The Cannabis Solution

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THE CANNABIS SOLUTION Dispelling the Medicinal, Metaphysical, Psychological, Historical & Political Myths By Roxanne Carol © 2009 Being a ‗Naturalist‘ I want to illustrate here why the solution to many hard to treat illnesses and diseases can find relief with Cannabis, as well as elucidate to my readers as to why the old myths and propaganda is fading away now. Did you know that there are over 122 different dis-eases and conditions that can safely be treated and even cured with Cannabis? If you are someone who values Truth over Lies, then I invite you to read on, and learn the facts from the fiction regarding the 5,000 year old herbal medicinal plant known as Cannabis. It is time to cease incarcerating Americans for making medicinal choices for themselves, by opting out of the bloated and expensive pharmaceutical industry. It is time for education to eliminate the decades of ignorance, and liberate the many good and sincere humans, who are just being that – humans and not lab rats. [See Year of the Cosmic Rats 2008] I‘m also happy to report that my predictions made in my Neptune & Cannabis Reform article from 2007 are now coming true! There are now 14 states with Medical Cannabis Programs where Cannabis is decriminalized. Legalization to grow and use Cannabis for both industrial and medicinal purposes will transform the U.S. Economy, create thousands of new jobs, something America desperately needs now, as well as liberate human beings from being demonized and branded into criminals for self medicating with the world‘s safest medicine. Now for some serious myth busting: First of all, Marijuana (Cannabis) is not a drug. Cannabis is an herbal medicinal plant and flower. God planted it on planet earth, so who is any Earth government to say that God is wrong?

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Why have Cannabis users been called ‗stoners‘? There is a machine gun called a "Stoner" – and it was ‗stoners‘ who stoned people to death with stones in the past. So God only knows where these terms came from and stuck. They are demeaning and derogatory and they represent ignorance. Call us what you will, actually the term ‗Naturalist‘ is probably most accurate. As a matter of fact, some of the world‘s most ancient stone buildings were built from brick stones made from Hemp. Today, French Architecture made by Chènovotte Habitat, created a Hemp product called Isochanvré "Canabiote" and "Canomose" and has built over 250 homes in France made out of Hemp Stones. More appropriately, Chènovotte Habitat would be called a Stoner. LOL! Yes, Roxanne is out of the Cannabis Closet! I became a Medical Cannabis patient in 2006 when my liver collapsed from using prescription and OTC pain killers for 12 years. I was injured back in 1992 when I hosted a radio show in Bradenton, Fl called, ―Your Astro-Logical Connection‖. I had some controversial guests on talking about Alien Abductions and I was set up in Tampa late one night and attacked by 3 men, 2 of whom were off duty police officers, because they did not like hearing about aliens, so they twisted my arms behind my back and tore both rotator cuffs and popped my arms out of their shoulder sockets. I was arrested for defending myself, and after being processed in the Hillsborough County Jail, they found a teeny tiny end of a marijuana joint (a roach the size of my pinky nail) in the lining of my purse and then charged me with possession. I spent 4 years in litigation which resulted in a Jury Trial, which I won and then moved to Colorado. In 2003 I was diagnosed with Scoliosis, which was caused by the injury in 1992. So by the time 2006 rolled around, my liver had had enough toxic chemicals, and told me so in no uncertain terms when I collapsed in front of my 5 year old just weeks before her 6th birthday! I was bound to the bed for months and could no longer take any kind of OTC medication or pharmaceuticals. It was a major clean sweep of my diet too, no more synthetic vitamins either. Yes, synthetic vitamins are all made by pharmaceutical companies. They are not the real thing when it comes to nutrients, and the liver deals with synthetic vitamins the same as it does all chemicals, it must detoxify it. If the same chemical is given daily over a long period of time, the liver gets congested, which was my case. For a woman, liver health is primo, because the liver regulates hormones, and my PMS was scary to say the least. The path towards healing for me was in using only ALL natural whole foods, herbs, taking only whole food supplements and using only essential oils on my body, and completely getting off of all chemicals that included topical perfumes, creams, deodorants, etc. That‘s what nursed me back to life and got me out of bed. I was then magically guided to the State of Colorado‘s Medical Cannabis Program, which literally saved my life! I was so toxic, and being forced into detoxing that I was nauseas all the time. I felt like I had cancer. Fortunately I didn‘t, but they

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did say I had liver congestion and thought it was hepatitis. The nausea made me stay in bed. My condition made me too weak and caused me too much pain to exercise, yet exercise was exactly what my body needed to manage the pain and circulate the blood to get rid of toxins. As soon as I started using cannabis, it helped me manage the nausea and gave me the urge to eat only whole foods, and the real bonus for me, was I not only got the urge to exercise, I was able to exercise without pain, which made the exercise session go easier, smoother and quicker. Cannabis helped me to get into my body, to tune in to what it needed and it gave me the courage I needed to face the pain. Pharmaceutical pain killers only suppress the pain, the cause remains. Each time I inhaled, I felt like stretching, doing yoga and moving my body. Contrary to popular belief, Cannabis energized me. I learned that it‘s all in the plant, some plants can put you to sleep and cause that couch potato feeling, which are strong indicas, whereas other plants that were mainly sativas had the effect of allowing me to function and not be kept on the couch. I was stoked! I began practicing yoga regularly, and walking the treadmill for 30 min at a time. The exercise helped me tremendously as it gave me energy, which I attribute all to my natural medicine. Exercise is a body-mind-spirit activity. It‘s not just about moving energy in the physical, but synchronistically moving energy in the mental and spiritual realms as dispersing energy through exercise. The opportunity I had for healing my ‗causal’ issues was tremendous therapy, because it gave me the reason and new found ability to face my emotional pain while not being hurt doing so. The temporary high that comes with Cannabis allows you to see beyond the 5 senses and for me, my mind and spirit was immediately energized while I exercised and meditated on releasing decades of suppressed pain. It was the perfect medicine for me and continues to be. So there are many ‗thought forms‘ out there, particularly in the sandboxes that I have played in for most of my life, working in the corporate world for 25 yrs as a legal assistant while moonlighting as an Astrologer and mingling through Metaphysical and New Age Circles, all hold thought forms which are inaccurate and distorted, which I will prove to you in the pages of this article. I am posting my testimony for the very first time, an interview I was asked to do with a dear friend Mark Pederson who visited me during his Journey for Justice tour cross America back in 2006. Because I was a relatively new patient at the time, with a young family to raise I asked Mark not to show my face, he graciously agreed. I am sharing our interview with you now: part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opuFEytNkxI part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64lGbiQyIaM Medical Cannabis Testimonies: Roxanne of CO Pt 10f2

What is going on here in America and all around the world is a battle over the freedom to treat our bodies with the food

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and medicine we choose. This is the basis of all fundamental freedoms which is control over your own body. With respect to the food you choose, the medicine you choose and the decisions and choices that work best for you. To allow any government on earth to tell you otherwise is tyranny and slavery. For the American government to prohibit the availability of Cannabis which grows easily and abundantly both indoors and out, is a huge conspiracy against humanity. For that same government to push harsh toxic pharmaceutical chemicals on its people, which have many deleterious side effects, including death, shows that government does not care or respect our fundamental freedoms. This battle over our health care runs deep, and it is really about ownership of Americans. Who controls who with what substance? FACT: Cigarettes kills 400,000+ Americans per year, Alcohol kills 100,000+ Americans per year, the only thing Cannabis kills is Cancer.

CANNABIS : THE PLANT OF PATRIOTS The reality is that up until the 20th century, cannabis absolutely dominated the marketplaces of the world. In 1619, the very first law in America concerning cannabis required that all settlers in the Jamestown colony grow it. The part tobacco played in the American colonies' prosperity is often hyped, while the contribution from cannabis is severely downplayed. Once upon a time in 1776 Thomas Jefferson signed his name on a piece of cannabis, and this document became our symbol of freedom and of liberty, known as the Constitution of the United States of America. Then time marched on, and this plant known as Cannabis, Hemp, and most recently history called, Cannabis has been used for everything from medicine to the American flag. The original Constitution, Declaration of Independence, and the first American flag were all made of hemp. George Washington, our first president and perhaps the greatest Founding Father, grew cannabis for industrial, medicinal, and recreational purposes. The fabric of America is made of cannabis! Literally! New York State, being extremely fertile, grew fields of Hemp & Cannabis. Why do you think Long Island has towns called, ―Hempstead‖?

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FARMING - OR BIG PHARMA? Farming has always been America‘s first frontier. When we look back at our country‘s first farmers, we are brought back to the Pilgrims, who learned from the Native Americans how to grow corn, pumpkin and other crops like Hemp and Cannabis. They became the staple foods which subsequently helped to create a nation. Along with food crops, came plantations of hemp, which is without a doubt, next to the Soy bean, the world‘s most versatile crop. From Hemp, rope is created, the sails for boats, clothing, soaps and bags, which are derived from the ‗male‘ side of the plant. From Cannabis, the ‗female‘ side of the plant, medicine is created to relieve pain, regulate hormones, cure nausea, and promote the body to thrive while assisting in

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the healing and alleviating of symptoms of many diseases, such as Cancer, AIDS, MS, depression, anxiety, post traumatic stress, cachexia, digestive problems, insomnia, dementia and Alzheimer‘s without the harmful side effects of pharmaceuticals. One should wonder, how could America, after decades of scientific clinical research and studies done by our government as well as private universities and clinics, ignore the huge benefits from this medicinal plant?

The greater the ignorance the greater the dogmatism.~ Sir William Osler MYTH: Cannabis is a Weed – WRONG! FACT: Weeds are noxious: Wikipedia says, ―A weed in a general sense is a plant that is considered by the user of the term to be a nuisance, and normally applied to unwanted plants in human-made settings such as gardens, lawns or agricultural areas, but also in parks, woods and other natural areas. More specifically, the term is often used to describe native or nonnative plants that grow and reproduce aggressively.[1] Generally, a weed is a plant in an undesired place.‖ There is nothing noxious or undesirable about Cannabis. It is an herbal medicinal plant. Hemp is an herbal plant used for building, clothing, canvas (the word canvas comes from Cannabis), soap, oils, fuels, etc. Neither Cannabis nor Hemp is a weed and while this word has affectionately become used to describe Cannabis, it is an inaccurate and distorted description that was attached to by the propagandist of prohibition as a derogatory term. Both Cannabis & Hemp are Plants of the Gods.

INDUSTRIAL HEMP GROWING WILL SAVE THE PLANET LEGALIZING INDUSTRIAL HEMP – REASONS WHY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GZjwTnKSAg Did you know during WWI & WWII farmers were ordered to grow hemp to keep up with the war? Hemp was used to make canvas, ropes and other necessary materials for the military. Hemp & Cannabis were sources of wealth for countries and used in trading. The history is rich with Hemp & Cannabis growth at the root of many international disputes, trades and diplomacy. Here in America, it is perfectly legal to sell Hemp products in the USA, but not legal to make them in the USA. This is part of the problem with the US Economy, is there aren‘t too many things ‗Made in the USA‘ anymore. Everything is imported from China and Asia. Americans stand for freedom. This is why claiming and demanding our freedoms to grow Hemp again is at the root of all American rights and Freedoms. American Farmers should have the freedom to grow hemp and profit from the vast industry it provides. Hemp Ethanol is

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the cleanest of all Ethanols, superior to Corn, and even Sugar Beets! Why on Earth is the American Government led by President Obama, who took over during one of the worst economic crisis in decades, not turning to the tried and true path out of debt, which is to grow Hemp again? Our country was made from Hemp, and America‘s roots are in the Hemp Industry, if only the people who we choose as our government servants used some common sense! President Obama just committed 30,000 more troops to the war efforts in Afghanistan, which will cost our nation 30 billion dollars, where is he going to get this money from? Hemp provides clothing. There is a huge growing industry for natural hemp clothing. In fact, part of the battle over Hemp was rooted in ‗jealousy‘ from the Cotton growers. Cotton makes beautiful clothing, and they were threatened by the Hemp cloth, so they teamed up with the budding Pharmacautical Industry back in the early 1900s and worked to put the Hemp Growers out of business. There is plenty of room in this world for both Hemp and Cotton clothing, and a growing demand for it. Economy 101 – supply and demand. Hemp is the world's strongest natural fiber. It has been used to make cloth and rope for over 10,000 years. Hemp was the first crop ever cultivated for textile production. Hemp cloth is stronger, longer lasting, more resistant to mildew, and cheaper to produce than cloth made of cotton. Hemp ropes are known for their strength and durability. The original Levi Strauss jeans were made from a hempen canvas. Even Old Glory was made from hemp fiber. A 44 gun frigate like ―Old Ironsides‖ took over 60 tons of hemp for rigging, including an anchor cable 25 inches in circumference. Hemp can be used to make virtually anything that is currently made of cotton, timber, or petroleum. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp. Ben Franklin owned a mill that made hemp paper. Thomas Jefferson drafted the Declaration of Independence on hemp paper. Until 1883, more than 75% of the world's paper was made with hemp fiber. Nutritional info: Shelled hempseed is a great source of the essential fatty acids Omega-3 Linolenic Acid and Omega-6 Linoleic Acid, as well as the hard-to-get Gamma-Linoleic Acid. While most foods have little if any, Hemp is over 36% Essential Fatty Acids, and in nature's perfect balance of 1to-3 omega-3:omega-6 (according to Dr. Udo Erasmus). It contains 31% complete and highlydigestible protein, 1/3 as edestin protein and 2/3 as albumin protein. This protein profile is second only to raw uncooked soybeans (35% vs. 31%), and the amino acid profile is superior to soybean, human milk, and cow's milk, and similar to egg whites. Excellent protein efficiency makes Hemp ideal for medical foods and other special diets. We have yet to hear of an allergic reaction to shelled hempseed, and it contains no gluten. Hempseed contains no gluten and therefore would not trigger symptoms of celiac disease.

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These men are making a very important ‗gutsy‘ point for all American Farmers:

FARMERS ARRESTED FOR PLANTING HEMP AT DEA HEADQUARTERS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGkDovjAl6Y

It makes absolutely no economic sense for the US Government to continue its failed prohibition against Hemp and Cannabis! HEMP PLANT OF THE GODS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwO6tWy3o0k&feature=related Growing Hemp will Heal the Earth. The world demands Hemp products. This is a business with major $$$$ potential. Why should Americans allow any government on Earth to prevent this necessary growth, which is a win-win situation for all? Hemp will save the US economy. The Gods gave Hemp to humans to cultivate. Hemp is Planet Earth‘s most versatile plant. Hemp is for products and Cannabis is for Medicine. Could the Gods have given us a plant with any more Divine Intelligence than that? THE MARKET FOR HEMP PRODUCTS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kZTLHEPrMc&feature=related

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After Katrina destroyed New Orleans, a recovery program has been underway to restore and rebuild homes in New Orleans. Why on Earth aren‘t they using Hemp Stones? Brick Stones made from Hemp has proven to be the world‘s longest lasting buildings. Just look at the ancient temples of the East. For thousands of years, they are still here, they were built with Hemp Stones. Hemp Stones will be the future Architecture as it was for the ancients. Human beings need to wake up and take their power back from tyrannical governments. HEMP BUILDING MATERIALS http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AzbtWzwK8A If you‘re reading this, take some action. Demand your representatives and senators put legalizing Hemp on their agenda for 2010.

Difference between Industrial Hemp and Cannabis The difference is in its use. Hemp and Marijuana both come from the same plant Cannabis Sativa L. The term 'Hemp' commonly refers to the industrial/commercial use of the cannabis stalk and seed for textiles, foods, papers, body care products, detergents, plastics and building materials. The term 'marijuana' refers to the medicinal, recreational or spiritual use involving the smoking of cannabis flowers and buds. Industrial hemp contains only about 0.3% 1.5% THC (Tetrahydrocannabinoids, the intoxicating ingredients that make you high) while marijuana contains about 5% - 10% or more THC. Hemp fibre is the longest, strongest and most durable of all natural fibres. Hemp cultivation requires no chemicals, pesticides or herbicides. Grown in rotation with other crops such as corn and legumes, hemp farming is completely sustainable. Hemp produces four times as much fibre per acre as pine trees. Hemp tree-free paper can be recycled up to seven times, compared with three times for pine-pulp based papers. Hemp is easy to grow, and actually conditions soil where it grows. The seed and seed-oil are high in protein, essential fatty and amino acids, and vitamins. Hemp would be an ideal source of biomass for fuel, and hemp Ethanol burns very cleanly.

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Hemp and humanity have been linked for over 10,000 years. Hemp was our first agricultural crop, and remained the planet's largest crop and most important industry until late last century. Most of the non-Western world never stopped growing hemp, and today hemp for commercial use is grown mostly by China, Hungary, England, Canada, Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Ukraine, India and throughout Asia. Here in America, it is legal to sell Hemp products, but not grow Hemp and manufacture our own Hemp products. Hemp needs to be imported in the US in order to create products. Don‘t you think it makes more sense and would be more economical to grow our own Hemp and make our own Hemp products, Made in the USA? How many ‗things‘ that you purchase here say, Made in the USA anymore? Industrial hemp has a long history of use in the United States. However, since the 1950s it has been lumped into the same category of marijuana, and thus the extremely versatile crop was damned in the United States. Industrial hemp is technically from the same species of plant that marijuana comes from. However, it is from a different variety, or subspecies that contains many important differences. In plant language, Hemp is the male counterpart, whereas Cannabis Sativa is the female side of the plant, bearing flowers, which is where the medicine comes from. Industrial hemp also grows differently than THC-containing cannabis. Hemp is typically grown up, not out, because the focus is not on producing buds but on producing length of stalk. In this way, hemp is a very similar crop to bamboo. The stalk contains the fiber and hard, woody core material that can be used for a variety of purposes, even carpentry. Generally, THC-producing marijuana plants are grown to an average of five feet in height. Industrial hemp on the other hand is grown to a height of ten to fifteen feet before harvest. Also, it is fairly difficult to grow concealed marijuana within industrial hemp crops as the DEA alleges. Since industrial hemp is grown so close together and is generally a very narrow, vertical growth crop, any THCproducing marijuana would stick out like a sore thumb. Its wide growth would require a large amount of space to itself in order to get adequate sunlight from beyond the tops of the competing industrial hemp plants.

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Hemp was indispensible in 1546 The two also differ in the areas that they can be effectively grown. THC-producing Marijuana must be grown in generally warm and humid environments in order to produce the desired quantity and quality of THC-containing buds. However, since industrial hemp does not contain these buds, and the hardy parts of the plant are the more desired, it can be grown in a wider range of areas. Generally, industrial hemp grows best on fields that provide high yields for corn crops, which includes most of the Southwest, Southeast, and Northeast United States. Furthermore, since industrial hemp can use male plants as well as female plants (since the object is not THC production), higher crop yields can result.

