These are the trees we should be cutting down around the world, but for human consumption.

How did the word for a common kitchen instrument become slang for marijuana?

Actually, the origin of pot has nothing to do with the culinary tools. The word came into use in America in the late 1930s. It is a shortening of the Spanish potiguaya or potaguaya that came from potación de guaya, a wine or brandy in which marijuana buds have been steeped. It literally means “the drink of grief.”

Tonight, this grief drink will be the topic of hot debate when city council members in Oakland, California vote on a historic measure that would create licensed medical marijuana factories.

If the plan is approved, the city would license four production plants that would grow, package, and process medical marijuana. Supporters say the plan will provide the city with two things it direly needs: tax revenue and jobs. Opponents decry the wholesale legitimization of a substance that is a narcotic in most of the United States.

Like pot, the word marijuana refers to cannabis, the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. The plant grows naturally in central Asia and other warm regions. Its uses vary from recreational to medicinal to religious.

Marijuana is the dried leaves and female flowers of the hemp plant. The word’s origin dates back to the late nineteenth century. It is an Americanism for the Mexican Spanish marihuana or mariguana, which is associated with the personal name María Juana.

Another name for marijuana is Mary Jane, the English version of María Juana. Mary Jane also refers to a small, round sponge cake and a brand of young girls’ patent leather shoes.

The origin of the word “coffee” is much more mysterious than the names for marijuana. Learn the beautiful name for coffee in Arabic in this earlier post.

Whatever you call it — ganja, weed, reefer, tea, bhang, leaf, or skunk — it may soon be legally factory farmed in record amounts in Oakland. What do you think?

[Source]

Hail the Kottonmouth Kings. These are some great songs to relax, smoke some weed, and enjoy. More of their videos after the jump.

Amanda Van West, a 24 year old college student from California sent this gem to me. It’s basically a mini-documentary about the marijuana culture in California. It’s very interesting to say the least. Take a look and let her know what you think of it.

From her video page:

In November 2010, Californians will be voting on whether or not to legalize marijuana for recreational use. If passed, California will become the first US state to end marijuana prohibition.

This is an exploration of California’s cannabis culture. It’s the story of the people fighting for it, the people fighting against it, the people selling it, the people making it less taboo, and the people who were around when the whole scene started.

I made this documentary for my final MA International Broadcast Journalism dissertation project at the University of Westminster.

Everything was filmed around northern California from May-June 2010.

Be sure to visit her blog here.

via Flickr

Marijuana is… everything. Isn’t it time to legalize?

(Sorry about the bad quality image)

Our friends at BudReviews and NugShots have sent us 3 of their favorite strains, with some very mouthwatering pictures. Continue reading for the full images with reviews.

Thanks guys! For anyone else, feel free to share anything of interest to feedback@iloveweed.net or by using our ‘Contact‘ page. We may post it up!

1. ’91 Chemdawg

This ’91 Chemdawg from Organic Experience is 100% organically grown. It smells like a minty kush and tastes refreshing in a similar way. Once you hit it, it quickly energizes your mind but takes away your worries. I would recommend it for use during the day unless sleep is of no concern. Just be careful how much you use!

2. Black Domina

Black Domina from California Sun Collective is a pure indica. It has a predominantly fruity smell but a spicy taste. As for its pure indica effects, it begins with a short but powerful head rush that quickly stones your body. It is a great strain for taking the edge off your day and relaxing any aching muscles.

3. Purple Kush

Purple Kush from Grand Organics Cooperative is a beauty! Take note, being a cooperative, the grower of this strain is a fellow patient from Grand Organics. The smell is floral and sweet with a matching taste. Once smoked, you will feel euphoria and you won’t fall asleep because of it (although you could if you wanted to).

Click to enlarge

Click on the image above for the sad truth about marijuana in the USA.

I’m guessing most of us started in our teens, but it would be interesting to know the average age our viewers started smoking weed.

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

I Love Weed – Men’s T-Shirt	I Love Weed – Woman’s T-Shirt
I Love Weed – Alternate (Woman or Men)	I Love Buttons

I’ve opened a shop for those who are interested in some I Love Weed clothes and products! Check it out at Zazzle. If you have any suggestions feel free to let me know! There are many colors to choose from and I will be adding more later on. Thanks and enjoy

Happy 4th of July to all our American viewers.

