Ash

Brighton Through Plastic

Taken on my Diana 35mm

Peace

Noun

1. Freedom from disturbance; quiet and tranquility 

2. Freedom from, or the cessation of war or violence. 

Greeting

1. Used as a greeting

2. Used as an order to remain silent

Listen to...

Clint Mansell

Music By Me

 One Under by samlees

Bill Hicks

Jay Day 2010-260 People Didn't Get Arrested.

An official estimate put the number of people attending Brighton's Jay Day protest at 262. Thats 262 people that are considered criminals by current law. Now, if 262 criminals walked down your street, you would think that more than 2 of them would be arrested, what with them all being criminals and the like. You might even say, that out of 262 self proclaimed criminals, 260 of them not getting arrested is more news worthy than the 2 that did.  The BBC clearly disagreed. The article they posted on their website, which can be found here, fails completely at giving an unbiased representation of the days events, concentrating entirely on the actions of a tiny minority and completely ignoring all issues and arguments from the day. This is typical of the mainstream press, to ignore all anti-prohibition arguments, and focus only on supporting their pre-existing agenda, and swaying public opinion in the favor of government policy. I suppose it wouldn't have helped the Labour campaign much had they reported the origins of the cannabis found in a medicinal users prescription. Or how much a prescribed user has to pay for their prescription. And they say the press are the true defenders of liberty. I wish I could have been around in those days.

So, to try and sum up the day where the BBC failed. The honest way. It pissed it down with rain. I mean, a lot of fucking rain, but the march went on regardless. Arguably a better turn out could have been achieved had the weather been on our side, but I'd like to think 260 stoners standing in the pouring rain being ignored is a pretty appropriate symbol of our struggle. Some good points were made here and there, but really the event didn't seem organized with any form of public speaking, or serious awareness raising in mind, rather than getting a rabble of stoners together, wandering through the streets having a bit of a shout, and not a very unified one at that. In conclusion, we managed to get a lot of tokers out of bed before mid day, some wild speculations were thrown around quite carelessly, some important ideas were also shared and everyone got very wet, but some seeds have been planted and hopefully we can learn from this, so that next year can be taken as seriously as it so desperately needs to be.

Peace. x

Grit

To the seasoned smokers among you, grit is a word becoming all to familiar in the world of all things cannabis.  Grit Weed has become the vernacular for a common form of contaminated cannabis that has been sprayed with an array of sand/grit type substances, which have been added to the plant preceding harvest to increase the weight of the plants yield. 


Grit weed has been in circulation since approximately 2006, when a handful of local cases were identified. Since this time, the supply of this contaminated weed has increased dramatically, infiltrating all levels of the supply chain throughout the British Isles. Some smokers are even reporting that grit weed is predominantly the only type of herbal cannabis available to them - a situation that many feel is a direct result of the police's recent wave of crackdowns on UK based cannabis growers which has had a marked effect on both the levels and quality of supply.


Currently it seems there are four main types of contaminant being added to the cannabis flooding the UK market. These are:

 - Large Glass Particle Contamination
 - Industrial Etchant Spray Contamination
 - Sugar or Sand Contamination
 - Micro Contaminants (stealth grit) 


Smokers of grit weed have complained about after effects including, but not limited to; sore mouth, mouth ulcers, chesty persistent coughs, and a tight chest lasting a few days after use.


Luckily, identifying grit weed is relatively easy. At first glance, the cannabis will often appear to be of good standard, even enticing, but will have a very weak odor. On further inspection, it may appear that the cannabis is coated with a layer f THC like crystals, however these could be any of the contaminants listed above, so a more detailed inspection is required. 


The most reliable method of testing your cannabis to determine wether or not it is contaminated, is to place a small amount in your mouth and rub it on your teeth and tongue. If you feel a gritty sand like residue when you clench your teeth together then chances are you are dealing with gritweed (probably the silica or road paint contaminant variety).  If you don't feel any grit-like substance between your teeth but the weed tastes very sweet (sugary) then chances are it has been dusted with sugar to bulk out the weight.  


Please note that the above 'grit test' will not work with the new wave of so called micro comtanimants as these are undetectable without the use of a standard microscope.  To date we are unaware of any other method to test for these new forms of micro contaminant gritweeds apart from a detailed microscopic analysis. 


Ironically, the Department of Health released a public health warning, but it has vanished from the internet at time of publishing. More information can be found here, but please be aware of the unsupported propaganda also contained in the article. 


In conclusion, grit weed is a continuing problem. The only way for smokers to eradicate this evil from the world, is to refuse it. Take pride in the herb you smoke, demand high quality product, and refuse contaminated cannabis. If your dealer slings it your way, just say no. It is worth missing one smoke to save the culture from greedy criminals who take no pride in the positive and beneficial effects of cannabis consumption. Unite. Resist. Reform. Weed before greed.


Until next time


Peace