SandChigger wrote:Oh lotek, for heaven's sakes, get your mind out of the gutter!
At least long enough to let some of the rest of us splash about a bit, too!
one's gotta do what one's gotta do
but I wouldn't want to spoil your fun though!
Moderators: ᴶᵛᵀᴬ, Omphalos, Freakzilla
SandChigger wrote:Oh lotek, for heaven's sakes, get your mind out of the gutter!
At least long enough to let some of the rest of us splash about a bit, too!
Marijuana is the leading cash crop in a lot of states. Not just in relation to drugs, mind you. To all other crops.Schu wrote:"We cannot hope to eradicate the drug trade if we do not first address the cash cow for most drug-trafficking organizations -- marijuana."
If that is actually even remotely true, I will be very surprised. I always figured meth, extacy, heroin etc were the cash cows.
Meanwhile, people are being retarded in the UK, someone got fired for investigating the dangers of marijuana for the government and saying that they are less than legal drugs like tobacco and alcohol.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009 ... tone-drugs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I just hear that bit from the prologue to Layer Cake Always remember that one day all this drug monkey business will be legal. They won't leave it to people like me... not when they finally figure out how much money is to be made - not millions, fucking billions. Recreational Drugs PLC - giving the people what they want... Good times today, Stupor tomorrow. But this is now, so until prohibition ends make hay whilst the sun shines.Freakzilla wrote: Marijuana is the leading cash crop in a lot of states. Not just in relation to drugs, mind you. To all other crops.
Brave New World much?Apjak wrote:I just hear that bit from the prologue to Layer Cake Always remember that one day all this drug monkey business will be legal. They won't leave it to people like me... not when they finally figure out how much money is to be made - not millions, fucking billions. Recreational Drugs PLC - giving the people what they want... Good times today, Stupor tomorrow. But this is now, so until prohibition ends make hay whilst the sun shines.Freakzilla wrote: Marijuana is the leading cash crop in a lot of states. Not just in relation to drugs, mind you. To all other crops.
Never did I think I would be reading about growing pot in an International Code Council newsletter.Freakzilla wrote:Fire Chiefs Say Some Legal Marijuana Grow-Ops Are a Safety Hazard
[Source: The Canadian Press | January 08, 2010]
Medical marijuana may be legal, but the way some approved Canadian growers are producing their pot is not, say fire chiefs in the country's two most prolific weed-producing provinces.
More than 3,400 production licences have been issued to grow medical marijuana across Canada, two-thirds of them in Ontario and British Columbia.
Fire chiefs associations in those provinces say Health Canada's secretive permit process and refusal to bring in better regulations for growers put lives and health at risk.
"There's no instruction manual on how to build a grow op. So they give you this licence to produce, you know 100 plants or 75 plants, but they don't tell you how to do it safely," said Jim Jessop, the Niagara Fall's assistant fire chief who speaks for the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs on the issue.
Jessop said he's walked into Health Canada-approved grow operations where the wiring was bad, volatile chemicals were improperly stored and, in one instance, a powerful hydroponic light ballast was starting to char the floor.
"I've actually had to remove children from one of them. It was so unsafe," he said.
Health Canada has refused to give locations of the grow operations to fire or police officials, citing privacy concerns.
When the federal agency issues a licence, the grower must abide by all applicable federal, provincial, territorial and municipal legislation, such as building codes and electrical hook-ups.
The issue of safety isn't probed on the Health Canada application, although a grower must give a detailed account on the form of security measures and how they will protect their crop from loss or theft.
Len Garis, chief of the Surrey, B.C., fire department, said his firefighters have stumbled upon nine legal grow ops in the city through the same process used to shut down illegal operations - either the home was using three times the normal limit of power or police have been tipped to a potential grow site.
"Four of the nine we disconnected anyway because they had no permit, the electrical systems were altered and (their system was) so shoddy that they weren't safe, so we shut them down," said Garis, who is also the spokesman for the Fire Chiefs Association of British Columbia on the issue of marijuana grow operations.
Both the Ontario and B.C. associations say they've lobbied Health Canada asking for help in improving safety.
"We sent a number of briefs to Health Canada, asking them to just do one simple thing, as a condition of permit, make sure that zoning, electrical safety, fire safety is all taken into consideration with these locations, prior to issuing the permit," Garis said.
David Thomas, with Health Canada, said their inspectors have the authority to conduct inspections for compliance.
"To conduct these inspections, Health Canada inspectors must have the occupant's consent to enter the dwelling-place or a warrant issued by a Justice ..." Thomas said in an email response to questions.
The associations argue allowing the legal operations to be inspected would be safer for the grower and those around them.
Jessop said he has met with federal government ministers and staff to explain the problem and ask for help.
"They've acknowledged that there's no process in place to teach people how to wire these buildings properly, how to vent them properly, how to make sure they're fire safe," Jessop said.
