Texas Medical Marijuana???

[jws0007]

Has anyone seen Brian Cuban, Mark Cuban's brother, is trying to bring medical marijuana to Texas?

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcon...ubanbro_05met.ART.State.Edition2.332a328.html

 

[FreshGenetics]

Texas&MedicalMarijuana?

BCuban's offhisrocker.

 

[jws0007]

Have you seen Mark Cuban??? Of course this guy is crazy. Here is whats important: 1. He has big money backing him. 2. He's a lawyer. It is funny though every time someone mentions Texas and MMJ everyone says IMPOSSIBLE.

 

[PuReKnOwLeDgE]

Have you seen Mark Cuban??? Of course this guy is crazy. Here is whats important: 1. He has big money backing him. 2. He's a lawyer. It is funny though every time someone mentions Texas and MMJ everyone says IMPOSSIBLE.

My exact thoughts "It is funny though every time someone mentions Texas and MMJ everyone says IMPOSSIBLE"

 

[vta]

Mark Cuban's Bro Endorses MMJ In Texas

Mark Cuban's Bro Endorses MMJ In Texas

Wow...MMJ in Texas...can you dig it!


MARK CUBAN'S BROTHER BRIAN IS SOBER VOICE IN FAVOR OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA



Brian Cuban is a walking contradiction. As a recovering alcoholic and drug addict with 3 1/2 years of sobriety, he seems an unlikely spokesman for the nascent medical-marijuana movement in Texas.

"I smoked pot once in high school," he said. "I don't smoke pot and never will. But if there are people who are suffering and this can help them, why not make it available?"

Look closely and you can spot the resemblance to his billionaire brother, Mark. At 6-2 and 230 pounds, Brian is a big guy. And, like Mark, he speaks loudly and passionately about his beliefs.

"This is not about Cheech and Chong," he said.

"We're not talking about pot shops cropping up along Northwest Highway like strip clubs. We need to get the attention of the suits and ties, and the soccer moms."

But medical marijuana is only one of his passions.

As a lawyer, he takes on hate speech in a scholarly new book called You Don't Say: Speaking Freely in an Era of Hatred . He runs the Fallen Patriot Fund, a charity for the families of soldiers killed or wounded in the Iraq war. He writes a blog called The Cuban Revolution, which covers subjects such as women who get "tramp stamp" tattoos at the small of their backs. And he runs marathons to stay fit.

"Brian moves to his own drummer," said older brother Mark, the 52-year-old owner of the Dallas Mavericks.

"He finds things that interest him, and he goes after them."

12 Steps With A Twist

At age 49, Brian Cuban is still very much a work in progress.

He wants to become an accomplished writer and host a talk show. He pays the rent as executive director of the Mark Cuban Foundation, which supports the Fallen Patriot Fund.

Cuban drives a 2007 gray Lexus and lives in The Renaissance, a townhome and apartment complex just west of NorthPark Center. He's been married and divorced three times. His dog, Peanut, and cat, Useless, share his home. His girlfriend of 4 1/2 years lives in the same complex. She keeps him company and helps him stay sober.

"I don't want to be in a story if it's going to be about drugs," she told The Dallas Morning News. "If you use my name, I'll pitch a fit."

Cuban is an open book about his addictions and his struggle to stay clean with a customized 12-step program that focuses on personal responsibility instead of dependence on a higher power. He describes himself as "culturally Jewish" but not religious.

"It is possible for an addict to say he's gonna change his life and do it," Cuban said. "You can use the concept of personal responsibility to change."

Cuban's candor is disarming and was on full display recently during a lunch at R+D Kitchen, a favorite North Dallas hangout near the intersection of Preston Road and Northwest Highway.

Between bites of a sushi roll and couscous, he told a story featuring himself as an overweight 15-year-old growing up in Pittsburgh. Often, he walked home after school with his brother Jeff, who was 12. As a protective older brother, Brian sometimes held Jeff's hand.

