Jordan Birnbaum

Host

From Seed To Bud - The Legalization Movement

Apr 27, 2013·48 visitors

Todd McCormick

Cohost

Stage· 197 messages

Apr 27, 2013

Todd McCormick · 1:02 AM

We live?

Todd McCormick · 1:05 AM

I'm sorry everybody – we will be starting in just a couple moments, Jordan is having technical difficulties. Please stand by.

Todd McCormick · 1:13 AM

Sorry about this everybody –

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:15 AM

holy shit - I am so sorry

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:15 AM

Todd - I owe you 10 minutes of your life back

Todd McCormick · 1:19 AM

we are here!

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:19 AM

again, I am so sorry everyone

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

thank you so much for coming. Before we begin, a few words to the people who are visiting Tawkers for the first time.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

The banner below describes the steps you can take to participate in the event. By “listening” to the audience members, you can see what people are saying.

Todd McCormick · 1:20 AM

Things like this happen...

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

By voting up comments you like, you will make them visible to Todd and me.nIn turn, we can incorporate your comments into the Tawk.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:20 AM

OK – so here we go. Todd, there are a lot of areas I want to cover tonight, but I’d like to start with your personal story, beginning with your diagnosis. How old were you and what happened?

Todd McCormick · 1:22 AM

I was only two years old when I was diagnosed with a rare...

Todd McCormick · 1:23 AM

With the type of cancer that affected my spine

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:24 AM

You began receiving treatment imediately?

Todd McCormick · 1:24 AM

.I went on to deal with cancer nine times before I was nine years old.

Todd McCormick · 1:24 AM

At first the doctors cannot recognize my disease and told my mother that she was just overreacting.

Todd McCormick · 1:25 AM

fortunately she ran into a neurosurgeon who recognized my disease and performed a spinal fusion that fused together my first five vertebrae

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:26 AM

at what point were you able to understand what was actually happening to you?

Todd McCormick · 1:26 AM

unfortunately I was on chemotherapy and going through radiation therapy and dealing with numerous surgeries throughout my childhood

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:26 AM

how did you first learn that cannabis might help ease the suffering of that?

Todd McCormick · 1:27 AM

well my mother read in good housekeeping that cannabis was being used for cancer treatment patients who were experiencing side effects from chemotherapy

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:27 AM

GOOD HOUSEKEEPING?! DAMN!

Todd McCormick · 1:27 AM

at the time I had cancer between my left lung and my heart and my prognosis was dim, she felt like she had nothing to lose and gave me some marijuana.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:27 AM

and what happened?

Todd McCormick · 1:28 AM

I did not believe her either – good housekeeping seemed pretty suspicious to me, so I went online and I now own a copy of the February 1978 good housekeeping that in fact does mention medical marijuana in the doctors column.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:28 AM

salvation in the strangest places...

Todd McCormick · 1:29 AM

the effects of the cannabis were practically instant

Todd McCormick · 1:29 AM

I had just come from chemotherapy session and was nauseous and shortly after smoking with my mother I was hungry and feeling fairly normal

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:30 AM

how old were you?

Todd McCormick · 1:30 AM

I was only nine years old at the time I first used marijuana medically

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:30 AM

At that point did you understand that it was illegal?

Todd McCormick · 1:31 AM

yes – I did understand the criminality because my parents were hippies and bikers and I was told straight away that there was an "us versus them" mentality in the world and I had to keep a lot of secrets. Especially at school or in public places.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:31 AM

what was the emotional consequence of that? rage? amusement? confusion?

Todd McCormick · 1:32 AM

but I will add that when you are facing death the laws that are created by men, seem rather small

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:33 AM

all right - so let's move ahead to the Marijuana mansion - what happened there?

Todd McCormick · 1:33 AM

emotionally I was pretty centered, I have a younger brother who is downs syndrome and I did not really have time for my own emotions getting the best of me.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:34 AM

so as you reached young adulthood, where did life take you?

Todd McCormick · 1:34 AM

to fast-forward, I started growing cannabis when I was only 13 years old

Todd McCormick · 1:35 AM

I started reading about marijuana and I stumbled into a book at the public library titled: marijuana the first 12,000 years by Ernest Abel

Todd McCormick · 1:35 AM

that led me down a path of exploration into the history of marijuana and that is what brought me onto the path of activism.

