politics

The most popular debate since prohibition, weed politics explore the trials, tribulations, and success stories of the pot industry.

Driving Stoned Experiment
Uber changed the lives of stoners. As marijuana becomes more accepted as a lifestyle drug, so does driving stoned. The precedent for the driving stoned experiment was set in 1978 by Car and Driver . They staged the Great Carry Nation Memorial Drunk Off, which was an attempt to test objectively the effects of alcohol on driving ability. That test broke new journalistic ground. Real live people familiar to millions of readers, drank real booze, had their blood-alcohol levels checked on a breath tester, and then performed a simple slalom test. The results were dramatic. Not unexpected, but very dramatic, and the original drunk-off story has been one of the most frequently requested articles from the archives of Car and Driver. First forays into the world of scientific research on the subject of driving stoned quickly revealed some problems. The biggest problem would be quantifying the high. In other words, how high is high, and when is a driver there? With booze, a blow into a breath meter and the degree of drunkenness, as determined by law, flashes on an app you can purchase online. The amount of alcohol in the blood is instantly determined. Not so with marijuana. The amount of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the stuff in pot that makes you high, can only be determined by sophisticated blood tests, and even then there is no legal determination of what constitutes a “legally drunk” toker.
By Johnny Hash10 years ago in Potent
Stoner States of America
2016 is brewing up to be one of the most vital years for marijuana reform to date. While many states avidly tried to collect enough signatures to make it to the November 2016 ballot, the following states are the only ones confirmed to vote on marijuana reform this up-coming election. Whether it be for medicinal or recreational use, these stoner states will do whatever it takes to move forward with marijuana reform and will pave the way for America’s future.
By Stoner Girl Diary10 years ago in Potent
President Obama and the First Stoner Family
One of the biggest stories of the past few weeks, apart from the Olympics and Donald Trump, has been the revelation of the Obama children being caught smoking marijuana. In a country where pot smoking is a decisive issue, having a child of the First Family smoking pot can be a serious issue for some. The question is though, is the Obama Family the first to start smoking marijuana in the White House? With pot use something that has been done for decades, isn’t it possible that another presidential family member smoked pot before Obama and his family?
By Parag Patel10 years ago in Potent
Moroccan Hash Culture
In Morocco it's possible to see the Atlantic and the Mediterranean at the same time, even if you haven't sampled the local hash. There are marijuana and hashish smokers in every segment of society. Among the Muslims, for whom alcoholic beverages are forbidden by Islamic law, kings, beggars, and everyone in between, hash is a nice way to end the day. It is part of the fabric of many of these cultures. Hashish or hash, sometimes referred to as kif in northeast areas of Africa like Morocco, is the extract of compressed trichomes of cannabis know as kief. Kief has a much higher concentration of the psychoactive cannabinoid THC. Processing kief is one of the steps in producing hash, and it involves heating through multiple cycles.
By Johnny Hash10 years ago in Potent
Hippie Lifestyle Illusion
You are a hippie. Think about it—what are hippies? People with beards and long hair who enjoy doing drugs, listening to music, and rejecting conventional values. Everyone’s experienced that before, haven’t they? Most of us have experimented with our hairstyle or facial hair and have taken a puff of pot here or there. As for “rejecting conventional values,” that sounds like today’s average young adult at some point or another.
By Ami Roach10 years ago in Potent
Is the War on Drugs Racist?
Legalization of marijuana first found itself as a part of the battle against racism. It should be no surprise that many of America's archaic drug laws have a common root in racism. Today's new generation of drug users are trapped in a sea of drug laws and enforcement bureaucracies which were designed not for medical, religious, or moral reasons, but to harass and persecute America's racial minorities—Asian, Latino and African Americans. Ironically, the oldest of the racist drug practices is tied, not to stopping drug use, but to promoting it.
By Izzy Erlich10 years ago in Potent
My Enemy, My Brother
The Rasta had just finished rolling up a bundle full of spliffs when he heard the sound of horses approaching. It was surely the drug-enforcement agents he had sold his last load of ganja to. They had probably discovered that the sacks the ganja was sorted in had sprung leaks, and all the ganja had fallen out. Many brethren along the way scooped up the herb as it poured out of the defective bags, and the agents were now stuck with no evidence and no money. The Rasta did not run, but confronted them with dignity.
By Aunt Mary10 years ago in Potent
Drug Dealers Anonymous
If you do drugs, then probability is you’ve met at least one drug dealer in the course of your life style. In every town, in every city, in every empty rural region, somebody is slinging something. Of course, these people are demonized by the media, often portrayed as faceless poisoners of the young. In my own experience, they can actually be quite normal, if there really is such a thing, but they aren't that different from you and me. Everyone has a story. Dealers come from all walks of life, lured by the siren call of the hustle.
By A. Walter Cox10 years ago in Potent
Marijuana for Veterans with PTSD
Did you know that over 300,000 veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars have been diagnosed with PTSD by the US Department of Veterans Affairs? And thousands of more have yet to receive recognition. Recently, a movement among US veterans advocating the physical and mental benefits of medical marijuana for PTSD has grown. They want the Department of Veterans Affairs to allow their doctors to recommend and prescribe medical marijuana as a treatment for the disorder in place of prescription drugs. The VA, along with other federal agencies and anti-legalization groups, still don't consider marijuana a solution for veterans suffering with PTSD. So why are veterans asking to use medical marijuana for PTSD? The drug is easing the pain for veterans inside and out.
By Izzy Erlich10 years ago in Potent
Athletes Who Advocate Marijuana
Marijuana use has recently become a hot button topic for politicians and sports players around the world, especially in the US. Whether it is for recreational or medicinal purposes, the use of marijuana has long been frowned upon and banned by sports agencies everywhere. Athletes have always been getting in trouble for its use, but many think that it is both unfair and unwarranted. Sports agencies around the world simply say that marijuana is illegal and bad. Therefore they test for it and penalize anyone who is shown to have used marijuana.
By Ami Roach10 years ago in Potent
Marijuana Banking Business
Banks just say no, while the rest of us say yes. The federal government oversees the banking industry, and the Feds don’t smoke weed (in public, at least). It is apparently safer to let state legal businesses like dispensaries walk around with bags of cash than letting them deposit it in there local Citibank. Yet another hypocritical moral dilemma in the good ol' USA. Unfortunately m it follows the same backwards ideals that you can join the military at 18, put your life at risk, but not being allowed to buy a drink until 21. Same goes for federal laws that restrict the sale of Adult magazines on military bases, but are readily available in the local mall at the Barnes & Noble bookstore. Hypocrisy in our laws is not a new concept, but that doesn't make it any less detrimental.
By Ami Roach10 years ago in Potent
America’s First Legal Pot Smoker
The true story of America’s first legal marijuana smoker was chronicled in 1979 by Michael J. Weiss. For the first time in digital format, here is his report on the first sit down with the Legend, Robert Randall, the first man to legally smoke pot in this country.
By Wendy Weedler10 years ago in Potent