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The Green Leaf

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Q & AAZ’s MMJ Program A Retrospective and Look Towards the Future

LEGAL EXPERTBy M. Ryan Hurley

Well it has been a challenging and confusing start to AZ’s Medical Marijuana Pro-

gram. We sit here today nearly one and a half years since the voters approved the law and we have had ample confu-sion, delays, and challenges but in the end some vital successes. We have nearly 25 thousand pa-tients who have received their cards and their legal protection to possess their medicine, but lawsuits and politics have delayed the full implementation of the dispensary portion of the program leaving many patients struggling to fi nd a reliable and safe source of medicine. Because of this delay caregivers have sought to fi ll this role with varying de-grees of success via cooperatives or compassion clubs. However these providers exist in a very tenuous and murky grey area of the law and we are starting to see some pushback from County Attorneys and local law enforcement. We need look no further than the recent high-profi le raids of a prominent local compassion club and a local tincture provider to know that the current situation is unsus-tainable. For this reason I believe that all of us in the AZ MMJ Community

should rejoice at the news that the AZ Department of Health Services will ac-cept Dispensary applications between May 14th and 25th. Once the applica-tions are in and DHS anticipates hold-ing the lottery and awarding Certifi -cates in mid August. That means Dispensaries could be up and operating as early as Fall. Of course in this industry, in this State, we must always be cautiously optimistic, but barring some unforeseen action by the US Government the will of the vot-ers will be fully implemented in a few short months! Of course this brings just as many questions as answers. The most promi-nent of these questions is what will happen to patients/caregivers who cur-rently grow their own medicine.

The AZ MMJ Act removes one’s legal right to cultivate if the patient is within 25 miles of

an operating dispensary

For many this will be a diffi cult pill to swallow particularly when they invested time, effort and money to cul-tivate based on the State’s refusal to move forward with the dispensary li-

cense. Certainly some will try to chal-lenge this either via additional lawsuits or outright refusal to stop cultivating. I am hopeful, however, that these individuals will instead comply with the law and seek their medicine through a licensed and regulated Dispensary. Anything else will simply be an invita-tion to law enforcement to crack down and would result in a severe black eye on the industry, something our oppo-nents would no doubt relish. We all must remember that this law passed very narrowly (by only ap-proximately 5 thousand votes) and that our ability to maintain legal access for sick patients hangs by a thread. It is in-cumbent upon each of us to put the best foot forward and comply with the regu-lations and the law as passed even if it means some people will lose the invest-ments they made in the current system. With increasing Federal pressure around the country, and local law en-forcement eager to crackdown on those who push the boundaries of the law the last thing we need is internal fi ghting within the MMJ community. Togetherwe stand, divided we fall.

““

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AN 8 - PART SERIES BY R . J . MOSS

FROM SEEDS TO STASH:Growing Medical Marijuana,Arizona-Style

Part 8: Harvesting, Drying, Curing and Storage To review earlier parts of this series, visit our website at: http//thegreenleafaz.com

Harvesting Your Crop!Remember to fl ush your soil with r/o or distilled water a couple of times, a week prior to the harvest to prevent a fertilizer taste in the fi nal product. Harvest early in the morning, when THC levels are reported to run higher. There are two approaches to harvest the crop; the Total Harvest and the “Snip-Snip Method”.

With the Total Harvest approach, the grower cuts the plants off at the base and hangs them up-side down from a string in a cool dark room. With larger plants, cut them into smaller pieces, prior to stringing them up.

The buds often ripen at different times, so some cultivators prefer the snip-snip method. With this approach, the grower fi rst removes the ripest buds, usually on the top, manicures them and begins the drying process in a separate area. Every 3 days, harvest newly—ripened buds until the crop is in.

It’s easier to manicure the buds when the cannabis is freshly cut and the leaves are still sticking straight out. With a scissors, trim off the large fan leaves, at the stems that exit the bud. More care-fully, trim away the smaller leaves, where they protrude from the buds. Be very gentle with this process. The resinous trichomes are very easily broken off, degrading the quality of the cannabis.

Drying and Curing:Cannabis dries best in a dark, cool and semi-humid environ-ment (about 50 percent). The drying material will usually create enough humidity during this process. Too much humidity can cause mold and excessive dryness will create a harsh taste in the fi nal product. The ideal dry time is 5 - 7 days. If your drying area is too dry, add a couple of buckets of water to the area.