Todd McCormick · 1:36 AM

by the time I was 26 years old I was already living in Amsterdam and I met a New York Times best-selling author named Peter McWilliams who was recently diagnosed with cancer and AIDS.

Todd McCormick · 1:37 AM

he gave me a rather large book advance and I stumbled into a mock castle in the middle of Bel Air and started making friends within the community. Shortly thereafter I was the first person the federal government arrested after the passage of

Todd McCormick · 1:37 AM

California's medical marijuana law.

Todd McCormick · 1:38 AM

I actually believed in democracy and thought that the passing of the law was going to make a difference, I was in for a rude awakening and I ended up serving five years in prison for my naïveté.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:38 AM

Obviously that had to be a harrowing experience. What was greater - the fear of what you were facing or the indignation of the injustice of it all?

Todd McCormick · 1:40 AM

this may sound a little weird but I never really experienced fear about the whole situation. I had no qualms facing prison, and all of my heroes such as Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi all went to prison for what they believed in so...

Todd McCormick · 1:41 AM

the injustice of it all bothered me and still bothers me, the fact that we have prohibited flowers from being grown is outrageous to me.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

There was so much good will for you out there. I learned of you long before I met you because Bill Maher championed your cause. Then I learned Alan Isaacson (Ed Norton from People vs. Larry Flynt) represented you.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:43 AM

did you realize you were becoming a vortex for the movement?

Todd McCormick · 1:43 AM

the amount of support I received was amazing! Woody Harrelson was kind enough to post my half $1 million bond and many celebrities that I would have never expected to stand by my side, totally did.

Todd McCormick · 1:44 AM

well – I had started getting into trouble back in 1995 when I was first arrested in Ohio and the USA Today did and editorial using me as an example of why medical marijuana should be legal back in August 21, 1995

Todd McCormick · 1:45 AM

I had already accompanied Morley Shafer from 60 minutes all over Amsterdam and had connected him with the Dutch doctor that gave me my first medical prescription back in 1994 so by the time 97 came around I had already been in the middle of the...

Todd McCormick · 1:45 AM

...movement for quite a while.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:46 AM

All right - can you take us back to the beginning - when was marijuana first criminalized; who were the major players behind it? And why?

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:47 AM

★ Spotlighted from Lucy Dyer

“hey todd,have you heard of a guy called Kevin Booth? he's doing alot for medical marijuana”

Todd McCormick · 1:48 AM

Kevin Booth produced a documentary called "American drug war" and I am actually in it.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:48 AM

it's a small world, after all

Todd McCormick · 1:48 AM

instead of answering your question of when did marijuana becoming legal, I would like to preface it by saying that cannabis first came to the New World with Columbus

Todd McCormick · 1:49 AM

cannabis is not indigenous to North America which is the excuse the government uses to eradicate it.

Todd McCormick · 1:49 AM

but the reason why cannabis is growing in places like Nebraska is really why it is prohibited as marijuana in the 20th and 21st century

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:49 AM

where's it from? Jamaica?

Todd McCormick · 1:49 AM

Asia

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:50 AM

Go Asia!

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:50 AM

so how was it being used back then? smoked? hemp? both?

Todd McCormick · 1:50 AM

cannabis migrated with humans all over the world

Todd McCormick · 1:51 AM

the Chinese used hemp and mulberry to invent paper and some of the first fabrics we have ever used as humans were hemp

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:51 AM

the sails on Columbus' ships?

Todd McCormick · 1:51 AM

it was used in many ways both as medicine and as an industrial resource which is how it came to North America

Todd McCormick · 1:52 AM

cannabis was being used both ways

Todd McCormick · 1:52 AM

we are all familiar with the two terms Sativa and Indica

Todd McCormick · 1:53 AM

Sativa was Latin and meant most useful

Todd McCormick · 1:53 AM

and was what we used for all of our industrial applications such as ropes and cloth, paints and oils

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:53 AM

Vini, vidi, vici dude.

Todd McCormick · 1:53 AM

Indica, meant of or like India and India was known throughout history as the place they used cannabis as a drug

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:54 AM

all right - so it seems like this is being embraced all over the planet - so what happened?

