United States of Anthony

Ogden Police Messed Up, Nothing New

2012-01-11T06:48:00.004-05:00

I've been loosely keeping track of the home invasion by the Ogden, Utah police which resulted in the death of one of their own officers, Jared Francom, as well as 5 more officers wounded. The victim of this home invasion was Matthew Stewart, a veteran of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He was also injured in the home invasion.

And now, the DA is seeking the death penalty for a man who was simply protecting his home.

My big problem with this whole issue is that the police aren't taking any responsibility for their actions. The prosecutors and judges are ensuring that the police aren't held responsible for their actions either by charging the victim with murder. They're hiding behind the rule of law and procedure instead of admitting they messed up by purposely creating a "war zone" situation where none existed.

First of all, let's take a step back. Why did the Ogden police invade this man's home? There was suspicion that he was growing marijuana. The police got a search warrant. They went to conduct a search.

So, why did this turn into a war zone? How did a simple search warrant turn into a veteran of two wars firing on police officers?

It's because the Ogden police, like many other police departments, decided to raid this man's home. But, they didn't want to raid his home while he was at work. They didn't want to raid his home while he was out shopping for groceries. They wanted to raid his home while he was IN his home. They wanted to make sure this guy was at home.

Unfortunately for the overzealous wannabe-military Ogden police, Stewart was a real military person with post traumatic stress disorder. You don't get PTSD from sitting behind a desk for a few years. You get it from being involved in some things, like war. You get it from being traumatized and stressed so hard that it becomes a mental disorder.

So, how did the Ogden police mess up?

They forgot they they're a pansy civilian police department. In doing so, they made of the fatal mistake of deciding to bring war to a man who's not mentally out of a war zone yet and THEY GOT THEIR ASSES HANDED TO THEM. It's not the first time and it won't be the last. As more of our troops come home, they've seen and done things that aren't easily forgotten. Many of them will have PTSD; many of them will be medicating with marijuana; and many of them will be growing at home.

How could the Ogden police have carried out this search warrant in a smarter way?

One, they could have no tried to bring a war zone to a man who's not quite out of the war yet. You do that by conducting your search warrant while he's NOT at home. That, alone, just might have avoided any and all confrontation.

Two, they could have lied to him to get him to come back home if they needed him there. That's been done before.

Three, they could have maintained a perimeter (in case of escape), and just waited for him to answer the door and spoke to him.

Four, they could have asked his parents for help.

But see, none of these things are on the menu for most police departments. Some alternative ideas to raiding a man's home while he's home might not be the smartest or the best. It's definitely not as much fun as creating a war zone. But then, Jared Francom might be alive today.

Hindsight is 20/20. But, with as many botched raids as have been conducted by various police departments over the years, I have to seriously wonder why law enforcement doesn't have any kind of foresight, whatsoever. How stupid are you to create a war zone for no apparent reason especially when there are other options available?

And because of typical police stupidity, one man is dead, others are injured, and now the state of Utah wants to murder an innocent man for protecting himself against a home invasion. Or do they? Let's see what jury of his peers has to say. If I was on that jury, I'd vote "not guilty". If Utah wanted to bring suit against the Ogden police for reckless endangerment and negligent homicide, that's an easy "guilty" for me.

It's so sad that any of this has to happen over a marijuana plant. It's clear that this ramping up of state sanctioned violence against peaceful citizens is a sign that this war on drugs is coming to a close. It's that final ditch effort by law enforcement to maintain a strangle hold of control. What they don't understand is that it's acts like these that help people make the decision to legalize, outright or for medical purposes.

I wish Matthew Stewart the best of luck.

Opinion: Marijuana Use is Not on the Rise

2011-09-08T17:48:00.000-04:00

I just peeped a little tidbit about marijuana use on the rise...

"Overall, 8.9 percent of the U.S. population or 22.6 million Americans aged 12 and older used illicit drugs in 2010, up from 8.7 percent in 2009 and 8 percent in 2008, according to the survey by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.... Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy in the United States, said increases are especially prominent in states in which medical marijuana use is legal. [LINK]"

Well, it would seem that marijuana use is on the rise acoording to statistics. But, is it the rise in use or the rise in people willing to admit that they're users? See, my thinking is, because the rise is mainly in medical marijuana states, these people are people who feel comfortable admitting to using marijuana as some states' laws provide a safety net against the detrimental effects of marijuana - arrest records and employment termination.

So, is it that marijuana use is up or the amount of people willing to admit they use is on the rise?

On another note, I'd like to point out an important fact. According to Harry Anslinger, in 1936, "There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the U.S...." I won't bother you with the rest of that quote. Look it up for yourself to see the true reason why marijuana was criminalized in the Untied States. The US population in 1936 was about 128,000,000 people; that's 0.08% of the population. In 2010, 22,600,000 marijuana smokers have revealed themselves; that's 7.5% of the US population, up 22,600% since 1936. And, these are just the people that admit to using marijuana.

So, yes, marijuana use is definitely up, on the rise, skyrocketing, if you will. But, there are still so many people who have not admitted to using marijuana, understandably. Personally, I think at least 25% of this nation smokes marijuana regularly whether it be daily, weekly, or monthly.

So, prepare for that explosion in marijuana use when it's legalized. Most "new" users will be full of longtime tokers and ex-smokers. Then, you'll have a bunch of truly new users finally jumping on board to try it out. I would love to see the numbers then.

The War on Drugs is Very Winnable

2011-06-15T08:30:00.000-04:00

Why do people suggest the War on Drugs is unwinnable?

Law enforcement, in a good year, may seize 5% of the total marijuana this nation imports. Hundreds of thousands of people are arrested each year for minor possession of marijuana. Homes are invaded on a regular basis. Families are torn apart. People have lost their lives. Billions in taxpayer funds are slotted for this campaign against marijuana use

Yet, finding marijuana is actually a rare concern for many people in the US. Billions are spent yearly for a paltry 5%. People arrested have become nothing more than mild-mannered, non-threatening, financial burdens on society. How many innocent people have been harmed by raids on the wrong home or just misinformation.

If someone is to win this War on Drugs, then who would be winning if it's pretty obvious that law enforcement has been losing?

Sounds like WE are winning the War on Drugs and we haven't used fear or murder as a tactic to do it. We use our brains. They shut down airports, we drive it in. They shut down roadways, we burrow it in. They collapse tunnels, we swim it in. They catch our boats on the water, we go under water. All the while they're losing the border war, we're growing it on window sills, in pc cases, mobile closets, basements, attics, whole homes, freight bins, underground bunkers, etc etc etc.

The war on drugs is very winnable. We just don't see that we - growers, tokers, and advocates - are the ones winning it.

Let's stop looking at it from the point of view of law enforcement. That's been the problem with this nation so far. We're too individually annoyed at law enforcement's ankle biting to recognize how far marijuana has come. We are way bigger than them. That's why they've been losing.

You can't beat a plant that can grow anywhere!!

Imagine that in 1937, marijuana was essentially criminalized. It was near impossible to get and not widely spread. They've set up laws, set up agencies, institutionalized and terrorized generations of Americans for some 75 years. And 75 years later, you'd be hard pressed to find a person who hasn't come into contact with marijuana or someone who uses it.

Is the War on Drugs winnable? Absolutely. Just look at the record!!

They may never cave in or give up. Marijuana might not be legalized for a long time. But, this war will end some day. It will not end with the eradication of marijuana. Marijuana will be legalized. History is on our side.

I love when Above the Influence people say "Studies show..."

2011-03-24T14:23:00.004-04:00

I was recently looking at abovetheinfluence.com just for giggles sake because I was really looking for those hilarious "truth" ads. I like the one where there's 4 young black men in a car, 3 of them are wasted and the driver is ragging on them while talking about how many great things he's going to do because he's not using marijuana. It's my favorite because I find the driver to be quite pathetic in the sense that he can't find better friends to hang out with. They went to a party, had a great time, and he's sitting there bored like a jackass.

Then the other commercial that gets me is the one where the girl is sitting on the couch, literally deflated. Somehow, marijuana did that to her. Her friend is ragging on her as well. We go back to the same issue... WHY ARE YOU SO FUCKING LAME THAT YOU CAN'T FIND BETTER FRIENDS?

I think, the people behind those ads are a bunch of dumb asses. That I could easily develop better anti-drug PSAs while high really shows the level of their stupidity. Perhaps, what it really shows is just how much they're lying about marijuana use.

What makes matters worse is that they're not only dumb asses but they're damned liars as well.

Just looking over the website, I get to the Q&A and it's filled with falsehoods and general misinformation. But, the kicker for me has to be the claims they make regarding these scientific studies. And, I am the kind of guy who respects a good scientific study, of course. There are thousands of studies on marijuana and its individual compounds all around the world. The problem that I find is that the folks behind Above the Influence have yet to produce a study that backs up any of their claims.

Now, you can go through my blog and see me make tons of claims. The difference between the claims that we make is that, I can actually back up the shit that I speak on. For example, folks at Above the Influence say that marijuana causes learning disabilities and a number of other issues. They always say "studies show...."

Well, you're the government sponsored website.. where are the studies that prove what you say?

They don't exist. I'll tell you specifically why they don't exist. That claim is backed up by a study. And, that study, the Tulane/Heath study specifically, has been debunked and rebuked. The goal of the GOVERNMENT sponsored study was to show marijuana killed brain cells. And, they sure as hell proved that marijuana killed brain cells.

But, and here's the kicker, they did NOT release the actual study for review by other scientists and researchers for, what I believe was 3 years. In that time period, the government ran with that information. They told the world that marijuana killed brain cells, causes learning problems, etc etc etc. However, when the methodology was released........... STOP THE PRESSES.. THEY DID WHAT TO THOSE MONKEYS?

The study was supposed to last approximately one year. Monkeys were to smoke marijuana joints daily. They'd get tested before and after the trial was over to see differences in learning.

Mind you, they were SUPPOSED to do all that. What did they really do?

These lying bastards hooked the monkeys up to gas masks and basically smoked the monkeys out in 3 months with the amount of marijuana that was supposed to be used in one year. In doing so, they suffocated the monkeys, depriving their brains of oxygen. The marijuana didn't kill brain cells. Asphyxiation through smoke inhalation killed brain cells.

So, I wonder, when the folks at Above the Influence say, "studies show...", is this the study that they're saying shows whatever it is they're trying to get you to believe? Who knows? The bastards NEVER point to any studies. Where are the independent doctors, scientists, and researchers who actually conduct the studies that prove the bullshit? Dr. Fog? Is that all you have over there at the ONDCP?? A fucking mascot in a white coat?

Remember, there are thousands of studies around the world. But, do yourself a favor and look that shit up for YOURSELF. These "above the influence" websites are run by undereducated mothers who are scared to let their children eat candy more than once a week. They don't do the research and they come up with these incredibly DUMB ASS ads that are, at best, ineffective and laughable.

The ONDCP should give me the money to come up with those ads. Sure, I'll lie for you, for the money. But, I'll want twice what you're paying the idiots who run the current ads right now. It's not because I'm lying or going against some moral obligation... BAHUMBUG. It's because I am that damn good. Of course, I'll smoke a blunt before I get to work. But, you'll definitely get some quality advertising with some intelligent thought behind it AND it will actually be effective and not the joke of America.

I don't want to smoke anymore...

2011-03-13T22:16:00.005-04:00

Mind you, I type this with a half-burned joint between my lips which I will relight as soon as I find my lighter....

I have just had the most smoked out weekend I've ever had in my life. Absolutely, the most smoked out weekend.

So, I went down south with some friends. And, we're keeping actual identifying details to a minimum here, of course. Anyway, it was two days of good friends and good bud. There was some other kinds of bud there but nothing was better than what I 'had brung' from up north, that OG Kush to be exact.

I know most of my readers are bong smokers but we roll blunts around here. So, get your cringing out now if you're inclined to do so. I do understand but it's a way of life up here.

We smoked all the time. The only time we weren't smoking is when we were asleep. There was always a blunt in rotation.

I actually got tired of smoking marijuana. So, I need to take a break... 30 days! My tolerance was already way too high and I definitely need to give my lungs a rest anyway. And, they say marijuana is addictive.. what a joke!

Special thanks to...
...my friends
...my connect here in NYC
...the smoking suites at Comfort Inn and Econolodge in NC
...the cop who smelled the car, knew what we were doing, and let us go free in... VIRGINIA.
...Republicans for defunding government services such that there aren't any police on the street and they aren't educated enough to know where to look even if they were on the street

Damn.. haven't blogged since August..

2011-01-04T13:01:00.004-05:00

Don't worry, I wasn't arrested or anything... as if that would happen to me!! I'm so careful, I'm reckless with it. Does that make sense? Eh.. whatever.. quote me on it.

The reason I haven't posted since August is because I lost faith in this movement. Although, a lot of progress was made, I look on it with a pessimistic eye; I'm just waiting for the hammer to drop. The reason is because of these politicians. Marijuana laws should never be this complex. It shouldn't take countless moratoriums and years to implement medical marijuana programs. It proves to me that there are simply too many people in the way of progress.

The problem is that the goals of medical marijuana are not difficult to implement. However, the politicians have made the laws so complex that they've become difficult to implement. In doing so, the little county politicians can play this little game of "wait til you die". On top of that, you've got the feds breathing down the necks of everyone, legal and illegal. Obama is worthless to the movement as he is worthless to a lot of other movements as well. Conservatives paying heavy lip service and Democrats not doing much different.

BLAH BLAH BLAH

The point is, this shit stinks! I don't like shit so I stay away from it. So, all I am going to say is that I, as a grower, will continue to keep things quiet on the home front. When I want marijuana, I call the dealer. Fortunately, I don't live in a medical marijuana state so I don't have to be bothered with that confusion. Beyond that, I am quite healthy so chances are I'd be stuck in the same boat anyway. In any case, don't waste time going to the doctor, entering your information into some govt database in the form of a card, and then going to some dispensary where Holder and Leonhart are sitting in an unmarked car snapping pictures of you.

Go back to the days when you could call up the dealer, get it delivered or just go meet up. I know some folks have trouble finding quality dealers too. That's when you put seeds in the ground. Go learn how to grow your own. It ain't hard to do. Remember, I've had a number of successful grows (so I say) and I'm the same guy who watched a bamboo plant wither at his hand. If I can do it, so can you!!!

But, I'm back... if only for a little while.... keep smoking folks!! I know I will!!

And, I'll be looking forward to either updating or moving this site. I don't know just yet!

Did the Brooklyn US attorney lie, use children to demonize marijuana growers?

2010-08-24T16:20:00.000-04:00

A friend of mine pointed me to an article in the New York Daily News about a firefighter who was caught growing marijuana [link]. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love reading these stories because you can see where the person messed up. You can try to avoid those kinds of mistakes. In this case, it was an anonymous tip! You can't always tell with these kinds of tips. However, if police didn't pull off a raid and picked the guy up while he was there, they had to have been tipped off by someone who know about it personally. In other words, he broke rule #1 of marijuana growing, don't tell anyone! Even I'll go down by that one some day. But, what can human beings do but be human and trust their friends.

But, that's not really worthy of a whole blog post from me. What is worthy of discussion are the comments by Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Soumya Dayananda.
Patrick Murray was not only running an illegal drug operation, but he was also endangering three young kids living above the drug den, exposing them to harmful fumes from powerful chemical fertilizers and carbon dioxide gas, said Assistant Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Soumya Dayananda.
This is what we need to expose more - these government officials who use children and their position of authority to lie and demonize other marijuana growers. They create this air of danger around marijuana growing to discourage others from trying to grow. The more I expose these intentions the better others can judge for themselves the future of marijuana in the United States.

So, what's so bad about her comments? What do I, a marijuana grower, see that mainstream America may not see?

First of all, let's discuss these harmful chemical fertilizers. A typical chemical fertilizer, or PLANT FOOD, used in marijuana growing is General Hydroponics Flora Series. Go ahead and check it out. It's the stuff I use.
Is it dangerous? NO!
Is it harmful? NO!
Does it even give off any fumes? I can put my nose right in the bottle and I wouldn't smell a thing.. NO!

So what's in these chemical fertilizers? Look, I have a bottle right here of some GH FloraGro from the Flora series. 9% of the chemical includes nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, and magnesium in salt form diluted in 91% water. How dangerous is it? Well, it's all the things you'd find a plant using for photosynthesis. I wouldn't drink the stuff straight. It's plant food and I'm more into steak and potatoes. Sorry PETA!

And, there are other brands of chemical fertilizers including MiracleGro, Advanced Nutrients, Botanicare, B.C. Hydroponic Nutrients, Dutch Master and many more! Just look for the N-P-K to see all the ingredients of these "child endangering" plant food formulas.

I hope that wraps up the mystery of the dangerous chemical fertilizer fumes. Where's Scooby Doo? I have a snack for him.

Wait.. there could have been fumes from some place else? Right?

It's possible that the fume claim isn't a complete lie but I highly doubt those fumes came from that grow operation. The clue here is the use of Carbon Dioxide. How are the children in danger from carbon dioxide use in marijuana growing? Well, they aren't but here's EXACTLY why that IS the case. Carbon dioxide is odorless and it's heavier than air. You wouldn't smell it and even if it were in use in the basement, it wouldn't have risen upward.

But, that's not the reason why I believe fumes did NOT come from that grow operation.

See, to use carbon dioxide in marijuana growing, you have to maintain the levels, measured in parts per million or PPMs. Normal CO2 levels in the air is around 300 to 500 PPMs which has always been good enough for growing plants. You'd need 1200-1500 PPMs in a grow room to be effective. Anything over 2000 PPMs has a negative effect.

To maintain these levels, you need an airtight, self contained marijuana grow room because CO2, being a gas, has a funny way of slipping through cracks really fast. Providing CO2 for 100 plants is expensive. I very much doubt that someone who would go through the trouble of setting up 100 plants and providing CO2 for all of these plants didn't think about sealing the room as tightly as possible.

You want more proof that the "fume danger" is a lie.. here it comes.

Marijuana stinks (in a good way). Growing marijuana stinks. Any marijuana grower worth his salt knows that marijuana is very fragrant (much better word). Even if you're new, you'll find out quickly that it is a definite giveaway. So, as a grower, you'd want to mask the scent or, what we learn to do, clean the air. Even in a sealed room, you have to get in and get out. You don't want that smell to get out. 100 plants gives off a lot of scent.

If Patrick Murray invested in CO2, he definitely invested in odor control FIRST. CO2 is the LAST thing you should consider when running a grow room. It's expensive and most growers consider it unnecessary. It isn't worth it! So, it would be outrageous to believe that this guy didn't invest in odor control?

So, WHERE IS THE DANGER TO CHILDREN?

These children were in NO danger at all! Those chemical fertilizers are possibly concentrated, not powerful. If it were concentrated, it would be pure salts, just add water (like Kool Aid for plants). Remember, it's plant food, not terrorist bomb making materials. Patrick Murray is not Timothy McVeigh or Osama bin Laden! He's just a marijuana grower who also happens to be a firefighter.

The greatest threat to the people of this nation doesn't come from marijuana growers. It comes from our own government officials who lie to the American people - "Weapons of Mass Destruction" is no different from the boogeyman which is no different than Patrick Murray, the child endangering marijuana grower. None of it exists.

Attorney Soumya Dayananda will have her day in court to prove the child endangerment story she told reporter, John Marzulli. But, if she's a smart attorney, she'll stay away from those charges and stick to what she knows she can win. However, the damage from her lying has already been done. Countless people will see that article and further demonize marijuana growers. They won't do the research. They won't ask the important questions. They won't get the truth. From now on, marijuana growers will be seen as dangerous because of her Republican-like fear-mongering comments. The worst thing Soumya Dayananda could have done to the people of New York City was make them fear nothing.

We have to be above THAT influence.

I look forward to keeping up with this case. I'll put up any updates I find. If I'm wrong about this child endangerment, I'll admit it here first because it's something we marijuana growers should keep in mind for today and future. We're not criminals or dangerous. I don't know any marijuana growers that want to hurt children.

Boondocks: Mr. Medicinal..

2010-07-19T10:30:00.001-04:00

Y'all know I love marijuana right?

Yeah, y'all know that.

Y'all know I am not just some pothead either, right?

Yup, I'm sure y'all know that.

I went from schwag smoke to growin some fine ass Princess Diesel [video]. When it comes to marijuana, I could probably run Oaksterdam. They should make me the dean or something.

Anyway, enough self-aggrandizing. I wanted to pay homage to this last Boondocks episode, Mr. Medicinal.

Let me get my beef out of the way first.

They should have put me in it. Instead, they put some ol' regular stuck up dude in there. They could have had the super laid back, chubby Black Buddha type such as myself. With my mellow flow and superior knowledge, I would have made the perfect Boondocks character to cultivate and distribute high quality marijuana in Woodcrest.

Anyway, without spoiling it too much for others who haven't seen it, I loved the way the episode went down. It pretty much covered all the bases - first time introduction to weed from Thugnificent, the rabid anti-marijuana knucklehead in Tom, the first smoke, being high, driving while high, trouble with the law, and so on.

But, most importantly, I think it caught a bit of that enchantment that people have with marijuana. We all know Granddad is an uptight ornery ol sumbitch that gets angry at the drop of a hat. But, when Granddad is high on marijuana, he's a completely laid back and relaxed individual. As he mentions, he isn't going to let the small things bother him. When you feel like that, you're not going to want to go back. You gain better perspective because when you can treat the small things like small things, you can concentrate on the bigger picture being your life, friends, and family.

Yes, everything looks better, tastes better, and feels better, especially sex!

Anyway, I tend to get long winded and I wanted to try to keep this short and sweet. But, I can't just leave it without spreading some knowledge.

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others."

- Harry J. Anslinger, testimony to Congress, 1937

After Anslinger's racist comments to the US Congress, which they ate up, marijuana became illegal through the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act of 1937. Basically, this act dictated that you have to pay taxes on marijuana. The catch-22 is that you had to bring the marijuana to get the stamp. However, you couldn't have marijuana without the stamp. The act was repealed in 1967 because a judge caught the catch-22 which was conveniently overlooked for three decades.

Everything was good until the US Congress passed the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. What a lot of people don't know is that the CSA is a response to the United Nation's Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs Treaty in 1961. This is important because to ban drugs in the United States, there needs to be a Constitutional amendment. The best and only example of this is the 18th Amendment which prohibited alcohol in 1917 and was repealed by the 21st Amendment in 1933.

Now, let's tie this all together. How is it that the US needs a Constitutional amendment to prohibit alcohol but doesn't need one to prohibit marijuana use?

Article VI of the US Constitution answers that question.

This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United States, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.

In other words, if the US signs a treaty, whatever is in that treaty supersedes any and all laws in the United States including the US Constitution itself. So, there will be no legalization efforts at the federal level because of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs as well as some other treaties that were signed afterward.

What it all amounts to is someone using Article VI of the US Constitution to tell American citizens what they can and can't do with their lives.

If you think for a second that there isn't a racial motivation for this effort, at least in part, just look at marijuana statistics today. 70% of marijuana users are White compared to 15% of those users being African American. However, 60% of those incarcerated are African American compared to 20% White. Yes, there are people who would go through all of that just to get us!!

Check me on it. I always feel good about what I write, when I decide to write, for a reason.

Marijuana Growers, Don't Fear Legalization

2010-06-28T10:00:00.002-04:00

Hey folks, here I am back with another post. I know I am usually far and in between with my posts but you must know I don't blog just anything. I blog when the passion hits me. That means, it has to be important enough for me to address.

19.0 wet grams of Princess Diesel

Well, here we are in the United States, not quite on the advent of legalization but the movement is steady in that direction. We'll truly be on the advent of legalization when the US Congress starts having the guts to challenge the status quo. But, I doubt that will happen until this treaty business with the UN is addressed. But, I will address that at another time when all my information is gathered.

Anyway, there seems to be a major problem within the marijuana growing community in regards to legalization.

What?

Some folks simply don't want it legalized. We're not talking about the maniacs who've drinking that DEA juice. We're talking about the growers who are persecuted AND prosecuted by the very laws they want to protect.

Why?

Well, what really happens if marijuana is legalized? It means that the local and illegal market will have to contend with the world market as well as large money interests who can eye a new major industry.

In other words, COMPETITION.

It's easy when there isn't much marijuana to go around and millions of users. You can pretty much charge what you like. If you're a student of business, as I was (BBA in Marketing), you understand that price can dictate demand if there isn't enough product to go around. However, demand will dictate price if there is too much product on the market. When marijuana is legalized in the US, you're going to have entire nations clamoring to supply this hungry market. The situation reverses.

The idea of paying $50 to $65 for an 1/8th (3.5 grams) of marijuana is out of the window.

But, is it?

Absolutely not. I want to let my marijuana growing friends know that it isn't out of the window at all. The game just changes. And, you will have to learn to adapt with those changes. Let's look at the tobacco market which, I believe, is identical to what a marijuana market will look like if and when legalized.

Sure, you have companies like Marlboro who sell cigarettes by the ton. But, what do they do to that tobacco? That's right. We all know that story. The tobacco industry tuns tobacco into smokable bullets. Take enough hits and you will die. It's as simple as that. However, who says you have to buy tobacco from Marlboro?

I always remember going to Nat Sherman in NYC on 42nd Street. It's an amazing tobacco shop. They don't sell crap either. I don't smoke tobacco at all. However, if I did, Nat Sherman would be the only place I would visit. You go inside and you see jars of loose tobacco on the counter. It looks like a dispensary would look like today. As old as Nat Sherman is, I'd bet they were the model for many of these marijuana dispensaries today. But, they sell tobacco.