A temperature of 65 to 75 degrees works best with this process. Individual buds can be laid out, one layer thick in cardboard

boxes or paper bags. Extra leaves and shake dry well under the same conditions piled about 2 inches thick. To avoid mold, turn over the buds and leaves, every other day.

When the leaves are totally dry, they can be crumbled to make hash or edibles.

When buds are almost dry and ready to cure, you’ll be able to bend the stems and they will snap. Place them in Tupperware-type containers, seal them tight and place them in a dark area. Several times a day remove the lids and let them breath for about 10 minutes before re-sealing. This slow cure will ensure a great aroma, smooth taste and an even burn.

Storing the Stash: The precious buds need to be stored airtight, using a vacuum sealer, in canning jars to preserve their quality. A refrigerator (but never the freezer) is the ideal place to store and preserve marijuana for several years. Avoid ever leaving your stash in a hot or brightly lit environment.

Planning Your Next Crop: Cultivators sometimes talk about “getting the bug”. The “bug” to grow marijuana can be almost addictive. One grower said that he would rather grow it, than smoke it! Do you have the bug? If so, now is the time to start planning your next crop, which hypothetically will always be better than the last one. Enjoy the fruits of your harvest and the best of luck with your next cultivation.

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HEALTH

10 Things Every Parent, Teenager &

Teacher Should Know About

1. What is Marijuana?“Marijuana” refers to the dried leaves and fl owers of the cannabis plant, which con-tain the non-narcotic chemical THC at various potencies. It is smoked or eaten to produce the feeling of being “high.” The different strains of this herb produce differ-ent sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant.

2. Who Uses Marijuana?There is no simple profi le of a typical mari-juana user. It has been used for 1000s of years for medical, social, and religious reasons and for relaxation. Several of our Presidents are believed to have smoked it. One out of every fi ve Americans say they have tried it. And it is still popular among artists, writers, musicians, activists, law-yers, inventors, working people, etc.

3. How Long Have People Been Using Marijuana?Marijuana has been used since ancient times. While fi eld hands and working people have often smoked the raw plant, aristocrats historically prefer hashish made from the cured fl owers of the plant. It was not seen as a problem until a calculated dis-information campaign was launched in the 1930s, and the fi rst American laws against using it were passed.

4. Is Marijuana Addictive?No, it is not. Most users are moderate con-sumers who smoke it socially to relax. We now know that 10% of our population have “addictive personalities” and they are nei-ther more nor less likely to overindulge in cannabis than in anything else. On a rela-tive scale, marijuana is less habit forming

than either sugar or chocolate but more so than anchovies. Sociologists report a gen-eral pattern of marijuana use that peaks in the early adult years, followed by a period of leveling off and then a gradual reduction in use.

5. Has Anyone Ever Died From Smoking Marijuana?No; not one single case, not ever. THC is one of the few chemicals for which there is no known toxic amount. The federal agency NEDA says that autopsies reveal that 75 people per year are high on marijuana when they die: this does not mean that mari juana caused or was even a factor in their deaths. The chart below compares the number of deaths at-tributable to selected substances in a typi-cal year:

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Tobacco........................ 340,000 - 395,000

Alcohol....................................... 125,000+

Drug Overdose................ 24,000 - 27,000

Drug Overdose (illegal)......... 3,800 - 5,200

Marijuana............................................... 0*Source: U.S. Government Bureau of

Mortality Statistics, 1987

6. Does Marijuana Lead to Crime and/or Hard Drugs?No. The only crime most marijuana users commit is that they use marijuana. And, while many people who abuse dangerous drugs also smoke marijuana, the old “step-ping stone” theory is now discredited, since virtually all of them started out “using” le-gal drugs like sugar, coffee, cigarettes, al-cohol, etc.

7. Does Marijuana Make People Violent?No. In fact, Federal Bureau of Narcotics di-rector Harry Anslinger once told Congress just the opposite - that it leads to non-vi-olence and pacifi sm. If he was telling the

truth (which he and key federal agencies have not often done regarding marijuana), then re-legalizing marijuana should be con-sidered as one way to curb violence in our cities. The simple fact is that marijuana does not change your basic personality. The government says that over 20 million Americans still smoke it, probably includ-ing some of the nicest people you know.

