Tag: marijuana

JD Vance Says ‘Bags Of Marijuana’ And Candy Laced With THC And Fentanyl Are Coming Across The Border, Blaming Biden-Harris Immigration Policy

Former President Donald Trump’s 2024 running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-OH), is accusing Vice President Kamala Harris of failing to stop marijuana and fentanyl disguised as Nerds candy and other popular brands that appeal to children from coming across the border.

At a Faith & Freedom Coalition event in Atlanta last month, the senator talked about being invited to the evidence room of a sheriffs department where he says he saw “every drug you can possibly imagine,” including “bags and bags of marijuana,” pressed fentanyl pills and meth.

“I say, ‘Guys, what is going on here? You’ve got all these drugs here that looks to me just like a box of candy—a box of Nerds candy,” Vance said. “And they say, ‘Well, sir, that’s actually THC and fentanyl.’ But I say, ‘Wait a second, the cartels have disguised deadly fentanyl to look like child’s candy so that they can make it easier to get into our country?’”

“Yet we know that one of those packets of fentanyl is going to end up in one of our neighborhood streets,” he said. “One of those packets of fentanyl is going to end up in a child’s playground. One of those packets of what looks like Nerds candy, but is actually a deadly substance, is going to end up in our schools, and a kid’s going to open up a packet of candy, take a piece of candy out and lose their life because of it.”

“Now that is a sick and deranged human being that would do anything like that. But it’s a sick and deranged human being who would give that person power over the United States of America, and that’s exactly what Kamala Harris has done,” he said. “She has given these drug cartels free reign over our country, and now they’re smuggling in deadly drugs that look like child candy.”

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‘Lesser-Known’ Marijuana Components Like CBG And THCV Are ‘Promising’ Treatments For Parkinson’s And Alzheimer’s, Study Shows

A new scientific review on the potential benefits of marijuana in treating brain disorders says that in addition to THC and CBD produced by the cannabis plant, “a diverse array of lesser-known phytocannabinoids, along with terpenes, flavonoids, and alkaloids” may also “demonstrate diverse pharmacological activities” and could offer therapeutic applications.

Such compounds include THCV, CBDV and CBG.

“Their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuromodulatory effects position them as promising agents in treating neurodegenerative disorders,” says the report, authored by a pair of researchers from the Center for Dementia Research at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research in New York and released last month through Preprints.org.

Authors evaluated available scientific literature about minor cannabinoids and conditions such as epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, Huntington’s disease and substance and alcohol use disorders. They found evidence not only of neuroprotective effects but also other beneficial outcomes.

“The therapeutic potential of Cannabis sativa extends well beyond the widely studied CBD,” the report says, “encompassing a diverse range of lesser‐known phytocannabinoids that show promise in addressing various neurological disorders.”

“While research has extensively examined the neuropsychiatric and neuroprotective effects of Δ9-THC,” it adds, “other minor phytocannabinoids remain underexplored.”

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Marijuana Components Show ‘Promising Potential As Anticancer Agents,’ Study Finds, Though Mechanisms Of Action Are Still A Mystery

A new scientific review on cannabis and cancer concludes that a variety of cannabinoids—including delta-9 THC, CBD and cannabigerol (CBG)—”show promising potential as anticancer agents through various mechanisms,” for example by limiting the growth and spread of tumors.

But authors acknowledged that obstacles to incorporating cannabis into cancer treatment remain, such as regulatory barriers and the need to determine optimal dosing.

“Cannabinoids, including Δ9-THC, CBD, and CBG, exhibit significant anticancer activities such as apoptosis induction, autophagy stimulation, cell cycle arrest, anti-proliferation, anti-angiogenesis, and metastasis inhibition,” says the report, published late last month in the journal Discover Oncology. “Clinical trials have demonstrated cannabinoids’ efficacy in tumor regression and health improvement in palliative care.”

The workings behind those apparent benefits, however, are still largely unknown. “Despite the evident anti-cancer properties of cannabinoids from numerous experimental results,” the review says, “the exact mechanisms of action still require extensive research.”

It adds: “Despite the positive outcomes of using cannabinoids in cancer therapy, there remain significant gaps in knowledge regarding their modes of action, effects on the tumor microenvironment, and the physiology of the signaling pathways they affect.”

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Russian Arms Dealer and “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout Who Joe Biden Exchanged for Pot-Smoking Brittney Griner Is Back in Business Selling $10 Million in Arms to Houthi Rebels

Another major foreign policy failure by Joe Biden and Kamala Harris

Nothing ever seems to go right for this ridiculous, tyrannical administration.

The infamous “Merchant of Death” Viktor Bout, who Joe Biden traded for WNBA pot-smoking star Brittney Griner, is allegedly back in business. Bout reportedly was caught selling $10 million in arms to Houthi rebels in Yemen, according to The Wall Street Journal.