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Hemp also has little potential to produce high-content THC when pollinated. As long as industrial hemp plants are pollinated by members of their own crop, then the genetics will remain similar with low levels of THC. Since there are so many differences between industrial hemp and high-THC marijuana, it seems to make sense that it would be a fostered, rather than a demonized crop. Although technically hemp is not illegal to grow, it requires obtaining a special permit from the DEA. These permits are rarely given out and require that the crop be surrounded by security measures such as fences, razor wire, security guards, or dogs. For a crop that has little-to-no potential to get people high, the current attitude is both irresponsible and draconian.

Industrial hemp could transform the economy of the United States in a positive and beneficial way, just as it has caused nations to prosper in the past, so it should be the answer to many of American‘s economic woes during our present recession and over 10% unemployment rate. Just think of all the jobs it can produce? As well as the industry it inevitably creates. Therefore, Industrial Hemp should be exploited to its full potential. Imagine paying taxes with Hemp again? VOTE HEMP http://www.votehemp.com/

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Let‘s not forget, both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were both affluent Cannabis plantation growers. In the old days, bales of Hemp and Cannabis were used as payment for food, services and yes, to pay taxes! This is where the original biblical tithe came from, to give back 10% of one‘s harvest back into the community, now we call it taxes. Why can‘t we be more like our founding fathers? I would imagine them scratching their heads from the afterlife wondering why their present US government has evolved to be so ignorant, stubborn and well, just plain stupid? The difference between genius and stupidity is that genius has its limits. ~ Albert Einstein It has been established in 2006 that Cannabis is now America‘s biggest cash crop. Why on earth aren‘t we using it to get us out of debt, rebuild our national health care system, instead of support wars on the other side of the planet that are rooted in the need and greed for oil, which is of limited supply? Cannabis is abundant, and can be grown anywhere, why aren‘t we using it like they did in the past? The pharmaceutical industry has a stronghold on this country and if Americans don‘t actively do something about that, this country will end up like the Village of the Damned. Surely, Americans can rise to the challenge and be progressive enough to establish alternative resources to fossil fuel? If they can make ethanol from corn, imagine what they can do from hemp? Hemp ethanol is far more cleaner than corn ethanol.

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THE CANNABIS PLANT: GOD’S GREATEST GIFT TO MAN In my 2008 Article I wrote about the Uranus-Saturn opposition from 2008-2009 which created our Economic Crisis and the Health Care Reform Crisis our country finds itself in now. I said to watch these strongholds yield in form or another. It‘s already happening, with waves of study after study showing that chemicals used in processed foods are the cause of many childhood illnesses, behavioral problems, allergies, a lowered human immune system and consequently cancer. Why on earth would anyone in this day and age of mutating viruses and bacterias coming in from outer space, want to put known chemicals into their bodies that compromises their immune systems? That would be like suicide, or self destructiveness to say the least.

So, what‘s the deal? Why can‘t we see the light here? The answer is ‗addiction.‘ Most people can‘t hear or understand this because they are blinded by their addictions and programming thanks to marketing propaganda. Most people can‘t imagine living without fast food, and the myriad of processed foods that are so available and in our face. But they can, we can, and thankfully many are doing so, healthfully and economically.

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Dr. Rush warned us of Medical Tyranny - The origin of our modern drugwar, the cornerstone of US empire fascism, began with the Harrison Act of 1914

America’s Leading Cash Crop The history shows the American government has been fickle to say the least on its attitude towards cannabis legislation. But the facts are in, Washington, D.C. December 18-2006 — Cannabis is now the most valuable cash crop in the U.S., exceeding the value of corn, wheat and soy beans combined, according to a new study just released. "The fact that cannabis is America's number one cash crop after more than three decades of governmental eradication efforts is the clearest illustration that our present cannabis laws are a complete failure," said Rob Kampia, executive director of the Cannabis Policy Project in Washington, D.C. "America's cannabis crop is worth more than our nation's annual production of corn and wheat combined. And our nation's laws guarantee that 100 percent of the proceeds from cannabis sales go to unregulated criminals rather than to legitimate businesses that pay taxes to support schools, police and roads."

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The Report was prepared by researcher Jon B. Gettman, who has a doctorate in public policy and specializes in economic development. The Cannabis Policy Project started 16 years ago.

Watch new legislation, new taxation laws put upon Cannabis growth that will be attached to Cannabis Reform in 2010 and 2012. Having Medical Cannabis available by prescription throughout all 50 states comes first, then after those laws are in place, will we see the decriminalization of recreational pot. See State by State Medical Cannabis Laws for a full report. This means that laws are already in place to protect patients who possess and grow their own medical cannabis plants (with doctor‘s prescriptions, certificates and permits) from criminal penalties and the threat of arrest. Organizations like SAFER (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation), whose mission is to educate the public about the simple facts that cannabis is less harmful than alcohol are cutting edge to the end of prohibition, they were responsible for putting cannabis on the ballot in 2005 for the City of Denver, which passed as well as the creation of Amendment 44 for the state of Colorado in 2006, which will be reinstated in 2010 where it will most likely pass. One of SAFER's primary objectives is to work with campus leaders around the country to change university policies related to cannabis possession. They have already passed referendum calling for reduced cannabis penalties on five major university campuses. Once the public education reaches a level of ‗critical mass‘, cannabis prohibition will crumble.

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So when the issue of decriminalization of cannabis comes up on the ballot in your state, think about voting compassionately. First and foremost, get educated, most fears are born of ignorance, just because cannabis may not be the best medicine for you, it may save another‘s life. Besides the medicinal benefits, think about its legal ramifications. For parents with high school and college students, think of the scenario that most parents these days can relate to, and that is your son or daughter being exposed to cannabis at a party unbeknownst to you, would you want their innocent experimentation to turn into a criminal record which could ruin their futures? Or would you rather be the disciplinarian of your own kids, instead of having them incarcerated by the government. If so, then you must protect your children in this way by making sure this medicinal herb is decriminalized so the harm it has been doing by putting thousands of innocent intelligent people into jail is stopped. What good has come of that? After all, why shouldn‘t the US economy be stimulated and supported by America‘s biggest cash crop? Why should all the money be given to Mexico or South America, when in spite of prohibition, we have no trouble growing our own medicine? Perhaps all the money it generates can offset the huge deficit America faces from being drained from the incessant wars we find ourselves in, including the unreasonable war on drugs. Making it homegrown, made in the USA, can create a new kind of patriotism. Let‘s not forget, Cannabis was one of the first American cash crops, grown by our forefathers, George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, who all both cannabis plantation owners.

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OUR PILL POPPING NATION The War on Drugs – is a war on humans, it is essentially a war between Big Pharma and the Naturalists. More people are addicted to pharmaceuticals in unprecedented numbers. Pisces rules addictions. I‘ve mentioned this in the past many times when referring to the 7 years of Uranus in Pisces – now is the opportunity to break free from addictions and to bust those systems! More people are addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol than before. Both are toxic to the human body. The big system busting here would be ignorance! In this era of the Healthcare Crisis, what we essentially have overlooked is our ‗Health Crisis‘. The conditions and diseases plaguing this nation have its roots in the overuse and toxicity of pharmaceuticals, processed foods and alcohol abuse. Diabetes and Heart Diseases being the top of America‘s biggest killers is caused by a steady toxic diet which can all be prevented. Cancer, America‘s 2nd biggest killer can also be prevented. So while thousands race for the Cure, how about we shift our attitudes towards Prevention and eradicating the Cause?

CANNABIS CURES CANCER Essential Oil of Cannabis – The Miracle Oil The "essential oil" of the cannabis plant is the most powerful essential oil known to mankind. Only recently (2003) did Rick Simpson come up with the idea for essential oil of Cannabis. As far as I know, it is the strongest concentrate of cannabis on the planet. Despite being illegal to produce any research whatsoever on this miracle cure, preliminary studies have shown that cannabis attacks and eliminates any mutated cells while regenerating and rejuvenating the healthy ones! Cannabis Oil Eradicates terminal cancer! RUN FROM THE CURE: The Rick Simpson Story

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Why people are not shouting this from the rooftops, and the Cancer Industry is not implementing use with Cancer patients, particularly the terminal ones, is beyond me! Maybe they are afraid that Cannabis Oil can potentially put the Cancer Industry out of business, which is highly doubtful, and it is a business let's not forget that, which is why this oil isn't being given the clinical peer reviewed studies it deserves. After a serious head injury in 1997, Rick Simpson sought relief from his medical condition through the use of medicinal hemp oil (from the cannabis flowers and buds). When Rick discovered that the hemp oil (with its high concentration of T.H.C.) cured cancers and other illnesses, he tried to share it with as many people as he could free of charge. When the story went public, the long arm of the law snatched the medicine - leaving potentially thousands of people without their cancer treatments - and leaving Rick with unconstitutional charges of possessing and trafficking cannabis" See "The Rick Simpson Story‖ JUST SAY NO TO DRUGS Remember the Regan era? Nancy & Ronnie coined the phrase, ‗just say no to drugs‘? Yet, the drug industry along with the obvious hypocrisy has grown out of proportion since then. I think people need to understand the difference between ‗drugs‘ and ‗medicine‘. The word ‗medicine‘ comes from a Latin word, ‗Madeira‘ which means to meditate. Our ancestors actually meditated on plants to derive which ones were ‗medicinal‘ for the human body. Drugs are synthetics, made from chemicals produced in a laboratory. More people die of complications relating to pharmaceutical drugs than the illness or disease that caused them to take the drugs in the first place. The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) wrote that prescription drugs are killing 140,000 Americans a year. The front page of the health section of the March 19th, 2000 Washington Post, read: "Mounting evidence suggests that increasing numbers of Americans are falling seriously ill or even dying after taking dietary supplements [...] What many do not realize, is that synthetic vitamins, multi-vitamins and dietary supplements are all produced by Big Pharma. They are all synthetic chemicals. Shocking statistical evidence is cited by Gary Null PhD, Caroly Dean MD ND, Martin Feldman MD, Debora Rasio MD and Dorothy Smith PhD in their recent paper Death by Medicine October 2003, released by the Nutrition Institute of America. "A definitive review and close reading of medical peer-review journals, and government health statistics shows that American medicine frequently causes more harm than good. The number of people having in-hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to prescribed medicine is 2.2 million. Dr. Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now refers to tens of millions of unnecessary antibiotics. The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed annually is 7.5 million. The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is

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8.9 million. The total number of iatrogenic deaths shown in the following table is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. The 2001 heart disease annual death rate is 699,697; the annual cancer death rate, 553,251. With such an appalling record of efficacy and such an unbelievable death rate for the treatments routinely administered, the current medical system is in great need of deep reform. Particularly with how many unnecessary prescription drugs are handed out almost willy nilly.

FACT: CANNABIS IS THE WORLDS’ SAFEST MEDICINE. Scientific studies prove that cannabis is one of the world‘s safest medicines. Cannabis is safer than aspirin. Cannabis is safer than Acetaminophen. Cannabis is safer than Ibuprophen. Why? Because all pharmaceuticals must pass through the liver. Cannabis is a green plant, it is liver friendly.  The Liver loves all things green. The greener your diet, the richer your blood. Just look at the largest and strongest animals on this planet. They are all herbivores. Horses, Elephants, Iguanas, etc. Well, when you think about what a multi-dimensional organ the Liver is, we‘d be dead without it, and many are certainly on their way. The liver has over 1000 different functions. The liver‘s job is not only to detoxify all foods, drugs, poisons that make their way into the body, through ingestion and through the skin, but the liver regulates hormones, the mighty messengers of the body. Both men and woman have hormones. While women go through more hormonal changes than men, men are certainly not free from male menopause, which are changes in the hormones in their body brought on by the aging process. When humans start to enter into their forties and fifties, the body will often kick up some dust if the lifestyle they are living is no longer supporting what the body is designed to do, and that is to have everything it needs to heal itself. Many will face health crises, heart attacks, cancer, liver congestion, gall bladder stones, kidney dysfunction and the general malaise and aches and pains that accompany aging. Did you know that the Almighty Liver produces the enzymes and hormones that are needed to fall asleep at night? Insomnia is probably America‘s biggest malady lately. So what are more and more people doing? Filling prescriptions for sleeping pills and anti-depressants, which all come with side effects.

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Some people who are very sensitive to drugs feel those side effects immediately and therefore stop taking the medication because the side effects are worse than the problem they were taking the drugs for in the first place. But others who are not so aware of their body, will go on taking these meds, only to be faced with a much more serious condition down the road. This past year, 3 people that I know died of complications with prescription drugs, all used sleeping pills and anti-depressants, many of which cause suicidal thoughts and death. I am actually thankful for my sensitivities to wheat, dairy and chemicals. My allergies have saved me. I was once given Ambien for insomnia, it kept me awake for 28hrs! I could not believe how people use it daily? My liver totally rejected it, and wouldn‘t let me even experience any relief from insomnia. I was forced to take only a ‗Natural‘ path to medicine to relieve me of pain, anxiety and insomnia. My drug dealers [aka the Kaiser doctors] tried just about every anti-depressant on the market with me. Nothing worked. In fact, I remember taking just a ½ of their prescribed dose of Prozac once, and I couldn‘t wait for its disastrous effects to leave my body. I thought the side effects were worse than the reason I was taking it for in the first place. I wanted my depression back, at least I could deal with that. ;-) Prozac made me feel like I was in some institution being pumped up with psychotropics. It was awful. I will never ever take another one again. “Depression is only Anger without the Enthusiasm.” ~ Steven Wright The Medical Cannabis program offers prescriptions for Cannabis for severe and chronic pain, migraines, cachexia (that‘s where you can‘t hold any food down), cancer, aids, glaucoma, etc. Many patients turn to cannabis because their pharmaceutical meds make them sicker and in many cases no longer work for them, something that happens when your body builds up a resistance to it. In fact, smoking Cannabis daily, causes you to not feel the same ‗high‘ as you do when you begin. A lot of people refer back to when they tried pot in high school or college and remember how ‗stoned‘ they felt and how trippy it was for them. Yet using Cannabis daily does not give you that same effect. The body does build up a tolerance for it, which is remedied by alternating plants. YES, IT’S ALL IN THE PLANT! Some plants can put you to sleep, or on the couch for hours, which would be strong Indicas and Hash Plants, this is necessary for deep physical pain. While other plants, such as strong Sativas, or 90% Sativa blends, will allow you to function normally, exercise, use a computer, write, speak, do everything people do ‗on prozac‘! Also, when it comes to Medical

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Cannabis, you do not need to smoke it, for it to be effective. Many who cannot smoke or vaporize for whatever reason, benefit from tinctures, yes, real herbal tinctures, taken under the tongue, or added to teas and water. Also Cannabis Tea is very effective for pain, menstrual cramps, headaches and all things physical. While teas and tinctures do not give you the same high like smoking Cannabis does, their medicinal benefits makes Cannabis a superior medicine to use for pain, which is non toxic, liver friendly, unlike drugs like Oxycontin, Codeine, Vicodin, Percosat, etc. This is why Medical Cannabis is the answer for Health Reform in America. Increasing awareness of the therapeutic properties of cannabis, to relieve pain, to ease muscle tension and spasms, promote appetite, and induce overall relaxation, has now generated widespread interest in its use as a medicine. Without question, the best and safest medicinal application of cannabis is through ingestion. Many people have miracle cures when turning to medical cannabis, when nothing else has helped them. Cannabis is a Healing Herb and can address 122 conditions. [see below] With cannabis, there are no side effects, just relief. Home Grown and Organic is the way to go. Organic means no pesticides. Pesticides cause cancer. Cannabis cures many types of cancers. But if your cannabis is grown with pesticides, then it is not medicinal. Medical Cannabis can only be organic, which means it must be grown under conditions where there are no bugs, like hydroponic gardening and indoor gardens. Street pot comes with pesticides. In Mexico, cannabis is grown outside and many Mexicans urinate on the plants to kill the bugs. When you buy cannabis off the street, you simply can not be sure what you are getting. This is why states must offer medical cannabis programs to insure that patients are given only the purest and organic plants.

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MYTH:

FACT: CANNABIS PREVENTS ALZHEIMER’S & DEMENTIA Cannabis has been shown to delay the onset of memory loss and avert Alzheimer‘s. Why does Cannabis help the brain? Cannabis essentially is made up of 2 chemicals: THC and Cannanaboids. Every human being is born with literally hundreds of thousands of Cannanaboids. It‘s the chemical in the brain that makes a baby want to thrive, grow and be active. Parents know how active children can be. It takes 25 years for the Human Brain to complete is physical growth, and of course indefinitely for a how long the mind grows. At around age 25, the amount of Cannanaboids begins to diminish. By the time a person reaches 40, the amount of Cannanaboids left in the brain is little to none. This is why people in their 40s begin to lose their eyesight, their memory, coupled with a whole host of age-related conditions. The solution is to supplement the brain back with Cannanaboids. The only way to do this is through the use of Cannabis, i.e., cannabis. While big pharma has tried voraciously to mimic the chemicals in cannabis through their drug, ‗Marinol‘, it is only the THC, which the chemical in cannabis that makes you high, but they have failed to recreate synthetically the most important medicine of the herb, the ‗Cannanaboids‘. The THC‘s job in the cannabis plant is there to deliver the mighty medicinal Cannanaboids into the brain cells. The temporary side effect is the high which lasts approximately 90 minutes, hence the time it takes for the Cannanaboids to be delivered into the brain. Then the brain gets its message, that it‘s time to eat and thrive, in which case you know the medicine has been delivered. The temporary high wears off, with no long term side effects. Here‘s a secret to the irony: Many will report that during this temporary high, they will experience short term memory loss. But as soon the high wears off, it‘s as if they re-

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member things again, or remember what they forgot when they were high. That‘s the medicine repairing the brain. When people go through life without any cannanabanoid supplementation, the brain withers away, the memory becomes dim, dementia sets in and even Alzheimer‘s disease as in the case of Ronald Reagan. I remember when I was growing up in the early 1970s, there was a T-shirt that said, ―Be something special to others, be a bad example.‖ Well as funny as it was, it‘s true, and god knows we have lots of bad examples to teach us wisdom. Too bad Ronald Reagan was so blocked about it. It may have saved his life. "Cannabis is a neuro-protective. It decreases brain cell death induced by alcohol and other toxins as well as diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and stroke. As an antioxidant and neuroprotectant, it slows aging. Cannabis helps prevent and cure cancers. Lab studies have shown an anti-tumor effect on deadly gliomas of the brain and other forms of malignancies." ~Robert Lee Cannanabanoids reduce tumor growth. Now it‘s time for the truth to emerge. First of all, it is not only a huge misnomer that cannabis kills your brain cells, it is scientifically untrue. The cannabinoids found only in the Cannabis plant actually heals damaged brain cells, which is why studies recently have shown that Cannabis can prevent Alzheimer‘s disease, which is a disease of the brain. More than eighteen major studies published between 2001 and 2003 showed that cannabinoids

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have a significant effect fighting cancer cells, as they exhibit anti-tumor properties. The studies found that cannabinoids inhibit tumor growth. Cannabis has been shown in recent studies to inhibit the growth of thyroid, prostate and colorectal cancer cells. THC (an active component of cannabis) has been found to cause the death of glioma (tumor) cells. Research on pituitary cancers shows cannabinoids are key to regulating human pituitary hormone secretion. We now know cannabinoids arrest many kinds of cancer growths (brain, breast, leukemic, melanoma, phaeochromocytoma, et al.) through promotion of apoptosis (programmed cellular death and cell repair) that is lost in tumors, and by arresting angiogenesis (increased blood vessel production). Recent scientific advances in the study of cannabinoid receptors and endocannabinoids have produced exciting new leads in the search for anti-cancer treatments. We also know from countless studies in the past two decades, that the plant kingdom along with fruits and vegetables all have similar life saving and life enhancing qualities. All plants were put on this planet for a purpose. It has been the job of our human ancestors which is now passed down to us to learn how to use them and discover their gifts. To ignore the discoveries of our ancestors is regressive to our evolution as a species, especially when it has consistently shown benefits to the health and well being of human life.

