The GOP Really Has Some Balls

Obama deserves credit for his clear-cut explanation of his medicinal marijuana position. The issue isn't as near to my heart as others (I'd really like to see Obama do something for the inner-city victims of the drug war, but whatever...) but still -- he is still on the right side of the issue when he says that he would stop DEA raids of medicinal marijuana dispensaries.

The GOP on the other hand responds with this nonsense to Obama's recent declaration:

WASHINGTON – RNC Communications Director Danny Diaz released the following statement today:

“Barack Obama’s pledge to stop Executive agencies from implementing laws passed by Congress raises serious doubts about his understanding of what the job of the President of the United States actually is. His refusal to enforce the law reveals that Barack Obama doesn’t have the experience necessary to do the job of President, or that he fundamentally lacks the judgment to carry out the most basic functions of the Executive Branch. What other laws would Barack Obama direct federal agents not to enforce?”

Via Pete, who has this to say:

After 7 1/2 years of rubber-stamping the Bush Presidency, someone in the GOP apparently found a copy of the Constitution... and then failed to read it.

The Bush administration has quite possibly been the greatest danger to the Constitution in history, and the GOP (as well as the Democrats for the most part) have sat idly by and cheered.

Yeah, it is amusing when the GOP starts talking about on-the-job performance for the President when they've given us 7 1/2 years of Bush, or about "basic functions of the Executive", of which I'm not sure where ignoring the principles of federalism come into play.

NIDA: Smoking 50 Joints a Day Not Harmful

I'm not sure that was the point of a study done by researchers at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, but that sure seemed to be the conclusion.

Heavy marijuana use can boost blood levels of a particular protein, perhaps raising a person's risk of a heart attack or stroke, U.S. government researchers said on Tuesday.[...]

Levels of a protein called apolipoprotein C-III were found to be 30 percent higher in the marijuana users compared to the others. This protein is involved in the body's metabolism of triglycerides -- a type of fat found in the blood -- and higher levels cause increased levels of triglycerides, Cadet added.

High levels of triglycerides can contribute to hardening of the arteries or thickening of the artery walls, raising the risk of stroke, heart attack and heart disease.

Sounds kinda bad...I guess. Then we get this:

The study did not look at whether the heavy marijuana users actually had heart disease.

Right. Why bother? Back to the science!

"Chronic marijuana use is not only causing people to get high, it's actually causing long-term adverse effects in patients who use too much of the drug," Cadet, whose study is in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, said in a telephone interview. "Chronic marijuana abuse is not so benign."

The marijuana users in the study averaged smoking 78 to 350 marijuana cigarettes per week, based on self-reported drug history, the researchers said.

78-350 joints a week? A representative sample of the smoking population if I ever saw one. Actually, it sounds like they rounded up a bunch of vaginas for this study. Who only smokes 50 joints a day? Or even worse, 11? What a bunch of non-smoking losers.

The ONDCP blog is mysteriously silent on this relevant and damning study...Full article here.

Tuesday's Edition of "What Not To Do If You Are Growing Pot In Your House"

Having a cookout...Inside your house:

HYDE PARK, Vt. -- Firefighters responding Friday to a report of a possible structure fire instead found a man grilling on a charcoal grill inside his home and 22 marijuana plants growing in the bathroom, Lamoille County police said.

As a result of the visit, Robert Schrader, 29, of Hyde Park, Vt., was charged with violations of conditions, possession of marijuana and cultivation of marijuana.

Full story here.

Decriminalization Bill Defeated

The New Hampshire Senate says no to decriminalization.

The proposal would have made the possession of up to 1.25 ounces of marijuana a violation that carries a $200 fine, instead of a misdemeanor that can result in up to a year in jail and fines up to $2,500.

The House had approved the bill.

Move Over Chubby Kids, We've Got a New Epidemic

Indoor grow houses.

Officials say 150 houses with indoor marijuana operations were raided Wednesday, from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle. Miami U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta says about 9,250 plants were seized, worth more than $41 million.