Todd McCormick · 1:54 AM

which leads me to your question of why was cannabis made illegal in the 20th century and I would have to say it was because it competed industrially with so much new technology

Todd McCormick · 1:55 AM

and people are hard to change so the only way to get them off this natural substance was to completely prohibit it.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:56 AM

What were some of the industries / companies that initiated the the criminalization effort?

Todd McCormick · 1:56 AM

I don't want to sound like a conspiracy nut but the 20th century is when large multinational corporations really took a stranglehold on the United States government and for many different industries cannabis was competition.

Todd McCormick · 1:57 AM

for instance, a group of liquor distillers produce the film reefer madness.

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:57 AM

don't worry - I like conspiracy nuts. historically they have a pretty good batting average.

Todd McCormick · 1:57 AM

today with medical marijuana passing in practically every state it's on the ballot of you have to realize that pharmaceutical companies don't want the competition

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:57 AM

★ Spotlighted from Seth Hochman

“Also no drug company could get a patent on it, so they wanted to eliminate any 'competition' to their profits”

Todd McCormick · 1:57 AM

alcohol companies stand to lose a lot of money as cannabis is direct competition to a Friday buzz

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:57 AM

★ Spotlighted from Eric Schwartz

“Ironically, Hearst, the man who conquered the asian weed, was known for "Yellow journalism."”

Todd McCormick · 1:57 AM

and petrochemical companies totally don't want to see hemp growing

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:58 AM

★ Spotlighted from Kyle U

“Also a lot of racism, if you look at Canada: they began cracking down on marijuana use in the form of the 1908 Opium Act; an act which grew largely out of fear and resentment of the Chinese, their willingness to work cheaply”

Todd McCormick · 1:58 AM

many people don't realize that leadoff diesel designed his engine to run on vegetable based fuels he saw his engine fitting into the eco system

Todd McCormick · 1:58 AM

it is only because we use petrochemicals to make diesel that the plants are not grown and do not clean the air to produce the fuel

Todd McCormick · 1:58 AM

this was 19th century technology as the diesel engine was patented in the 1890s

Todd McCormick · 1:59 AM

Hearst had a lot of money at stake with his investments and was able to put on a lot of propaganda, and he did..

Jordan Birnbaum · 1:59 AM

Obviously the prison industrial complex is a newer player in the crusade to keep marijuana illegal. Any other new bad guys emerge since then?

Todd McCormick · 1:59 AM

racism was also a major motivating factor for busting people, marijuana was blamed for the jazz musicians being so comfortable with interracial friendships

Todd McCormick · 2:00 AM

that's a really great question Jordan; I think the drug war itself has become its own industry and now I have to debate cops instead of policymakers because it's the policeman who are trying to keep their positions in their departments together

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:01 AM

OK - let's move in a more positive direction. Can you explain all the products and global benefits we could experience if hemp were made legal?

Todd McCormick · 2:01 AM

there is so much self interest in all of the drug testing companies and people that supply prisons, and even private prisons like you mentioned.

Todd McCormick · 2:01 AM

someone only has to look at the current drug war budget to realize that that money is going somewhere.

Todd McCormick · 2:02 AM

I was looking at the DEA 2013 budget and I broke it down to realize that they spent $8 million a day

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:02 AM

OMG. How many people would kill to protect that?

Todd McCormick · 2:03 AM

$8 million a day to protect the alcohol tobacco and pharmaceutical industry

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:03 AM

All right - let's try again to go to a happy place. What wonders await us when hemp finally becomes legal?

Todd McCormick · 2:04 AM

and realistically – all of these pharmaceutical, petrochemical, alcohol, tobacco, companies know that every single day they are in business making money without competition is a good day so they put a lot of resources into keeping marijuana outlawed

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:04 AM

dude - you're killing me here.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:04 AM

lol

Todd McCormick · 2:04 AM

I think we're already seeing the huge boon in the economy in California because of medical cannabis.

Todd McCormick · 2:05 AM

I really think that cannabis prohibition should be a conservative issue because I don't understand why a conservative would want to exempt such a group of people from paying taxes on their activities.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:05 AM

it is worth noting that CA has COMPLETELY turned its finances around

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:05 AM

on the dole?