These photos were sent to us by Pete. Thanks!

Please feel free to share anything of interest to feedback@iloveweed.net or by using our ‘Contact‘ page. We may post it up!

Hollywood – An employee at a marijuana dispensary in Hollywood was killed Thursday night during an apparent robbery, police said. The death was reported about 9:05 p.m. in the 1600 block of North El Centro Avenue, just north of the Hollywood Palladium, according to Los Angeles police.

“It is a homicide,” Officer Karen Rayner of Los Angeles police Media Relations said, adding she did not how the person died. “It appears to be a robbery.”

It was not clear if the apparent robbery and killing were related to an earlier armed robbery at an Echo Park marijuana dispensary where one employee was shot dead and another was critically injured, Rayner said.

“The sole employee in the store was found dead by the owner of the store,” Los Angeles police Sgt. Don Lawrence of the Hollywood Station said.

Lawrence said he did not know whether the person was shot, or how he or she died.

An investigation was under way at the scene, Lawrence said.

Capt. Kevin McClure of the LAPD’s Robbery Homicide Unit was en route to the Hollywood dispensary, Rayner said.

Source

These comments from Sarah Palin last week are continuing to generate discussion:

“If we’re talking about pot, I’m not for the legalization of pot, because I think that would just encourage our young people to think that it was OK to go ahead and use it and I’m not an advocate for that. However, I think we need to prioritize our law enforcement efforts. And if somebody is going to smoke a joint in their house and not do anybody else any harm, then perhaps there are other things our cops should be looking at to engage in and clean up some of the other problems we have in society that are appropriate for law enforcement to do and not concentrate on such a, relatively speaking, minimal problem that we have in the country.”

Mike Huckabee responded with a bizarre joke about Palin doing cocaine on TV, and Ryan McNeely has a good piece addressing the absurdity of defending marijuana laws while simultaneously asking that they not be enforced. Unfortunately, The Economist departed from its typically superb drug policy coverage with a strange defense of Palin’s remarks:

Basically, while Sarah Palin’s position on this issue, as on many others, is semi-deliberately incoherent, it is in this case a semi-deliberate incoherence that has proven to be effective policy in many countries, and I’m not even sure it’s the wrong stance on the issue.

The full argument is too rambling to quote (see for yourself), but the author’s point is that marijuana isn’t really even legal in the Netherlands, so maybe there’s no need to legalize here either. It might make sense if we didn’t have a massive blood-thirsty drug war army literally occupying our cities. Prohibition is a for-profit industry in America. It sustains itself through a vast campaign of propaganda and intimidation, and I doubt the solution is as simple as asking these guys to please calm down.

The warriors who invade private homes in bulletproof bodysuits and murder small dogs for having the audacity to bark at them are not responsive to pleas for a more measured enforcement model. That the law authorizes their actions is the go-to excuse when their machine guns go off prematurely, and until that changes, neither will anything else.

Nevertheless, the fact that Palin was able to create such a flurry of dialogue with a few casual comments is testament to her potency as an advocate for whatever half-measures she’s willing to stand for. And the fact that FOX News is now employing people who will keep posing these questions to prominent political figures is pretty cool, too.

Click “Read More” for the video. You also can read the article at CBSNews.

Check out this great infographic from our friends at Hail Mary Jane. Read More for the full infographic.

Click to enlarge

Benin – World’s 1st Cannabis Sativa (Marijuana) Coin – The coin just issued by authority of the Government of the West African Republic of Benin is bound to create quite a stir among collectors and non-collectors alike. As the first in a series of “Famous Plants of the World”, the 100 Central African Franc denominated Legal Tender coin features Cannabis Sativa, colloquially known as Marijuana, Pot, Mary Jane, Weed, Grass, etc. The coin has been struck from a 27 gram copper-nickel planchet, 38.61 millimeters in diameter that is subsequently silver-plated.

The reverse features a bright green Cannabis Sativa leaf that when rubbed (HORRORS!!!!), and releases the distinct aroma of Marijuana, although I have been assured that the aroma comes from a synthetic additive and not from the plant itself. This process can be repeated approximately forty times before the smell disappears. Total mintage for this coin is limited to 2,500 pieces and if early indications are correct, this coin is destined to become an instant classic, appealing to both coin collectors as well multitudes of flower children and rock band followers from the sixties and seventies.