Simply put, there are pockets of tobacco aficionados out there. And, I know this doesn't alleviate your fears but let me show you why you shouldn't be fearful of a legal marijuana market. Keep reading...

Ounce of Mexibrick schwag.

At the same time, you have Mexican drug cartels who sell marijuana by the ton. We all should be familiar with Mexican grown marijuana (see pic). It's basically the same as corporate tobacco - mistreated and trashed. And, who exists among those large corporations to bring customer high quality marijuana??

YOU EXIST!!!

Just as folks at spots like Nat Sherman don't care for the low-cost poison that companies like Marlboro deliver to communities around the US, we don't care for the low-cost poison that Mexican drug cartels deliver around the US. Just like Nat Sherman, you will and have always targeted folks who could afford, and would pay for, a high quality product.

Will things change? Absolutely. But, the change simply means you'll be able to come out from hiding. You will find it easier to attract better clientele. It's like the wine industry, the cheese industry, the beef industry and so on. They all have low quality producers and high quality producers. Someone looking forward to a nice wine isn't going to the corner liquor store for some Yellow Tail.

If you want to stay competitive in the future, worry about the quality of your own product. Don't worry about the large corporations, the Mexican drug cartels, or nations in Asia, Africa, and so on. They'll all be thinking about high profits by increasing production and cutting costs. That means, just as they do with tobacco now, they'll gladly shred up seeds and stems in your future marijuana cigarettes as well as poison them.

They won't be able to produce a high quality product like you and therefore won't be able to compete at your level nor for the same customer base. It'll be the right of the people to choose their poison. And the same market that goes after high quality marijuana right now will be looking for you tomorrow. This is why I say worry about the quality of your product.

Do you think the likes of Marlboro can compete with this when marijuana is legalized?
They can't even compete with other quality tobacco today!!

Also, differentiation and specialization will become important. Since we may be a few years away from legalization, it's not a bad idea to shed the European breeders and start some breeding programs of your own right here in the US if you haven't already. For example, I grew out some Princess Diesel. But, who can't get Princess Diesel through a quick visit to the Reservoir Seeds or some other seed site. Imagine if I had a strain of my own. Sure I could grow out other stuff. But, this strain would be mine and no one would be able to grow it but me.

So, stand out even more by creating your own strain and stabilize the phenotype (grower talk). We have a few years before marijuana is legalized. It won't hurt to start now. Just make sure that when you're finished, you keep seeds in a safe location for the future.

First time smoking? Don't trip, ride it out

2010-05-29T09:46:00.008-04:00

I've been inspired to write this post from a question: "Why are there hospitalizations from marijuana use?" It made me think about that question seriously. As long as I've been smoking (7 years) and growing (3 years), I have not ever come across someone who has been hospitalized for smoking marijuana. However, I have read the articles from various sources claiming hospital visits for marijuana use. The main theme in all of these articles comes down to someone who is simply not ready to get high, usually first-time users.

Let's get this fact out of the way
No one has ever died from marijuana use. 5000+ years of recorded history and not one recorded death. I'm not saying there aren't any deaths. I'm just noting that in 5,000+ years, there haven't been any recorded. You would think that in 5000+ years of recorded history, at least ONE person could have died from marijuana use alone. Once again, no one saying it hasn't happened. Then again, do your research and you'll know exactly why it shouldn't, couldn't and wouldn't happen.

We all know there are different kinds of marijuana, all with different levels of potency broken down into three. You have your Mexican schwag which floods the US. It's cheap and easy to get. The THC level of this stuff is somewhere around 5%. Then, you have your mid-grade. You can't really say what's mid-grade until you look at it but the THC level here is around 5-15%. Then you have the kind, or high quality stuff. The THC is 15% and up, but usually tops out at around 20%.

There is no such thing as "super bud".
Don't believe the hype when police say they've found marijuana with THC at 50% and sometimes more. It doesn't exist. Don't sweat the seed dealers when they claim they have stuff that produces at that rate [New Marijuana Growers Beware]. The police and these seed dealers that overstate THC levels are just preying on the ignorance of individuals. Police want you to think there's some "super bud" out there to scare you and the seed dealers want you to buy that "super bud". It's a twisted symbiotic relationship.

The main reason most people end up in the hospital is because they simply aren't ready. Sure, many users know to expect certain feelings, even first timers. But, it's one thing to have an expectation while it's another to not know what exactly to expect.

And, this is where paranoia and anxiety show their ugly heads. You expect an altered mental state but you don't know how altered nor how intense. No one told you about your heart feeling like it's going to beat out of your chest. You can't remember what you were just talking about. It was funny in the movies but you're really not used to it. You hear a noise outside and remember, you're doing something illegal; is that the cops? mom? the kids? nosy neighbors? You don't want to get caught like this! Now you want to regain some control but can't - you've just hit the panic button on yourself. This is where most people end up in the hospital.

What's a hospital going to do for you?
I always wondered what doctors will do for you once you go to the hospital for marijuana use. Simply put, their advice will always be to just let the high take its course. While the nurses and doctors monitor you, they'll be laughing at you as well. Guess what? There is no treatment for marijuana use. You think the doctors are going to put you on some magical pill that will make the high go away? Yeah, they do. It's called the bill. That will induce sobriety within seconds. We, potheads, call it "buzz kill"!

Here is a list of potential effects of marijuana use:

Dry mouth
Also known as cotton mouth; drink lots of water
Decreased coordination
You might stumble, knock stuff over; just relax, take it slow, don't drive
Increased heart rate
Your heart may feel like it's beating out of your chest; calm down, deep breaths
Increased appetite
Also known as hunger; eat something; try not to raid the fridge
Hallucinations
Depends on what and how much you use. Smoke enough of a strong sativa, you will experience hallucinations, some mild [Best marijuana I've ever had!] and some intense [New Suppliers & Pink Bunnies].
Sleepiness/Sedation
Yes, you do become relaxed. Depends on what and how much you use. Indicas will put you right to sleep. [Marijuana Strains and Potency; Indica vs Sativa]
Altered libido
There is a chance you will get horny. It depends what you're smoking as not all strains are the same. And, sex is better on marijuana but not so much that you have to be high to enjoy it. If I had to apply a number, I'd say 20% better.
Worsened short-term memory
Yes, you will forget what you were just going to say; just let it go and move on, you will NOT remember.
Altered time perception
Time may fly by quickly or slowly, depends on your mood
Anxiety, confusion, paranoia, and panic
This is not because of marijuana. It's natural to have these feelings because you're stepping into the unknown for the first time. Maybe, it's your first time using marijuana or your first time being that high. It'll happen. Just ride out the high and you'll be fine. What are you going to do - go to the hospital?

Here are some tips on getting high safely

Comfortable Environment
Make sure that if it's your first time, you are around truly trusted friends/family. An environment where there are too many unknowns - people, places, things - will cause paranoia to go into overdrive. Over time, this will loosen up and if you're smoking for years like me, you'll do so in public eventually.
Start slow
The good thing about marijuana is that it's scalable meaning the more you take the higher you get. Conversely, the less you take the less chances you have of getting too high. Take your time. You don't have to hang with the big boys.
Relax, Breathe, Focus
You will feel a lot of different sensations. That is supposed to happen. Let it happen by taking deep breaths, close your eyes to shut out other stimulation, and relax. You smoked marijuana to see what it feels like. Well... don't sweat it. It will all go away when the high wears off.
Don't hold it in
A lot of times your friends will tell you to hold it in. Don't hold smoke in your lungs for more than 5 seconds. I can't quote exactly why but it has something to do with the air exchange in the lungs. It happens.
No large pulls
This is another case of bad friend advice that usually goes along with "Dude, you gotta hold it in!" Sometimes you see people take a huge pull from a bong or a joint. The idea behind that is if they fill their lungs with smoke, it will absorb more smoke. That is partially true but there is an unintended consequence. Think about it. You've filled your lungs with smoke - little to no oxygen whatsoever. That's suffocation. This issue may have to be another blog post.

Good luck folks and remember, marijuana use does not need to end in a hospital visit. It should end with you waking up, taking a few minutes to adjust, and going on about your day.

The Problem With The Marijuana Legalization Movement

2010-05-11T11:31:00.005-04:00

Here I am responding to a YouTube video where this guy is going nuts over some nice hash. As a grower myself, I like what I see. It's good stuff. But, something stuck out to me and this interaction came about.

Ya know, I love to go on YouTube to see folks smoking buds, talk about growing, etc etc etc. You know when someone is in it for the recreation, medicinal value, and/or just the love. I have to admit that for some time I did kind of feel that medical marijuana was only a stepping stone to legalization. Then, I saw folks like Michelle Rainey. I knew people who needed marijuana for true medical reasons existed but I didn't really see them.

That changed my view of medical marijuana. Granted, I am indeed a recreational smoker. I have no medical need unless you count the slight bouts with insomnia. Marijuana has always helped me get to sleep and regulate my internal clock. But, I don't need marijuana to do that. So, yeah, I am totally recreational with it. I grow for my own personal use. I have no problem admitting that.

However, that doesn't mean I can't have and show some respect to the people who actually do use it medicinally. So, it bothered me to see this guy on The Weed Report acting like a pure fuckin idiot in regards to medical marijuana. That's why I posed the question to him.

Simply put, how are other people supposed to think about marijuana after seeing this stupid 'sumbitch' on YouTube completely disrespect medical marijuana by claiming VIP patients. I just wanted the guy's point of view. And, he dodged the damn question. Like I alluded, he lost a lot of points for that.

First of all, how does it look to people who don't know much about marijuana or who are brainwashed by the government? Let's keep in mind that in many states, those people are in the majority. We need their support. Second, if medical marijuana is a stepping stone, then why destroy the step before we get to the next step of legalization?

You want to run a medical marijuana business, at least act like medical is somewhere in there and has some importance. Have some respect for the cause. There are a lot of sick people out there that really need marijuana and many who don't need it taken away from them by stupid, arrogant stereotypes.

I truly hope that when it comes down to it, there are enough of me - professional, self-employed, successful potheads who give a damn- out there to keep clowns like that in the shadow long enough to make his influence insignificant. What's sad is that at the end of it all, the clown thinks he's being brave. Go figure.

I am just trying to imagine any pharmacist raving about the potency of the medication they're giving people.

"Oooooo Anthony, this Albuterol Inhaler hits like a dream man! You'll be breathing like a champ in no time. Check me out while I take a few pulls.... AAAAAAHHHHHHHH GOOOOOD *cough cough* SHIT MAAAAN.. HIT THAT, HIT THAT! Albuterol is wild stuff."

Would you take your pharmacist serious if they had that attitude about the medication you're buying?

Quick Update 5/28/10
As predicted the coward deleted the last three comments and blocked me from commenting on his video. I only went back because someone else commented to what I said. Make up your own conclusions.

Homegrown: Fears of Marijuana Growing

2010-03-24T09:00:00.002-04:00

First, I want folks to understand that this is geared more toward the personal marijuana grower. These are people who grow under 10 plants at the most. So, I don't go into the problems of a commercial grower. However, a lot of what's said in this post will definitely apply to a commercial grower's concerns.

Intro to my world

Ever since I decided to grow my own marijuana, I've gone through many of the fears and paranoia of growing marijuana. But, I didn't hide from the fears. I chose to investigate them. I wanted to know the reality of the situation. Growing marijuana is not legal and can result in jail time. But, there are so many marijuana growers in the United States that get away with it eventually. So, I wanted to understand it thoroughly. The best way to do that was to actually do it. So, from my fingers to your eyes, allow me to alleviate your fears.

Please ask questions if you don't understand how to proceed about something.

The number one fear of any marijuana grower is, of course, getting caught. We always see someone getting caught in the news. Law enforcement tends to make a big deal over every marijuana grow they get their greedy little hands on. I always take the time to read those articles because I find those gems of security information to keep me aware. In other words, how in the hell did they get caught? From those lessons, I either add to or reinforce the knowledge that I have learned.

The best way to think about security is to draw three circles, one inside the other, with yourself as the core. Each circle represents a security concern. The inner circle represents your control over the grow room itself. The middle circle represents the home and includes close friends and family.The outer circle represents your community.

Let's start...

Core: YOU

As a grower, your job is to be responsible for no one within those circles to reach the core. You're responsible for a clean running grow room. You're responsible for any friends and family that you entrust with knowledge of your activities. And finally you are responsible to anyone else who finds out that you grow. So, change your way of thinking.

Recklessness will get you nowhere.

Inner Circle: Is your grow room snitching on you?

In a grow operation, you'll have a lot of things going on - lights, fans, pumps, and so on. These can all be security concerns. It comes down to the planning and strategy of the grower. Just having the right space is a concern. Other concerns include lights which are bright and give off heat. Fans make a lot of noise. Odor control is major issue which can invade the home which is a bad thing if cops are at your door step. Electrical fires can happen with those Home Improvement/Tim Allen types who aren't careful with wiring.

Usually, in the news, you hear about growers getting caught due to their own carelessness. Some homes are dead giveaways because the rooftops weren't covered with snow during the winter due to the heat from the lights. Neighbors can smell your marijuana from inside their own homes. Someone may see a bright light that comes on at the same time every day. All a concerned neighbor saw was smoke coming from the basement so they dialed 911.

All of those lines are examples of things to keep in mind when growing. So, conceal the light, vent the heat, clean the air, and be very careful. You don't want your grow room to snitch on you. Pay cash! Rip off barcodes/labels when done. Don't stop there. Keep thinking of everything else you can do to keep your grow room from snitching.

Middle Circle: Home, friends, and family

The number one rule in marijuana growing is don't tell anyone.

Unfortunately, this rule is always broken and probably leads to the most problems for marijuana growers. Human beings are social creatures. We do something, we talk about it. Marijuana growers are no different. We can't live alone like some hermits. We have friends and we come from families. Law enforcement counts on that. The police will go after your friends and family like any criminal organization looking for blood. Keep your friends and family safe, and especially yourself, by simply keeping your mouth shut about what you're doing.

Usually in the news, you'd hear about some grower going down because someone, an informant, told on them. It could be a jealous friend, an angry lover, a greedy partner, and even a "concerned" family member. Don't tell anyone anything. Even if they seem cool at first. Things can change. Things always change. The best kept secrets are the ones you keep to yourself.

Although I try to remain approachable, I advise potential growers to join a marijuana growing forum - International Cannagraphic. You can get the best advice there from growers with way more experience than me and communicate anonymously.

Outer Circle: The Community

Unfortunately, we do not live in this world alone. It is important to be a good neighbor, employee, father/mother, etc etc etc. People are very suspicious, especially those suburban, conservative types. If something seems out of place, they will complain. A neighbor who never seems to be home or outside will arouse suspicion in a small community "where everybody knows your name." Employers do drug tests and coworkers will take notice if you don't act like everyone else.

The point is to keep up appearances as much as possible. You want to create an image for the community that if someone smelled something or saw something, they'd be willing to talk to you before outright dialing 911.

If you feel that you are not up to this.. perhaps it's too much to deal with in your situation, then definitely postpone any growing until you feel you are in a comfortable space. For example, since this economy has basically been trash, I have a few friends who have moved back home with their parents. Another friend lost her house to foreclosure. They're all interested in growing but want to be in a better situation - their own place. Some rather have a house because they're worried about inspections.

A few more things
When I say ask questions, get an assessment of your situation. For example, those friends in an apartment waiting to get a home, you want a portable grow box. Simply put, you build a wooden box to whatever dimensions you need and outfit it to grow. Then you put wheels on it. Inspection day is here? Wheel it to a different location. Or, if the build was incredible, you wouldn't need wheels because you could simply leave it in plain sight. It's all about planning and strategy.

Lastly, no one gets caught from good police work. If that were in the news, I'd have to make sure I was reading the actual news and not some comedy. It's hilarious. The police do not work. You will not hear a case where police infiltrated some network, went undercover, etc etc etc. I can't recall a marijuana grow operation that wasn't busted due to growers violating these unspoken rules. The last few cases I could think of were grower mistake - grower got caught smoking in the car, grower got pulled over for a busted tail light, grower's house burned down due to electrical fire from grow room, and grower got caught after partner ripped off the grow to make it look like a robbery leaving the grower with liability. You stay within the circles and you'll be fine.

Homegrown: The Future of Marijuana

2010-03-18T08:00:00.000-04:00

Although this occurred to me a long time ago, I've yet to give the concept its true attention.

DEA targets marijuana grow operations at a cost of some $12 billion every year. Local cops purposely create pseudo-war zones in urban communities with minority targets. Criminals destroy one another in search of a piece of the pie. Politicians stand by twiddling their thumbs as people are murdered in the street. Bullets flying from both directions. Marijuana users can't find decent marijuana at a fair price.

The best option to put a stop to all of this pain is legalization.

But, you have law enforcement building lies upon lies to protect their easy jobs. Lawyers salivate over marijuana cases because of the ease in prosecuting marijuana cases. Large companies put millions behind pro-prohibition candidates to keep marijuana competition from being legitimate. By being tough on easy marijuana crime, politicians can pretend to care about their constituents.

It's clear to me that the movement toward marijuana legalization is a perfect example of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Then again, the details of this situation prove to be a less difficult scenario. Criminals work with law enforcement because most times, law enforcement are the criminals. So, the immovable object and unstoppable force become one and the same. That's the current nature of this war on drugs. This is why it's failed.

But, that's aside from the point.

All of these people have their own loyalties whether it's to their own riches or to someone else. That's the nature of humanity. We really only care about ourselves individually. And, this is what what I appeal to with my marijuana using peers.

You see.. the criminals only care about making money. Law enforcement only cares about statistics. Politicians only care about getting votes. And, those random prohibitionists only care about who they can tell what to do. We all know, behind closed doors, the prohibitionists are doing the worst.

The solution becomes simple. What's the best way to stay away from criminals? What's the best way to keep off of law enforcement's radar? How do we go about keeping those random prohibitionists out of our business? How do we get politicians to do something about marijuana legalization?

Answer: Set up your own personal grow room/box.

The main problems most people have with growing their own marijuana is fear of being caught. Rippers may find your stash and try to run off with it. Cops may show up at the door to investigate a noise. And, there are always nosy neighbors who smell or hear something. There's a lot to be concerned about. But, all of these concerns can be addressed.

There's a reason many people grow their own marijuana and get away with it. I'll tell you how it's done next time...

Another Reason Marijuana Prohibition Won't Win

2010-03-17T17:35:00.000-04:00

I was walking back home from the store when I noticed something and thought I should take a picture:
Yes, those are simple plants, growing in the corner between the base of a building and the sidewalk. There isn't much sunlight on this particular block. Beyond that, there isn't much soil for the roots either. As far as a water source, the closest this plant will get is rain water. For most people, this plant shouldn't even exist.

Yet, there it is. Life.

I wonder if the proponents of prohibition understand this level of resilience and strength.

Sure, the building's superintendent will probably scrape out those plants as he cleans up the sidewalk. Law enforcement is no different. They'll scrape out whatever marijuana plants they can find. As both the super and law enforcement know, it's a plant and it'll be back.

Even if you tear up the foundation of the building and tear up the sidewalk, the plant will be back. It's not going anywhere. If you think about it, to get that sidewalk and build that foundation, plants were already destroyed.

That's the marijuana movement folks. We're just like that plant. You feel we don't belong. You feel we should be eliminated. You'll get a few here and there. But, even without the light, without a true foundation, and without a source of food, we're still here. Even if you get every last root, we'll be back with the wind.

70+ years later, we're still here, old plants and new plants. We're all still here.

Nope. Prohibition won't win. You folks simply don't understand the resilience and strength of a plant.

Marijuana Does NOT Cause Psychosis

2010-02-28T16:20:00.001-05:00

So, I've been pretty much inundated with nonsensical articles about marijuana causing psychosis. While many people have set the record straight on this issue in the past, it keeps coming back as some new article. Simply put, someone put together a half-assed study and somehow came to the conclusion that marijuana caused psychosis - schizophrenia, etc.

Well, let's set the record straight again...

No, marijuana does not cause psychosis. This is more prohibitionist, drug war lies to keep marijuana criminalized. They purposely confuse causation and correlation. In other words, does marijuana use cause psychosis or is it the case that people who are predisposed to psychosis seek drugs most likely as a way to cope with their psychosis?

Instead, the authors of articles, most likely inspired by prohibitionists, purposely leave out many facts. For instance, what other factors in their lives may have affected the subjects mentally?

For example, you may see a 65yo man with mental problems claim he's been using marijuana for 20 years. And, that's pretty much all the study took into consideration - marijuana use. Well, what if that 65yo man was a Vietnam War veteran? Wouldn't the hardships of war contribute to a psychosis? What about potential exposure to chemicals used by the military during the Vietnam War such as Agent Orange? How do you factor the possibility that 65yo man's other habits may have included alcohol and cocaine abuse?

These factors are NOT considered in these studies. That is why, many times, these studies are debunked and ignored (yet again).

Yet, prohibitionists pick them up and sensationalize them to make our friends and families seem like they are crazy animals instead of decent human beings. The prohibitionists are losing the war on marijuana and they know it. So, they trot out these old, tired arguments that have been debunked time and time again because for many people, this is new information. As I know, this is not new information nor is it a "new" study.

Even before these studies came about, during prohibition's early days, marijuana was painted as causing psychosis. Documentaries developed in the 30s portrayed marijuana users as everything from out of control young girls to crazed murderers. Law enforcement tried to blame many crimes of that time on marijuana use as is the case with Victor Licata. So, there is a long history dating back to the initial days of prohibition in which law enforcement tries to connect psychosis to marijuana.

The more you educate yourself and educate one another against the misinformation campaign by prohibitionists, we find more and more that marijuana is not the dangerous killer drug that it's made out to be.

Education is legalization.

Enforcement of marijuana prohibition costs American taxpayers approximately $12,000,000,000 (billion) per year (which goes directly into the pockets of prohibitionists). With politicians interested in cutting spending, wouldn't it be nice to cut $12,000,000,000 from the budget by legalizing marijuana? Imagine the tax revenues that can be received if marijuana were legalized in the form of new businesses and jobs that can increase tax revenues across the board.

Law enforcement could also do more to solve real crime instead of wasting their time and tax payer funds on petty marijuana arrests.

Never Tax MEDICAL Marijuana

2010-02-27T17:30:00.000-05:00

How do you go about telling a terminally ill person that they'll have to pay more for their medicine? Do you just pass the tax without so much as speaking with them? Do you ignore their hardships and pain? Have they ever even bothered to visit someone in true pain?

With that said, what kind of no-soul-having-black-hearted-son-of-a-bitch would seek to tax the medicine of someone suffering from AIDS, cancer, or a multitude of other terminal diseases?

In passing medical marijuana legislation, politicians admit the medical utility of marijuana while rejecting recreational use. They may not understand how marijuana helps but they only need to know that it does help. This is why they gave marijuana the respect of "medicine" as it deserves. If you respect medicine, especially the kind that truly helps the worst of the worst, then you shouldn't seek to worsen a terminally ill patient's overall condition by increasing the cost of their medicine even further.

In taxing marijuana, politicians show it disrespect as a medicine. If they don't respect marijuana as medicine then why pass the medical marijuana legislation?

What's happening here is that politicians are playing a game. Unfortunately, this little game they're playing is on the backs of dying people. I'd rather see marijuana re-criminalized than to see greedy politicians seeking to tax terminally ill patients' medicine.

It's just not right.

If politicians want to tax marijuana, then legalize it completely. You can't have it both ways. Unfortunately, that's coming from a person with a heart. It might not be a heart of gold but it isn't blackened and hardened to the world around me.

Unfortunately, this is coming from some very cowardly politicians who want to try to juggle the lives of the constituency between rabid law enforcement, a not-much-better criminal element, and budget deficits. This is totally NOT the right or honest way to go about it.

You do NOT close your budget gaps on the backs of the sick.
That is just filthy.

At least if you legalize marijuana you could affect a lot of positive change in the US. For starters, we could free up law enforcement funding to fight true crime - rape, murder, battery, robbery, and so on. Instead, police officers are busying themselves with petty marijuana arrests simply because it's easier and safer to do. At the same time, it makes them look like they're doing their jobs which they rarely do.

You can allow an entire industry (that already exists) to be legitimate. Businesses can open up, employees can be hired. You can also protect the citizens by regulating for quality control. And, you can collect taxes on it all - newly developed businesses, purchases, imports/exports, and so on.

I am not saying that legalization will save the economy. But, it can not hurt us more than the mess we're in now. And, you won't have to do it on the backs of sick and dying people.

Either, respect the medicine or legalize the "drug"!!

Thoughts on Medical Marijuana in NY

2010-02-25T13:30:00.006-05:00

Yeah. You read the title. On Feb. 23rd, the NY State Senate Health Committee passed medical marijuana legislation. I'll admit, I don't fully understand all of these political procedures that NY State government must go through before a bill becomes a law. It seems a bit more complicated than the cartoon of the bill on the steps of Capitol Hill (ha, I'm a rapper now) in DC.

Wait.. it was Capitol Hill right?

Anyway, on the surface, I am happy that NY is finally coming to its sense on medical marijuana. Honestly, it should have happened at least at the same time as California who passed their medical marijuana legislation in 1996.

However, as I read the bill, I am quite upset with the language.

Read for yourself: S4041B: Provides for medical use of marihuana

Low Limits

It would seem NY politicians want to be super strict and allow for tiny amounts of marijuana for seriously ill patients. While they get the gist of medical marijuana, they need to fully understand that they are NOT patients or doctors. Even most doctors don't understand how to prescribe marijuana. The amounts allowed under this bill - 2.5oz - don't factor in the need of the patient or the tolerance of the individual.

