The Chronic Spot is a feature where I will be posting news relating to cannabis culture. If you have a News article you feel should be included, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

The age old argument of Cannabis vs Alcohol has been been going on for decades but has been much more prevalent in recent times with Marijuana legalisation becoming a real possibility.

The problem is, if we look at the hard facts, its alcohol that should be the illegal substance, not cannabis. More and more people are waking up to the fact that marijuana is not as ‘lethal’ as governments make it out to be and that alcohol is in fact, more ‘lethal’ than governments will have you believe.

The Hard Facts

If we compare deaths from the two substances, there have been hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a marijuana overdose death in history. In the UK, there is a term, binge-drinking, which refers to the consumption of alcohol with the primary intention of getting intoxicated in a short space of time. This is spurred on by bars and clubs having ‘happy-hours’ or ‘5 shots for a fiver (£5)’ to name a few. Yet, there is no such thing as ‘binge-smoking’ in the context of smoking cannabis. In the UK alone, there are 9000 alcohol related deaths each year. However, according to Drug War Facts, an exhaustive search of the literature finds no credible reports of deaths induced by marijuana. The US Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) records instances of drug mentions in medical examiners’ reports, and though marijuana is mentioned, it is usually in combination with alcohol or other drugs. Marijuana alone has not been shown to cause an overdose death. Add to this the fact that in the long-term, marijuana use is far less harmful than long-term alcohol use and you start to wonder on what basis these substances were legalised/criminalised in the first place.

History of alcohol

One of the main reasons alcohol was prohibited in the United States in the 1920’s was to stop people becoming intoxicated. However, prohibition quickly produced bootleggers, speakeasies and rum runners smuggling supplies of alcohol across state lines. At the height of the prohibition period, there were twice as many illegal speakeasies as there were legal bars before prohibition. Many more people simply made beer and wine at home.

Regardless of the ban on alcohol, there was still huge demand for it. And therefore, people went by illegal means to procure what they wanted. Does that make them a criminal? Technically yes, realistically no.

Still today, debate rages on about the impact of prohibition. Many argue that the prohibition amendment failed to eliminate drinking, made drinking more popular among the young, spawned organized crime and disrespect for the law. Hell, one of America’s most notorious Mafiosos, Al Capone, gained his notoriety because he was in the business of smuggling and bootlegging liquor.

But then all of a sudden the United States needed money to fund the war and to try and recover from the great depression. So even though they believed that alcohol was a lethal intoxicant, they realised that they could make some money from alcohol by taxing it. So, in 1933, the US added the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution to end the prohibition of alcohol.

That’s when the world took a turn for the worse. The effects of which we can still be see today in every Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, in every rehab center, and in many cases, in domestic abuse situations.

The story of cannabis however, is not as clear.

History of cannabis

Hemp, which is one of the plants of the cannabis plant family, has been used for centuries in a number of ways. It has been used for paper, for textiles and for fuel. Before the industrial revolution, hemp was a popular fiber because it was strong and grew quickly. The US Declaration of Independence was even written on hemp paper. With so many uses from this plant, you start to wonder why we’re not utilizing this natural resource.

The cannabis plant has another plant as part of its family – the Marijuana plant. This is the plant which is cultivated differently and has been used for recreation, religious/spiritual and medicinal purposes.

So far it seems that cannabis, as a whole, only has potential benefits. But what about potential drawbacks?

Many studies have been conducted and although the extent of the medicinal value has been debated, it does have several well-documented beneficial effects. With regards to cancer, results indicated no correlation between long and short-term cannabis use, indicating, in fact, possible therapeutic effects. In other studies, marijuana use has been
shown to lower the effects and even stop schizophrenia as well as indicating cannabis to be beneficial to a number of conditions from multiple sclerosis, to Parkinson’s Disease and depression.

Oh right. Drawbacks? It gives you cravings for food! Everybody knows, nobody can control their cravings!

Doesn’t pregnancy give you cravings too?! Quick, Congregational hearing, lets stop people getting pregnant – they have cravings!!!

The fact of the matter is, the studies have shown that the potential benefits of marijuana far outweigh the minuscule possible drawbacks.