WNBA star Brittney Griner was found guilty of drug smuggling with criminal intent in a Russian court in August 2022.

The 6’9″ basketball star was accused of possession of vape cartridges containing cannabis oil at a Moscow airport in February, during the lead-up to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine later that month. Griner’s defense team said she was prescribed marijuana by a doctor for pain treatment.

Russia released Brittney Griner in exchange for international arms dealer Viktor Bout, the notorious “Merchant of Death.”

Vikor Bout is a former Soviet military officer, who was serving a 25-year prison sentence in the United States on charges of conspiring to kill Americans, acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles, and provide material support to a terrorist organization. Bout has maintained he is innocent – via CNN.

Bout armed terrorist groups in some of the most violent conflicts in the world.

Bout was arrested back in 2008 in Thailand and extradited back to the United States. His arrest was linked at the time to FARC rebels in Colombia.

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Marijuana Enhances Enjoyment Of Music, New Study Finds, Confirming What Every Stoner Already Knows

Underscoring an anecdotal observation common among cannabis consumers, a group of researchers in Canada have released a new study indicating that marijuana can make music more enjoyable, concluding that “the impact of cannabis on the auditory experience may be overall enhanced” compared to sober listening.

Authors, from Toronto Metropolitan University, wrote in a preprint that the research “highlights the profound yet idiosyncratic effects of cannabis on auditory experiences among experienced recreational cannabis users.”

“This study provides a framework to understand the complex interactions between cannabis, hearing, and musical experience,” the report says.

Participants were recruited through the university as well via flyers at 38 marijuana retailers in and around Toronto. A total of 104 people completed an online questionnaire, 15 of which were interviewed further on hourlong individual Zoom calls.

According to their self-reported experiences, participants showed “significantly higher levels of state music absorption while high…compared to sober.”

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More Than 200,000 People Were Arrested Over Marijuana Last Year In The U.S., The Vast Majority For Possession, New FBI Report Shows

Even as more states continue to legalize marijuana, new FBI data shows that at least 200,000 people were arrested over cannabis in 2023—and simple possession again made up the vast majority of those cases. Those figures are likely understated, however, given inconsistencies in the federal data and ongoing questions about the agency’s methodology.

At a time when the public and both major party presidential nominees find themselves aligned in their opposition to criminalizing people over low-level marijuana offenses, advocates say the federal data released on Monday further underscores the need to urgently change course.

The 2023 data, according to FBI, comes from more than 14 million criminal offenses reported to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, which is submitted by over 16,000 state, local and tribal agencies whose jurisdictions comprise more than 94 percent of the country’s population. That’s slightly more data coverage compared to the FBI’s crime report from the prior year.

Because not all agencies provide data for the complete reporting periods, FBI has explained that the bureau calculates estimated crime numbers, essentially extrapolating “by following a standard estimation procedure using the data provided.” In terms of total reported arrests for “drug/narcotic,” for example, FBI said there were 879,118 arrests.

Those numbers, however, aren’t consistent throughout the FBI report. In a section on arrests by region, FBI said there were 746,292 total drug arrests in 2023. In a separate analysis of  historical trends, meanwhile, FBI reported just 635,066 drug arrests last year. Another section on racial breakdowns says there were 726,623 drug abuse violations.

The agency further reported that there were 1,544,907 crimes involving a person’s suspected use of drugs other than alcohol in 2023.

Using the agency’s estimated numbers, the 870,874 arrests for drug abuse violations account for about 12 percent of the approximately 7.5 million estimated arrests nationwide in 2023, according to one section of the report.

Of all total drug-related arrests in the new report, FBI said, 23 percent were for marijuana possession—more than for possession of any other listed substance. Arrests for selling or manufacturing cannabis, meanwhile, made up 2 percent of total drug arrests.

According to the data, 200,306 estimated arrests occurred for marijuana possession and another 16,844 estimated arrests were for cannabis sales or manufacturing in 2023. The numbers are down from 2022, but advocates say the continued criminalization at the current scale remains unacceptable, especially in the face of growing public consensus in favor of legalization.

At the same time, frustrations over FBI’s inconsistent data reporting on cannabis and other drug arrest trends have persisted.

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Using Marijuana Increases ‘Positive Parenting’ Behaviors, New Federally Funded Study Indicates

A new federally funded study on cannabis use and parenting finds that parents typically don’t consume marijuana while their kids are present. Those who used cannabis, however, were also significantly likely to report positive parenting behaviors in the same timeframe that they consumed the drug.

But the relationship between marijuana and parenting is a nuanced one, wrote authors from the University of Tennessee, Ohio State University and San Jose State University, and appears to also rely heavily on who else is present at the time.