Authorities say there's an epidemic of indoor marijuana cultivation in Florida run by organized crime groups.

Now, that's my kind of epidemic.

NYC's New Motto: Marijuana Arrest Capital of the World

NEW YORK - Police busted nearly 400,000 people for carrying small amounts of pot in the last decade, making New York City the world leader in marijuana arrests, civil rights advocates said Tuesday while unveiling a study criticizing the war on drugs.[...]

The study by Queens College sociologist Harry G. Levin, titled "Marijuana Arrest Crusade," accused police of purposely singling out minorities during the 10-year crackdown. It said that data provided by state Division of Criminal Justice Services showed that between 1997 and 2007, 52 percent of the suspects were black, 31 percent Hispanic and only 15 percent white.[...]

According to the study, arrests for marijuana possession began skyrocketing in the late 1990s during the Giuliani administration _ a trend that continued under Mayor Michael Bloomberg at an estimated cost of between $50 and $90 million a year. There were 39,700 arrests last year alone, according to the study.

Well, there are like 8 million people in New York, so it's not a total surprise that 40,000 people were arrested for possession of marijuana. I might have even guessed higher; which is a sad statement on our country.

More:

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne called Levine an "advocate for marijuana legalization," and accused the NYCLU of using the sociologist "to mislead the public with absurdly inflated numbers and false claims about bias."

"If the NYCLU is for legalization, it should just say so without resorting to smears," Browne said.

OK, there we go, throw out the dirty words like, "legalization", and calling someone an "advocate for legalization". I know that I wouldn't want to be accused of fighting for a rational approach to drug policy. And since when did simply reporting how many people were arrested for carrying a plant become a "smear". Just like Mr Browne urges the NYCLU to come out and just say they are for legalization, I urge the city of New York to come out and just admit they are for an arcane policy of prohibition, enforced with penalties of arrest and imprisonment. It's only fair.

Full article here.

I Hate Having a Job

I wish I was still in college: Annual 4/20 Celebration at University of Colorado Draws 10,000

The crowd was so large it migrated from the long-traditional site of Farrand Field to the larger Norlin Quad; festivities kicked off earlier than normal with daytime concerts; and CU police handed out zero citations.

“At this point, none are anticipated,” said CU police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley.

Officers in the past have gone to great lengths to catch people in the illegal act of smoking pot on 4/20.[...]

“We can’t do the same thing year after year,” Wiesley said hours before Sunday’s smoking began. “So I doubt we’ll do anything like the pictures. ... There’s no way our 12 to 15 officers are going to be able to deal with a crowd of 10,000. We just can’t do strong enforcement when we’re outnumbered 700 or 800 to one.”

That's So Sketchy

Kid should have stuck with his gut reaction:

N.H. Principal Lures Student Into Drug Deal

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) ― A New Hampshire student is suing his high school after he was lured into an alleged drug deal by a principal from another school posing as a friend.

The deal was set up by Bishop Brady High School Principal Jean Barker on a cell phone she confiscated from one of her students, according to police reports.

She received a text message from Concord High School senior John Huckins, 17, stating "Yo, you need a bag?" according to police reports.

Barker, who suspected Huckins was referring to bags of marijuana, asked for two. Pretending to be the phone's owner, she arranged, through text messages, to meet outside the back door of her school, and called police.

Huckins sent two messages saying he was reluctant to meet on school property, according to police reports.

He wrote "that's so sketchy" and "dude, I don't like that" and suggested waiting until they could meet after school. But the Catholic school principal persisted.

It's a shame the principal of Concord High School has nothing better to do than set-up drug deals to bust up small time pot dealers. I guess every student at Concord High has nothing else to learn about. Nothing. They are the brightest and most accomplished high school students anywhere in the world. Since he's finished his work in educating children at his school, he probably felt it was time to move onto crime fighting. Makes sense.

Full story here.