Some patients are known to use up to an ounce of marijuana a day. I am not talking about the typical recreational user. As a recreational user myself, I don't think I could do more than a gram a day which amounts to an ounce per month. But, I am talking about seriously ill patients for which this bill is intended. On top of that, the "caregiver" is not allowed to care for more than 5 patients. (Sections 3362 and 3363)

It's like saying you're only allowed 10 regular strength Tylenol pills per month for serious migraines. Of course, you can buy a box of Tylenol, thousands of pills, and no one will think twice about it. Unfortunately, you can't have enough marijuana for terminal illness.

I don't need ID for Tylenol

The other thing that bugs me is the registration for ID cards. Basically, you're getting a driver's license for medical marijuana - name, address, picture, etc etc etc. It says that the Dept of Health will keep the information confidential, that is, until they have a reason to snitch on you which could be as simple as a DEA or FBI or even some local cop requests it.

If marijuana is to be considered medical, why do you need to alert a government agency that you're using it? It's medicine, right? I am sure we all, at some point in time, visited a pharmacy to fill a prescription for various medications from asthma pumps to antidepressants to oxycontin and percocet. Did any of us have to register with the government to use these medications? Did you have to stand in line at the DMV to get your picture taken?

I can understand the caregiver, much like a pharmacist, needing registration as a business. But, I don't see why patients need to be registered with the government to take medicine. It's an unnecessary invasion of privacy.

No Plant Limits?

The other problem that I have with it so far is that I don't see any specific information as it pertains to cultivation. For example, how many plants would someone - patient or caregiver - be allowed to grow?

Section 3364 defines "registered organization" as a pharmacy, a licensed facility, a non profit corporation, the department, a local health department, or a registered producer. However, the registered producer, which seems to be the grower/cultivator/manufacturer, can not provide directly to the patients. Such a designation completely separates the grower from the potential role as a caregiver.

Edit
After re-reading this section, it looks like I want plant limits. As far as I am concerned, the more the better. No plant limits is great. However, I am afraid that it will be addressed and severely limited by politicians. If they think that 2.5oz is good for a seriously ill person, I can't imagine what they would believe is acceptable in a grow operation.

At any rate, there is a lot missing from this bill and far too many limits. I have to question politicians that wrote this bill. I wonder if they had any input from the patients that use marijuana. Did they even bother to look into the other 14 medical marijuana states and their provisions. This bill is so very incomplete. If it passed, as is, it would cause more trouble than it's worth.

If Senator Tom Duane ever reads this or any senator that has to vote on this bill, I'd beg him and them to please talk to patients from other states. Do not ask police or the DEA for their input as they are not doctors nor are they patients. They aren't even growers/botanists. Speak with the people who need the medicine, not the people who benefit from its control. It would not be unreasonable to allow for more marijuana per patient and to allow patients to grow their own. It would be sensible to allow caregivers to also be "registered producers."

As a marijuana grower and user, myself, politicians have a lot to learn about the use of marijuana. If they are willing to admit to its medical utility, at some point, they will have to be willing to learn and comprehend why different strains exist outside of the cute names.

I think I need to make some phone calls.

Just as a reminder.. marijuana should be legalized, regulated and taxed. Medical marijuana is nice but it still leaves the door open to the black market and violence against citizens from gangs and police.

Legalize it.
(It's been 70+ years. It's obvious you can't stop it.)

Seed Sites Need Marijuana Porn

2010-02-23T17:20:00.004-05:00

I am sure many of my (3 or 4; lol) readers has visited a site that sells marijuana seeds. I know I visit them all the time. The next strains that I have my eyes on include Brainstorm and Mazar. I have some history with Brainstorm. And, Mazar, as I've read, is supposed to be an aphrodisiac for the ladies.. heh heh heh.

That's neither here nor there...

The problem that I have with these sites is how they present the images of marijuana or marijuana porn. Most times, I can't see shit. If you ask me, all the images might as well be the same save for the major differences in color from purples to deep greens to orange hairs and so on.

When I visit sites for specific strains of marijuana, I don't even bother looking at the pictures. I already know their small. I'll see them because they're there but I am always disappointed. I want BIGGER pictures and I want to see more pictures as well. While the descriptions are usually incredible, bigger images are still good for folks to see just what kind of buds can be grown.

Beyond that, who doesn't love some great "marijuana porn".

Well, I'll quit bitchin'. I figure it's better to lead by example. Unfortunately, I don't have a site for the purposes of selling marijuana seeds since I don't sell marijuana or the seeds. However, I do have some killer pictures of Princess Diesel. So, if I had a marijuana seeds to sell, I'd present the strain like...

Princess Diesel

Breeder
Reservoir Seeds

Environment
Indoor/Outdoor

Flower Time
8 to 9 weeks

Description
The Grimm's Ice Princess meets Rez's Sour Diesel. Fat, quick plants that finish at 56 days,with superb yield and specifically bred for lower odor, for the stealth indoor grower with odor control problems.

Grower Testimonials
"PD had a lemon diesel fuel/cleaner smell as well." -Anon

"We called it "giggle weed" as it put a major grin on our faces for hours." -Anon

"Seems like the Sour Diesel is dominant." -Anon

"She's a pretty resistant strain putting up with my newbie grower mistakes. Can't wait to see what the smoke is like." -Anon

Price
I don't sell seeds. This is just an example!! HA!

Now, go visit some sites that sell marijuana seeds. They're expert growers, seed breeders, with award winning strains. The descriptions speak a lot. They make a lot of money. Why can't they put up a decent picture of the marijuana that they're trying to sell? Wouldn't you, as a potential customer, like to really see what the seeds you're about to buy can put out? I know I would like to see better images.

Marijuana Patients Need Future Protection

2010-02-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

The one thing I never liked about Obama's memo regarding medical marijuana is that his memo is nothing more than a memo. It's not a change in the law. I've always stated the memo doesn't really mean anything. If the DEA decided to ignore it, they'd be in the right. They are a law enforcement agency. Last time I checked, there were no "memo" enforcement agencies.

Today, 14 states and Washington DC (not a state) have legislated some form of medical marijuana. In most of these states, the patient and/or "caregiver" need to register with the government to be considered "legal".

I have a major problem with all of this.

First of all, have we forgotten that the law has not changed? The good thing about being in New York City is that we have some serious problematic politicians (ie Bloomberg) so medical marijuana hasn't come here... ~~yet~~. So, I haven't forgot. I am sure many of us haven't forgotten either. While Obama's love letter to the DEA suggests they concentrate on commercial business that somehow remains illegal, it's obvious from various news reports that the DEA is still doing the same damn thing. Obviously, they aren't giving President Obama much attention.

Aside from the obvious fact that Obama's memo doesn't mean much outside of a toilet stall, I have to wonder, how many people in these states (and territory) are registered with their local governments? Is it over one million or maybe less than 100,000?

Now, another question comes about. What is going to happen when Obama is not the president anymore? Does his memo still stay in tact?

Simple answer.. NO.

The memo goes in the trash along with all of Obama's other "middle of the road" policy. Of course, it depends who the next in charge will be and what they will do. Maybe this nation will luck out and get someone whose common sense outweigh special interest money. Chances of that happening or low. Chances are much higher that this nation will have to further waste its time with another drug warrior.

The question becomes, when this new president gets into office, what will be the state of registered patients and their caregivers? What protections will they have from the US Government? Will the Department of Justice draft subpoenas for the names and addresses of all the "caregivers" and their patients? Will local and state governments help the people that they've registered or sell them out in the long run?

These are real questions that I believe should be addressed for the sake of those that are truly ill and find benefit from the use of marijuana. As far as I am concerned, my policy has always been to keep my mouth shut regardless of the state. I'll change when the actual law changes. Until then, I am keeping well below the radar.

Perhaps my paranoia is getting the better of me. I do truly fear that one day in the future, there will be mass arrests of medical marijuana users. When you think about it.. what would stop the DEA from carrying out mass arrests? Is there some law in place that would prevent it? No. In fact, they'd be well within their right to do everything I just mentioned.

I hope it doesn't come to that. I just don't see any reason why it would not come to that. Perhaps some of you have more faith in humanity. I don't have that kind of faith when it comes to law enforcement.

I'z Back..

2010-02-13T09:00:00.000-05:00

Wow. My last blog post was November 15th. *sigh*

Most folks would probably think that I quit. Some folks might even think I got arrested.

HA!

I'm good folks. Nothing is happening over here other than ordinary life. Well.. as ordinary as it could be for me - growing, smoking, and teaching.

I just had to rethink the focus and execution (other definition) of the blog.

Do I really want to be so serious, so politically/socially motivated? No, I don't. At least, not any more. I've settled on the conclusion that American people are just stupid due to a gutting of the education system in an effort to support the prison industrial complex. There's not much for me to do other than manage my own situation, help out where I can, and vote my conscience. And, that's the final word

Aside from that, the "rethinking" is over. I want to have more fun in general. It started by deleting about 80 blog posts, all primarily political and social in nature and mostly unrelated to marijuana. I just don't care to rehash it. The posts are still around. I just put them some place private. My posts will be shorter as well. No more long essays. I also want to answer more questions. And, I plan to include more pictures of pretty things. YAY!

So, yeah, The United States of Anthony is back.

Princess Diesel @ Week 3 (22 Days) in flower

New Marijuana Growers Beware

2009-11-15T16:26:00.004-05:00

Germination

I've been pretty quiet lately, just interested in handling my own business and keeping my finger on the pulse of grower community through forums and the people I know. I want to speak on something that's bugging the hell out of me (which is usually the only time I speak).

Who the hell is behind BCSeeds.com?

Vegetation

Marijuana seeds are a huge and important commodity to the grower community. As a grower and connoisseur, I know that marijuana is not all the same. Ask any grower, medical user, or connoisseur. A typical person, using or not, wouldn't understand the nuances of marijuana to appreciate the different effects.

Once you get to the point where you're looking for specific traits, that's when you start paying attention to the names and how they differentiate from one another. You can tell by the leaf structure that a plant is either sativa or indica or which side is most prominent in a hybrid. You can smoke marijuana and relate to it beyond the typical comment, "This is good shit!"

Flower

As a grower and connoisseur, I am extremely pissed off at BCSeeds.com for attempting to take advantage of marijuana growers. They claim their marijuana is the "world's strongest" alluding to its high percentage of THC. Take a look at some of their seed stock... [link]
Pickle Bud @ $2,995 CND ($2850 USD)
Oracle Bud @ $1,995CND ($1898 USD)
Labrynth @ $1,495 CND ($1,422 USD)
Euphora Express @ $1,495 CND ($1,422 USD)
If you've already looked into purchasing seeds, you know these prices are upwards of 10 (ten) times higher than normal pricing for the more popular strains of marijuana...
Sensi Seeds Jack Herer @ $150 EUR ($223 USD)
Soma Seeds NYC Diesel @ $130 EUR ($193USD)
Green House Seeds Trainwreck @ $45 EUR ($66 USD)
While I want to say that BCSeeds's claims are total bullshit, I will give them a chance to prove it. I want to see diaries/journals of their marijuana plants from seed to harvest with pictures. I want to see video of the THC testing by an independent party.

In other words, I want justification for these ridiculous claims and outrageous prices.

Also, I want to point out that these strains - Jack Herer, NYC Diesel, and Trainwreck - are popular due to their numerous awards. In other words, the men behind these strains of marijuana had the guts to compete against other breeders. Where are BCSeeds's awards that may at least help justify these outrageous prices?

Harvest

If you have $2,850 to purchase "pickle bud" seeds, I suggest you go to Canada and pick them up personally. It's not to insure that you receive your product. It's to make sure that you have a face and concrete location to associate this nonsense WHEN you want your money back.

Cure/Smoke

Don't buy from BCSeeds until they do a better job of proving their claims. Don't get ripped off by these people. Stick with the award winners. They've won awards for a reason.

Haaa, can't tax my marijuana!

2009-10-28T15:55:00.000-04:00

Legalization/Taxation

The fight to legalize marijuana seems to be making major inroads as politicians, greedy for funds of any kind, find ways to get those tax revenues without a direct increase to the taxpayer. While there are some politicians have a more honorable reason for promoting the legalization of marijuana, there are many others who have no interest in the welfare of their own friends, family, and community; they're in it for the money.

At any rate, I could care less about their reasons for legalization. All I care about is that it get legalized.

However, what I do care about is how legalization takes place, particularly in the way of taxation, for now. I assume that quality control will be an issue in the future as I am sure companies like Altria, makers of smokable poison like Marlboro cigarettes, would find ways to weaponize marijuana as they did with tobacco.

But, I have a solution for all of that.

The problem with taxation are the high expectations for tax revenues. These politicians believe that the current pricing for marijuana will be stable. For them, that high cost equals high tax revenues. But, they don't recognize that these high costs are in part due to prohibition. Once prohibition is repealed, marijuana prices will drop considerably and those major tax revenues will drop with it.

This is why legalization is not a particularly great solution for the economy. And, here I am making that prospect even worse.

The reason I intend to make it worse is because there's a segment within the marijuana community that believe in absolutely no taxes for marijuana use. This is because they consider marijuana a medicine and you simply don't tax medicine. However, it stands in the way of legalization because it if we're to get it legalized for everybody, taxation has to be a reality.

Besides, medicinal users are already being taxed by having to pay upfront fees for licenses, doctors prescriptions, and the ability to grow if they are providers.
Side Note
I call that the Republican way to tax. See, Democrats tax you from the front so you see it coming - income tax, sales tax, etc. Republicans reduce face-front taxes. They just wait for you to turn around and bend over so they "tax" you up the behind with increased fees for anything you want to do. Democrats will rather tax your income to pay for roads. Republicans rather put tolls at every street intersection they can find. For example, in NYC, Mayor Bloomberg has sought to lower "face-front" taxes, yet proposed fees for entering the Manhattan below a certain street. Hey, you'll pay either way so just laugh about this now, think about it later.
The real issue is that medicinal marijuana users don't like the idea of being taxed at the rates proposed under complete legalization. It truly is their medicine and they shouldn't be taxed for it. And, let's be honest, those rates are incredibly ridiculous no matter who's paying. Not even alcohol or tobacco are taxed as heavily as what's proposed for marijuana. So, I don't blame people for getting upset.

Proposal

As a consumer, I propose that, under legalized and severely overtaxed marijuana, users, for whatever purpose, do not buy any marijuana until competition increases supply causing prices to come down and the tax rates are reasonable, at least within comparable levels with alcohol and tobacco.

The question at this point is how can this be done.

First of all, the politicians will do most of the work for this effort to be a success. By promoting prohibition level pricing, even after the repeal of prohibition, it wouldn't make sense for a marijuana grower to sell his product at wholesale prices when he can still operate and compete as though prohibition still exists. In fact, it can be considered as prohibition-plus since taxes are going to be a major factor. As a consumer, it would make sense to simply go directly to the grower and avoid any taxation whatsoever.

Side Note
While this may not be desirable, the politicians will have to learn a hard lesson here. It's not a lesson that wasn't already anticipated in history. During the repeal of alcohol prohibition, politicians, then, knew that the legal market would have to price-compete with the illegal market. Otherwise, it would be impossible to regulate and collect taxes. If today's politicians are too stupid to anticipate such competition and too arrogant to listen to the people, then they deserve to look like fools when their ridiculous taxation scheme doesn't produce the kind of tax revenues expected.

The second and most favorable method is self-reliance - grow your own marijuana. I am always promoting growing your own marijuana for personal use, so nothing new here. If marijuana is legal, who's going to come looking for you if you're growing a few ounces. Even though that marijuana is illegal, it's still safer because you completely remove yourself from law enforcement radar. You're not a Mexican drug cartel. You're not out trafficking bricks of marijuana. And, you're not out dealing on the streets. The only problems you may have is if smell gives you away or someone you tell decides to snitch on you. So, limit your exposure by investing in heavy odor control and not telling anyone.

Final Side Note
Personally, the only reason I would ever get caught is because of this blog or perhaps the few people that know about me. And, I know what I am doing by exposing myself. But, if I can motivate more people to grow their own, I can help limit the violence injected into the lives of peaceful people by careless drug dealers and aggressive law enforcement as well as reduce the profits of violent drug cartels that most law enforcement protect with their support of prohibition. It's worth it if I can save another life.

Obama's Medical Marijuana Memo Means Nothing

2009-10-19T13:44:00.003-04:00

Background

Today, President Obama released a memo in regards to states with medical marijuana laws. Basically, this memo is telling federal prosecutors along with the DEA and FBI not to waste their time and energy on [destroying the lives of] medical marijuana patients and their suppliers IF they conform to the state's laws.
Feds Can't Touch This
Justice shifts course on medical marijuana prosecutions
Feds: Medical marijuana prosecutions not a priority

Reality

This memo is nothing more than a piece of paper. It doesn't change anything. Think of this policy change as a mother asking her child to do his chores five minutes earlier at 5:55 PM instead of 6 PM. Although, it would be nice if you did it five minutes earlier, it's not anything you have to take into consideration. It just would be nice.

Think about it.

What laws were changed with this memo? Did marijuana, all of a sudden, become legal? Was marijuana removed from the Controlled Substances Act? Will the federal government begin recognizing marijuana's medicinal utility?

NO!

This memo hasn't changed anything. As long as prohibition remains the denominator in the nation's marijuana equation, this memo is nothing more than words on paper. Without the protections and consequences that come with actual changes to the law, nothing has changed.

Problem

President Obama has failed to alleviate or even address the problems that millions of marijuana users, medicinal and recreational, face against violent law enforcement. Well over 800,000 people are arrested and incarcerated yearly. Billions of dollars are burned by law enforcement officials that are only interested in playing 'Judge Dredd' with the lives of nonviolent people. When President Obama has the courage to face these gun toting animals, that's when the memos and speeches will stop. That's when laws begin to change.

Until then, I'd rather President Obama just shut up and leave it alone if he doesn't plan on truly changing anything or helping us. I'm used to the status quo and it's how I operate. It's how thousands of us operate on a daily basis. I won't change how I do things because of some useless memo. I would hope that my grower friends, especially those in medical marijuana states, keep their heads low as well. I don't want them falling for this nonsense.

Just know one thing. Marijuana is not going anywhere. No matter how hard the prohibitionists push against us, we'll still be here - growing, smoking, and teaching!

Marijuana: Legalization vs Prohibition and Children

2009-10-18T09:30:00.000-04:00

Children as a tool for prohibition

One thing that prohibitionists use to keep marijuana illegal is the fear that legalization will be a danger to children. Children seems to be the door into the heart of a parent. Prohibitionists lie about marijuana's use, effects, and its users. One on side, you have the local, state, and federal authorities who get people to believe that marijuana users are dangerous. On the other side, you have organizations who want you to believe that potheads are lazy, unemployed, losers. In both of these ways, they strike fear into parents about what their children will become if they started using marijuana.

What mother wants to hear that her child will become from raving maniac after using marijuana? What father wants to hear that his son might end up lazy and worthless in the home after trying marijuana? If you're a parent that doesn't know anything about marijuana, you'd play it on the safe side doing what you can to keep your children from using marijuana. It makes sense to me. I'd do the same thing if I were walking in their shoes.

But, the difference between myself and these parents is that I know all about marijuana. I know the good and I know the bad. Although this is not about the safety of marijuana, I'd be foolish to not at least mention this once: Marijuana is safe! The point of this is to present the argument to a parent who believes that marijuana is dangerous.

I prefer to compare prohibition to legalization as it pertains to the safety of children.

Prohibition vs Legalization

We know what prohibition brings us. We're living it. Every year, billions of tax payer funds are spent fighting this war on drugs. Millions of marijuana plants are eradicated every harvest season. Hundreds of thousands of people are arrested and/or incarcerated for anything from a joint to pounds of marijuana. Hundreds of indoor grow ops are torn apart.

That all sounds good. If you pay attention to what law enforcement is doing, you'd feel they were doing a lot. But, how does this all factor into the protection of your children?

Well, if it's fair, we can say that the amount of marijuana that gets into the United States is directly related to the ease of access by your children. The more marijuana in the US, the more available it will be in your area. To get a good idea of how much marijuana gets into the US, we have to look at what law enforcement's eradication efforts really mean as a total of all marijuana. In other words, how much does law enforcement shave off of the total supply? The answer - law enforcement's eradication efforts account for only 5-10% of all the marijuana that gets into the nation. In other words, the remaining inventory of marijuana in the US is about 90% and higher. That means your children have a much better chance of finding marijuana than law enforcement is admitting. The point is that marijuana is free flowing and freely available in the United States.
Anecdotes
The first time I ever tried marijuana was when I was 14. I didn't get high so I didn't think about it again. The next time I smoked marijuana was when I was 16. I got very high but it wasn't something that would stay with me. My friend got that marijuana from a dealer both times. I didn't smoke again until I was 23.

I am now 30 years old. About 3 weeks ago, I was on Flatbush Ave. in Brooklyn, NY. I went into the store with friends to buy cigars (used for rolling marijuana blunts) and the clerk asked me for ID. I found it hilarious. I hadn't been carded in a long time. My friends told me that I still have a baby face. It reminds me of times when I go into ask for an alcoholic drink in a restaurant and the server asks for my ID. They ask for IDs in clubs, bars, and lounges. If it's got an age requirement, they want to see ID.
If you're a parent, like my own parents, my friends' parents and some of my friends now, you know you can not be there all of the time. The best you can do is teach your children right from wrong and hope they don't get into any trouble. But, they do. You were once a child, as I was, and the one thing we did was get into trouble.

The question that I have for parents: When your children are introduced to marijuana, do you want it to be from a dealer on the street or store clerk that will ask for ID?

Think about it.

How many children have you seen walk into a liquor store? Even in regular grocery stores, what are the chances that a baby-faced kid can walk out with a bottle of beer or a pack of cigarettes?

Under legalization, regulation is necessary. That means, the same controls in place for adult items - tobacco, alcohol, pornography - is the same controls that would be placed on marijuana. Chances are it would be sold alongside tobacco products in a tobacco shop. Maybe, marijuana would be sold in grocery stores. The common thread here is that all these locations offer control, more control than what is offered by a dealer on the corner.

Prohibition won't protect your children

Prohibitionists claim that marijuana is dangerous to children. How can they advocate for a system that gives control of such a dangerous substance to criminals? How can they claim that they want to protect children while promoting a black market that don't have a reason to care about children?

You can believe that marijuana is the most dangerous substance in the world. It doesn't matter how you feel about marijuana. What matters is that we protect children. Prohibition didn't protect me then, it doesn't protect your children now, and it won't protect your children tomorrow.

It's All About The Magic Beans

2009-10-10T16:30:00.000-04:00

Of Growers and Genetics

A lot of marijuana growing is in the genetics - the magic beans or the seeds - that you use. Quality genetics matched with a competent grower can bring you very incredible marijuana.

Check out this picture of the Deep Chunk strain:
If you don't know what you're looking at, it's definitely marijuana that's producing THC at an amazing rate. But, also notice the deep green and waxy reflection of the leaf. That's a sign of incredible plant health which is a sign of how an incredible marijuana grower was matched with incredible genetics. Even if the genetics were sent by God, it takes an amazing grower to push that plant to its best. Yeah, that's just nice!

Usually when you smoke marijuana, you're smoking the clusters of flowers or the buds which usually contain the most THC. Sometimes leaves will produce a little THC but nothing serious and that Deep Chunk is serious.

What to do with quality genetics?

So, you want some of those quality genetics - Deep Chunk, Cinderella 99, Black Domina, Mazar, Afghani Bullrider. Maybe, you're already growing and you've got some quality genetics - Jack Herer, Sour Diesel, Super Silver Haze, Grand Daddy Purple - but you're running low or you want something different.

So, you go get those magic beans, now what - just grow them out, dump the males, let the females flower so you can smoke?

HELL NO. YOU MAKE MORE MAGIC BEANS.

Female marijuana plants are the ones that produce high levels of THC. Males produce THC at incredibly low levels; so low, they're not worth keeping around. Therefore, marijuana growers are taught to cull or destroy the males once identified. Males, just like humans, will pollinate the females. A pollinated, or "knocked up", female will produce seeds. The problem is that the energy the female plant would use to produce THC is diverted into producing seeds. So, it makes sense to get rid of the males.

However, anyone who has purchased seeds knows how troubling it can be to get those seeds in the US. You can lose your money in many ways or even go to jail if the delivery is intercepted by federal authorities. And, the amount of money you lose can be substantial. Seeds can cost between $50 and $400 per pack with only 5 to 10 seeds each. The higher the THC, the more popular the strain, the higher the price.

With all of that in mind, wouldn't it make sense to make more seeds when you get your pack of quality genetics? It's not hard to do. You simply have to let the males and females do what they've been doing for thousands of years. That 10-pack of Jack Herer you purchased from Sensi Seeds for well over $200 can easily turn into 200+ seeds.

From that point on, you can start a seed collection of your own, share with friends to increase your collection, and give seeds to other people. Get a large enough collection of seeds and you might be able to start your own seed business. I sure as hell need to boost my own collection and I'd be more willing to buy locally than from afar.

Marijuana Growers Were Newbies Once Too

2009-10-09T17:00:00.003-04:00

Usually when we hear about these marijuana grow operations,. we hear about, or see video, of the good ones. With indoor grow ops, we see these complicated setups - tubing, meters, lighting, buckets or tables. With outdoor ops we see these huge trees, some standing upwards of 9 feet tall or 9 feet in diameter.