Todd McCormick · 2:05 AM

the numbers of people are astonishing when you start looking statistically at how many people are signing up for medical marijuana cards

Todd McCormick · 2:06 AM

currently in Colorado there are over 104,000 registered medical marijuana patients valid as of 2013

Todd McCormick · 2:06 AM

I do believe it will be legalized fairly soon on the federal level due to the sheer amount of people demanding to be

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:06 AM

So legalization essentially removes a cash cow from criminals and redistributes it to the civil structure

Todd McCormick · 2:07 AM

Dan – Peter McWilliams did pass away of nausea, you are correct.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:07 AM

★ Spotlighted from Dan Goldman

“Didn't Peter McWilliams die of nausea after a federal judge denied him the right to use medical marijuana while out on bail?”

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:07 AM

what other products can emerge? what can hemp seed oil do?

Todd McCormick · 2:07 AM

Seth, the United States government actually patented some of the therapeutic uses of cannabinoids

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:08 AM

★ Spotlighted from Seth Hochman

“Todd with the growing acceptance of many Americans towards legalization do you think it will be legalized federally any time soon?”

Todd McCormick · 2:08 AM

bringing up hempseed oil and being a kid who had cancer

Todd McCormick · 2:08 AM

I would like to point out that hempseed as a food resource is the most nutritional food humans can consume

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:09 AM

could it be one of the solutions to the looming and existing global hunger crisis?

Todd McCormick · 2:09 AM

anybody reading this should look into using hemp foods as it's literally a superfood.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:10 AM

so food and medicine, check. paper and other materials, check. energy?

Todd McCormick · 2:10 AM

Jordan – you just hit on the conversation we were having in Barcelona when I received the cannabis culture award alongside Sir Richard Branson because malnutrition is a great debt on society.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:10 AM

congratulations on that, btw. It is nice to see how much recognition and appreciation you continue to recieve.

Todd McCormick · 2:11 AM

as a fuel resource you can make ethanol, methanol and biodiesel from hemp

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:11 AM

receive. I'll hate myself for that tomorrow.

Todd McCormick · 2:12 AM

thank you very much – there is a press conference that I did with Richard Branson available on YouTube and his work with the global commission on drug policy is groundbreaking and hopefully one of the nails in the drug war's coffin

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:12 AM

so basically, legalized hemp could singlehandedly revitalize the farming industry, become our source of renewable energy, provide global nutrition and medicine, and make everybody feel groovy, baby.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:13 AM

★ Spotlighted from Seth Hochman

“Pretty sad that hemp was banned as well, since it has not THC, and has Omega 3's and many other nutrients”

Todd McCormick · 2:13 AM

anybody interested in the history of cannabis should also watch the documentary I was then called THE UNION: the business behind getting high it is available on the front page of my website: www.HEMP.xxx

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:13 AM

★ Spotlighted from Kyle U

“Last white hope was very intersteting and probably one of the first things I watched that got me involved in the movement. Especially the Ricky Williams interview. That's what lead me to start questioning motives of laws etc”

Todd McCormick · 2:13 AM

as usual Jordan you are totally correct.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:14 AM

I mean, on the one hand, this makes me incredibly excited, because a major global solution is at hand

Todd McCormick · 2:14 AM

Kyle - that was a very touching documentary, it's amazing how legal drugs have such a negative effect on society and cannabis use can help so many people get off of so many pharmaceuticals.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:14 AM

on the other hand, I am FURIOUS that so many are harmed for the benefit of so few

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:14 AM

★ Spotlighted from Blake Ian

“Here's the link to that press conference with Branson http://youtu.be/9QnDZiC_tP8”

Todd McCormick · 2:15 AM

the military-industrial complex has a stranglehold on our country and realistically our drug wars are just an extension of our wars

Todd McCormick · 2:16 AM

I spoke at Woodstock in 1999 and I spoke about the fact that the drug war was now being waged on the very culture that was protesting Vietnam.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:16 AM

and yet you are optimisitc? do you think the drug war is on its last legs in spite of the overwhelming obstacles?

Todd McCormick · 2:16 AM

I am optimistic

Todd McCormick · 2:16 AM

I think the problem the drug war has right now is this little thing called democracy

Todd McCormick · 2:16 AM

it is a total stumbling block for these bureaucrats

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:16 AM

it wasn't for George W. Bush

Todd McCormick · 2:17 AM

one of the reasons I distance myself from the Libertarian party is because they nominated Bob Barr who when he was a congressman blocked the medical marijuana vote in DC from being counted.

