Ellis gets Combed Over

The NBA's method of determining All Stars is an absolute joke. Allowing the fans to have so much pull in deciding who gets to be an All Star is absurdly flawed; hence Allen Iverson starting in this year's All Star game. He's barely played this year due to injury and personal reasons, not to mention he's on a pretty crappy team (76ers, currently 20-32). He's nothing more than a sentimental fan favorite.

But eliminating, or drastically reducing the fan's influence, apparently wouldn't improve the system either. David Stern, in his infinite wisdom, selected Chris Kaman of the LA Clippers (21-31) to replace the injured Brandon Roy; giving Monta Ellis of the Warriors the chance to go fishing this weekend. Ellis, 6th in the league in scoring, got the snide based largely on the Warrior's third worst record in the league (14-37). Total BS! The Warriors have been crippled with injuries all year; most of the year dressing eight players (three of which are usually NBDL temps on 10 day contracts).

A constant reality every year, the Clippers blow hard. This year is no exception, they too have NO shot at the playoffs (yet again), despite having a few more wins than the Warriors. Oh and in case you missed it, the Warriors beat the Clippers last night 132-102 with both Ellis and Maggette out with injuries. Kaman, however, did play; racking up 13 points and 4 boards!

Bottom line, a player's team record and/or how good he was five years ago should not affect wether or not he's selected to the All Star Game. It's not like either affects who goes to the Rookie-Sophomore game, the 3 point shooting, or dunk contest. David Stern is simply not good at this aspect of his job. Monta Ellis is an All Star, regardless of not playing for a Major-Market franchise. Oh well, I'm sure getting to watch Iverson hobble and Kaman lumber up and down the court this weekend will be The Chronic!

Don't Haight the Player, Hate the Game

The Haight-Ashbury, a neighborhood best known for the crucial role it played during the spawning of the hippy/drug culture in the 1960s, was recently given a rather short-sited stigmata. An article in the business section of the San Francisco Chronicle does a little slam dance on one of the city's most storied neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the dance wasn't being performed by brightly colored bears or skeletons.
The article focuses on the price of real estate in the Haight being really high, despite the neighborhood being overrun with transients and their pit-bulls. With the approval of Whole Foods, the neighborhood prices stand to increase even more; which apparently confounds the writer(s) of this article.
Honestly, at first glance, Haight Street is quite the spectacle; home to countless vagrants (with their dogs), bong shops, and artsy clothing stores . And yes, you can smell Marijuana in the air as you wander about this urban Hippy-Haven. Overlooked in this article, however, are all the great things the Haight has to offer (in addition to the bong shops, cool clothing stores and wonderful scent of ganja.)
Nestled between the Panhandle and Golden Gate Park, the Haight offers numerous outdoor outlets; of which, most other neighborhoods in San Francisco are deprived. It's home to the Urban School, a Boys and Girls Club, a public library, and Buena Vista Park. What is more, it's a few blocks from USF, several hospitals, Lower Haight, Cole Valley, Inner Sunset, Divis', and Inner Richmond.
As for the transients and their pit-buls, of course they're annoying; but the vast majority of them are non-aggressive and non-violent. Which brings us to safety, (with no statistical basis mind you, rather my experience living in San Francisco and word-of-mouth), there are fewer car break-ins, thefts, and muggings in the Haight-Ashbury than in at least 4-5 other neighborhoods in San Francisco.
Pretty sure the thousands of tourists flocking to San Francisco every year appreciate the unique vibe that only the Haight can provide: A vibe that can be largely attributed to the copious consumption of The Chronic!

Now That's A Spicy MeatBall

Some lady in New York was, supposedly, so upset that her husband did not retire after twenty-plus years of service from the Police Department. To get him back, she got him fired by cooking marijuana in his meatballs; unbeknownst to NYPD Officer- Anthony Chiofalo, of course. It's obviously stupid to get fired after 22 years of distinguished service for having a little marijuana in your system. But come on buddy, you really had NO idea? Unless you like your meatballs super heavy on the oregano, it's pretty obvious when food is cooked with The Chronic!

WARNING! Pot Cookies too Potent for Plane

Kinman Chan, age 30 of San Francisco, attributes his recent freak out during a cross country flight to eating double dose Marijuana cookies prior to boarding the plane. Chan was taken down by flight attendants after aggressively busting out of the bathroom with his pants down. He was then charged with interfering with the duties of a flight attendant, a charge that carries up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
If consumed in moderation, edibles are great for pain and stress relief. But once you consume a cookie that is too potent, you'll know it right away. For those of you who aren't familiar with 'edibles,' in particular the ones made available at Medical Marijuana Dispensaries; they are super strong. It's a pretty intense body high that can often times become way too intense, leading to dizziness, utter absent mindedness, or even freak outs. A buddy of mine had a near freak out experience after eating edibles for his flight to Hawaii. And trust me, this buddy is a major league chronnoisseur. A non-chronnoisseur suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, after consuming an edible, once told me:

"...basically, I didn't really feel anything anywhere else...the colon goes in, more or less, a circle around the navel. I felt like a round pulled muscle floating in space, rest of me--uber relaxed."

He was not on a plane.

The most crucial thing to be aware of when consuming an edible is the dosage; most people don't need, nor can they handle, more than a dose (or two, if you're a huge stoner) at a time. But 'COME ON MAN!' When your 35,000 feet in the air your blood becomes super thin and oxygen levels are decreased, thereby making you way more susceptible to the affects of drugs and alcohol. To ensure you don't get too high on your next flight, go easy on The Chronic!

Colorado About to Get Miles Higher

Or are they? Though the Colorado Senate recently passed a bill in favor of Medical Marijuana; the bill comes with some pretty serious restrictions. Unlike some states, where you can get your club card by sneezing near a doctor; Colorado's new bill establishes strict guidelines on the usage of Medical Marijuana and the attainment of any such privilege. The new bill prevents doctor's from recommending patients from inside dispensaries. It also requires a full medical review of the history of the patient seeking medical marijuana. As for the 18-21 year olds in Colorado, you have to get two doctor recommendations before getting any ganja. Seems like a lot of hoops to have to jump through just to get some weed, I can think of at least ten easier ways to get The Chronic!

B-Legit

B-Legit is a rapper from the Bay Area. But the B-Legit we're more interested in is the giant blunt commonly used during extremely large 'blunt sessions.' In general, a blunt session consist of 3-5 people who take turns puffing on a hollowed out cigar that is filled with Marijuana. The B-Legit differs from the more standard blunt in that it's two cigar papers rolled together; basically consisting of two blunts combined into one really big blunt. So next time you're partaking in a large smoke session, give the B-Legit a shot. Just hollow out two swisher cigarillos, combine the two, and fill it to the brim with The Chronic!

Mary(Juana)Land

Maryland is likely to be the 15th state to legalize Medical Marijuana, as Senators on the Left and Right indicated in a News Conference this past Thursday (Jan. 26th). A major focus of officials, however, will be to enact a standard for taxation and regulation for jurisdictions throughout the state; all in efforts to ensure uniformity and prevent the potential problems that have taken (and are taking) place in Los Angles and parts of Colorado.
Maryland intends to establish strict doctor-patient standards in the prescribing of Medical Marijuana, as well as enforcing a difficult licensing process for the development of dispensaries. Essentially, the standards of Medical Marijuana in Maryland wont' be as 'willy nilly' as they have been in areas like LA. Most importantly, the citizens of Maryland in need of relief will now be able to legally use The Chronic!