Painfully shy, Brian forced himself to attend a Sadie Hawkins Day dance at the school. As he stood by himself, a girl approached. He thought she was going to ask him to dance. Instead, she said, "Why do you hold your brother's hand when you walk home from school? That's weird!" And she walked off.

"That moment has affected me to this day," he said. "I don't think I had a date until I was 24."

Jeff Cuban, now 46, lives in Dallas and works as executive vice president of HDNet, a cable television channel owned by brother Mark.

"Brian was very studious as a young man," Jeff Cuban said. "With our age difference, we didn't spend much time together during childhood. We only started hanging out in our adult lives."

Brian and Jeff followed Mark to Dallas in the early 1980s. Their father, Norton Cuban, 85, has lived in Dallas for 10 years. He expresses no surprise that his middle son has embraced legalization of marijuana for medical purposes.

"Brian is open to everything," Norton said. "He's human. And he puts a lot of thought into what he's doing. We all support him in what he does."

Shirley Cuban, Norton's wife and mother of his three sons, still lives in Pittsburgh.

'Fame By Name'

Brian Cuban got his law degree and went to work in the insurance industry. Later, he became a civil-rights lawyer for the NAACP in Oklahoma.

Finally, he went to work for Mark Cuban in 1999. He remembers becoming instantly popular. He calls it "fame by name." Women paid attention to him. He bought expensive clothes, including a $1,500 pair of two-tone, red and black alligator shoes ( size 14 ). He still wears them.

"I would never make such a purchase today," he said. "But it would be a waste not to wear them."

He hung out at all the right clubs - Sense, Medici, Martini Ranch, ZaZa, Ghost Bar, Beau Nash. He started drinking, which loosened him up enough to try cocaine and then begin using it. He loved it. And he hated it.

"All of a sudden, I thought I was somebody," Cuban said. "I was a hologram. I was like a kid in the candy store. I'm not blaming anyone. I was not secure in who I was, so I had to create someone new."

Somehow, Cuban hid his addiction from longtime friends and colleagues. He maintained "party friends" in one compartment and "regular friends" in another.

Angelo Marchese, a Dallas businessman and longtime friend, said he and Cuban generally hang out with conservative people. He said he never knew Brian was doing drugs during those years.

"I guess I couldn't see the forest for the trees," Marchese said. "Once you are my friend, you will always be my friend. And he is the same way."

Seven years of partying passed into history.

"I look back at those seven years, and I did nothing," Cuban said.

But he stayed close to family. To this day, he eats lunch every Tuesday with Jeff and their father. He's been sober since early 2007. And he's now an old hand at deflecting people who ask him to pitch a business proposition to Mark.

"I'm always polite about it," he said with a smile. "I just say, 'You'll have to talk to Mark about it.' "

Fifteen states have legalized some form of marijuana use for medical purposes. Typically, the law requires a doctor to recommend the treatment for a patient.

In Colorado, for example, a patient with a doctor's recommendation can legally possess up to 2 ounces of marijuana or grow up to six plants for his own use.

Political Centrist

New regulations governing commercial marijuana dispensaries - storefronts that sell marijuana products - are going into effect in Colorado. Patients there now have the option of buying their medicine from an authorized dispensary rather than getting it from a legally questionable dealer or growing their own pot.

Cuban describes himself as a political centrist, neither right nor left. He voted for Republican John McCain for president in 2008. As a longtime resident of red state Texas, he's under no illusion that the Legislature, which convenes in January, will pass a medical-marijuana law.

"A reasonable goal would be to get something seriously considered by the Legislature by 2013," he said.

Dante Picazo, a Dallas businessman, approached Cuban about becoming an advocate for medical marijuana in Texas. Earlier this year, Picazo incorporated the for-profit Medcan University, a traveling seminar that educates its "students" about the industry.

Medcan ( short for medical cannabis ) held its first training workshop last month in a Fort Worth restaurant. Cuban's role was to present his analysis of state and federal laws pertaining to marijuana. An estimated 20 students, each paying $250, attended.

"People are scared," Cuban said. "It's tough getting people to come to the seminar. But it's not illegal to talk about marijuana."