Just Say No

UK’s Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs looks to be voting no on a reclassification of cannabis to a class B drug.

The Government's official advisory body on drugs policy believes cannabis should remain a Class C drug and not be reclassified as Class B, it has been reported.

The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) will make its recommendation this month, following a review of the decision to downgrade the drug.

The move could put the board on a collision course with Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who this week spoke of his determination to send a signal to young people that the use of cannabis was "unacceptable".

Good news. Let's see if the politicians restrain themselves from scoring easy political points with a reclassification.

Victory in the War on Pot

Via Baltimore Crime, from the Examiner:

Sniffing beats smoking pot among young teens

Sniffing solvents is more popular than smoking marijuana for teenagers looking to get high, according to a new report from the University of Maryland Center for Substance Abuse Research.

Inhalants are the most popular type of drug among children 12 to 13, the report found, with more than 500,000 young teens experimenting with solvents.

Is there any question which of these drugs is worse for the body and mind? Huffing chemicals or smoking pot? I'd stake my impressive reputation on the statement that huffing chemicals is exponentially more dangerous than smoking pot at 12, 13, 16, 20 -- you name the age.

The best part about studies like these, is that you can actually imagine the ONDCP throwing together a press release and a blog post hailing this as a victory in the War on Drugs. We've beaten the scourge of marijuana, now onto paint thinners and varnish.

Full story here.

Sheriff Finds It Hard to Believe TSA Agents are Inept; Rest of the Country Disagrees

Someone has seen Blow a few too many times -- 45 lbs of pot goes semi-unnoticed through a Milwaukee airport:

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- A suitcase packed with 45 pounds of marijuana passed through security at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee County.

Sheriff David Clarke suspects it was "an inside job" because of the security breach. Clarke says it's unnerving that such a bag can bypass all the TSA security devices.

Investigators aren't saying exactly where the untagged suitcase was found, but they believe it was destined for a plane to New York.

It could have been an inside job. Or the TSA agents could have been, well, TSA agents...

Prohibition: Harmless?

New Study Outlines Harm of Smoking Marijuana During Pregnancy

Marijuana: Harmless?

---

Above, as quoted directly from the ONDCP's blog. Classic sensationalized scare tactic. Has anyone who is engaged in the public debate over our drug policy ever come close to asserting that pregnant women should smoke marijuana -- legal or not? Of course not, that's nuts. Is this a real fear of what's to come if we loosen some of our drug laws in our country? Pregnant women running around like mad zombies, joint in mouth, high as shit, damaging their unborn children with every puff. As much as I might like that fantasy to come true, it's highly doubtful and completely unassociated with any argument that anyone makes.

What does it have to do with any part of the legitimate drug policy debate? Nothing, of course; but the government continues to get away with their mis-information war, compiling lies and straw men everywhere you look. The truth is we have plenty of legalized substances -- including ones like alcohol and cigarettes that make the government a tidy profit -- that can cause harm to an unborn child/fetus/mistake, whatever you want to call that lump in the belly. Fish can harmful for Christ sakes. Should we ban fish? If there was a federal agency in charge of controlling fish, would we have TV ads with a picture of a cod and a pregnant lady, with the title "Fish: Harmless?" It makes just as much sense as a picture of a pregnant women with the title "Marijuana: Harmless?" As my post title suggest, I want SSDP, Stop the Drug War, MPP -- any one of those outfits to start running ads with the a picture of a packed jail cell with the title, "Prohibition: Harmless?" Because that's the real question centered around this debate.

Sidenote: I will say, in the effort of agreeing to disagree, at least John Walters and this TtP blogger enjoy posting pics of pregnant women on our blogs for utterly no reason at all. Kudos. Maybe we can get a beer sometime John? We can swap material off our hard drives, or trade URLs of some of our favorite sites. It'll be fun.

WFB on Pot

A famous WFB story involves him sailing out 3 miles out into international waters to try marijuana (for the first time, I think) "legally". This additonal marijuana andectote from a Q&A with Sam Tanenhaus of the New York Times made me chuckle.