When I first started growing, I got excited and inspired by these setups, especially indoor grow ops. It gave me encouragement but I still didn't have all the know how. I had the access to information but nothing will ever replace the knowledge you gain from experience. You don't gain experience from growing perfect marijuana every time. You learn more by making mistakes and grower error.

I want to show people - that are interested in growing marijuana and even those that may have lost faith in their ability - that we all make mistakes because we were all new at this job at some point. Even the professionals, some with 5 to 30+ years of experience still make mistakes.

Here are some great errors admitted by marijuana growers [I'll let you know why, if it's not obvious]:

"I remember my brother's first attempt at hydro. It was a damned mess. He was hot gluing everything instead of using grommets and tubing. Eventually, it ended up with him flooding the damn bedroom and you could see wet spots in the ceiling of the garage above the room lol."

"My big error was using tape on a water pump that was too damn strong for one dripper ring. I walked into the room and just heard that empty water pump sound. I ran to the closet to see an empty bucket. Luckily it was only about 2 gallons of water total. I unplugged everything just in case and used a lot of towels."

"First several times I tried to grow with 100W incandescent bulbs. Other'n that, I got nothin'."
[Incandescent bulbs, or regular light bulbs, do not have the right spectrum of light that will promote plant growth]

"I've heard of people that are convinced their herb tastes like grapes not because of the strain but because they pour in a gallon of grape Koolaid the last week of flower."
[Usually people who don't know much about marijuana either make up or believe made-up stories of how marijuana gets its scent or flavor. Different marijuana strains have their own natural scents and flavors. Sometimes some scents match those already in nature, some desirable, some not. For example, who wants their marijuana to smell and taste like a skunk?]

"When I first went indoor, I couldn't fer the life of me get em to flower. Mel Frank and High Times helped me feel like an idiot. 12/12 huh...who knew???"
[12/12 refers to the light cycle of 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark to mimic the changing season. 12/12 signals the plant to start flowering or growing buds. Marijuana won't show buds indoors unless you signal it to do so.]

"I remember my first 'real' indoor grow (8 x 4' flouros mixed cool/warm) back in 93 or 94. "You can tell if you have a female by the sets of two white hairy pistils that originate at the base of a branch in a calyx" "preflowers can be seen much sooner, and you might need a magnifying glass"...was what the text read. Little did I know you couldn't see them when the plant was two or three sets of leaves tall! LOL. My god, I was right in there with my face looking for the 'preflowers' trying to figure out if I had boys or girls! After a few weeks of wondering, I saw my first sets of preflowers and I was hooked! Thanks, now I have to go back to my corner..." [Preflowers]

"I got a couple good stories about a buddy of mine out here. I gave up on trying to help him because he just doesn't like to listen. 1# He use to stab the dirt through out his whole grow to aerate the soil. I told him don't do that you are killing the roots. Still didn't listen, **** knew best!!!! 2# He use to cut off all the leaves in about the 5th week of flower. Said lets more light reach the bud. Said this way he would get bigger buds, Because the buds need more light than the leaves. Don't want big leaves just big buds. I love this guy but his head is thicker than the walls out here."
[First problem is obvious, I think. The second problem is that the buds do not support themselves. The fan leaves are the light gatherers and process the light, air, and nutrients for the buds, THC, seeds, etc. In other words, YOU NEED FAN LEAVES]

"...sold a newb a 10" can fan that he wanted to use to exhaust a 10'x10' bedroom.. Told him it was overkill for the room and he needed at least double the surface area of the fan for intake.... A big f'n hole lol. he didn't think so, thought the small gaps around the door was fine. Couple days after runnin the fan it sucked the bedroom window right off the frame into the room onto his plants hahahahaaa.. best lessons learned are the hard way I guess."
[Negative Pressure]

"When I first got my 1k set up going...I was trying to cut corners an had a vast supply of boxes that were 10 inches deep an were 7x7inches around...they were cardboard so I lined with 2 thats right 2 plastic grocery store bags....was my first encounter with black mold....lol"
[Cardboard and moisture is a breeding ground for black mold which can cause/aggravate asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia]

"I was told by a friend, that shwagg seeds grow shwagg plants, dense, compressed brown nugs......according to him....he saw a shwagg plant lol."
[example of what can be done with schwag seeds]

"I once thought that a 2k room didn't need any cooling in the summer, with temps hitting the mid 40s Celsius. Had a nice bubba S1 clone that produced great looking buds with no smell and practically no high, musta cooked all the volatiles and cannabinoids right out of them...lol"
[2k refers to 2 kilowatts of light which gets pretty hot. This could have been worse than what occurred. Please make sure to use proper ventilation in any grow room.]

"Heres one I heard few years ago....some dude was going out of town for a week an asked a buddy to feed an water his girls...second day into it the friend mistakes ph-up for being a nute an gave em all a healthy dose of ph-up...couple days later entire dead crop..lol"
["pH up" is used to balance the pH (acidity/alkalinity) of hydroponic solution. Proper pH is important to aid in the plants uptake/absorption of nutrients. Too high or low will cause "nutrient lockout".]

Don't think you can't do it because you don't have a green thumb. Don't get discouraged because your first, second, or even third attempt failed. It's the mistakes that teach you the most important lessons. So, don't be afraid to admit your humanity by asking questions or getting information if you need help. Tens of thousands of growers around the world go in and out of marijuana growing forums just so they can help others. And, it's all free of charge. Dust yourself off and get dirty again.

Don't Fall for Marijuana Legalization War Hype!

2009-09-29T07:25:00.006-04:00

So, recently, I've been coming across this article on marijuana forums.

War breaks out within the marijuana legalization movement

Here's my comment to the article on the Examiner site:

This war is fake, made up. It's meant to disrupt and disturb efforts of the marijuana legalization movement with totally outrageous claims and fear mongering.

In my opinion, it sounds more like a government initiated program to disrupt the funding to marijuana legalization efforts of groups like NORML, MPP, and others who've been in the trenches for marijuana legalization for a long time.

It's almost Nixon-like.

Set up a fake "legalization" organization, use the media to get the word out, and then use this org. to dilute funds away from REAL legalization efforts while clawing at the social fabric of the marijuana movement.

The efforts of groups like NORML and MPP seek complete legalization of marijuana and the freedom to smoke at will. Regulation and taxation only occur at the commercial level as is the case with ANY product.

I would hope that people have the sense to read the words of this article and see right through it for what it is - NONSENSE.

Since I have more space, let me point out some problems.

First, let me break down the characters and plot in this fairytale article. First, we have the evil "Cannabusiness Community" - the antagonist. Then, we have their henchmen - NORML, MPP, and DPA. Finally, we have the hero of this tale - MRPP. The plot of the article is that our fabled henchman are driving marijuana policy in such a way that it helps to develop the cannabusiness community. Now that we have the characters and plot set up, let's commence to root out the nonsense.

Who is this "cannabusiness community"?

This community evolved after the first Medical Marijuana Initiative, Proposition 215, gave Californian citizens the right to consume Cannabis in November 2006.

It is comprised of "reform organizations" including the "Marijuana Policy Project," NORML and the "Drug Policy Alliance." It is also comprised of dispensary owners, "Medical Marijuana" growers and distributors of "Medical Marijuana Cards" such as Paul Stanford. And what do they all have in common? They do not want you to ever have the right to grow your own Marijuana: even as an adult.

What is MRPP or MERP?

Simply put, they are the Marijuana Re-Legalization Policy Project run by Bruce W. Cain who is also the author of that fairytale article, go figure. He pushes "his" "MERP" model which is nothing more than Jack Herer's California Cannabis Hemp & Health Initiative minus any plant restrictions.

Even Cain says on his own page
I do fully support Jack Herer's CCHH Initiative for California. This is the only initiative that largely conforms to the MERP Model. The only fly in the ointment is that it restricts the number of self cultivated plants to 100. MERP allows unlimited numbers of self cultivated plants.
By the way, no one knows what "MERP" stands for exactly. I still don't get why it isn't just MRPP. I'll use MRPP to refer to this organization.

So, why is this all nonsense?

It's nonsense because all of it is unfounded. Think about it. What medical marijuana dispensaries have a problem with the legalization of marijuana? Last time I checked, the DEA was busy shutting down these dispensaries. Marijuana legalization would keep these businesses open and operating. As it stands, they are targets of the prohibitionists. Legalization is the goal of NORML, MPP, and the DPA.
NORML's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty. [link]

Because MPP believes that the greatest harm associated with marijuana is prison, we focus on removing criminal penalties for marijuana use, with a particular emphasis on making marijuana medically available to seriously ill people who have the approval of their doctors. [link]

The Drug Policy Alliance Network (DPA Network) is the nation's leading organization promoting policy alternatives to the drug war that are grounded in science, compassion, health and human rights. [link]

The Real Problem: Bruce W. Cain.

He creates this illusion of conflict by trying to make us believe that these organizations are somehow working against legalization efforts. He misconstrues the concept of medical marijuana as the end all to the marijuana movement. In his mind, he believes this "cannabusiness community" is somehow driving all of the marijuana policies to create this quasi-legal atmosphere where marijuana prices can remain high thus preserving profits.

It's delusional at best.

What really pisses me off?

The thing that truly pisses me off comes towards the end of the fairytale article.
Withdraw all financial support to NORML, DPA, MPP and the rest of the Cannabusiness community.
First of all, the so-called cannabusiness community desires legalization because they desire openness and profit at the same time. They don't get charity. Even Cain admits, they make "literally millions of dollars each year". Even if that's a call to stop buying from them, how else are people going to get their medicine - go back to the black market?

At the same time, NORML, MPP, and the DPA get their funds from donations. In my opinion, they're doing an awesome job with those donations in this current sociopolitical climate.

Gaining Perspective

Prohibition is the problem. I am sure we can all agree to that. Prohibition is what's causing the high price of marijuana. I don't think anybody can disagree with that. Folks like Jack Herer and Dennis Peron along with groups like NORML, MPP, and the DPA have been promoting legalization for a long time with success.

Raw legalization is not going happen and it's not going to happen overnight.

Unfortunately, we live in a nation where common sense and intelligence are NOT prized, obviously. We live in a nation where money and greed rule supreme. The man with the brilliant mind is only as useful as the amount of money his ideas generate not the benefit those ideas may bring to the people. And unfortunately, we have to operate within that environment.

That means we have to play that game.

To get legalization of marijuana, we'll have to make it sweet to the people while at the same time making prohibition bitter. The great thing about that struggle is that all we need is to promote the truth. Marijuana prohibition was founded on and perpetuated through myths and lies since 1936. It is one of the largest drains on taxpayers, soaking up billions every year. It is the most socially devastating policy that promotes arresting and incarcerating millions of people who most likely wouldn't hurt a fly.

Now, is not the time to weaken these organizations by diluting their funding to other non-organizations like MRPP whose ideas for legalization belong to someone else and whose ability to confront prohibition is nonexistent.

Why I compare this article to a government ploy?

When I read some of the misinformation and unfounded delusions in that fairytale article, all I can hear is the propaganda during the Civil Rights movement. The US government, during that time, was guilty of wiretapping various leaders of the Black community. They were responsible for flooding Black communities with crack cocaine. The government lead major propaganda campaigns to demonize and discredit Civil Rights leaders. It was an ugly time.

I know that the legalization efforts of NORML, MPP, and the DPA are working - slowly, but surely. Prohibition rhetoric is at all time high. The people who benefit from prohibition - local, state, federal authorities and criminals - don't want prohibition to end. The Byrne Grant Program provides too much funding to authorities and they're addicted to the money. They're addicted to having people believe they're heroes. Busting potheads is just too easy. And, the criminals appreciate the ability to markup prices due to high risks.

But, the truth prevails so that rhetoric promoting prohibition is NOT working. Besides, the prohibitionists contradict themselves constantly. For example, why does it take a SWAT team to arrest a pothead when potheads are shown in ads to be lazy, weak, etc. Do you really need a 7-man paramilitary force to put a pothead like that in prison? DOUBTFUL.

So, what's a good tactic for prohibitionists?

Dig into the old playbook. Disrupt the marijuana legalization movement from within. Sabotage and espionage are the tools of war. The greatest defense is to simply seek the truth and not fall for the nonsense from a guy like Bruce W. Cain, the Freeway Ricky Ross of the marijuana movement.

DO NOT SMOKE HIS CRACK!!

Did US Tobacco Industry Hire FDA to Kill Competition

2009-09-26T09:00:00.005-04:00

I want to show how much influence and power the US tobacco industry has over the government and the people of the United States and how it affects marijuana legalization efforts.

Candy and Fruit Flavored Cigarettes Now Illegal in United States

"The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today a ban on cigarettes with flavors characterizing fruit, candy, or clove. The ban, authorized by the new Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, is part of a national effort by the FDA to reduce smoking in America. Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in America."

According the FDA, flavored tobacco is being used by teens more and more, even though tobacco use among teens has fallen. Well, the "protect the children" concept doesn't pan out. On top of that, the FDA is not banning menthol cigarettes, America's #1 flavored cigarette.

With that info, I thought perhaps it's protectionism at work. The FDA specifically mentions clove cigarettes which are mainly imported by Djarum, an Indonesian company. It would make sense since they specifically left out menthol cigarettes. That would protect the American tobacco industry. I think I hit the nail on the head.

Kretek Sues FDA Over Flavor Ban

"Kretek International Inc., importer and distributor of Djarum clove cigars, filed Wednesday a request for declaratory judgment against the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), following what it claimed was the FDA's intention to exceed its legislative authority to regulate flavored cigarettes by banning other tobacco products as well"

Tobacco Cos. Reassure Retailers Ahead of FDA Flavor Ban

The nation's largest tobacco manufacturer, Altria Group, issued a statement saying that the ban "does not affect any of Philip Morris USA's cigarettes, cigarette tobacco and smokeless tobacco products; U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Co.'s smokeless tobacco products; or John Middleton's cigars and pipe tobacco products," and all of the company's products would remain for sale after the Sept. 22 deadline.

The second-largest tobacco company in the U.S., R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., also issued a statement that the ban does not apply to any of its current portfolio of cigarette products, all of which "are in compliance … and will remain available."

That is incredible. How is it that the FDA could issue a ban on flavored cigarettes that totally excepts American flavored cigarettes? Perhaps, I missed a few of the smaller American cigarette manufacturers that will get hurt. Also, why not include flavored cigars as well? Or, have they just not gotten around to it yet? Also, how can they specifically cite clove cigarettes when it's not

Unfortunately, there's not enough proof to connect the US tobacco industry with this severely one-sided legislation besides the fact that they benefit from it. It's like blaming the husband for the wife's death because he is named as the beneficiary on her insurance policy. It doesn't prove who did it. But, he sure is the #1 suspect in the case, so far.

Money is a hell of a drug.

Dumb Cops, Ignorant Media Exaggerate Marijuana Value.. AGAIN

2009-09-24T10:34:00.002-04:00

Did you guys think I was lying about dumb ass cops and the media that help them spread their garbage in my last post?

Read: Marijuana, the New Gold Rush

Here's another one to sink your teeth into. Let's go...

Marijuana operations shut down

It seems cops in Texas have found the ultimate marijuana grow operation in the world to date. Even I've never heard of marijuana grown this way. You won't believe what the cops said..

"Plants grown this way shoot up rapidly and produce plants free of stems and seeds. The dried leaves produce a high dollar drug. "Street value would be around $6,000 an ounce," explained Kerss, who also invited in the DEA and Texas Rangers into the investigation."

Well, slap my ass and call me Susan.

I'll be damned if the idiots actually found a marijuana plant with NO FUCKING STEMS. And, if you think that's a misquote or typo, the cops continue to say that it will be worth "$6,000 an ounce". Yeah folks - leaves, roots, and no stems. Technically, they didn't say anything about roots or even buds. It's no wonder this marijuana has a street value of 6,000 per ounce. It doesn't have any damn stems. The THC level must be around 200% too.

INCREDIBLE.

And, your tax money was spent saving us from whom?

"So far, deputies have charged Charles Thomas Smith, Timothy Gillispie,63 and Daniel Poirier,54 all of Nacogdoches County with engaging in organized criminal activity."

Yeah folks, the DEA and Texas Rangers were called into this "amazing" haul by the local idiots to save the American people from 3 senior citizens! Ok, I'll be fair to the local, state, and federal authorities here - 2 senior citizens and 1 almost senior citizen. I wonder if that makes the "authorities" feel better about what they're doing with their lives.

And, what exactly did they find at this amazing marijuana grow operation?

"The alleged growers of marijuana were into hydroponics. Only one lush marijuana plant was found."

HA.. HA.. wait, I can't breath.. AAAAHHHH HAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAAA. THAT'S IT?!? ONE PLANT.

How many cops from how many different agencies spent how much tax payer money for ONE plant?

Well, to be fair, it was quite a nice operation they had going on from the video - very well kept home and property, top notch equipment, and a nice hydroponic setup. I see the grow lights, the mother room.. shit.. they even had the meters to keep track of pH and ppms and so on. By the quick look at the nutrients, it seems they were growing organic.

The good thing about organic growers is that they are naturalists for the most part. They won't use unnecessary or unnatural products. They won't give you anything that they won't use themselves. It was a high quality operation, very clean.

When marijuana is legalized, I hope these guys get out and start up their farm again. It was impressive. It's the kind of the model that indoor commercial growers should probably follow. We need more growers like that supplying the consumers.

Til then folks, GROW YOUR OWN.

On another note, I don't think I can just leave this without giving some honorable mention to the idiotic media, KTRE and, the author of this stupidity, Donna McCollum. Without their propagation of infinite stupidity and lack of journalistic integrity, people are lead to believe that marijuana can possibly bring them $6,000 an ounce. I don't think anyone is stupid enough to believe that marijuana can grow without stems... WAIT.. Donna McCollum and KTRE was stupid enough to run that line in this fairytale.

$6,000 an ounce... aaaahhhh hahahahahaha.. SO STUPID.

Marijuana, the New Gold Rush

2009-09-22T12:00:00.002-04:00

Question

What do you get when you tell a population of 300 million people that you can get between $2,000 and $15,000 per marijuana plant?
Answer: You get a population of 300 million people believing that marijuana is worth somewhere between $2,000 and $15,000.

What do you expect when upwards of 20% of this population are desperately looking for a job?
Answer: A 20% of this population willing to do just about anything to feed their families and save their homes.

Now, here's the big question...

What do you get when a large number of people willing to do just about anything read or hear in the news that a simple marijuana plant can bring them between $2,000 and $15,000 each?

Answer

More people selling pot as economy goes up in smoke
Out of work? Some folks are trying pot. Not to smoke -- but to sell.

That's the route increasing numbers of people are taking amid the worst recession in decades, according to law enforcement officials based in ganja-rich regions around the country.
Marijuana farming rebounds in economic hard time
"A lot of that, we theorize, is the economy," said Ed Shemelya, head of marijuana eradication for the Office of Drug Control Policy's Appalachian High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. "Places in east Tennessee, eastern Kentucky and West Virginia are probably feeling the recession a lot more severely than the rest of the country and have probably been in that condition a lot longer than the rest of the country."

The Problem

Well, if you didn't click on the linked "$15,000" in the first question, the answer is there (along with the story of Georgia cops who came up with that wild figure).

Prohibitionist Idiot #002: Lies Cops Tell

In short, purely idiotic local, state, and federal authorities that severely exaggerate the value of marijuana and the media that propagates their nonsense. It seems the value of marijuana is subject to any idiot's imagination. If you're ignorant of marijuana value, you'll believe it. If you're desperate, you'll look for information on how to grow it.

These conditions, created by idiotic police, have backfired in the worst way possible - for prohibitionists. Now "everyone" wants to grow marijuana like it's the gold rush of 1849 all over again. And, I am happy to help.

Is marijuana legalization working? Yes it is!

2009-09-21T11:46:00.006-04:00

Economics 101

In any economics class, even in high school, we learn that the more supply there is, the more the prices will drop. In fact, that lesson was hard-learned during the Great Depression. Manufacturing companies produced so many goods that they couldn't get them sold fast enough. If everyone in the US already has a television, then it will be difficult to sell new televisions. Seriously, this is Economics 101.

Well, listen to this.

No government agency is going to be able to tell you what I am going to tell you right now. They don't have their fingers on the pulse of marijuana growers in the United States - not like I do. There's no article to link to that will tell you what I know. There aren't any reporters who can be this close to the situation. So, sit tight and pay attention.

Marijuana growers are hurting in California. Let me repeat this fact so everyone can see it in plain English.

Marijuana growers are hurting in California.

The level of competition has gotten so high that prices have to come down across the board. It's literally flooding the market. And, the customer base is NOT going up so there's no one there to "consume" all of that extra supply. Think about it. Marijuana is so easily and readily available. Who couldn't get it? How many more customers are going to try marijuana beyond the ones who are already using it?

Also, it's the harvest season between late September, through October, into early November. That means MORE marijuana is going to flood the market thus lowering prices in the next few weeks.

The growers are looking forward to local, state, and federal authorities' eradication programs. They want the eradication programs to take place because that lowers supply thus decreasing competition and keeping prices high.
The big problem are SOME of these "compassionate" clubs. They still charge street prices even though many of them are low-balling the growers on wholesale prices. Can you blame them? With all the increased supply, they have a right to demand lower prices. I just think it's sick that some of them would knowingly have lower costs and still charge people street prices. But, this is a function of prohibition and greed. It's a middleman's market and these clubs are taking advantage in a big way.

For the record, in less than a year, legalization is doing what prohibition could not do in 70+ years. It's taking the profit out of the crime.

It's still early, but I will wait to see what this season's harvest brings.

On another note

This is specifically why I promote personal marijuana growing.

If everyone had their own grow operation, they wouldn't need to buy marijuana from anyone else, or less often, thus curbing crime and freeing up the burden on police to do the impossible. Until marijuana is legalized, regulated, and taxed across all 50 states, I will continue to promote personal marijuana grow ops.

It's easy. I'll start you off. Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

Honestly, I have a feeling I'll still support personal marijuana growing even after legalization. Can you imagine what the tobacco industry would do if marijuana became legal. We already know what they do to tobacco - adding carcinogenic chemicals beyond the stuff the plain tobacco will do to you. I can't imagine seeing anything good out of Marlboro Marijuana cigarettes. Nope, I'll keep growing my own.

If marijuana is regulated, I would hope the regulations include a "NO CHEMICAL ADDITIVE" rule, law, statue - whatever. The tobacco industry relies on these chemicals to process tobacco into those cancer sticks. However, today, we grow marijuana without these harmful chemicals and there's no reason that practice should ever change.

Legalization could prevent a 4yo boy from sharing cocaine

2009-09-20T18:53:00.004-04:00

I just read an article on ABC News and I had to put some education to it.

NJ Police: Dad Tells 4-Year-Old Cocaine Is Candy
New Jersey police say a 4-year-old boy shared cocaine with his friends at day care because his father told him it was candy.

Personally, the only "drug" I care about legalizing is marijuana. It's a plant, not a man-made chemical. But, I would be a careless fool if I didn't admit the benefits to legalizing all drugs.

Prohibition was always a bad idea. We learned that lesson during the prohibition of alcohol. Prohibition-inspired wars between gangsters like Al Capone and law enforcement like Elliot Ness left only dead bodies and crying widows. Even then, people continued drinking alcohol as they pleased. Prohibition didn't work and it wasn't worth another life.

With the legalization of alcohol, came regulation and taxation. Alcohol was no longer under control of the gangsters like Al Capone but instead behind the counter tops of liquor stores where harmful substances could be controlled, kept out of the hands of children.

Instead of learning those simple lessons, the US followed alcohol prohibition with marijuana prohibition and subsequently a total prohibition on anything considered a drug. Go figure.

While there exist Al Capones of the illegal drug market today, guys like Shaheed Wright exist as well. Shaheed Wright is a drug dealer, dealing cocaine and probably other drugs as well. He is also the father that told his own 4yo son that cocaine was candy as he sent him off to school with baggies of cocaine in his pocket.

The problem with these small time drug dealers is that they control the drug market and they decide who gets drugs. Where alcohol, and even tobacco, were taken out of the hands of people like Shaheed Wright and Al Capone, prohibitionists have given these people the job of gatekeeper of powerful substances. With no regulation, who's going to tell Shaheed Wright to whom he can distribute his product? No one!

Granted, it was an unfortunate situation that lead up to the boy getting the cocaine, we can not absolve prohibitionists for placing the responsibility of cocaine in the hands of irresponsible people like Shaheed Wright. Why aren't we treating these drugs like alcohol and tobacco? Why are they so easy to obtain?

I ask this simple question to those that believe prohibition is the way to go:

How often does a 4yo boy end up sharing alcohol or tobacco with friends at school?

And, if you need help realizing why prohibition is a failure, read this article:
Former U.S. anti-drug official's arrest 'a complete shock'
As a high-ranking U.S. anti-drug official, Richard Padilla Cramer held front-line posts in the war on Mexico's murderous cartels. He led an office of two dozen agents in Arizona and was the attache for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Guadalajara. While in Mexico, however, Cramer also served as a secret ally of drug lords, according to federal investigators.

If you think individuals like Richard Cramer are a rarity, ask yourself why, with billions of dollars going to eradicate drugs, local/state/federal authorities can only catch 5-10% of the TOTAL drugs that get into the US. Planes, trains, boats, trucks - Richard Cramer isn't the only weak link in the chain.

Overgrow, the Marijuana Movement!

2009-09-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

A few years ago, there was a website called Overgrow. Overgrow was THE largest website in the world for marijuana growers. You could find growers of every level and walk of life - small, personal grows to large commercial operations to breeders; recreational and medical; all races, ethnicities, creeds, and religions. If you were a marijuana grower, you knew about Overgrow.