The harshest critics of the medical-marijuana movement - especially the industry as it developed in California - say it's just a way for people to get high legally.

But Picazo and Cuban say making marijuana available to sick people who need it is a humanitarian issue. And it is a potential source of new tax revenue for state and local government budgets.

"The reason I chose Brian to be a part of Medcan is that he is a person in the world with a gigantic, Class A heart," Picazo said. "Brian is always for the underdog, and he is for people who don't have much of a chance in life.

"If you are not as good-looking or you're not incredibly well-put-together and connected and perfect, Brian is the one who will pay attention to you."

BRIAN CUBAN Born: Jan. 11, 1961

Grew up in: Pittsburgh

Profession: Attorney and executive director of Mark Cuban Foundation

Interests: The law, writing, helping war veterans, Pittsburgh sports teams, Dallas Mavericks, public speaking, physical fitness, movies, collecting sports memorabilia

Prized possessions: Sobriety; baseball autographed by Pittsburgh Pirate Willie Stargell

Family: Brothers Mark and Jeff Cuban; parents Norton and Shirley Cuban

Pets: Peanut the dog; Useless the cat

Hangout: Starbucks at Preston Road and Northwest Highway



Source: Dallas Morning News (TX)
Author: SCOTT K. PARKS

 

[FreezerBoy]

There was a time when a Republican Governor in Texas was impossible. Can you imagine them electing a Dem these days? The only constant is constant change.

 

[real ting]

Wow what a crap piece of writing. Seems they are more interested in making the guy sound like an asshole than what he has to say.

 

[tequila_sunrise]

There was a time when a Republican Governor in Texas was impossible. Can you imagine them electing a Dem these days? The only constant is constant change.

That's correct. Back in the days of democratic Texas, democrats were conservative and republicans were liberal. Go figure huh?


I would love to see a MMJ law for Texas. I see it is possibly the most resistant state to this change.

I still remember a conversation I had with a girl in College Station, TX went something along the lines of:

"NO WAY alcohol is worse for you than MJ! If it wasn't why would MJ be illegal?" LOL! Of course she was drunk as hell when she said this but you know...

 

[jws0007]

Prick Perry is the worst too. But then again they serve those that elect them. It just cracks me up to see his ad's. "Who are you gonna elect one of us or one of them?", so sad its all so sad.

 

[tequila_sunrise]

Prick Perry is the worst too. But then again they serve those that elect them. It just cracks me up to see his ad's. "Who are you gonna elect one of us or one of them?", so sad its all so sad.

ahhh good ole' rick perry. I forget the other choice we had at the time but it wasn't much better.

 

[jws0007]

Its like you have all of Texas then Austin. I went to college down there and it is way way diffrent than the rest of the state. Keep Austin weird is a common phrase there. Austin is the first place I tried AK47. Good memories...

 

[tequila_sunrise]

Its like you have all of Texas then Austin. I went to college down there and it is way way diffrent than the rest of the state. Keep Austin weird is a common phrase there. Austin is the first place I tried AK47. Good memories...

Austin is RAD! If I moved back I'd like to think I would move there

 

[jws0007]

A couple of years ago we were visiting a military buddy that live's in DFW and there was a sign on the way from the airport that read "The DEA is coming." It really spooks you when the government sends threats like that.

 

[jws0007]

Here's a little more
http://www.briancuban.com/?s=marijuana

 

[RollmeoneKenobi]

AI'll be an amazing day here in Tejas to see legal MMJ!

 

[binaryfission]

i've heard ruminations of this in the state. "laws are already written," rumors. We shall see.

 

[s13sr20det]

that would be soooo kickass!
the first frost date down here is nov 15

i caught the last couple minutes of this story last night waiting for the office to come on

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/news/local/101006-texans-lukewarm-about-legalizing-marijuana

Texans Lukewarm About Legalizing Marijuana

Updated: Wednesday, 06 Oct 2010, 10:07 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 06 Oct 2010, 10:07 PM CDT

* NED HIBBERD

NED HIBBERD
Reporter

HOUSTON - Nearly one out of three Texans would consider legalizing and taxing marijuana to balance the books at the state capitol.