8. How Does Marijuana Affect Your Health?Smoking anything is not healthy, but marijuana is less dangerous than tobac-co and people smoke less of it at a time. This health risk can be avoided by eating the plant instead of smoking it, or can be reduced by smoking smaller amounts of stronger marijuana. There is no proof that marijuana causes serious health or sexual problems but, like alcohol, its use by children or ado-lescents is discouraged. Cannabis is a me-dicinal herb that has hundreds of proven, valuable theraputic uses - from stress re-duction to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, etc.

9. What About All Those Scary Statistics and Studies?Most were prepared as scare tactics for the government by Dr. Gabriel Nahas, and were so biased and unscientifi c that Nahas was fi red by the National Institute of Health and fi nally renounced his own studies as meaningless. For one experiment, he suf-focated monkeys for fi ve minutes at a time, using proportionately more smoke than the average user inhales in an entire lifetime. The other studies that claim sen-sational health risks are also suspect, since they lack controls and produce results which cannot be replicated or independent-ly verifi ed.

10. What Can I Do About Marijuana?No independent government panel that has studied marijuana has ever recommended jail for users. Concerned persons should therefore ask their legislators to re-legalize and tax this plant, subject to age limits and regulations similar to those on alcohol and tobacco.

Tobacco.............................. ............. 3334040404040440,000 - 39

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The Top 10 High Yielding Marijuana Strains

1. Big BudThe name says it all. You want mas-sive pot buds? Go with Big Bud. Is it the strongest weed you can grow? Hell no. “Beasters” have a distinct look and smell to them and are not for the high brow smoker–they’re fully developed large buds that feature a heavy red hair profi le and light THC levels (although certainly a big step up from Mexican/seedy shwag). So even though it’s a lower level strain, Big Bud, also re-ferred to as “BC Bud” has got a simply ludicrous yield and an average fl ower-ing period (about 50-60 days). And it smokes OKAY, especially if you have a low tolerance for medicine. The one caveat, –and this really applies to every seed and strain out there–is that while some Big Bud marijuana seeds grow into monsters–only some genetics are of the extremely high yielding variety, so be careful when purchasing your canna-bis seeds and make sure its got the right genetics to grow into a beast of a plant.

2. BlueberryThere’s a reason that Blueberry, the Co-ca-Cola of strains, is one of the easiest and cheapest high grade marijuana seeds to acquire–and that’s because of its cra-zy high yield. Blueberry, a 75-25 indica dominant strain, has a heritage that’s mix between Oregon and European genetics. So while Blueberry may not be the most potent strain out there, it’s an extremely useful seed for industrial operations. No, blueberry won’t “WOW” any prospec-tive buyers, but it sells, is a quality bud, and will fi ll your pockets at the end of the day

3. northern lightsIf Blueberry is Coca-Cola, then North-ern Lights, a potent indica-dominant hy-brid, is Pepsi. This strain that orginated in Seattle has a generous yield of about eight ounces per six to eight foot plant. Let your Northern Lights plants mature fully and the taste will likewise improve. Registering a solid yield of about eight ounces per six to eight foot plant, North-ern Lights is a top notch strain that can be grown in mass quantity. Yeah, it’s fl owering period is a bit lengthier than some of these other strains, but the high potency and generous yield compensate for the wait.

3. northern lights3

4. Hamilton Headband Hamilton isn’t known for cream canna-bis. However, this sample of Headband represented. And represented heavy. Ganja gawd damn! The marijuana strain had a fantastic rich exotic dances on your pallet fl avor. Loved it. Could easily va-porize it all day

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As always, these seeds and strains will only reach their maximum potentials if bred and taken care of properly. A lot of these strains you will recognize as commonplace in medical marijuana dispensaries–and that’s no coincidence. Higher yielding (and high quality) strains GENERALLY equal higher profi t margins and easier growth parameters, particularly in non-medical

states where good herb is harder to come by. If you want the most bang for your buck, these are ten of the highest yielding (generally about 6 ounces per plant) marijuana seeds on the market.

5. AK-47Like its namesake, this fi ne strain of a po-tent weed fl ower is always strapped–and always a high yielder. AK-47 has fallen a bit out of favor amongst connoisseurs of late, as it was a really hot strain around fi ve years or so a go. That said, it’s still a fi rey marijuana nugget when grown properly and with stellar AK-47 marijuana seeds. All in all, AK-47 is a wise choice if you’re looking for a cannabis strain that produces a high yield, nice aesthetics, and a potent high. This guns always a blazing!

