NORML.ORG California: State's Largest Labor Union Endorses Marijuana Depenalization Initiative

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Home > News Archive > 2010 > California: State's Largest Labor Union Endorses Marijuana Depenalization Initiative

September 23, 2010 - Sacramento, CA, USA

Sacramento, CA: The California council of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the state's largest union, has endorsed Proposition 19, The Regulate, Control & Tax Cannabis Initiative of 2010. If passed, the measure would legalize the private adult possession and cultivation of marijuana, and allow local government the option to regulate the plant's commercial production and sale.

In a letter to the campaign, union President Bill A. Lloyd wrote that passage of Prop. 19 would generate new tax "revenues [that] will help the state and local governments protect and invest in jobs we need to provide for our families.

"[W]e look forward to joining you in any way we can to help pass Proposition 19," the letter concludes.

The SEIU has some 750,000 members in California.

Proposition 19 has also gained support from the council that oversees political activities for the United Food and Commercial Workers in California and four other western states. The Northern California council of the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, Communications Workers of America Local 9415 and Sign Displays & Allied Crafts Local 510 have also endorsed the campaign.

Other groups backing the campaign include the California state chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), the Latino Voters League, the National Black Police Association, and the California Council of Churches IMPACT.

Californians favor the measure by a vote of 47 percent to 38 percent, according to the latest statewide poll, published on Wednesday.

For more information, please visit: http://yeson19.com.

    updated: Sep 23, 2010

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The Dangers and Side Effects of Marijuana

Marijuana is an illegal drug that is used pretty much all over the world. It is a mixture of green and brown shredded dried leaves and stems and heads(which is the plants flower), that come from the Cannabis sativa plant. There is also another form of marijuana that is stronger. This form is known as hashish, which is commonly called hash, that looks like black or brown balls. There are numerous marijuana street names such as weed, pot, grass, reefer, Mary Jane, ganja, and dope.

Marijuana is usually rolled into cigarette papers or cigars that have been hollowed out, and is then smoked. These marijuana cigarettes are called joints or blunts. Marijuana is smoked in water pipes called bongs, or pipes called bowls too. It is sometimes mixed into foods such as brownies and eaten also. THC is the active chemical ingredient in marijuana. When marijuana is smoked, this chemical is passed from the lungs into the bloodstream. It is then transported to the brain and body organs. It will then reach the brain and connect with nerve cells that affect memory, coordination, pleasure, thought, concentration, and sensory and time perception. This creates the high of the marijuana.

Marijuana Short Term Side Effects:

Coordination Loss
Problem solving and thinking difficulty
Altered or distorted perception
Learning and memory problemsMarijuana Long Term Side Effects:

Changes in areas of the brain that affects responses to motivation and stress.
Respiratory problems, such as chronic cough, bronchitis, and more mucus.
Blood pressure changes such as decreased blood pressure.
Impairs ability to fight off infections.
Emotional problems such depression, anxiety, personality disturbances.
Job loss due to failing a drug test.
Fines or jail time if you are caught possessing,using, or selling marijuana.
Fertility problems such as producing less sperm or ovulation problems.
Problems to newborn babies that are born to women who use marijuana such as behavioral and developmental problems.Quitting Marijuana:

Trying to quit marijuana after you have used it for a long time may cause withdrawal symptoms. These may include depression, irritability, sleeplessness, lack of appetite, and anxiety. These withdrawal symptoms usually get worse a few days after quitting marijuana, but will decrease and are usually completely gone in a few weeks after quitting the drug. The best way to quit marijuana is with individual and group counseling. It is not uncommon that some people may have to go into a rehab treatment facility to quit this drug.

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Can I Stop Smoking Weed With an iPod?

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I have been requested plenty of concerns about the option to use headphones with an iPod Nano or any kind of other mp3 gadget with the five phase comfortable and easy quit weed mp3 course in order to eventually manage to stop smoking weed. If you would consider for a minute, to finding advice as well as methods from a person who does this kind of thing for a profession, then merely doing away with the actual expert, meanwhile keeping all of that incredible assistance in place! Then you can imagine the resourcefulness of the rather simple quit burning pot mp3 method!

There's no doubt that it is actually super vital to help fully understand the tendencies of a pot dependency in addition to exactly how it's very different from many other popular drugs.

1st, marijuana is not widely known to get its users physically or "fleshly" dependent, but instead, it's cravings seem the be mental, for the most part... This is the primary reason why there are so many people searching for ways to stop smoking weed on online. In order to expand on this a bit more, marijuana creates more of a psyche & psychological desire for the euphoria that is made from its use, unlike more potent chemicals along the lines of speed, cocaine and heroin produce a powerful bodily craving.

Alright, given that we have a much better understanding of weed along with the specific craving coming from it, let us take a peek at the fact that many men and women purely get sick & tired of marijuana and walk away from it as if it was nothing! On the flip side of the coin though, there are a great number of men and women who continue trying to quit, but end up heading back to smoking pot...

