Should Government Regulate Cannabis Quality?

[Sam_Skunkman]

Yes I do. In my area of So. Cal, big dispensaries are buying or leasing in industrial warehouses so they can use the rear 4000 square feet for their own growing.

I agree, but it is not yet the norm by any of the largest dispensaries, it could be but then all the growers that supplied them in the past will have to find something else to keep them busy, not so sure it is best for all the growers? Depends if the dispensaries are doing this to make more profits, lower cost and prices, ensure quality and safety, ensure supplies, or what reason?

I also agree 4,000 is small, but for lights maybe not?

-SamS

 

[Hydrosun]

Sure, I read Atlas Shrugged in the early 60's, ... you need some oversight to protect the public from unscrupulous growers, or anyone in the trade that would endanger the consumer.

Well that was 40+ years ago, a reread of this amazing novel would be fun.

Have you seen "Food Inc."? I especially like the VA farmer who does things his own way and tells the FDA to fcuk off. The government wanted to make his operations LESS healthy and he refused.

I don't NEED some oversight to be protected from bad products. You are asking this community to trade liberties and freedoms for a FALSE sense of security and a TON of more money to the government.

You and EVERYONE on this thread has FAILED to mention the cancer being caused by bad weed, any outbreaks associated with any grower. In fact I have not seen a single piece of evidence that shows harmful health effects of weed sold in the US.

If cigs aren't regulated by this amazingly good and benevolent government, why in the hell would we trust the FDA with weed?

 

[elmanito]

If cigs aren't regulated by this amazingly good and benevolent government, why in the hell would we trust the FDA with weed?

That counts not only for the FDA.When i see the regulations of medical marijuana in Holland, it is just a joke.The government says that gamma radiation is needed to protect the consumers to get contaminated with fungi or bacteria, but when a company follows the strict cGMP guidelines with HACCP you don't need gamma radiation at all.IMO there are other methods which will not affect marijuana in a bad way, UV-C lights for instance.

Namaste

 

[Hydrosun]

That counts not only for the FDA.When i see the regulations of medical marijuana in Holland, it is just a joke.The government says that gamma radiation is needed to protect the consumers to get contaminated with fungi or bacteria, but when a company follows the strict cGMP guidelines with HACCP you don't need gamma radiation at all.IMO there are other methods which will not affect marijuana in a bad way, UV-C lights for instance.

Namaste

Well before I care to do any of the things listed above shouldn't I be convinced of their benefits and engage in the practice of my own free will?

If none of these protections are in place and MJ was a dangerous substance, shouldn't we be seeing huge numbers of sick MJ smokers? I've been smoking MJ for over 20 years and many on this site for decades longer; if we aren't sick from MJ where is the real NEED for government?

 

[Sam_Skunkman]

Well before I care to do any of the things listed above shouldn't I be convinced of their benefits and engage in the practice of my own free will?

If none of these protections are in place and MJ was a dangerous substance, shouldn't we be seeing huge numbers of sick MJ smokers? I've been smoking MJ for over 20 years and many on this site for decades longer; if we aren't sick from MJ where is the real NEED for government?

As for chemicals like insecticides or fungicides the health problems could be from long term exposure, anyway I want consumers protected from them for sure. In Holland a recent survey of coffee shop Cannabis found half had fungicides on them. The same in the Calif, Harborside when they checked samples before buying to resell found a lot with pesticides, fungicides, and mold and other contaminates, even if you are ok, and I am ok, what about Joe Blow consumer who has to buy from who knows who? And what about medical users with impaired immune systems? They deserve protection don't they?

-SamS

Microbiological contaminants of marijuana

http://www.internationalhempassociation.org/jiha/iha01205.html

 

[tokinafaty420]

If we ever want to feel like we are part of society and not a fringe element, cannabis should be treated like any other agriculture products that are similarly consumed.

No the market does not regulate itself. Are you lot fucking retarded, blind or deaf? Have you not been paying attention to anything in the past few years? Do I want more overbearing government? No. However, humans are humans, whether they work for the government or for themselves. They will always try to take shortcuts to save their profit margins. Will the market protect people from receiving contaminated marijuana? No. Give me a break. Is the market protecting the smokers now? Ask anyone who has found themselves with only brick weed available. Do the drug cartels care whether your weed is pesticide free or whether half their crop gets eatten by insects? hmmmm

Bring on safety regulations, any quality grower has nothing to worry about as you'll get a passing grade. Just like restaraunts, those who refuse to clean up get shut down. Those who keep their kitchens clean enough to eat off the floor and force their employees to practice safe food handling stay in business. Would those owners be the same way without health inspections? Not all of them, I worked for owners whos only reason for cleaning every nook and corner was to prevent the inspectors from shutting them down. No inspectors they would have just overlooked it as long as it wasn't causing food poisoning at their joint.