6. Grapefruit/Juicy fruitA friend of mine used to be able to get this quality, heavily Triched out strain rather easily in the New York City area, and it was a long time staple of mine. Juicy Fruit, along with its sister strain Grapefruit, are consistently a high yielding strains that give a solid smoke. All in all, Juicyfruit, is a rather useful strain. Again, not all of the fruity (think J1, Dutch Treat) line of strains are created equal, however, as the more po-tent and exotic ones obviously are harder to come by and don’t have the same kind of yield.

7. skunkYielding typically around 6 ouncer per plant (although skunk strains do vary from this mean), Skunk is more often than not a high quality strain that has a great yield. Skunk seeds are prominent, particularly in the Southwest. Skunks a classic strain that packs a pungent waft. Its yield is al-ways solid as you’ll get at least 6 ounces per plant.

8. Blue DreamThere’s a reason Blue Dream is one of the easiest and cheapest high quality strains to fi nd in California. It’s easy to grow, and it has an absolute monster yield. Is it an as-tounding strain? No–it’s not obviously not a Kush level strain. But Blue Dream is a rock solid Sativa a step below the likes of a Maui Wowie seed. Blue Dream seeds are also available in an abundance and very easy to fi nd (hyperlink).

9. Jack HerrerJack Herrer, one of the more legendary seeds around because of its renowned heritage, is one of the best higher yielding strains out there. It’s not a beginner level strain though, so unless this isn’t your fi rst or second rodeo, avoid growing it.

10. White Rhino/RomulanWhite Rhino Great for wake and bakes, video games, and pilates. Since fi rst writ-ing about fi tness and weed (not that I’m a work-out freak, but I do have a regime) I’ve learned plenty of people get high and excersize. Awesome! White Rhino might be good for that. Green House Seed Co. bred White Rhino from a choice Afghan and Brazilian.

9 Jack Herrer

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Lineage: Unknown

Effect: Couch-locked, silly high

THC Content: 15%-18%

Sativa/Indica: Sativa

Scent: Musky

Yield: 220 grams/plant

Flowering: 40-45 days

Taste: Earthy Spices

Climate: Indoor

Height: 4 Ft.

Trainwreck

Medicinal Qualities

Depression, Cachexia

STRAIN GUIDE

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STRAIN GUIDE

Purple Urkel

Lineage: Hindu Kush x Purple Afghani

Effect: Cerebral, Uplifting High

THC Content: 17%-21%

Sativa/Indica: Indica

Scent: Floral

Yield: 80 grams/plant

Flowering: 50-60 Days

Taste: Ripe Fruits and Herbs

Climate: Indoor/Outdoor

Height: 3 ½ Ft.

Medicinal Qualities

Pain, Depression

Romulan

Lineage: White Rhino x California Kush

Effect: Cerebral, couch-locked high

THC Content: 16-19%

Sativa/Indica: Indica

Scent: Strong Pine

Yield: 65 grams/plant

Flowering: 56-60 Days

Taste: Robustly Sour

Climate: Indoor/Outdoor

Height: 4 Ft.

Medicinal Qualities

Reduces Chronic Headache Pain

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Products

Fold-a-PipeFold-a-Pipe is a thin stainless steel card no larger the an ordinary credit card that fi ts neatly and discreetly in your wallet and folds in to a fully functional smoking pipe. Fold-a-Pipe is easy to assemble and take mear minutes to fold this seemingly innocent sheet of metal in to a sturdy and powerful smoking device.

The porsche hookahTh e extraordinary Porsche Design Shisha combines high-quality materials such as aluminium, stainless steel and glass with the timeless and unique design approach of the luxury brand. Puristic and stylish at the same time. Th e Porsche Design Shisha is made in Germany and stands at a height of 55 centimetres. It only shows a discreet branding on the aluminium top of the Shisha and comes with a long fl exible tube made out of TecFlex material, which is also used for the classic Porsche Design TecFlex writing tools.