Unfortunately, Overgrow was shut down along with many other sites. That event sent the marijuana growing world scrambling. People were concerned because it wasn't just a shut down, it was a raid by Canadian police. They had taken servers and were basically hunting down people. Some were caught, most weren't.

Cannabisworld.com and Overgrow.com Seized By Police via High Times

Fortunately, marijuana growers were able to regroup on other sites and continue growing. They finally understood what was going on. They internalized what happened to them and their friends - their marijuana family. And, they got pissed.

The shutting down of Overgrow and all these other sites stoked fires in the hearts of growers around the world. Overgrow became an ideology, a battle cry. Marijuana growers weren't just growing marijuana anymore; they were overgrowing the government. Overgrow, the ideology, is a giant "FUCK YOU" to the government and the special interests that seek to keep this plant out of the hands of the people.

Overgrow has become the idea that the people will continue to grow marijuana in spite of all these attempts to kill it. We will grow so much marijuana that it will be completely impossible to keep it out of the hands of the people.

And, it's working.

So many people around the world use marijuana on a daily basis. Unfortunately, the laws in most countries don't allow marijuana growing or use. Just as unfortunate is the reality that some of these people do end up indirectly supporting a violent element in society. The people aren't to be blamed for this. A government that supports prohibition is a government that supports violence and demonizes an entire swath of their own community including their own friends and family.

It's these people, the users, that are becoming the marijuana growers. They understand the same things that I understand

Marijuana is safe to use
Marijuana is easy to grow on your own
Growing marijuana is safer than buying it on the street

It's my pleasure to support these users by showing them how easy it is to grow your own marijuana for personal use. I've never grown commercially. I've never sold marijuana either. But, I have, and will continue, to help others grow their own marijuana cheaply and safely away from violent people, badged or not. It's my way of fighting prohibition where common sense and even precedent has failed. It's my way of fighting the greed and lies that keep marijuana from being legalized.
It's my way to OVERGROW.

Grow marijuana, save a life!
Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

Why wait until you're suffering to care?

2009-09-09T14:45:00.001-04:00

I just read a story over at 420 Magazine via Wacotrib News and it pissed me off so much that I had to say something. Enough with the formalities, let's go.

Waco Man Teams With NORML in Push for Medical Marijuana

Alan Caruthers, of Waco, says he was 18 years old the first and last time he tried marijuana. It didn't do much for him. Until this year, he saw no reason to try it again, and he dismissed arguments for decriminalizing it as pothead talk.

It took a four-year struggle with myelofibrosis to change his mind. His leukemialike bone marrow disease gives him constant bone pain. The chemotherapy gives him nausea that makes him vomit daily. The Vicodin, Ativan and other drugs he's taking to relieve those symptoms are losing their effectiveness, and he's afraid of getting addicted to them.

So now, at age 44, this Christian family man and lifelong Republican is considering medicating himself with marijuana. And he has become an unlikely advocate for the right to do so legally.
(click title for the rest of the article)

Here's my response to the article:

This pisses me off.

"It took a four-year struggle with myelofibrosis to change his mind."

Why in the hell do you wait until it's YOUR problem before you actually give a damn about people suffering?? That, to me, is the most selfish reason for advocating for medical marijuana. You don't need to be in the "crap" to give a damn about those already living in it. What's next? His healthcare costs are going to bankrupt him so he'll be advocating for the public option or even universal?

Or, worse. What's going to happen when his issue is resolved? Will he go back to not giving a damn because he's out of troubled waters, so to speak?

The most that medical marijuana advocates and legalization advocates would ask of people is that they listen and get all of the facts. But, he was not that kind of man. Many people in this nation aren't willing to listen. I have absolutely NO respect for people like that.

I hope he gets his marijuana. I just want to see how he acts after he gets the treatment he requires.

That's all I am going to say at this point. I am just severely disgusted.

Racial Profiling, Statistically Speaking.

2009-09-07T14:28:00.001-04:00

Racial Profiling

First of all, what's racial profiling.

Racial profiling basically states that certain races are prone to committing certain crimes.

However, the problem with racial profiling is that it is based on statistics or past history. Statistics is just a representation of data collection.

Therein lies the problem with racial profiling.

See, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be arrested and end up incarcerated, statistically. This is because, statistically, African Americans and Hispanics are more likely to commit crimes. Therefore, statistically, it makes sense that African Americans and Hispanics are targeted by police more often.

Wait.

Where are these statistics coming from? Who's collecting and compiling this data?

Well, statistically, White people are the data collectors. Statistically, White people are the data compilers. Statistically, White people are the ones doing the arresting and incarcerating. And, statistically, White people are the ones who report this data.

Hmmm.

Am I wrong? Statistically, no. Statistically, I am right. Whites do collect, compile, and report these statistics - statistically, of course.

So, what? Does it matter that Whites collect, compile and report statistics?

Hell yeah!

Statistically, this nation, of mostly Whites, has been anti-non-white! From the very day the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock, Whites have been the scourge of non-whites in North America from sea to shining sea. Statistically, that's true.

If you can deny that reality, please try to do so, statistically.

At any rate, since before the inception of this nation, African Americans and Hispanics have been targeted by Whites the most, statistically.

Targeted for what? Eh, let's not get into that.

And sure, many other people have been targeted, statistically. Ask the Japanese, Native Americans, Arabs. Or, check the statistics.

Statistics would show that the statistics for the criminal behavior based on race or ethnicity is severely skewed. By what? Racism.

Hey. You can't take one statistic and not the other. That's not how statistics work. Ah, but that is how racial profiling is being used by a mostly White majority, statistically.

Racial Profiling Misused

Have a look at this chart...
Hey, statistically, Whites make up over three-quarters of the marijuana users in the United States. However, statistically, African Americans and Hispanics make up more than 70% of those arrested and incarcerated for marijuana use. Check the statistics.

Hmmm.

Statistically, it would seem that local, state, and federal authorities don't do any racial profiling. If they did do any racial profiling at all, then wouldn't it make sense, statistically, that more Whites would be targeted, arrested, and incarcerated for marijuana offenses.

Also, if racial profiling is based on statistics, which set of statistics is being used. Think about it. If we're going by marijuana usage, then Whites should be targeted more. However, if we're going by crime statistics, the targeting, arrests, and incarceration of Blacks and Hispanics would make sense.
But, do current crime statistics - based on racism, statistically - justify the current state of racial profiling? Absolutely not!

Are you tired of statistics, yet?

I support racial profiling - REAL racial profiling - based on statistics that are not inherently skewed by the racist attitudes of those in power.

Does this mean that I want to see more White people arrested for marijuana offenses?

HELL NO! I want marijuana to be as legal as tobacco and alcohol for all of us.

However, if local, state, and federal authorities are going to racial profile people in general, wouldn't it make sense they follow statistics that aren't created through racism? Then again, that assumes they are actually racial profiling based on statistics and not just blatant racism.

Grow marijuana, save a life!

2009-08-27T09:00:00.000-04:00

The Problem

In this war on drugs, it has become apparent to me that stupidity and greed have always been at the forefront. The smart guys are the drug dealers. They make billions yearly while entire police departments and federal authorities pat themselves on the back because they found a ton of marijuana or raided a marijuana grow op(eration).

It's sad because they pose in these photos with huge smiles on their faces not realizing their "contribution" to the drug war amounts to absolutely nothing. That ton doesn't even scratch the surface. That indoor grow op or large field of cannabis means nothing. Those millions of plants, hundred thousand users, thousands of dealers, and hundreds of homes adds up to only 5-10% of the total drugs that get into the hands of waiting consumers.

That's barely enough to put a dent in the pricing of marijuana and other drugs. And, believe it or not, that's less than the expected loss for drug dealers. The drug dealers have more faith in the police catching them than they deserve. Anyone who's invested 10 minutes in the debate already knows the absolute lack of usefulness of local police and federal authorities. It's pitiful.

Truthfully, there are some truly dangerous people on both sides of this war from overzealous cops that murder old ladies in their own home (Kathryn Johnston or Alberta Spruill) to drug cartels that are responsible for mass graves. The typical marijuana user is truly caught between a government-issued assault rifle and drug cartels' mad men.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and hard place! Incredible.

The Solution

While the best option at this point in time is to legalize and regulate drugs, especially marijuana, it doesn't seem as though that will happen anytime soon. Very few politicians have the guts or the brains to make the right or smart decision. And, most are being paid off anyway. $50,000 to a senator's "campaign" is more important than saving the lives of innocent people, so it seems.

(only marijuana is important to me at this point)

While we wait for hard working organizations to fight for common sense drug policy, the solution, albeit temporary, is for the users to grow their own marijuana. The reasons for growing your own marijuana are numerous but I am interested in saving lives. If you grow your own marijuana, you save your own life as well as the lives of friends and family by:.
maintaining quality control over the substances you may use or distribute (ie. lacing - roach spray, cocaine)
running a small grow op that will fly under the radar of overzealous, violent police/feds who want the big busts
not supporting violent drug cartels

Just a bit of advice

Growing marijuana is not hard to do. All you need are the seeds. From that point, any garden shop and tomato growing instructions will help you grow marijuana. There are books available along with DVD's and online guides and forums with so many supportive growers that are willing to help you. You don't need a college course in botany even though some schools in California offer that kind of education.

In fact, I'll help you. Start here: Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

Don't be afraid to start your own small, personal marijuana grow op. Here are some risks of growing marijuana and why you won't be at risk with a small op:
Snitching: the #1 rule of marijuana growing is not to let others know.
However, so many people grow, use, support marijuana that telling people what you do becomes a non-issue. In fact, many of my friends know that I grow. It's a recipe for disaster but even the ones I've mad angry over the years haven't turned on me or turned me in. I can even count a New York City police officer as one of the people that knows I grow. He smokes marijuana as well so he can't wait to try out my next crop. It's amazing. He smokes every where and every day and whips out his badge like a get out of jail free card. This is because most NYC cops smoke marijuana as well.
Then again, shit happens. So, keep your mouth shut. The only person who can snitch on you is YOU!
Electricity: a dead giveaway is your electric bills sky rocketing overnight.
However, a small marijuana grow op naturally uses a small amount of electricity - a bump that always goes unnoticed. Remember police are looking for big busts. So, a 200-400-watt per day bump is not going to alarm anyone. It's the 1000-watt per day bumps coming from small apartments that raises eyebrows. Even homes can get away with a 1000-watt bump because homes take up considerably more electricity on average. The bigger the house, the more you can get away with.
Smell: we all know marijuana has a strong odor.
However, with a small grow op, all you need is a typical room air purifier. This won't raise the kind of suspicions a large carbon scrubber (activated carbon air purifier, usually custom made) would raise.
Noise: a dead giveaway for a large grow op is the noise from humming fans to whirring electrical ballasts to water and air pumps.
While a small grow op will need all of these items to function properly, they would be considerably smaller, causing considerably less noise. A simple air conditioner can cover any "unusual" sounds coming from a small marijuana grow op.
Heat: A tactic used by police/feds to find marijuana grow ops is the use of infrared sensors. They look for the high heat signatures that come from high intensity discharge (HID) lights.
By nature, a small marijuana grow op will either not use HID lights or use smaller versions of them. They do not generate the type of heat that would alarm a police department that uses that kind of technology (search: FLIR). For example, a 125-watt compact fluorescent light (CFL), while inferior to HID lights, is nearly cool or mostly warm to the touch while a similar HID may burn your finger.
Paper Trail: Police may look for purchases in your financial records that may lead them to clues you're growing. Imagine spending $10,000 at a garden shop and not purchasing any seeds. However, a small marijuana grow op can cost as little as $300 and lower depending on how small you want to grow.
You can also NOT leave a paper trail by paying cash for everything. It's a small grow op so carrying upwards of $500 isn't going to attract attention.
Another idea is to spread your risk. Instead of buying all items from one place, purchase from different places and have friends purchase items for you. You can also spread your purchases over time.
Create a list of all the items you think you need. Find a different store that may carry specific items. For example, Home Depot carries light timers. Pathmark carries plant fertilizer. Kmart carries flowerpots. Pet stores carry air stones and air pumps as well as tubing.
I don't want to say that a small marijuana grow op is completely secure. Nothing is ever completely secure. However, you're much better off with a small marijuana grow op. Besides that, you learn how to grow marijuana.When it's legal, you can definitely opt to grow on a larger scale.

Last word

Small grow ops can be small in height or number. For example, we could grow quite a few plants in small space using 100 watts of CFLs or we can grow maybe 4 to 6 plants up to 5 feet high in a closet using only 250-400 watts of HID light. Other methods exist for maintaining small marijuana grow ops as so many people do it this way to stay under the radar. And, they do it because it works.

Update: Converting BongSpirit to BongMarijuana

2009-08-24T21:20:00.000-04:00

Hey folks. I finally got the glass pieces I needed to complete the conversion of the Bong Spirit vodka bottle to fully functioning bong.

Link: Converting BongSpirit to BongMarijuana

Actually, it's 99.9% complete. I still need a grommet to place in the hole for a more secure fitting. It's tight but it still moves around just a tiny bit. Anyway, it's working perfectly now. Here are some pictures:

Converting BongSpirit to BongMarijuana

2009-08-18T16:10:00.003-04:00

The Quest

About a year ago, I came across a link for Bong Spirit. It's a vodka from Holland, "distilled 6 times". Be it far from me to act as a liquor expert, I couldn't say if the vodka was that good as I don't drink more than once a month if at all and it's only amaretto on the rocks - not too classy yet not too cheap. I enjoy one vice and I am sticking to it.

Marijuana.. duuh

Anyway, when I saw the site, I simply had to get a bottle. It's mass produced liquor so I already knew it would be cheap. But, the most attractive thing about Bong Spirit are the designs. I appreciate the artwork. Unfortunately, I was having trouble finding it - in New York City of all places. The website lists the distributors but when I called the two closest, I got no answer. The others were too far away for me.

That's what always sucks about calling some businesses; you never get an answer. I think, as a marketing person myself, you've got to be available when customers call even if it only comes out to a few dollars.
/endrant

Fortunately, one day as I was coming from dinner at Vento on 14th street and 9th ave (great restaurant) on my way to the train station on 7th, I came across a liquor store with a Bong Spirit bottle in the window on 8th Ave. Even if that's the last bottle, I was going to buy it. I didn't want to waste a second looking for the bottle. I headed straight for the counter and asked the clerk, "Where's your Bong Spirit?" It came out to about $31, tax included.

I got the Capacitor design. It's not in the pic above but you can see it on the main website (3 bottle from the left, orange in color. You can see it in the pics below (all the way at the bottom).

It took me a week to drink that vodka! Hey, even I know, you're not supposed to waste liquor. And then the delicate process of conversion began.

Educating Myself

There are some YouTube videos about the conversion but most only talk about it. One guy actually did it but he didn't do the most important part which is getting the hole in the glass for the bowl. He took it to some glass company.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO (just kidding)

Then he proceeded to explain how to drill the plastic cap as though people need help with that. As many people pointed out in the comments.. JUST REMOVE THE CAP.. duh (not kidding).

The Conversion Process

I got a drill bit that was made for drilling holes in glass. Then, I drilled the damn hole myself. I didn't have anything to secure the bottle so I took the chance of securing it between my feet at an angle and on carpet. The reason I did that was to minimize the chance of breaking using my softer feet and rug as a vibration dampener. Normally, one would use rubber clamps to hold the glass in place. But, I'm a pothead and we're fucking DIY geniuses.
Warning
If you're working with glass, be sure to wear a mask and be in a ventilated area. You do not want to breathe in glass dust. With that, I applaud the guy on YouTube for taking his project to a professional. It's always better to be safe, than sorry. Don't worry, I wore a mask and real, straight-from-Home Depot eye protection.
Unfortunately, as I got through the glass, I saw that it was chipping the hole on the inside. So, I had to bring out the Dremel which is like a smaller handheld hobby drill. I had parts for the Dremel I could use to etch glass but not drill a hole, not yet. Fortunately, the hole was already drilled for the most part. Now I just had to widen it and keep the edges smooth. It took some time but I literally etched that hole wide enough for another Dremel drill bit that would finish the job for me. I also smoothed the edges at the top and inside so that there wouldn't be any sharp edges. I could run my fingertips over the hole and not worry about getting cut.

I had a perfectly working bong.

Trials and Tribulations

Unfortunately, again, the one bowl I had fell off the table and cracked when it hit a hard surface. I know I should always have more just in case but I was never big on bongs. I'll go get more whenever I get back to West 3rd St/6th Ave (between the Subway sandwich spot and the kinky video store sits my favorite tobacco/head shop).

Anyway, here are some pics:

As you can see, I am currently using it as a pipe until I get a new bowl. I used black electrical tape to sort of seal the edges and keep it secure by taping over the hole and cutting slits in the center. I also used a razor blade to trim the excess tape off the sides so it looks a little cleaner. It works well and protects the glass until I get the proper fittings and such. It's not 100% completed or finalized but it's a working model for now. I will do this again but I want the proper tools so I can do this quickly.

$31, a little hard work, a small liver sacrifice to the marijuana gods, the right tools and a steady hand is all it took.

And, yes, it smokes smooth - oh so smoooooth - with the glass bowl, before it broke, and even as a pipe. It's great!
Cleaning Tip
That glass dust will get inside the bottle. I found it difficult getting the dust out. A little bit of water and soap did NOT do the trick. I used epsom salt (a lot) with cold water (don't want it dissolving) as a sort of abrasive. Everyone should have epsom salt in their home. It has too many beneficial uses for folks to not have it. If not, any Rite Aid, CVS, Pathmark, drug store, or even a discount shop should/would have it.

I finished this post just in time to spark up a bowl. Happy 420 folks!

Have Boston Potheads Gone Wild or Are Cops Full of Crap?

2009-07-17T07:45:00.000-04:00

Earlier today...

I read this article, Pot law leaves cops high & dry, at the Boston Herald website. I had to admit that it sent a chill up my spine in a good way. At first I thought, finally, we're seeing marijuana smokers light up like they would any typical tobacco user - no violence, no killing, no nonsense, no arrests.

But, the article began to sink in.

It was written from the point of view of Boston police - not exactly a group noted for being honest especially when it comes to marijuana users. Although the main point of the article speaks to the law specifically, there are some "stories" within it that I find are complete nonsense.

In short, the article is about the current marijuana laws on the books in Massachusetts. They bring the "crime" of smoking marijuana down from a sick-and-twisted arrestable "offense" to a near-common sense minor misdemeanor. The police complained from the first day that they wouldn't be able to enforce the law as it is on the books.

If caught smoking marijuana in public, you get a $100 fine. You don't even have to give your name so the citations aren't even enforceable, as I understand it. So, the current statistics reflect exactly that concern.

"...83 percent of 415 tokers cited in Boston since the law took effect in January have refused to pony up the $100, a Herald review shows."

I can believe that. But, it's not the statistics that bother me at all. Honestly and obviously, I believe marijuana should be legal and taxed, not illegal and fined. So, that result, in my view, upsets me only because 17% of the people actually bothered to pay this twisted fine.

What bothers me are the anecdotes of police encounters which is obviously full of pure unadulterated lies. I'll break em all down so we can see the sensationalism and outright arrogance of stupidity of the Boston Police Department.

#LiesCopsTell

In Arlington, a public works employee was cited by the local police chief for smoking a pot pipe as he stood next to his town-issued tractor.
When you read this, you're to think: "Oh no! You shouldn't be operating that tractor - paid for by tax payers - while you're high on marijuana!" And, we can't know if this is true or not because the cops couldn't get his info. However, they knew he was a "public works employee" standing next to a "town-issued tractor". I guess his employers can't do anything to stop him all because the cops can't enforce a citation. Give us all a break!
At bustling Park Street Station, a pair of nonchalant lovers out on the town openly lit up a joint and continued toking even after confronted by off-duty Milton Chief Richard Wells.
I love this one just for the "nonchalant lovers" part. Makes me think of good ol' Harry Anslinger when he said, "This marijuana causes white women to seek sexual relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." What were they doing to make them nonchalant lovers? Smoking marijuana? I find it kind of hard to nonchalantly love a woman with a joint in my mouth. It kinda gets in the way of the whole nonchalant loving part, don't you think?
In East Boston, four teens spotted in a “smoke-filled vehicle” unabashedly told a cop they were “just smoking marijuana.”
This lie is hilarious just because they used the word unabashedly. They must have dug deep in the thesaurus for that one. Nevermind the potential DUI situation. I guess the police couldn't address it without giving a citation.
A man caught near a Dorchester playground laughed when police said he faced a $100 fine - and then taunted the cops with an expletive-laced tirade.
This is my favorite lie, yet! It's similar to the whole tractor crap above. You're made to think: "Oh no! They're smoking in the playground where our children play!" And, to make matters worse, he taunts the police with an "expletive-laced tirade". So, he's not just a pothead at a playground around children, he's a violent pothead at a playground around children. HILARIOUS!

Boston Potheads Haven't Gone Wild

Granted some people are quite uncouth. Arrogance, entitlement, privilege all drive folks to do things that are generally pretty stupid and uncalled for. Most police know exactly what I am talking about as they are guilty of it most of the time. The worst of stories I've heard is where people are generally rude to others that don't smoke much like tobacco smokers do regularly. It's my only pet peeve. Ask those around you that may be affected before you light up. It's called courtesy and respect.

But potheads in general are quite courteous, at least the ones I've met. And, I highly doubt Boston potheads would be as stupid or arrogant as Boston police would have us believe. The cops want their revenue stream back. They want to be able to arrest potheads so they come up with this sensationalist nonsense about marijuana smokers. I don't believe and I'll be on Boston soon enough to see for myself.

At the end of the day, Boston police are just trying to save their jobs. Without the ability to arrest marijuana smokers, the city will find that Boston police are generally ineffective and crime along with the cost of enforcing the old laws will fall dramatically - lower jail costs, court costs, and no more cops padding their pockets with overtime pay by spending hours long after their shift is over tending to potheads. The people of Boston win more than they realize.

The next step for Massachusetts is to eliminate the jobs of police isntead of teachers and counselors. They had the courage to pass this law. I hope they have the courage to address the state's police burden.

Pres. Anthony's Marijuana Q&A #002

2009-06-24T20:00:00.003-04:00

Intro

Well folks, here I am back with a few more good questions from you budding marijuana growers.

But, before I continue, I want to make sure people understand that there are hundreds of thousands of marijuana growers right here in the United States. Many of them are on forums like ICMag, ready and willing to help teach folks, like yourself, exactly how to grow marijuana safely and securely from criminals and cops alike. You can also purchase books like Ed Rosenthal's Marijuana Grower's Handbook: The Indoor High Yield Guide or Jorge Cervantes's Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Growers Guide.

So, join the forums and get the books. I can answer questions some of your questions but I am not the best authority and I am only one guy.

On to the Questions & Answers

Anthony,

I found your blog while looking up some growing tips and ideas for "grass". Please see the attached pictures and tell me what you think.

In summary, the first pic is about 4 weeks into growing. I germinated the seeds and planted them (2 plants) in 1/2 liter pots. I've got two growing now. The second and third pics are after trimming the roots a quarter-inch and repacking in miracle grow potting soil (basic $5 bag). The age at these pics are about 6 weeks +/-. As for growing conditions, these are growing in South Texas, average daily temperature is 90-101 degrees, humidity anywhere from 20-40%, UV indexes of 7-9 daily, and light winds. I've been giving the plants 1 1/4 cups of water per pot each day except until recently. I had to move the pots to a secret location because of neighbors. The pots are still out in the open but now receive about 10 hours of sunlight due to their location; they're behind a large rock that blocks their sunlight from about 4pm-7am.

It's my first time growing - now that I'm out of school I can focus real time on doing this. I'm tired of buying and want to grow a SMALL amount for personal use. I'm extremely intrigued by your micro-scale plants (the soil grown 1-ounce plant is amazing! that's what i'm shooting for). If you could give me some advice on what i've got growing now i'd really appreciate it as well as where to begin growing those 1-oz. plants. As I said I'm in about the 7th week of growing and i need to know what to do now. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.
Your plants look very healthy.

The issue with the light isn't so bad. It's more important that the plant receive at least 12 hours of darkness or sleep. 10 hours of light affects the plant by making it mature faster but the yield will be lower. Essentially you're on a sort of 22 hour day. Although, it's not ideal, it's ok. On the other side of the coin, if you were indoors, you could extend the hours of light and increase yield as long as the plant gets the minimum of 12 hours of sleep. But, of course, it would take longer because you would be on a 26-hour day, for example.

Since they are outdoors, you don't need to feed them so often. Just make sure the soil is damp, even allow it to dry out a bit at the top. They sell soil testers at garden shops for pretty cheap. I got one for $5 about 2 yrs ago. Or just shove your finger deep in the soil to make sure the soil is moist.

Marijuana is a very strong and hardy plant. The best growers will tell you to simply leave it alone and let nature handle it. The worst growers are the ones who interfere too much. The best advice I can give you is to just let them grow and learn what you can for next time.

As far as the 1oz grow, it's more of a hobby of some growers who just like to show off their ability and have a little fun. I use it as an extreme example of how we can grow at home without worrying about 9 foot tall plants. Those pics don't belong to me.
Hi. I started growing weed and didn't think it would acually work. Now I have 4 little small plants and one big one but the problem is 3 of the small plants are in the same pot and close together. Can I do anythingy about it? The big one is also in the same pot of the 4th one and now the big one has outgrow the little one by alot and i need help. I was considering growing again and doing it the right way. Can you give me any tips. I did the first ones outdoors. Should I grow my new ones indoors?
Well depending on how big the flower pot is, they might be able to hang out there if you're keeping them small. But, I'd advise transplanting them to separate pots with fresh soil immediately. The roots most likely will get tangled as it grows so try to separate without doing to much damage.