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122 Medicinal Uses for Cannabis 1. 3. 5. 7. 9. 11. 13. 15. 17.

2. 4. 6. 8. 10. 12. 14. 16. 18.

Amotivational Syndrome Acute Porphyria Aggressive Ageraphobia Alcoholism Amutation Angin Anxiety Attacks Asthma Back Pain

20. 22. 24. 26. 28. 30. 32. 34. 36. 38. 40. 42. 44.

Borderline Personality Disorder Burn Injury Charcot Marie Toothe Disease Common Cold Constipation Cystic Fibrosis Depression Diabetic Gastoparesis Dysmenorrhea Familial Spastic Paraplegia Fertility Frontal Lobe Epilepsy Glaucoma

46. 48. 50.

Grand Mal Seisures Gynecomastia Hepatitis C

51. 53. 55. 57.

All Use Is Medicinal – Achalasia Destructive Behavior Aids Alzheimers Disease Anger Ankylosing Spondylitis Aseptic Necrosis Attentional Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Bipolar Disorder Post Brain Surgery Cancer Colitis Congestive Heart Failure Chohn’s Disease Degenerative Disc Disease Diabetes Drug Addiction Endometriosis Fear of Death Fibromyalgia Gastroesophogeal Reflux Disease Gout Griel Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy Herpes Horton’s Syndrome HypertensionHypomania Intractable

52. 54. 56. 58.

59. 61. 63. 65. 67. 69.

Join Pain Lewy Body Disease Lung Cancer Meningitis Migraine Muscle Spasm

60. 62. 64. 66. 68. 70.

High Blood Pressure Hyperemesis Gravidarum Insomnia Hiccoughs Irritable Bowel Syndrome Labor Lyme Disease Meniere’s syndrome Mennorrhagia Multiple Sclerosis Myasthenia Gravis

19. 21. 23. 25. 27. 29. 31. 33. 35. 37. 39. 41. 43. 45. 47. 49.

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71. 73. 75. 77. 79. 81. 83. 85. 87. 89. 91. 93. 95. 97. 99. 101. 103. 105. 107. 109. 111. 113. 115. 117. 119. 121.

Myofascial Pain Syndrome Nausea Neurofibromatosis Nystagmus Optic Nerve Atrophy Osteoarthritis Pain Paraplegia Phantom Polycystic Kidnew Disease Post Traumatic Convulsive Disorder Post Traumatic Spasms & Pain Pregnancy Primary Sclerosing Cholangiitis Quadriplegia Restless Leg Syndrome Ruptured Disc Pain Sexual Disability Spastic Paraplegia Stomach Discomfort Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Esophageal Spasms Tinnitus Tourettes’s Syndrome Trigeminal Neuralgia Violence Weight Control

72. 74. 76.

Narcolepsy Erythemal Nodosum Obsession Compulsive Disorder

78. 80. 82. 84. 86. 88. 90. 92.

Orthostatic Hypotension Pagets Disease Panic Disorder Peripheral Neuropathy Pain Post-Polio Syndrom Post Traumatic Neuromuscular Symptoms Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

94. 96.

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Psoriasis

98. 100. 102. 104. 106. 108. 110.

Raynauds Phenomenon Rheumatoid Arthritis Schizophrenia Sexual Stimulation Spasticity Stuttering Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

112. 114. 116. 118. 120. 122.

Testicular Cancer Tobacco Addiction Transferse Myelitis Ulcerative Colatis VonHippel Landau Syndrome Wyburn-Mason Syndrome

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HEALTH RISK MYTHS & REALITIES Brain Damage Cannabis is psychoactive because it stimulates certain brain receptors, but it does not produce toxins that kill them (like alcohol), and it does not wear them out as other drugs may. There is no evidence that cannabis use causes brain damage. Studies performed on actual human populations will confirm these results, even for chronic cannabis users (up to 18 joints per day) after many years of use. In fact, following the publication of two 1977 JAMA studies, the American Medical Association (AMA) officially announced its support for the decriminalization of cannabis. In reality, cannabis has the effect of slightly increasing alpha-wave activity in your brain. Alpha waves are generally associated with meditative and relaxed states, which are, in turn, often associated with human creativity. In fact studies has shown that cannabis use actually protects brain cells from memory loss. Memory Cannabis does impair short-term memory, but only during intoxication, which is approximately 90 minutes, the time it takes for the THC to deliver Cannaniboids into the brain. Although the authoritative studies on cannabis use seem to agree that there is no residual impairment following intoxication, persistent impairment of short-term memory has been noted in chronic cannabis smokers, up to 6 and 12 weeks following abstinence. Heart Problems It is accepted in medical circles today that cannabis use causes no evident long-term cardiovascular problems for normal persons. Cannabis smoking, however, does cause changes in the heart and body‘s circulation characteristic of stress which may complicate preexisting cardiovascular problems like hypertension, cerebrovascular disease, and coronary atherosclerosis. Cannabis‘s effects on blood pressure are complex and inconsistent as of yet. Hormones Chronic cannabis use has not been found to alter testosterone or other sex hormone levels. In contrast, heavy alcohol use is known to lower these same testosterone levels. Reproductive Damage No trustworthy study has ever shown that cannabis use damages the reproductive system, or causes chromosome breakage. Studies of actual human populations have failed to demonstrate that cannabis adversely affects the reproductive system. Claims that cannabis use may impair hormone production, menstrual cycles, or fertility in females are both unproven and unfounded.

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The Immune System Studies in which lab rats were injected with extremely large quantities of THC (the active compound in cannabis) have found that cannabis (in such unrealistically huge quantities) does have an "immunosuppressive effect" in those lab rats, in that it temporarily shuts off certain cells in the liver called lymphocytes and macrophages. These macrophages are useful in fighting off bacterial, not viral, infections. But this is only for the duration of intoxication. There also exists some evidence that cannabis metabolites remain in the lungs for up to seven months after smoking has ceased, possibly affecting the immune system of the lungs (but not by turning the cells off). This said, doctors and researchers are still not sure that the immune system is actually negatively affected in realistic situations since there are no numbers to support the idea. In fact, three studies showed that THC might have actually stimulated the immune system in the people studied.

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ASTHMA More than 16 million Americans are affected by asthma. Smoking cannabis (The "raw drug" as the AMA called it) would be beneficial for 80% of them and add 30-60 million person-years in the aggregate of extended life to current asthmatics over presently legal toxic medicines such as the Theophylline prescribed to children. "Taking a hit of cannabis has been known to stop a full blown asthma attack." (Dr. Donald Tashkin, December 1, 1997.) Not many people are aware of how potent a hit of Cannabis is to calm an Asthma attack, yet they spend billions on chemically based inhalers for asthma, not realizing that the natural chemicals in cannabis (endocannaboids) is effective in calming an asthmatic attack. The use of cannabis for asthmatics goes back thousands of years in literature. American doctors of the last century wrote glowing reports in medical papers that asthma sufferers of the world would "bless" Indian hemp (cannabis) all their lives. Today, of the 16 million American asthma sufferers, only those living in the 14 states who have medical cannabis programs, with a doctor's recommendation can legally grow and use cannabis medicines, even though it is generally the most effective treatment for asthma. It may seem strange to think that smoking anything can stop and Asthma attack, but in a study by the New England Journal Of Medicine, Donald P. Tashkin, MD found that: "Cannabis smoke, unlike cigarette smoke, causes bronchodilatation [expansion of the air passages] rather than bronchoconstriction [narrowing of the air passages] and, unlike opiates, does not cause central respiratory depression.‖ When subjects were induced into exercise related attacks, the subjects that received the placebo Cannabis took 20 min. to an hour to fully recover. The subjects that smoked a single dose of Cannabis saw instant relief. The medical aspect of cannabis was settled in 1975 when Professor Donald Tashkin conducted a rigorous study proving that one toke of cannabis could instantly stop potentially lethal bronchospasms. One puff of cannabis stops severe asthma attacks and restores normal breathing in less than half the time of standard asthma medicines. Hundreds of people die of bronchospasms while under hospital care every year, so providing smoked cannabis could save a lot of lives. (Tashkin, Dr Donald, UCLA Pulmonary Studies (for smoked cannabis), 1969-97; Ibid., asthma studies, 1969-1976; Cohen, Sidney, & Stillman, Therapeutic Potential of Cannabis, 1976; Life Insurance Actuarial rates; Life shortening effects of childhood asthma, 1983.) Americans for Safe Access

CROHN’S DISEASE, IRRITIABLE BOWL AND ULCERATIVE COLITS The endogenous cannabinoid system protects against colonic inflammation Colon pathologies span a wide range of different conditions, including frankly inflammatory bowel diseases

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(ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease) and so-called functional bowel diseases (e.g., irritable bowel syndrome, IBS), and represent an important and widespread health problem in modern society. The endogenous cannabinoid system protects against colonic inflammation Journal Clinical Invest. 2004 April 15; 113(8): 1202-1209 Copyright © 2004, American Society for Clinical Investigation -- Federico Massa,1,2 Giovanni Marsicano,1 Heike Hermann,1 Astrid Cannich,1 Krisztina Monory,1 Benjamin F. Cravatt,3 Gian-Luca Ferri,2 Andrei Sibaev,4 Martin Storr,4 and Beat Lutz1 Reference: www.Hemptopia.org

KILLING BACTERIA WITH CANNABIS Cannabis is a source of antibacterial agents that are potent against multidrug resistant bacteria. Pharmacists and chemists have found another use for the multipurpose cannabis as a source of antibacterial chemicals for multidrug resistant bacteria. The ingredients in cannabis, particularly the cannabinoids, have antiseptic properties. All five cannabinoids (THC, CBD, CBG, CBC, and CBN) were potent against bacteria. Notably, they performed well against bacteria that were known to be multidrug resistant, like the strains of MRSA that plagued U.K. hospitals. CBD and CBG have the most potential for consumer use because they are nonpsychotropic. Besides identifying antibacterial capability, the researchers wanted to figure out why these cannabinoids are so good at killing bacteria. They obviously are very effective at specifically targeting some vital process in the bacteria. These cannabinoids are promising enough to warrant rigorous clinical trials. They are applicable as topical antiseptics, biodegradable antibacterial compounds for cosmetics, and systematic antibacterial agents. J. Nat. Prod., 2008 By Yun Xie

TREATING THE COMMON COLD AND FLU WITH CANNABIS It‘s amazing, but smoking cannabis while experiencing cold and flu symptoms can actually help cure you. The reason is that that because the endocannabinoids they have properties that actually protect the entire respiratory system. Clinical studies have shown that smoking Cannabis prevents Lung Cancer and this is the reason why it also helps with Upper Respiratory Infections like colds and flu symptoms because it protects the lungs from infection, by creating mucus to heal the bronchials. Also, its antibacterial properties help rid the lungs of mucus and which in turn clears the upper respiratory system. This is why cannabis is effective, in my opinion, for the bird or swine flu. Cannabis helps

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regulate this reaction and can help regulate the bodies attack; mainly the inflammation in the lung tissue that causes the lungs to fill with fluid and other secondary symptoms of the virus" Plus, it eases the discomfort associated with being down for the count when dealing with cold and flu symptoms.

PAIN MANAGEMENT The fact that cannabis is being used successfully for pain management, while reducing the toxicity of the liver from heavy pharmaceutical pain killers, such as codeine, acetaminophen, vicodin, oxytocin, percoset, and many others, which all have serious side effects, cannabis, on the other hand, actually has positive side effects on the regeneration of cells, through powerful cannabinoids, a natural occurring chemical in Cannabis which helps restore the bodies own Endocannibinoids to regenerate cells, muscles and healing. Cannabis helps to alleviate the pain caused from many types of injuries and disorders. Cannabis is safer than aspirin, ibuprophen, acetaminophen (Tylenol) because it is non toxic to the liver, and is friendly to the Intestinal tract. Pharmaceutical pain medications often leave their patients nauseas, lethargic, fatigued and irritable, along with some severe side effects like depression and suicidal thoughts. Cannabis actually relieves all those side effects and causes the stomach to thrive, creates a healthy appetite, aids in normal digestion and relieves pain and discomfort. Few herbs offer a wide variety of therapeutic applications like these: Relief of muscle spasms Relief of chronic pain Reduction in interlobular pressure inside the eye Suppression of nausea Weight loss - increase and restore metabolism MIGRAINES

Migraine May Be Related To Underproduction Of Cannabinoids, Study Says

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December 13, 2007 - Perugia, Italy: Patients with a history of migraine headaches may be suffering from a clinical deficiency of the endocannabinoid system, according to clinical trial data published in the European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology. Investigators at Italy‘s University of Perugia, Department of Public Health, reported that patients with chronic migraines possessed "significantly lower" levels of the endogenous cannabinoids anandamide and 2-arachidonylglycerol (2-AG) in their platelets compared to age-matched controls. "The data supports the potential involvement of a dysfunctioning of the endocannabinoid and serotonergic systems in the pathology of chronic migraine and medicationoveruse headaches," researchers‘ concluded. A previous paper published in the journal Neuroendocrinology Letters similarly suggested that migraine, fibromyalgia, and other treatment-resistant conditions may be associated with dysfunctions in the endocannabinoid system. This system is believed to play a primary role in regulating humans' mood, appetite, skeletal development, motor coordination, digestion, and reproduction.

CANNABIS IS SAFER THAN ASPIRIN When Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, cannabis was America‘s number one painkiller. Until cannabis prohibition began in 1937, the US Pharmacopoeia listed cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100 diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of medical progress. Since the herb is extremely potent and essentially non-toxic, the AMA considered it a potential wonder drug. Instead, the invention of aspirin gave birth to the modern pharmaceutical industry and Americans switched away from cannabis in the name of ―progress.‖ But was it really progress? There can be no doubt that aspirin has a long history as the drug of choice for the self-treatment of migraines, arthritis, and other chronic pain. It is cheap and effective. But is it as safe as cannabis? History:  Cannabis has been used for over 5,000 years.  No one has ever overdosed on cannabis.  Aspirin has been used for 108 years.  Approximately 500 people die every year by taking aspirin The Law:  Cannabis is a Schedule 1 drug, meaning the US government believes it is extremely dangerous, highly addictive, and of no medical value. (this is now being argued to change its status)  Aspirin is available for pennies and can be purchased by children at any drug, grocery, or convenience store. Often they are just handed out free by people with no medical education.

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Aspirin side effects and dangers:  When taken with alcohol, aspirin can cause stomach bleeding.  Reye Syndrome in children: fat begins to develop around the liver and other organs of the child, eventually putting severe pressure on the brain. Death is common within a few days.  People with hemophilia can die.  People with hyperthyroidism suffer elevated T4 levels.  Stomach problems include dyspepsia, heartburn, upset stomach, stomach ulcers with gross bleeding, and internal bleeding leading to anemia.  Dizziness, ringing in the ears, hearing loss, vertigo, vision disturbances, and headaches.  Heavy sweating  Irreversible liver damage  Inflamation and gradual destruction of the kidneys  Nausea and vomiting  Abdominal pain  Lethargy  Hyperthermia  Dyspepsia: a gnawing or burning stomach pain accompanied by bloating, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and burping.  Tachypnea: Abnormally fast breathing  Respiratory Alkalosis: a condition where the amount of carbon dioxide found in the blood drops to a level below normal range brought on by abnormally fast breathing.  Cerebral Edema: Water accumulates on the brain. Symptoms include headaches, decreased level of consciousness, loss of eyesight, hallucinations, psychotic behavior, memory loss and coma. If left untreated, it can lead to death.  Hallucinations, confusion, and seizure.  Prolonged bleeding after operations or post-trauma for up to 10 days after last aspirin.  Aspirin can interact with some other drugs, such as diabetes medication. Aspirin changes the way the body handles these drugs and can lead to a drug overdose and death. Dr. Leslie Iversen of the Oxford University Department of Pharmacology, wrote in her book, ‗The Science of Cannabis,‘ ―Tetrahydrocannabinol is a very safe drug,‖ she said. ―Even such apparently innocuous medicines as aspirin and related steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds are not safe.‖ Dr. Iversen found cannabis had ―an impressive record‖ when compared to tobacco, alcohol, or even aspirin. So if safety is your concern, cannabis is clearly a much better choice than aspirin. If you eat it or vaporize it, it just might be the safest painkiller the world has ever known.

