A nationwide Rasmussen poll conducted on May 12, of 1,000 likely voters, found that 56 percent favored legalization of marijuana if it were controlled and regulated similar to alcohol and cigarettes. Only 36 percent of those surveyed were opposed to legalizing and regulating cannabis. In the survey by Rasmussen Reports the margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence. Pulse Opinion Research, LLC conducts all field work for Rasmussen Reports.

This is an increase of nine percentage points since March of this year when Rasmussen last conducted a public survey of likely voters addressing this issue. At that time they found that 47 percent favored legalization of marijuana while 43 percent were opposed.

It seems as legalization issues are brought to the forefront of public debate in more and more states, the information and facts regarding the relative safety and impressive benefits associated with use of cannabis (also known as ganja, pot, herb, weed, marijuana) is swaying voters in favor of legalizing the plant.

Legalization will be the ballots this fall in Colorado and Washington states, and possibly others.

The medicinal benefits of marijuana are becoming better understood by doctors, patients, and public alike. Hopefully, as the debate continues, there will be more education on the diverse uses and benefits of hemp as an industrial fiber and more. Hemp is a very different plant than the bud producing marijuana plant and deserves a focus separate but similar to that now given to medicinal marijuana.
~DAZEY

photo courtesy Travel Muse

Our family loves to go camping as well as atttend one or two great music festivals each summer. The main key to having a good time is being properly prepared. Here is my most up-to-date packing list for everything we bring along.

Gear:

tent, stakes
kid tent
shade tent
chairs
camp stove
propane
charcoal briquettes or firewood
matches, lighters
flashlights, lantern
candles, citronella candles, incense
water filter
water containers
water bottles
backpacks
coolers and ice
camera, radio, ipod
maps
towels
sunscreen
toilet paper
hair brush, comb, hair ties
toothbrushes, toothpaste
wash cloths
playing cards
sewing kit
rope
duct tape
bandanas, sarongs
squirt bottles, water guns
cell phone (remember to activate cell phones for travel if you go out of your local area)
TICKETS (and/or camping reservations)

Bedding:

air mattress, pump
sleeping bags
blankets
pillows

Clothing:

hats
socks
shoes, sandals
jackets, sweatshirts, sweaters
underwear
swimsuits
shirts
pants, skirts
sunglasses
belt (pocket belt)

Kitchen:

corkscrew
big spoon
can opener
pot and lid
bowls
cups
forks, spoons
plate or cutting board
skewers (wood)
aluminum foil
pot holder
knife
dish soap (biodegradable, such as Dr. Bronners)
sponge
dish towel
table cloth

Kid Stuff:

stuffed animals
bucket, shovel
balls
cars, trucks
action figures, dolls
magna-doodle
dinosaurs
video game
earplugs, earmuffs
paper, pens
little potty (for toddlers/potty training)
baby wipes
baby carrier (such as Ergo)
wagon
glow sticks, light-up toys (for nighttime)

Medication:

pipes, bong (wrapped carefully)
papers
dish
grinder
herbs
tobacco (if desired)

First Aid Kit:
tea trea oil
antibiotic ointment
cotton balls
salve
tweezers
bandages

If there is something you think I might have left of this list, please reply in the comments section.
~DAZEY

"How is it possible that one plant has the potential to treat so many different ailments?"


~DAZEY

photo courtesy Mothering.com

IS IT SAFE TO SMOKE MARIJUANA WHILE BREASTFEEDING?

We already know from extensive research and studies that marijuana consumption is very safe for full grown adults. (Safer than a wide range of foods, medicines, and substances currently on the market for legal trade and consumption.)

