Written by Christopher Meyer | 11:00 am on January 21, 2012

Our culture condones and encourages alcohol consumption socially often to the point of inebriation as a recent Centers for Disease Control study shows. Binge alcohol consumption (more than 5 drinks per occasion) is on the rise with consequences for safety and health.

Compared to alcohol those using marijuana are safer drivers, aren’t prone to violence or risky behavior, and suffer very few negative consequences, yet the double standard of criminalization of cannabis remains.

The CDC has reason to believe that binge drinking has negative health consequences, and can lead to risky sexual behavior, automobile accidents, and physical violence.

In response to these risks the page offers actions governments, communities, and healthcare professionals can take to help reduce binge drinking.

Rather astutely the site recommends recognizing the number of deaths and disease caused by binge drinking, and supporting community strategies to help discourage binge drinking including education campaigns.

Given that many are concerned with potential negative effects of cannabis, any of the above recommendations would be effective in treating the perceived threat of cannabis dependence instead of involving normal citizens in an overburdened penal system.

Why should cannabis be treated differently?

Despite binge drinking among adults being on the rise, teen alcohol and tobacco use is down which pose far greater health and social risks than cannabis.

Parents should be able to educate their children about marijuana in open dialogue without a cloud of taboo hanging over the conversation.

Although millions of Americans go drinking every day to relax, socialize, and even do business, those who use marijuana towards the same ends are treated with suspicion and labeled as criminals.

The study makes clear to state that ‘most people who binge drink are not alcohol dependent or alcoholics’.

Contrast the way cannabis users are perceived and the hypocrisy of our cultural values become clear. Someone who consumes cannabis, even infrequently is labeled as a stoner though they are no different than one of the many American’s who binge drink, but are not considered ‘alcoholics’.

The double standard allowing the real risk of alcohol to be treated with community efforts of education while cannabis users go to jail and violent drug trafficking operations make billions is unconscionable.

This divide is systemic prejudice against a plant known to be a safe medicine, food, and valuable industrial fiber.

Educating people about the safety of cannabis is vital and must begin to outweigh the din of prohibitionist propaganda.

Responsible use is what we should advocate for any drug including alcohol and cannabis. We should work to empower parents to educate their children about appropriate uses of all types of drugs and empower young adults to make good choices when they encounter them.

Binge Drinking Fact Sheet

Written by Christopher Meyer | 6:10 pm on September 6, 2011

It is a cruel irony that the de-prohibition of the cannabis plant used as a medicine could occur before legal hemp production comes to fruition in the United States.

The oldest know human artifact is an 8000 year old piece of hemp cloth found in the Mesopotamia (modern-day Turkey) where western human civilization began.

It suffices to say that the cannabis plant has accompanied humanity throughout our history for its usefulness as a fiber, as a food, and as medicine. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 9:05 am on August 27, 2011

Societally we have an ingrained trust in the medical profession. Prior to the technological era, the doctor was often the most wise, educated, and trustworthy person within the community, relied upon not only for medical treatment, but for advice, counseling, and direction.

Rather unfortunately, the same cannot necessarily be said of today’s doctors who are so intrenched in the health care system dictated by the wiles of insurance companies. This combined with ever present pressure from pharmaceutical and medical technology companies to prescribe and employ their latest and greatest treatments, produces doctors who reflect their environment.
(more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 12:57 pm on August 14, 2011

Consider the recent death of a teenager in jail who was arrested for marijuana possession after being stopped for not having lights while riding his bike at night, and take it as an example of myriad other tales of ruin that have come as a consequence of the war on drugs.

With this in mind, I will be exploring how the marijuana movement is representative of much more than just fighting cannabis prohibition.

This is the first part of a many part series investigating the many facets of this theme. Now, let us explore how the prosecution of cannabis users and producers has played a part in the lives of Americans. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 1:45 pm on April 27, 2011

The following was provided by the Cannabis Therapy Institute:

The news program HDNet World Report has asked CTI to help round up some
volunteers for a study they are doing of how cannabis affects the driving
of medical patients. The study will require volunteers to take a driving
simulation test before and after ingesting or smoking cannabis. The news
show will compare the results of the simulation tests and also interview
patients as to how they believe cannabis affects their driving.

The tests will be done this Thursday or Friday in Denver. The tests and the
interviews will take about 2 hours per person. You must be a medical
marijuana patient with a valid Registry ID card and a valid Drivers License
to participate. The show will provide free transportation and snacks to
test participants. This will not require you to have a blood draw, this is
just a driving simulator test.

If you are interested in helping with this study, please contact the
producer as soon as possible. They are on a tight deadline.

David Pelcyger, Producer
HDNet World Report
Phone: (303) 542-5597
Web: http://www.hd.net/programs/hdnet-world-report/
Email: dpelcyger@hd.net

—
Provided as a Public Service by the:
Cannabis Therapy Institute
P.O. Box 19084, Boulder, CO 80308
Phone: 877-420-4205
Web: www.cannabistherapyinstitute.com
Email: info@cannabistherapyinstitute.com
 

Written by Christopher Meyer | 2:10 pm on April 14, 2011

This is one of the final opportunities for the public to offer comment on the bill. Denver Relief will be there to express our ardent disapproval.

The bill sets a ”per se” limit which means that if someone were to test over the limit, they would have no defense regarding impairment. They would be charged with a DUI equivalent to that of drunk driving without any mitigation for being a medical patient with a higher tolerance to cannabis. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 2:52 pm on April 6, 2011

If you had the opportunity to visit the High Times Cannabis Cup this last weekend, you saw a wide variety of businesses that are participating in the marijuana movement; not just from Denver, but from around the country. The volume of people standing in lines on Saturday was a testament to how many are eager to see marijuana culture up close.

If you are legal Colorado medical marijuana patient, you had the opportunity to visit a restricted area where Colorado medical marijuana centers and vendors of infused products had booths to represent their young businesses.

While I am sure there were many who enjoyed their visit to this room, I had the awful feeling that it wasn’t a very good reflection of what a legitimate and professional industry should look like or sound like (there were at least three competing PA systems). (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 11:06 am on March 24, 2011

HB11-1261, the THC DUI bill has passed through the House of Representatives and now faces several readings in the Senate before being put to a vote.

It is imperative that you contact your representative and let them know that the per se limit should be removed from the bill or the bill should be voted down.

The per se limit would, if charged with DUI for having more than 5ng of THC per ml of blood, would leave the defendant with no defense regarding impairment.

If you are over the limit the law would consider you impaired though many patients have high tolerances due to edibles regimen and could have a blood content level higher than the limit without being impaired.

Cannabis Therapy Institute has provided a spreadsheet to find your representative:

CONTACT YOUR SENATOR HERE
 

Written by Christopher Meyer | 12:51 pm on February 25, 2011

This Westword Latest Word Post states that Wanda James an owner of a local edibles manufacturer, is calling to ban the use of subcritical butane cannabis extracts.

Why, you might ask? Well, she’s afraid, she doesn’t understand the extraction process, and her company would profit from the ban. (more…)

Written by Christopher Meyer | 10:37 am on January 20, 2011

HB1024 will go before congress this year. With it comes discussion of finding a way to determine a legal limit to how medicated a patient may be while driving much the same way that patrol officers calculate blood alcohol levels for drivers who have been drinking. Medical Marijuana and Driving in HB1024

The only question is, how would they do that? If someone has medicated within the last 24 hours significant amounts of THC and other cannabinoids will remain in the blood stream, so even a blood test wont be able to decisively decide whether a patient was over some limit decided to be too “high” to safely drive. (more…)