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Dr. Donald Abrams, MD, UCSF professor of Clinical Medicine and chief of the HematologyOncology Division at SF General Hospital Medical Center, told the press, ―Cannabis uses a different mechanism than opiates and could augment the pain relief of opiate analgesics.‖ NEURALGIA Cannabis also acts as an antispasmodic and anticonvulsant and is indicated for neurological conditions such as epilepsy especially complex partial seizures, multiple sclerosis, and spasms. As an analgesic and an immunomodulator it is indicated for conditions such as migraine, arthritis, spinal and skeletal disorders. Recent studies have shown cannabis to be effective in treating mood disorders and mental health issues such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder, clinical depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, and bipolar disorder. Cannabis works for premenstrual syndrome, hypertension, and insomnia. It is also reported to be an effective treatment for constipation and alcohol hangovers. Cannabis does not cure AIDS but is a highly effective agent in managing pain. Patients utilizing medical cannabis can expect better pain relief with lower doses of major narcotics. Cannabis also acts as a powerful anti-inflammatory without NSAID side effects. (non steroidal anti-inflamatory drugs) Cannabis acts both centrally in the brain and directly in the periphery. Further, cannabis provides neuroprotective effects that may reduce the incidence of retinopathy and neuropathy. Even in the last century cannabis was used in the treatment of chronic pain. The main active component of cannabis Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has been increasingly used in the treatment of nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite and depression. It is also recommended in the treatment of chronic pain. Patients treated with THC showed large individual differences in the effectiveness of THC in pain management. Prospective studies are necessary to evaluate the importance THC in the treatment of chronic pain. From Clinical Studies and Case Reports: http://www.cannabis-med.org/studies/ww_en_db_study_show.php?s_id=147 “When a private enterprise fails, it is closed down; when a government enterprise fails, it is expanded. Isn’t that exactly what’s been happening with drugs?‖ Milton Friedman Everyone responds differently to drugs. Believe it or not, there are humans living in this country that are resistant to pharmaceuticals and chemicals as well as a growing number of people that

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experience deleterious side effects from pharmaceuticals, just as there are a growing number of people who experience long lasting benefits through Mother Nature‘s herbs. So, then what‘s the big deal about? Well, let‘s just say it‘s in the marketing or propaganda. AIDS - Cannabis can reduce the nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting from the condition itself and the medications as well. Arthritis - In an age of tiny gadgets. younger and younger people are being faced with the pains of arthritis and carpel tunnel syndrome, characterized by an inflammation of the joints or the lining that protects them called synovium. Cannabis modulates the productions of proteins which reduce the inflammation and ease pain. Glaucoma - Cannabis relieves the internal eye pressure of glaucoma, and therefore relieving the pain and slowing or even stopping the condition. Cancer- Many side effects of the medication to stop cancer can be relieved with Cannabis, some studies suggest that Cannabis tends to slow down the progress of some types of cancer. Cancer Prevention http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCAym9bnI8Y

CANNABIS COMPOUND SHOWS PROMISE IN FIGHTING BREAST CANCER ScienceDaily (Nov. 26, 2007) —The study, by scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute, is raising hope that CBD, a compound found in Cannabis sativa, could be the first non-toxic agent to show promise in treating metastatic forms of breast cancer and stop the spread of breast cancer cells throughout the body. The researchers used CBD to inhibit the activity of a gene called Id-1, which is believed to be responsible for the aggressive spread of cancer cells throughout the body, away from the original tumor site. This study was recently published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. The study was primarily funded by the California Breast Cancer Research Program. Breast Cancer Tumors CANNABIS CHEMICAL CANNABIDIOL HALTS SPREAD OF BREAST CANCER TUMORS

(NaturalNews) A non-psychoactive chemical that occurs naturally in the cannabis plant may prevent breast cancer from spreading, according to a study published in the journal Molecular Cancer Therapeutics. Researchers found that a chemical called cannabidiol (CBD) affects the activity of a gene known as Id-1 in patients with hormone-independent breast cancer. In human

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adults, it is found only in metastatic cancer cells, or cancer cells that are spreading throughout the body. Because CBD occurs in only very small quantities in the cannabis plant, the researchers do not recommend smoking cannabis as a cancer treatment. To be effective, CBD will either have to be artificially synthesized or extracted and concentrated. The chemical's major advantage, according to the researchers, is its apparent non-toxicity. "Treatments, such as chemotherapy, can be effective but they can also be extremely toxic and difficult for patients. This compound offers the hope of a non-toxic therapy that could achieve the same results without any of the painful side effects." Sean D. McAllister The researchers also expressed hope that CBD will also prove effective against other cancers that rely on Id-1, including brain, colon and prostate cancer. CANNABIS PROVEN EFFECTIVE IN TREATING DIFFERENT TYPES OF CANCERS Cannabis opponents in the federal government are up against the wall and the wall is crumbling. The feds have fought cannabis use for decades, disregarding its medicinal applications, in a senseless war against the herb. The demonized killer weed is turning out to be anything but that. As myths about this ancient herb are dispelled, scientists are using it to treat everything from chemotherapy-induced nausea to different cancers. In August 2009, The British Journal of Cancer published the results of a study that found THC (the main active component in cannabis) is effective in fighting prostate cancer. Reportedly, pot attacks prostate cancer cell types that do not respond to the usual hormone treatments. A recent study by a team of Spanish researchers discovered THC kills various brain cancer cells by a process known as autophagy.

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The Cannabis Policy Project recently reported on a study that suggests moderate amounts of cannabis use reduces risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study suggests cannabinoids have potential anti-tumor properties. A study released in July, ―White matter in adolescents with history of cannabis use and binge drinking,‖ says cannabis use actually protects brain cells. The study involved adolescents with alcohol use disorders. One group had just alcohol-drinking teens. The other group drank alcohol and used cannabis. The report said that binge drinkers who used cannabis retained more white matter than the other group. In other words, alcohol destroyed more brain cells when a person didn't use cannabis. How many times have you heard someone say, ―Pot destroys your brain cells‖? If that's true, what about this study? Why do doctors use cannabis to fight brain cancer if it destroys brain cells? Remember the Spanish study? In April of 2007, Harvard University researchers released the results of a study that concluded THC cuts tumor growth in common lung cancers and reduces the ability of the cancer to spread. A study conducted by UCLA's medical school in June 2005 concluded smoking cannabis did not cause lung cancer. That impressive piece of news, along with the Harvard study, seems to have been ignored by most mass media outlets.

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Fred Gardner, editor of the medical cannabis research journal, O'Shaughnessy's, recently wrote an article, ―Smoking Cannabis Does Not Cause Cancer,‖ about this groundbreaking UCLA study that barely made headlines. Gardner reported that an investigative team was contracted with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 2002 ―to conduct a large, population-based, case-controlled study that would prove definitively that heavy, long-term cannabis use increases the risk of lung and upper-airway cancers.‖ Guess what? This study backfired! It turned out that increased cannabis use did not result in higher rates of lung and pharyngeal cancer. The study also concluded that tobacco smokers who also puffed on pot were at a slightly lower risk of getting lung cancer than those who didn't! Perhaps the icing on the cake is the fact that UCLA Medical professor Donald Tashkin led the investigation. Tashkin has led government studies on cannabis since the 1970s and is well known for his belief that heavy cannabis use causes lung and upper-airway cancers. To his credit as a professional, he ended up disproving his own original hypothesis. Despite the government's efforts to keep it illegal, it's apparent that cannabis does offer help in the battle to treat cancer. The facts about cannabis's medical potentials are finally causing cracks in the government's wall of lies built up over the years. As It Stands, it's time to bring down that wall.

CANNABIS MAY HELP COMBAT CANCER-CAUSING HERPES VIRUSES ScienceDaily (Sep. 24, 2004) — Tampa, FL (Sept. 22, 2004) -- The compound in cannabis that produces a high, delta-9 tetrahydrocannbinol or THC, may block the spread of several forms of cancer causing herpes viruses, University of South Florida College of Medicine scientists report. The findings, published Sept. 15 in the online journal BMC Medicine, could lead to the creation of antiviral drugs based on nonpsychoactive derivatives of THC. The gamma herpes viruses include Kaposi's Sarcoma Associated Herpes virus, which is associated with an increased risk of cancer that is particularly prevalent in AIDS sufferers. Another is Epstein-Barr virus, which predisposes infected individuals to cancers such as Burkitt's lymphoma and Hodgkin's disease. Once a person is infected, these viruses can remain dormant for long periods within white blood cells before they burst out and begin replicating. This reactivation of the virus boosts the number of cells infected thereby increasing the chances that the cells will become cancerous. The USF team, led by virologist Peter Medveczky, MD, found that this sudden reactivation was prevented if infected cells were grown in the presence of THC, evidence that THC prevents viral

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reactivation. Furthermore, the researchers showed that THC acts specifically on gamma herpes viruses. The chemical had no effect on another related virus, herpes simplex-1, which causes cold sores and genital herpes. Small concentrations of THC were more potent and selective against gamma herpes viruses than the commonly used antiviral drugs acyclovir, gancicyclovir and foscamet, said Dr. Medveczky, a professor in the Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology. The USF researchers suggest that THC selectively inhibits the spread of gamma herpes viruses by targeting a gene these viruses all share called ORF50. In 1999, the Institute of Medicine, in the most comprehensive study of medical cannabis's efficacy to date, concluded, "Nausea, appetite loss, pain and anxiety . . . all can be mitigated by cannabis." The Aids Action Council has discussed and supported the legalization of medical Cannabis to AIDS patients. Donald Abrams, MD said in Aug of 03 in his report "Short-Term Effects of Cannabinoids in Patients with HIV-1 Infection,"Patients receiving cannabinoids [smoked cannabis and cannabis pills] had improved immune function compared with those receiving placebo. They also gained about 4 pounds more on average than those patients receiving placebo." One doctor found that 78% of 56 cancer patients with nausea who were resistant to standard drugs became symptom free through inhaling cannabis. Common Drugs used to ease the symptoms associated with chemotherapy treatments such as Marinol have little effect and often have troubling side effects. Cannabis can be used as an antiemetic, a drug which relieves nausea and allows patients to eat and live normally. It is safer, cheaper and often more effective. Cannabis also stimulates the appetite, helping patients maintain a healthy weight and the strength to recover.

CANNABIS CAN HELP EPILEPTICS In some patients, epileptic seizures can be prevented with Cannabis use. Further evidence has emerged that an ingredient of cannabis could help prevent epileptic seizures. Some experts are now calling for fresh research into the potential of cannabis-like compounds to help alleviate the condition. Researchers from Germany found that natural brain chemicals which resemble cannabis extracts can interrupt a process which can trigger a seizure. There have been trials of cannabis compounds in MS and cancer patients. There are reports dating from the 15th century talking about the use of cannabis to ease the symptoms of epilepsy. However, there have been few organized trials in humans in recent years, even though cannabis or its extracts are being evaluated in trials against several other types of illness.

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Brain chemicals The researchers, from the Max-Planck Institut in Munich studies mice bred to suffer a key feature of epilepsy in humans. This is 'excitotoxicity' - abnormal stimulation of brain cells by an excessive quantity of a chemical called glutamate. In the mutant mice, a substance called kainic acid works in a very similar way, and the researchers used this to find out if cannabinoid chemicals could somehow interrupt the process or protect the brain cells involved. They found, in the mouse brain at least, that key receptors on the surface of the brain cell, which normally respond to contact with cannabinoid-like chemicals produced naturally in the body, appeared to protect against these acid-induced seizures. However, while the same receptors are found in the human brain, there is no evidence that seizures could be stopped by applying similar cannabinoids in a therapy. 'Promising' The researchers describe their finding as a 'promising therapeutic target' for epilepsy drug research. Professor Roger Pertwee, an researcher into cannabinoids at Aberdeen University, told BBC News Online that fresh studies into their promise against epilepsy were overdue. Anxiety, Depression or Obsession - Even though mild anxiety is a common side effect in some users, cannabis can elevate your mood and expand the mind.

"With the expansiveness that occurs with cannabis, the subject may begin to notice infinite possibilities to raise the quality of his/her life that would otherwise have remained hidden from normal, defensive consciousness. And feelings of health and happiness naturally lead to hope, which of itself can be curative." - Joan Bello Many obsessions or quick fixes to psychological problems can be alleviated by Cannabis as well. Many people eat because they're depressed. If the depression is treated, the obsession to eat should be gone as well. Some are using cannabis as their drug of choice to curb anxiety http://www.elle.com/Beauty/Health-Fitness/Pot-Stirring

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Physical Addictions There have been testimonies from opiate users that report an easing of addiction cravings. Some cannabinoids in cannabis are believed to have similar effects as ibogaine, a medication used to treat heroin addiction. The cannabinoids in Cannabis mimic the healing effects of a naturally occurring chemical in the brain called Anandimide. Here are the facts: the difference between Prozac and Cannabis. First of all, remember the book, Potatoes Not Prozac proved that certain foods can emit the same chemical compound (serotonin) that synthetic Prozac is suppose to mimic in the body. Hippocrates, the Father of Medicine, said, "Let food by thy medicine and let medicine be your food." Plants are food. Cannabis is a plant. A potent one too. Not all plants are the same. What is needed here is more education. Unlike pharmaceuticals, Medicinal Cannabis is not physically addictive. In fact tobacco use is physically addictive, yet it is legal and taxed. If anything, cannabis use can be psychologically addictive, depending on the individual. Physically, cannabis has no residual side effects, except maybe its legal status, depending on what state you live in. On the other hand, Prozac or Fluoxetine is addictive. Prozac builds up toxins in your liver which over time needs to be detoxed and anyone who‘s been through ‗major‘ liver detoxification knows it is no picnic. Prozac has serious residual side effects in humans – here are some of them: Headaches, Asthenia, Flu syndromes, Fever, Cardiovascular System, Vasodilatation, Digestive System, Nausea, Diarrhea, Anorexia, Dry mouth, Dyspepsia, Constipation, Flatulence, Vomiting, Metabolic and Nutritional Disorders, Weight loss, Nervous System, Insomnia, Nervousness, Anxiety, Somnolence, Dizziness, Tremor, Libido , decreased Thinking, abnormal, Respiratory System, Yawn, Skin and Appendages, Sweating, Rash, Pruritus, Special Senses, Abnormal vision. Not to mention suicidal tendencies. Sounds like fun?

PTSD, ANXIETY, EXTINGUISHING PAINFUL MEMORIES In fact, Cannabis treats most of those symptoms including anxiety, nausea, vomiting, nervousness, insomnia, weight loss, anorexia, and does not cause constipation. The uses of Cannabis are endless in how many symptoms and conditions it alleviates, improves and heals. Take hormonal changes and imbalances for example, this herb has been used for centuries before the pharmaceutical industry was even thought of, to treat dysmenorea, PMS, menopause, labor pains, pain, muscle spasms, headaches, migraines, nausea, vomiting, cachexia, and the list goes on. In a nutshell, the problems many face with taking pharmaceutical based drugs, are the awful side effects, and over time have proven to be dangerous to one‘s overall health and well being. Constipation is a common side effect from pharmaceuticals, yet if using a natural herb, there is no irregularity.

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Cannabis use is not limited to smoking, many who are sensitive to smoke, can receive the same benefits through vaporizing the herb, drinking it in tea form, and using a Cannabis tincture which is used like any other herbal tincture. Cannabis can be made into oil and used in creams which help to alleviate muscle pains and spasms and works to reduce inflammation safely and effectively, without making you high. Cannabis can also be cooked with all kinds of foods, from baked goods to omelets to tomato sauce. Not all Cannabis plants act the same way. Some plants are specifically designed for hormonal support, and other plants are used specifically for pain management. Some types of Cannabis can make you sleep, other plants will have the opposite effect, which contrary to the popular false belief, that cannabis use turns you into a couch potato, is just simply untrue. For those who suffer with chronic pain, such as scoliosis and other types of muscle injuries that make exercising difficult and painful, Cannabis Sativa is used to help these people experience the benefits of exercise without enduring the pain that has paralyzed them and without the wooziness and toxic side effects of pharmaceutical pain killers. This is why Cannabis is one of the world‘s most versatile plants and medicines. Brain chemicals similar to those in cannabis wipe out bad memories which points to new drugs for severe anxiety. The chemicals are called cannabinoids. Mice with faulty cannabinoids can't forget traumatic events, Beat Lutz of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry in Munich, Germany and his colleagues have found. They suggest that the chemicals wipe fearful memories from the brain. Drugs that boost cannabinoids could help people who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder, phobias and panic attacks, say the researchers. Endocannabinoids -- The Brain's Cannabis --Demonstrate Novel Modes Of Action To Stress STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colorado (July 19, 2005) -- Three separate research team reports -- one from Louisiana, one from Japan and one from Scotland -- are presenting independent research results pointing to involvement of endocannabinoids as a novel neural messenger in various stress-related situations with possible applications in eating, disease treatment and social behavior. Cannabis and Stress-Related Shutdown The team from Tulane and Louisiana State Universities, led by Shi Di, found that in both physiological and psychological stress situations,

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stress hormones act on the brain to stimulate the release of endogenous cannabinoids from neurons in the hypothalamus, which act as a local messenger within the hypothalamus to shut down the neuroendocrine stress response. One explanation for this hormone feedback regulation of the stress response might be to prepare the brain to mount another response in case of the onset of another possible stressor. The endogenous cannabinoids may serve to link the stress response with other neuroendocrine functions controlled by the hypothalamus, such as feeding. Di says that the "actions of the endocannabinoids on the synaptic circuits that control the activity of the hypothalamic neurons serve to rapidly inhibit hormone secretion from the pituitary gland, providing a rapid negative feedback mechanism for the regulation of neuroendocrine function during stress." Japanese team finds inhibition of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission: In an in vitro study, a multi-center Japanese team led by Atsushi Soya focused on the supraoptic nucleus (SON) where vasopressin and oxytocin are synthesized. They found that a synthesized cannabinoid (CP55,940) inhibited both excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission and that a balanced input can produce sustained changes in neuronal activity without damage to neuronal homeostasis. "Our next step is to investigate cannabinoids' effects in various stress conditions," Soya said. "Endocannabinoids may have possible involvement in stress-induced responses such as the changes of autonomic, endocrine and immune function." Furthermore, Soya added, "cannabinoids are relevant to potential relief in such disease situations in the brain as multiple sclerosis and epilepsy, or feeding disorders." The point is, we are not lab mice or lab rats. We are human beings with a variety of conditions and systems, not all alike, and we do not all respond the same to substances, which is why the present health care system needs to avoid a ‗one size fits all‘ mentality. If Prozac, Xanax, Paxil, Zoloft or Lexipro are your drugs of choice, and they work for you, then by all means, use them, however, keep in mind that not everyone receives the same effect. Cannabis has been successfully used as a safe alternative to pharmaceuticals. Scientific studies prove that cannabis is one of the world‘s safest drugs. The only dangerous side effect has been that it has been tied up with legalities and politics since 1974. Imagine for one moment, if you were thrown into jail for using Prozac? Would that seem fair to you? The climate here is changing, and this God given herb was placed on this planet for us to use for the purpose of healing the imbalances of body, mind and spirit. This medicine will be liberated by the time Neptune finishes its trek through its home sign of Pisces between 2012-2020.

