Cannabis News
Don’t Fall for the Biden Weed Pardon Bluff
Don’t fall for the Biden Bluff – It’s Baloney!
Politics often relies on slick bait-and-switch tactics, flashing token progress to divert attention from broken systems. Rather than uprooting special interests, the playbook tosses scrap concessions that sound big but don’t rock the boat. Joe Biden’s largely symbolic marijuana pardons fit the bill – grabbing good PR while keeping the drug war’s machinery and money flowing.
Though branded as equal justice, Biden’s handful of pardons barely affect real prisoners doing time for plants. Yet he wants credit for righting “failed policies” he helped craft! This head-fake tries to deflate building pressure for full abolition using crumbs to hush critics, not drive reform. It is diplomacy by distraction.
The DOJ itself now admits the drug war fuels racism rather than prevents harm. But mass-pardoning nonviolent cannabis offenders could accelerate the rush to end prohibition, threatening those profiting off societal oppression. Too much money resides in status quo injustice.
So Biden makes a show of pardoning federal possession – which millions legally do in other states – while leaving distribution charges fueling business as usual. He wants applause for pardoning what he once pushed jailing! This “progress” admits sin without forsaking it; reactive tokens promising more bait, no switch.
The classic bait-and-switch stands exposed. Until prisoners walk free en masse, taxpayers still bankroll police states caging minorities and poor for acts richer white suburbanites commit freely. These pardons insult victims by using them as cover for politicians who spearheaded militarized lawmaking. But the public must spot such spin meant to defend the unconscionable present. Full cannabis freedom and amnesty remain the demands until justice sits. The con wears no clothes.
On October 6th, 2022, the Biden administration announced the president would pardon all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession. Biden also highlighted he has used his pardon powers more than any recent president at this stage of office.
Per the statement, “Criminal records for marijuana use and possession have imposed needless barriers to employment, housing, and educational opportunities. Too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana. It’s time that we right these wrongs.”
The pardon covers about 6,500 people convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law between 1992 and 2021, as well as thousands more convicted under a Washington D.C. code. It does not cover other charges like possession in a national park or intent to distribute.
The administration explained Biden’s position: “Just as no one should be in a federal prison solely due to the use or possession of marijuana, no one should be in a local jail or state prison for that reason, either… I continue to urge governors to do the same with regard to state offenses.”
In other words, while framing this policy shift as addressing past harms, Biden also wants the parity extended more universally. Yet he failed to formally reclassify or deschedule marijuana under federal law, which could better enable states to take their own approach without risk of federal interference.
Critics quickly called out Biden’s past legislative history supporting tough drug crime policies as a Senator in the 1980s and 90s which greatly expanded mass incarceration. NAACP President Derrick Johnson responded, “The executive branch cannot correct this mistake alone… Congress must immediately take legislative action on marijuana reform.”
Over 70% of Americans support fully legalizing marijuana according to 2021 polls – including majorities of Democrats, Independents and Republicans. 18 states plus Washington DC have ended prohibition for adult recreational use, with 37 allowing medical access.
So while Biden’s pardons apply to only several thousand prisoners, the shift indicates growing recognition of public consensus against criminalizing cannabis at a federal level. However when it comes to actually changing the underlying legal status of marijuana itself, his administration continues defending the status quo policy for now.
Biden’s legislative history reveals tremendous hypocrisy around embracing drug criminalization for political points then expecting applause for piecemeal reforms too little, too late. His career helped birth the carceral disaster now ravaging millions – a moral stain no pardons erase without complete abolition of the system homegrown under his tutelage.
See, long before rallying behind Reagan’s “War on Drugs,” Senator Biden utilized frequent talk show appearances in the 1970s to stoke public fears around narcotics based on false anecdotes. He fabricated a lie about his wife being hit by a drunk driver to push stricter policies and gain empathy with the public. He later had to withdraw a presidential campaign for plagiarizing speeches unvetted.
This lifelong pattern culminated in the disastrous 1994 Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act cementing mass incarceration. Beyond expanding death sentences and deportations, it offered states money to build more prisons on condition longer mandatory minimum sentences accompanied them. It banned social welfare for minor drug offenses while terrorizing communities via street militarization.
These policies Biden championed deliberately targeted nonviolent minority substance users to seem “tough on crime” for white middle class voters during the Crack Era’s racially charged drug panics. Political posturing won at the cost of millions jailed, killed and trafficked by empowered cartels thriving off prohibition. Families suffered generational devastation while Biden boosted his career branding their loved ones “predators.”