Todd McCormick · 2:17 AM

It was called the Barr amendment - and I guess that democracy is a really great concept for places like Baghdad but from Washington DC he found it to be a little bit uncomfortable.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:18 AM

The hypocrisy from the right and libertarian movements makes me more frustrated than my Jewish mother ever did, and that's saying something!

Todd McCormick · 2:18 AM

that is hilarious

Todd McCormick · 2:19 AM

but this is where democracy is taking the lead and we are seeing medical marijuana now legal in 19 states and Washington DC

Todd McCormick · 2:19 AM

we have it legalized in two states and I guarantee you in the next election you'll see a lot more states online that have initiatives

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:19 AM

People who are pro-life and anti-child welfare. People who are libertarian and oppose gay marriage. This is what I consider DANGEROUSLY stupid.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:20 AM

oh good - what states are at hand? and when can we expect to see movement on the Federal level?

Todd McCormick · 2:21 AM

well on the federal level changes more uncertain but when you realize that alcohol prohibition had a two thirds majority fever in Congress and lost it quickly when the will of the people changed like a tsunami wave coming in Congress

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:21 AM

how dissapointed are you in President Obama and Eric Holder?

Todd McCormick · 2:21 AM

I never had any faith in Obama

Todd McCormick · 2:22 AM

I felt like we have been living in a puppet presidency for quite a while

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:22 AM

For those who don't know, both promised repeatedly to end the prosecution of medical marijuana and turned around and did it as aggressively as ever.

Todd McCormick · 2:22 AM

what I have faith in is that we can change the laws states and that will cause the federal government to have to take a new position

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:23 AM

So for your every day person who wants to do something to support the movement, what's the best thing to do?

Todd McCormick · 2:23 AM

Obama has been horrible – Guantánamo Bay? Afghanistan? drug war?

Todd McCormick · 2:23 AM

for people that want to get involved I think that supporting one another with education is the key to our success

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:23 AM

yeah - I know - it hurts me - I want to believe in him so badly...

Todd McCormick · 2:24 AM

why would you want to believe in him? You have to realize that both the Democrats and Republicans are two heads of the same monkey

Todd McCormick · 2:24 AM

it's the money behind both parties that is the problem not the smiling faces on the podium

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:24 AM

Well - Seth in our audience is a good person to answer that one.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:25 AM

while I think we all acknowledge that to a degree, people still do find sufficient difference with the democrats on social issues to want to support them

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:26 AM

unfortunately that usually means supporting a lot of stuff you don't actually support just because you're pro-choice and pro-gay marriage

Todd McCormick · 2:26 AM

I wish there was a bigger difference, I can see the subtleties myself but I can still see the huge looming dark cloud behind both of their billion-dollar campaigns.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:27 AM

me too - I also think the social issues are a clever distraction to keep us from focusing on the economic ones

Todd McCormick · 2:27 AM

This country needs an enema – it needs to shed out all of its hostilities and lose this World War II of arm the world and go kick everybody's ass mentality

Todd McCormick · 2:27 AM

the biggest economic issue is your independence

Todd McCormick · 2:27 AM

when the government steps in and tells you that you can't grow the plant that literally got Columbus to North America

Todd McCormick · 2:28 AM

everybody should be fighting for the legalization of marijuana

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:28 AM

what were the Native americans smoking before Columbus got there?

Todd McCormick · 2:30 AM

I think it's ironic that Willie Nelson has been doing farm aid for over 25 years and none of the farmers are fighting for their right to grow HEMP.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:31 AM

Well, it certainly seems clear to me that we can't afford to abandon our use of hemp for much longer - it solves way too many problems to not use it.

Todd McCormick · 2:31 AM

absolutely – did you know there is hepe in the Bugatti?

Todd McCormick · 2:31 AM

Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen, and Jaguar are all using hemp in their manufacturing process

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:32 AM

is that like a pearl on the river?

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:32 AM

what part of the process?