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CANNABIS EFFECTIVE AT RELIEVING PAIN AFTER MAJOR SURGERY A cannabis plant extract provides pain relief for patients after major surgery such as knee replacements, a study by Imperial College London and the Medical Research Council has shown. Details of a trial published in Anesthesiology shows how effective Cannador, a cannabis plant extract, is at managing post-operative pain. Dr Anita Holdcroft, from Imperial College London, and lead researcher said: "Pain after surgery continues to be a problem because many of the commonly used drugs are either ineffective or have too many side effects. These results show that cannabinoids are effective, and may lead to the development of a wider range of drugs to manage postoperative pain." Professor Mervyn Maze from Imperial College London, and one of the researchers, added: "We thought cannabis might be beneficial in helping manage pain following surgery, as previous research indicated cannabinoids help 'top up' the body's natural system for reducing pain sensation. This research proves it can be effective, with minimal side effects at low doses." THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM AS AN EMERGING TARGET OF PHARMACOTHERAPY

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Multiple Sclerosis - Muscle pain, spasticity, tremors and unsteadiness are some of the effects caused by the disease that can be relieved by Cannabis. Cannabis has been successfully used by patients with Multiple Sclerosis as it helps to loosen the stiff and spastic muscles of multiple sclerosis sufferers. It actually facilitates a new connection from the brain to the body. Many MS sufferers use cannabis instead of the multiple pain relievers prescribed to them, noting that they have less pain, more connection with their bodies and they function mentally without their minds being altered as most pain killer cause. Although pharmaceutical drugs are available to MS sufferers, the condition is difficult to control. Clinical tests performed by the Multiple Sclerosis Society showed that most patients responded positively to cannabis. The drug especially alleviated spasms, pain, tremor and increased bladder control. Cannabis Spray Arrests Pain in MS, Spinal Cord Patients, Study Says September 6, 2001 Glasgow, Scotland Cannabis extracts administered under the tongue dramatically reduce chronic pain in patients with multiple sclerosis and spinal injuries, according to preliminary findings from a recent clinical trial on cannabis and pain management. "Evidence indicates that cannabis and its derivatives are suitable for patients suffering from various types of chronic pain, especially those unresponsive to traditional analgesics," NORML Foundation Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. "In addition, cannabis may offer fewer negative side-effects than opioids -

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which can be highly addictive - and NSAIDS, which can induce stomach ulcers, bleeding, and kidney failure."

MYTH: CANNABIS MAKES YOU STUPID.

The overwhelming science shatters the myths that say, cannabis causes brain damage or makes one stupid. Carl Sagan one of the greatest scientific minds of the 20th century was a frequent cannabis smoker who wrote an essay on cannabis use under the pseudonym "Mr. X," which he credits as inspiring much of his intellectual work (although this was not known until after his death). His illustrious career is often considered a testament to the idea that smoking cannabis does not make people stupid, unambitious and lazy.

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William Shakespeare may have relied on more than his genius to write his plays and sonnets, scientists say. Researchers in Stratford, England have unearthed fragments of clay pipes dating back to the 17th century near the garden of England's greatest playwright which have shown traces of cannabis and other medicinal herbs.

Premenstrual Syndrome, Medical Cannabis and Queen Victoria Queen Victoria used cannabis for menstrual cramps. One of the biggest medical uses of cannabis in the 19th century was for the treatment of menstrual cramps and reduction of labor pain. Queen Victoria was prescribed cannabis for this reason by her physician J.R. Reynolds. In the 19th century, cannabis was also widely used to relieve muscle spasms and rheumatism. Queen Victoria was the first woman to use cannabis for PMS. This occurred a few months after Dr. O‘Shaughnessy brought cannabis to England about 1840. It was a new highly efficacious medicine. It was prescribed by a Dr. Sir Russell Reynolds physician to Queen Victoria. The Queen had previously used Opium, Coca (raw cocaine), wine and chloroform. I hope ladies will cringe when they read this. The Queen obviously found that cannabis/cannabis worked well. She used it also for morning sickness and obstetrical anesthesia with no harm to fetuses. It seems that ABC TV News is way behind on PMS therapy. The new most promising therapy for PMS was discovered by Queen Victoria

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about 1850. PMS patients report that MMJ relieves cramps and why wouldn‘t it? Cannabis is an excellent anti-spasm drug (cramps ARE spasms) and a pain killer.

Madame Blavatsky was addicted to hashish (a by product of cannabis) claimed to be the messenger of the highly evolved Adepts and Masters, who knew and taught her "the Ancient Wisdom." She began the Theosophical Movement which stands for creating a nucleus of universal brotherhood, regardless of race, creed, sex, caste or color, to investigate the unexplained laws of nature and the latent powers of man; and to encourage a comparative study of religion, science, and philosophy. Her books, Isis Unveiled and The Secret Doctrine became the Theosophical Society‘s Sacred Texts. The Theosophical philosophy encompasses the ideas of pantheism, the belief that "All is One, and One is God, thus All, including mankind, and the entire universe is God." God is believed to be an all encompassing, impersonal principle or force, similar to the beliefs of Eastern Religious traditions, a power to be harnessed for an individual's personal use. The list goes on of famous people who are well known for using cannabis, and their accomplishments prove that that cannabis use enhanced their creativity, genius and intuitive abilities. This is precisely the reasons that prohibition was created in the first place. The powers that be knew that cannabis has the ability to enlighten the minds of its users, so they essentially put the kabosh on it, because they want to control your minds, and don‘t want a country of full of enlightened and peaceful people seeing through their propaganda, mass hypnosis and charade. A certain New Age teacher, whose name I will not mention, claims to channel an ascended master named ‗Ramtha‘ who has said that Prozac is better than Cannabis. Well, that sent my ‗BS Barometer‘ off the charts, as any so called ‗Ascended Master‘ would know about the ancient medicine known as Cannabis, and if not, then perhaps he needs another incarnation in body to

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learn about it? This opinion, while under the guise of saying this was channeled, was actually the personal opinion of this teacher, who may in fact be supporting or being supported by Big Pharma, not to mention, that she simply does not have her facts straight.

MYTH: CANNABIS MAKES YOU LAZY Michael Phelps, Olympic World Swimming Champion, broke all previous records and won 8 Gold Medals in Men’s Olympic Swimming, didn’t get there because cannabis made him lazy. Olympic swimming champion, Michael Phelps revealed last year that he maintains a 12,000 calorie a day diet to provide energy for his training. He trained by swimming 5 hours a day, 6 days a week, which is why he needed 12,000 calories a day, now what do you suppose made his body want to thrive like that? You got it, the Cannabis herb. His body was so full of healing Cannanaboids that with his determination, will and skill he had the fortitude to thrive and become the World Champion. Besides grabbing 8 Gold Medals at the Beijing Olympics, making him the winningest Olympic athlete ever, he‘s also set new marks on the chow line. Cannanaboids make you want to thrive. With Phelps level of exercise, he needed the extra calories to repair and keep the muscles conditioned. Michael Phelps has nothing to apologize for. He remains the Olympic World Champion. His Cannabis use made him anything but lazy. While I am certainly no Michael Phelps, however, I must add that due to the Scoliosis I developed after being injured in 1992, the chronic pain I was faced with put me on prescription pain killers for nearly 12 years, until one day my liver decided to shut down and I collapsed with liver congestion and liver toxicity, which took me nearly a year to recover from. I was then referred to the State of Colorado‘s Medical Cannabis program, where I began to use Cannabis to treat pain and the nausea accompanied with detox. My condition changed dramatically, as for the first time in over a decade I was able to exercise without pain. Exercise is such a major ingredient in the healing of muscles, tissues and keeping the spine aligned. I began doing Yoga, walking the treadmill for 30 minutes every other day and I can lap swim now for 30-40 minutes at a time a couple of times a week during the summer, which all conditioned me to be able to get

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back into Dressage horseback riding. Instead of that ‗lazy‘ feeling that pharmaceuticals give you, where you can‘t get off the couch, Cannabis gives me the energy to exercise and the ability to focus on a whole host of daily activities, including writing, Astrology, being a stay at Mom, helping my daughter with her homework, and animal husbandry, all without any toxic side effects, or any side effects at all. So, again another propaganda myth and disinformation campaign from the 1970s is proven wrong.

Sir Richard Branson , British Entrepreneur, Billionaire and Founder/Owner of Virgin Airlines and Virgin Records is one of the most successful British Entrepreneurs and Philanthropists in the World and is a regular Cannabis user. "I'd sell cannabis" says Richard Branson, Virgin Boss, supports legalizing cannabis, and even considers selling at Virgin stores when it becomes legal. Virgin boss Richard Branson said on BBC2 that he would sell legalized cannabis in his stores but not tobacco because it is too dangerous. He said his company would not want to get involved in selling ordinary cigarettes - but he would not rule out promoting cannabis if the law allowed it because it was probably less harmful than tobacco. Last year Branson was among 100 prominent people who signed a public declaration in favor of the decriminalization of cannabis. They also included former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, Body Shop founder Anita Roddick, public relations guru Max Clifford, author Martin Amis and veteran playwright Harold Pinter. Branson, whose commercial activities range from air travel to condoms, was speaking on the importance of product brands on ‗The Money Programme‘ on BBC2. When asked about cannabis, he said: "I personally think it should be legalized. I think it’s wrong that 100,000 young people have criminal records every year for doing something which is no worse than their parents are doing every night - drinking alcohol."

MYTH BUSTING: POT MAKES YOU FAT Most people think, smoking marijuana makes you fat, because of the ‗munchies‘ – not necessarily true. In fact just the opposite. Because the cannanaboids in Cannabis is medicinal to the brain, it tends to regulate the body when used medicinally on a regular basis. If the body is in need of nourishment, cannabis works to give someone an appetite where there is none, but it can also create an environment where weight loss and weight management is possible. Often weight gain happens from a combination of pharmaceutical use, poor diet and lack of exercise, which seems to be the ingredients for obesity. When you substitute natural medicine for

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pharmaceuticals, you change the chemistry in your biological computer and the body works more efficiently. This is a great success story from my friend the Marijuana Mommy who lost 65lbs using medicinal marijuana, which is a natural side effect when you delete narcotics from your diet and supplement with an all natural medicinal herb: ―So how did marijuana help me do it? First, medicinal marijuana allowed me to stop the mood altering medications and start living a life free from the haze of them. The eleven medications that gave me constant worry, constant doctor‘s appointments, hospital visits and stress are all a thing of the past. The narcotic pain medications that notoriously cause weight gain were removed from my diet and I no longer feel like I am living my life six feet under water. Kicking the dope was hard, but I had an amazing support group and Baby Daddy was there the whole way through. Medicinal Marijuana saved my life and changed my body. I certainly have to worry about the stuff I eat, since marijuana often causes the enjoyable side effect of the ―munchies.‖ The chance of overdosing on oreos remains high, but I am no longer risking my life and health for the opportunity to live pain free. Sure, it may not do the same for you, but marijuana is much safer and much healthier for your body than opiates and narcotics.‖ Hemptress December

MYTH BUSTING: LAZY STONERS & POTHEADS WEARING STILETTOS In the article entitled ―Stiletto Stoners‖ in Marie Claire magazine, I thought, ―Wow, I can‘t believe they‘re talking about this ‗taboo‘ subject.‖ The article dives into the lives of young professional women who enjoy smoking cannabis at the end of a long work day. These are the women who are choosing to smoke a ―plant‖ to relax instead of downing a vodka martini or a Xanax. These are the women who are making the smarter ―safer‖ choice. Many women would rather take a few puffs of cannabis and feel great the next day instead of being hung over from alcohol, or groggy from prescription medications that doctors give out like candy (both being completely legal). Our opponents of the cannabis law reform movement use these stigmas to their advantage which is most likely why half of them are still around. They advertise slogans such as ―smoke pot and

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you can become a burrito taste tester‖ or ―a couch potato remote controller specialist.‖ They are basically implying that if you smoke pot you will amount to nothing and become a loser ―pot head‖ who can‘t accomplish anything in life. Really? So how is it that young professional women in powerful positions with an enormous amount of responsibility can smoke cannabis and still work 12 hour days? Doesn‘t make much sense does it? So why is there still this stigma about cannabis? Because professional women around the country have not ―come out of the closet.‖ It‘s not often that you see a typical ―pot head‖ wearing ―stilettos.‖ Women are so ―hush hush‖ about using cannabis because of two basic fears; losing their jobs and facing criminal prosecution. These are women who are teachers, managers, nurses, and even some who work for the local, state, and federal governments. Although they all wholeheartedly support ending cannabis prohibition they all fear coming out and saying so. Most of them fear that if they speak out the authorities will be after them or they will get fired because of it. It takes a lot of courage for young professional women to come out of the closet, which is why in the Marie Claire article the names of the women in the stories were changed. Although the article is a huge step in the right direction because it spreads awareness of cannabis prohibition, we still need more women to come forward and get rid of the stigma that using cannabis makes you stupid, lazy or unsuccessful, which is anything but true. One thing it does do, is contribute to your overall well being and general health. It prevents cancer, it helps with a host of medical and health issues as I‘ve already listed above and the big bonus is that there are no side effects. No grogginess, no nausea, no hangovers. Woman who live busy lives, don‘t have time for such ‗downers‘ to have to go through the day groggy, hung over, depressed and irritable from drugs. Cannabis is not a drug, it is a natural herbal medicine. There are women in the cannabis law reform movement who are professionals, mothers, grandmothers, patients and even retired law enforcement. Intrigue abounds with the Stiletto Stoners‘ media phenomenon. Cannabis has captured the attention of the world. We as a modern society can fiscally improve our budget by moving cannabis from the criminal sector into the lawful sector. This is not a left or right issue–it‘s really common sense and Government can do good things. This biggest opposition to the legalization of cannabis is the drug dealers and it is their margins that will be going down. Legalization will clearly put them out of business and the crime associated with dealing on the street using our sons and daughters would be eliminated through decriminalization.

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What Would Jesus Do? Chris Bennett first looked at the use of drugs in religion in his book Sex, Drugs, Violence, and the Bible. He postulates that Jesus‘ ministry was fuelled by mind-altering substances, that he used cannabis-based oils to heal eye and skin diseases and that his very name ‗Christ‘ derives from being anointed with cannabis-enriched oil called chrism. "There can be little doubt about a role for cannabis in Judaic religion," Carl Ruck, professor of classical mythology at Boston University said. The Old Testament use of cannabis becomes less surprising when one considers that cannabis has been popular at some point with virtually every culture that has discovered its intoxicating properties. Hemp has "been smoked and ingested under various names (hashish, charas, bhang, ganja, kif, cannabis) in the Oriental countries, in Africa, and in the Caribbean area for recreation, pleasure, healing and ritual purposes. They have been important sacraments for such diverse groups as the Indian Brahmans, several orders of the Sufis, African natives, ancient Scythians, and the Jamaican Rastafarians."(Grof 1984) Pointing out the wide spread religious use of hemp throughout the ancient Near East, amongst the Babylonians, Assyrians, Scythians and Hebrews, as well as the early spread of its cultic use from northern Europe, to Siberian Asia, China, India, Asia minor and Southeast Asia, the famed anthropologist Weston La Barre, suggested that "cannabis was part of a religio-shamanic complex of at least Mesolithic age, in parallel with an equally old shamanic use of soma..."(La Barre 1980). A hypothesis that is further confirmed by research. Although it is little known to most modern readers, cannabis and other entheogens played a very important role in ancient Hebrew culture and originally appeared throughout the books that make up the Bible's Old Testament. The Bible openly discusses the use of mandrake, which is psychoactive, along with intoxication by wine and strong drink so the Hebrews were more than familiar with altering their consciousness. What will be surprising to most modern readers, is the frequent use of cannabis-sativa, by both the Hebrew Priests and Kings. Indicating, as anthropologist Vera Rubin noted, that cannabis "appears in the Old Testament because of the ritual and sacred aspect of it"(Rubin 1978). Genesis, Chapter 1 Verse 29: God said, ―Behold, I have given to you all HERBAGE yielding seed that is on the surface of the entire earth... It shall be yours..." I think people need to be educated to the fact that cannabis is not a drug. Cannabis is an herb and a flower. God planted it here. If God put it here and God wants it to grow, what gives any

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government on Earth the right to say that God is wrong?

In ancient times cannabis was widely cultivated throughout the Middle East. It grows like a weed and provides nourishing seed, which is also a good source of fiber used to make rope. People certainly knew of its pleasurable effects; it would have been impossible to harvest it without becoming ecstatic as the drug would be absorbed through the skin. And as long ago as 1935 a Slovakian linguist identified the plant known as "fragrant cane" in the English Bible as flowering cannabis, a link since accepted by some Jewish authorities. Ancient wines were always fortified, like the "strong wine" of the Old Testament, with herbal additives: opium, datura, belladonna, mandrake and henbane. Common incenses, such as myrrh, ambergris and frankincense are psychotropic; the easy availability and long tradition of cannabis use would have seen it included in the mixtures. Much of their knowledge, passed down through an oral tradition, has been lost and to some extent it is the modern prejudice against drugs that has stopped us looking for it. Revulsion against drugs and the hippie culture even led to the term "entheogen" being coined to describe a psychotropic substance used in religious rituals. Entheogen comes from the Greek entheos (means "god-inspired within") and the word is now commonly employed in English and European languages to discuss sacramental foods used by shamans (mystic or visionary priests) to achieve spiritual ecstasy.

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Jesus Healed Using Cannabis According to a study of published scriptural texts, Jesus was certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug. The study also suggests that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings. The word Christ means "the anointed one" and Bennett asserts that Christ was anointed with chrism, a cannabis-based oil, that caused his spiritual visions. The ancient recipe for this oil, recorded in Exodus, included over 9lb of flowering cannabis tops (known as kaneh-bosem in Hebrew), extracted into a hin (about 11 pints) of olive oil, with a variety of other herbs and spices. The mixture was used in anointing and fumigations that, significantly, allowed the priests and prophets to see and speak with Yahweh. Bennet wrote that the terms kaneh and bosm, fused into the singular kannabus in the Mishna (200 ce). Ben Yehudas Pocket Dictionary , lists Hemp with the Modern Hebrew spelling right to left, Quoph, Nun, Beth, Vau, Mem. Which roughly sounds like; Quanbom, or Kanbon. The actual Old Testament spelling is Quoph, Nun, He', Beth, Shin, Mem, which has also been translated as Q'aneh-Bosm rather than Kaneh-Bosem suggested by Benet, a translation that would also be more in tune with the ancient Assyrian term for cannabis incense qunnabu. It should also be noted that the "m' in "bosm", indicates a plural, and thus the singular q'aneh-bos, or kaneh-bos, sounds almost identical to our modern derivative cannabis.