Trevor Bain, with Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal, said Health Canada has said keeping the locations secret will prevent legal grow operations from being raided by criminals trying to steal their marijuana.
"I can understand the need to protect them in that sense," Bain said. "But at the same time what about the first responder, what about the neighbour? Shouldn't we have a system in place that protects everyone?"
Garis said Surrey firefighters have been called out to fires only to find themselves attempting to fight flames while they stumble through a maze of electrical wires in a smoke-filled grow-op. He said some crew members have been shocked by faulty wiring.
Those issued grow permits are either growing for themselves or for someone who needs medical marijuana to relieve the symptoms of their illness.
Jessop believes a license to grow should be treated like any other license, such as a hair salon, which would need approval before it's allowed to start operation.
"The federal government should not issue these licenses to produce marijuana until the local authorities have inspected the set up to make sure it complies will all municipal and provincial bylaws. "
Thomas said Health Canada is trying to find a balance between helping seriously ill people and providing adequate regulatory control.
"The department is working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs to determine how best to address the risks that may be posed by licenses grow operations."
http://media.iccsafe.org/news/eNews/201 ... juana.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
this is one argument against pot that i can stand behind.Freakzilla wrote:Fire Chiefs Say Some Legal Marijuana Grow-Ops Are a Safety Hazard
[Source: The Canadian Press | January 08, 2010]
Medical marijuana may be legal, but the way some approved Canadian growers are producing their pot is not, say fire chiefs in the country's two most prolific weed-producing provinces.
More than 3,400 production licences have been issued to grow medical marijuana across Canada, two-thirds of them in Ontario and British Columbia.
Fire chiefs associations in those provinces say Health Canada's secretive permit process and refusal to bring in better regulations for growers put lives and health at risk.
"There's no instruction manual on how to build a grow op. So they give you this licence to produce, you know 100 plants or 75 plants, but they don't tell you how to do it safely," said Jim Jessop, the Niagara Fall's assistant fire chief who speaks for the Ontario Association of Fire Chiefs on the issue.
Jessop said he's walked into Health Canada-approved grow operations where the wiring was bad, volatile chemicals were improperly stored and, in one instance, a powerful hydroponic light ballast was starting to char the floor.
"I've actually had to remove children from one of them. It was so unsafe," he said.
Health Canada has refused to give locations of the grow operations to fire or police officials, citing privacy concerns.
When the federal agency issues a licence, the grower must abide by all applicable federal, provincial, territorial and municipal legislation, such as building codes and electrical hook-ups.
The issue of safety isn't probed on the Health Canada application, although a grower must give a detailed account on the form of security measures and how they will protect their crop from loss or theft.
Len Garis, chief of the Surrey, B.C., fire department, said his firefighters have stumbled upon nine legal grow ops in the city through the same process used to shut down illegal operations - either the home was using three times the normal limit of power or police have been tipped to a potential grow site.
"Four of the nine we disconnected anyway because they had no permit, the electrical systems were altered and (their system was) so shoddy that they weren't safe, so we shut them down," said Garis, who is also the spokesman for the Fire Chiefs Association of British Columbia on the issue of marijuana grow operations.
Both the Ontario and B.C. associations say they've lobbied Health Canada asking for help in improving safety.
"We sent a number of briefs to Health Canada, asking them to just do one simple thing, as a condition of permit, make sure that zoning, electrical safety, fire safety is all taken into consideration with these locations, prior to issuing the permit," Garis said.
David Thomas, with Health Canada, said their inspectors have the authority to conduct inspections for compliance.
"To conduct these inspections, Health Canada inspectors must have the occupant's consent to enter the dwelling-place or a warrant issued by a Justice ..." Thomas said in an email response to questions.
The associations argue allowing the legal operations to be inspected would be safer for the grower and those around them.
Jessop said he has met with federal government ministers and staff to explain the problem and ask for help.
"They've acknowledged that there's no process in place to teach people how to wire these buildings properly, how to vent them properly, how to make sure they're fire safe," Jessop said.
Trevor Bain, with Ontario's Office of the Fire Marshal, said Health Canada has said keeping the locations secret will prevent legal grow operations from being raided by criminals trying to steal their marijuana.
"I can understand the need to protect them in that sense," Bain said. "But at the same time what about the first responder, what about the neighbour? Shouldn't we have a system in place that protects everyone?"
Garis said Surrey firefighters have been called out to fires only to find themselves attempting to fight flames while they stumble through a maze of electrical wires in a smoke-filled grow-op. He said some crew members have been shocked by faulty wiring.
Those issued grow permits are either growing for themselves or for someone who needs medical marijuana to relieve the symptoms of their illness.
Jessop believes a license to grow should be treated like any other license, such as a hair salon, which would need approval before it's allowed to start operation.
