life to parties, conventions and fundraisers throughout the community. And their presence is growing as far away as Norway, Sweden. Their empire is expanding and it’s not just because they are good time girls. They are a collective of intelligent women with a lot of business sense. They run a social networking site, a marketing consultant company and a clothing line. Their leader is Cha Cha Vavoom, an energetic, creative lady with a passion for good weed and success. She explains how she combined the two to create the 420 Nurses.

When did you start the 420 Nurses?We officially started in 2009. It was just five of us. We just worked hard to get people to know us. Now we have over 1,000 girls, nurses and interns. We are based out of Los Angeles and have chapters in Washington State, Texas and we are getting started in Colorado. And we are going international with people wanting chapters in Norway. People are hearing about us and wanting to be a part of the movement.

Why did you start 420 Nurses?I wanted to create a safe environment for models to be themselves and at the same time promote and build their portfolios. I wanted them to keep up with trends in marijuana and contribute to the community. I knew the girls could be a bridge between business and con-sumers.

I see you mentioned interns. What’s the difference between nurses and interns?An intern is a lady who is trying to prove she can ex-ecute the duties of a nurse. She is trying to manage her own team of women and build herself up.

What happens when they become 420 nurses?When they become nurses they will be able to manage their own events and have their own team. And once you become a nurse you get stock in the company so you are an owner of the business. So you are not just a worker. You can say to people, “This is my company.”

You guys partner with businesses to promote their products. About how many clients do you have? It varies because we have different teams and leaders doing things all the time. We have long-term and short-term arrangements. And it includes online and on site campaigns. But we average around 50 clients at a time.Let’s talk about your clothing line. It seems to be tak-ing off

We have a clothing line that you can purchase items from on our website, www.420nurses.com. We are also expanding to selling our clothes in boutiques. Of course you can buy our clothes from us at conventions and parties. We make clothes for men and women. And we get a lot of orders for our custom aprons. Of course we have tank tops, t-shirts and hats.

420 Nurses:

What’s up with your social networking site?It is www.420nurses.com and it is going well. We are like a 420 Facebook with over 30,000 registered mem-bers. So we have a core audience we speak to daily and we share a lot of information.

What is the real mission of the 420 Nurses?We want to create a circle. We want our nurses to pro-mote and grow businesses and those businesses to support us as they grow. So we can all grow together. And that way we can strengthen the community. Beauty,

Brains and Bongs

420 Nurses:

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