 

[Pythagllio]

It looks like the clear winners are:

Yes, treat cannabis like any agricultural product 93 23.48%
Yes, treat cannabis like tobacco or alcohol 74 18.69%

No, let dispensaries do optional private testing 75 18.94%
is like having the fox guard the henhouse
and wasn't feasible, so I threw it out

What a joke, you 'threw it out' because it 'wasn't feasible'. Who the hell made you arbiter of reality? Nothing like a combination of arrogance and ignorance as in the example above for a good laugh followed by an aftertaste of disgust.

 

[SeniorBuzz]

What a joke, you 'threw it out' because it 'wasn't feasible'. Who the hell made you arbiter of reality? Nothing like a combination of arrogance and ignorance as in the example above for a good laugh followed by an aftertaste of disgust.

anything ingestible, sold to the public, must be inspected..., and adhere to all regulations, during the growing process....that's the public speaking

 

[CaptainTrips]

anything ingestible, sold to the public, must be inspected..., and adhere to all regulations, during the growing process....that's the public speaking

What about produce sold at farmers markets, or even the side of the road... lol Im pretty sure most produce is not inspected, they might inspect samples but a very small %, same even goes for meat...

 

[SeniorBuzz]

What about produce sold at farmers markets, or even the side of the road... lol Im pretty sure most produce is not inspected, they might inspect samples but a very small %, same even goes for meat...

that's true, but they are subject to random inspections, and growing regulations, as to what they can use on their crops, or what they can feed their cattle (mad cow disease).

I think the growers should be pro-active and set their own acceptable growing standards before others have a chance to do it for them.

 

[cannabislover]

deleted

 

[WaterFarmFan]

No the market does not regulate itself. Are you lot fucking retarded, blind or deaf? Have you not been paying attention to anything in the past few years?

My eyes have been wide open, and all I see is government intervention run amok... The free market has been manipulated by corrupt bureaucracies to the extent that "large business" is favored over "small business". There is nothing free about the market at all.

More regulation will create additional FALSE barriers to entry, that will only cause more mega-companies, like BP to form. You can think your lucky stars that 3 years ago, BP decided to self-insure their Deep Horizon rig, out of pure capitalist interest, or otherwise the "government insurance industry" would be on the hook for the clean up costs when they eventually go bankrupt...

WFF

 

[WaterFarmFan]

Just like restaraunts, those who refuse to clean up get shut down. Those who keep their kitchens clean enough to eat off the floor and force their employees to practice safe food handling stay in business.

I always thought the one's that SUPPLY a product or service that is DEMANDED by customers stay in business. If you can not see that it is in the owners best interest to keep a clean business environment, then I can guess you have only been an employee or just not been exposed to a positive business mentor...

We live in a transparent age of information. If a restaurant is dirty, poor reviews will circulate and they will go out business. I understand the need to feel safe, but that is an illusion built on a bad joke...

WFF

 

[HempHut]

I always thought the one's that SUPPLY a product or service that is DEMANDED by customers stay in business. If you can not see that it is in the owners best interest to keep a clean business environment, then I can guess you have only been an employee or just not been exposed to a positive business mentor...

We live in a transparent age of information. If a restaurant is dirty, poor reviews will circulate and they will go out business. I understand the need to feel safe, but that is an illusion built on a bad joke...

WFF

Most restaurant's kitchens are not open/visible to the customer/public, and as such, there's little in the way of accurate information to be gleaned about what goes on in them -- you can not always tell from the dining area/service area what the kitchen is like or what practices take place in the kitchen. This is the very reason there are health inspectors with the power to enter and inspect the premises -- to do so on the public's behalf because the public can not.

Your analysis is naive -- adhering to proper hygiene practices requires more expense for the owner. It costs more for cleaning supplies, for proper training of staff, for ongoing monitoring of staff, etc. The reason many restaurant's don't adhere to proper practices is because it saves them money. There is always the drive for business to keep overhead costs down and often times the temptation is too great to, say, use a product that should have been thrown out two days ago. It's clear you've never worked in the industry. I spent 10 years in the industry and am very glad to know that there are health inspectors and regulations in place.

 

[The King Adrock]

No way they can inspect all the weed. Too many independent growers

 

[Botanist]

Just wanted to drop in and let you guys all know how the Wonderful federal bureaucracy are treating the Amish and there agricultural products.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/green/2010/06/epa_leans_on_amish_farmers_in.html
Good thing the nanny state is protecting me from the evil Amish!

Even the flippen Amish are to industrialized for the EPA. What kind of screeching cave people do they look to turn us into?

 

[HempHut]

Just wanted to drop in and let you guys all know how the Wonderful federal bureaucracy are treating the Amish and there agricultural products.
http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/features/green/2010/06/epa_leans_on_amish_farmers_in.html
Good thing the nanny state is protecting me from the evil Amish!

Even the flippen Amish are to industrialized for the EPA. What kind of screeching cave people do they look to turn us into?

I'm not sure if you posted that and just assumed no one would read it, but I did. What exactly is the problem?