So why is it illegal in most of the world?

Why is cannabis illegal?

Well it all started in the United States. Firstly, they realised that the cannabis plant, is a plant. Its natural. You cant make money from something that can be grown in the privacy of one’s home. As a result of this, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 was passed. The Act did not criminalise the possession or usage of hemp, marijuana, or cannabis, but instead, levied a tax on anyone who dealt commercially in them. In effect though, possession was made illegal via an unrealistic, unpayable tax. Evidence to support the Act indicated that cannabis caused murder, insanity and death. Even if this was true, cannabis was classed as a ‘whole’ rather than simply hemp, marijuana etc. So instead of criminalising marijuana, cannabis as a whole (including hemp) was criminalised and therefore all of the potential commercial benefits of hemp were lost. That was until World War II when the United States were running out of resources and realised they could utilise hemp. In the 1943 film, Hemp for Victory, farmers were encouraged to grow hemp for the war effort. The film showed a history of hemp and hemp products and how hemp can be processed into rope, cloth and other products.

Another reason for the prohibition of cannabis was a result of racism. When Mexicans had come over the border, they would bring Marijuana with them. As a result, it began to be associated with minorities and of course, minorities are not allowed to flourish in a white man’s world!

One other reason for the prohibition of marijuana was the belief that it was a ‘gateway drug’ to more harder substances such as heroin and cocaine. So does that make milk a ‘gateway drink’ to more ‘harder’ drinks like Alcohol?! Quick, Congregational hearing, no-more breast feeding!

What’s even more mind-boggling, is the fact that the United States imports more hemp than any other country. Confused? You should be.

The fact of the matter is, cannabis as a whole, has so many potential benefits. Hemp seeds contain all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to maintain healthy human life. Hemp is relatively environmentally friendly as it requires few pesticides and no herbicides. Hemp can be used for paper, for textiles and for fuel. Marijuana has numerous medicinal benefits and has been shown to be beneficial to a number of conditions. The list goes on…

Historically, cannabis has played a major role in the spiritual life of man, dating further back than any existing religion. No matter what god or goddess one believes in, one should also believe that god created the plants of the earth. Therefore, the right to cannabis, just like all other plants, is a human right, regardless of religion, on the same level to our right to air, earth and water.

One more thing, its 100% natural.

So, God made plants and man made alcohol. Who do you trust? I know who I’m with.

The Chronic Spot is a feature where I will be posting news relating to cannabis culture. If you have a News article you feel should be included, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

In Boulder, Colorado, it is now possible to buy and smoke weed for religious purposes, 100% legally (for now at least).

The THC Ministry sells pot to pretty much anybody who agrees to use it for spiritual purposes.

The procedure is pretty simple: All you need is $50 in cash, a valid identification and the ‘Cannabis Minister’ will make you an ‘Ordained Cannabis Minister’. After that, you can buy as much marijuana from him as you want, 100% legally.

You may have difficulty getting the same luxury at a medical marijuana dispensary though. In fact, you’re more likely to get laughed at and turned away.

The minister however, says that the whole thing is 100% legal and that if you’re caught with religious marijuana, you can fight it in court. He may, in fact, be right about that. A US Federal court recently ruled that Rastafarians have the right to smoke marijuana for religious purposes. The minister also stated that the THC Ministry is international. Now of course, every country has different laws with regard to what is classified as ‘religious purposes’. So whilst this may be 100% legal (for now) in the United States, all those ‘religious cannabis smokers’ worldwide (including myself) who have just read this and got all giddy with excitement, don’t hold your breath…

Dope Art is a feature where I will be showcasing interesting art and other graphics related works. If you have any suggestions for any art to be included, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

A new addition for your coffee table, That’s How We Roll is a photographic journey in the search for the meaning behind the method of “rolling the perfect joint”.

That's How We Roll

Sebastien Roche-Lochen – the photographer – states in the preface for that book that “There is beauty in the ritual of rolling a joint and I felt like it was my mission to show it to the world.”

At the end of the day, it’s just a bunch of people getting their joints ready. But, when you look at the images, you alternate between seeing the individuality of each person and at the same time seeing how this task unifies them.