Now with 90% wanting cannabis freedom alongside thriving state markets proving regulations’ feasibility, Team Biden tests the winds aiming to seem progressive without actually advancing progress. The unilateral pardons affect virtually none serving time currently. And they require no accountability from architects of immoral laws like the ’94 Act still terrorizing marginalized groups using other substances.
These pardons ultimately insult victims of reactionary policies Biden spearheaded for personal ambitions. They expect applause for pardoning what he helped criminalize to start! It rings as reactive political theater aware most citizens now recognize cannabis prohibition’s wholesale failure. But it avoids owning complicity to instead grant meager concessions hoping to silence righteous critics. Such performance remains far too little and very late.
Gestures like mass pardons aim to silence critics rather than enact authentic change. Politicians want credit for dismantling an atom of the distressing machinery they helped construct. It expects congratulations for righting microscopic wrongs while leviathan injustices persist by design under different branding. But we must avoid pacification to keep demanding reform.
That is not to dismiss the positive impacts even limited pardons bring for some lives. Any relief shortening unjust sentences carries value, seeding ripples of healing for individuals, families and networks affected by convictions under misguided laws. And symbolically it signals winds of change stirring previously unquestioned policies, acknowledging public evolution outpacing lawmakers.
But when political institutions expect lavish praise for baby steps to redress generations-long atrocities they engineered, it insults collective dignity and intelligence. These people directly fueled the crisis; they deserve no medals for woefully inadequate responses attempting to recover legitimacy and votes. To thank midwife arsonists for miniscule sprinklers misses the full depravity.
True leadership calls for owning complicity in humanitarian disasters then doing everything possible to empower survivors – not mere public relations. That means acknowledging cannabis prohibition sprung from racist roots in propaganda and continues disproportionate targeting of disadvantaged groups lacking resources to evade its violence. It requires not just pardoning users but overturning the corrupt laws. Nothing else squares the scale.
Until nonviolent prisoners walk free by the tens of thousands, until the fear lifting over targeted communities sustains hope rather than terror, until trust can bloom in place of generational state-sanctioned trauma, these calculated half-measures should not pacify public pressure but steel spines toward unrelenting demands for authentic reparative justice. The system’s sponsors deserve no acclaim while it persists.
And if this frame seems extreme, reflect on living helpless as foreign armies kidnapped loved ones for arbitrary nonviolent “crimes” classifying innate liberties granted others. Because in truth the drug war theatre deals not in crime or justice but suppressing power’s competition. Even pardons form PR insulation around tyranny by pretending gradual “reform” improves anything substantively. But the violence driving evil relies not on official policies but failure to enforce universal rights consistently across all groups. That change awaits still.
So rather than praise moves aiming to dissipate dissent, we must crystallize shared solidarity around undisputed principles of autonomy, community strength and equal protection transcending lawbooks. The people hold power to guide democracy directly by living those truths without permission slips from broken bureaucracies. And that non-violent moral stand exudes revolutionary potential to restore justice by individual and collective refusal to cooperate with legalized dehumanization as currently designed.
BIDEN’S BIG TALK ON WEED, READ ON…
PRESIDENT BIDEN OFFERS THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY A TROJAN HORSE!
“How Long Does One Puff of Weed Stay in Your System?”… This topic can be difficult to answer since it is dependent on elements such as the size of the hit and what constitutes a “one hit.” If you take a large bong pull then cough, it might linger in your system for 5-7 days. A moderate dose from a joint can last 3-5 days, whereas a few hits from a vaporizer may last 1-3 days.
The length of time that marijuana stays in the body varies based on a number of factors, including metabolism, THC levels, frequency of use, and hydration.
Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, is the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. THC and its metabolites, which remain in your body long after the effects have subsided, are detected by drug tests.
Since these metabolites are fat-soluble, they cling to bodily fat molecules. They could thus take a while to fully pass through your system, particularly if your body fat percentage is higher.
THC is absorbed by tissues and organs (including the brain, heart, and fat) and converted by the liver into chemicals such as 11-hydroxy-THC and carboxy-THC. Cannabis is eliminated in feces at a rate of around 65%, while urine accounts for 20%. The leftover amount might be kept within the body.
THC deposited in bodily tissues ultimately re-enters the circulation and is processed by the liver. For frequent users, THC accumulates in fatty tissues quicker than it can be removed, thus it may be detectable in drug tests for days or weeks following consumption.
The detection time varies according to the amount and frequency of cannabis usage. Higher dosages and regular usage result in longer detection times.
The type of drug test also affects detection windows. Blood and saliva tests typically detect cannabis metabolites for shorter periods, while urine and hair samples can reveal use for weeks or even months. In some cases, hair tests have detected cannabis use over 90 days after consumption.
