Cannabis - what it actually does to your brain

   Scientists have known for a while that the active ingredient in cannabis was a chemical called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC for short. Ingesting or smoking THC has a wide range of effects, from the psychoactive "getting high" to the physiological relief of pain and swelling. It also acts as both a stimulant and depressant. How could one substance do all that?

Canadian Elections

Today is a big day for Canada. The federal elections are slated to end today and the results will be published at around 10 Pm EDT. The Canadian federal elections of 2011 were caused by an unprecedented motion to dissolve parliament (after the House of Commons passed a motion of non-confidence against the government) which has not happened anywhere in all of the Commonwealth of Nations (i.e. Australia, Canada, Ghana, India, Jamaica and New Zealand).

Here is the data from the latest Election Opinion Polls:
Latest National Poll

CON	36%
NDP	33%
LIB	19%
GRN	6%
BQ	5%

Poll: Forum - May 1, 2011

via: SFU Political Science Department

*Update:
So it seems that the Conservative party has won the most seats in the Parliament and so they gained majority in the government.

Party	Elected	Leading	Total
	167	0	167
	102	0	102
	34	0	34
	4	0	4
	1	0	1

Needed for Majority: 155

via: CP24 News

Dentists ordered not to have sex with their spouse patients

   Today I came across a very strange law whereby in Ontario, Canada, dentists and other health professionals (chiropractors, physiotherapists et al.) cannot have sex with their spouses if they treat them as patients. This means that the health practitioner can be found guilty of sexual abuse and have their license revoked for a period of time as a disciplinary measure. One of the accused dentists had this to say about this contentious rule: "If I treat my wife, it means I am sexually abusing her. It means I would be an outlaw."
   According to Ontario's Regulated Health Professions Act, health professionals can not have sex with their patients. There have been numerous cases whereby said practitioners were found guilty of professional misconduct for sexual abuse and lost their licenses.
   In my opinion this is just a law loophole that does not account for the spouse-patient relationship (to have sex with your spouse/patient) and so is automatically treated as a criminal act.

via: MetroNews

Changes to Ontario Marijuana Laws

In a decision that could have a wide impact on marijuana laws, Ontario Superior Court Justice Donald J. Taliano has overturned Canada’s laws prohibiting the possession and production of marijuana, but the federal government has 90 days to respond before the ruling becomes binding.

Mernagh was charged by Niagara Regional Police in 2008 when police seized 70 marijuana plants in his apartment in St. Catharines.
The court heard that since other drug prescriptions weren’t working, Mr. Mernagh grew his own marijuana for medicinal purposes. The only way Mr. Mernagh could legally grow marijuana was if he had a signed doctor’s declaration, something he was unable to do. He was technically growing and cultivating marijuana illegally under the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations (MMAR) and that is what landed him in court.
Mernagh‘s legal defence called MMAR “unconstitutional,” saying the “prosecution violates his rights of liberty and security of the person under section 7 of the Charter of Rights.”
Judge Taliano disagreed with Crown’s assertion and ruled the following:

“The deleterious effects of the MMAR on Mr. Mernagh and other similarly situated individuals are clear. Seriously ill persons who need marihuana to treat their symptoms are forced to choose between their health and their liberty. If they choose their health, they must go to significant lengths to obtain the marihuana they need, including lengthy trips to purchase the drug, resort to the black market, and living with the constant stress that at any time they could be subject to criminal prosecution. These already sick individuals must further cope with the added stress of the stigma and social rejection of friends, family and members of the public who see them as criminals. This is not to mention the real fear of losing one's doctor simply by inquiring about the drug and damage to the patient-doctor relationship."

Although the judge over turned the marijuana laws, the federal government has 90 days to respond before the ruling becomes binding and marijuana production and possession becomes legal in Ontario. In the meantime, Mr. Mernagh has a personal exemption to possess and grow marijuana.

via: GlobalNews

Delaware Department of Transportation stealing basketball hoops

When I first saw this video I got very angry. I understand that maybe that pole was in some kind of bylaw violation and had to be taken down, but that out of uniform, sweater-wearing police officer outright lied and abused her power to "enforce" the law. 

- Hide yo hoops, hide yo nets and hide yo balls, cuz they be coming and snachin' yo poles up.

WiFi hacking is Legal in The Netherlands

   According to a recent Dutch court ruling, breaking into and encrypted WiFi network is not considered to be a criminal offence. The court's decision also mentioned that piggybacking onto wireless networks at bars or hotels can not be prosecuted. In many countries around the world such actions are considered as criminal acts and are taken very seriously.

   "The ruling is linked to a case of a student who threatened to shoot down everyone at the Maerlant College in The Hague, a high school. He posted a threat on the internet message board using a WiFi connection that he broke into. The student was convicted for posting the message and sentenced to 20 hours of community service, but he was acquitted of the WiFi hacking charges."

  The court's decision is based on the mandated definition of  what is a computer. A computer is defined as a machine that deals with: the storage, processing and transmission of data. According to this same definition, a router (a piece of equipment that is responsible for encrypting and connecting computers to the internet) is not considered to be a computer and thus can be freely hacked or exploited. 

via: PCWorld

The American Dream By The Provocateur Network

Here is something interesting to start this blog.

via: YouTube