Source

I found this older recipe on another forum, but decided it would be a great addition for newbie edible bakers like myself. It’s definitely one of the easiest recipes to follow that I have found so far. Read More for the recipe. Be sure to let us know in the comments of a recipe that you think cannabutter would go good with.

You will need,

1. A large saucepan
2. A stir spoon
3. Butter (It’s about 1lb. of butter to every ounce of weed so make sure you do the math).
4. Marijuana
5. Cheesecloth, and some elastics
6. A couple tupperware containers with lids

Step 1.

Bring a few cups of water, about 3 or so, to a boil on the stovetop, it doesn’t really matter how much water you use because in the end it will all be separated, Just make sure the marijuana is always floating about 1 1/2 inches from the bottom of the pan.

Step 2.

When the water is at a boil place the butter in the pan, again it’s about 1lb. of butter (4 sticks) to every ounce of marijuana, so if your using a half ounce of bud that’s about 2 sticks of butter. Be sure not to let the butter burn, if it appears to be burning then let melt on a medium setting.

Move the dial to low heat once butter has melted, it should look like this

Step 3.

Now that the butter has melted you can now add the marijuana, Here I used about 5 grams of fresh nug and about 7 grams of vaped bud. Again make sure the stove is now on a low setting.

Stir occasionally, I tend to stir every time the mix starts bubbling.
I usually let the bud simmer for 3 hours, But you can always tell it’s done when the top of the mix turns from a really watery consistency to glossy and thick.

Step 4.

While letting the mix simmer, You are now going to need to get the cheesecloth strainer ready, which will also be used to store the cannabutter.

Take two sheets of cheese cloth and fold each one over so they each have two layers, place these over a tupperware container (with the lid off), and secure them there with elastics.

It should look like this, I say to make two just in case one container runs out of room.

Step 5.

When the water has turned glossy and thick on top it should look like this

You are now ready to strain the marijuana out of the mix, place your tupperware containers with the cheesecloth lids in the sink and slowly pour the entire mix on top of the cheesecloth like pictured here,

When the saucepan is empty carefully undo the elastic, pick up the cheesecloth from all four sides and squeeze all of the remaining butter out,

I throw away the marijuana after this, you can try and dry it out, let me know what happens.

Step 6.

Now place the lid on the tupperware and place it in the fridge to sit overnight, You need to do this so the water can seperare from the cannabutter, be patient.

Step 7.

Now that you have awakened in anticipation for your new treat, its time to seperate the waste water!

It should look like this now, The cannabutter on top, the waste water on bottom.

Take the lid off the tuperware and hold it upside down over the sink, place a dish in the sink to catch any cannabutter that may fall, squeeze two sides of the tupperware and the waste water will pour out, once all the water is gone your done! The cannabutter is ready to cook with.

If you do not wish to cook with it now, you can just place it back in the tupperware, place the lid back on and store it in the fridge.

"That's a Lot of Pot" (CBS/WBZ)

Wouldn’t it be great to have a ton of pot (literally)? High Times reports on a police investigation:

“Police found 2,000 pounds of pot in a Boston-area apartment earlier this week. Prosecutors are calling the ton of cannabis “the single largest seizure of marijuana in Boston’s recent memory.”

However, despite the 40 plastic wrapped packages stacked to the ceiling of a third floor apartment, Edgar Gonzalez, the man accused of possessing all the pot, claims he had no idea it was there.

Police originally came to the building to execute an unrelated search warrant. However, when Gonzalez saw the officers, he ran. After being caught, Gonzalez explained to the police that he ran because “he thought they were looking for him.”

This aroused officers’ suspicion and a search warrant for Gonzalez’s apartment was obtained. Inside, cops found the stash with an estimated street value of $4 million.

More @ cbsnews.com“

I. Why Should I Vape? :

Combustion aka burning your material is the most common known method to consume tobacco and herbs. During the combustion process the substance is burned releasing the active ingredients. Vaporizing has a similar effect as smoking but the substance is not burned it is vaporized.

Burning of the plant material causes the release of unwanted by-products like carbon monoxide, tar, ash, and other substances which are harmful to the human body and can later cause bigger issues. The unwanted substances have been found to cause cancer in most cases. Smoking is like breathing hot air which is unhealthy to our lungs and throat. You may be inhaling medicine but the method using high temperature may be causing more damage. Second hand smoking is also another factor to look at since the harmful smoke has a chance of causing cancer to other people that could be in the room.

According to many studies, twenty five to fifty percent of the substance is destroyed during the combustion process. It also decreases the effectivness of the active ingredients the plants may have. It is evident that smoking is an unhealthy method which may further cause damage to the body. Smoking also wastes resources by burning the plant material and in the process loses vital active ingredients.

Vaporizing on the other hand gently heats the plant material up to a certain degree where combustion doesn’t occur. This is achieved with digital accuracy and the effect is the release of a warm vapor with all the active ingredients. Many studies support that none of the active ingredients are lost during vaporization since fire or flame is not used to obtain the active ingredients. The process results to more of the beneficial natural substance and not just smoke.

The carcinogenic materials are also eliminated in the process since the vapor contains a very insignificant amount of tar. The vapor is also a lot cooler than smoke. This proves to be healthier than smoke which subjects the throat and lungs to irritation.

The vapor produced is slightly visible when exhaled and the vapor is almost odorless compared to smoke. The natural taste of the substance, for example of tobacco, is therefore noticeably retained.

Vaporizing produces more stimulation compared to smoking. Moreover, the unhealthy by products of smoking are eliminated with vaporizing. A number of studies have shown that delivery of the active ingredient is more efficient in vaporizing. Aside from the elimination of the undesired compounds, vaporizing delivers the active ingredient to the blood stream faster. The alleviating effect of the substance is fast and control of the dosage is very precise given the technology used in today’s vaporizers. You get more with vaporizing for using less, and people now consider vaporizing as the way to go, you should too.

Click read more for the full guide.

II. Time to Choose a Vaporizer:

There are many different types of Vaporizers. A few factors that determine the right kind for you include: price, reliability (how long are you planning on using it), and size.

Whip-based vapes
Balloon based vapes
Direct draw based vapes
Combination vapes (bags and whips)
Portable vapes
Lightbulb vapes

-Digital Vaporizers (Whatever form of draw they may be)

-Whip Based

- Non-Digital (Method of draw may vary)

-Volcano Vaporizers (A brand name, but so popular people put them in a category of their own). It is a balloon (bag) based vaporizer.

-Lightbulb Vaporizer (For the creative one)

III. How to Operate Your Vaporizer

Right Consistency of Herbs

This most important step is often overlooked by many. Before using, herbs need to be ground to a proper consistency. You can use a herb grinder for a perfect job. In the absence of a herb grinder, a coffee grinder is a good alternative. Ensure that you just give the herbs a couple of quick spins so that they do not become a fine powder that strains through the screen. You don’t have to worry if you have no grinder. Just use a scissors or even your fingers will do. The final result should be herbs with good consistency and without clumps.

Get the Vaporizer Going

Once you have the ground herbs, turn the vaporizer on and turn the temperature to the highest. Different vaporizer units have different methods of turn-on mechanism. The temperature control is either a knob that needs to be turned or simply a switch that turns off and on. You may refer to the operating instructions of the respective vaporizer.

Loading the Handpiece/Whip

The handpiece then needs to be loaded with the herbs. This process depends on the type of vaporizer used. If you are using a handpiece with a screen attached, the herbs should be placed on the screen. Just a small amount of herbs should do as they will provide a more even vaporization. The measurements of 1/8 is enough for once.

A great way is to load the vapor whip is with vacuum power. On your vapor whip, the small glass at the tip is the mouthpiece and the larger end is the loading chamber. Put the loading chamber over a small quantity of ground herbs and suck it into the loading chamber by breathing in the mouthpiece to create the suction. This is the best way of loading the herbs.

The Process of Vaporizing

Once the herbs are loaded, you are all set for vaporization.

1.) Temperature – The first thing to check for is to see that your vaporizer is ready to be used and warmed to the required temperature as per instructions. If your vaporizer has metal heating element, the element will become hot and red. Whatever the type of vaporizer you use, it should be hot enough to be used for 5 – 10 minutes.

2.) Proper Placement – Then you need to hold the handpiece to the end of the heating element and place the plastic tube-end of the mouthpiece in the mouth.

In most vaporizers, the heating element is at a 45 degree angle,
and because of this herbs spill into the heating element when
the end is attached. If this is what your vaporizer does, you can
just give a slight suction on the vapor whip to avoid spillage. This
is quite simple to do once you get used to it.

Getting the draw – Now the next step is to get the draw. Different vaporizers operate differently. Vapor is created by drawing hot air over the herbs and through the tube into the lungs.

Each person has their own preferred method of getting the perfect draw. Some vaporizer companies advise turning the vaporizer up as high as possible and to take fast and long inhalations to get the maximum benefit. Some say that the best way is to turn the unit down a little after heating it up and then taking the draw. I prefer the first method. I slow down my draw as the element cools down.

The variations of temperature and draw speed are the crucial elements of vaporizing. You will understand this better once you gain a little experience in drawing, and you will be able to figure out what is best for you.

Final – Once you are done taking the draw, take the handpiece away from the unit to keep heat away from the herbs.

A Few Rules of the Thumb to Vaporize the Correct Way

Hot Element: It is important to draw quickly so as to not burn the herbs. As the element cools down, you may decrease the speed of your draw.

Slow Element: To create the vapor, you need to draw slow, ensuring that it is not too slow, which will burn the herbs, creating smoke.

Even armed with all this knowledge, vaporizing needs a little experimentation, and very soon you will know the style that suits you perfectly. It is all a matter of preference really.

What is the indication that all herbs have been used?

This is one of the most often asked clarifications about vaporizing and there is no perfect answer. It is really hard to say as it depends on the herbs used.

However, I can give you some pointers:

Color: When the color of the herbs changes from green to brown, it could be an indication that the herbs are spent. If they turn black, you have far exceeded the time.

Flavor: It is common to see herbs changing flavor once their essence has been devoured. Many herbs smell like burnt popcorn at this stage. In order to avoid going to such extremes, you need to learn to detect the changing flavor.

Vapor: Another great indication is, herbs fail to produce vapor at normal temperature, once they are spent. Once this happens, you must make sure you do not force the vapor out of the herbs by resorting to slow drawing on a heated element. This only results in burning the herbs and producing smoke, which is exactly what you are trying to avoid.

Whatever the vaporizer you use, you will get a hang of things after a few uses.

Written by: GlitterPaws via Grasscity

Be sure to check out Grasscity for a great selection of Vaporizers.

​A 90-year-old grandmother suspected of selling cannabis was arrested Friday after police raided her home and found more than 170 pounds of marijuana.

A squad of armed South African police officers with drug dogs stormed the elderly woman’s home and discovered the pot stashed in multiple bags, according to the Daily Mail.

“This lady was quiet, old and looked like an angel sent from God,” said the rather poetically inclined Police Inspector Kobeli Mokheseng.

“But we received a tip-off two weeks ago that a lot of people were going into her house and coming out looking happy,” Mokheseng said.

Wow, happy people? That will not do! Obviously, law enforcement was called for, don’t you think?

“We sent in a drugs team who were prepared for a shootout, but they soon realized there was nobody to fight,” Mokheseng said.

Police found three types of marijuana, locally known as dagga, stashed in the pensioner’s garden shed.

The elderly lady, who said she lived alone in the four-room home east of Johnannesburg, South Africa, was arrested and taken into custody.

“She will spend the weekend behind bars, educating the police officers on what she was doing,” Inspector Mokheseng said.

“This was quite an extensive operation going on, with three types of the drug — called Swazi, Local and Skans,” Mokheseng said.

Wow, three separate strains? Granny’s got it goin’ on.

“We found money in plastic bags ready for the bank,” Mokheseng said. “She was making quite a lot of cash.”

“We understand she has many children and grandchildren, and we are trying to contact them,” the police inspector said.

The woman is scheduld to appear before Alberton Magistrates’ Court on Monday. She is charged with possession of illegal substances and selling cannabis.

Written by Steve Elliot