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―The Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: ―Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet KINEBOISIN two hundred and fifty shekels‖ KINEBOISIN, according to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is the old name for cannabis [i.e., the cannabis plant] - it was also spelt kannabosm. They claim it was mis-translated in the King James‘ version of the bible, as ―calamus‖: Residues of cannabis, moreover, have been detected in vessels from Judea and Egypt in a context indicating its medicinal, as well as visionary, use. Jesus is described by the apostle Mark as casting out demons and healing by the use of this holy chrism. Earlier, from the time of Moses until the later prophet Samuel, holy anointing oil was used by the shamanic Levite priesthood to receive the "revelations of the Lord". The chosen ones were drenched in this potent cannabis oil. Early Christian documents found in Eygpt, thought to be a more accurate record than the New Testament, portray Jesus as an ecstatic rebel sage who preached enlightenment through rituals involving magical plants. Indeed, Bennett goes so far as to say that Jesus was probably not born the messiah but acquired the title when he was anointed with cannabis oil by John the Baptist. The baptism in the Jordan was probably to wash away the oil after it had done its work. For centuries the weed grew abundantly all over the world. In fact the word ‗canvas‘ comes from cannabis. It was first created from the male side of the plant, (hemp) while the female side of the plant, (cannabis) the flowers, are used for medicine.

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Christians for Cannabis http://www.nowpublic.com/health/christians-cannabis The Religion of Jesus Church, as hokey as is sounds, is a bona fide religion and has been recognized as such by the State of Hawaii. The church was founded in 1969 by Rev. James Kimmel and incorporates elements of a number of religious traditions including Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Their main religious text is the The Urantia Book, which they use along with the Bible and various other texts. The church‘s website lists 12 reasons why cannabis sacraments are vital to their worship: 1. amplifies the worship of God 2. Helps cultivate personal experience with religion 3. Increases spiritual elevation 4. Brings man to God 5. Increases ability to feel the presence of God 6. Helps conquer addiction to tobacco and alcohol 7. Creates peace 8. Helps evolve the soul 9. Serves god as a means of healing 10. Enhances spiritual receptivity 11. Is an exercise in acquiring Godlike attributes by sharing

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12. Is a good thought stimulating neuro-hormone Jesus Christ and his apostles may have used a cannabis-based anointing oil to help cure people with crippling diseases, it has been claimed. Researchers in the United States say the oil used in the early days of the Christian church contained a cannabis extract called kaneh-bosem. (Cannabis). They suggest the extract, which is absorbed into the body when placed on the skin, could have helped cure people with a variety of physical and mental problems. Chris Bennett said cannabis was widely used at the time to heal the sick. "The medical use of cannabis during that time is supported by archaeological records." He said the ancient anointing oil contained high levels of cannabis extract.

"The holy anointing oil, as described in the original Hebrew version of the recipe in Exodus, contained over six pounds of kaneh-bosem - a substance identified by respected etymology, linguists anthropologists, botanists and other researchers as cannabis extracted into about six quarts of olive oil along with a variety of other fragrant herbs. "The ancient annointed ones were literally drenched in this potent mixture." He wrote: "In the ancient world, diseases such as epilepsy were attributed to demonic possession. "To cure somebody of such an illness, even with the aid of certain herbs was considered exorcism or miraculous healing. [source: www.JesusJournal.com] "Interestingly, cannabis has been shown to be effective in the treatment of not only epilepsy but many of the other ailments that Jesus and the disciples healed people of such as skin diseases, eye problems and menstrual problems."

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Bennett said the findings suggested that it was unchristian to persecute people who used cannabis. "If cannabis was one of the main ingredients of the ancient Christian anointing oil, as history indicates, and receiving this oil is what made Jesus the Christ and his followers Christians, then persecuting those who use cannabis could be considered anti-Christ." ―Jesus was almost certainly a cannabis user and an early proponent of the medicinal properties of the drug, according to a study of scriptural texts published this month. The study suggests that Jesus and his disciples used the drug to carry out miraculous healings.‖ - The Guardian – Doesn‘t the bible say that mankind is supposed to use every available flora and fauna? Cannabis in the bible: www.ccguide.org.uk/bible.php

Lord Shiva --In various forms, the deity Shiva may be traced clearly right through the early historic age to the Indus civilization: further back in mesolithic carvings on walls. Some feel Shiva as lord of the animals or the hunt, is reflected even as far ago as the Paleolithic, found in the cave paintings established in many places in the world. Devotees stay awake all night and spend the night in Shiva temples in worship of Lord Shiva. Singing of hymns and verses in praise and devotion of Lord Shiva besides the intense chanting of

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Om Namah Shivay, the mantra that is said free people from all their sins and liberate them from the cycle of birth and death. Devotees smoke cannabis in the temples of Shiva as an offering, which is pleasing to the God. Seven different dravyas: 1. Milk is for the blessing of purity and piousness; 2. Yogurt is for prosperity and progeny; 3. Honey is for sweet speech; 4. Ghee is for victory; 5. Sugar is for happiness; 6. Water is for purity; 7. Cannabis is for freedom.

CANNABIS: METAPHYSICALLY SPEAKING Medical cannabis can also benefit you psychologically and spiritually. Cannabis can be used to enhance personal Spirituality. The herb tends to reveal your true self. It uncovers inner confusion and reveals your true direction - if you let it. Cannabis offers an effect that is both energizing and relaxing at the same time. This balanced effect will help some to think more clearly and more efficiently afterwards.

"Cannabis will not tolerate repression. Tranquillizers and depressants relax the body and release tension, but the state of mind associated with these drugs is "unconsciousness" whereby we escape rather than resolve our dilemmas. Alcoholism is an extreme need of both the body and personality sometimes to release the nervousness that has accumulated and continues to build up to an unbearable degree. It serves the same function for the collective personality for the society, as well a culture in which alcohol and tranquillizers are the prevalent form of release prefers not to witness internal confusion and actually choose to act without conscious participation, maintaining a semi-numb condition…Cannabis can act as the loosening agent, so that whatever has been banned from consciousness may come cascading forth. To uncover our deceptions without our usual rationalizations can be unpleasant, an experience that has turned many psychologically fragile individuals away from cannabis despite its therapeutic catharsis." ~ Joan Bello The cannabis plant lifts the spirit, from a psychological or spiritual perspective. The Cannabis plant is ‗alive‘, everything is ‗alive‘, including the planet, to connect with live plants makes your spirit and your soul come alive. This is why it has been used therapeutically in cultures around the world for over 5,000 years, because it works to ‗reconnect‘ you with your true self, your

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spirit and consequently your higher self, aka ‗Divine Self‘. As Joan Bello said, Cannabis serves to uncover our self deceptions around ourselves, and our life as spirits and souls having a human experience. There are many people who struggle to learn how to meditate, how to connect with God, how to connect with their Higher Selves, Cannabis helps you get there easily. Plant medicines are tied up with a cosmology of their own. Most indigenous tribes using visionary plants will tell stories of how the plants showed them their origin and the creation of the world. Red Eagle is a Native American shaman. She gives a picture of the world as she came to know it through the plant spirit of Cannabis: "The whole system is crossed by a huge labyrinth system of tunnels. A shaman enters these tunnels for journeys. Some are guarded, however, and plants such as Cannabis are powerful keepers of tunnel entrances. You have to 'friend' the spirit of the drug, so it will allow you to pass. Via that tunnel you may then enter secret worlds of perception, and access the knowledge taken to these chambers by travelers who came before. In the case of Cannabis the treasure trove is huge, since it is one of the most ancient companions of mankind." As it is not proper to try to cure the eyes without the head, nor the head without the body, so neither is it proper to cure the body without the soul, and this is the reason why so many diseases escape (Greek) physicians who are ignorant of the whole.~ Plato There is an ancient Hopi prophecy that goes something like this: "when the White Man‘s Medicine becomes the Medicine of Shamans, the white man and the Indians will unite through one church." A church is a gathering of people, it doesn‘t necessarily imply any particular religion, but does indicate a shared ‗belief system‘. There are many today who believe this prophecy is about to come true. Between Jupiter‘s passages through its home sign of Pisces in 2010, the spread of knowledge and education is paramount over the next year, while simultaneously Neptune, the God of Medicine, still trekking through freedom loving Aquarius will enters its

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home sign of Pisces in 2012, is creating the energy field and time zone that will support the unfolding of this prophecy. It is time to dispel the many myths generated from a thirty year campaign of propaganda to demonize this versatile and miraculous herb. Thirty years is a Saturn cycle (29.5), and when it comes to Saturn returns, the issues must be dealt with seriously. Saturn is in Libra till 2012 and we will witness laws change across the board regarding Cannabis reform in America.

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In recent history, cannabis has been plagued with negative connotations that were orchestrated by evil people to suppress God's plant. For far too long, the general populace has accepted the slander of cannabis by these authority figures as absolute fact. If you were to challenge cannabis prohibition as being anything other than necessary, then you would be considered un-American. In today's current climate, cannabis has emerged in the mainstream and has obtained some legitimacy. People are actually thinking for themselves nowadays, rather than outsourcing that task to those deceitful authority figures. We're at a point where full cannabis decriminalization is perceived as being a possibility, instead of a pipe dream. Before looking ahead, I wanted to highlight the past to illustrate the struggle that got us here. For thousands of years, people throughout the world have been utilizing the many attributes of cannabis to survive. Before it became known as the "devil's lettuce", cannabis was a fact of life for our ancestors. Hemp was used to produce nets for fishing, clothing to wear, material to construct housing, and oils for spiritual ceremonies. Of course, cannabis was also used for recreational and medicinal purposes in ancient times as well. It is even theorized that Jesus Christ was anointed using holy cannabis oil as part of his initiation. The kings of ancient Israel consider themselves to be "Messiahs" and since the definition of that word is the "anointed one," they would be drenched in cannabis oil during a religious ceremony. This same method of spiritual initiation using cannabis oil can be found in multiple religions, particularly in the East.

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"The lowest form of popular culture - lack of information, misinformation, disinformation, and a contempt for the truth or the reality of most people's lives - has overrun real journalism. Today, ordinary Americans are being stuffed with garbage." --Carl Bernstein Then the era(error) of reefer madness began, around the time Popular Mechanics magazine published an article proclaiming that a new billion dollar crop had been made possible with a machine that produces refined hemp fibers. The various businessmen who became aware of this development, feared for their investments in timber, cotton, petroleum, and the other resources that cannabis threatened. Thus, an organized campaign to discredit cannabis was launched with the releasing of such propaganda films as the infamous Reefer Madness, and the lesser known Assassin of Youth and Devil's Harvest. The public was being programmed to hate cannabis and anyone who uses it. To this day, that manufactured hysteria is still attempting to maintain the lie. Although, it's more difficult now more than ever because most people at least know some aspect of the truth, many of which I am illustrating here. As we all know, cannabis is a natural resource that is beneficial to humanity. Our focus is on the medicinal characteristic, but its industrial properties are becoming more prominent, as it should. I am advocating the spiritual use of cannabis, as I believe that it assists us in evolving spiritually. It's becoming rather clear that cannabis is not the substance that was portrayed as tempting youngsters into debauchery and crime. In fact, many people use cannabis without allowing it to influence them to commit a single negative act. Indeed, smoking a joint or smoking a water pipe can now be seen as being on the same level as drinking a beer. Hopefully, it will transcend that status and can be viewed some day by most people as a tool for improving themselves and their environment. [Popular Mechanics] Premiere British Medical Journal Pronounces Cannabis Safer Than Alcohol, Tobacco December 1, 1998, London, England: Moderate use of cannabis poses less of a risk to health than alcohol or tobacco, according to editors of the influential medical journal, The Lancet. Available medical evidence demonstrates that "moderate indulgence in cannabis has little illeffect on health, and that decisions to ban or legalise [sic] cannabis should be based on other considerations," editors opined in the November 14 issue. They added, "It would be reasonable

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to judge cannabis less of a threat to health than alcohol or tobacco. Three years ago, the journal argued that "the smoking of cannabis, even long term, is not harmful to health." The Lancet's latest statements came only days after a House of Lord's committee recommended amending federal law to allow physicians to prescribe cannabis as a medicine. NORML Executive Director R. Keith Stroup, Esq. praised The Lancet for conducting an apolitical assessment of cannabis's effects on health. "The Lancet's conclusions are reasonable based on the available scientific and medical literature," he said. "It is clear that cannabis prohibition causes far more harm to the user and society than the responsible use of cannabis itself. SAFER : "As one who has been entrusted with maintaining the public's safety, I strongly believe--and most people agree--that our laws should punish people who do harm to others. But by banning the use of cannabis and punishing individuals who merely possess the substance, it is difficult to see what harm we are trying to prevent. From my own work and the experiences of other members of the law enforcement community, it is abundantly clear that cannabis is rarely, if ever, the cause of disruptive or violent behavior. That cannabis causes very little social harm is reason enough in a free society to legalize it for adults. But as Steve, Paul, and Mason so brilliantly demonstrate in this book, an even more persuasive reason is that by prohibiting cannabis we are steering people toward a substance that far too many people already abuse, namely alcohol." -Norm Stamper, former Chief of the Seattle Police Department (from the book's Foreword) "I have always maintained that the legalization of cannabis would lead to an overall drop in substance abuse in this country. In particular, the option of legal cannabis use, as an alternative

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to the death and violence associated with alcohol use, would be a welcome societal change. Surprisingly, though, there has never been a book dedicated to conveying this basic idea to the public. But with Cannabis is Safer, now there is. Kudos to Fox, Armentano, and Tvert for their remarkably insightful and important book." -- Gary Johnson, former Governor of New Mexico "Our current draconian laws prohibiting the use of cannabis by responsible adults are doubly flawed. Not only does such prohibition violate fundamental freedoms but also, as this book documents, it undermines personal health and public safety. Regardless of your views on the civil liberties issues, this book should convince you of another compelling justification for cannabis law reform: that it will promote health and safety for all of us, including our nation's children." -- Nadine Strossen, former President, American Civil Liberties Union, and Professor of Law, New York Law School "Finally, a book that confronts the half-baked hallucinations of a drug policy gone mad. By adroitly juxtaposing the harms of cannabis and alcohol, the book shows just how badly America has overdosed on senselessly stupid cannabis propaganda and the prohibition laws it produced. If you are one of the millions of Americans who support keeping cannabis illegal but enjoy a good beer, glass of wine or cocktail now and then, I suggest you read Cannabis is Safer, rehab your mind, and get high on the facts. If, on the other hand, you already believe our cannabis laws are illogical, this book will give you hope that change is in the air--and show you how you can do your part to push it along." -- David Sirota, nationally syndicated columnist and bestselling author of The Uprising and Hostile Takeover

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We know how ridiculous the laws are for those who choose to use Cannabis as medicine, where people are made into criminals for growing a medicinal plant and using it. It‘s absurd, how many folks have lost their lives to failed prohibition laws. I am convinced after researching the drug laws, that the only reason the Federal Government chooses to hold on to prohibition is because of the enormous amount of money they can ‗skim‘ from illegal drug activity, which they use to fund their black projects. This has been a convenient way of channeling billions of dollars off the books into secret projects. The DEA is involved in the Drug War, not just marijuana prohibition, but the heavy stuff, like heroin, opium, which is why DEA agents are found in the opium fields of Afghanistan. There is a lot going on with how these substances are trafficked into the United States and to whom. The big problem with marijuana prohibition is that it makes the fat cat drug lords rich, while they prey on America‘s youth to deal for them on the streets and college campuses, all the while ruining hundreds of young lives to incarceration. Not to mention the thousands whose records are permanently smeared for life due to a criminal record for possession of marijuana, all the while making those drug lord fat cats fatter. It‘s time to stop the insanity! Why would any conscientious parent want their high school children to be branded a criminal for the rest of their

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lives because of being caught with marijuana? Why should any parent want to give their power away as parents to the government to discipline their children? Why shouldn‘t parents have the right to do that themselves, as well as have the right to treat their children with whatever path to medicine they choose for their bodies? The stories of the arrests of medical patients is outrageous! This is a case of the laws working against themselves. Take California for example, there are state laws in place voted by a majority to decriminalize marijuana and allow medical marijuana dispensaries and a safe medical marijuana program for qualified patients having a doctor‘s recommendation. Yet, the federal laws have been playing power games with the state and local governments by overriding the will of the people and arresting medical marijuana patients in spite of it. In October of 2009, Obama decreed that the DEA was to spend no more resources on medical marijuana patients, yet they seem to have a mind of their own. Take the case of Donna Lambert, who is cancer patient using medical marijuana after multiple surgeries for cancer. She was set up by an undercover cop posing as a medical marijuana patient in need of medicine. Donna Lambert compassionately helped this card carrying medical marijuana patient with a 1/3 of a cup of cannabis medicine. She was arrested, put into jail and is now facing a trial on 7 felonies. How does something like this happen? Why on earth would they target a cancer patient? Why would they even arrest a cancer patient who legally has a medical marijuana card? What is the purpose of the state laws if they cannot protect their patients? This is why prohibition must end on both state and federal levels. Listen to Donna Lambert‘s Interview on who is behind these arrests.

All Use is Medicinal This is a common philosophy in the marijuana movement. In order to legally use and grow your own cannabis plants, you need to get a license from your state government that is providing your state allows and has a medical marijuana program. In order to obtain a license, all one needs is a doctor‘s recommendation. Doctor‘s can recommend medical marijuana in place of aspirin. There are many people who do not think twice about taking OTC drugs and self treating a headache, body aches or cold and flu symptoms, and you do not need a doctor‘s prescription to do so. However, what if the OTC drugs do not work for you? What if you‘re someone that cannot take aspirin or NSAIDS due to gastrointestinal problems? Or what if you‘re like me who

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has a sensitive liver to drugs like acetaminophen, (the key ingredient in Tylenol) as well as Excedrin, and cannot use any OTC drugs? Medical marijuana is a safe and effective alternative. Yet, there are many who believe it is their right to choose smoking marijuana for recreational purposes instead of drinking a beer or any alcoholic beverage? Some have criticized that those individuals do not deserve to be a ‗medical marijuana patient‘. Whether someone is using marijuana to treat a headache or for recreational relaxation, all use is still medicinal. Therefore anyone should have the opportunity to obtain a doctor‘s recommendation to use marijuana in place of alcohol or OTC meds, for whatever reason they choose to for health and well being. All use is medicinal.