That’s How We Roll is 94 pages of color photography. To buy the book go to barnesandnoble.com or to any Barnes & Noble Store.

Checkout some of the pics here.

The Chronic Spot is a feature where I will be posting news relating to cannabis culture. If you have a News article you feel should be included, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

According to British researcher Prof. David Nutt, the 20 most harmful drugs are as follows:

1. Heroin
2. Cocaine
3. Barbiturates
4. Methadone
5. Alcohol
6. Ketamine
7. Benzodiazapines (Valium)
8. Amphetamine
9. Tobacco
10. Buprenorphine
11. Marijuana
12. Solvents
13. 4-MTA (club drug)
14. LSD
15. Methylphenidate (Ritalin)
16. Anabolic Steroids
17. GHB
18. Ecstasy
19. Amyl Nitrates
20. Khat

See where alcohol and tobacco are (5th and 9th) compared with our beloved marijuana (11th).

Wait, hold on a minute – alcohol and tobacco are more harmful than marijuana. NO WAY!

Now Professor Nutt is the British Government’s chief drug adviser. In his report, Prof. Nutt stated that he accepts that cannabis can sometimes cause mental illness, but argues it is safer than tobacco and alcohol and, overall, does not lead to major health problems. He advocated for cannabis to be reclassified from a Class B drug (criminal) to a Class C drug (decriminalized).

So what did the British Government do with Prof. Nutt’s advice? Nothing. Instead the British Home Secretary, Alan Johnson asked him to resign his position as head of the The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD), the UK’s official drugs advisory body.

The Home Secretary stated that Prof. Nutt’s view did not reflect that of the Government. WELL NO SHIT DOUCHEBAG!

Prof Nutt stated that he was not prepared to “mislead” the public about the effects of drugs in order to convey a moral “message” on the government’s behalf. He was simply stating the facts.

This is a perfect example of politicians making laws as they see fit, regardless of evidence to the contrary. It helps with their petty party politics.

Kinda makes you think if the decisions made in parliament are actually for the benefit of the country and the public, or if they’re just for the benefit of the men (and women) in suits. I mean what is the point of having independent scientific advice if as soon as they get some advice that they don’t like, they sack the person who has given it to them.

Maybe all politicians are douchebags. Wait, I already knew that.

Up In Smoke is a feature where I will be reviewing the latest movie I have seen.

Why don’t movie studios make feel good movies anymore?

Nowadays its all about the big summer blockbuster with a gazillion dollar budget. With explosions thrown in just for the fun of it and so many plot holes, Arnold could drive his Hummer through them.

Not the case with Adventureland. Its simple, fun and has a heart. This is how a feel-good movie should be made. From the very start, you can feel that the vibe of this movie is different. Add to that the fact that the movie starts with someone smoking some bud and you have a pretty good start if you ask me!

Ok so here’s the deal:

Boy meets girl…. well, you know the rest. But this movie is about the journey these guys take together, not the destination. And the characters in this movie are not the ‘typical’ ones we come across is most other teen films. There’s no jock or nerd or prom queen. These characters are genuine and there will definitely be viewers who will relate to at least one of these characters.

Where this movie shines is with the small details. Details such as the awkwardness just before a first kiss, details such as how it feels to work a crappy summer job, and details such as how it feels to have your heart broken. These small details are all part of growing up and this movie captures them perfectly.

There’s plenty of laughs along the way too. Bill Hader is as loud and eccentric as ever. One scene in particular he looks like he may just explode any second. My Boy Martin ‘Bill Haverchuck’ Starr also plays his part perfectly as a quiet but wise co-worker at Adventureland. The scene after the pot cookies is reminiscent of many dope-fueled fun times with friends! Plus, there’s plenty of pot smoking too (bonus points there)!

At the end of the day, this movie doesn’t try and be something its not. It simply tells the story of a boy and a girl. We get to experience their highs and lows as they take us on the journey of the best summer of their lives.

With a great mellow soundtrack to boot, Adventureland is a must see for anybody who likes great feel-good movies and not just the stuff which is thrown down our throats each and every summer.