Resolutions to such various unknowns aren't generally simple to resolve, since there are numerous components in each human being that could fluctuate drastically. Factors just like persona, limiting belief, character traits as well as upbringing can play an extremely substantial purpose in the potential as well as disadvantages of people today. After all, there are a multitude of sides to any person involved, things including: Individuality, temperament issues, exactly how the human being was raised, a person's image of self, belief and many others... Remember that sometimes, the techniques used to resolve issues reside deep into the unconscious core of people. Also, it is not necessarily a single verified remedy that will become the magic bullet and solve everybody's battles. People in these predicaments typically possess the ability to quietly think on factors within themselves to help try and come across the origin of motives that may very well be holding them back from finally quitting weed.

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Sure, it requires some effort on your part, but it is not like you we're wanting the situation be resolved with merely a click of a finger correct?

Alright, I've got to run now, but I do hope that my modest article did support you understand a number of fundamental life transforming points around laying off cannabis. If you're looking to stop smoking weed, I wholeheartedly recommend the online audio method. Only take into account, it is never a 1 solution type difficulty, there literally are 100s of sides that hook a man or woman to his/her addictions, and that's why you need an already proven system that works!

In the even that you think you are alone! you are Certainly not... As a matter of fact, (since I'm sure you want to know) I used to be a everyday marijuana stoner myself... Man, I'd think about when I was going to be able to hit another joint as soon as I got out of bed! Occasionally, I would be thinking about it even prior to waking up, while still sleeping!

What it really comes down to is, what do you really want to do with your life... As the saying goes, "when there is a will, there's definitely a Way!"

Marijuana has been known to cause serious side effects for long-term smokers... If you want more info regarding how to stop smoking pot, just click how to stop smoking marijuana.
-Mike

How To Stop Marijuana Cravings

Would you like to learn proven methods to stop marijuana cravings from tempting you?

According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse that was conducted in 2001, it is estimated that 83 million Americans have tried marijuana. It is also estimated that 5.6 million of these users reporting having problems with illicit drug use and more than 2 million of these users feel dependent on smoking marijuana.

There are effective treatments and supplements that you can take to control the urge to smoke marijuana, however not everyone can afford to go to a rehab clinic or fork out hundreds of dollars for craving supplements that may or may not work.

This is where Emotional Freedom Technique (or EFT) comes into place. It is free, quick, easy and very effective at stopping cravings of all kinds including craving to smoke marijuana joints.

So what is EFT?

EFT is in simple terms, a method to break habits. By applying pressure on certain areas of your body whilst thinking about your craving you can reverse this craving for whatever it is you do not want. The technique is also used to send positive affirmations to your subconscious mind. The technique looks very strange but it is very simple to do and very effective. I would recommend everyone try this technique as it is so simple to achieve results.

What you will be doing is tapping with our fingertips on certain key points of the body. Just before tapping and during tapping you should concentrate on your craving. For example, if you wanted to smoke a joint, you would think about smoking a joint and imagine yourself already smoking a joint.

It's very simple stuff and can be performed by anyone. Results are instant and the whole process should not take you more than 3 minutes to complete.

The Cannabis Coach provides an interactive complete marijuana stop-smoking system to guide you through your mental and physical cravings from your quit date on to smoke-free status. Get your life back on track and start saving money! http://www.cannabiscoach.com

AntiMunchies.com - Fight Off Your Marijuana Munchies

AntiMunchies.com sent a batch off their product over to Baked Life for testing. Actually you can get a sample too if you go to their web page. The Anti Munchies dietary supplement works by targeting the same cannabinoid receptors.

How does it work? Your body contains specialized proteins called cannabinoid receptors. The receptors are responsible for hunger regulation. After almost three years of testing (and consuming every type of candy and pizza out there), we came up with a mix of just the right herbal blend to offer maximum munchie relief from the activated cannabinoid receptors.

If you ever need to put a stop to your munchies this is the way to go. Munchies are fun a lot of the time but sometimes eating a whole pizza isn't the best way to spend an afternoon. Anti Munchies seemed to stop my appetite from ever reaching munchie status.

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Marijuana Out From Under, Why You Should Quit And the Reasons Why You Should

Marijuana crushes kills and destroys many people, it does many things to you and it ends and changes many lives, here are the facts on the deadly drug and here are the reasons why you should quit, along with that, I have the help for you to help you quit your addiction to marijuana.

What is Marijuana?

Marijuana is a green, brown or a gray mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds and flowers of the hemp plant Cannabis. There are over 200 street names for marijuana including pot, herb, dope, reefer, grass, weed, ganja, boom, gangster and chronic.

Marijuana is usually smoked as a cigarette (called a joint or a nail) or in a pipe or bong. In recent years, marijuana has appeared in blunts, which are cigars that have been emptied of tobacco and refilled with the drug marijuana, often in a combination with another drug, such as crack. Some users also mix marijuana into foods or use it in their tea.

The main active chemical in marijuana is delta-9-tetrahedron. The effects of marijuana on the user depend on the strength or potency of the delta-9-tetrahedron it contains.