Overall, the findings “reveal a complicated relationship between cannabis use and parenting among a sample of cannabis users,” authors wrote. But the results nevertheless provide “some information on ways parents can engage in harm reduction to support positive parenting.”

The study, funded by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant and published this month in the journal Parenting: Science and Practice, analyzed survey responses from 77 parents recruited by research assistants at Sacramento area cannabis retailers. On average, participants were 32 years old, and nearly three quarters (72 percent) were mothers. About half (50.6 percent) were either married or “living in a marriage-like relationship,” while the remaining half were single, widowed or divorced.

Participants were asked to complete a baseline survey and then five brief surveys per day for a 14-day period, followed by a final survey on day 15. They were asked “a battery of questions,” the study says, “pertaining to parenting behaviors, stress, cannabis use, alcohol use, and context.” Participants received small financial incentives for filling out the surveys, with a total possible incentive for each participant of $190.

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Nixon Admitted Marijuana Is ‘Not Particularly Dangerous’ In Newly Discovered Recording

Former President Richard Nixon, despite declaring the war on drugs and rejecting a federal commission’s recommendation to decriminalize marijuana, admitted in a newly unearthed recording that he knew cannabis is “not particularly dangerous.”

“Let me say, I know nothing about marijuana,” Nixon said in a March 1973 White House meeting. “I know that it’s not particularly dangerous, in other words, and most of the kids are for legalizing it. But on the other hand, it’s the wrong signal at this time.”

“The penalties should be commensurate with the crime,” Nixon said, arguing that a 30-year sentence in a cannabis case he recently heard about was “ridiculous.”

“I have no problem that there should be an evaluation of penalties on it, and there should not be penalties that, you know, like in Texas that people get 10 years for marijuana. That’s wrong,” the president said.

The comments, first reported by the New York Times, come as the federal government is reconsidering marijuana’s status as a restricted Schedule I drug.

The Department of Health and Human Services, after conducting a review initiated by President Joe Biden, recommended last year that cannabis should be moved to Schedule III. The Department of Justice agreed, publishing a proposed rescheduling rule in the Federal Register in May.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), however, has expressed hesitation about enacting the reform, however, and has scheduled a public hearing on the cannabis rescheduling matter for December 2, after the upcoming presidential election.

Nixon’s admission in the newly revealed tapes that marijuana is “not particularly dangerous” runs in contrast to his image as a drug warrior and undermines his and subsequent administrations’ decisions to classify it in Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act, which is supposed to be reserved for substances with a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical value.

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Illegal Weed Growing Operation Found In House Owned By Oakland Police Officer

A illegal weed growing operation was found – of all places – in a home owned by an Oakland police officer this spring. 

State Department of Cannabis Control officers discovered about $1 million worth of illegal marijuana in a Bay Area neighborhood in Antioch. One of the three raided houses was owned by Oakland Police Officer Samson Liu, 38, who was placed on administrative leave on April 30.

The Oakland Police Department, citing an ongoing investigation, did not disclose the officer’s name, but CNN identified him. Records show Liu bought a 2,800-square-foot house in Antioch in 2020 for $608,000.

The department said it “is aware of the allegations made against one of our members and is cooperating with outside law enforcement agencies on the case”, according to the LA Times.

The LA Times report says that the raid underscores the scale of illegal marijuana operations in California and the involvement of Chinese organized crime since legalization in 2016, according to the cannabis control agency.

Law enforcement described these operations as sophisticated and linked to “Chinese criminal syndicates” but provided no further details due to ongoing investigations. 

A Los Angeles Times investigation recently revealed that contraband pesticide use has spread across California’s cannabis farms, both illegal and licensed, over the past three years.

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People Who Use Marijuana Are Less Likely To Have Severe COVID Infections, Study Shows

A new study shows that cannabis users have lower rates of severe COVID-19 infections and experience fewer serious consequences such as death or lengthy hospital stays when they get the virus.

“Cannabis users had better outcomes and mortality compared with non-users,” says the report, authored by researchers at Northwell Health in New York. “The beneficial effect of cannabis use,” it adds, “may be attributed to its immunomodulatory effects.”

The study, published in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research, looked at data from the National Inpatient Sample Database, which tracks hospital admissions. Patients admitted for a COVID diagnosis were divided into cannabis user and non-user groups, and they were also matched in an effort to account for differences in age, race, gender and other comorbidities.

“On initial analysis, cannabis users had significantly lower rates of severe COVID-19 infection, intubation, ARDS [acute respiratory distress syndrome], acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis with multiorgan failure, mortality, and shorter length of hospital stay,” the paper says. “After 1:1 matching, cannabis use was associated with lower rates of severe COVID-19 infection, intubation, ARDS, acute respiratory failure, severe sepsis with multiorgan failure, mortality, and shorter length of hospital stay.”

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