Q: William F. Buckley famously admitted to having smoked pot at least once on his boat outside U.S. territorial waters. Did he continue to smoke it after trying it? What if anything did he say about the subject? —Rich Turyn

A: If so, only seldom. But Buckley was much piqued by the counter-culture. He recently told me an amusing anecdote on this general subject. In the 1970s, Buckley and one of his mentors, the political thinker James Burnham, decided they would indulge in some current vices by smoking pot and then watching the sex-drenched film “I am Curious — Yellow.” The pot was procured by Bill’s chauffeur. It was a good plan — or seemed so, except they made the mistake of drinking alcohol first. This blunted the effects of the pot, and they both fell asleep during the film.

Full Q&A here.

Pot Comes to You (the Medicinal Marijuana User) Via a Vending Machine

BBC: Vending machines distributing the drug marijuana are to begin operating in the US state of California.

Dear Bush, Bernanke and Congress,

I have heard the news that you plan to release an economic stimulus package that entails giving each American taxpayer a lump sum payment of, tentatively, $800 per person.

Therefore, I feel compelled to disclose that I plan to spend my "stimulus" payment primarily on marijuana, with the remainder going towards a beer chaser and cigarettes. Likely there are many Americans, young and old, who plan to spend their checks in a similar manner.

I hope you realize that your policies on drugs, alcohol and tobacco will mostly likely prevent such expenditures from stimulating the economy whatsoever. For instance, the marijuana I plan to buy is inflated in cost due to the risks involved in growing, transporting and selling it in the black market. So instead of my "rebate" being injected back into the economy, most of it will end up in the pockets of various levels of dealers who don't pay taxes on drug income, likely don't invest in the market, and will probably spend the money in a way of which you wouldn't approve.

The remainder, which I will spend on beer and cigarettes, will indeed go into the economy. But since these industries are taxed so heavily in the name of "public health," you'll probably be taking back a good chuck of this sum anyway. If the money is - at least in part - going right back into your hands regardless, then why bother with the lump sum payout to me in the first place?

I realize that my economic rationale in this letter may not be flawless. But I do sincerely believe that it's better than all of yours. I have been waiting, but so far left wanting, for an explanation of exactly how sending just a small part of the taxes we pay back to us is going to stimulate the economy at all. Please feel free to explain your rationale in the comments section of this post.

Sincerely,
Nate

Cannabis: Africa's Biggest Drug Problem

I understand that the West Coast of Africa has become the latest hot-spot for global drug trafficking. What I don't know, is what size the piece of the trafficking pie is dedicated to marijuana. allAfrica reports:

The Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ahmadu Giade said at the weekend that Cannabis otherwise known as Indian hemp is the biggest drug challenge in the country and the African continent.[...]

Giade, decried the dangers of hard drugs to humanity and stressed that the destruction exercises is to spite drug barons and also to demonstrate the superiority of law enforcement agents over illicit drug dealers.

According to Giade "the threat of narcotic drugs is palpable. It is difficult to ignore this peril starring at us in the face. Cannabis control constitutes the biggest drug challenge in Nigeria and Africa . This is because it grows effortlessly in the country. This drug has the propensity to destroy our society but we equally have the capacity to subdue it".

Governor Peter Obi of Anambra State in his goodwill message said that it is sad that some indigenes of the State are getting involved in the illicit drug trade when they are highly respected as good business men and women.

"Anambra citizen has no business with illicit drugs and I assure you that the State will partner with the NDLEA to ensure that Anambra State and by implication the entire country is completely drug free"he said.

Giade pointed out that illegal drug business is a covert affair that makes drug control a very cumbersome task demanding enormous resources, training and dexterity. The NDLEA boss said that no drug baron wants his drugs seized let alone destroyed because they have paid so much to acquire them.