Score:

The Hall of Fame is a feature where I will be inducting celebrities whom have been influential to me, or to cannabis culture, in some way, shape or form.

You can call him Wacko Jacko, you can call him a freak, you can call him a pedophile, and a multitude of other things.

I call him The Greatest.

Without Michael Jackson, there would be no significance placed on music videos. Michael Jackson pioneered the music video and made it his own. When Michael Jackson released a new music video, the whole world stopped and noticed. When Michael Jackson released a new music video, it became headline news.

Without Michael Jackson, recording artists would simply be singers and musicians, and not performers. Michael Jackson was the consummate performer. Honing his craft, he raised the bar and then he broke it. Michael Jackson became the benchmark.

Without Michael Jackson, there would be no Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Ne-yo, Usher…the list goes on and on.

As a person, some of his behaviour might have been strange. But, he was a loving and caring human being. He gave so much of himself to his fans and to various charities around the world. Michael Jackson was advocating world change with his charitable efforts, way before Live Aid. In fact, Michael Jackson is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the most charitable musician in history.

Some say he was the King of Pop. I like to think of him as the King, Full Stop.

Michael Jackson was a great singer, songwriter, dancer, entertainer and person.

For these reasons, Michael Jackson is inducted into the Lonely Stoner Hall of Fame.

The Shiznit is a feature where I will be compiling lists on various topics. If you have a suggestion for a list I should compile, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

Just in time for Halloween, I have compiled a list of stoner stereotypes you could dress up as.

The Newbie Stoner
The Newbie is exactly what it says. Zealous and eager to gain experienced user status, The Newbie Stoner tries to gain as much knowledge as possible in a short amount of time.

However, being a Newbie, they try and look for the buzz instead of letting the buzz find them. Trying to sound ‘hip’, the Newbie has a hard time conversing with an experienced stoner because they get the lingo mixed up. Trying to be cool, the Newbie will invest in stoner paraphernalia such as a pipe, bong or stash box yet will have no idea what to do with it.

The Newbie Stoner is also likely to the most paranoid stoner. The Newbie Stoner does not understand the meaning of ‘Be Cool’.

Essential attire of the Newbie Stoner:
Generic T-shirt and Jeans
Hoodie
Brand new, unused pipe/bong
Nicely organised stash and equipment/accessories

Newbie Stoners

The Hippie Stoner
The Hippie Stoner treats smoking like a religion. They strive to put the spirituality back into smoking. They love the bud, and toke up daily.

The Hippie Stoner is always the happy stoner. They like colourful clothes, decorations and trippy/psychedelic music. Their favourite music period is the 60’s and 70’s and they always seem to know how to play some obscure musical instrument. The Hippie Stoner wants to be one with nature and will take long walks/camping trips in the countryside with plenty of health foods in tow.

Hippie Stoners are a peaceful and loving bunch who don’t judge anybody. The are happy about life and make the best out of any situation they are in.

Essential Attire of the Hippie Stoner:
Tie Die Shirts
Beads
Ying Yang/Peace Sign
Unkempt/Just got out of bed hair
Flared trousers
Flip Flops

Hippie Stoner

The Techie Stoner
Techie Stoners, as the name suggests, are the tech savvy group in our list. They are usually the most educated of smokers and you will usually find them glued to their laptop/PDA/Blackberry/cell phone.

The Techie Stoner has an unhealthy obsession with Facebook/Twitter/MySpace and is always trying to come up with an obscure status update which is supposed to have a hidden meaning. They have stable jobs and most likely will only toke up AFTER work, never before of during. Techie Stoners are usually very cool people and are very laid back.

They enjoy movies, TV and video games (most likely all downloaded from the Internet). They know the best movies/TV shows to watch or video games to play whilst stoned. When playing video games with the Techie Stoner, be prepared to have your ass handed to you on a plate. The Techie Stoner is indeed a hardcore gamer. They know all the secrets and ALL the button combinations for ALL of the fighters in ALL of the games.

They have just as much pride in their paraphernalia as they do in their games and electronics. Techie Stoners can usually be found at 20-something bars, software stores, pro-wrestling events and music events/festivals.