Detection Windows for Various Cannabis Drug Tests
Urine Tests
Among all drug tests, urine testing is the most commonly used method for screening for drug use in an individual.
Detection times vary, but a 2017 review suggests the following windows for cannabis in urine after last use:
– Single-use (e.g., one joint): up to 3 days
– Moderate use (around 4 times a week): 5–7 days
– Chronic use (daily): 10–15 days
– Chronic heavy use (multiple times daily): over 30 days
Blood Tests
Blood tests generally detect recent cannabis use, typically within 2–12 hours after consumption. However, in cases of heavy use, cannabis has been detected up to 30 days later. Chronic heavy use can extend the detection period in the bloodstream.
Saliva Tests
THC can enter saliva through secondhand cannabis smoke, but THC metabolites are only present if you’ve personally smoked or ingested cannabis.
Saliva testing has a short detection window and can sometimes identify cannabis use on the same day. A 2020 review found that THC was detectable in the saliva of frequent users for up to 72 hours after use, and it may remain in saliva longer than in blood following recent use.
In areas where cannabis is illegal, saliva testing is often used for roadside screenings.
Hair Tests
Hair follicle tests can detect cannabis use for up to 90 days. After use, cannabinoids reach the hair follicles through small blood vessels and from sebum and sweat surrounding the hair.
Hair grows at approximately 0.5 inches per month, so a 1.5-inch segment of hair close to the scalp can reveal cannabis use over the past three months.
Factors Affecting THC and Metabolite Retention
The length of time THC and its metabolites stay in your system depends on various factors. Some, like body mass index (BMI) and metabolic rate, relate to individual body processing, not the drug itself.
Other factors are specific to cannabis use, including:
– Dosage: How much you consume
– Frequency: How often you use cannabis
– Method of consumption: Smoking, dabbing, edibles, or sublingual
– THC potency: Higher potency can extend detection time
Higher doses and more frequent use generally extend THC retention. Cannabis consumed orally may remain in the system slightly longer than smoked cannabis, and stronger cannabis strains, higher in THC, may also stay detectable for a longer period.
How Quickly Do the Effects of Cannabis Set In?
When smoking cannabis, effects appear almost immediately, while ingested cannabis may take 1–3 hours to peak.
The psychoactive component THC produces a “high” with common effects such as:
– Altered senses, including perception of time
– Mood changes
– Difficulty with thinking and problem-solving
– Impaired memory
Other short-term effects can include:
– Anxiety and confusion
– Decreased coordination
– Dry mouth and eyes
– Nausea or lightheadedness
– Trouble focusing
– Increased appetite
– Rapid heart rate
– Restlessness and sleepiness
In rare cases, high doses may lead to hallucinations, delusions, or acute psychosis.
Regular cannabis use may have additional mental and physical effects. While research is ongoing, cannabis use may increase the risk of:
– Cognitive issues like memory loss
– Cardiovascular problems including heart disease and stroke
– Respiratory illnesses such as bronchitis or lung infections
– Mood disorders like depression and anxiety
Cannabis use during pregnancy can negatively impact fetal growth and development.
Duration of Effects
Short-term effects generally taper off within 1–3 hours, but for chronic users, some long-term effects may last days, weeks, or even months. Certain effects may even be permanent.
Bottom Line
The amount of time that cannabis remains in your system following a single use varies greatly depending on individual characteristics such as body fat, metabolism, frequency of use, and mode of intake. Frequent users may maintain traces of THC for weeks, whereas infrequent users may test positive for as little as a few days. Hair tests can disclose usage for up to 90 days, while blood and saliva tests identify more recent use. Urine tests are the most popular and have varying detection durations. The duration that THC and its metabolites are detectable will ultimately depend on a number of factors, including dose, strength, and individual body chemistry.
PEE IN A CUP COMING UP, READ ON..
Is kratom addictive? Discover the potential for dependence on Kratom, the risks involved with its use, and how to approach its consumption responsibly.
From 2011 to 2017, over 1,800 calls to poison centers involved kratom in the U.S. This significant number highlights the concern regarding kratom addiction.
However, without Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight, and due to various consumption methods like teas and capsules, there are significant health risks. Safe use of kratom is now in question due to these issues.
Research debates how dependence develops, outlining signs like loss of control and withdrawal symptoms. These signs are seen in regular kratom users. Ironically, some people switch from drugs like heroin to kratom, looking for a legal alternative.