My title is a bit misleading, as even the official seems to make the distinction of 'cannabis control', rather than the plant itself. I'm sure Nigeria is no friend to drug reformers, but their officials seem willing to honestly admit that policing the drug trade is the problem in and of itself*. That's more than we can say for U.S. drug warriors. Story here.

*Yes, I understand that NDLEA probably usues this rehetoric to demand more money for its efforts. Just because it may be out of self-interest, doesn't make it any less true, or refreshing to hear.

NORML's 2007 Top Ten Events That Shaped Marijuana Policy

Covers most of the big stories in '07.

TtP Christmas Party Has Been Cancelled

Due to US Customs Officials:

EL PASO, Texas — Federal immigration agents have seized more than 5 tons of marijuana and arrested four people in connection with the drugs, federal agents said Friday.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seized 10,907 pounds of marijuana in two searches Wednesday.

Investigators said the first seizure, 1,460 pounds of marijuana, was made after agents found the drugs hidden in a car being driven by 20-year-old Humberto Hernandez Jr.

Full article here. New party plans TBA.

Talk About Stretching for Material

Quoting a ONDCP blog post:

Time Magazine: One Joint = 5 Cigarettes
Next week's Time magazine highlights the latest evidence of marijuana's harm as part of their "Year in Medicine" news coverage:

Indeed, someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke.

Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.

I could care less about debating the science, I just got a kick out of the actual Time piece they link to. Here it is in its entirety:

Marijuana

A single marijuana cigarette has the same effect on the lungs as smoking up to five cigarettes in succession.

That's it. One sentence. It's part of a brief, "The Year in Medicine A-Z". Not quite "highlighting the dangers" if you ask me...

Drop in the Dollar Killing Canadian Pot Exports

From the Missoulian:

Suddenly, it's far more expensive to buy Canadian exports, legal or otherwise, and smuggling profits disappear.

“It's very simple,” said Stephen Easton, professor of economics at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, B.C. “Canadian marijuana production costs are met in Canadian dollars, and those are worth more now.”

Previously, he said, pot growers could produce a pound of potent “B.C. bud” for about $2,000 Canadian and, with the exchange rate, smugglers buying with U.S. currency could sell it for a hefty profit south of the border. In those days, an American dollar in Canada was like a 50 percent discount card, and there's nothing like a wholesale discount to bolster retail profits.

Production costs remain in the range of $2,000 Canadian, Easton said. But with the currencies at par, the profit margin is completely gone, unless Montanans are willing to pay 50 percent more for the prime northern bud. A smuggler's risks and transport costs are no longer offset by profit.

Interesting, but this makes a good story more than anything else. The article goes on to quote the Canadian share of the US marijuana market at 3%. I'd be surprised if it was that much. Pot is everywhere. Good pot is grown everywhere. It's a blessing of the plant. Full article here.

Schwarzenegger Misses A Big Opportunity

Schwarzenegger told the British edition of GQ magazine that he had not taken drugs, even though the former bodybuilder and Hollywood star has acknowledged using marijuana in the 1970s and was shown smoking a joint in the 1977 documentary "Pumping Iron."

"That is not a drug. It's a leaf," Schwarzenegger told GQ. "My drug was pumping iron, trust me."

Story here.

Well, he's partially right. Marijuana is a plant. But its "active ingredient," THC, the reason anyone fires it up in the first place, is a drug. Just like nicotine, alcohol or cough medicine is a drug.

Now if Arnold wasn't such a disappointment, he would have said, "Yes, I used marijuana. Didn't you see that documentary? And now I'm freakin' governor. I'm not some heroin addict or petty thief. I smoked it, I liked it, and it's none of your damn business anyway. So eat me."

But no. Instead: "That is not a drug. It's a leaf."

Sigh... If I was a semi-popular Republican in California, I'd definitely want to take advantage of a chance like that... But I'm neither, so fuck it.

Am I Allowed to Say that It's a Backdoor Legalization Method?