"The federal government should not issue these licenses to produce marijuana until the local authorities have inspected the set up to make sure it complies will all municipal and provincial bylaws. "
Thomas said Health Canada is trying to find a balance between helping seriously ill people and providing adequate regulatory control.
"The department is working with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, as well as the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs to determine how best to address the risks that may be posed by licenses grow operations."
http://media.iccsafe.org/news/eNews/201 ... juana.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm with you, but that would put FOX out of business in about 5 minutes.SandRider wrote: I hate them fuckers ... Lord knows I believe in Free Speech,
but I also believe there should be laws compelling
"news organizations" to report actual, true things, not
shit the producers made up, or reporting one of their own
pundit's biased insane ramblings as "growing concern over ..."
It was 44% to 56% BTW.Pot activists vow to push legalization in 2012
By LISA LEFF and MARCUS WOHLSEN, Associated Press – 48 mins ago
LOS ANGELES – It seemed an easy sell in California: The state that gave us medical marijuana would allow pot for recreation.
Then came the ads, newspaper editorials and politicians, warning of a world where stoned drivers would crash school buses, nurses would show up at work high and employers would be helpless to fire drug-addled workers.
A day after voters rejected Proposition 19, marijuana advocates wondered how they failed in trendsetting, liberal California.
Was it the fear of the unknown? An older electorate more likely to oppose pot? Voters reluctant to go any further than they already had with the nation's most lax pot laws?
Whatever the reason, activists vowed Wednesday to push on in California, as well as in states that rejected other pot measures Tuesday.
"Social change doesn't happen overnight," said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for Repeal of Marijuana Laws.
In South Dakota, voters rejected for the second time a medical marijuana measure — a step first taken by California in 1996 and by 13 other states since. Oregon voters refused to expand their medical marijuana program to create a network of state-licensed nonprofit dispensaries.
A medical marijuana measure on Arizona's ballot remained too close to call Wednesday.
The California initiative, which would have allowed adults age 21 and older to possess and grow small amounts of marijuana, failed 54 to 46 percent. An Associated Press analysis of exit and pre-election polls found voters opposed Prop 19 regardless of race, gender, income or education level.
Blacks and Latinos, for example, opposed the measure at about the same rate as whites. That despite evidence that pot advocates presented during the campaign that minorities are disproportionately arrested on marijuana offenses.
"There is a sense of people wanting to move into a new policy ... but still being wary of what that change might mean," said Ethan Nadelmann, director of the pro-legalization Drug Policy Project.
Roger Salazar, a spokesman for the successful campaign to defeat Prop 19, agreed that misgivings about possible social problems from increased marijuana use helped seal the measure's fate.
But he also blamed backers for leaving it up to local governments instead of the state to set sales regulations. He also faulted them for promoting the measure as a revenue windfall for the state and a way to undercut drug traffickers and free up police to pursue more serious crimes.
"The risks of legalizing something as important as marijuana were far greater than the potential benefits, and the benefits were far from guaranteed," Salazar said. "If they are going to come back with something, it has to be a lot more tightly written."
Preliminary election returns showed Prop 19 winning in 11 of 58 counties, with the strongest support in San Francisco and Santa Cruz.
But in a sign of what a tough sell it was, Prop 19 lost in the state's vaunted marijuana-growing region known as the "Emerald Triangle" of Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties.
Many in the region feared the system they created would be taken over by corporations or would undercut a cornerstone of the local economies by sending pot prices plunging.
Those most anxious about the economy were not convinced that legalizing pot was worth the potential tax revenue or jobs created by a newly legal marijuana industry.
Abbey Kaufman and Matt McDonald toked up "a few blunts" during the Giants World Series celebration in front of San Francisco City Hall despite a strong police presence.
The 20-year-old San Franciscans said they each voted yes but both said they weren't disappointed Prop 19 failed.
"Right now, you can smoke as much pot as you want on the streets of San Francisco," Kaufman said. "If it had passed, marijuana would have been treated like booze and there would be a big crackdown on public smoking."
"I think a lot of stoners voted yes just because, but I think we're better off that it didn't pass."
Richard Lee, the Oakland, Calif., medical marijuana entrepreneur who sponsored Prop 19 and spent $1.4 million of his own money to qualify the measure for the ballot and try to get it passed, drew hope in the generational divide among the voters.
The only unequivocal support for the measure came from voters under 30, though even they were not as united in their support as voters 65 and older were in their opposition.
Lee said the fact that 3.4 million Californians cast ballots for legalizing marijuana and that Prop 19 came within 9 percentage points of passing were victories themselves
He noted that since younger voters supported the initiative, a generation that does not fear the drug would one day constitute a majority of the population.
"The issue is generational," he said. "Many of the biggest contributors to the campaign were younger and based in Silicon Valley, representing a changing of the guard of political influence and leadership."
I recommend a vaporizer.A Thing of Eternity wrote:Don't smoke it myself, but I'm rooting for you potheads.