While much of the rest of the world sing the praises of legalization and as most Americans are awakening to the horrible consequences of the failed war on Americans, aka the Drug War, some legislators are working to ensure they have the laws in place to jail innocent unicorns.
U.S. Rep. Mark Kirk will call for legislation Monday that would toughen drug-trafficking laws regarding a highly potent form of marijuana, with penalties of up to 25 years in prison for a first-time offense.
The law would target offenders who sell or distribute marijuana that has a THC content exceeding 15 percent, which is between 5 and 10 percentage points higher than average marijuana, according to Kirk’s office.
Drug dealers are increasingly cross-breeding plants to produce high-potency variants of marijuana, which are called “kush” in street slang when they have 20 percent THC, Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said.
Police have been turning up more of the high-potency marijuana in Lake County arrests, he said.
“When you amplify the strength of it, you are increasing the harm to the system,” said Curran, who supports the legislation, which would amend a federal law. “They are more dangerous behind the wheel of a vehicle. It’s not a good idea to have people that messed up.”
[Uh, what is this "harm to the system" to which you refer? Since marijuana is non-toxic, the only "harm" you could be referring to is the psychoactivity of the THC. If that's the case, you need to explain to us why you're so terrified of 20% THC illegal "kush", but silent on 100% THC legal dronabinol (Marinol). Or explain why people using "kush" are more likely to get behind the wheel than people using dronabinol. Or explain why you're not trying to prohibit alcoholic beverages that are above a certain proof - it's not a good idea too have people that messed up on hard liquor, either. -- "R"R]
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has reported that kush sells for as high as $600 per ounce, creating the same profit potential as crack cocaine, Kirk said.
The Republican North Shore lawmaker said he plans to release more information during a news conference in Chicago on Monday, where he will be joined by representatives from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Lake County Metropolitan Enforcement Group and Waukegan Police Department.
The congressional representative Mark Kirk, needs some education in Cannabis; first – Kush wasn’t invented by drug dealers, it is a natural strain of Cannabis found in the middle east. Anyone could have found this out by typing Kush in Wiki, which leads me to believe the Honorable Congressman isn’t so honorable.
Kush refers to a subset of strains of indica cannabis. The origins of Kush cannabis are from landrace plants mainly in Afghanistan and sometimes, Iran, Pakistan, and Northern India,[1] with the name coming from the Hindu Kush valleys.[2] “Hindu Kush” strains of cannabis were brought to the United States in the mid to late 1970s and continue to be available to the present day.[3]
Kush strains were among those cultivated by the British firm GW Pharmaceuticals for its legally licensed commercial trial of medicinal cannabis.[4]
With close to a 50% margin, the United States is positioning itself to absorb a cannabis economy, even if it is one state at a time. Meanwhile, the State of Illinois, and specifically the 10th district of Illinois that Mark Kirk represents, have voted in favor of Medical Marijuana.
Mark Kirk would have everyone in his district locked up in prison for 25 years – for simply choosing Kush as their medical product.
To the constituents of Illinois, does this sound like someone who is representing your best interests?
Since he is representing his community, and his community has voted for Medical Marijuana, it’s obvious that Mark Kirk has a conflict of interest.
Whether or not you live in Illinois or even in Mark’s District, please take a minute to write Mark a nice letter and attempt to convince him (nicely) that his evil intentions are recognized for what they are and that American Citizens won’t stand for it. Also, please write your own representative in your district, and tell them not to support Mark’s bill.
http://www.house.gov/kirk/
We need to act now before this bill gains momentum.
[...] seen some of that happening in the US but instead of Skunk they've chosen "Kush." Prohibitionists push for 25 Years in Prison for Possession of Kush | The NORML Stash Blog Really the whole tobacco thing is just a "culture" deal . Decades ago when all that was [...]
Beth, you’re the one who needs some straightening. Here’s a start for you:
This University of Leicester study you cite takes one compound of marijuana smoke, injects it into cells from a calf (not your muscle, a cow baby), and finds this DNA damage. By contrast, 5,000 years of human history of marijuana use has not shown marijuana to cause cancer. Dr. Donald Tashkin’s thirty years of research at UCLA Medical School with the largest case control, long-term study ever published shows no link from even frequent, heavy marijuana use to head, neck, or lung cancer. Dr. Manuel Guzman has even shown THC to kill cancer cells in vitro and in vivo through many studies, showing that it targets cancer cells and leaves healthy cells alone, while also killing the blood supply to the cancerous cells.
Also, the whole “cannabis smoke has carcinogens” scare is meaningless if you vaporize cannabis (heat it to the point where cannabinoids evaporate, but plant doesn’t burn) or eat it in brownies or other edibles.
Or just use some logic, Beth: if heavy cannabis smoking caused cancer, don’t you think we’d see a huge increase in American cancer rates correlating with the rise in popularity of cannabis use? In the early 20th century, few people used cannabis. By 1979, the modern peak, 60% of high school seniors admitted trying it and 50% were annual users. But we don’t see cancer rates rising in correlation. You’d think we’d see more Rastafarians, hippies, and snowboarders with cancer, don’t you?
Also, Beth, nobody here ever claimed marijuana is harmless. Frequent heavy use can lead to bronchitis and excessive cough (but not emphysema, lung cancer, or COPD). While stoned, you have a greater risk of accident and injury. Some people experience a paranoia, anxiety, or panic when using cannabis. About 9% of users can develop dependence and face withdrawal symptoms like irritability, insomnia, and moodiness.
Our point is that marijuana is FAR less harmful to user and society than alcohol and tobacco, and marijuana prohibition is FAR more harmful than marijuana use.
Please get your facts straight before claiming marijuana is harmless. Here’s a start for you.
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/news/20090623/marijuana-smoke-linked-to-cancer?src=RSS_PUBLIC
So, the only reasonable or efficient way to test bud ,for the rest of us, is to try some…Works for me,
pass me that test blunt, 
Wow $600 an ounce capt. Kirk I think is just complaining about his prices. Its more like $315 an ounce
Two questions:
1) Where are these politicians learning their bud slang, is it from the same people the British politicians are learning it? (e.g. the “skunk” hysteria)
2) How will this legislation get enforced? It’s not like they’re going to round up all weed and take it in for testing to determine THC percentages. Cops should be far more against this kind of B.S. legislation, in opposed to legalization, because of the assumed difficulty of determining what “Kush” is and what it isn’t if they found someone in possession of cannabis (they couldn’t just eyeball it to figure it out), and for the pure fact that it would add more to their already full plates.
I swear, we should make our politicians pass a critical thinking exam in order to run for office.
the truth is too overwhelming. the only course they have to support their moral crusade is to spew utter nonsense.
Captain Kirk is an idiot…he learned a new word….how about this word Capt’n….Marinol
Isn’t this repugnant!
Only a person would no knowledge of how the economy works could suggest legislation like this. Where will all the demand for kush go? ..to the street!
The cartels will get fatter, the murders they commit will increase, their corruption will continue to spread through the government, police and army. Mexico, our immediate next-door neighbor, will fail as a sovereign nation and the security of the entire Nth American region will be put in jeopardy.
Thanks Captain Kirk, you moron!