The Silver Surfer VapTh e Silver Surfer is among the most popular and highly regarded vaporizers on the market today, and is oft en referred to as the king of the whip-style vaporizers. Some of the key features that set the Silver Surfer apart from the competition are: • Durable aluminum housing and base plate. • Ceramic-encased heating element • Downward-angled heater cover connection • 100% non-toxic materials used in construction.

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RECIPES

INGREDIENTS• 1 cup Whole Milk• 1 cup Light Cream• 4 grams Cannabis• 5 ounces Unsweetened Chocolate

• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla• 5 tablespoons Sugar• Pinch of Salt• Pinch of Cinnamon

INSTRUCTIONSCombine the milk, sugar, and salt in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the salt and sugar has dissolved, add the light cream, cinnamon, vanilla, and fi nely chopped cannabis. Heat to just under boiling, and add the chocolate. Turn the heat off, and stir until the chocolate has melted. Serve in a mug, and top with whipped cream and orange zest, or stick to the classical miniature marshmallows.

NOTESFor every 8 ounces of milk, whole milk contains 8 grams of fat, 2% milk contains 5 grams of fat, 1% contains 2.5 grams of fat, and skim milk contains no fat. Do not confuse hot cocoa and hot chocolate. While hot cocoa is made from cocoa powder, it lacks the fat of cocoa butter; hot chocolate, however, is made from chocolate bars melted into cream. Un-sweetened chocolate is also called baking or ter chocolate, you could substitute with semi-sweet chocolate, but leave the vanilla out if you do.

Highern ChefEDIBLES

Pot Hot Chocolate

INGREDIENTS• 3 tablespoons uncooked macaroni pasta• 1 tablespoon cannabutter• 1 tablespoon all-purpose fl our• 1/4 teaspoon salt• 1 pinch pepper• 1/8 teaspoon onion powder• 1/2 cup milk• 1/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese• 1/8 teaspoon ground mustard• 1 dash Worcestershire sauce• 1 dash hot sauce• 1 teaspoon bread crumbs• 1 tablespoon shredded Cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS1.Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease an oven-proof soup crock or 1 cup baking dish. 2.Fill a small saucepan with water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the macaroni; boil until cooked but still fi rm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain well, and reserve.3.In the same saucepan, melt the cannabutter over medium-high heat. Stir in the fl our, salt, pepper, onion powder, and milk; whisk until smooth. Cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, and whisk in 1/3 cup cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and hot sauce. Stir in the cooked macaroni. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into the prepared dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and 1 tablespoon cheddar cheese. 4.Bake, uncovered, until the cheese is melted and the macaroni is heated through, about 10 minutes.

Weed Macaroni and Cheese

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INGREDIENTS• 1 onion, chopped• 3 cloves garlic, minced• 1 tablespoon cannaoil• 2 teaspoons chili powder• 1 teaspoon dried oregano• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth• 1 1/4 cups water• 1 cup whole corn kernels, cooked• 1 cup white hominy• 1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers• 1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro• 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces• crushed tortilla chips• sliced avocado• shredded Monterey Jack cheese• chopped green onions

INSTRUCTIONS1. In a medium stock pot, heat oil over medium heat. Saute onion and garlic in cannaoil until soft. Stir in chili powder, oregano, tomatoes, broth, and water. Bring to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. 2. Stir in corn, hominy, chiles, beans, cilantro, and chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes. 3. Ladle soup into individual serving bowls, and top with crushed tortilla chips, avocado slices, cheese, and chopped green onion.

Stoned Chicken Tortilla Soup

INGREDIENTS• 1/2 cup all-purpose fl our• 1/4 teaspoon paprika• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper• 1/4 teaspoon salt• 10 chicken wings• Cannaoil for deep frying• 1/4 cup Cannabutter• 1/4 cup hot sauce• 1 dash ground black pepper• 1 dash garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS1. In a small bowl mix together the fl our, paprika, cay-enne pepper and salt. Place chicken wings in a large nonporous glass dish or bowl and sprinkle fl our mix-ture over them until they are evenly coated. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 60 to 90 minutes.2. Heat Cannaoil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). The Cannaoil should be just enough to cover wings entirely, an inch or so deep. Combine the Cannabutter, hot sauce, pepper and garlic powder in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir together and heat until Cannabutter is melted and mixture is well blend-ed. Remove from heat and reserve for serving.3. Fry coated wings in hot oil for 10 to 15 minutes, or until parts of wings begin to turn brown. Remove from heat, place wings in serving bowl, add hot sauce mixture and stir together. Serve.

