Marijuana Blog

Miami Beach voters became the first in Florida to call for the decriminalization of marijuana for medical use in a Tuesday vote that gives a glimpse of statewide support for the issue.

 

The 64-36 percent approval jibed with state and national polls that show medical-marijuana support approaching 60 percent or more.

 

The non-binding straw poll — calling on the city to ask the state and federal governments to allow medical cannabis — was so popular that it garnered about 1,000 more votes than the leading candidate for mayor, Philip Levine.

 

The group People United for Medical Marijuana, which is backing a proposed constitutional amendment to make Florida the 20th pot-decriminalization state, hopes Tuesday’s Miami Beach vote reflects state sentiment.

 

“It speaks pretty positively to our chances next November,” said Benjamin Pollara, treasurer of the Orlando-based group.

 

“This was a very low turnout election in Miami Beach,” he said, “it’s a relatively old electorate, and yet it still got close to 65 percent of the vote.”

 

Read more: http://www.bradenton.com

Marijuana has been giving alcohol a bad name. So contend booze lobbyists, who are getting sick of an ad campaign that makes the claim that pot is safer than their beloved beverages.

 

"We're not against legalization of marijuana, we just don't want to be vilified in the process," said one alcohol industry representative who didn't want to be quoted harshing his colleagues mellow. "We don't want alcohol to be thrown under the bus, and we're going to fight to defend our industry when we are demonized."

 

The marijuana industry has had a good couple of years: a recent poll found that 58 percent of the country thinks the product should be legal, recreational use has been legalized in two states already, and this past election saw the city of Portland, Maine, legalize 2.5 ounces of pot. Ahead of the vote in Portland—which received 70 percent support—the Marijuana Policy Project put up signs around the city with messages like "I prefer marijuana over alcohol because it doesn't make me rowdy or reckless," and "I prefer marijuana over alcohol because it's less harmful to my body."

 

Alcohol lobbyists believe it's a "red herring" to compare the two. "We believe it's misleading to compare marijuana to beer," said Chris Thorne of the Beer Institute. "Beer is distinctly different both as a product and an industry."

 

 

Thorne notes that the alcohol industry is regulated, studied extensively, and perhaps more importantly already an accepted part of the culture.

 

"Factually speaking beer has been a welcome part of American life for a long time," he said. "The vast majority drink responsibly, so having caricatures won't really influence people."

 

But MPP takes issue with the idea they are painting a false picture. In a recent Op-Ed for CNN, Dan Riffle, the group's director of federal policies, notes that according to the Centers for Disease Control excessive alcohol use is the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death. Booze also "plays a role in a third of all emergency room visits," he says.

 

And as to whether it's fair to compare the two substances?

 

"That's like saying we shouldn't talk about relative harms of sushi to fried chicken," said Mason Tvert, who in addition to working at MPP wrote a book called Marijuana is Safer: So Why are We Driving People to Drink? "It's important that people know the relative harms of all substances, so there's no reason not to talk about the two most popular substances in the world."

 

Tvert says he could "appreciate their concerns if we were exaggerating or making anything up, but we aren't. We are simply pointing out the facts."

 

Perhaps there's a need for a booze and weed summit. Tagline: shots taken, not fired.

 

Read more: http://www.nationaljournal.com

Cannabis is usually linked strongly with people who have depression issues. This isn't because the cannabis is causing the anxiety, but instead from the outward factors surrounding the individuals. It is true that regular to heavy marijuana smokers are more commonly diagnosed with this disorder but it is not because they're smoking... They're smoking because they're depressed.

 

Depression causes a person to feel extremely isolated and alone. The individual begins to draw inward, loosing friends and family in the process. A lot of people these days suffer from depression. The stress of every day life is hard on a lot of people and it can really take a toll on someone's mental psyche. With marijuana acting as almost a wall against those negative feelings, people who suffer from depression are more apt to smoke heavily. Marijuana begins to offer the most calming escape from the emptiness that people suffer from.

 

The relationship between depression and marijuana is a strange one. There's no concrete evidence that says marijuana causes depression but there are some strains designed to treat it. While some users express a relief from their symptoms, there are others who say that their symptoms get worse. It seems to depend on the user and the strain that's being smoked. The reason for the heavy marijuana use by those who suffer from depression seems to be that the effects of the marijuana only last so long against the ever pressing annoyance of the illness.

 

When someone is constantly using marijuana and the factors surrounding them continue to be negative, the person will begin to lose their positive energy. If there aren't enough positive things in the person's life, their symptoms will continue to get worse. Smoking cannabis seems to help relieve the symptoms, if only for a short while. The more negative factors, the more a person will smoke.

 

More studies need to be done on the correlation of marijuana and depression. If it's not safe for those with depression, then those people should be aware. Depression can get very serious, leading to hospitalization and death. It's important to discover what's going on between these two. If you're one of these people, remember that it's good to get your feelings out in some way other than smoking. While marijuana may make you feel better temporarily, getting out and doing things will make you feel better. Exercise and social activities will help you to feel better. Smoking alone constantly will only add to the negative vibes that you're giving off.