Let them grow out and see what happens. You can only learn from this point on anyway. As far as tips, get a book on marijuana growing by either Jorge Cervantes or Ed Rosenthal and there are other authors as well. And, sign up at icmag.com. You'll get help from hundreds of other growers as well. While you're reading and getting a better idea of what's involved, you can continue with what you have now, scrap and start over, or start another bunch of seeds.

As far as the next grow, I'd do it inside because the grow season has already begun outdoors. It may be a bit more work but there's nothing better than having a higher level of control over your grow. Also, you don't want to get spotted by nosey neighbors, someone passing by, or cops in helicopters. If you're gonna take that chance you better know what you're doing.

Good luck. Stay safe.
I was wondering if there is any type of heating lamp that is the best to get?
No problem. You're not looking for heating lamp but the lights you would want do get hot. The "big boy" growers use HID lights which include HPS (orangish) and MH (bluish). Since you're just starting out, go for CFL lights because they stay pretty cool and are cheaper. The drawback is the light isn't as strong so your final amount will suffer. Check out BGHydro for grow supplies. They've got it all.

Prohibitionist Idiot #003: Manic Politicians

2009-06-16T00:00:00.003-04:00

Some of the most dangerous prohibitionist idiots lurk in the worst possible positions in society - government. Politicians from your local assemblyman/woman/person to the President of the United States shape public policy. Creating marijuana prohibition is possibly the most damaging public policy to any society. Who do we have to thank for such societal turmoil? Simple answer: manic politicians.

Case: US Representative Mark Kirk [via NORML via Chicago Tribune]

Are you serious Rep Kirk? We're approaching some level of common sense on the use of medical marijuana and you come up with this sick and twisted policy. This is monstrous and destructive to American citizens on so many levels.

He is obviously ignorant of just about everything that has to do with marijuana. On top of that he has absolutely no regard for how such a policy will affect society. And to make matters worse, of course, he's supported by a bunch of dumb cops. Go figure!

Well, I'd like to destroy some myths that this arrogant and ignorant policy is based on.
Marijuana, and the THC that comes with it, is nontoxic and not dangerous.
The higher the THC content, the less the user will need - recreational or medicinal.
If marijuana, and THC, is nontoxic, then the dangers implied with high THC is moot - irrelevant, insignificant, obsolete! Besides the fact that marijuana does not have to be smoked (can be vaporized or cooked), having higher THC will allow smoker to use less reducing smoke inhalation completely.

On another note, this policy is akin to the crack vs cocaine sentencing or New York's Rockefeller Drug laws. Whereas Rockefeller's Drug laws disproportionately affected Black people in New York City, Rep. Kirk's proposal will affect mainly White suburban areas. I hope you don't think the brothas in the hood are growing that good shit in the projects.

Simply put.. IT'S IDIOTIC, just plain idiotic.

Pres. Anthony Answers Questions

2009-06-13T08:30:00.002-04:00

Well folks, there are a lot of growers out there full of questions and needing some serious answers. And, here I am doing my best to answer them.

Can I get a plant with a little bud on it in a month time by growing for 1 month then do 12on/12off last month?

No. Any plant or even life form has to go through its natural processes. Asking or hoping for a plant to be done that quickly is like asking for a child to be born at the age of 18. You can't rush this stuff. Just let nature take its course. The fastest a marijuana plant will grow depends mostly on the genetics of the plant. Even the fastest growing plant I've heard of would take maybe three months. And, that's still the case even when cutting corners.

Hey I'm a new grower and I guess I planted too early because I am going into bud stage. They are out door. Will it continue getting taller through the summer even though it started budding? White Widow x Bubble Gum. It's good stuff but I'm worried that it wont get any bigger.

It's difficult to answer this question honestly. I am not an outdoor grower but I have read up on it. Also, I don't know the area nor the weather fluctuations at the time and that all affects the plants. Chances are you did plant too early. You have to give the plant time to get some hardiness so that it can withstand the elements. Remember, indoors, you control just about everything. Outdoors is a different monster. Moving from indoors to outdoors will shock the plant. So the first week or so, it may not show much. If the plant is young, it may take even longer as it's roots will need to grow as well. Give it some time and let's hope they aren't in too much shock.

My plant the widow/gum produced leaves with only one leaf on them, if that makes sense. There's over 12 hours of sunlight why are the buds getting bigger and not the plant?

It's possible that the plant is "auto flowering". Some plants will flower automatically. Also, it could be the case that the plant may have been so stressed that it's going into self-preservation mode. That means it will produce both pollen sacs and buds - hermaphrodite - and pollinate itself so that it can stay alive.

Do these little plants still produce seeds?

Absolutely. Plants will be plants.

My leaves are yellow. What am I doing wrong?

Yellowing leaves can come from a number of different problems. It's hard to say without pictures of the leaves. Make sure you join forums or buy a book so that you can identify some problems yourself and adjust accordingly.

How often should I root prune my plant?

Root pruning shouldn't be done often at all. Once at the most and only if absolutely necessary.

My widow/gum plant still hasn't grown an inch, the buds have, but its a pretty pathetic little plant. I've heard that plucking the buds off will make it grow but the plant is basically 1 bud it will surely die if I did that. Any suggestions on how to get some growth going.

It sounds like it's a wrap for this little plant. Don't waste time with it anymore. Don't be discouraged either. I know a grower that didn't get it right until his 4th try. Each step he stumbled on was a number of lessons learned. Now he's growing some damn good Super Silver Haze. So, start over and try again.

How long would it take to grow the small plants you display on the top? And would this be a good start for a first timer? If so, what are the specific steps in order to do this? Like you said, there's so many variables to growing, and so many ways to do so. What were the specific steps you took and items you used to grow those nicely done small scale plants.

First, I didn't grow those plants. The plants displayed at the top are for hobby/fun purposes. I believe those plants may have taken approximately three months to grow. Remember a plant is a plant from the smallest weed to the tallest tree. They all only need air, earth, and water.

Is medical marijuana different than normal weed, or is it normal weed but they just call it that because its not used for recreation purposes but rather used medically to relieve anxiety/pain or whatever. As in if somebody bought weed from a person and smoked it because they needed to relieve stress, is this technically medical marijuana or no?

Well there is really no such thing as normal weed. There are different strains of marijuana and they all can affect us in slightly different ways. So each strain is rather unique. But, to answer your question, it is just marijuana that's used for medicinal purposes. There's no special or specific medical-only marijuana. If you're using for medicinal purposes, you have to find the right strain that works for you. For example, Michelle Rainey suffers from Crohn's disease. She uses, mainly, Afghani Bullrider to help her cope. That strain is good for her but it may not be what is preferred by someone else with or without the same disease.

This is just an example of the various people who want clean, safe, high quality marijuana. I won't stand behind medicinal users or act as though I am a medicinal user. But, I think I speak for all marijuana users when I say people want their marijuana. Unfortunately, the black market has control over marijuana so it's difficult getting marijuana safely from nickel and dime thugs and criminal cops alike.

Remember, the future of marijuana under prohibition is small, quiet, personal grow operations. We can continue growing marijuana in peace and not fall into the trap of supporting this failed War on Drugs by buying Mexican cartel trash weed nor paying government taxes used to wage war on ourselves.

Grow your own.

And, don't forget to join those forums and buy those books. I don't know everything, obviously. And, I won't always be able to respond in a timely manner. Don't let me be your only source of information. Keep growing.

Prohibitionist Idiot #002: Lies Cops Tell

2009-06-02T16:20:00.002-04:00

Intro

In Prohibitionist Idiot #001, I profiled a common everyday idiot of the next door variety. Let's take a look at some prohibitionist idiots that somehow get more attention than they deserve - the local police.

It amazes me how police officers get so much media attention. They are possibly some of the dumbest "professionals" one would ever meet. Think about it. You take some D-student/sports reject from high school, give them a badge and a gun, and all of a sudden, they're experts on marijuana and the black market economy.

What are we talking about?

I am talking about whenever there is news about a marijuana bust, some prohibitionist idiot kop (slang for dirty cop) decides to apply a monetary value to that marijuana that is completely outrageous.

For example via WSBTV.com:

The Story

First, let's just go over the story. "Police" find 200 marijuana plants. They tell the media that the bust is worth $3,000,000, that is, three million dollars. That's $15,000 per plant.

Dumbass Police Lies

I ask this simple question: When did these police officers ever get the education to come up with that figure? What secondary learning institutions did they attend that gives them the expertise to decide the worth of a marijuana plant? NONE! It's bullshit... another prohibitionist idiot lie.

The True Price of Marijuana

As a marijuana grower with a business degree, I can say without hesitation, there is absolutely no way in hell that one plant, grown indoors, will ever be worth $15,000, today. Even in these tough economic times, it would still take centuries of inflation for one marijuana plant to be worth $15,0000.

An ounce of the highest quality marijuana may sell at it's very highest price $600 (real market price is around $400). There are 16 ounces in a pound. At non-wholesale prices, a pound of marijuana can sell for $9,600. At wholesale prices, a pound of the highest quality marijuana will sell for around $5,000 to $6,000.

When growing marijuana, the measurement of success is how much weight you can get per 1,000 watt, or 1 kilowatt, light, not per plant. The magic number that every grower tries to obtain is TWO pounds per light. Typically speaking, even some of the best growers will only reach about ONE pound per light. You can fit between 12 and 16 plants per kilowatt light. (I'll speak more about why this is in another blog post)

Keep in mind, we're talking about indoor conditions. If we do our math correctly, the true worth of marijuana per plant, in the most optimal conditions is around $400 to $600. This 200 plant grow is not worth anymore than - at it's highest and most optimal - around $100,000, not $3 million.

Who are you going to believe - a dumb ass cop with a failed education

or a marijuana grower who has an actual business degree (education)?

Prohibitionist Idiot #001

2009-05-31T04:00:00.001-04:00

Intro

I've decided to start this blog series because I find so many completely stupid, ignorant, and or ugly comments from prohibitionist. Their arguments are usually wrong and based on complete lies or totally made up. I display these comments from prohibitionist idiots for two reasons: Laughter and Perspective. When it's some low-level idiot, it's best to just laugh at them and have fun at their expense. When it's a high-level idiot, we should be concerned because they give ammo to other idiots who don't know any better.

Laughter & Perspective

Some people know that they're lying but they continue to lie because it's all they have left. A good example of this is John P. Walters, the former drug czar who continues to lie about marijuana. He should have retired and just left things alone. But, he fights this crusade to justify his years of harm against American citizens.

Some people are just ignorant. The only thing wrong with ignorance is when people don't want to cure it. You cure ignorance by getting the truth. However, there are people out there who aren't interested in the truth about anything. They are stupid. An example of a stupid person is the pastor of a church who insists that marijuana is bad. What "knowledge" do they have? None, outside of the twisted and perverted interpretations of the Bible.
Some people are just plain dumb. Their arguments aren't based on anything real whatsoever. Their logic is completely flawed. They come to conclusions about marijuana out of thin air, literally. Since this is the first installment of Prohibitionist Idiots, I've got a great example for you!

Prohibitionist Idiot #001

This prohibitionist idiot has been found via a Huffington Post article: Drug Czar's Pot-Potency Claims Go Up In Smoke. Check it out:

The initial comment is simply comparing the addiction potential between alcohol and marijuana. The person, Woodcut, seems to be someone who understands addiction because he admits to his own 15-year long alcoholism. I would go so far as to consider him an authority on addiction. This is someone you can take their word over others. He also uses marijuana which is not addictive. His comparison would have any intelligent individual conclude that alcohol, a freely available substance, is more addictive than marijuana.

What's so hard to understand about that?

Obviously, it's difficult for the prohibitionist idiot. Our PI of the moment, SharonWantsToTalk, has tried to imply that because the person knows how much marijuana he has and he knows the California law, he must be addicted. This is how this person has chosen to counter the addiction argument.

How does one extrapolate such a conclusion with such non-evidence? According to her "logic", licensed drivers are all addicted to driving because they keep track of their fuel, antifreeze, and oil levels and know what to do when they approach a red octagon with the word "STOP" in white lettering. I wonder if they have support groups for those addicted to responsible driving.

HEY PROHIBITIONIST IDIOT!
IT'S CALLED TAKING INVENTORY AND KNOWING THE LAW!

EVERYONE DOES IT, INCLUDING YOU,
EVEN IF YOU'RE TOO STUPID TO REALIZE THAT!

If you want to know the truth about marijuana addiction, it's simple.

Marijuana is NOT addictive.

The Myth of Marijuana Potency

2009-05-19T20:00:00.002-04:00

Intro

I've been keeping up with marijuana news more and more and something has gotten to me. It seems that the government has decided to rehash another long dead lie about marijuana in an effort to scare people into their way of thinking. The big lie is that marijuana is now more potent than it was 40-50 years ago. This is an old lie, debunked time and time again. The people that fall for it, the citizen drug warrior whose too stupid to know any better, makes it worse by extrapolating various absurdities from government-sanctioned drug DEAlers.

One of the great liars is the former drug czar, John P. Walters. Here he is lying about marijuana's potency via TheFreshScent.

The Great Marijuana Lie

One of the greatest lies, and my personal favorite, happens to be that marijuana growers are somehow genetically engineering some kind of super weed to explain why it's more potent. First of all, genetic engineering as a science is still very much in its infancy. To apply it to marijuana cultivation would be very costly and I doubt your local grower has that kind of money and the Mexican drug cartels are far from interested in delivering more potent marijuana. If they cared at all, Mexican cultivated marijuana wouldn't be some of the weakest marijuana available after hemp.

Do you really think "El Diablo" wants to drop his fortune trying to genetically modify marijuana when he could easily use it to buy another yacht, hotel, bank, federali, or military person? If you're one of these citizen drug warriors, you're probably stupid enough to believe that one. I wouldn't be surprised.

The reason people come up with these outrageous lies is because:
the naive don't know who to get the truth from and
they have to figure out some way to justify the lies.
Well, that's what I am here for.. to tell the truth about marijuana potency. Marijuana is NOT any more potent today than it was back in the 1960's. Allow me to repeat that...

MARIJUANA IS NOT ANY MORE POTENT TODAY THAN IT WAS BACK IN THE 1960's.

Fish Analogy: Explaining different potencies

People have to first understand that there are different kinds of marijuana out there. It's like the different types of fish. Fish have developed these traits over the last few million years long before genetic testing was so much as a glimmer in anyone's eye due to their environment. Just as environment can produce all kinds of cool, weird, beautiful, big, and small fish species, the earth's differing environments have produced different kinds of marijuana plants from small to tall to bushy to lanky with light green to purple colors. The potency ranges from less than 0.5% (hemp) to upwards of 20% (skunk). It's simply been this way for thousands of years. No one has done anything different to marijuana other than search and grow the best kinds.

As a grower, of course, I am going to look for strains that have the highest potency. It's no different than a home owner choosing which type of flowers, shrubs, and small trees he or she wants in their backyard. You want the best, so you look for the best. If you can have the most beautiful garden with a large variety of plants, what would you do?

Lacing the Truth

Although the government is blatantly lying about the potency of marijuana at every turn, there are some nefarious types out there. They do modify marijuana after it's already grown and harvested. These people will spray marijuana with chemicals that are harmful, if not fatal.

However, this can be compared to the lack of regulation that existed in the meat packing industry. Unregulated, you'd find all kinds of substances in your canned food from metal shavings to rats. It took the creation of the Food & Drug Administration to clean up the meat packing industry.

So, what are we to expect when it comes to a wholly unregulated marijuana industry? In the UK, people are spraying marijuana with some kind of silica to increase weight. In the US, almost everything is used to lace marijuana from roach spray to formeldahyde. If we want to protect ourselves, we're going to have regulate the marijuana industry to eliminate violent drug cartels as well as limit the danger that is inherent to a black market system.

Last Word

Unfortunately, the US government continues to leave the marijuana industry unregulated and dangerous. This is why I advocate growing your own marijuana. You can control the quality as well as keep money out of the hands of violent drug cartels. Unfortunately, growing your own marijuana, no matter how much it actually helps save lives, is a crime where men like Eddy Lepp and Charlie Lynch go to jail for providing good, clean, quality-controlled marijuana to various patients.

8 decades later and the best this government can do is continue lying about marijuana instead of controlling it.

Good job, America.

One More Thing

While the government is claiming that marijuana is reaching some kind of dangerous potency, pharmaceutical companies have created a synthetic (fake) 100% THC pill called marinol. And, it can't get any more potent than 100% pure. As long as marijuana remains illegal, drugs like marinol can be created so that pharmaceutical companies can make as much money from prohibition as possible.

If marijuana doesn't have any medical value then why would a pharmaceutical company develop synthetic marijuana in pill form? The sad and pitiful part is that it doesn't even work because it's too strong. Patients on marinol report of incapacitation for days at a time and terrible hallucinations. On top of that, marinol does not contain any of the helpful substances like Cannabinoids (CBDs) and Cannabinols (CBNs) which specifically help relieve nausea, alleviate pain, and relax you. Natural THC degrades into those CBDs and CBNs. How is unnatural, synthetic THC in pill form going to degrade into CBDs and CBNs? It won't which is why it does not, will not, and can not work.

But, thanks to the US government, terminally ill patients who can actually use natural marijuana can't get their hands on it. Their only option is a pill that doesn't even work.

Once again, good job, America.

Anthony's Marijuana Growing Advice

2009-05-18T08:00:00.001-04:00

Grow Your Own Series

Intro
What to expect and what not to expect from the Grow Your Own series
Buying Equipment
Some "rules" regarding buying equipment
Item Lists/Seeds
Actual equipment/gear for growing marijuana, how it's all used, and a note on buying marijuana seeds
Let's Grow Something
Discussing the general life cycle of marijuana from seed to ash and perpetual growing
Back to Security
Reminder on maintaining security once you're already set up and growing

Other Grow advice

Managing Small Plants
Although growing small plants is more of a hobby, there are a lot of useful skills that you may use in managing a larger garden.

Essential Knowledge

Books
Every good grower should have some literature handy for quick reference. Try Marijuana Horticulture: The Indoor/Outdoor Medical Grower's Bible by Jorge Cervantes
Marijuana Forums
I can't tell you everything. A book can't even tell you everything. But, thousands of growers on a marijuana forum should be able to tell you anything. Join one. Try International Cannagraphic Magazine Forums. Sign up, read the forums while you wait for approval, ask questions only if you can't find the answer through a search.
Local, State, Federal Laws
Never do anything unless you thoroughly foresee, understand and accept the consequences of your actions. Growing marijuana is still a crime even in California. As long as you can be prosecuted for it by someone, it's a crime. It's best we all know and accept that reality. Sure, we can go into a whole debate on it and I'll agree, under the US Constitution, it is legal. But, guns and money run the United States, not the US Constitution. When you have DEA agents with assault rifles pointed at you and your family, you won't have a chance to debate anyone legally. And, your chances surviving court are slim to none. Know your rights and the law. If you know what they can and will do, you won't act recklessly. Find out what the laws are in your state.

I will be updating this from time to time.

Grow Your Own: Back to Security

2009-05-15T08:00:00.001-04:00

So, you've got your equipment from various places. You didn't raise any red flags. You've started growing and your first crop was AWESOME. You even rolled a 2-gram joint of your own homegrown and it had you floored.

Do you think it's over? I hope not.

Security continues to be an issue from odor control to police visits to nosy neighbors to friends with big mouths.

Treat your home in layers like an onion.

The core is the marijuana. The closest thing to the core is YOU. First rule of growing marijuana is to keep your mouth shut. No one needs to know what you're doing. If you have to tell someone, expect to bring them in on the action in some way. A good friend will help you out in more ways than one. You keep him in good weed and he'll be an extra set of eyes, ears, hands, and muscle. But, keep in mind, you can't fully control your friend. If anything happens, it was your own bad judgment that pulled him through so many layers.

The next layer is the home itself. You have to do everything you can to maintain the security of the home. The number one offender is odor. The only person in control of odor is YOU. So, if you feel you need to backup or double-up on your odor control, do it. Spend the extra money if you have it. It's worth it in the long run. Make sure all of your wiring is properly done as well. You don't want any fires to happen.

After the home is everything that can happen outside of the home. Nosy neighbors may bring pesky police. Thieves may find your grow op and you'll never get rid of them once they know. So, you have to approach this problem from all sides.
Be a good neighbor. Lots of grow ops get popped because neighbors pay attention. Having no neighbors raises a red flag. Someone may come to welcome you to the neighborhood and no answer. Notes left go unanswered. Something's wrong. Good neighbors respond. Go to neighborhood meetings and so on. Keep your lawn and backyard clean. Good neighbors don't raise red flags.

Be vigilant. Increase your security against prying eyes - physical and digital. Police will not have a problem trespassing in your home or even sending some civilian in there to find something. Get some security cameras for your property to keep an eye on things. This way if some weird person shows up at your home, you'll know to at least be on alert. Surveillance scares both thieves and police.

Never keep anything in your car. I know so many people who keep small pipes in their car or rolling papers. Don't do it. One slip up and that could land you in jail.
Know your rights. A lot of marijuana growers get caught by their own activities or words in front of police. Think about your answer, be clear, be precise. Don't give more than what they asked. Remember, "you have the right to remain silent (5th Amendment)" and anything you say "can and will be used AGAINST you in a court of law." In other words, there is nothing you can tell an officer that will help you in a court of law. Police are not there to help anyone. They are there looking for crime. If they have to make it up, they will.

Check out Barry Cooper's Never Get Busted. Barry Cooper is a former Texas interdiction officer that was considered Texas' #1 drug cop. You don't get that distinction by being bad at catching people. Barry Cooper basically saw the error of his way and

Grow Your Own: Let's Grow Something

2009-05-14T08:00:00.001-04:00

Now that we know how and where to buy our marijuana growing supplies, it's time to get some...

Marijuana Growing Education

There are three main phases to growing any plant - germination/seedling, vegetation, and flower. I'll get to harvesting, drying and curing at the end. I'll also add a bit about perpetual growing which is really the second best part of growing. The absolute best part of growing is, of course, smoking your hard work.

Marijuana's time schedule depends heavily on the strain and the grower. Overall the time can be anywhere from 2.5 months to 6 months. Indica strains are usually faster growing than sativa strains by about 4 weeks. Hydroponics is faster than soil by about 2-4 weeks. I can rattle off a million examples but it doesn't matter. You've got to find your perfect strain and perfect growing method. It's al up to the grower.

Lighting, air, and nutrients are important issues. Remember, we are trying to mimic nature.

During germination, the seed will need complete darkness and a warm place as if it were in the earth during Spring when this warm up.

During the seedling and vegetation phases, the plant will need a lot of light to mimic those Spring/Summer days and plenty of nutrients. This is why you'll need a light timer because you can't expect to be there to turn the lights on and off appropriately. You can set your timer to 18 hours of light and 6 hours of dark. Some growers use 24 hours of light straight. You'll stay in the vegetation phase for as long as you like, typically 2-4 weeks.

Flowering occurs when the normal day/night cycle is about even - during the later summer through the fall finishing in the early winter - 12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark. You'll be in flower from as little as 4 weeks to 12 weeks depending on the seeds you have.

Germination/Seedling

This phase simply covers the first week or so from seed breaking out of its shell to sprouting a taproot up to the first set of true leaves. This will all happen in the first 7 to 10 days. There are many ways to germinate a seed. Personally, I like the tissue paper method.
Wet some tissue with warm water
Fold about 5 to 10 seeds in that tissue
Place the tissue in a plastic bag or baggie
Leave it a dark and warm place
Wait 24-48 hours for the seeds to pop
When you see about a 0.25 inch of taproot, place it in your media (dirt or rockwool)
You'll come across other methods online, many are good. I've tried them all and don't think there are any that don't work.

The seed will provide enough nutrients for the plant to grow in this phase. They will look like bean sprouts at first. After you've planted them, you'll see the top of the sprout, open up with these rounded leaves and green up within a few hours. You've given birth to a seedling. YAY, but it ain't over! As the grower, simply water the seedling and let it "eat" its own resources. The plant will use this time to grow its roots into that complex web you may see weeks or months later. You'll know the plant is ready for feeding when you see the first set of true leaves. Proceed with a very light nutrient solution, 10% of the recommended dose.

The germination phase will take place over a 2 to 3 day period. The seedling phase will happen over the next 4-5 days.

Vegetation

The seedling phase is pretty much over when you start feeding. This is when the plant will begin to show vigorous growth. You can start feeding your marijuana and just let it grow. Remember to mimic nature - plenty of light and air.

If you're in soil, make sure air is flowing through because those roots need to breathe. That means do not overwater or else your roots will be sitting in mud. The roots will use up all available oxygen after which they will suffocate. So, make sure to have set up good drainage.

If you're in hydroponic solution, make sure your air stone, tubing, and air pump are all working together to keep that water full of air for the roots to use. And, make sure your hydroponic solution is healthy. Don't be afraid to change out the water and so on.

At the end of vegetation we come to flowering. You'll reach the end of vegetation when you want. A marijuana plant can stay in vegetation for long time. Since, flowering is dependent on you, flip your light timers to "12 hours of light and 12 hours of dark" aka 12/12. Now, you're in flower.

