Rest in peace, Captain. The rest of you, go vote!

November 2, y’all better be at the polls. There’s plenty on the ballots, whatever states you live in. AZ, CA, OR and SD have pot issues. And then there’s a whole other type of tea party to vote against!

If I can haul myself out out of my vale of tears and wrap my swollen eyes in Jackie O shades to stagger to the polls, those of you who haven’t done your mail in ballots can certainly do the same!

VOTE!

Smoking pot is the quickest way to get high and really the best way to regulate your dosage of medical marijuana (MMJ). But you’re smoking and that sucks, especially if  you are trying to keep your immune system happy. Vaporizing is an option though you have to haul the device around with you and well, you’re still kind of assaulting your lungs.

God bless you, Alice B. Toklas for your legendary brownies and to all the other innovators of cannabis cookery. Check in on Sunday when I share a couple recipes for medical marijuana foods. Granted, it can be a little challenging to know exactly a proper dose of mota munchie; and a stomach high is different from the head high. Edibles are a good way to use leaves and “larfy” buds that might not be up to dispensary standards in the 14 states which allow medical marijuana.

When I was at HempCon I came across Pineapple Express from Kushtown Sodas and now a Colorado company has just launched Dixie Elixirs, a cannabis laced soda pop in eight flavors including rootbeer, pink lemonade and grape. Dixie is only available in Colorado, where it’s made from sativa marijuana. The company claims

Dixie Elixirs refreshing carbonated beverage provides an organic alternative for patients seeking a refreshing but equally potent alternative to smoke and tinctures, or carb and calorie loaded edibles…

Carbonation delivers relief faster

Easy to enjoy with discretion

Consistently delicious, reliably potent

Relieves a wide range of symptoms

Use alone or to increase and enhance other MMJ medication

Discreet? With that big pot leaf on the recyclable bottle?

Most likely the cannabinoids are extracted with glycerin, a method I have used to make other herbal extracts for people who avoid alcohol. The reviews of Kushtown haven’t been great: At $12 a bottle, consumers claim doesn’t produce much of a buzz. No one mentioned if the soda alleviated their symptoms, though if their symptom was “not being buzzed”  then the soda was def fail!  We’ll see what Colorado connoisseurs have to say about Dixie Elixirs.

Soda as medicine is nothing new: Coca-Cola once famously contained coca leaf extract,producing a cocaine-like lift for consumers.  7-Up, with a nice dose of lithium citrate–an old school treatment for bipolar mood disorder back when it was called manic depression–was originally marketed as Bib-Label Lithiated Lemon-Lime Soda.

We have mid-term elections coming up Tuesday November 2, and they are pretty important, so important that POTUS Obama is appearing on the Daily Show on Wednesday October 27 to remind people to go to the polls and  vote in case they didn’t do their mail-in ballots. Please vote. It’s really sexy to know someone cares about their city, county, state and country enough to make that effort. Use your voice, mark your ballot!

Obama appeared on the Daily Show during the presidential campaign and he is pretty amusing. Daily Show host John Stewart will be Washington DC prepping for the Rally to Restore Sanity on October 30 which he’s co-hosting with fellow Comedy Central pundit Stephen Colbert at the Washington Mall. Sounds super fun!

This year’s mid-terms are important–well, golly every election is important, but anyway–because the balance in Congress could tip, with the Democratic party standing to loose seats. Which could suck if you’re a liberal/progressive. And might suck if you’re Fox News, because then what would you have to complain about?

Along with Congressional races there are four states which have marijuana on the ballot: California for Prop 19 legalization; Oregon with Measure 74 to regulate the sale and distribution of medical marijuana;  and medical marijuana initiatives in Arizona (Prop 203) and South Dakota (initiated measure 13).  Pot is a big draw in the Oregon elections, and could be a defining moment in these four states’–and our nation’s–history.

Even if you don’t live in those states, please vote. Michele Bachmann is bonkers, and as amusing as it to watch her meltdowns, like would you want her in Congress?  Christine O’Donnell gives witches a bad name, and doesn’t do much for any other group with whom she is affiliated. Heck, even Karl Rove doesn’t like her.

And governorships! Those are super important! Vote! And maybe set your betamax  to catch the Prez next Wednesday night.