Essential Attire of the Techie Stoner:
Jeans or loose casual trousers
T-shirt with movie/game reference
Converse All-Stars
Shoulder/messenger bag
iPhone
Macbook

Techie Stoner

The Corporate Stoner
This is the work hard, play hard stoner. The Corporate Stoner is always looking sharp and is all about business.

Like the Techie Stoner, they are also glued to their laptop/PDA/Blackberry/cell phone but its all about business. They wont be doing any Facebook or Twitter updates. No. Rather, they will be checking email or stocks and shares.

The Corporate Stoner can be arrogant, rude, self-centered, pushy, and down-right back stabbing. They have a need to succeed and are only interested in number 1. They spend a lot of time in bars and actually do more drinking than smoking. They will only smoke a joint if a friend or colleague happens to have one yet they are experienced stoners. The Corporate Stoner would have smoked a lot in their earlier years but since becoming a ‘Suit’, they do as other Suits do. You can’t tell who they are because the Corporate Stoner doesn’t tell anyone that they smoke.

Essential Attire of the Corporate Stoner:
Smart business attire (shirt, tie etc)
Laptop/PDA/Blackberry/cell phone
Laptop case/Briefcase
Budweiser in one hand, cigarette in the other

Corporate Stoner

The Thug/Homie/Gangster Stoner
This stoner is also likely to be your dealer. This stoner you have know for years and at the start he may have come and met you on his cycle but after a few years, he will be rolling in a nice ride. This stoner may not have a clue about time management but he will never let you down. If he says he will get you the weed, then he will get you the weed.

The Thug/Homie/Gangster Stoner always tells you the most obscure places to meet him and he’ll rotate between the same 4 or 5 places every few weeks. Gotta keep the Feds on their toes!

This stoner is stoned pretty much all of time and only works at a ‘normal’ job during the day just to make some extra cash on the side. His actual ‘day’ job is to sell weed. The Thug/Homie/Gangster Stoner will only ever smoke a joint or a blunt and doesn’t believe in bongs or pipes.

Essential Attire of the Thug/Homie/Gangster Stoner:
A jacket with many pockets
Jeans or loose casual trousers
Plenty of weed ready to be distributed
Some bling (most likely a gold chain or bracelet)
Lots of tattoos

Thug/Homie/Gangster Stoner

The Old-School Stoner
The Old-School Stoner has been smoking pot probably since your parents, the hippie stoners of the 60’s and 70’s, were in diapers. The Old-School Stoner has seen it all and done it all.

Whenever you smoke with the Old-School Stoner, they will give you a history lesson about the good ol’ days; about when times were a lot simpler and the time they had dinner with (insert celebrity name here).

The Old-School Stoner always wears the most ridiculous outfits and more often than not will simply wear bright pyjama bottoms and a torn t-shirt. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think the Old-School Stoner was homeless.

The Old-School Stoner has a lot to say and although most of it is just a load of rubbish, the Old-School Stoner does have a lot of wisdom and is usually more than happy to pass some of it onto you (whether you want to hear it or not).

Essential Attire of the Old-School Stoner:
Pyjama bottoms
Torn T-shirt
Slightly too small jacket.
Flip Flops/Sandals

Old-School Stoner

The Party Stoner
This group are usually middle or upper class. They include college students, jocks, and people who frequent bars or clubs. Not only will they drink and toke up at the same time (bad combination) but they will also divulge into much harder drugs (ecstasy, cocaine).

The Party Stoner likes to stick to their own cliques and doesn’t like ‘outsiders’ joining in. Conversation between Party Stoners usually centres on gossip or celebrity news. This stoner never actually buys any weed. They always smoke somebody else’s stash.

You can spot the Party Stoner because they are usually driving Daddy’s sports car or spending on Daddy’s credit card. They are incredibly beautiful people and are incredibly materialistic. Apart from a few close, mirror-image friends, the Party Stoner sees everybody else as an acquaintance and will only call on these acquaintance when needed.

The Party Stoner watches a lot of TV and loves the most popular top-40 music.