Nothing in the article says anything near, "The Amish are too industrialized" or "We want to return to cave man levels of technology". What it says is that they aren't storing their manure to prevent run off into local waters and that the runoff can cause dead zones in the bay because of too high N concentrations. Some were even contaminating their own wells. It goes on to say they were offered help and/or grants to help with proper storage -- like creating pits.

This is so bad why? The alternative is to have dead zones in the bay -- having dead zones in the local waters is good because?

 

[Botanist]

As for chemicals like insecticides or fungicides the health problems could be from long term exposure, anyway I want consumers protected from them for sure. In Holland a recent survey of coffee shop Cannabis found half had fungicides on them. The same in the Calif, Harborside when they checked samples before buying to resell found a lot with pesticides, fungicides, and mold and other contaminates, even if you are ok, and I am ok, what about Joe Blow consumer who has to buy from who knows who? And what about medical users with impaired immune systems? They deserve protection don't they?

-SamS

Microbiological contaminants of marijuana

http://www.internationalhempassociation.org/jiha/iha01205.html

The only thing they deserve is the product of their own thought. They have a choice to buy organic, fresh, moldy. The only role government can play in this is anti fraud laws. If a distributer sales weed as organic or fresh and it is not, that is fraud and government must play a role in this. What you are asking for is the enslavement of the growers for the sake of the stupid. Why is it that those who can have no rights and those who cant have all the rights?

Government has no role in protecting your life. Only a role in protecting you right to life, liberty, property.
Property rights do not take a back seat to liberty and life. In fact not one of these rights can truly exist without the others. If a man dose not have a right to property then he has not right to the choices (liberty) or time (life) that it took to obtain said property.

Private property cannot exist with conditions. To own property one must be able to sale, change, destroy, use, and move it at his own will without constrictions. If it is excepted that all property must be used in accordance with government then no property exists. You end up with a slave taking care of the masters property under the elution of self ownership.

Private property is the backbone of the philosophy that came out of the age of reason. The philosophy that built the modern age. This world seems to be turning against it. Not for something new and fresh, but the same old mentality of the dark ages. Slowly we are sinking bake into tyranny.

We all must remember again that man is capable of ruling himself.

First we where enslaved by the Gods.
then we where enslaved by the Kings.
Now we are enslaved by the majority.

In every case most argued that it was radical to speak of a world where the king, or the church did not have total power over ones life. Now people argue that it is unthinkable for us to exist in freedom because..... Because the government has said so.

Brake the chains in your mind!

 

[SeniorBuzz]

New Mexico's medical pot law, similar to N.J.'s, is too restrictive for some in-depth look at New Jersey's mmj laws
http://bit.ly/duYWRK

After a three-month dry spell, the marijuana harvest is in. Baby Boomers, men and women of all ages, solemn and fragile, are lining up at NewMexiCann Natural Medicine, a medical marijuana shop or "alternative treatment center.’’ The call has finally gone out; patrons of NewMexiCann can come and get their medicine.

But as each patient reaches the counter, owner Len Goodman — looking casual in a T-shirt and baseball cap but speaking in a calm, professional tone — breaks the news: The anticipated harvest yielded a meager crop. Goodman is cutting orders in half so every patient can get something.
The Star-Ledger's 'Pot as panacea:'
With N.J. expected to permit the sale of medicinal marijuana soon, The Star-Ledger visited Colorado and New Mexico to observe the impact legalizing the drug for medical reasons has had in those states.

 

[Hydrosun]

The only thing they deserve is the product of their own thought. They have a choice to buy organic, fresh, moldy. The only role government can play in this is anti fraud laws. If a distributer sales weed as organic or fresh and it is not, that is fraud and government must play a role in this. What you are asking for is the enslavement of the growers for the sake of the stupid. Why is it that those who can have no rights and those who cant have all the rights?

Government has no role in protecting your life. Only a role in protecting you right to life, liberty, property.
Property rights do not take a back seat to liberty and life. In fact not one of these rights can truly exist without the others. If a man dose not have a right to property then he has not right to the choices (liberty) or time (life) that it took to obtain said property.

Private property cannot exist with conditions. To own property one must be able to sale, change, destroy, use, and move it at his own will without constrictions. If it is excepted that all property must be used in accordance with government then no property exists. You end up with a slave taking care of the masters property under the elution of self ownership.

Private property is the backbone of the philosophy that came out of the age of reason. The philosophy that built the modern age. This world seems to be turning against it. Not for something new and fresh, but the same old mentality of the dark ages. Slowly we are sinking bake into tyranny.

We all must remember again that man is capable of ruling himself.

First we where enslaved by the Gods.
then we where enslaved by the Kings.
Now we are enslaved by the majority.

In every case most argued that it was radical to speak of a world where the king, or the church did not have total power over ones life. Now people argue that it is unthinkable for us to exist in freedom because..... Because the government has said so.

Brake the chains in your mind!

Great post Botanist!

SeniorBuzz: Did you mean to copy paste a new article into this thread? Perhaps you should haves started an new thread on this one?