There¿s nothing like a budget crunch to adjust priorities, even in a ¿law and order¿ state like Texas, where dope busts are a dime a dozen.

One went down late Tuesday night in Splendora. Forty pounds of pot stashed in a spare tire and a backseat.

A man and woman were arrested; they¿re looking at jail time. Another one in the ¿win¿ column for deputies.

But for Ann Lee, an 81-year old staunch Republican pot activist, it¿s a waste of money.

¿Marijuana is safer than alcohol,¿ says Ann Lee, ¿and yet we are going after people, spending taxpayer dollars to prosecute these people who are engaged in marijuana.¿

FOX 26 News: "You're campaigning heavily in support of Proposition 19 in California. What would Prop. 19 do?"

Ann Lee: ¿Basically tax, control and regulate marijuana as we do alcohol and tobacco. Right now it's easier for a kid to get marijuana than it is for them to get a six-pack or tobacco and that makes no sense.¿

FOX 26 News: "What about the people who think that marijuana is a gateway drug into harder drugs and if you legalize it, it's going to be more available?¿

Ann Lee: ¿It's been disproved. What does alcohol lead to?¿

FOX 26 News: "You're not the kind of person who I would expect to be in favor of legalizing marijuana."

Ann Lee: ¿It's a very Republican issue, Ned.¿

FOX 26 News: "Well it isn't, but you're saying it should be."

Ann Lee: ¿Yes it is.¿

FOX 26 News: "How is it?¿

Ann Lee: ¿All right, all right. First of all, Lincoln spoke against it in 1840. He said prohibition makes crimes out of things that should not be crimes.¿

The Lone Star State seems to be warming up to the idea. Tuesday¿s Lyceum Poll revealed 30-percent of Texans are open to regulating and taxing marijuana.

On top of that, recent research by the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute estimates legalizing pot would generate more than $17 billion in tax revenue and savings on law enforcement and incarceration.

But opponents warn, don¿t be blinded by the money.

¿People talk about, ¿look at the tax revenue you'll get,¿ but the tax revenue we get from alcohol sales does not come anywhere near the medical cost of alcohol abuse,¿ says Kristi Allen with the Bay Area Council on Drugs and Alcohol.

FOX 26 News: "You think that would be the same with marijuana?"

Kristi Allen: ¿I fear that it would be, very much so.¿

Just look at prescription drugs, says Allen; they¿re heavily regulated.

And yet, according to the feds, last year 7 million people abused prescription meds, up from 6.3 million the year before.

 

[FreshGenetics]

I still remember a conversation I had with a girl in College Station, TX went something along the lines of:

"NO WAY alcohol is worse for you than MJ! If it wasn't why would MJ be illegal?" LOL! Of course she was drunk as hell when she said this but you know...

Those dam Aggies lol.

 

[jws0007]

Ann Lee: It's a very Republican issue, Ned.

FOX 26 News: "Well it isn't, but you're saying it should be."

Ann Lee: Yes it is.

I love this!!!

 

[true grit]

i've heard ruminations of this in the state. "laws are already written," rumors. We shall see.

Nope, don't believe so. We were working on drafts last legislative session, saw drafts of proposed laws, regulation, etc- none of them were close to anything worth a shit, some are already on the table looking for support for the upcoming session, and basically nothing was remotely close even though the legislators thought it was decent proposals- not mentioning the other 90% of Sen. and Rep. that don't support- or vow support and vote otherwise come table time. Last session, they waited til no one was watching the bills, pushed em through and shut em down in the period of a couple days. Very very unlike politicians, think it was probably one of the fastest votes, and one that wasn't discussed so no participation could happen.

Last session MPP pulled all funding from Texas, most groups would not use NORML association or support, so lobbying and support was tough. I really hope folks can gain some support the next session and get something legit on the table... but please for the sake of folks who have busted ass lobbying for Texas in the past- don't let them pass some bs law, or push something like prop 19, etc...please. Even my peeps were ready to settle last session...