provide a sentence of death for certain importations of significant quantities of controlled substances

including marijuana.

Gingrich–who had smoked pot while a grad student in the 1960s, and had advocated medical marijuana in 1982 explained his shift in position in 1995, stating:

See, when I smoked pot it was illegal, but not immoral. Now, it is illegal AND immoral. The law didn’t change, only the morality… That’s why you get to go to jail and I don’t.

He again emphasized his firm stance on weed in 1996:

If you import a commercial quantity of illegal drugs… it is because you have made the personal decision that you are prepared to get rich by destroying our children. I have made the decision that I love our children enough that we will kill you if you do this.

Oh heck, Newt Gingrich’s policy on pot could be simply, well job creation. You know, making America strong by buying American. But no such luck, as this video shows.

Willie Nelson’s Teapot Party was formed last November after the singer was arrested for pot possession. The goal of the party is support candidates who think the way the Teappotters to do. Which pretty much means legalizing marijuana.

Just three days ago Willie Nelson endorsed former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson as the GOP nominee; Johnson admits to smoking pot and is pro-legalization. Heck Johnson even attended a bunch of pro- hemp and pot rallies across the country! Non of this “I never inhaled,” namby-pambyism from him.

Nelson now says

I think I will wait and see where he [Johnson] stands on other things. My bad. Sorry. I still think he is a good guy but so is Dennis and if he decided to run I would personally vote for him. If it came down to either him or Gary I’m already committed to Dennis. They both have said they support legal pot…This will blow over and the world moves on. No harm done. We sound like a bunch of pot smokers, that’s all…The more I get into politics the more I realize that I am a guitar player.

The presidential election is more than just a one-issue race. And while the Teapot Party might want to take a page from corporations by backing a candidate form each party, in the end endorsing a candidate is a serious business which requires more than just a a bong’s worth of thought.

[HT: Celeb Stoner]

Connecticut is showing tremendous support for medical marijuana and decriminalization.  And why not? Pot is good for the American economy and for the American worker!

Border Patrol agents stopped a tour bus carrying Willie Nelson and band members at a checkpoint in Sierra Blanca, Texas, 100 miles from the Mexico border, smelled weed, called the K-9s and found six ounces of wackybaccy on the bus. Nelson posted a $2,500 bond and was released four hours later.

The singer now faces 180 days in jail and $10,00 fine. Local county sheriff says he’d like to have Nelson cook and clean and maybe wear one of theose stripey outfits.

Rolling Stone reports

The arrest doesn’t sit well with Texas attorney Dick DeGuerin, a criminal defense lawyer who recently represented Tom Delay and country singer Billy Joe Shaver, and was lawyer to David Koresh during the 1993 FBI siege of the Branch Davidian ranch outside Waco, Texas. DeGuerin questions the lawfulness of the search, which he says occurred 100 miles from the Mexican border. “It needs to be contested,” he says.

“It’s supposed to be a checkpoint only for aliens, and [agents] overstep their authority all the time,” he says. “I’ve had several cases from that checkpoint and they just use the opportunity to check out anybody they want to. If you have long hair, if you’re driving a van or it looks like you’re from California or you look like a hippie, they do profiling.”

Nelson said in an email to CelebStoner.com:

There’s the Tea Party. How about the Teapot Party? Our motto: We lean a little to the left. Tax it, regulate it and legalize it. And stop the border wars over drugs. Why should the drug lords make all the money? Thousands of lives will be saved.

This is Nelson’s third arrest for pot. I hope he doesn’t pull a celebrity rehab redemption…Nah. Check out the stoners in this video.

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.

It’s 10/22. Do you know where your POTUS is? Today in Los Angeles the 110, 101, 2, 5, and 134 freeways  will be affected impacted by Obama appearing at USC and then taking a cruise to Glendale to tape an interview with radio personality Piolin on a Spanish-language station. Question of the day–will the President try  Glendale’s local delicacy Zankou Chicken, made famous by its Faulkern-esque family murder-suicides and redolent garlic sauce?  The rain and mist might make it non-viable for Obama to take a helicopter like Cardinal Roger Mahony used back when he had a bishop-prick to attend to, so expect freeway and street closures.

There’s also a big rally downtown outside at Pershing Square with the October 22 Coalition marching as part of a National Day of Protest

to Stop Police Brutality, Repression and the Criminalization of a Generation

which will have observers from the National Lawyers Guild present. In Los Angeles during a September marches expressing outrage at the shooting of Guatemalan day laborer Manuel Jamines (Jamines Xum) by the LAPD, four protesters were arrested–two of whom were turned over ICE–and three officers injured by rocks and bottles thrown by demonstrators.

Considering marijuana prohibition’s affect on

the criminalization of a generation,

and POTUS’ stance on pot, expect some pro-Prop 19 groups  at both events.

Thursday Prop 19 got endorsements from Danny Glover, Melissa Etheridge and Hal Sparks joined by LAPD Deputy Chief Steve Downing, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson and activist Sarah Lovering at a news conference to show support for Prop 19 which would legalize marijuana possession for those over 21.

Currently marijuana use for 18 and older is decriminalized, and medical marijuana use is legal statewide.

If Prop 19 passes, the Feds have said they will crack down on pot in CA, making for an interesting series of legal challenges and states’ rights arguments.

Melissa Etheridge said that she had used pot to help nausea during her breast cancer chemo and says she favors legalization and while she uses marijuana medicinally she said

I don’t want to look like a criminal to my children anymore. I want them to know this is a choice that you make as a responsible adult.

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.

So now everyone who wishes to vote in California has registered, the legislative analyses have been mailed out and it’s time to get down to srs bsns.

Californians, it is really important to vote in this election. So fill out your mail-in ballot and leave it for the postperson if you think you can’t manage to get to the polls (gods know I am fairly langurous and prefer the simple stamp to actually leaving the house.)  There are some important races on the ballot, and if you don’t vote, you really need need to STFU about how things are being run.

Okay, along with the gubernatorial and senate races, there’s Prop 19 which should be enough to get you to the polls, ye slackers, stoners, and sybarites!  Politics make strange and sometimes hot bedfellows: There are non-smokers who are yes supporters;  wake’n'bakers who are no;  medical/215 clients and casual users who have divergent views yea vs nay; and people who are still trying to figure out what “space” with regards to a minor means–and if  passing out pot brownies at a party constitutes “personal use.”

Whether or not you are voting for legalizing pot because you are appalled at the way the war on drugs is being run and want the state to have some cash; or against it because of the patchwork of jurisdictional laws and  potential environment impact of acres of indoor growing  on non-renewable resources, figure out what works for you and go vote.

If Prop 19, which is ahead in the polls passes, United States Attorney General Eric Holder is gonna crack down in Cali. Hopefully medical won’t be impacted. I hear the cry across the land

Oh noes I’m a on list!

Prop 19 will feel the effect of whoever is elected as State Attorney General, a post now held by gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown.

Well,  Los Angeles District Attorney Steve Cooley who is running as the Republican candidate is really opposed to CA’s 215 medical marijuana business, and even more so to Prop 19. Earlier this month, he told an audience at a UC Davis debate: