How to roll joints | Pot , Marijuanna Recipes | Bongs | Glass Pipes | Vaporizers

New products are received with great apprehension as it cannot be aptly said if the product will survive the market competition or not. When a new product is introduced into the market, there is no guarantee that the product is going to be accepted or otherwise. Users hesitate to buy a new product as they are unsure if their investment will go as a waste and thus it certainly takes time for consumers to understand the use and need of the new product before they accept it in their daily lives. Smoking is a habit which becomes part and parcel of smoker’s lives and it is hard to quit smoking once you have got into the habit of the same. Most of the smokers would like to get rid of it but find themselves trapped in it. To help such quitters and smokers has thus been created the electronic cigarettes which is a smart choice over ordinary smoking.

Electronic cigarettes are available all throughout the world and are a product of legal use in the United States but there are also subjected to state legislation. The Food and Drug administration lost its court battle against electronic cigarettes in 2010 as the FDA wanted this device to be classified as a drug delivery device. However, after several proceedings the court’s verdict was against the FDA and this cleared the way for the marketing process of electronic cigarettes. This product also hit the European market in 2006 under the name of Ruyan and after its introduction in this market; the product was named as electronic cigarette.

It is the health aspect of electronic cigarettes which needs to be confirmed as there is still uncertainty looming over the positive features of electronic cigarettes. The FDA is quite concerned over the use of the electronic cigarettes as in the studies conducted by it over the 19 varieties of this device, diethylene glycol was found in the cartridges of one of the brands and carcinogens known as tobacco-specific nitrosamines or TSNAs are also found in one or two of the cartridges which actually raised many serious concerns over the use of electronic cigarettes and this is the main reason why FDA filed a case against this device. But, the Electronic Cigarette Association counteracted on the FDA testing and clearly stated that FDA’s research lacked proper proof.  Most of the research work and testing revealed mixed results and the American Association of Public Health Physicians offered its full support to electronic cigarettes and they strongly recommended that this device should not be classified under drug device delivery but instead should be classified as a tobacco product. AAPHP clearly propagates that this product produces very less second hand smoke than compared to the usual cigarettes. WHO is also of the view that electronic cigarettes should be marketed as a smoking cessation device and no brand of this product should contain any suggestion that WHO has approved the device.

Every user of electronic cigarette needs to necessarily take into consideration the pros and cons of using this device before they start using it on a daily basis.

Was searching around for some new glass pipes to add to my collection and came across smokewire.com. I was impressed with their selection of high quality Pyrex glass pipes. These little glass pipes always come in handy because they are so small you can fit them right in your pocket or purse ( for the ladies.) I also noticed they were haveing a pretty sweet giveaway where they are offing a FREE BONG just for tweeting or blogging about thier site. So head over to smokewire.com and enter to win!

I’m sure that everyone reading this article has a great taste in music. Most people who smoke just know a lot about music. One of my favorite things is when my friends introduce me to new music. So I have put together a list of music that I think you will all enjoy. I have omitted the usual suspects (Marley, Dylan, Radiohead, Morrison, etc…) So, this list is mainly of music that people don’t listen to as much as my social, smoking circle does. Many of you may already know some of the songs and bands below but regardless, I’m just passing it on…

Outkast: Whenever we’re about to twist one up or pack the bowl, I always turn on some Outkast. The music is both exciting and chill. Each song is completely different and equally excellent. It’s the perfect music to get the smoke session started.

Top Recommendations: Spottieottiedogaliscious and Aquemini

Led Zeppelin: Now it’s time to tone it down a little bit. You’ve just gotten super high off the last two bowls and you’re now just enjoying your high. Let Robert Plant and Jimmy Page take you to world where the sun is always shining, where love is rampant, and where the guitar never stops. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite bands of all time, Zepp never lets me down and always makes me feel just…right.

Top Recommendations: Tangerine and What Is and What Should Be

Jay-Z & Eminem: Okay, so you’ve already smoked a few bowls and a joint or two, the energy level in the room has become more chill and everyone is just enjoying the high. After the Zeppelin, some pretty serious conversations have broken out about absolutely nothing, such as how much better 3-ply toilet paper is than 2-ply. This is the perfect time to throw Jay-Z’s black album on or anything by Eminem to pump you and your boys right up. I’m partial to Eminem because I feel that he’s a lyrical genius, but you gotta love Jay-Z, his badass vocals and beats. Listen to Eminem as you pack that bong and everyone will push off the back of their seat and gear up for their next hit.

Top Recommendations: Moment of Clarity and Drug Ballad

RJD2: By a stroke of luck about two years ago, I happened to stumble upon a song by RJD2 in my iTunes. I hadn’t remembered downloading it and I didn’t know who it/he was. Well, now I know that RJD2 is a musical college of “cut-and-paste” hip hop that combines different elements and beats to create a smooth, moody view of the world. His music is enchanting and exhilarating at the same time as peaceful and relaxing. Hit the bong, then play his song.

Top Recommendations: Ghostwriter and 1976

The Postal Service: I just got into them this year, but I find that listening to their music while high is the trippest thing. The Postal Service is a mix of electronic and indie-rock by a group of people who stem from all different types of bands to collaborate on Postal Service albums. Turn the music up, turn down the lights, turn on iTunes Visualizer and you’re set for a while – or at least until your next bowl.

Top Recommendations: The District Sleeps Alone Tonight and Such Great Heights

The Garden State Soundtrack: This the last of the music that I’ll recommend, otherwise I could go on for pages about what I think you’d all really enjoy. For those that have seen the movie, you’ll understand how soothing and creative the music on the soundtrack is. If you haven’t seen the movie – go see it – then download the soundtrack. Zack Braff, the director-writer-lead-actor of the movie, was working with a super tight budget to create this movie and soundtrack to enter into a ton of Film Festivals. He asked each artist personally for each song to be put on the album and he got all the rights to use their music – FREE. It’s music that’s just beginning to become bigger, slowly. It’s best to listen to this music towards the end of your smoking session. It’s the chillest mix of music to listen to before you hit the final bowl or hit the sack.

Top Recommendations. In The Waiting and Let Go

A pure cannbis cigar is perhaps the ultimate joint and a must for the rich, famous and well connected. Using exotic, hard-to-get ingredients this can be a hard one to get together.

First, find yourself a thai stick, (cured buds tied around a bamboo sliver) Remove any thread and carefully coat it with liquid cannabis resin oil.

Wrap the coated stick with small, uncured, ‘top’ leaves, taking care to remove any stems.

Secure the leaves with thread and coat with more liquid resin. Leave the cigar to dry in a dark, dry and warm place for a day or so.

Remove the thread and repeat the entire process. Use progressively larger cannabis leaves until the cigar is suitably fat.

Use large ‘sun’ leaves to seal the cigar, add a final coat of cannabis resin and secure with more thread.

Leave the finished cigars to dry. In two to three weeks it should be ready to smoke.

When drying is complete, remove the thread and carefully pull the bamboo sliver from inside the cigar to create a smoking tube. Store your cigars in a dry air-tight container – the longer you leave them, the better (and stronger) the y will get.

Once mastered, the joint rolling technique opens a realm of possibilities for weird and wonderful creations. The Diamond is a good place to start and when made with care smokes surprisingly well.

Roll a straight, fat joint with a sturdy roach and carefully cut it in two using a pair of scissors or a knife.

Roll two identical joints, without roaches and slightly thinner than the first. Put slightly less mix in their centres so that you can bend them later on. Consistency is important here, the joints must burn at the same rate.

Carefully trim away any excess paper from all four joints, leaving the mix flush with the paper.

Cut the gummed strips from ten spare papers (the wide strips from king skins are best) and put to one side.

Now for the tricky bit… Join the two identical joints to the segment of the first joint containing the roach. Use some of the gummed strips to bandage the join as shown. It is best to do this on a flat surface. Keep bandaging until you are confident everything is airtight and secure.

Very gently, bend the two joints at their centers until they meet to form a diamond shape.

Finally, bandage the joint to the remaining to the end of the diamond, using the gummed strips as before.

Fly into fantasy on the axminster of your dreams! Popular in North Africa, where a cigarette segment is substituted for the roach, the Carpet is ideal for those that like ‘em short and fat.

Stick two papers together to form a square with a gummed strip along one side.

Take a third paper and stick it, face down, to the end of the first two.

There is plenty of space for mix so you can trim away any excess paper.

Roll the joint as normal then twist the end to secure the third paper. Grip that pile and prepare for take-off!

People have often come up with really cool ways to roll a joint. A close friend of Pass The Joint informed us of a method using a Dollar Bill. So we tried it out. Here are detailed instructions how to do it. Our guess is you’ll just look at the pictures but for those who’d rather read, instructions are above each picture. If you have any questions, feel free to contact us. But just before you do that, realize we’ll be stoned.

Take a bill from your wallet (if you have any money left) and make a good crease down the middle of it.

Open the bill and put the weed together in the crease

Now close the bill and roll the bill up and down between your fingers do pack the weed into the crease, tightly.

Now open the bill and you’ll see your weed beautifully packed into the crease, waiting to be rolled….Oh please roll me….Please….Next Step.

Now close the bill again and roll again. Don’t be clumsy here. This takes practice so you might not get it the first time.

Roll the paper inside the bill to get the paper around the weed completely. You need to hold the bill with both hands and move the top half of the dollar upwards to make the weed roll over and onto the paper. (You might need to read that sentence again). This will happen as the paper moves with the bill. Makes sense right? Good, because it didn’t make sense to us.

Now you’re done. Go show your mom — Kidding, DO NOT show your mom.
Kids these days…

One that seems to last forever, the joker is a big, fat, juicy cone guaranteed to spread a grin from ear-to-ear without straining the finger muscles.

Stick two papers together with the gummed strips forming a straight line.

Take a third paper and fold it in two, leaving the gummed strip on the outside.

Wet the glue and and sandwich the folded paper firmly between the other two as shown.

Before the glue dries pull the paper out. It should have left enough glue to stick the others together.

Stick a fourth paper to the lower, right-hand edge of the joint as shown.

Add a fifth paper to the end of the joint as shown.

Create a more triangular shape by tearing the fourth paper diagonally in half. Refolding the papers along the centre of this triangle will also ease rolling.

To support the extra length use the whole of the forefingers when rolling. Prepare for top-notch entertainment!

Getting the mix right is half the art of joint-rolling. There plenty of scope for choice but quantity is never a substitute for quality – Don’t waste your lungs on inferior ingredients.

The females flower tops are by far the most potent part of the cannabis plant. Thanks to growers all around the world there are thousands of strains and varieties – the quality, strength and nature of which can differ enormously. This has lead to the rise of the weed ‘connoisseur’ who will say things like: “Oh my, what a subtle sativa!” or “Talk about ‘bouquet’ and ‘body’. Avoid these people if you possible can.

Imported bud is often forced-dried and compressed for storage/transit purposes, this can simply be broken-up and crumbled into the mix. Better quality bud which has been properly cured and stored is more delicat e. The flower heads should be handled with care to protect the delicate THC glands. Use sharp scissors to break-up the bud and store the remainder in a cool, dark place. Discard any seeds or stems as they contain little THC and are harsh to smoke. Fr esh bud may develop mould if stored incorrectly and (painful as it maybe) this should be thrown away as it can damage the lungs and cause infection.

Bud really needs to be combined with tobacco, leaf or an other herbal smoking mixture to allow it to ‘breath’ in the joint. The Hybrid varieties which are genetically bread for extreme potency should used sparingly until the user is familiar with, and can predict, their effects.

Cannabis leaf is a common ingredient in commercial weed. If you can stand the slightly acrid taste, some leaf, – especially that from the top of a flowering female plant – can by surprisingly potent. On ly use well-cured leaves and remove any stems before crumbling them into the mix. The larger ‘sun’ leaves from around the lower part of the plant are too harsh for use in joint-rolling and are best left for the water pipe.

Hashish comes in many different forms from hard and rocky Lebanese to soft and oily Nepalese. As with all Cannabis there is a huge variation in quality. There very best Hashish is made by rubbing the sticky resin from flowering-tops. Most however, contains processed plant material and binding agents and the worst is adulterated with chemicals. Hash is normally heated with a flame, crumbled into a powder and then mixed with tobacco or herbal smoking mixtures. Good Hashish should catch light and crumble with ease. Alternatively, very soft Hash can be rolled into thin ‘sausages’ and placed along the length of the joint.

Never over-fill joints with Hash, or uses large chunks – it will burn badly and much will be wasted. A brief spell in the microwave will give you a perfect Hash and tobacco blend.

Genuine resin oil is very hard to come by but, if you can get it, the real McCoy is incredibly potent. It comes in the form of a black, brown or transparent oily fluid which is smeared across the rolling papers or blended into the mix.

Tobacco is the main ingredient in virtually all joints rolled in Europe. When used with Hashish or strong bud it allows the cannabis to burn properly and improves the taste of the smoke. The down side of addiction and respiratory disease have lead increasing numbers to reject tobacco entirely.

WARNING: THIS SUBSTANCE IS HIGHLY ADDICTIVE!

Legal highs have come a long way in the last few years. Although claims of effects comparable to the ‘real thing’ are usually false there are many genuinely psycho-active and therapeutic herbs which can b e used as ingredients in a smoking mix. Legal smoking mixtures can make a good alternative to tobacco and are the only option for smokers seeking a buzz under cannabis prohibition. There is some evidence that certain herbs can amplify the effects of more psycho-active substances

Stick two papers together to make a square with a gummed strip along one side.

Take a cigarette and remove the filter by squeezing at its base and rotating between finger and thumb. Eventually enough of the filter will show for you to pull it out.

Replace the filter with a roach of the same size and shape.

Cut the cigarette in two, as cleanly as possible about 1cm from the roach.

Make up a mix to replace the tobacco that was in cut away and add this to a paper. Form it into shape of the cigarette.

Roll the joint with the ‘filter’ protruding from the end.

You may need to secure the bogus filter with a gummed strip torn from another paper.

Remember the walls have ears!

An undisputed classic well known to most smokers, the special is easy to roll and tolerates clumsy fingers. Everyone has a favorite way of rolling the special – This is just one of them.

Stick two papers together with the gum strips forming a straight line. They should over-lap by about a fifth of their length.

Stick a third paper to the back of the first two, centering it in the middle of the number.

Add the mix and the roach, the paper shape suits a slender cone or straight joint.

Roll as normal and enjoy!

Smoke-cooling chamber and multiple joint holder, the Windmill is designed to get you spinning in the breeze. Although it’s tricky to make, the holder can be used time and time again.

Roll a wide cone from a 10cm x 10cm piece of cardboard. Secure it with tape then trim the end to form a perfect cone.

Seal the cone with large papers, leaving 3cm of excess paper at the end, as shown.

Carefully make four cross cuts at regular intervals around the end of the cone.

Make a long, narrow roach, about the length of a pencil, and seal it with papers or tape.

Cut the roach in half, then remove a section from the centre of each segment.

Insert the two segments so that the cut-outs are completely inside the cone and facing it’s narrow end. Seal any gaps with tape or gummed strips.

Seal the end of the windmill with the excess paper, using thread or tape. To use the windmill, roll the numbers of your choice around the protruding roaches and enjoy a four-way smoke of quixotic proportions.Seal the end of the windmill with the excess paper, using thread or tape. To use the windmill, roll the numbers of your choice around the protruding roaches and enjoy a four-way smoke of quixotic proportions.

Ingredients:

2 tbsp bud butter

2 cup shell pasta

1 1/2 cup cannabis milk (1/4 oz bud or 1/2 oz leaf)

half of a green pepper (you can use red or yellow as well)

half of an onion

a glove of garlic

4 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp wet mustard

fresh dill spice

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

soy sauce

General Instructions:

Boil pasta until complete, then set aside.

In a saucepan, sauté veggies until onion is transparent. Set aside with pasta.

Melt butter completely.

Add flour to produce an even thicker paste. (add more as necessary)

Blend in milk.

Wisk until all is blended.

Add heat to make the sauté thick.

When desired consistency is achieved (be careful, sauce burns easily), add pasta and veggies.

Heat all together and serve.

Enjoy.

Ingredients:

1 cup bud butter

4 squares of chocolate (use Hershey’s)

2 cups of sugar

4 eggs

1 cup of flour

some vanilla extract

General Instructions:

Add melted chocolate to cooking butter.

Stir in sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time.

Add vanilla extract and stir in flour mixture.

Add nuts if desired.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Cool for 20 minutes.

Eat 2. Wait 1 hour.

Eat 2 more, fly for 10 hours.

Ingredients:

enough bud butter

1 red pepper

1 green pepper

1 yellow pepper

1/2 small onion

herbal seasoning of your choice

Anything else you’d like.

Chocolate chips

General Instructions:

Slice peppers lengthwise into strips about 1/2 – 3/4 inch wide.

Chop the onion. (Don’t cry you pussy).

Throw everything together in a skillet, with the butter and sauté.

Serve over rice.

Wait an hour.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

120g bud butter (use an ounce of cannabis)

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 cup quaker dry oatmeal

1 tbsp

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp walnut extract

General Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to about 350 F (175 C)

If there is not enough liquid to mix all ingredients after 5 minutes of stirring, add a tiny amount of milk to aid in mixing of remaing ingredients.

Taste batter before cooking and adjust amount of sugar to your liking.

Place on a lightly greased cookie sheet and bke for 8 to 12 miuntes, depending on how large you made your cookies.

For soft and gooey cookies, cook for a shorter time (maybe 10-15 min).

For hard and crispy cookies, cook for a longer time (maybe 20-25 min).

Let cool for 20 min.

Eat.

Ingredients:

180g bud butter

180g sugar

Milk

200g baking flour

Baking form

Vanilla flavor

Anything else you’d like.

Chocolate chips

General Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to about 350 F (175 C)

Put 1 sliced apple in the cake to give it a nice fresh taste.

Mix ingredients together: butter, flour, eggs, milk, and sugar, plus other ingredients if you’d like.

Keep mixing until it’s nice and smooth. If it’s too dry, add a little milk (or even some water). If it’s too much of a liquid, add some flour.

Put the cake in the oven for about 25 minutes.

Check how it looks before opening the oven. If it’s big and brown, take it out, otherwise leave it in.

Let cool for 30 min before taking it out of it’s form.

Enjoy your cake, but make sure you have lots of water/drinks around because you’ll get some serious dry-mouth.

Ingredients:

125g bud butter

1 or 2 cups of sugar

2 eggs

2 ripe bananas

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

oven temp: 350 F (180 C)

General Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar.

Add eggs.

Beat it all well.

Mash up the bananas.

Stir them into the bowl.

Mix milk and vinegar in a cup.

Sift the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl.

Add flour and milk to the butter bowl.

Mix it all well.

Spread evenly in a greased 22 cm x 12 cm loaf tin.

Bake it for about 1 hour.

Leave until next day to slice and butter.

Ingredients:

150g bud butter

200 g milk/dark chocolate

1 cup raw sugar

3 eggs

1/2 cup flour

nutmeg and cinnamon

2-3oz dried ground leaf

2 tbsp vanilla essence

1/4 cup chopped nuts (clearly optional)

General Instructions:

Pre-heat oven to about 350 F (175 C)

Grease your baking dish.

Mix ingredients together and stir until smooth, add flour, nuts, and powdered leaf.

Stir well (add dash of skim milk if necessary)

Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 mins.

Cool and cut into 16-30 squares according to how ripped you want to get per brownie.

Let cool for 20 min.

Eat.

High lasts for 6 hours.

Ingredients:

1 lb melted bud butter

3 cups slightly packed golden yellow sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup super strong coffee

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 tsp baking powder

pinch of both cinnamon and nutmeg

1.5 cups oatmeal

tons of chocolate chips (best part)

4 cups white flour

lumps of caramel chips

2 generous handfuls of slivered, toasted almonds, which you have baked for 3-5 min in your preheated oven

General Instructions:

Throw together the first 5 ingredients and stir ‘em up.

Sift together in a dry bowl.

Add the 4 cups flour and baking powder and baking soda.

Add a pinch of both cinnamon and nutmeg.

Gently stir this flour mix into the butter mix, stirring till everything is well blended.

Add 1.5 cups of oatmeal and whatever else you’d like to put in the mix.

Get a couple of cookie sheets out and put a portion of dough out for each cookie, about 1 tbsp.

Bake for about 20-35 minutes.

Cool for 30 minutes.

Pass Out.

Bud Butter (the key ingredient)

Bud Butter: Almost every recipe in cooking something involves the use of butter, in some amount. Here we will show you how to make the Bud Butter that can be used just as any normal “butter” would be used in any other cooking situation. So if you find another recipe that requires butter, you can just make it a marijuana recipe by using our bud butter recipe in its place. You must follow the instructions very carefully or the effects of the THC will be negated by over- or under- cooking.

How Much Marijuana to use?

General Instructions:

Melt a pound of butter in a pan. Mix 2-5 (or more grams of thoroughly sifted pot in it. Let it boil carefully a couple of minutes until the butter has gotten a green color from the grass. Then squeeze the butter through a fine strainer. While you use the strain, keep the leaves away in a corner of the pan by using a spoon. Squeeze hard to get out as much of the butter as possible.

The cooking time has varied from “a couple of minutes,” as above, to 10-15 minutes from other baked epicurian masters. 10 minutes works fine for my “friends.” had the best luck with a double boiler, cooked it at a medium temp for about half an hour. He used about a 1 oz of dried leaves, including sunleaves, with 2 sticks of butter (gotta be real butter). He then strained it in a small kitchen strainer and refridgerated it until it was firm. There will be a sediment on the bottom of the jar, seems to be bits of leaf and crystals of THC. He just stirred it up before he used it to cook with. If you eat the butter on crackers, be aware that it tastes AWFUL, but if you cook with it the flavor does not come through. He cooked a batch of brownies (right off the unsweetened chocolate box) with this “cannabutter”, couldn’t taste it at all and was pretty well wasted on 2 small brownies. (it made 24 of em)

To warm up the pan a little will make the butter flow easier. Also strain the butter that is gathered in the deeper parts of the pan. If you don’t want any remaining leaves in the butter, you can strain it through some muslin. A problem concerning this is that you will loose some butter in the muslin. Don’t throw the leaves, they still may* contain viable THC. The leaves can be cooked in milk or vodka and become a tasty and effective drink. Hot milk or vodka might also be poured through the muslin, thereby saving some of the hashish butter. You can fry more leaves in the same butter in you want to increase its strength.

General “word on the street” is that the bud left over after the extraction is worthless and should be thrown away… I left the comment in the recipe because boiling the used pot in milk really* does taste good. I have not experienced consuming the beverage at what might be called a “baseline,” so I do not know if it has psychoactive qualities.

A simpler and stronger version of the cannabis butter (or ghee)… by mixing melted butter with hashish or hashish oil instead of pot. It is not necessary to fry this as long as in the case with the pot. Just warm it up and mix it until the hashish or hashish oil is dissolved in the butter. You can put as much hashish (or hashish oil) into it as you want. Another plus is that there are no remaining leaves with THC to worry about.

I would be sure to cook the hash with the butter long enough that any alcohol or chemicals that were used in processing the hash were cooked off, especially if using hash oil. Cook it until any alcohol or chemical smell is entirely gone.

Don’t leave paraphernalia/substances in plain view. see the cartoon version

Although law enforcement officers must obtain a warrant before they can conduct a privacy-invading search, any illicit material that can be plainly seen by any person from a non-intrusive vantage point is subject to confiscation. An arrest and a valid warrant to search the rest of the area is likely to ensue. A “roach” in the ashtray, a pipe or baggie on the coffee table, or a joint being smoked in public are common mistakes which all too-frequently lead to arrests.

Never consent. Never.

Many individuals arrested on marijuana charges could have avoided that arrest by exercising their Fourth Amendment rights. If a law enforcement officer asks for your permission to search, it is usually because: (1) there is not enough evidence to obtain a search warrant; or (2) the officer does not feel like going through the hassle of obtaining a warrant. Law enforcement officers are trained to intimidate people into consenting to searches. If you do consent, you waive your constitutional protection and the officers may search and seize items without further authorization. If officers find contraband, they will arrest you. If you do not consent to a search, the officer must either release you or detain you and attempt to get a warrant. The fact that you refuse to consent does not give the officer grounds to obtain a warrant or further detain you. An officer can obtain a search warrant only from a judge or magistrate and only upon a showing of “probable cause.” Probable cause requires an officer to articulate information that would cause a reasonable person to believe that a crime has been or is being committed and that evidence of that involvement can be found within the object of the search. There are exceptions to the search warrant requirement which permit an officer to search an area without a warrant or consent under certain circumstances. The important thing for you to remember is never to consent to a search or talk with an officer if you want to preserve your rights. If an officer asks to search you or an area belonging to you or over which you are authorized to control, you should respond:

“I do not consent to a search of my [person, baggage, purse, luggage, vehicle, house, blood, etc.] I do not consent to this contact and do not want to answer any questions. If I am not under arrest, I would like to go now (or be left alone).”

Don’t answer questions without your attorney present.

Whether arrested or not, you should always exercise the right to remain silent. Anything you say to law enforcement officers, reporters, cell mates, or even your friends can be used as evidence against you. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. Your right to remain silent should always be exercised.

Determining if you can leave.

You may terminate an encounter with officers unless you are being detained under police custody or have been arrested. If you cannot tell whether you may leave, you can ask officers, “Am I under arrest or otherwise detained?” If the answer is, “No,” you may leave. An officer can temporarily detain you without arresting you if he has “reasonable suspicion” that you are involved in criminal activity. An officer must be able at a later time to articulate to a judge objective facts that would have caused a reasonable person to suspect that you were involved in criminal activity at the point that you were detained. Also, the officer may perform a “pat down” or “frisk” on you during the detention if he has reasonable suspicion that you are armed. However, an officer may only reach into your pockets if he pats something that feels like a weapon. When an officer attempts to contact or question you, you should politely say:

“I do not consent to this contact and I do not want to answer any questions. If I am not under arrest I would like to go now (or be left alone).”

If arrested, you should again refuse a search of any kind and refuse to answer any questions. At this point you should insist on speaking to an attorney as soon as possible.

Do not be hostile. Do not physically resist.

There are times when individuals politely assert their rights and refuse to consent to a search but the officers nonetheless proceed to detain, search, or arrest them. In such cases, it is important not to physically resist. Rather, you should reassert your rights as outlined above in section 2.

Informing on others

The police and prosecutors often try to pressure individuals into providing information that would lead to the arrest and conviction of others. Threats and promises by police and prosecutors should be viewed with caution and skepticism. Decisions should only be made after consulting with an experienced criminal defense attorney and examining one’s own conscience.

Myth 1: Heart Problems

It is accepted in medical circles today that marijuana use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. Marijuana smoking, however, does cause changes in the heart and body’s circulation characteristic of stress, which may complicate preexisting cardiovascular problems like hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary atherosclerosis. Marijuana’s effects on blood pressure are complex and inconsistent as of yet.

Myth 2: Hormones

Chronic marijuana use has not been found to alter testosterone or other sex hormone levels. In contrast, heavy alcohol use is known to lower these same testosterone levels.

Myth 3: Reproductive Damage

No trustworthy study has ever shown that marijuana use damages the reproductive system, or causes chromosome breakage. Studies of actual human populations have failed to demonstrate that marijuana adversely affects the reproductive system. Claims that marijuana use may impair hormone production, menstrual cycles, or fertility in females are both unproven and unfounded.

Myth 4: The Immune System

Studies in which lab rats were injected with extremely large quantities of THC (the active compound in marijuana) have found that marijuana (in such unrealistically huge quantities) does have an “immunosuppressive effect” in those lab rats, in that it temporarily shuts off certain cells in the liver called lymphocytes and macrophages. These macrophages are useful in fighting off bacterial, not viral, infections. But this is only for the duration of intoxication. There also exists some evidence that marijuana metabolites remain in the lungs for up to seven months after smoking has ceased, possibly affecting the immune system of the lungs (but not by turning the cells off). This said, doctors and researchers are still not sure that the immune system is actually negatively affected in realistic situations since there are no numbers to support the idea. In fact, three studies showed that THC might have actually stimulated the immune system in the people studied.

Myth 5: Cancer

Smoking marijuana has the potential to cause both bronchitis and cancer of the lungs, throat, and neck, but this is generally no different than inhaling any other burnt carbon-containing matter since they all increase the number of lesions (and therefore possible infections) in your airways.

Myth 6: The Gateway Drug

Marijuana use has not been found to act as a gateway drug to the use of harder drugs. Studies show that when the Dutch partially legalized marijuana in the 70′s, heroin and cocaine use substantially declined, despite a slight increase in marijuana use. If the stepping stone theory were true, use should have gone up rather than down. In reality, it appears that marijuana use tends to substitute for the use of relatively more dangerous hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, rather than lead to their use. Thus, oftentimes strict marijuana laws themselves are the most significant factor involved in moving on to harder drugs like cocaine. Such is the case in Nevada and Arizona, the states toughest on marijuana use.

Myth 7: Marijuana Overdose

There is no existing evidence of anyone dying of a marijuana overdose. Tests performed on mice have shown that the ratio of cannabinoids (the chemicals in marijuana that make you high) necessary for overdose to the amount necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1. For comparison’s sake, that ratio for alcohol is generally between 4:1 and 10:1. Alcohol overdoses claim approximately 5,000 casualties yearly, but marijuana overdoses kill no one as far as any official reports.

Myth 8: Brain Damage

Marijuana is psychoactive because it stimulates certain brain receptors, but it does not produce toxins that kill them (like alcohol), and it does not wear them out as other drugs may. There is no evidence that marijuana use causes brain damage. Studies performed on actual human populations will confirm these results, even for chrnic marijuana users (up to 18 joints per day) after many years of use. In fact, following the publication of two 1977 JAMA studies, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially announced its support for the decriminalization of marijuana. In reality, marijuana has the effect of slightly increasing alpha-wave activity in your brain. Alpha waves are generally associated with meditative and relaxed states, which are, in turn, often associated with human creativity.

1. What is Marijuana?

Marijuana” refers to dried flowers and leaves of some strains of the cannabis hemp plant, which contains various quantities of the non-narcotic chemical THC (tetrahydrocannibinol) in various quantities. When smoked or eaten, it produces the feeling of being “high,” which lasts a few hours. Different strains of this herb produce their own sensual effects, ranging from sedative to stimulant.

2. Who uses Marijuana?

There is no simple profile of a typical marijuana user. It’s been used for thousands of years for medical, social, and religious reasons as well as for relaxation. Several American Presidents farmed hemp and cannabis, and some are believed to have smoked it. One out of every five Americans in all walks of life say they have tried it, and it is still very popular.

3. How long have people been using Marijuana?

Since Biblical times. This practice was widely accepted in Canada and the US, as well, until the orchestrated campaign of the 1930s led to disinformation, public hysteria, and the first laws against using it.

4. Is Marijuana Addictive?

No, it is not. Most users are moderate consumers who only smoke it socially or occasionally to relax. We now know that 10% of our population have “addictive personalities,” and they are no more nor less likely to abuse cannabis than anything else. On a relative scale, marijuana is less habit-forming than either sugar or chocolate. Sociologists report a general pattern of marijuana usage that peaks in the early adult years, followed by a period of leveling off, and finally a gradual reduction in use.

5. Has anyone ever died from smoking Marijuana?

No; not even once. American Judge Francis Young studied all the evidence in 1988, and ruled that “marijuana is far safer than many foods we commonly consume.” The federal agency NIDA says that autopsies show 75 people per year are high on marijuana when they die, but this does not mean marijuana is a factor in any of their deaths. Deaths per year from: tobacco=340,000-395,000 Alcohol (not including accidents)=125,000+ Drug overdose (prescription)=14,000-27,000 Drug overdose (illegal)=3,800-5,200 Marijuana=0

6. Does it lead to harder drugs?

No. Although people who abuse drugs often smoke marijuana also, the National Academy of Science reports that “legal drugs for adults, such as alcohol and tobacco, … precede the use of all illicit drugs.” “Tobacco is known as the gateway drug.”

7 Does it cause violence?

No, just the opposite. The only crime most marijuana users commit is using marijuana. The U. S. Shafer Commission report was the most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject. It found that marijuana smokers “tend to be under represented” in violence and in crime, especially when compared to users of alcohol, amphetamines and barbiturates. “The simple fact is that marijuana does not change your basic personality.” The American federal government reports that over 70 million Americans have smoked it … probably including some of the nicest people you know.

8. How does it affect your health?

A Harvard university medical team in 1987 found that “dangerous physical reactions to marijuana are almost unknown.” All smoke is unhealthy, but marijuana is safer than tobacco, and people tend to smoke less of it. That risk can be eliminated by eating the plant instead of smoking it, or it can be reduced by using water pipes to smoke smaller amounts of more potent marijuana. Moreover, cannabis is a proven medicinal herb with hundreds of modern therapeutic uses in treating ailments from stress to arthritis to glaucoma to asthma to cancer therapy, to AIDS, and more.

9. What should I make of all those scary stories and reports I’ve heard?

Most sensational claims of health risks cite no studies or sources at all. Others rely on a handful of inconclusive or flawed reports. After 20 years of study, the California Attorney General’s panel, concluded in 1989 that “an objective consideration shows that marijuana is responsible for less damage to the individual and society than alcohol and cigarettes.”

10. What can I do about it?

American and Canadian taxpayers have funded many studies on this very point, and every independent government panel on marijuana has opposed the jailing of marijuana smokers. The Canadian Police Chiefs Association are even fighting for Decriminalization. Most have urged lawmakers to re-legalize and tax use of this herb by responsible adults, with age limits and regulations like those on alcohol and tobacco. Tell your elected leaders to free up our police and resources to combat violent crime and to honor our national pledge and commitment to “liberty and justice for all” by ending marijuana prohibition. Check out NORML and Smoke The Vote for more information. You can also discuss these issues further in our forums.

Alice B. Tolkas -The lesbian lover of Gertrude Stein and a good friend of Pablo Picasso, she had a recipe for killer marijuana brownies.

Bale - A compressed brick of marijuana, usually ranging in weight from 10 to 40 pounds.

Bhang- An Indian and Middle Eastern smoking mixture consisting of pollen from marijuana flowers and ghee, an oily butter. In medieval Arabia it also referred to a datura-based knockout potion.

Blunt - A joint rolled in the tobacco-leaf wrapper of a Phillies Blunt cigar.

Bong – A water-cooled pipe for one smoker, often made of glass or bamboo.

Brick - A kilogram-sized slab or cube of compressed pot.

Bud - The fresh or dried flowers of the female marijuana plant.

Buddha Stick – See Thai Stick.

Cannabis Indica -The scientific name for a species of marijuana plant, the Indian hemp plant.

Cannabis Sativa -Another species of marijuana, closely related to indica.

Cashed -Term referring to the completion of marijuana that is smoked in a pipe/bowl. E.g. “The bowl is cashed.” or “Cash the bowl out.” (This term is WIDELY used in the midwest.)

Chiba-Chiba -A black Brazilian form of reefer, usually gummy and compressed into bricks.

Chillum/Chalice -A cone-shaped pipe made of clay, or sometimes of fruit or vegetable rinds.

Chronic -The hip-hop term for high-quality or potent reefer.

Cocktail -A joint of tobacco and marijuana combined.

Colombian -The most common type of grass on the black market.

Doobie -A 1960s and ’70s term for joint; the word originated on the baby-boomer kiddy show Romper Room, where the good children were called “good Do-Bes.”

Dope -Any controlled substance, although it usually refers to heroin or marijuana; also a hip-hop term for fine or good.

Durban Brown-From Marijuana Natal Province in South Africa.

Elbow -A pound of pot

Freestyle-Free thought style of music; person raps to a beat from off the top of his/her head.

Fresh/Phat-Hip-hop term for good, great, grand, dope, fine; having an ample stash or supply of dope.

Gage -1940s slang for pot.

Ganja -Indian and Jamaican term for pot.

Gold -Yellow pot from Acapulco in Mexico or Santa Marta Department in Colombia.

Grass -Marijuana, weed, pot, etc.

Hashish/Hash -Smoking mixture that regionally varies, generally based primarily on resin from substandard Middle Eastern or Indian marijuana.

Hemp -Cannabis stalks and stems, especially those used to make rope, fabrics, etc.

Herb -Jamaican term for marijuana with Biblical connotations; Rastafarian sacrament.

Hookah-A hashish waterpipe with four long stems to accommodate four smokers at once; ref. the Caterpillar in Alice In Wonderland.

In Crowd -Hipsters who throw secret parties for vipers only.

Jefferson Airplane -Circa the 1940s and ’50s, a term for a roach-holder fashioned from a matchbook cover.

Jive -1930s and ’40s slang for marijuana and marijuana-influenced popular music.

Johnson -1960s term for a joint, referring either to LBJ or the membrum virile.

Joint/Jay-A marijuana cigarette.

Kief/Kif/Kaff/Khayf -Golden pollen hash from Morocco, Lebanon and other Arab/Middle Eastern nations. It is said that “A puff of kif in the morning makes a man as strong as 1,000 camels in the courtyard.”

Lamsbread -Large Jamaican buds which can be sliced like a loaf of bread and are shaped like a lamb’s tail.

LTD -Awesome dudes.

Marijuana -The smokable flowers and leaves of the female cannabis plant.

Maryjane -The female cannabis plant. Male plants have almost no active tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).

Mezz -Marijuana; from Mezz Mezzrow, the legendary jazzman and Harlem pot-dealer who turned on Louis Armstrong and other jazz greats during the 1930s.

Muggles -1930s and ’40s slang for pot.

Nickel Bag -Five dollars worth of pot, or any other street intoxicant.

Oil -The purified and concentrated resin from hashish or marijuana.

Oh-Zee -An ounce of pot.

Paraquat -A defoliant, toxic to humans as well as plants, that has been sprayed on marijuana throughout the world since the ’70s.

Panama Red -A potent strain of pot from Panama.

Pot -Reefer, grass, cannabis.

Reefer -Term for pot dating back to the turn of the century, and still popular.

Ripped -Another term used for being stoned. ” I am ripped”

Roach -The butt of a joint; it is strong because it catches and concentrates the resin from the rest of the joint.

Rope Dope -Low-quality pot from leafy hemp.

Sinsemilla -The flowering tops of seedless plants.

Shit -Any sort of controlled substance.

Skunk -Aromatic sinsemilla, usually cultivated from the Afghani variety of marijuana.

Smoke -Pot, reefer, tea, grass, etc.

Spliff -Jamaican term for a large, ice-cream-cone-shaped joint.

Stash -(n.) A hidden cache of dope; (v.) to conceal one’s dope.

Tea -Slang for maryjane, muggles, gage, etc.

Tea Pad -In Harlem in the ’30s and ’40s, an after-hours club where pot was smoked and jazz music performed.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -The psychoactive cannabinoid in marijuana that is responsible for the high.

Thai Stick -A delicious Thai variety of marijuana, usually wrapped around thin bamboo splints or popsicle-stick slivers.

Thyme (or Oregano)-Spices resembling marijuana in appearance, frequently used to defraud customers.

Toke -To inhale, or puff, from a joint of reefer.

Twenty and Forty -Hip-hop term for a $20 bag of reefer and a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor.

Twigs and Seeds -The unsmokable leftovers from screening marijuana before sale, or the stuff at the bottom of the bag after purchase.

Underground -The drug-using sector of society.

Viper -1930s hipsters who frequented tea pads and smoked jive; onomatopoeic from ssssssssst, the sound made by an inhaling pot-smoker.

Weed – Pot, weed, smoke, herb, etc.

Zonked -Very stoned, spaced-out, wasted, ripped, destroyed, wrecked, intoxicated all to Hell and gone.

Zig-Zag – A brand of rolling papers famous for the silhouette of a bearded smoker on the label.

There are varying theories on the origin of 420. Some say that 420 originated from a police code that announces marijuana use is taking place. Yet another story is that a group of guys (Waldo’s) in the 1970′s made 4:20 their official meeting time to smoke marijuana after school. Whether or not 4:20 p.m. is the best time of day for your first hit depends on your own body, your own needs. Some folks feel that waiting until 4:20 enhances ones appreciation of the herb. Of course, your mileage may vary.

In the 21st Century, 420 is firmly established as a code amongst tokers, a time of day and even sort of a toker’s New Year’s Day. It’s in our culture now and only time will tell where it ends up.

April 20th (4/20) is another usage, meaning that it is time for to plant before the summer.

Whatever the real story is, 420 has been an important part of the marijuana culture since the 1970′s. The significance of 420 has been kept underground and is mostly known only among marijuana smokers. Many non-smokers aren’t aware of the symbolism when they see someone wearing a T-shirt or baseball cap that says 420 across the front.

When the 420 icon is somehow discreetly worked into a mainstream product like a film, marijuana users take notice. The film Pulp Fiction is rumored to have had all clocks throughout the movie set to 4:20. Marijuana smokers familiar with the symbol picked up on it—most people, however, did not.

While some marijuana smokers are using 420 as a code that enables them to openly speak about marijuana in front of parents or teachers. 420 has been to some, a sacred symbol for nearly 30 years.

Simply put, 420 is a symbol of cannabis and its culture. Today, April 20th events are international, and 4:20 pm has become sort of a world wide “burn time”.

Known 420 Myths

Police dispatch code for smoking pot is 420.
The number 420 is not police radio code for anything, anywhere. Checks of criminal codes suggest that the origin is neither Californian nor federal. For instance, California Penal Code 420 defines as a misdemeanor the hindrance of use of public lands.

There are approximately 420 active chemicals in marijuana.
Actually, there are approximately 315 active chemicals in marijuana. This number goes up and down depending on which plant is used.

April 20th is National Pot Smokers Day.
Well, it is now ; but that wasn’t the origin.

April 20th is Hitler’s birthday.
Yes, it is his birthday. But, as 420 started out as a time, not a date, his birthday had nothing to do with it.

The date of the Columbine school shootings.
This happened after the term was already in use.

4:20 is tea time for pot-smokers in Holland.
Tea time in Holland is at 5:30 pm, or is it 2:30 pm? Seems no one is quite sure when the wonderful people of Holland drink their tea.