Flower

This is where all the fun begins. You'll spend another week or two as the plant transitions into flowering. Growth hasn't stopped, it's just changing tracks, so to speak.

Instead of building more roots and leaves, it's going to start getting prepared to procreate - pistils and pollen. You will be able to tell a female marijuana plant by its pistils, sometimes referred to as the "hairs". They'll be white and coming out of a sort of tiny pouch called a calyx. The pistil catches the pollen which then slides into the calyx. The seed process begins and the calyx is the "womb" for that seed. They're small but visible. On the other hand, the male will start showing pollen sacks aka "balls" because they hold "plant sperm" and they're kind of round. Get rid of the males. Remember, they have no THC. We want to concentrate on the females.

At this point, you want to just let the plant keep doing what it's doing. Keep the top layer and rootzone healthy and the plant itself properly fed.

The females will start to grow buds which is just a collection of calyxes with pistils. The fun part starts when those buds and the surrounding leaves start producing THC in what are called trichomes which look like tiny poles with a ball on top. They are much easier to see with a microscope which I hope you've purchased from the list of items to get. You'll be relying on it in a minute.

Harvest, Dry, and Cure

You can tell when the marijuana is ready to be harvested by looking at the color of the trichomes. At this point, it's all about the trichomes. Trichomes start off clear. As the plant matures, they become cloudy and eventually turn amber or yellowish-brown. You want to harvest around when most of the trichomes in a sample have turn mostly cloudy with a touch of amber.

There are benefits to pulling a plant earlier than later. Without getting into the different sciences that apply, pulling marijuana a little early may benefit those looking for a "head high". Pulling marijuana a little late may benefit those looking for more of a body high. However, don't full assume this is how you get the difference between a head high and body high. The real difference is in the type of marijuana you are growing but pulling a little early or late does help depending on what you want.

Once you're happy with your plant's progress, cut her down. You have to prepare the plant for drying. Mold is your enemy here. Mold likes warm and humid places. Stagnant air only helps their process even more. There are many methods to drying but hanging them upside-down in a cool, dark, dry, airy place does the trick. Depending on how much marijuana you have, this may take weeks. But, we're growing personal and if you don't have too many plants, it may only take a few days.

Pull a sample bud from your plant. Record the weight. I hope you bought your scale. You'll know when you're plant is dry when that bud's weight is about 20% of the original weight. It will go down quickly. You don't want it to go down too fast however, too slow may bring problems. Just remember to keep air flowing and the area dry. You may want to check your buds from time to time just to make sure they're ok.

After you've reached that all important dry weight, this is where you want to cure your marijuana. Curing is not necessary to smoke the marijuana. Once it's dried properly, it's smokeable. Curing is important because it brings out the taste and flavor of marijuana. Curing has other benefits as well. You cure by keeping your marijuana in large containers. Whatever moisture is left in the buds will become equally distributed throughout the plant matter, drying out some parts and rehydrating others. You don't want completely dry marijuana. It will be like dust and harsh to smoke. A little moisture is good for a smoother smoking session.

A Word on Perpetual Growing

Perpetual growing is simply a way to grow marijuana in its different phases, concurrently. Remember the processes that marijuana goes through - seedling, vegetation, flower, and harvest. While one plant will experience all of these processes in order, this does not mean that all of your plants have to go through it at the same time.

Let's "walkthrough" a typical grow period of 4 months or 16 weeks.
Week 1: Germination/Seeding
Weeks 2-6: Vegetation
Weeks 7-14: Flower
Weeks 15-16: Harvesting/Drying/Curing
To run perpetually, look at the longest grow period which is the flowering for 7 weeks. You could be germinating and vegging plants in that time period since it's only 5 weeks. So, when you move your first set to flower, you've got 2 weeks to rest and start a new set of seeds. At the end of the flowering time for the first set, you can immediately move the second set into to flower. You've just shaved 5 weeks off the initial 4 months. You can't rush flower but you can start a third set in another 2 weeks.

It's easier to view the process on a calendar
01/01: Germination/Seedling
01/08 - 02/05: Vegetation
02/06 - 03/19: Flower
02/20 - 02/27: Germination/Seedling of 2nd set
02/27 - 03/20: Vegetaion of 2nd set
03/19 - 04/02: Harvesting/Dry/Cure
03/21 - 05/09: Flower of 2nd set
05/09 - 05/23: Harvest/Dry/Cure of 2nd set
As we can see, the time between the harvests of the first and second sets of crops is less than 2 months (April 2 to May 23) as opposed to 4 months if we started the cycle again from Week 1. If we continue to run the veg, flower, and harvest at basically the same time, the next crop will be ready to smoke by July 13th and September 3rd. In this way, a grower can literally pull 5-6 crops every year as opposed to 3 crops the regular way (April, August, December).

Grow Your Own: Item List/Seeds

2009-05-13T08:00:00.001-04:00

Continuing from yesterday, I want to let folks know exactly what they should be focusing on when purchasing items to start their own marijuana grow op. Let's get started.

Item Categories

It really all depends on HOW you intend to grow your buds. Keep in mind, all you need to do is bascially simulate nature as best as you can.
Lighting
All plants need sun. That's nature! However, the type of lighting needed is a different issue. Don't bother using regular incandescent bulbs. They're inefficient, generate too much heat and not enough light. When choosing lighting, consider heat and spectrum. Your option are Compact Flourescent Lighting (CFL), High Intensity Discharge (HID) which includes Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS), and finally Light-Emitting Diode (LED).

Air Quality Control
In nature, there's wind. You'll need fans to mimic that as well as odor control and a way to cycle air if heat is an issue. You'll need fans to circulate the air, air filtration to handle that strong odor, and intake/exhaust solution for fresh air. This isn't a real issue with a small grow op. Cycling the air could be as easy as opening the door or lifting the lid. For larger grow ops, you'll need dedicated intake and exhaust.

Buckets or Flower Pots
Depending on the growing system you choose to use, you'll either need buckets or flower pots or some variation of the two. If you go with a soil or soil-less set up, you'll need regular run of the mill flower pots. However, if you decide to enter the world of hydroponics, you'll need to get the right type of buckets.

Media
No, I am not talking about Fox News. Media refers to the what the plant will use to anchor itself. It's not so easy to just say soil in the 21st century. There are other options including hydroton, rockwool, peat, perlite, vermiculite, and so on. You'll probably use a combination depending on what grow system you decide to use.

Nutrients
In nature, plants always have something to eat. It's part of the circle of life, like Lion King. Nutrients for plants come from the decomposition of organic matter. Inside your home, you're the nutrient provider. There are two ways to go about this - chemical or organic. Chemical nutrients are simply salts that the plant can "eat" immediately. Organic nutrients tend to be a bit messier and slower because organic material needs to be broken down.

Misc
Every grow room has to have its complement of accessories. I am not talking about a fat rope chain hanging on the front door. You may need measuring spoons, spray bottles, tubing, valves, grommets, razors, scissors, and so on. You'll know what you need when you're faced with a problem. Remember, it's your first time so don't be annoyed if you have to go back and forth constantly. Once you get your items, you won't need to get them again.

Example Grow Op Item List

For this, I am going to use one website - Better Grow Hydro - for example purposes. Personally, I think their pricing is a bit high. Besides, it's the internet AND a grow shop. What did I say about diffusion and paper trails? Don't shoot yourself in the foot on that option. Let's continue.

Well we have to start with the size of our grow room. Can't start buying stuff without knowing what we have to work with. Let's say it's 4' x 4' footprint; 6' in height. This is something you can build with wood from Home Depot; just be careful of light leaks. Or, you can buy a ready-made grow room. Check out the GrowLab 120.
Lighting
400 watt HPS and check out other Grow Lights. And don't forget you'll need a timer as well.

Air Quality
Fans. Air Filter hooks into the Exhaust. Use a passive air intake.

Buckets/Flower pots and Media
...will depend on the type of system you want to use. Let's go with hydroponic set up, specifically, Deep Water Culture or DWC. Seeds will go into Rockwool (media) which will be nestled in Hydroton (media) in a Waterfarm (bucket).

Nutrients
We could go Organic, but let's go chemical with General Hydro 3-part nutrients - Grow, Bloom, Micro - since it's easier for a first timer. As you grow up in the marijuana growing game, you'll want to invest in cloning nutrients and other stuff that will keep your plant healthy.

Misc
I wish I could list everything off the top of my head that a first time grower would need but there are too many to name. As it pertains to DWC, you'll need air pump and air stone as well as a water pump and tubing for everything. You'll also need testing supplies to test your water's pH (acidity vs alkalinity) and so on.
The pricing on everything may seem somewhat daunting especially since you don't even know if you'll do a good job the first time. But, that's all part of the learning experience. I did pretty well my first time growing because I kept it all simple and easy. I still have some of the same stuff I used before so the cost over time gets much lower. Eventually, I came to a point where I didn't have to even look at the garden shop again.

In fact, I haven't been to any garden shop in two years. Besides all the time and effort pays for itself after you've reaped what you've sewn when you take the first puff of your own homegrown marijuana.

You can always start smaller, too.

Other Places You Can Find These Items

Remember, you don't have to, and shouldn't, get all your items from one spot or even a garden shop. Here are some other places where you can find these items:
Home Depot - light timers, wiring, fans; wood; garden dept - miraclegro, potting soil
Petland - air stones, air tubing, air pumps
Radioshack - digital temperature/hygrometer, microscope
Amazon.com - measuring spoons, scissors, digital food scale, book
e-conolight.com - all your lighting needs but requires some electrical work
ebay.com - homemade carbon scrubbers
bascousa.com - buckets but you will need to rig them like the WaterFarm [PDF Instructions]
Don't be afraid to look for those out of the way mom and pop shops as well. A lot of those places don't even register with police as places you would be buying marijuana growing supplies. In fact, I found a small paint store in NYC that sold lawn watering kits and other garden supplies. I purchased some Superthrive and 1/4" tubing there. Totally off the grid and out of the way of any cops.

Do you see why I haven't even stepped foot inside of a garden shop in 2 years?

A Note on Acquiring Seeds

Seeds are not the hardest thing to get especially if you're in the United States.
Low-Quality Dealers
They're all over selling seeded marijuana. The reason it's low quality is because the energy the plant takes to make THC is diverted into making seeds as is their natural process. But, those seeds are plentiful.

Unfortunately, the best place to get these seeds comes from an ounce of marijuana from Mexico. But, that's not your fault. Blame every president and prohibitionist since 1936. Grown under controlled conditions, you can have pretty potent, cerebral high causing marijuana. It won't be the MOST potent but for damn near free seeds, it's not a bad option at all. You can probably pull 20-30 seeds per ounce. Expect 50% to fail thanks to Mexican growing methods. Hey, I never said it was perfect.

Seeds Online
There are dozens of sites online, usually overseas, that will gladly sell you marijuana seeds. Remember the first rule about buying equipment, pay cash. Your best bet is to use money orders, not credit cards or checks. Unfortunately, the pricing can get very high for the more popular strains like super silver haze and sour diesel. However, the other strains that aren't as popular or high-priced are just as good. Don't get caught up in the "branding" game. If you're a first timer you might just end up losing hundreds getting the "best". Concentrate on the name after you've grown your first successful plant.

Unfortunately, not all seed dealers are reputable because you are committing a crime by ordering seeds. So, what agency gets your complaints if your money is stolen? Exactly, no one! And, the seed dealers know this. But, don't let that discourage you. Surprisingly, there are more good dealers than bad. So, do your research at the marijuana forums and don't spend too much your first time.

Growers
If you're lucky enough to know a grower, you can definitely bum some seeds off of them. However, if you already know a grower, you probably don't need to read this at all. HA! You'll get a very viable seed stock and know exactly what kind of marijuana you should be getting. You don't have to worry about shady dealers or potentially being arrested for ordering seeds through the mail.

Luck
It's totally possible to find a seed (one, MAYBE two) in a bag of high quality marijuana. Not every grow op is going to be perfect. Things happen and you may benefit from it. However, the viability of that seed may be very low so don't expect too much from it. Good luck, though.
Always expect 50% of your seeds to be males. Males do not contain much THC, if any at all. When growing marijuana they will have to culled or destroyed when identified unless you're harvesting pollen but if you're doing that, you don't need to read this. But, you don't want the pollen "impregnating" your females.

Grow Your Own: Buying Equipment

2009-05-12T08:00:00.003-04:00

Well here we are with the first in this 4-part series. I thought to talk about security first. I want people to understand that good security habits are the first thing you need to develop if you want to grow marijuana in your home. Security starts with the first step you take which is reading this blog post.

Remember folks, you aren't purchasing groceries. Most of what you get will be a one time purchase so practice heavy prevention early on. The badged animals know they won't see you for another 4-6 months once you're stocked up, so they're looking closely all the time. ACT LIKE IT.

The Rules

Pay Cash
This is rule #1 for a reason. Police will not hesitate to dig into financial records - legal or not. Police are known to lie on search warrants and that's all that's needed to turn an innocent life upside down. Don't give the badged criminals the benefit of paper trail evidence.

Diffusion/Don't buy everything in one spot
The concept behind diffusion is that you have to spread out your purchases. The reason is that police stake out garden shops and that's usually the only place you can find everything at once. So, think creatively about the items you need. Find out a way to split up those purchases among 4-5 other stores and the internet. Also, spread it all out over a few days.

"Dead end" your trail
There are some things you will have to get from the local garden shop. Expect police to be watching the location and expect to be watched and even followed for as little as bottle of plant nutrients. If you decide to include a friend, you can use their car or get that person to buy things for you. The reasoning is that if the police do try to follow, they will be lead to a home that isn't the actual grow spot. You can pick up your items at a later date.

If that is unsettling to you because you don't want to USE a friend or you adhere to Rule #1 of growing marijuana - tell NO ONE, not even friends - make use of cabs, trains, buses, and so on. For example, if you're in NYC, drive to the train station. Take the train one, two, or three stops to your TRUE stop. Take a cab to the garden shop. If a cop is following you on foot, he won't be able to keep up in a cab. If he's in a car which is most likely the case, he can't exactly take it on the train. You can also go into another state if you're near the border.

Notice the time of year
If you're at the garden shop buying Ocean Forest (soil) in the dead of winter, you better have a damn good reason and be able to back it up as well. Police will not hesitate to lie on a search warrant to get into your home to see what you're doing.

Quiet and Quick
If you know what you need and it's small items, get in and get out as quickly as possible. For example, one day at the garden shop, a guy walked in to purchase a scalpel and rockwool cubes. I knew what he was doing (cloning) automatically. He came in, got his items, made his purchase, and left - not even a "hello" nor "good-bye". I found it funny because the cop standing there with the "concealed" weapon didn't even get a chance to turn around to try to ID the guy. Now, there will be times when you'll have questions and need answers. Ask those questions in the marijuana growing forums or ask me. I'll help you. Don't go into the garden shop not already knowing what you want.
I know it may seem like overkill. But think about the alternatives - break your bank every week sending some other prick's kids to college, possibly support those Mexican drug cartels, or getting caught by some cops who will only end up selling the stuff you spent so much time and effort growing.

Ok, now we're done with that. Next "episode" I'll discuss specifically what items you would get, how it all goes together, and a word on getting seeds.

Grow Your Own: Intro

2009-05-11T08:00:00.002-04:00

In my efforts to teach folks how to grow their own marijuana safely away from criminals (police included), I realize most people don't have an idea of where to start. So, I'm here to help you out with that in a 4-part series from Tuesday to Thursday, May 12 to May 15th. Today, I just want to introduce it all.

First, I'll give you some tips on how to keep the badged thugs off your scent while you're buying your startup equipment. The next post will cover the specific items you may need. Then, we'll put it all together to show you how to grow marijuana. Finally, I'll end it the same way we started - keeping the badged thugs off your scent but while you're already up and running.

As the days pass, a new post will go up at 8am EST. I will update this post with links to that grow guide as well as any other growing advice I end up offering.

Small Reminder.
This guide to growing indoors will be incomplete. It's incomplete because there are too many variables to cover in each person's situation. Problems will arise from individual to individual. For example, no one's grow space will be the same size. Some people will need different answers to the same questions. While I think I know a lot, I don't know everything.

I encourage interested growers to buy a marijuana growing guide, but wait until the end of this series to buy anything. There are plenty out books out there that are readily available. I also encourage people to join marijuana forums and don't be afraid to ask questions. Remember, not every marijuana grower is out there to make money. Some people do it for medical purposes and some do it just for the love of it. Those kinds of people don't want to see anyone hurt. So, they'll gladly answer your questions just as I am.

Take a rest, relax! Tomorrow's a new day!

You Can't Stop Marijuana!!

2009-05-09T08:00:00.001-04:00

Honestly, I don't even care about legalization anymore. Maybe, I shouldn't say that but that's the best representation of how I feel. It's just that the debate has become moot to me at this point. I'm not finished with the fight and I still support legalization. I just choose to fight and support in a different way. See, I'm a grower. Yes, I grow marijuana. I have a small closet grow that I am upgrading right now to provide a better environment for my future plants. You'd be amazed at how many of "us" exist in the United States, well under the radar save for the foolish ones who pop up to speak on the issue like myself.

I don't care because my grow is personal. I grow what I want and yes I do share with friends. The products I buy to grow my marijuana can be found at any typical, run-of-the-mill garden shop - lights, soil/soil-less/hydro, nutrients, etc. The seeds, I can get from any of the other growers I know in the United States - princess diesel, super silver haze, sour diesel, northern lights, and so on. Yes, there are more of us and we're connected in some way like a large, loose co-op!

The money I spend doesn't go to any Mexican drug cartels. I don't buy their cheap marijuana anymore, anyway. The money I spend doesn't go to any terrorist organizations in the Middle East, either. In fact, the money I spend growing marijuana supports American business and keeps another person employed - Home Depot (lighting, buckets/flower pots, soil, timers, nutrients), Petland (air tubing, stones, pumps), etc. The marijuana I grow isn't sold to, nor shared with, any children. In fact, all of my friends are well above the age of 21.

So, who am I harming? Who am I stealing from?
Who's life is being destroyed by my decisions and activities?

NO ONE!

Folks, the future of marijuana under prohibition is small, "undetectable", personal grow operations - closets, wardrobes, grow boxes, etc. If you want to learn how to grow marijuana as well, just ask me. Or, look for an online grow forums (ICMAG is a great resource). Or, go to your local bookstore. I got my book from Barnes & Noble.

Legalize it. Prohibition has already lost the war. The game's long over. Even if I get caught tomorrow, I've already set up dozens of others and many more know I am available when they're ready. I'll continue leaving my mark, one grower at a time.

Each one, teach one - it's exponential!

Searching the United States of Anthony

2009-05-08T08:00:00.001-04:00

If you run your own website...

...you most likely have some sort of metrics to see how your site is performing. One of the things I look at is specifically how people end up at the United States of Anthony. Just as anyone has found a site, others have found my site by doing a search. I can see what search terms they used to end up at the blog.

I want to address those search terms..

"marijuana levels"

Yes folks, that's a search term. I would guess someone is doing research on the level of THC in marijuana, probably. They ended up at Grinders & Glass: Four Levels of Marijuana Smokers which is more about the "grade" of marijuana user from the newbie to the professional.

If you're looking for levels of THC, I believe Skunk is the highest with 20% tested by independent researchers in Amsterdam (I think). Police in the US would have you believe the highest recorded was 35%. It's not true, not from a plant. Hash on the other hand can be as pure as 99% in the form of bubble hash. But, expect about 70% if you're not making it yourself.

"sweet bitch girl"

I guess it's pretty obvious what this person was searching for. Actually, it isn't! LOL. I hope they found whatever it was by clicking on Sweet Bitch Slap to Local Police which refers to a Supreme Court case in which local California police tried to play federal agent by snitching on a marijuana dispensary that was operating legally in California.

The local police don't like it when you compete with them for any kind of drug dealing. What? You think they care about the people? HA!

"dirty cops"

Well this is obvious. They found just what they were looking for at Stupid Dirty Cops Got Caught which is when former #1 Texas drug cop Barry Cooper caught Odessa, TX police lying on search warrants... AGAIN!

"is marijuana listed as more dangerous than cocaine?"

Oh yeah this person must have read my blog already or got word from someone else because they landed right on DEA thinks cocaine is safer than marijuana! which they do. Read the post for yourself. I think I make some completely valid points about twisted and wrong Controlled Substances Act of 1970.

"marijuana economy boost"

People are still reading up on this one. We're all big on the economy right now and marijuana as a savior is a hot topic. If someone thinks marijuana will boost the economy, I am sorry to burst your bubble with Reality Check: Marijuana won't boost economy. A little common sense goes a long way.

"apple sucks"

You would be surprised at how many times that actual search term shows up in a given hour. I count 4 "apple sucks" in the last 18 hours and they all click on Oh so that's why Apple sucks.. which just pokes fun at Steve Jobs. I hope he's ok tho.

"used Dristan nose hurts"

Hey everyone gets sick including the President. And, we all have our stuffy nose remedies. But, some people don't have a problem getting more advice so they land on Pres. Anthony Severly Stuffy Nose Advice. Unfortunately, this person probably used entirely too much Dristan at one time which is why they are looking up that pain. I've been there. Yes, it burns the hell out of your sinuses if you use too much. Get well soon!

"how much weed can i expect from a 12 inch marijuana plant"

Surprisingly, search terms like this lead to the United States of Anthony all the time. Those people end up looking at Growing Marijuana: Managing Small Plants. Truth is, a lot of people are interested in growing marijuana. However, they want to do it safely. Safely means not having some sissy with a gun and a badge breaking down your door with his girlfriends.

So, having small plants, under 2 feet tall, is the way to go for many people. But, it's not easy growing small plants. To answer the question, expect only a few grams at the most from a 12 incher. However, with the current grow methods (supercropping), you'll be pulling ounces out of that small grow box.

Class: Lethal Marijuana Dose.. let's all die today!!

2009-05-07T08:00:00.002-04:00

Lesson One: What is a Lethal Dose

The amount it would take to kill a human being is referred to as the "lethal dose" represented by LD followed by 50 or even 100. For example, LD50 refers to how much of a substance it would take to kill 50% of a sample population. LD100 refers to 100% lethal dose, that is, the minimum it would take to kill an entire population.

The way a lethal dose depends on the weight of the person. The general formula is the weight of the person in kilograms (2.2lbs = 1kg) multiplied by the toxic dose per kilogram. For example, the toxic dose of Tylenol (or acetaminophen) is 150mg/kg. A 200-pound person would need to ingest approximately 28 extra strength (500mg) Tylenol pills to reach his personal lethal dose.

What other "common" chemicals are toxic to humans and in what doses?
Water is a common chemical, right? The ld50 of water is 9mL/kg or about 9 liters of water. That's about 2 to 3 gallons of water straight, to cause a toxic reaction.

How possible is that?
Ask Leah Betts, Micheal J. Schindler, little 4yo Cassandra Killpack, 3yo Rosita Gonzalez, Walter Jennings, Matthew Carrington, Jennifer Strange, Jacqueline Henson, and Anna Wood. Or, maybe you should ask their families because all of those people died from water toxicity.

But, wait a minute. This is about the...

Lethal Dose of Marijuana

So, how much marijuana can one smoke to cause death?
Well sorry folks. If you were interested in dying from marijuana use, it simply won't happen. While there are numerous deaths from Tylenol ingestion and even from something as "simple" as drinking too much water, there are NO deaths from smoking marijuana.
"In summary, enormous doses of Delta 9 THC, All THC and concentrated marihuana extract ingested by mouth were unable to produce death or organ pathology in large mammals but did produce fatalities in smaller rodents due to profound central nervous system depression." [link]
In other words, the researchers couldn't give large mammals (that's kind of like us) enough marijuana to kill them no matter how much they tried. In fact, the LD50 of marijuana is so difficult to ascertain that discussions of LD50 occur hypothetically. That means, researchers are guessing how much marijuana it would take to kill a person.
"Firstly, it is important to realize that marijuana is a substance which can objectively be considered harmless. According to Lester Greenspoon, M.D., former associate professor of psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School, the hypothetical lethal dose of marijuana is 40,000 times the psychoactive dose. The lethal dose of alcohol, a legal drug, is 4 to 10 times the psychoactive dose. The figure for marijuana is hypothetical in that is has only been shown to be true in rats; there are no records of lethal marijuana overdose in humans anywhere." [link]
So, who's willing to ingest 40,000 times the psychoactive dose of marijuana? The psychoactive dose for marijuana is about a 1g joint. That's 40,000 grams or 1400 ounces or 90 pounds of marijuana all within 15 minutes. I'd like to try but I think I can only smoke about 3 to 5 joints in 15 minutes if I rush it. Something tells me I'll be really hungry and/or asleep which may seem like death. Don't wake me up though. The pink bunnies are my friends.

CLASS DISMISSED..

See you tomorrow, alive and well as long as you don't drink too much water while you don't take too much Tylenol.

Marijuana Purchasing Etiquette

2009-05-06T08:00:00.001-04:00

Introduction

Being the person that I am, people come to me looking for marijuana connects. Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, NJ, Florida, US Virgin Islands - I know someone. My network isn't all that great but it's trusted and I am happy with that. I am also happy to share that network but I only do this for people I know - friends and family. However, when I do share a connect, there are a few issues that always seem to come up. I want to address those issues.