Of course I can say it; I just don't think people like to hear it. But I'll tell you this -- if medicinal marijuana legislation isn't a policy designed to weaken prohibition and to put a face on "drug users", and potentially soften the ground in advance for other anti-prohibition legislation, then I'm an idiot who doesn't love massive labias. Plain and simple. But of course I do love massive labias, and of course it is about an incremental approach to drug policy reform...Right? So why can't we all just say it then? It's silly to lie. And they will lie so convincingly even right to my face that it makes you believe that maybe all they've convinced themselves to care only about making sure a very, very small percentage of the population is allowed to use one drug in a very regulated matter. No matter we haven't accomplished anything for the majority of the Drug War victims, or addressed the real structural problems associated with prohibition. Whatever, I complain about this a lot, I'm just tired of folks saying, "It's not about legalization." If this all isn't about legalization, then what's the point?

It's stories like this that get me on this rant.

Fuck You AND the Wheelchair You Rolled In On

Via Hit&Run, Mitt Romney gives the cold shoulder to a MS patient who was trying to ask Romney if he would arrest him for using his medicine.

It's Not a War on Pot...

It just looks that way. Shreveport Times:

MANSFIELD — Fifty vehicles stopped on various traffic violations Friday on Interstate 49 yielded 16 arrests on various drug offenses and 46 traffic violations, DeSoto Parish Sheriff Rodney Arbuckle said Monday in a news release.

The Tri-Parish Drug Task Force, DeSoto and Red River sheriff's deputies conducted the criminal interdiction detail using the drug-sniffing dogs assigned to the task force. Motorists were stopped for a variety of traffic violations and searches were conducted with the drivers' consent after the drug dogs alerted to the possible presence of drugs

"Various drug offenses"...I'll clue you in. They were all charged with marijuana possession (or intent to distribute), or paraphernalia. One guy also had some pills, but all 16 were charged with possession. A microcosm of the larger War on Drugs. Take a look.

And what's not to love about a tactic that involves pulling people over for tossing a cigarette butt out their car window, only so you can have your drug dog do some sniffing. Seems kosher, right?

George Michael Cutting Back on Pot

Keeping on the pot themed Monday, pop singer George Michael is trying to limit his marijuana consumption. Story from Reuters

Marjiuana Monday

Continuing the theme from the previous post....I'll give my own breakdown of the domestic outdoor pot-crop. This is mostly from second hand accounts of course; news articles and the sort, and this time it's strictly East Coast. Take it for what it's worth...

Supply: It's looking like a below average yield, especially in the southeast, due to drought like conditions. Plants have wilted, buds are black and dead looking when they are forced harvested, and total numbers actually appear to be down in some areas. Quick rating...like a 5 or 6 out of 10? I dunno, but I haven't read/heard good things. Strictly a guess though.

Market Impact: On street level the impact is marginal to the buyer, but prices could increase in the coming months as supply becomes limited. Quality outdoor buds shouldn't be impossible to find, but it's probably a bit tougher than usual. Low-quality marijuana dealt on the lowest level of the food chain will most likely see a slight increase over the coming months, but the biggest impact will likely be a slight increase in the price of indoor bud, which for some folks is all they deal in. I'm thinking mostly the beaster market, not high quality indoor bud. That particular market is usually in flux, as quality is at a premium and buyers are willing to pay for it, meaning that the impact from a poor outdoor crop won't be noticeable for many buyers.

Links: Here and here.

Harvesting Time

It's that time year -- harvesting for some, eradication for others. Lots of articles floating around about futile eradication efforts, what this year's crops look like, etc...Good article yesterday in the USA Today, covering such eradication efforts in Kentucky (the nation's #2 producer behind California), and the ingrained culture of growing in Appalachian country. Story is a pretty fair portrayal, and I'd give the whole thing a read if I were you, but I'll excerpt the last quote of the article from a Kentucky State Police Lieutenant. It's an awfully telling statement of how everyone on both sides of the drug issue knows -- or should know -- that large scale enforcement and interdiction is useless. Especially when we are talking about an artificially high-priced weed that can, and would grow just about everywhere. [emphasis mine]

Shemelya says he believes that marijuana would be on every hillside in Eastern Kentucky if his unit didn't keep it in check.

