The Straight Toke - THE Marijuana Blog

One of our readers e-mailed me a link to the ONDCP's list of "street terms" for cannabis. As is usual with government agencies, they got it right.... kinda.

• 420 - They said: "marijuana use". Kinda. 420 refers either to the concept of marijuana use as a whole, or to marijuana-related things (i.e. a shot glass with 4:20 on the side is obviously referring to marijuana) -- but nobody uses 420 to refer to a specific instance of marijuana use (as in "Hey, do you wanna go have some 420?")

I haven't decided whether this picture is one of animal cruelty or one of animal charity. After all, the smoker's etiquette dictates that you help your smoking buddies when they need help getting the piece lit...

I found the image on Jean's Blog, but since there was no credit or attribution given, I'll have to thank the world's best photographer, Anonymous, for making this image possible.

Since "Dave" found The Straight Toke with the intent of finding out "if smoking out of aluminum foil bowls is bad for you", I intend to help him answer that question.

Short answer: pure aluminium? Probably not. (But read on.)

Long answer: "aluminium foil"? I wouldn't...

Here are Julius' picks for January 21st:

• Vermont to Hold Decriminalization Hearings - Looks like there's an effort underway to make Vermont join the states where marijuana's decriminalized. Here's hoping the hearings go well!
• Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows - Yep. The title says it all. THC (one of the active cannaboids in marijuana) has been found to reduce cancer growth and limit the spread of lung cancer in mice. Obviously more research is needed, but it's good news nonetheless. If anything, we now know

Julius does not endorse the use of any substance. The rules below are not an endorsement of drug use, but rather guidelines shared with the intent of helping those who choose to use do so safely.

Yesterday a friend of mine had a pretty poor trip on some mushrooms. He looked at them before (and afterwards) and they weren't spiked -- they were just a bit stronger than he expected. While everyone's fine and nothing bad came out of it, the experience has prompted me to share the rules of safe drug use:

Here are Julius' picks for January 20th:

• NORML OPED: Marijuana Prohibition Failing; Legalizing Could Be Tax Boon - There's a valid case for legalizing, if only for the increased taxes it could bring.
• Californians Get $150 Marijuana Goodies Card - Yes, it's just what it sounds like: a medical marijuana gift card.
• Why is Marijuana Illegal? - A great write up on the history behind marijuana prohibition.
• Colorado Police Fumble Marijuana Confiscation - Police face major lawsuit after a raid damages a medical marijuana supply.

I've created a new "links" category in which I'll post all the worthwhile marijuana-related links that I find over the course of my browsing. Sometimes it's a whole site, sometimes it's an interesting article or useful tidbit. Whatever I bookmark I'll post there, so if you're looking for something to read or something to keep your mind busy after a smoke, feel free to take a look.

Love,
Julius

Dear Julius

I've heard that you can more or less conceal your "stoned" appearance by doing the following things:

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1. Brushing your teeth
2. Washing your hair and/or washing your face
3. Changing your shirt
4. Using Visine

Is that true?

Hmmm. There's not a really easy answer to this, so I'll have to go over these methods one at a time. Pull up a couch and/or beanbag chair, and get ready for a lengthy post.

What other ways can cannabis be used, other than smoking it?

First, if you're interested in the different ways to smoke pot, you can read our "how to guide" on the subject. That said, there are a variety of ways to ingest cannabis that do not involve the inhalation of smoke. Here are some of the more effective ways to consume the herb:

• Vaporize it. A good vaporizer costs between £50 and £250, but it's a worthwhile investment. Vaporizers provide a fast and effective way to use the THC from Marijuana. By heating the plant material to the boiling point of THC (200 C or so), the THC boils away from the plant material with no combustion. Since there is no smoke, vaporization is often a popular choice amongst medical marijuana users.