Understanding Kratom: Origins and Prevalence
Kratom comes from the Mitragyna speciosa tree in Southeast Asia. It can act like a stimulant or like opioids, based on how much you take. People use it in different ways, for a small energy boost or stronger effects at higher doses.
The legal status of kratom in the U.S. is complicated and changing. It’s a hot topic because some worry about its misuse. It’s still legal in several states. This shows how different places handle drug rules. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is looking into its medical benefits. But, the FDA hasn’t approved it for medical use yet. The DEA calls it a “drug of concern,” which means policies might change.
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From 2011 to 2017, poison control centers in the U.S. got over 1,800 reports about kratom. This shows it’s widely used and might pose health risks.
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Kratom’s main ingredients bind to opioid receptors very strongly, stronger than morphine even. This fact is key to understanding its effects.
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As more people use kratom, more are reporting serious health problems. These include liver and heart issues, and tough withdrawal symptoms, particularly in those already sick.
The statistics show mounting worries about kratom in the U.S. As its use grows, it’s becoming more important to health policies and laws. What happens next will depend on further research and legal decisions.
Is Kratom Addictive: Investigating the Substance’s Nature
The question of kratom’s addictiveness focuses on how it affects brain receptors and its long-term health implications. The ongoing debate highlights concerns about dependence and the risk of addiction. Scientists are closely looking at these issues.
How Kratom Works in the Brain
Kratom’s main alkaloids, mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, bind to the brain’s opioid receptors, similar to painkillers and narcotics. This connection suggests a potential risk of dependence. These alkaloids are key to kratom’s pain relief but also point to possible addiction concerns, especially with frequent, high-dose usage.
Patterns and Consequences of Long-term Use
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Using kratom often, especially in large doses, can increase the risk of dependence and intense withdrawal symptoms, similar to opioid withdrawal.
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Although some use it for pain or to improve mood, long-term kratom users might see serious health problems, like liver damage and mental health issues.
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Withdrawal symptoms, including irritability, nausea, and sleep problems, show kratom’s impact on one’s physical and mental health.
Assessment of Addiction Risks
Studies indicate a significant risk of addiction to kratom, especially with high doses or frequent use. Dependence develops as the body gets used to kratom, leading to tolerance and a need for more to feel its effects. Withdrawal symptoms emphasize this risk, as highlighted by health experts.
Physiological Effects: Kratom’s Impact on the Body
There is a lot of debate about the safety and use of kratom. This herbal extract comes from the Mitragyna speciosa plant. It has drawn attention for its possible harmful effects on the body. The FDA has issued many warnings about kratom, raising safety concerns.
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Kratom Adverse Effects: Kratom users have reported side effects like nausea, vomiting, and confusion. More serious issues include high blood pressure and liver damage. These problems highlight the risks of using kratom.
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Herbal Extract Safety: Some kratom products contain heavy metals and pathogens. These can cause severe health issues, including death. This shows the importance of safety in herbal products.
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FDA Warnings and Regulations: The FDA has linked kratom to over 35 deaths and warns against using it. They point out the lack of medical uses and the risk of addiction.
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Physiological Impact: Kratom’s effects depend on the dose and the user’s body. Yet, it can lead to dangerous outcomes like liver damage and seizures.
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Safety Concerns from Authorities: Federal agencies like the DEA are worried about kratom’s safety. Although not a controlled substance, monitoring suggests users should be careful.
Kratom might offer temporary relief for some ailments, but it comes with significant risks. The FDA’s warnings should make people think twice. If considering kratom, it’s crucial to talk to a doctor first. Experts stress the need for safety and caution with herbal extracts.
Conclusion
Kratom’s role in health and regulation is complex, with views and research findings widely varied. Some people use kratom for its claimed health benefits, but it’s a hot topic. Experts advise caution and suggest consulting a doctor before using kratom due to the unclear effects.
Clinical studies using scores like SOWS and COWS haven’t confirmed withdrawal symptoms from kratom. This adds to the debate, especially when some users report withdrawal. This makes kratom a controversial subject among different findings and user experiences.
When it comes to treating opioid addiction, kratom can be both helpful and harmful. Some have used it successfully to fight addiction. Yet, some states have banned it. This highlights the need for regulations and consistent product quality. It also raises questions about kratom’s legal status due to mixed actions by authorities.
The situation shows how complex kratom is in the realm of substance use and law. Without clear evidence supporting either its benefits or risks, it poses a challenge. More research is needed to guide regulations and health advice. For now, anyone thinking of using kratom should be careful, seek medical advice, and keep up with laws and health guidelines.
WHAT IS KRATOM ANYWAY? READ ON…
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