"You're never going to stop people from growing marijuana," he says. "But the idea is to make it so dad-gummed hard to grow they go to Tennessee or somewhere else."

Right. Thanks for making our point. Full article here.

The New Hot Spot for Pot…Parks

In California there is an increasing amount of marijuana being grown in parks. Park rangers now spend a great deal of time hunting these pot preserves down and destroying them. California ranks as the number one producer of pot in the US and data from the Justice Department indicates that $6.7 billion worth of the crop were eradicated in 2006. This Californian practice, the BBC reports, is thought to be spreading across the continent.

One Joint of Skunk Killed My Daughter

As the Fark tag says -- unlikely.

I think is shows an amazing lack of journalistic honesty and integrity that these type of stories continue to be published in British papers.

I touched on the push back against cannabis in the UK, making my own wildly speculative guesses as to what is prompting the anti-pot media craze, here and here.

Japanese Pot

Japanese prison officials are surprised by the 300 some odd marijuana plants that keep sprouting up on the grounds of Abashiri Prison. Even more surprising, prisoners know what marijuana plants look like:

The marijuana plants started sprouting at Abashiri Prison on Japan's northernmost island of Hokkaido about a year ago, said prison official Takeshi Okamura. He said officials plucked out as many as 300 marijuana plants and treated the ground last year, but several more sprouted again this year.

Prisoners reported them to the guards.

Officials believe the plants are wild.

"Apparently, somebody knew how to tell marijuana from other plants," Okamura said.

Who knew criminals could tell pot from dandelions?

Hempfest

Photoblogging Hempfest. Via Instapundit.

The "Yellow Pages" Test

Congressman Tom Feeney (R-FL) has put forth simple criteria for determining whether or not Congress should pass new regulations or not.

The Laffer Curve, game theory and the classic supply-and-demand diagram are all well established in the economics lexicon.

Less well-known, but arguably more valuable to some House Republicans, is a new economics theory dubbed the “Yellow Pages test.” House Financial Services member Tom Feeney, R-Fla., says he uses the test to determine whether the federal government needs to regulate or be involved in a certain business.

If he can find at least two businesses listed in the Yellow Pages that offer a similar service, Feeney says, then the federal government should steer clear. Fellow conservative and Financial Services member Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, who actually coined the term “Yellow Pages test” at a hearing last week, agrees.

The government has no business messing around in the private market, Hensarling argued, suggesting that the test ought to be used often.

This advance in economic theory was offered during a committee debate over federal regulation of wind insurance coverage. If it can be applied to wind insurance brokers, one can easily see its extension to other facets of the business world.

As evidenced by the now notorious “D.C. Madam” case, local governments might want to reconsider, for example, whether to interfere with the escort business since there are plenty of those listed in the phone book — all providing, one presumes, a similar service.

Zing! I would also note that many of California's medical marijuana dispensaries are listed in the phone book, but that didn't stop Rep. Feeney or Rep. Hensarling from voting against an amendment last week that would have stopped the federal government from messing around in that private market.

Via Congressional Quarterly (sorry, subscription required).

This is Your Police on Drugs

Funniest thing all week!!

NORML PSA

Well done. Thanks to a NORML donor, it's airing in select, Maryland television markets.

Promising Submission for World's Dumbest Cop

I meant to post this a month ago when I first heard it. It's good stuff. But as you can tell, I've had so much material, that I couldn't squeeze it in. Then I forgot about it. Happens a lot. My mind drifts. Like right now I'm thinking about this ingrown hair that I thought I'd taken care of yesterday, but now seems to still be there. Annoying. I just want to play with it all day long. Anyway, then I got an e-mail with the YouTube video which reminded me to post it. And that folks, is a behind-the-scenes look of a TtP Rob post production.