First, the process

I thought it'd be necessary just to give an example of how a deal would and should go. It's not hard.
Call the dealer
Give the dealer a location to meet you which is dependent on the dealer.
They may come to your apartment or ask you to meet them in the street.
Wait for the dealer to contact you
If you have to meet them outside, make sure it's inside a car or even lobby of your building. Never do a "hand-to-hand" in the open street. Police look for that which is why a lot of Black dealers get caught all the time. You see em on the corner and you can spot them from a mile away. So, can the police. And, they can and will see you to0.
Find out what they have to offer
Most dealers have more than one strain available at a time. It's okay to find out what they have and even ask about it. Most dealers have no problem discussing marijuana. But, keep it short and sweet.
Make sure you have the proper money.
No one wants to sit around counting out change because you didn't want to bring the right amount. And, no one will tolerate you even one bit if you actually come up short. Whoa!
Good-bye
Get out of the car, end the conversation - whatever - part ways! The dealer always has other deliveries and your conversation is just holding them back.
How difficult is that? It's not difficult at all. So, it makes me wonder why I have to discuss specific issues that arise during this process. It really all comes down to the individual.

Problem Customers

Here are some of those people who cause the issues that dealers simple don't like.
Black Hole
The info goes in, but nothing ever comes out of it. They sit on the number for months because they're scared to make the phone call. If you want the number, I need to know you're ready to purchase. Think about it: if you were a dealer and haven't heard from a new customer even once in a whole month, would you keep that number? Neither would I!
Wanna-be Kingpin
Kingpins want you to do all the dirty work because they don't want to get their hands dirty. These are usually women but plenty of men live in this category as well. The good thing about kingpins is that they don't waste your time asking for numbers. Just tell them to do their own damn dirty work. Never put yourself at risk especially if you're not getting anything out of it.
Fake Connect Person
I've come across people who just seem happy to have phone numbers as if they're the connect person. They talk a big game but they've never even called the dealer. So, when they "share" the information, no one answers. Even when they call, same no-answer. No one trusts you so why are you giving away the connect.
Wanna-be Celebrity
You have a lot of people who think they're special. They will call the dealer and try to get him to do things he clearly doesn't do. If you know the dealer works Manhattan, don't ask if he or she will come to Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx just because you're not far from bridge. The dealer will let you know what they're willing to do. If you don't like that, that's YOUR problem.
With all of that out of the way, I will hope that people who read this get that buying marijuana does not have to be some huge production. You don't need your hand held during the process. It will literally all take place in under a minute, maybe two if you actually have a decent rapport.

So, what's a good customer?

Simply put, a good customer is someone who calls the dealer, regularly. You don't deviate from the simple process laid out for you. After some time, you've built a good rapport with the dealer. Mostly, it's about how you feel. If you can meet your dealer without even thinking that you're doing something illegal, you know you and your dealer are operating safely.

At the end of the day, that's what it is all about - safety from police. Remember, marijuana never hurt anyone but millions of people (800,000+ incarcerated) have their lives turned upside-down every year because of the police.

And, NO! I don't know you so don't ask me for anyone's info!

President Anthony to have more fun!!

2009-05-05T08:00:00.002-04:00

It's my opinion that marijuana laws aren't going to change as drastically as necessary. I am bored and annoyed with the movement basically sneaking in on the backs of the sick through medical marijuana.

The fight for medical marijuana is not worth it in my opinion.

First of all, there's no honor is riding the backs of the sick. I believe sick people truly need marijuana to alleviate their pain and so on. But, I also believe that "medical marijuana" is just a dead end. In fact, I think it will be the reason marijuana will never get legalized. It's a compromise and that's the problem. We don't need a compromise, we need legalization.

Secondly, medical marijuana doesn't address the problems of police misconduct. Prohibition allows police to do anything with loose justification from murdering old church-going ladies in their homes to stealing from store owners based on falsified evidence. The police are corrupt and the only thing that's going to stop them is to take the power out of their hands to attack people who haven't done anything wrong by legalizing marijuana. The only question is whether or not they will get away with it. That all depends on who was there and who's willing to tell the truth.

Third, medical marijuana doesn't take money out of the hands of violent drug cartels. The drug trade is alive and well thanks to prohibition. The only way that will change is if this nation does the most intelligent thing which is to GIVE UP on failed policies and legalize marijuana as a start. Sure, the prohibitionists don't want to lose but they're too stupid to realize they're already losing. They'd rather bring the whole ship down than give in to something smart and intelligent.

Lastly, the current systems of medical marijuana don't do any favors for the terminally ill people that actually need it. The dispensaries, in my opinion, are breaking the backs of these people with prohibition level pricing which is sometimes higher than what you can get on the street. It's not fair that I can get an 1/8th (3.5g) of marijuana on the streets of NYC for $50 while some old lady with cancer has to spend $65 for that same amount. They should be paying far less but we won't achieve that fair pricing if marijuana is still illegal.

And, don't even come to me about quality. I've grown before. I know what to look for in quality bud. I practically walk with a microscope. Trust me, it's the same damn home grown run with the same lighting, nutrients, etc etc etc. The area you get marijuana from makes no difference anymore. It's all about WHO grows it. Whether it be outdoors in Humboldt County, in the swamps on Florida, the mountains of Appalachia or Australia, farm in Zimbabwe or Vietnam, or some small closet in New York City or Amsterdam, it's all about the grower.

With that said, I want to have more fun with marijuana and this blog. I want to address the marijuana culture directly. I'll continue to keep my eyes out for marijuana-related news. But, I don't think I'll be writing or commenting about another state that has or is considering medical marijuana or decriminalization.

If it ain't legalization, I don't care. It all just means that I am going to continue growing and teaching others how to grow until it is legal. That's the future of marijuana, folks - small, independent grow ops and co-ops. I will continue to communicate with growers all over the world, sharing seeds and knowledge and having fun doing it.

Welcome to my world!

Stink of marijuana? Here's what you do!

2009-04-26T11:00:00.000-04:00

Background

This past weekend, I was at a friend's house and I wanted to smoke but I couldn't exactly return there smelling of marijuana. I am sure we've all been in that situation. Letting it air out was not an option. I had some very potent Grand Daddy Purp in a strawberry dutchmaster. It was perfectly rolled using the water technique or "aqua rolling", no saliva on this one children.

See here:

Excuse the crappy camera phone pics. Blackberry isn't exactly known for their robust camera abilities.

So, I find a nice little secluded spot to "burn my kind" and make some private phone calls as well. After I got a nice comfortable high, I had to dash to the marijuana mobile for quick clean up.

The Routine

See folks, I am always prepared for such occasions as long as I have my car with me. Now, keep up with me:
Mouthwash: You need some sort of mouthwash to get the smell off your breath. I prefer Listerine because I just don't trust any other mouthwash. I use the mint flavored version because the brown bottle leaves your breath with that "brown bottle" scent which is nasty. It wears off eventually but still lasts too long.
Drink: Make sure you have a bottle of water; I had juice. Wash out your mouth. Juice is good to hide the minty fresh breath. People are going to wonder how in the hell you leave and come back with minty breath. "What were you doing?"
Body Spray: You need a way to handle your clothes. Spray your body down. The scent is not as strong or long lasting as cologne or perfume. It will wear off but long after the marijuana smell is gone. As long as it's light smelling and doesn't last long, you're fine. I use Axe Phoenix.
Hand Sanitizer: You need to do something about those fingers that held the blunt. Just shaking hands will leave a scent on another person. Apply generously and get it all in down to your wrists. You'll be fine. I use Lysol version.
Fresh Air: It's always good to air out YOU. Just walk around the block or to the store. Let those scents dissipate for a minute.
The idea here is to buy small travel-sized versions so it all fits in your glove compartment. And, it's not just for marijuana smoking purposes. It's for any occasion. I also keep other things as well - first aid kit, comb, nasal spray, coco butter, etc etc etc. I'm just always prepared. What can I say!?

Some of you won't have a car or just won't be driving; simply put, you won't have your tools with you. Hey, I am in this situation all the time too. There isn't much that can be done here. Get some orange juice as the acid will help with your breath and some gum. Just try to air out as much as possible. Hand sanitizer is still an option since it's so small. If not, stop off at a fast food restaurant and wash your hands in the bathroom.

Now, I am going to smoke some more Grand Daddy Purp. Y'all be good.

Don't get caught by the cops or else you'll get swine flu!

Smoking in public: Priceless

2009-04-25T19:30:00.004-04:00

Art of Smoking in Public

I just decided to take these pictures.

The full caption is:
Grand Daddy Purp: $50..
Cig tubes: $5 for a box of 200..
Cig box: Free..
Smoking in public: Priceless
To be more precise and honest, I'll try to break it down for you a bit better. Of course there's marijuana.. duh!! The cigarette tubes are not emptied cigarettes, as in they were purchased and then emptied. You buy them empty. You can get them online as well. Just do a search for "cigarette blanks" and you'll find it. The cig box I got from a friend who's addicted to tobacco.

Tip

A friend of mine had a little trouble using them, the same trouble I had when I first used them. The problem is that the paper itself burns too quickly. This is obviously part of the how cigarettes are made. They need to be thin so they burn down quickly and you buy more tobacco.

The fix is to use a small stick - incense stick, for example - and pack that marijuana down along the sides. So, when you're stuffing the tubes, tap it on the table to get it to fall down naturally, then use the stick to get the sides. The cig should be somewhat firm by the time you're finished. Don't be afraid to seal it up so no bits fall out.

Another tip, which I don't do but I wouldn't be right if I didn't offer the optional idea. If you don't have a problem smoking tobacco and only want a small taste through out the day as I know some maintenance smokers prefer, you can definitely mask the smell by mixing about 1 part marijuana to 3 parts tobacco. Whatever tobacco you have left over, you can use in the empty tubes later on and you'd still have the box.

WARNING

As far as smoking in public, you must still be careful. The smell is still going to be very strong so when you are smoking, try to be somewhere alone. From far away, you'll be fine. People will just think you're hitting a regular cigarette. Trust me, it works!

Marijuana still criminal! Fuck it!!

2009-04-22T10:00:00.001-04:00

Is that all for marijuana legalization?

At this point in time in the marijuana legalization movement, I have to wonder: what's the problem, now? What's the hold up? Everything is pretty much in place - votes, politicians, sentiment is changing. Various politicians at local, state and federal levels are money hungry for marijuana taxes (sorry to say, you won't get as much as you think). Law enforcement, at the least the ones who give a damn about human life, are calling for marijuana legalization (some even calling for legalization of all "drugs"). And, the people are speaking up. Obama has asked for our input and on every occasion we've spoken up. They're voting for medical marijuana and decriminalization all over the nation.

So, what's the hold up? Is this really "it" for the movement? No big serious discussion in Congress outside of making the same mistakes since 1913 (yes, I am counting alcohol prohibition as well)? Just a bunch of small victories here and there while this ridiculous war on innocent human beings rages on?

YES! I've realized this is IT. This is the status quo and it isn't going to change. Let's settle for what we can get - a laughing dismissal from our President and small battles won here and there.

NO! Fuck that!

It's time to kick this shit into high gear. If these idiots in the government think they will win this war, they are sadly mistaken. I want my fuckin marijuana and I'm gonna get it whether you fuckin like it or not. Let NORML and MPP and ASA and all these nonprofits do what they must. They've done so much already but even they've hit a roadblock in my opinion. It's time to do more.

I have new aim or a renewed aim in this struggle. It's time for a fuckin shit load of civil disobedience. How is this to be done?

Before I became a grower and more politically aware of marijuana, I was buying that same Mexican ditchweed. At the time, it was good enough to do what it was supposed to do. After I'd finished my first grow, got to meet other growers, and introduced to quality marijuana, I put that nickle and dime seeded shit behind me.

Part I: Fresh support for Mexican drug cartels
Buy their cheap seeded marijuana. The purpose in doing this is because these animals in our government want a fight. The DEA wants a fight. The police want a fight. SO LET THEM HAVE IT. Give the Mexican Drug Cartels all the money they need to continue killing off the animals that want to continue fighting. Let them kill each other.

Goal: If the violence isn't enough now, I would only hope it could get to levels that make people really think about the problem at hand (since they clearly aren't thinking at all) and legalize marijuana.
Part II: Keep and plant those seeds
The good thing about Mexican marijuana is that it comes with plenty of seeds. Most people just throw away those seeds. Keep them and plant them. But, it's not going to help to plant them just anywhere. Plant them in your local park. They've got to go somewhere that will be healthy and visible. You only need to push the seed into the dirt up to your fingertip, about a 1/4 of an inch deep, so it shouldn't take more than a few seconds. Cover it up, throw a little water on it to get it started.

Goal: With feral marijuana growing in every part of the nation, it will surely cause a sort of local anarchy. Each pothead should let their government know that we're here and we're not going anywhere.
Part III: Grow your own
The future of marijuana is small, indepedent and co-op grow operations - around 5 to 10 plants per person, reaching no more than 4 feet tall. With a decent sized wardrobe, you can have your own grow op, easily. In fact, I, as well as others I know, can put your own grow closet together for under $300. In 4-6 months time, you could have a few ounces of high quality marijuana to call your own. When you get really good, you can be harvesting ounces of high quality marijuana every 2 months (perpetual harvesting). If anything should happen, throw some wheels on your "growbox" and move it to another location.

Check out ICMAG for Micro Growing.

Here are some direct links to what you can do with a small closet.
Super Silver Haze | Unidentified Strain | Critical Mass
Make sure you check out the entire thread for start to finish growing.

Here's another post on that forum that will help you build and maintain your own small grow: Micro Grow Library

Goal: Big grow ops attract too much attention. But, small grow ops are harder to find. The heat signatures are smaller, the smell is minimal to nonexistent if done right, and the risk is lower to you as an individual. With no big grow ops for local police to tout as "victory" in the War on Drugs, the failure becomes more evident.
Part IV: Each one, teach one
The one problem that marijuana suffers from is this misinformation campaign that's been waged against it since Harry J. Anslinger spoke to Congress in 1936. Our government continues to lie about marijuana usage. But, it's only through honest education about marijuana have we been able to progress since 1936. There's a medical marijuana is real. There's a reason why decriminalization occurs. It's because the people are smarter today than they were yesterday. That's why the laws are changing.

Goal: One more person that knows the truth about marijuana is another vote we have on our side.
Part V: Donate
Donate your time and your money to these non profits. At the end of the day, they do help.

Goal: Every movement needs a voice!!

So, how was your 420?

2009-04-21T15:59:00.004-04:00

My 420 pretty much sucked to be honest.

I had it all set and ready to go. I was attending a grower's party. While I was invited to go to other spots, there's nothing better than a grower's party. Imagine about 20 people getting together and bringing their finest homegrown for everyone else to try out. And, it all fell through.

Sure, I could have done something else, gone somewhere else.. but I had my mind set on this party. Oh well, what can ya do?

I know. I realized something.

I don't need one day for it to be 420. I don't need the clock to hit 4:20am or pm EST for the call to "light it up". I realized a long time ago that 420 is every day and every minute. As long as I have marijuana, which I always do, I'll be celebrating 420 forever.

Yup!

And, I need to be the one having a 420 party next time.

One last thing,

where did so many people come from that smoke marijuana? I have friends who've told me all the bad things about marijuana come up to me and ask how they could get some? The way they bad-talk marijuana users, I'd think they'd be against it. NO WAY. They've done it before and they just wanna get high again. But, I don't blame them. Everyone has a public face and in this "unemployment" climate, it's best they speak against it. Sure, see me private, email me, text me. I'm here for you.. if I already know you. Come on out the woodwork.

I have friends that I know will call me first when they're ready to smoke. I love that. When you think you can't go any further with people, they end up coming to you! And, I welcome them all. They know me and they know if they're going to do any marijuana, I will make sure they enjoy themselves to the fullest in a safe environment.

I always wonder if my friends' willingness to try marijuana for the first time is a function of my influence through honest re-education or their own curiosity. I know at least one vote for decriminalization in Boston was my influence. Each one, teach one. Keep it going.

Obama Fried Chicken.. so what!?

2009-04-09T09:00:00.007-04:00

Well if I knew it would have been news or even blog-worthy, I would have posted this picture two months ago:This Obama Fried Chicken is on 115th and 7th Ave/St Nicholas Ave. It's sort of an intersection there. I was looking for parking and parked right in front of it without realizing the name of the spot until I got out of my car. As soon as I saw the name I pulled out the phone and took that picture. I thought it was hilarious. My friends got plenty of food there during that late night spades party.

My friend told me as soon as Obama was elected, they changed the name. So, this spot may have been up since November.

Check out fellow blogger Rippa @ The Intersection of Madness and Reality for a post about the Brooklyn location where the community seems to be protesting. Leave it up to us African American folk to get upset over small things. Or, maybe it's just Brooklyn folks that are always uptight about something. I wonder if they're going to go crazy over this Harlem location even though it's been up for months without so much as a peep from the Harlem community.

In an effort to support Black business, there's a great restaurant on 116th street, close to Lenox Ave and I am not talking about the overrated Amy Ruth's. It's across the street from Amy Ruth. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the spot but the title of it has the word "supreme" in it. Make sure you get the candied carrots. It's worth it!!

Can SimCity teach us how to run govt?

2009-04-07T08:33:00.001-04:00

As I am without the internet until sometime Thursday when the technician comes, I've tried to find other things to do since I am not networking as much. And, I've been getting busy with some SimCity 3000. Unfortunately, I can't find disc 1 to my SimCity 4

One thing that I know about SimCity is that if you're hemorrhaging money, you won't last long. The game is set up so that you run a successful city indefinitely.
Well, what defines success?

Simple enough, as long as you're in the black or making money, you can maintain and expand your city, you're a success.

You zone for residential, commercial, and industry from light to medium to dense. Basically, it's the difference bewteen zoning for small homes to large industrial complexes. And, a burgeoning city will have a mixture of all these zones. People need a place to live, a place to work, and a place to buy things.

And, unfortunately, the government needs taxes to support services such as roads/bridges, water, electricity, education, fire department, and even police. Taxes also allow for ordinances which include things like smoke detectors, junior sports, and neighborhood watch programs. Finally, who's going to build and maintain those parks?

One cool facet to keep your city healthy is the neighborhood deal which may include buying or selling water delivery, garbage disposal services, and/or electricity. Depending on your excess of allocations for those services, you may be offered a deal.

If at any point, you run out of money, you can always get a loan. If you go in the hole deep enough, it's game over.

I know SimCity is a case of art imitating life but, it's still based on fundamentals. How "real" is SimCity? How close to life is this art?

I find that I am very Republican when I first start a city. Low taxes and low spending. Low taxes bring the people in fast. Low spending allows me to run a deficit. However, my Republicanism ends very quickly after which I turn into a Democrat because I can't run a deficit forever. The game will end, obviously.

Mostly, I do this because in SimCity, as is in the real world, people want this and they want that. For example, the elderly want shuttle service. Well, if that's going to happen, I'll need to find a way to afford it. Eventually so many people want so many different things that some will be ignored and others, to my thinking, are required. There's only so much "dealing" I can do. Therefore, I have to raise taxes so I can afford it.

One thing that I've learned is that you've got to plan for the future. In case something happens - natural disaster - I'll have some funds that I can quickly spend to rebuild the area quickly. That makes perfect sense doesn't it? However, I don't have to hoard all of the money! This is SimCity, not SimDictator or Tropico, which is a fun game as well.

At a certain point, I'll feel it is necessary to lower taxes because I am running on a surplus. What else would I do with that money after I've filled the city's "emergency fund"? Pay down the "city" debt? Well, if I had a debt, I'd be concentrating on getting rid of it, not lowering taxes. But, I guess that's the Democrat in me. Besides, I'd lose the game otherwise.

The most important thing to do in SimCity is listen to the people - petitioners and advisers. They come with gifts, advice, demands, and anger. It all depends on how you run the city.

I know if I run the city like a Republican, crime will go up, fire hazards will increase, traffic will get out of control, and people will leave the city and what little taxes I do get won't even begin to cover any of my expenses. Then, I have to cut back services which end up causing strikes, riots, and protests in the streets. At that point, all the bad things have taken hold and I couldn't attract people to my city with 0% taxes. The point is that I have to stay in the black or lose the game.

But, if I run my city like a Democrat, I know it will go on forever. Sure taxes will be higher than a Republican would like but, people have a home, they are working, and they are buying. Crime is low; my jails are only 10% full which equals about 0.06% of my population in jail. The RCI indicator is letting me know that people desire more industry and residential while commercial desirability is stable. My taxes are comfortably are lower than what I started with. And, I am well above my "emergency fund" so I can actually begin deficit spending by lowering taxes even more. Why not? I can afford it since my cash flow has increased almost 300% even with the lower taxes.

Interesting! How exactly does it work that I have lower taxes and more income even though my spending increased? Well I also have 6,000 more people in my city! I didn't need to increase services so they can pay more into the system for the same efficient and effective services! And, that's how you run a government.

Unfortunately, SimCity is not real life. When you have problems in SimCity, you can start over again. You can't start over in real life. You've got to actually fix problems or else they persist and worsen. And, you definitely can't fix your problems by ignoring them or continuing the same policies that caused problems in the first place. That's not just a political reality, it's personal reality.
End
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Damn! Internet addiction is real!

2009-04-04T02:10:00.002-04:00

As long as I've been smoking marijuana, I've had hear all of the garbage myths. The worst myth of them all is that marijuana is addictive. The real reason anti-legalization activists - police and criminals alike - say marijuana is addictive is to liken it to heroin and cocaine to add that connotation of "dangerous substance".

But, I digress..

As many times as I've quit smoking marijuana, even for extended periods of time, I've never experienced withdrawal symptoms. In fact, I've never really known what a withdrawal symptom felt like until now.

Today, around noon, NYC had a little thunderstorm. It boomed loud as hell. I saw the flash of light outside of my window. It was just awesome if you ask me. I noticed my internet wasn't working. I figured it was the storm and things would be back to normal soon. No such luck.

Around 6, I called Verizon. Sure enough I talked to someone who probably doesn't live in the US. And, of course, she ran me through the guantlet of dumb ass things to do to fix the connection. They call it troubleshooting. I call it a waste of my time.

Although, I do understand they do this because most people are incredibly stupid. Some people just need to be told things like, "Check if the power cord is plugged in.". And, it solves the BULK of complaints. And, I know I won't be recognized as someone who CAN set up a modem, router, build a computer, or doesn't use antivirus because I can actually do it myself. No, ithey don't know that so I get treated like Sarah Palin.

But, I digress...

After I jump through all the hoops with customer service - like literally switching the ends of the cord from the router to the modem - she finally tests the line from her office to realize the real issue is on their end. Yeah, that's why I called you. I know the problem is on your end.

Everytime I have a problem, it's on YOUR end. And not just Verizon but AT&T, Blackberry, DirecTV, ConEd and every organization, business, and corporation that I need to facilitate my technological existence.

But, I digress...

She called "dispatch" because they schedule the technicians to come to my spot. Unfortunately I have to wait until April 9th and this all took place on the 3rd. So, 6 days without internet.

So, I've decided to survive on whatever wifi connection I can steal in the neighborhood. Unlike Manhattan's mostly dumb ass, wifi ignorant residents, Bronx residents actually set up their security. I found only one unsecured connection and it's intermittent at best.

It hasn't even been a full day yet and I am constantly checking my modem in the hopes they found a fix at the Verizon "office". I can't seem to just close my laptop and wait. I have my cellphone, Blackberry Bold aka BBAnthony, with the full data plan. But, I can't maneuver on it like I can on the computer. Arrgghhh! I'm suffering over here with no connection. I actually thought about driving into Manhattan where I know I'd find rampant open residential connections.

When I stop smoking marijuana, it's like not eating my favorite food. I miss it, can't wait to have it, but I'm in no rush or need to get it. By the way, my favorite food is stew chicken with rice and peas, West Indian style and I can't remember the last time I've had that.

But, I want my damn internet back! I have to find a way to cope.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T

Update (April 5th, 2009 @ 4:42pm)
I've finally figured out how to use my BlackBerry Bold as a modem through bluetooth. I needed a little help from the forums but I got it eventually. It's a lot easier than those tutorials made it out to be but I still needed some foundation or fundamental knowledge. First and foremost, I am on Windows Vista. With that out the way, make sure to set up a new network connection and input dialup number which not a typical phone number. I just set up one and 2 alternates - *99#, *99***3#, *99***1#. No need for a username or password. It just connected. The speeds suck probably because it's through BT and BT is not meant for high speed data access but I have a better level of functionality. No youtube and no hulu either. And, definitely no World of Warcraft. I'll survive without my level 80 Orc Rogue. FOR THE HOOOOORDE. LOL

Marijuana Gives Cancer the Munchies

2009-04-03T06:30:00.004-04:00

I just came across this article in my RSS from Spain via Cannabis Culture magazine: New Study Shows Marijuana Helps In Battle Against Cancer. I thought it was pretty significant. Yet, another study showing how marijuana can be used medically. When I hear anything like this, I want to know how it works. How does marijuana help battle cancer? I thought the answer was so funny:

The authors from the Complutense University in Madrid, working with scientists from other universities, found that the active component of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), causes cancer cells to undergo a process called autophagy -- the breakdown that occurs when the cell essentially self-digests.

I thought about it. I just repeated that term: "Self-digests!? So, it literally eats itself to death. Then I came to the conclusion that marijuana causes the cancer cells to get really hungry and since it can't go to the corner store, it has to eat itself.

But, then I got all philosophical about it..

well if it gives cancer the munchies, am I a cancer. don't we all get the munchies. WE'RE ALL CANCER

..so now I stop.

Take another puff

But, seriously. This nation spends billions on cancer research and billions on prohibition. Isn't it this nation's own stupidity and fear that keeps us realizing this potential cure is right under our noses? My mother had her breasts removed because of cancer. Why did we have to suffer? I'm done.