All stories about "Marijuana"

Weed lovers in D.C. find themselves wading through a pool of over-accomplished and pompous d-bags. So chill, brah, and partake in many of the fine red-eye friendly eating establishments and thought-provoking outdoor activities. It's hard to brave the tourist haunts and general public when you're sober, so numb the pain a little and blow your mind at some of D.C.'s more stimulating attractions. (photo)

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Weed is the greatest drug ever. It's all natural, it won't make you strung out, you can't OD on it, and it allows you to enjoy the happy feeling of dying brain cells. Best of all, smoking pot makes eating food awesome. Snacking while high is one of the greatest pleasures this world has to offer. It's hard out there for New York stoners. This city doesn't have medical marijuana clubs, and the NYPD actively pursues drug dealers and folks who smoke herb outdoors. But what New York does have are some damn fine munchie foods. Since outing purveyors of fine plant online is not cool at all, you're on your own when it comes to finding stuff to smoke, but once you do, this map will tell you everything else you need to know about getting high and pigging out in the Big Apple. [Photo]

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British Prime Minister Gordon Brown wants to crack down on pot smoking, but his government isn't cooperating. Tony Blair, the previous Prime Minister, had downgraded marijuana to a Class C drug. Blair's move led to police having a more laid back attitude towards stoners, and some critics claim it also caused more young people to smoke weed. Brown wants cannabis to be reclassified as a Class B substance once again, but the Government's drug advisory body has come out against the idea. [Telegraph]

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This is the photo that ran with a Reuters story last week about Amsterdam police being forbidden to smoke weed even in their off hours. Nice one, anonymous wire service photo editor! Subtle too. [Reuters]

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My grandma buys hemp from Canada. No, she doesn't smoke it. She uses it for cooking -- because hemp oil is good for Grandma's arthritis. Unfortunately for her aching joints, the cultivation of hemp for research and commercial purposes in the US is "heavily regulated." But given its environmental benefits, its use as an ecological alternative to other crops, and the breadth of its applications (ranging from cosmetics to fuel), it's legal in Germany to grow the low THC-content plants.

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The gorgeous, rotting Indian city of Varanasi has roots going back millennia, and for most or all of that time it's been holy to Shiva. As many as a million pilgrims come each year to worship, bathe, and have their relations cremated along the banks of the Ganges. Like the rest of the Hindu gods, Shiva has many aspects -- and one of them is a little easier for average early-20s Western tourists to get their mind around than many of the others. Bhang (a.k.a. marijuana) is associated with Shiva and thought of as a sacrament by many of his followers. As a result, "Government Bhang Shops" (often just glorified streetcarts) can be found throughout the old part of town -- Varanasi is one of the few Indian cities to have such a thing. And if you'd rather have something a little heavier, why not try opium?

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San Francisco has a storied history of free love and good times. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the Bay Area is located right in the heart of a government-designated "High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area," or that according to recent reports, almost 30% of the city's high-schoolers have smoked marijuana. It sounds like the hydroponically grown herb that California is so famous for is especially easy to get in San Francisco, but if you're too stoned to remember your usual corner or where you put your dealer's number, alternative newsrag SF Weekly is here to help. They've compiled a handy map of local pot clubs where you can purchase medical marijuana. You will need a doctor's recommendation to get the green light to grab these legal greens, but we hear that's not much of an obstacle. In fact, the good folks over at NORML have even put together this list of the area's most weed-friendly physicians. Happy toking!

SF Pot Clubs and Medical Dispensaries [via SF Weekly]

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Here's a recent discovery that got me pretty excited. One of the few bars open (and heaving) till 3:30 a.m. on a Madrid weekday is the Traveling Bar on Calle Olivar in Lavapies. The door is tiny and well camouflaged -- well, that's my excuse for having spent many nights in Calle Olivar and not having seen it before. Anyway, upon entering, it's a whole new dark and dodgy yet strangely great hangout. The lighting is dim and red, all you can smell is pot (although there are "No Smoking Pot" signs inside), and the music is old rock. Busy with Africans, Bangladeshis, Ecuadorians, Argentineans, Spaniards, and artists-with-dreadlocks-or-thick-framed-black-glasses-and-piercings (definitely all regulars), the bar has an offbeat crowd cool to be between. When I was there, the walls were covered with "crazy people partying" photography. Apparently, the (art)work on the wall changes monthly. Although called "Traveling," the bar has nothing to do with it. It's named after the cinematic filming term "traveling" -- a shot the camera takes while moving on tracks to capture panoramic motion. Open for about 25 years now, Traveling Bar has no cover, good energy, and it's friendly though a bit shady. It's a place I frequent, but never alone.

Traveling Bar [Touami]

-- Abha Malpani

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Attention Amsterdam potheads! We do not fear the servicey, as you well know. So, a reader writes in with a question about locating a particular flavor of cannabis. And we're just presuming the reader means Amsterdam, unless she or he is trying to horn in our NYC dealer network. Back! But a "coffe shop" is mentioned, ergo the Netherlands is a safe bet. So, experts, answer if you can the following question -- and please, assume a big [sic] for the whole thing:

do you know which coffe shop sells the new sweet tye weed from world seads

-- Chris Mohney

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Gridskipper does not advocate drug use. We're not against it by any means, we just aren't going to endorse it. Except maybe just this once, since it's 4/20 and all. Just don't tell our moms, OK? What better way to spend one of our favorite made-up holidays than legally blazed out of your mind in Amsterdam? You can't throw a wooden clog in Amsterdam without hitting a cannabis-hawking coffee shop, so just listing a bunch won't help you. After the jump, we recommend a list of coffee shops with the best smokeables, the most interesting setup, and a few bonus venues for satiating your ravenous munchies.

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