Ep 76: Informer

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“If you make this law, we’re coming after you.”

And now it’s time for something completely different. It’s my pleasure to introduce to you, our friend from Texas, Denton Ramsey. He is the director of volunteers for the Waco chapter of NORML. We’ll be featuring his articles here and there for our show notes, so sit back, and get yourself educated. If you were wondering, the Hot Box is back on a weekly schedule. We’ll try as best as we can to bring you new episodes every Saturday, but your best bet is to like the Hot Box on Facebook, join the Hot Box Facebook group, and follow the Hot Box on Twitter. This will allow you to keep up with our schedule in real time. See you Saturday!

Flushing Facts from Fiction: The Truth Behind the Cannabis Lies…

By Denton Ramsey, NORML of Waco Inc. Director of Volunteers

One of my very first columns ever written—back as a student at Memorial Senior High School in Houston, Texas—quoted Robert Louis Stevenson, who once famously said, “the cruelest lies are often told in silence.” Sadly, the same rings true in regards to your average American’s views and education on cannabis. Granted, there are plenty of LOUD noises and nonsense tossed at American citizens daily in terms of reefer madness; just look at your average television anti-drug advertisement for the latest lies on cannabis. But the biggest—and as Stevenson would say, “the cruelest”—lies are often the ones told in silence. In this particular matter, that “silence” would be the FACTS pertaining to marijuana and how the cannabis plant can save and cure a multitude of illnesses and ailments. Toss aside the federal fiction for a moment and let’s review the evidence on this plant.

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano, who recently spoke at the organization’s 2011 annual conference in Denver, Colorado, said it best when talking about five key arguments opponents to medical cannabis often mention—and how we as activists can educate the naysayer on the reality of this plant. Those five arguments? Cannabis is too dangerous; cannabis has too many unwanted side-effects; scientists haven’t effectively studied it; no medicine is smoked; and cannabis isn’t FDA-approved. Let’s begin breaking down these anti-cannabis arguments—and debunking the so-called marijuana myths—one at a time, Armentano-style…

Ep 73: The Party Party

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“No one should go to jail for pot.”

Coming to you live from the 2011 Garden City Cannabis Expo in Missoula Montana at the university. We had such a great time, met a ton of really super cool people, and saw some seriously awesome stuff. Oh yea, and my prediction that this weekend long party of “pot heads” would come and go with ZERO problems. Problems you might expect to deal with when a group of people start getting wasted on the “Devil Plant.” Yeppers, not one single stabbing, rape, or gun shot the whole weekend, not by us anyways. We should be proud. Anyways, do you see how silly that sounds? Yes, now stop lying to the people who make our laws. You know how easily they can be swayed. Just takes the right kind of green, if you know what I mean. If you want more audio from the Garden City Cannabis Expo, check out the two special episodes we released. There is the group discussion and the panel talk.

We do a short 15 minute or so episode of the Hot Box due to some scheduling interference, but no worries, because we have enough interviews to turn this 15 minute episode into almost two hours worth of words YOU NEED TO LISTEN TO! You’re welcome, just trying to do our part in clearing up all the dangerous misinformation out there. So after the show, stick around and catch our interviews with such amazing humans as:

John Masterson – Montana NORML
Ed Docter – Kush Magazine
Noel – Montana Botanical Analysis
Chris Lindsey – Lindsey Law Firm
Rose Habib – CannabAnalysis
Dennis – Veterans Rep for Montanan’s for Responsible Legislation
Mimi – Montanan’s for Responsible Legislation
Doug Chayette – Montanan’s for Responsible Legislation

And of course make sure you stick around till the very end, to hear a very awesome, very special interview with Oaksterdamn professor, cannabotanist extraordinaire, the Big Book of Buds and Ask Ed man himself, Ed Rosenthal! Check out Daily Buds, Quick Trading Company, and his blog. If you were at the expo in person, you could have done this! Honestly, that was one of the coolest sessions I’ve ever had the pleasure to partake in.

Overall, this should be a great episode, so sit back, and blaze one for the nation. She sure could use it. Did I mention Senator Dave Wanzenried was there? I’m rendering his talk along with the question and answer as I type this, so keep checking back on the Hot Box YouTube page to watch it. Also, make sure you show some support to our friends, they are all doing great things in the field of Cannabis. Make sure you catch our Tuesday episode as we bring you a wrap up of the whole weekend, and show you some really cool stuff we found while wandering the expo. If you want to have more discussions with us about anything, join us on the Hot Box forums.

Special: 2011 Garden City Cannabis Expo (Group Discussion)

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This is audio from the group discussion speaking about moving forward. What can we do as supporters of cannabis? Listen to this and find out. You’ll hear John Masterson (Montana Norml), Katrina Farnum (Garden Mother Herbs), Chris Lindsey (Lindsey Law) Mat Lee (The Hot Box) and many more. If you are in this discussion and I didn’t get your name on here, email info@hotboxpodcast.com and let me know. This was a fantastic group discussion, I’m super happy we were able to bring this to you. If you want to see the Facebook event page, it’s right here.

A huge thanks to everyone who wasn’t afraid to show their face, and their support for cannabis in Montana. We’ll have more content from the Garden City cannabis expo as I get it put together, cleaned up, and rendered. Look forward to more audio discussions, a special Hot Box episode LIVE from the cannabis expo with all of the interviews we did, video of Senator Dave Wanzenried’s talk, product reviews from some of the cool people who were selling goods, Ed Rosenthal the master botanist himself, and of course, lots of pictures. If you appreciate all the time and work we put into the Hot Box, you can contribute monetarily, or send us something cool to the P.O. Box. We also take items for review. Note, any items we review will be considered gifts, and will not be returned. But you already knew that.

Special: 2011 Garden City Cannabis Expo (Panel)

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This is audio from the first Panel discussion speaking about current legislation and information regarding federal raids. You’ll hear Ed Docter (Kush Magazine), Chris Lindsey (Lindsey Law) Kate Cholowea, Rose Habib (CannabAnalysis Laboratories) Katrina Farnum (Garden Mother Herbs) Ed Rosenthal (Quicktrading Company) and John Masterson (Montana Norml). Then they open it up for a little question answer. This was a great time, we are really glad we are able to bring you footage and audio from this event. If you want to see the Facebook event page, it’s right here.

A huge thanks to everyone who wasn’t afraid to show their face, and their support for cannabis in Montana. We’ll have more content from the Garden City cannabis expo as I get it put together, cleaned up, and rendered. Look forward to more audio discussions, a special Hot Box episode LIVE from the cannabis expo with all of the interviews we did, video of Senator Dave Wanzenried’s talk, product reviews from some of the cool people who were selling goods, Ed Rosenthal the master botanist himself, and of course, lots of pictures. If you appreciate all the time and work we put into the Hot Box, you can contribute monetarily, or send us something cool to the P.O. Box. We also take items for review. Note, any items we review will be considered gifts, and will not be returned. But you already knew that.