Is it also safe for breastfeeding babies for their mothers to smoke ganja? These are the important factors to consider:

First of all, what is the individuals level of impairment when smoking marijuana? When mothering and supervising our children, it is of crucial importance that our ability and judgments are not negatively impaired. Because ganja is a plant which grows naturally, it is not uniform or consistent in the percentage of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which is contained in one dose/bowl/spliff/joint. Also, there is a high degree of variability in the level to which an individual will be affected by a given about of tetrahydrocannabinol. This is conditional on a persons body type/chemistry as well as their current level of tolerance. Therefore, it should be a personal decision to determine how much you can smoke while in charge of your child(ren) and still do your job. (Just like it is a personal decision how much alcohol or prescription medication is safe to take while you are in charge of your kids.)

Secondly, what amount of tetrahydrocannabinols are transferred from mother to baby in breastmilk?
From a study by Chao and collegues, on lactating squirrel monkeys, it has been concluded that roughly 0.2% of 14C-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol consumed by a mother is passed through her breastmilk to her baby.
It is necessary to make adjustments for body weight as compared to consumption as babies are so much smaller than their mothers. (Also we are not monkeys, but our physiology is similar.) Given this, there is a still only a small fraction of the amount of THC ingested by a mother that is passed to her baby through her breastmilk.
It is every mothers decision to make for herself whether this is an acceptable level of THC for her baby to receive, since it is clear that some amount of tetrahydrocannabinol will be passed through breastmilk.

Finally, is any amount of tetrahydrocannabinol safe for a baby to consume?
Marijuana is, hands down, one of the safest substances for consumption known to humankind. While there are numerous deaths each year due to everything from alcohol to sleeping pills to peanuts, cannabis, in its natural form, has never been the cause of a single death.
This is due to the fact that the human body and brain contains a complex system of cannabinoid receptors which are stimulated by endocannabinoids naturally produced by the human body. Plant substances which stimulate these receptors are phytocannabinoids, such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), and also cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). This endocannabinoid system performs all sorts of functions within the body by regulating with the goal of homeostasis: the maintainance of stable internal environment despite changes in the external environment. This is why it is impossible to overdose on cannabis, in its natural form, unlike other substances such as caffeine, sugar, alcohol, etc. This regulating towards homeostasis is also exactly the reason why cannabis has such diverse and beneficial medicinal qualities from relief of pain, anxiety, nausea, and much more.

From this standpoint, it should be up to the mother (and her partner) to decide what is safe for her baby.
~DAZEY

Sin City effect with the Canon Powershot, cool, eh?

~DAZEY

My plug for the movie Humboldt County : My favorite movie ever. I have watched it over and over. Yes, those of us who grew up there knew there were artistic, creative inaccuracies. We would not want to give the world-wide public an accurate road map to the best grow spots anyway. I appreciated that aspect. I think the movie honored the spirit of Humboldt County and portrayed it in a respectful way. As a stoner, I cannot stand movies/shows made for people to laugh at and make fun of stoners. I love this movie because it reflects reality, not stoner-stereotypes.
~DAZEY

I think it is rediculous that people are STILL saying they do not get a clear message of intent from the Occupy Movement. No matter how many well spoken individuals stand up and say it, it is like the naysayers just will not hear it. Occupy = continuation of the Civil Rights Movement, the Environmental Justice Movement, Womens Civil Liberties Movement, the Anti-War Movement. Occupy seeks to choose Education over Imprisonment, Global Community over War, Health over Profit, Freedom over Capitalism. Yes, that is a lot of issues. We know that. Sorry it is not simpler. There is a lot of work to be done. Get with it!
~DAZEY

420 is the only holiday I feel truly religious about celebrating. Maybe that is because my commitment to Mary is so strong. So many good reasons to smoke marijuana and 420 is the perfect day to celebrate all of them.

I wanted to make a really great post for 420 day, but naturally spent most of my time getting high instead. So here, in honor of April 20, 2012, are some things that are not weed that are green:














And here are some things that are weed that are not just green:

Smells sweet, its LAVENDER

Pretty, eh? Pretty irie, too.

We in Cali, so you know we got grapes.

PURPLE
~DAZEY

After the first set of rounded leaves, comes the distinctive long cerated leaves of the cannabis plant.What is that saying? A watched pot never bubbles? buds?
~DAZEY