Todd McCormick · 2:32 AM

sorry about the misspelling – I'm trying to type a little too quick

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:32 AM

happens to me all the time

Todd McCormick · 2:33 AM

it's amazing what is happening with him now and if anybody tuned in can get to Barcelona there is a beautiful museum that we opened up just one year ago that is literally the crown jewel of cannabis collections

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:34 AM

All right Todd -my final question -which of the 50 states grows the best weed?

Todd McCormick · 2:35 AM

edit: it is amazing what is happening with hemp now and if anybody tuned in can get to Barcelona there is a beautiful museum that we just opened a year ago called the hemp gallery, it is the crown jewel of hemp collections

Todd McCormick · 2:37 AM

California because it has a geographical advantage

Todd McCormick · 2:37 AM

thank you very much for tuning in everybody

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:37 AM

All right - I want to apologize again to everyone for the long delay. tech glitch that will never happen again. I know we lost most of our audience but I am very grateful to those of you who stuck around.

Todd McCormick · 2:37 AM

I'm sorry about the technical difficulties but I hope everybody found at least something interesting in today's talk

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:38 AM

Todd and I will do more of these

Todd McCormick · 2:38 AM

definitely Jordan anytime

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:38 AM

And Todd, you have my admiration, my respect, and my affesction.

Todd McCormick · 2:38 AM

Jordan – may you always be one of my best friends, thank you for posting these cool talks and inspiring intellectuals everywhere you go.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:39 AM

so if anyone is coming here after-the-fact, I suggest you hit the "top" button in the upper left corner to pick it up from the (deklayed) beginning.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:39 AM

Holy shit, Todd - thanks! Love you brother.

Jordan Birnbaum · 2:40 AM

and everyone in the audience - you're pretty damn cool, too.

Todd McCormick · 2:41 AM

Indeed! Stay safe and spread the love! Goodnight!

Forum · 63

Forum· 63 comments

48 visitors

Blake IanApr 27, 2013, 1:04 AM

Technical Difficulties on Jordan's end... Should be live in 2 minutes

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:21 AM

wow thanks for letting us know about change of room!!!

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:21 AM

never mind...

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:22 AM

Wondering what happened...I thought the hosts were just engaged in a lot of green 'research'

Blake IanApr 27, 2013, 1:31 AM

Anyone else feel like its kindddd of appropriate that this Tawk started late? ;)

Jordan SudyApr 27, 2013, 1:33 AM

your story is already reminding me of the bigger picture Todd, thank you

Blake IanApr 27, 2013, 1:41 AM

Amazing how doing something you believe in can dissipate fear...

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:43 AM

so what the hell have i missed? anything good?

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:44 AM

mmm nothing then

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:44 AM

Most opinion polls point to a favorability ranking for legalization, and now two states have legalized recreational marijuana--and over 20 allow some type of medical marijuana

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:45 AM★ Spotlighted

hey todd,have you heard of a guy called Kevin Booth? he's doing alot for medical marijuana

Jordan SudyApr 27, 2013, 1:45 AM

reread and catch up Dickies!

Dan GoldmanApr 27, 2013, 1:46 AM★ Spotlighted

Didn't Peter McWilliams die of nausea after a federal judge denied him the right to use medical marijuana while out on bail?

Andrei BermanApr 27, 2013, 1:47 AM

weeeeezy

Dan GoldmanApr 27, 2013, 1:47 AM

if so was that in California?

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:47 AM

kevin has a film out right now called Americna Drug War:The Last White Hope - something maybe you guys should watch. really interesting.

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:48 AM

BOOM!!!

Dan GoldmanApr 27, 2013, 1:48 AM

ugh...did I somehow post that twice?

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:49 AM★ Spotlighted

Todd with the growing acceptance of many Americans towards legalization do you think it will be legalized federally any time soon?

Blake IanApr 27, 2013, 1:49 AM

No Dan you got "OVERHEARD" your comment was voted up

Dan GoldmanApr 27, 2013, 1:49 AM

ah thanks...newb

Andrei BermanApr 27, 2013, 1:50 AM

This dude is really cool. wow.