Boneless Stoned Buffalo Wings

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For the government to accept cannabis use as an acceptable recreational drug, it’s clear that something needs to change. While opinions of marijuana have become more lax over time, the degree of change is moving far too slowly.

Part of the problem is that those that oppose the drug are the ones with the loudest voice, and they carry with them the appearance of authority simply because they have success-fully branded those for the legalization as “drug users.” This is, of course, a self-fulfi lling label. If one claims that marijuana is a harmful, addictive drug, then one can label those that use it as drug addicts, even though that title is misleading. The problem is that this occurs with nearly every debate. Opponents of cannabis, both because of the media and from their own rhetoric, have managed to show the “other side” as a group that is simply trying to score more drugs, and not one that is fi ght-ing for a worthy cause. So in order for changes to take place, some-thing needs to change. While it’s tempting to think that the world will suddenly start to accept cannabis for what it really is, the real-ity is that it is going to take a lot of work, and part of that work is going to be changing the language of the marijuana debate.

Marijuana and AnxietyChanging the language is no easy task, and it needs to start at the ground fl oor, targeting specifi c negative associations and changing those associations into positive ones. One example is with mari-juana and its link to anxiety. Some studies and anecdotal evidence have shown that marijuana may actually increase anxiety and cause panic attacks. Once that association came out, the media responded with its usual drastic overreaction, claiming that marijuana had potential side ef-fects that could cause serious anxiety issues. This, of course, is not true – or at least not to the extent that the media claimed it to be. What few studies there were didn’t correctly mimic the actual effects of cannabis, and even the NIH admits that no real link has been found linking marijuana to panic attacks and anxiety. Any anecdotal evidence is also meaningless, because:

Dosing may not have been controlled.Marijuana may have been laced with other drugs. User’s setting, experience, and concern over the drug were not accounted for. If a

Should Anxiety be treated with

MediCal Marijuana?

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fi rst time user that is afraid of the effects of marijuana takes an overdose of canna-bis they bought on the street laced with a stimulant, it’s pretty clear their experience would be atypical and not indicative of the actual effects or benefi ts of marijuana as a drug. Yet marijuana users know how relaxing the drug can be. Indeed, it’s one of the best parts about cannabis. Some-thing here is clearly amiss, and that is why how marijuana can be used for anxiety is a great example of how the language and the debate needs to be changed.

How to Frame Marijuana as a Solution for AnxietyChanging the language is not going to be easy. Below are some potential ideas that may or may not help to change the way that people view marijuana and anxiety:

Find, Fund, and Support ResearchRather than talk about what marijuana does do, it may be advantageous to focus on simply trying to get more research in the fi eld. When someone that uses mari-juana tries to talk about the effects it has, they’re often speaking from their own ex-perience. That’s not enough to change leg-islation, and may actually harm your case if you’re trying to convince someone that your opinion carries weight. What you need is real, controlled research, that you can point to as evidence that there are ben-efi ts to those with anxiety.

Compare and Contrast to Modern MedicineAll medicine has side effects, and some medicines have considerable issues with panic and anxiety. Talk about marijuana as though it is already a medicine – not just one used by cannabis culture. Talk about it as though it’s already been approved for regular use, even though it hasn’t. This will start to give the words more authority and hopefully (subtly) change how people start to view marijuana.

Be Careful/Cautious with First TimersControlling the anecdotes is also an im-portant part of changing the landscape.

This involves some personal responsibil-ity, such as never pressuring someone into taking cannabis, making sure that any new person is comfortable, and choosing only the safest varieties out there to avoid any lacing problems. Most people already take these types of precautions, but there are still some that promote the drug recklessly and they may be doing far more harm than good to their cause.

Be ProfessionalWhen arguing the merits of marijuana, give an air of professionalism. Show that whether it’s social anxiety disorder or panic attacks or something else, there are benefi ts, and make sure that you look the part of someone that knows what they’re talking about. It sounds like a small change, but appearance, voice, and stature all play a signifi cant role in the way you promote your message.

Be Proud Of Your StoryIf you used cannabis to self-medicate for your own anxiety issues, wear that story with pride. Make sure you put a human (but professional) face to the effects of anxiety, explaining how you managed to improve your life thanks to the success of the drug.

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