Essential Attire of the Party Stoner:
Any clothes which are high-end designer or that have been worn by celebrities
Daddy’s sports car
Daddy’s credit card

Party Stoner

Bonus: The Celeb Stoner
Everybody likes to impersonate a celebrity now and again. So what better occasion to dress up as a celebrity then Halloween. Now as there is no ‘essential attire’ to dress up like a celebrity, I have compiled a list of certified Celeb Stoners. So take your pick and get your swag on:

Certified Celeb Stoners:
Seth Rogan
Kevin Smith
Dr Dre
Snoop Dogg
Misha Barton
Willie Nelson
Cheech & Chong
B-Real
Michael Phelps
Adrianne Curry
Megan Fox
Woody Harrelson
Method Man
Joe Rogan
Kristen Stewart
Lily Allen
Amy Winhouse

Blazed & Confused is a feature where I will be posting everything that is completely random. If you have any random stuff you think I should post, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

Words cannot describe this.

Either this tattoo was an epiphany this dude had whilst smoking a ton of weed, or the dolphin is somehow supposed to represent him on a typical day.

The dolphin, smoking weed on his ripped up recliner, with a tribal tattoo on his arm and a red bong, this tattoo is probably a reflection of how this dude sees himself. Some people get tattoos in honour of loved ones or to commemorate the things in their life that mean the most to them. This dude chose to get aquatic animals getting high.

Pothead Dolphin

Up In Smoke is a feature where i will be reviewing the latest movie I have seen.

Ok so the premise is really simple: Humans can control other humans in a ‘live’ video game environment.

Sounds simple right? WRONG!!

What had the potential to be a great homage to First-Person Shooters (FPS) and Third-person shooters (TPS), turns out to be just another standard action flick.

Ok so here’s the deal:

Death-row inmates volunteer to be part of this online game of mass-scale deathmatches called Slayers in which they are controlled (by having self-replicating nanites planted in their brains) by players of the ‘game’. If the death-row inmate survives for 30 matches, he wins his freedom.

One of these inmates is Kable. He is one of the leading stars of Slayers having survived for 27 matches so far.

So, with 3 matches left to win his freedom, you would expect the movie moguls to have an all out action epic with Kable going in guns blaring and explosions happening left, right and center with blood and guts flying all over the place (something along the lines of Saving Private Ryan).

But no. Instead we get a back-story about Kable and his family and how he ended up on death-row. We even get a back-story about the guy who came up with the idea for Slayers (Ken Castle) as well as his project before Slayers, Society. And instead of Kable actually being in the mass-scale deathmatch to win his freedom (which is what we all want to see by the way), we find out that the person he really should be after is Ken Castle, as it was Castle who got Kable locked up in the first place and it was Castle who fostered Kable’s daughter.

So in the end, all we have is Kable vs Castle (plus a few henchmen). Oh, and don’t forget the token huge black dude! All of this WITHOUT THE FREAKIN GUNS!! In fact, the only weapon we see throughout this whole shambles of a conclusion, is a knife which John Rambo could eat for breakfast!

Now you know how they say ‘Sex Sells’? Well GUNS SELL TOO!! Just give a guy a machine gun and let him loose. SIMPLES!!

Note to movie moguls: Research your topic. You may end up with a blockbuster movie. Then you can stop remaking classic movies and butchering their legacy.

Score:

Smokin Joint is a feature where I will be posting music videos, hot tunes and anything else music related. If there’s something you think I should include, hit me up at neo@lonelystoner.net

1998 marked a decade in the careers of the rap-rock group Cypress Hill.

In celebration, Cypress Hill released their 4th studio album, aptly titled IV, and hosted a record release party that broke down the Cypress Hill methodology for all their fans to see, experience, and make their own. This event was the Smoke Out.

Bringing together leaders in rap-rock, hip hop, alternative, rock, metal, punk, dance, and reggae on dual stages, Cypress Hill turned the Smoke Out into the ultimate music fusion festival.

Now, after a 1 year hiatus, the Smoke Out is back, bigger and badder than ever.

Head over to the official site for details and tickets.

Below is a vid of Cypress Hill performing ‘I Wanna Get High’ from Smoke Out 1997