Gary ShapiroApr 27, 2013, 1:50 AM

Also India, Columbia

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:51 AM

The grass was literally greener on the other side

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:51 AM

kevin has another film coming out called American Drug War 2: Cannabis Destiny

Jordan SudyApr 27, 2013, 1:51 AM

really ties the room together

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:51 AM

the founding fathers used hemp for a lot of things

Dan GoldmanApr 27, 2013, 1:51 AM

just the pinta

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:54 AM

Just a footnote: Bill Maher starts in 5

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:54 AM

is no-one else talking in here?

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 1:56 AM★ Spotlighted

Also no drug company could get a patent on it, so they wanted to eliminate any 'competition' to their profits

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 1:56 AM

mm i guess not

Kyle UApr 27, 2013, 1:56 AM★ Spotlighted

Also a lot of racism, if you look at Canada: they began cracking down on marijuana use in the form of the 1908 Opium Act; an act which grew largely out of fear and resentment of the Chinese, their willingness to work cheaply

Blake IanApr 27, 2013, 1:57 AM

Dickies go into the audience tab and listen to others...there's lots of people Tawking... But you only see them when you're listening to them :) - remember to refresh the page after listening to new people

Eric SchwartzApr 27, 2013, 1:57 AM★ Spotlighted

Ironically, Hearst, the man who conquered the asian weed, was known for "Yellow journalism."

Dan GoldmanApr 27, 2013, 1:59 AM

not to mention tobacco

Kyle UApr 27, 2013, 2:01 AM

Former DEA agents owning drug testing companies. I think that's a good example of it becoming an industry in its own

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 2:01 AM

blake i have them all on listen

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:03 AM

However, on the positive side, Colorado made about $10 million off taxing marijuana

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 2:03 AM

has anyone watched those film i mentioned? anyone?

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:03 AM

Just imagine that times 50

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 2:04 AM

cos alot of what is being talked about is in those films

Kyle UApr 27, 2013, 2:04 AM

I've watched last white hope

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 2:05 AM

well if anoyne is answering me i am not seeing the answers. i am refreshing the page and nothing. whats going on?

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 2:06 AM

what did you think of it,Kyle?

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:07 AM

Apparently Wall Street was even looking into funding marijuana businesses but got scared off by the threat of fed prosecution

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:08 AM

Yes, I know as long as Big Pharma or some large corp can make money off of it, it will be legal

Kyle UApr 27, 2013, 2:08 AM★ Spotlighted

Last white hope was very intersteting and probably one of the first things I watched that got me involved in the movement. Especially the Ricky Williams interview. That's what lead me to start questioning motives of laws etc

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:10 AM★ Spotlighted

Pretty sad that hemp was banned as well, since it has not THC, and has Omega 3's and many other nutrients

Kyle UApr 27, 2013, 2:11 AM

Dickies,did you see the follow up: how the west was won? Good discussion about how federal banking laws prevent medical mjs places from storing cash at banks/getting loans

Lucy DyerApr 27, 2013, 2:12 AM

i would to participate in the conversation but i cant if i cant see what others are saying.

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:13 AM

On the International scene, what do you see happening--since other countries' govts are not as owned by big business as ours is?

Blake IanApr 27, 2013, 2:13 AM★ Spotlighted

Here's the link to that press conference with Branson http://youtu.be/9QnDZiC_tP8

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:16 AM

lol, I didn't know we still have a democracy

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:25 AM

I would agree with you Todd...in some ways I've been disappointed in him as well

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:26 AM

but since a Dem has to appeal to the right as well, or be a centrist, they've to look tough on the military and some of these other issues

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:27 AM

with that said Obama did initiate stem cell research, stopped enforcing DOMA, is in favor of gay marriage, and seems to give a crap about the avg man

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:28 AM

the biggest impediment are two Supreme Court decisions, most recently Citizens United, which allowed corporations to contribute to campaigns

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:29 AM

As long as billionaires and the business they run can give unlimited contributions politicians will sell their souls to the devil

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:30 AM

Yes Dems are not as bad as the Tea party on this one, but like other countries, elections must become publicly funded--like most modern countries--and we will not be a Democracy until then

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:33 AM

Unfortunately many people have a tainted view of pot legalization due to Hollywood: they think of Cheech & Chong, Harold & Kumar, Jeff Spicolli, etc

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:33 AM

and therefore can not imagine anyone using marijuana responsibly and actually benefiting from it

Seth HochmanApr 27, 2013, 2:37 AM

Buenos noches everyone!