One of the most common arguments against legalizing and regulating cannabis is that it will harm the children. Opponents cite a number of questionable studies and claim that cannabis use causes brain abnormalities and lowers IQ (a myth debunked by our own federal government), and conclude that by keeping the current laws and bans in place we are protecting our vulnerable young people.
Another argument against legalization and regulation is that cannabis is already practically legal in California, and that “no one gets arrested for pot anymore” (implying that we don’t need legalization, we already have it). While it’s true that decriminalization in 2011 did reduce the number of misdemeanor arrests, it did not eliminate them, and the rate of felony incarcerations showed little change; we are still arresting around 20,000 people every year:
As one might expect, racial disparities have remained more or less the same, with people of color still many times more likely to be arrested than whites in spite of similar rates of use. But there has been one major shift in the demographic:
Youth under 18 now account for the majority of marijuana misdemeanor arrests. Prior to 2011—the year that possession of marijuana for personal use was reduced from a misdemeanor to an infraction in California—youth only accounted for a quarter of misdemeanor marijuana arrests. As of 2015, youth account for two-thirds of marijuana misdemeanor arrests in the state.
~drugpolicy.org
With so much concern for the well-being of young minds, one wonders why no one is scanning the brains of teens after being arrested, prosecuted, and jailed, and making comparisons with their more fortunate counterparts who never got caught. A Yale Law School study on child incarceration states:
The United States is “the world’s leader in the incarceration of children.” Of those incarcerated, thousands of American teenagers are held in solitary confinement each day. According to national prevalence reports, of the approximately 100,000 youth in residential facilities for juvenile offenders at any given time, more than one third reported spending time in solitary confinement, and more than half of this group reported periods of isolation exceeding twenty-four hours. Further, a national survey on suicide in juvenile facilities found that approximately half the youth who committed suicide were on “room-confinement” at the time of death.
Cannabis can’t kill our kids, but going to jail definitely can. Under current laws, juvenile penalties are the same as those for adults. Under Proposition 64, these penalties are replaced with counseling, community service, and education.
We support Prop 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act for many reasons. It legalizes something that no one should be in jail for, which means fewer families torn apart by the legal system. It retroactively reduces penalties for marijuana arrests, which will reunite families so that they can begin healing. It frees up law enforcement resources to focus on real criminal activities in the community (50 years ago, 90% of murder cases were solved; today, it’s only 64.1%). Prop 64 allows the state and localities to enact reasonable taxation, and it’s been written to address many of the issues that were present in the measures passed in Colorado and Washington. There are strict restrictions on advertising and packaging, and no, you won’t be seeing Big Marijuana commercials running during Spongebob (contrary to what opponents would have you believe).
Meanwhile, the FDA has approved Oxycontin for patients as young as 11.
We support Prop 64 because we’d rather see jobs created in a new green economy, instead of jobs created from new prisons in Ventura and Santa Barbara.
If Prop 64 doesn’t pass, lawmakers and law enforcement throughout Ventura County will sanctimoniously claim they have Done the Right Thing and Protected the Children, when in fact they have chosen instead to embrace the devastating harms of prohibition.
Being easy to use is one thing, but vape pens are also great because they make everything else easier too. This is more than just a temporary replacement for your flower, you may find this so convenient you switch to it as your primary form of medicating. Why? Well, if you use a traditional vaporizer like me, you can only medicate as far as your extension cord will reach. Vaporizers are not travel-friendly. If you choose to smoke cannabis, you’re limited (at least) to places without a fire alarm. Vape-pens are truly the go-anywhere, do-anything way to medicate. Obviously, you should only medicate where it is legal to do so. But, aside from that one restriction, the sky is really the limit on where you can go with a pen. The charge on most batteries lasts for several hours, if not days, and most batteries recharge in just an hour or two.
A lot of the things that make vape pens so convenient also makes them remarkably stealthy, and that is really important because we are patients using a medication that is still very misunderstood and in most situation best used discreetly. Thankfully, vape pens were designed to do just that. The very name vape-pen’ describes the inherently stealthy pen-like design of the battery and cartridge. While some units are large and bulky, most are small and streamlines, designed to look like the stylus for an iPad or other computer tablet. Nearly all pens are extremely lightweight, fit comfortably in a shirt pocket, and, when carried separately as battery-and-cartridge, can even fit comfortably in the change pocket of a pair of jeans. Perhaps the most interesting stealth-trait of vape pens is that the vapor usually doesn’t; have a strong identifiable cannabis odor. Smoked cannabis can often be smelled from blocks away, and even vaped cannabis will leave a heavy odor in the room it is being used in, but most vape cartridges have an ambiguous, fruity aroma that even regular cannabis user have a hard time identifying. Now you can attend that awkward family reunion and medicate your anxiety attack without having to answer uncomfortable questions from unenlightened relatives about why your legitimate medical needs left you smelling a little skunky.
Another good reason to give vape pens a try is their sheer firepower. Again, each brand is different, and there are many levels of strength to choose from, but with that said, you can find some cartridges that have oil testing g as high as 56-78% THC, which is about 2-3 times stronger than the most potent forms of cannabis in their flower form. That means every time you inhale, you are getting literally 2-3 times the medicine. This is why we stress using extreme caution the first time you try a high potency vape pen cartridge. You can literally become unsafe to drive after just 2 or 3 puffs, so seriously, take it easy and stay at home until you can gauge how much this will affect you.
6. Economy
Finally, a perfectly good reason to give pens a try is the simple beauty of their design. Artistically and mechanically, there is an underlying elegance to their overall design. They took something big, and made it small. They took something smelly and made it almost odorless. The took dangerous fire and replaced it with a completely hazard-free electric light. It may sound decidedly non-medical to say they made vaping cannabis look ‘cool’, even though they did, but it is very health-oriented to note that using a vape pen can also reduce a lot of the anxiety that comes from traditional smoking simply because it looks different, and, maybe even a little classier. No matter how seriously you take your medication, we all have to admit that cannabis smoking has developed a bit of a stigma, and that some people will view it negatively no matter the context.
we guessed that our suppository may be equally effective when inserted vaginally, as opposed to the traditional rectal route we all think of, it wasn’t until Foria came out with their 
by Steve D'Angelo -- for the curious reader in your life!
- makes grinding your herbs easy & fun!
for fresh herb storage.
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When you’re ready, firmly press the straightener over the parchment paper with your flower in it. The harder you press, the more Rosin you’ll be able to squeeze out. Some have had success using a vice to add even more pressure to the straightener (The strength of the straightener may vary). Typically you don’t want to press longer than about 5-8 seconds at a time. The higher the heat, the shorter amount of time you need to press. If you hear a sizzle, you’re pressing too hard or it’s too hot. You can press the same bud a few times leaving some cool off time between presses. I like to move the bud to a clean piece of the parchment for each new press so I don’t keep heating the extracted rosin.
around? You can turn it into a much nicer product using the same technique except this time you’ll want to use a