Deaths from cannabis are extremely rare and as far as I have researched, they do not even exist. When someone dies from drug overdose and cannabis was found in their blood it has always been in conjunction with harsh pharmaceuticals they were using, which leads any researcher to conclude that one cannot die from a cannabis overdose alone. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control does not even have a category for deaths caused by cannabis. There is no existing evidence of anyone dying of a cannabis overdose. Tests performed on mice have shown

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that the ratio of cannabinoids (the chemicals in cannabis that make you high) necessary for overdose to the amount necessary for intoxication is 40,000:1. For comparison's sake, that ratio for alcohol is generally between 4:1 and 10:1. Alcohol overdoses claim approximately 5,000 casualties yearly, but cannabis overdoses kill no one as far as any official reports. Study Finds No Cancer-Cannabis Connection The results of the largest case-controlled study ever conducted to investigate the respiratory effects of cannabis smoking and cigarette smoking were released in 2006. Not only was cannabis smoking not associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, but it was not found to be associated with lung-related cancers at all, even among subjects who had smoked up to 22,000 joints in their lifetimes. The study‘s lead researcher, Dr. Donald Tashkin at the University of California at Los Angeles, offered, "We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between cannabis use and lung cancer … What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect." What the latter part of that quote means is that people who smoked cannabis actually had lower incidences of cancer compared to non-users. The ratio of fatal dose to "effective" dose for alcohol is about 10. In other words, if you were to consume 10 times the standard amount of alcohol used to produce an intoxicating effect (considered to be one alcoholic drink) in a short period of time, it would be potentially fatal. The largest study of its kind has unexpectedly concluded that smoking cannabis, even regularly and heavily, does not lead to lung cancer. The new findings "were against our expectations," said Donald Tashkin of the University of California at Los Angeles, a pulmonologist who has studied cannabis for 30 years. "We hypothesized that there would be a positive association between cannabis use and lung cancer, and that the association would be more positive with heavier use," he said. "What we found instead was no association at all, and even a suggestion of some protective effect." In addition, Tashkin said, previous studies found that cannabis tar has 50 percent higher concentrations of chemicals linked to cancer than tobacco cigarette tar. While no association between cannabis smoking and cancer was found, the study findings, presented to the American Thoracic Society International Conference this week, did find a 20-fold increase in lung cancer among people who smoked two or more packs of cigarettes a day. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 25-30% of violent crimes in the United States are related to the use of alcohol. In truth, the government does not even track violent acts related to cannabis use, as the use of cannabis is not associated with violence. (Of course, it‘s important to

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distinguish that cannabis prohibition, by creating a widespread criminal market, is associated with acts of violence.) Researchers believe a person would need to consume approximately 40,000 times the amount of cannabis it takes to get high in order to produce a fatal overdose. Of course, this is just theoretical. There have been no recorded cannabis overdoses in more than 5,000 years of widespread use. Recent studies have examined the impact of cannabis and alcohol use on the brain. These studies have found… Alcohol damages brains cells, while cannabis use may actually protect them. Surprisingly, despite the myths spread throughout our lives about cannabis killing brain cells, it turns out that a growing number of studies seem to indicate that cannabis actually has neuroprotective properties. In other words, it works to protect brain cells from harm. For example, one recent study found that among teens who engaged in binge-drinking, those who also used cannabis suffered significantly less damage to the white matter in their brains, when compared to binge-drinkers who didn't use cannabis. Cannabis use is less likely to lead to cancer than alcohol use. Alcohol use is associated with a wide variety of cancers, including cancers of the esophagus, stomach, colon, lungs, pancreas, liver, and prostate. Cannabis use has not been conclusively associated with any form of cancer. In fact, one study recently contradicted the long-time government claim that cannabis use is associated with head and neck cancers. It found that cannabis use actually reduced the likelihood of head and neck cancers. Pesticides cause cancer, most street marijuana is grown with pesticides which can cause mouth, throat and esophagus cancers. This is why it‘s so important for medical marijuana to be grown organically, without the use of harsh pesticides. Hydroponic growing makes it superior to outdoor growing due to the ability to control and prevent bugs, without necessarily having to spray the plants with pesticides. No medical marijuana patient should ever use street marijuana as pesticides could complicate their illnesses. In 2004, investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control reported that alcohol consumption was the third leading cause of death in America, trailing only tobacco smoking and poor diet. According to the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine report written in 1999, "Millions of Americans have tried cannabis, but most are not regular users [and] few cannabis users become dependent on it … Although [some] cannabis users develop dependence, they appear to be less likely to do so than users of other drugs (including alcohol and nicotine), and cannabis dependence appears to be less severe than dependence on other drugs." In raw numbers, the report noted that fewer than 10% of those who try cannabis meet the clinical criteria for "drug dependence," compared to about 15% of those who try alcohol.

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The Gateway Effect Cannabis use has not been found to act as a gateway drug to the use of harder drugs. Studies show that when the Dutch partially legalized cannabis in the 1970's, heroin and cocaine use substantially declined, despite a slight increase in cannabis use. If the stepping stone theory were true, use should have gone up rather than down. In reality, it appears that cannabis use tends to substitute for the use of relatively more dangerous hard drugs like cocaine and heroin, rather than lead to their use.

1. Cannabis is far less addictive than alcohol. 2. Deaths from the two substances. There are hundreds of alcohol overdose deaths each year, yet there has never been a cannabis overdose death in history. The consumption of alcohol is also the direct cause of tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year. 3. Alcohol is one of the most toxic drugs, and using just 10 times what one would use to get the desired effect can lead to death. Cannabis is one of – if not the – least toxic drugs, requiring thousands times the dose one would use to get the desired effect to lead to death. This “thousands times” is actually theoretical, since there has never been a recorded case of cannabis overdose. 4. Long-term cannabis use is far less harmful than long-term alcohol use. There is little evidence, however, that long-term cannabis use causes permanent cognitive impairment, nor is there is any clear cause and effect relationship to explain the psychosocial associations. There are some physical health risks, particularly the possibility of damage to the airways in cannabis smokers. Overall, by comparison with other drugs used mainly for ‗recreational‘ purposes, cannabis could be rated to be a relatively safe drug. Source: Iversen, Leslie. Current Opinion in Pharmacology. Volume 5, Issue 1, February 2005, Pages 69-72. Long-term effects of exposure to cannabis. University of Oxford, Department of Pharmacology.

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5. The United Kingdom's Science and Technology Select Committee considers alcohol far more harmful than cannabis. The committee commissioned an assessment of 20 legal and illegal stimulants in order to bring some logic to the country‘s drug classification. Based on this study, they made recommendations to the government, including a recommendation that alcohol be considered among the most harmful drugs. Cannabis was considered significantly less harmful. (See chart below.) As you can see in the chart below, cannabis was recently rescheduled in the UK and is now a Class C substance (with A being the most harmful). Source: New Scientist Magazine. Issue 2563. August 2006, page 5. Drug-danger 'league table' revealed. 6. There has never been a documented case of lung cancer in a cannabis-only smoker, and recent studies find that cannabis use is not associated with any type of cancer. The same cannot be said for alcohol, which has been found to contribute to a variety of long-term negative health effects, including cancers and cirrhosis of the liver. It could be interesting to note in the chart the difference between what people usually consider the most likely serious harms associated with cannabis and alcohol. While there has never been a documented case of lung cancer in a cannabis-only smoker, there are clearly thousands of deaths by liver disease directly associated with alcohol – 12,360 in 2003, to be exact. [See, http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/alcohol.htm . Note also on this page that ―alcoholic liver disease‖ is a separate category from ―alcohol-induced deaths, excluding accidents and homicides.‖ Thus the 20,687 cited in #2 (as ―deaths from alcohol consumption‖ could easily be 33,047.] 7. Studies find alcohol use contributes to the likelihood of domestic violence and sexual assault and cannabis use does not. Of the psychoactive substances examined, among individuals who were chronic partner abusers, the use of alcohol and cocaine was associated with significant increases in the daily likelihood of male-to-female physical aggression; cannabis and opiates were not significantly associated with an increased likelihood of male partner violence.…the odds of any male-to-female physical aggression were more than 11 times higher on days when men drank than on days of no alcohol consumption. The odds of severe male-to-female physical aggression were more than 11 times higher on days of men‘s drinking than on days of no drinking. Moreover, in both samples, over 60% of all episodes occurred within 2 hours of drinking by the male partner. (pp. 1557) Source: Fals-Stewart , William, James Golden, Julie A. Schumacher. Journal of Addictive Behaviors. 28, pages 1555-1574. Intimate partner violence and substance use: A longitudinal day-to-day examination. Research Institute on Addictions, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

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8. Studies find alcohol use contributes to aggressive behavior and acts of violence, whereas cannabis use reduces the likelihood of violent behavior. Alcohol is clearly the drug with the most evidence to support a direct intoxication-violence relationship. Cannabis reduces likelihood of violence during intoxication… Source: Hoaken, Peter N.S., Sherry H. Stewart. Journal of Addictive Behaviors. 28, pages 15331554. Drugs of abuse and the elicitation of human aggressive behavior. Dept. of Psychology, University of Western Ontario. Dept. of of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University. 9. Alcohol use is highly associated with violent crime, whereas cannabis use is not. About 3 million violent crimes occur each year in which victims perceive the offender to have been drinking at the time of the offense. Two-thirds of victims who suffered violence by an intimate (a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend) reported that alcohol had been a factor. Among spouse victims, 3 out of 4 incidents were reported to have involved an offender who had been drinking. Source: U.S. Department of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. National Crime Victimization Survey 2002. 10. Alcohol use is a catalyst for domestic violence in Denver. Alcohol is involved in nearly 50 percent of all domestic violence cases in Denver, and the use of alcohol by the perpetrator is a predominant factor in fatal cases of domestic violence. Cannabis is not mentioned as a correlating or causal factor in cases of domestic violence in Denver. Source: Abrams, Margaret L., Joanne Belknap, Heather C. Melton. When Domestic Violence Kills: The Formation and Findings of the Denver Metro Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee. March 2001. 11. Alcohol use is prevalent in cases of sexual assault and date rape on college campuses. Cannabis use is not considered a contributing factor in cases of sexual assault and date rape, as judged by the lack of discussion of cannabis in sexual assault and date rape educational materials. A Harvard School of Public Health study found that 72 percent of college rapes occurred when the female was too intoxicated by alcohol to resist/consent.

77 Source:http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/cas/Documents/rapeintox-pressRelease/

Another example: A Web site sponsored by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services lists alcohol, but not cannabis, as putting a person at risk for unwanted or risky sexual activity: http://www.4woman.gov/faq/rohypnol.htm#5 People attempting to end their addiction to alcohol can face extremely severe withdrawal symptoms, including delirium, convulsions, and, on rare occasions, even death. According to drug addiction experts, what are the most problematic withdrawal symptoms for people who stop using cannabis? Irritability, insomnia, and loss of appetite. While addiction experts recognize that people may develop a psychological dependence on cannabis, the drug does not produce a significant physical dependence, even among long-term regular users. Physical withdrawal symptoms are generally quite mild. Approximately how many students in the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 24 are victims of alcohol-related sexual assault or date rape each year? About 97,000 sexual assaults each year on U.S. campuses are alcohol-related, according to a study published in the Annual Review of Public Health in 2005. Moreover, researchers believe that a very large percentage of violent acts on campus are alcohol-related. According to one 1994 report by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA), as many as 95% of all campus assaults are alcoholrelated, and 90% of all reported campus rapes involve a victim or an assailant who has been drinking alcohol. Cannabis, by contrast, is not considered to be a significant contributing factor in sexual assaults at colleges and universities. Source: http://www.saferchoice.org/content/view/24/53/

Truth Serum Cannabis was used as a truth serum by the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a US government intelligence agency formed during World War II. In the early 1940s, it was the most effective truth drug developed at the OSS labs at St. Elizabeths Hospital; it caused a subject "to be loquacious and free in his impartation of information."[96] In May 1943, Major George Hunter White, head of OSS counter-intelligence operations in the US, arranged a meeting with Augusto Del Gracio, an enforcer for gangster Lucky Luciano. Del Gracio was given cigarettes spiked with THC concentrate from cannabis, and subsequently talked openly about Luciano's heroin operation.[96]

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The Only Negative Side Effect – The Political Landscape

Arguments for and against decriminalization of some or all drugs are familiar by now. Bottom line, the drug war has empowered criminals while criminalizing otherwise law-abiding citizens and wasted billions that could have been better spent on education and rehabilitation. "The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this." ~ Albert Einstein, My First Impression of the USA, 1921 By ever-greater numbers, Americans support decriminalizing at least cannabis, which millions admit to having used, including a couple of presidents and a Supreme Court justice. A recent Gallup poll found that 44 percent of Americans favor legalization for any purpose, not just medical, up from 31 percent in 2000.

"Prohibition... goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."- Abraham Lincoln December 1840 Deception is a state of mind and the mind of the State – James Angleton, CIA ―Once upon a time there was a farm right across the Potomac, and they raised marijuana plants there, and they tore them down to build a little building called the Pentagon.‖ Dr. James Munsch Bureau of Narcotics 1930-62 George Washington instructed people to go out and grow Hemp, stating that it will make America strong. People used it till the 1940's, because of the BOGGS ACT, for raw materials,

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and for over 5000 years as a medicine or cure for a myriad of ailments. Prohibition was originally aimed at Mexicans, which has been happening since 1914, and began in El Paso, Texas. In fact cannabis was dubbed ‗Marijuana‘ which was a derogatory term against the Mexicans. The name stuck. Today while there are more white Americans who smoke marijuana, more black men are imprisoned for possession. It is still racially motivated today. One needs to question states with Tax laws on illegal substances is how can one tax something that's illegal? Imagine all the paperwork! How can our country continue to ignore its people? How can our country let millions of people with all types of illnesses be refused the medication they deserve, yet let people drink as much alcohol as they desire? What are the government‘s motives? It should never have become illegal. This argument is so valid and coherent it makes you wonder if it's necessary at all. Sadly, the only reason Cannabis is not legal in the US is because the majority of the US is either uneducated on the subject or is too afraid of prosecution to talk about it. If everyone who used cannabis presented that argument to just one person who didn't, Cannabis would be legalized tomorrow. More than 95 million Americans smoke marijuana, why do they continue to persecute and prosecute those who choose to consume Cannabis? The main historic point being that there was no such thing as "drug crime" before we had drug prohibition. When drugs were legal, addicts were not robbing, whoring and murdering to get their fix. There were no drug gangs, no criminal drug cartels and no such thing as drug crime. All of that is a product of a lunatic drug crusade that has utterly failed for more than 90 years. When was the goal of "saving people from themselves" ever achieved? I don‘t think so! The highest level of support, is in the Western states and among self-described liberals, with 78 percent of liberals favoring decriminalization. But the shift toward a more-sensible national policy is no longer confined to the left. Nor is the long-haired stoner the face of the pro-pot lobby. Today's activist doesn't have facial hair, but she does have kids. Lately to the smallish conservative crowd, notably once led by antiprohibitionist William F. Buckley, is Jessica Corry of Colorado, a married, anti-abortion Republican mom, soon to be ―freedom fighter of the month‖ in High Times magazine. Recent partakers undoubtedly will have to rub their eyes for a double take when they spot Corry, who spoke last month at a NORML conference (National Organization for the Reform of Cannabis Laws) in San Francisco, wearing an American flag lapel pin, a triple strand of pearls and a gold cannabis leaf pin. Another stereotype busted.

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In addition to writing and speaking to end cannabis prohibition, Corry, who does not smoke pot, is trying to organize Republican women around the cause. So far, she has commitments from fellow Coloradoans, most of them lawyers, like Corry. Her husband, Rob Corry, also an attorney, represents medical cannabis users. Corry's arguments focus not only on the inhumanity of further punishing sick people who seek relief through pot, but also on protecting her own children should they decide to try cannabis someday. There's nothing like imagining one's own children as ―criminals‖ to put irrational laws in perspective. In a column for the Colorado Daily, Republican Moms for Marijuana: 'Time to Legalize is Now' We should all be trusted to make our own decisions, by Jessica Peck Corry: Corry argued that conservative principles of smaller government are in direct conflict with laws that try to control what we put into our bodies. Alcohol and cigarettes — not to mention 700calorie cheeseburgers — are inarguably more harmful than a little reefer. The decision not to raid dispensaries or punish people who benefit from cannabis use, though commendable, falls short of what's needed. At the very least, when jobs and cash are in short supply, legalizing cannabis would seem both prudent and profitable. Already, there is talk that Colorado may see a legalization bill in 2010. In 2006, voters were asked to legalize small amounts for adult consumption. Forty-four percent said yes -- more than the number supporting the GOP's gubernatorial candidate. With one more vote in every 10, Colorado could become the first state to lift prohibition entirely. If history is any guide, the crucial female voting bloc, including many Republicans, will provide the political will essential to making this happen. In 1929, it was the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform successfully leading the charge to end America's decade-long experiment with alcohol prohibition. While many of these same activists fought just years earlier to forbid booze, they quickly witnessed prohibition's devastating consequences, including increased violence. Just four years into the Women's Organization for National Prohibition Reform's repeal efforts, alcohol prohibition was over. Prohibition is a bipartisan creation, lending power to drug cartels and bad public policy. One example: Students convicted of any drug offense can be stripped of all federal financial aid, forcing many out of school and into low-income communities where harsher drugs, including methamphetamine, run rampant. I have no doubt that women will lead the next revolution in personal autonomy.