Delta-9-tetrahedron has been used to treat wasting syndrome in AIDS patients

What are the short-term effects of Marijuana use?

The short-term effects of marijuana use include problems with memory and learning; distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, and touch.) It can also cause difficulty in thinking and problem solving, loss of coordination, increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks.

Delta-9-tetrahedron in marijuana is strongly absorbed by the fatty tissues in various organs. Generally, traces of delta-9-tetrahedron can be detected by standard urine testing methods several days after a smoking session. In heavy chronic users, traces can sometimes be detected for weeks after they have stopped using marijuana.

What are the long-term effects of Marijuana use?

People who smoke marijuana often have similar or same respiratory problems as cigarette smokers. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. They are also at greater risk of getting an infection of the lungs like pneumonia. Marijuana contains some of the same, and sometimes even more, of the cancer-causing chemicals found in cigarette smoke.

Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior

Marijuana affects memory, judgment and perception. Learning and concentration skills are impaired among people who use the drug heavily. Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who use marijuana have lower achievement than those who do not; there are also more acceptances of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, worse relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.

Effects on Pregnancy

Any abuse of a drug can affect the health of a mother and some studies have found that infants born to mothers who used marijuana during pregnancy were smaller than those born to mothers who did not use the drug. In general, smaller babies are more likely to develop health problems.

A nursing mother who uses marijuana passes some of the delta-9-tetrahedron to the baby in her breast milk. Research indicates that the use by a mother during the first month of breast-feeding can impair the infants motor development.

Addictive Potential

A drug is addicting if it causes compulsive, uncontrollable drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences.

While not everyone who uses marijuana becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the drug compulsively, that person is said to be dependent or addicted to the drug.

Some frequent, heavy users develop a tolerance for marijuana. Tolerance means that the user needs larger doses of the drug to get the same desired results that he or she used to get the first time they used to drug.

Marijuana is a drug that is ruining our lives; we need to change what we are doing and where we are going because marijuana is changing the lives of many people. One thing I have to say is that in the link below I have a program for you that will change you, quit marijuana and any other drug check it out, it was meant for you.

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Marijuana - A Dangerous, Addictive Substance

Marijuana is a dreaded term in the world of drug addiction. It happens to be one of 200 names for a substance similar to tobacco, composed of dried leaves, stems, flowers and seeds of the hemp plant. It is a dull colored mixture in various shades of gray, brown and green and is often referred to as weed, pot, grass, herb, hashish and boom. Hashish happens to be the most potent form of marijuana. The substance contains an active chemical called THC or delta 9 tetrahydrocannabinol. Irrespective of the form in which it is consumed, it has a strong impact on the way the mind works altering its responses and behavioral mechanism. Marijuana was initially used for medicinal purposes, to heal and numb severe pain, but its addictive powers gripped thousands who tasted it and needed respite from problems. Today, it is banned legally but is smuggled through secret channels and commands exorbitant prices.

Marijuana can be smoked like a cigarette with the powder rolled in special paper, and lit at one end. Its absorption when consumed in this manner is almost instantaneous, reaching the part of the brain controlling emotions like pleasure, concentration, thinking, memory and coordination. Its unification with the nerve cell receptors negatively affects these activities. Consequently, feelings like pain, sorrow, stress, and depression give way to an elated feeling however short lived it may be. This probably explains the reason why people are so easily addicted to it and become obsessed about it. Marijuana becomes an all consuming passion with people thinking about ways and means of procuring it, waiting in animated anticipation about the joy of having it, and are paranoid about not being able to get enough. The need for it is so intense that values, principles and morals are all forgotten just to be able to get marijuana. The most alarming aspect of taking marijuana is that the body begins to crave for the substance, and gradually the body reaches a 'high' after taking increasing quantities of it.

Addiction to marijuana is the toughest thing to shake off. Even alcohol addiction is easy to overcome in comparison. Even though addicts are well aware of the consequences of their addiction, they are unable to give it up no matter how hard they try. They tend to consume more to forget what harm it is doing to their body. The addiction comes with a social stigma attached not just for the addict but also for his whole family, who begin to feel like social outcasts.

Addiction to marijuana has long terms effects like difficulty with remembering, incoherent thought process, inability to concentrate and work consistently. This triggers off related problems like absenteeism, lack of commitment and seriousness towards the job at hand. It is then only natural to find addicts being fired from work or being gracefully asked to resign. Friends and eventually family disown such individuals when matters get worse consistently. He begins to be perceived as a threat to society and he is shunned completely.

Addiction to marijuana is like being afflicted with a disease, and needs proper, organized treatment which is generally a combination of medication and counseling. The counseling sessions often rope in family members and those falling in the addict's immediate circle. Behavioral therapy also reveals encouraging results for addicts and helps them overcome their urge to smoke this substance. He needs support and reassurance at every step and the end result has to keep him motivated to give up this habit. He needs to think of all that he will gain in the long term, if he gives up on the feeling of bliss and ecstasy that is purely transient after smoking this substance that most believe to be worse than poison.