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US Government Holds Patent For Medical Cannabis, Shows Hipocrisy On the one hand, US federal government officials have consistently denied that cannabis has any medical benefits. On the other, the US federal government actually holds patents for the medical use of the plant. The patent was obtained in October of 2003. Just check out US Patent 6630507 titled "Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants" which is assigned to The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services. The patent claims that "Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, agerelated, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer‘s disease, Parkinson‘s disease and HIV dementia." The patent was obtained in October of 2003. Cannabis Sativa is the flower of a plant that is dried and smoked, vaporized, or ingested in food through cooking with canna-butter. When used the active chemical in the plant, thc, works in the brain causing the user to feel "high." This can be described and experienced in many different ways depending how it agrees or disagrees with the user. Most commonly effects are a feeling of a calm easy escape from the everyday stress on the mind, laughing, "munchies", as well as many other feelings. The US government may hold this patent, but that will not stop their officials from consistently denying the benefits of medical cannabis. It makes you wonder why the U.S. government is so unwilling to admit that cannabis has some valid medical properties. It seems unlikely that there is a popularity issue, especially when 60% of Americans believe that doctors should be allowed to prescribe cannabis. Maybe there are some lobbyists or bigwig campaign contributors that would get a little upset. Since one part of the government applied for the patent of medical cannabis,

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and another part of the government approved that patent, it seems logical to conclude that the federal government knows that cannabis has some valid medical properties. The debate over medical cannabis is a heated one, with both sides launching a hefty campaign for their side. 14 states have already legalized Cannabis for medical use. In October of 2009, the Obama Administration issued a statement proclaiming that federal prosecutors will no longer pursue charges against Medical Cannabis users' or their suppliers. At this point it seems like there is little room for debate. However, the general public has very little information with which to form an educated opinion. DARE classes and old wives tales have convoluted the truth to some disturbing levels. In reality, Cannabis is a safe and effective drug that can deliver low-risk benefits to even the most terminal of patients. Cannabis can not kill you. ProCon.org recently requested reports from the FDA in regards to Cannabis related deaths. The report that they produced from the data they received lists zero known deaths in which Cannabis was the primary suspect of death. Stephen Sidney, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Kaiser Permanente, wrote the following in his Sep. 20, 2003 article titled "Comparing Cannabis with Tobacco -- Again," published in the British Medical Journal: "No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts...The current knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality." Joycelyn Elders, MD, former US Surgeon General, wrote the following in her Mar. 26, 2004 editorial published in the Providence Journal: "Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, cannabis has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose."

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Cigarettes: The research published in the Lancet Medical Journal, concluded that 4.83 million people died from smoking cigarettes worldwide in 2000 – 2.41 million in developing countries and 2.43 million in rich nations. Alcohol: The number of alcohol deaths in the United States in the past year alone was 85,000. Marijuana: 0 – not even a statistic! Another famous myth of Cannabis use is that Cannabis is addictive. Well, this one's a tough one, because it depends on who you ask. Ask any drug addiction treatment center, and they will tell you that even mild use causes helpless addiction that requires thousands of dollars in therapy to shake. According to the United States. Dept. of Health and Human Services DASIS Report Series, "Differences in Cannabis Admissions Based on Source of Referral", "Cannabis does not cause physical dependence. If people experience withdrawal symptoms at all, they are remarkably mild." The definition of addiction is hazy. By FDA standards when withdrawal symptoms interfere with the functioning of daily life or exceed a period of more than 2 weeks they consider the substance in question addictive. According to the ―National Survey Results on Drug Use from the Monitoring the Future Study, 1975-1994, Volume II:" released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 1996, withdrawal symptoms were only reported in 2% of heavy Cannabis users, and peaked at about 2-3 days. The most typical symptoms reported included restlessness, loss of appetite, inability to sleep and anxiety. None of the people who reported symptoms required treatment to alleviate the withdrawal effects. Cannabis can not kill you all by itself, you can not overdose, and there is no evidence of chemical or any other form of long term dependency. Why is this important in regards to the medical cannabis debate? Because these are the very reasons that Doctors say Cannabis is a better prescription choice over other drugs currently used to treat a variety of conditions. Among the Data procured from the FDA by procon.org, was the mortality statics of 17 other FDA approved prescription Drugs. In a span of eight years more than 11,000 deaths were directly attributed to the use of those 17 prescription drugs. What's so special about these 17? These 17 are prescription drugs that could be replaced with cannabis. ―The main attraction to using Cannabis as a Medical Option is that it does not have the risk of side effects associated with harsher, legal prescription drugs.‖ Philip Denney, MD, stated to the Arkansas legislature in support of the Medical Use of Cannabis: "I have found in my study of these patients that cannabis is really a safe, effective and non-toxic alternative to many standard medications. There is no such thing as an overdose. We have seen very minimal problems with abuse or dependence, which at worst are equivalent to dependence on caffeine."

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When ruling on Docket #86-22, Francis Young (The DEA's Administrative Law Judge) stated that: "In strict medical terms cannabis is far safer than many foods we commonly consume. For example, eating 10 raw potatoes can result in a toxic response. By comparison, it is physically impossible to eat enough cannabis to induce death. Cannabis in its natural form is one of the safest therapeutically active substances known to man. By any measure of rational analysis cannabis can be safely used within the supervised routine of medical care." Organizations that have endorsed medical access to cannabis include: the Institute of Medicine, the American Academy of Family Physicians; American Bar Association; American Nurses Association; American Public Health Association; American Society of Addiction Medicine; AIDS Action Council; British Medical Association; California Academy of Family Physicians; California Legislative Council for Older Americans; California Medical Association; California Nurses Association; California Pharmacists Association; California Society of Addiction Medicine; California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church; Colorado Nurses Association; Consumer Reports Magazine; Kaiser Permanente; Lymphoma Foundation of America; Multiple Sclerosis California Action Network; National Association of Attorneys General; National Association of People with AIDS; National Nurses Society on Addictions; New Mexico Nurses Association; New York State Nurses Association; New England Journal of Medicine; and Virginia Nurses Association. With all this compelling evidence in more than 15 government studies alone, it's hard to understand why there are still 36 states that still do not allow the use of Medical Cannabis. The chief (and practicably sole) argument of the opposition is the dangers related to the smoking of Cannabis. Smoking anything damages your lungs, though the level of carcinogens in a suggested dose of Cannabis is about the equivalent of a day out in the city. Ethan Russo, MD, in a letter to ProCon.org wrote: "Smoking is a rapid and easily titrated form of cannabis delivery, but modern techniques such as vaporization, sublingual and nebulized cannabis-based medicine extracts offer other choices to the clinical cannabis patient without the risks of smoking." Yet In spite of the established medical value of cannabis, doctors are presently permitted to prescribe oxycontin, cocaine and morphine - but not cannabis. Supporting the Select

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Committee's recommendation were the following findings of fact regarding marijuana's relative safety, particularly when compared to other controlled substances. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Marijuana is not a gateway to the use of hard drugs.[5] Marijuana use does not lead to the commission of crime.[6] Marijuana users are unlikely to become dependent[7] Marijuana use alone has little impact on driving.[8] Liberalizing marijuana laws is unlikely to lead to increased use.[9] Marijuana prohibition poses a greater risk to health than marijuana use.[10]

These findings of fact demonstrate that any risk presented by marijuana smoking falls within the ambit of choice we should permit the individual in a free society. Therefore, NORML supports the establishment of a taxed and regulated marijuana market, similar to that which currently exists for alcohol and tobacco. MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGISLATION GROWING THROUGHOUT COUNTRY The American Government is no stranger to the medical Cannabis debate. In 1978 a court ruled that the Federal Government had to allow some patients to possess medical cannabis based on a "Medical Necessity". To this day the Federal Government still provides 7 surviving members of the Investigational New Drug compassionate access program with access to cannabis for medical purposes. The continued station 1 status of Cannabis Sativa is a downright human injustice committed by the American Government against its people. The sick, disabled and dying are being forced into a moral dilemma. Weighing quality of life and effective medical treatment against their personal freedom. Cannabis is a safe and effective drug that can deliver low-risk benefits to even the most terminal of patients. Even with the support of the scientific community, doctors and a slew of Health care associations the Federal Government is still stymied. The FDA still refuses to classify Cannabis has having medical benefits. There are many political roadblocks and social barriers standing against the Legalization of Medical Cannabis. However, the truth cannot be denied or suppressed forever. 2010 will create an expansion of decriminalization in several states along with outright legalization in some states. As California goes, so goes the nation, they are like a pebble in a pond, and full legalization is now on their ballot for 2010 elections. By 2012, there will be more states that will offer a safe and licensed Medical Marijuana Program, and state by state, between decriminalization and legalization, Marijuana prohibition will end up in the annals of US History in 10 years.

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Economics 101 Supply & Demand: Cannabis should be traded on the NY Stock Exchange just like soybeans and pork bellies. Cannabis is traded on the UK Stock exchange: GW Pharmaceuticals PLC engages in the research, development, and commercialization of cannabinoid prescription medicines to meet patient needs in a range of medical conditions. Its lead product, Sativex, is a cannabinoid pharmaceutical product administered as an oral spray, which is absorbed by the patient‘s mouth. The company markets Sativex as adjunctive treatment for the symptomatic relief of neuropathic pain in multiple sclerosis, and for the relief of cancer pain in Canada. GW Pharmaceuticals also exports Sativex to Europe for prescription use and for use in clinical trials. In addition, the company develops Sativex for various medical indications, such as spasticity in multiple sclerosis and neuropathic pain. Further, its product pipeline includes delta-9-tetrahydrocannabivarin, a cannabinoid product in Phase I development for potential treatment for obesity, diabetes, and related metabolic disorders. GW Pharmaceuticals has a strategic collaboration with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. to research, develop, and commercialize a range of candidate cannabinoid products in the field of central nervous system and oncology. The company was founded in 1998 and is based in Salisbury, the United Kingdom. Good ole George Washington said, "Make the most of the Indian hemp seed, and sow it everywhere!" in a note to the gardener at Mount Vernon, 1794 (George Washington, first president of the United States of America, grew cannabis on Mount Vernon, his plantation, for about 30 years. He also used Cannabis to treat his chronic tooth aches.) Dr. Burke, president of the American Historical Reference Society and a consultant for the Smithsonian Institute, counted seven early presidents as cannabis smokers: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, James Monroe, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Jackson, Zachary Taylor and Franklin Pierce. "Early letters from our founding fathers refer to the pleasures of hemp smoking," said Burke. Pierce, Taylor and Jackson, all military men, smoked it with their troops. Cannabis was twice as popular among American soldiers in the Mexican War as in Vietnam: Pierce wrote to his family that it was "the only good thing" about that war.

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America needs to follow in its father‘s footsteps. I have no doubt that our forefathers knew what they were doing under the influence of cannabis, after all they did write the Declaration of Independence for us. While I must commend the President on his recent memo to not pursue prosecuting medical marijuana patients anymore in the states that uphold medical marijuana laws, as this is progress in the right direction...I and many others like me, believe that the US government should decriminalize marijuana completely across the board, and allow US Farmers to grow Industrial Hemp again, here in the USA, which will expand a US industry, create jobs, and allow America to get rich again off of the plant that funded this country into being. The US Constitution, the Declaration of Independence is all written on Hemp. This war on Cannabis and Hemp has turned out to be a war on people instead, and it would behoove the US Economy to free up this plant to be farmed again, and allow it's over 101 uses to be sold in the US Economy and traded on the NY Stock Exchange as it is in the UK as a commodity, like soy and pork bellies. It is time to save the US Economy and make America rich again from its own resources. It makes no economic or political sense for Americans to have buy Hemp grown around the world so they can create all the many wonderful industries that Hemp provides. It should be 'MADE IN THE USA' , not imported, and industries could produce green products here in the USA from Hemp and the medicinal Cannabis, should be grown, sold and taxed here in the USA. It's time for this issue to come up before Congress and I am asking for the President's leadership on it.

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"Prohibition… goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." ~ Abraham Lincoln December 1840

“There was never a democracy that did not commit suicide.” ~ John Adams

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Harry J. Anslinger, the first FBI narcotics agent was actually the propagandist who worked hard to demonize marijuana to protect his agency, power and turf. Richard Nixon continued it with the ‗war on drugs‘, then Nancy and Ronnie coined the phrase, ‗just say no‘ and in the last 29 years, they managed to take an important and highly effective medicinal herb by creating all kinds of prejudices and untruths in the minds of Americans and turned it into something naughty. Yes, admit it, we‘ve all been under the influence of clever mind control through mass hypnosis. It‘s important to put things into perspective as it was less than a hundred years ago that prohibition of alcohol started and was demonized and propagandized, and now we are saturated with the marketing and advertising of it.

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LEGALIZATION AND ITS IMPACT ON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM The argument in favor of a legally regulated adult market for marijuana (with strictly enforced age restrictions) acknowledges certain realities regarding marijuana and its use. If the expressed purpose of any criminal law is to deter or at least significantly discourage behavior, then by this standard alone, America's marijuana laws have been a categorical failure. Notwithstanding more than seven decades of federal prohibition, marijuana remains the third most popular recreational drug in America (behind only alcohol and tobacco), and has been used by over 100 million Americans.[11] According to government surveys, some 26 million Americans (ten percent of the population) have smoked marijuana in the past year, and more than 15 million do so regularly despite harsh laws against its use.[12] Our public policies should reflect this cultural reality, not deny or denounce it. Nevertheless, federal and state drug law enforcement efforts continue to disproportionately target marijuana and minor marijuana offenders. In fact, data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reports that half (49.8%) of all drug arrests in America are for marijuana only.[13] In 2008, the last year for which statistics are available, law enforcement arrested an estimated 847,864 persons for marijuana violations.[14] This total far exceeds the total number of arrests

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for all violent crimes combined, including murder, manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Today, it is estimated that taxpayers spend between $7.5 and $10 billion dollars annually arresting and prosecuting individuals for marijuana violations[15] - money that would be far better served targeting violent crime, including terrorism. Marijuana legalization would remove this behemoth financial burden from the criminal justice system, freeing up criminal justice resources to target other more serious criminal activities, and allowing law enforcement to focus on the highest echelons of hard-drug trafficking enterprises rather than on minor marijuana offenders who present little -- if any -- threat to public safety. Equally importantly, such a regulated system would also remove the individual marijuana smoker from the clutches of the criminal justice system. Approximately 47% of the adult population in this country have smoked marijuana.[16] The overwhelming majority of these people are upstanding, hardworking, productive, tax-paying citizens. Some, like President Barack Obama, former President Bill Clinton, former Vice President Al Gore, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and, closer to home, Senator John Kerry and Governor Deval Patrick, have succeeded in achieving high political office. These people are not criminals, yet the criminal law continues to treat them as such. And regardless of whether marijuana offenders ultimately serve jail time, a marijuana arrest alone has potentially severe and long-lasting repercussions, including but not limited to the following: 1. probation and mandatory drug testing; 2. loss of driving privileges; 3. loss of federal college student aid; 4. asset forfeiture; 5. loss of certain welfare benefits such as food stamps; 6. removal from public housing; 7. loss of child custody; and 8. loss of employment. Marijuana legalization would conclusively remove the responsible adult marijuana smoker from the threat of arrest and incarceration, and would put an end to the needless destruction of the lives and careers of hundreds of thousands of otherwise law-abiding citizens whose only "crime" is that they prefer cannabis to relax, rather than alcohol. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts has taken a significant step in this direction when the voters overwhelmingly approved the elimination of criminal penalties for the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana a year ago. But more needs to be done.

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There is still the question of where the consumer will obtain his marijuana, and the reality that it is only with a legally regulated market that the government can enforce age controls, assure quality controls and eliminate the crime, corruption and violence associated with any black market. The importance of permitting consumers the option to grow their own cannabis Finally, it is important that any system of legalizing, regulating and taxing marijuana also include the right of responsible consumers to cultivate their own marijuana. In this country, alcohol consumers have the legal right to create their own home brew, free from government interference. Although the vast majority of alcohol drinkers never utilize this freedom, and prefer the convenience of purchasing alcohol at a retail outlet, that option remains available to those who wish to use it. Similar regulations should govern the non-commercial production of cannabis. Allowing for the legal, personal cultivation of cannabis provides consumers with the option to grow their own product should commercially available sources offer cannabis that fails to meet the consumers‘ needs because it is excessively expensive, too heavily taxed, or of inferior quality. The mere threat of consumers exercising this option should be sufficient to assure that the legal market for cannabis will be responsive to the needs of consumers, and will not be exploitive. We must insist on this provision in any state or federal legislation to legalize marijuana, or we trade away our leverage to keep the big corporations, and the government, responsive to cannabis consumers. We are pleased that HB 2929/SB1801 includes provisions allowing for the non-commercial cultivation of marijuana by adults. http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7985 Illegal, Legal, and Semi Legal Marijuana use by country and state (as of 2009) [subject to change respectively in 2010, 2012 and beyond] Australia Medical Cannabis - Politicians in the Australian Capital Territory voted to allow doctors to determine when marijuana is medically appropriate. The decision enraged the Australian Federal Police and intensive lobbying efforts began to reverse the legislative action. Legislators caved-in to the demands of the police, reversed their earlier action, and voted to block doctors from legally prescribing marijuana. Australian Capital Territory - possession of up to 25 grams, or two plants, is not a criminal offence but carries a $100 fine.

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South Australia - Possession of cannabis is a moderate offense, with fines ranging from $150 to $300 for possession and cultivation of small amounts. Western Australia - Possession of up to two plants is accepted for private use, excess of the latter can face fines of over $150. New South Wales and Tasmania - Cannabis use is illegal and attracts fines. Queensland - It is a criminal offence to be in possession of any amount of cannabis, people charged must face court and can be convicted. Possession of cannabis or any schedule 1 or 2 drug specified in the Drugs Misuse Regulation 1987 carries a maximum prison sentence of 15 years in Queensland. Possession of smoking utensils or anything used to smoke cannabis is also a criminal offence in Queensland. Belgium Individual use of marijuana by adults has the lowest priority to police, if the use doesn't cause any problems to his environment. Which basically means the use in public places, possession of more than 3 grams, or the sale are pursued in court. Medical Cannabis - the Belgian government has recently initiated trials to determine the effectiveness of medical cannabis, and may soon decriminalize possession of small amounts. Canada Medical Cannabis - A court declared Canada's Marijuana Medical Access Regulations unconstitutional "in not allowing seriously ill Canadians to use marijuana because there is no legal source of supply of the drug." In effect, this means that Canadians cannot be prosecuted for using marijuana medically because the Marijuana Medical Access Regulations gives patients the right to do so, but does not set up any legal apparatus for obtaining cannabis. Canada produces about 400 kg of medical cannabis annually, in an abandoned mine in Flin Flon, Manitoba. On April 19, 2005, the Canadian government additionally licensed the prescription sale of a natural marijuana extract - effectively liquid marijuana - called Sativex. The federal department Health Canada now provides detailed advice (for its own citizens), including not only the medical information needed to make an informed choice, but the law enforcement aspects, and how to apply for authorization to possess marijuana for medical purposes. There is also information that may be of help to the patient's health professional. Apply to the Office of Cannabis Medical Access (OCMA) or Medical Marihuana Access Division (MMAD). Germany Medical Cannabis - Consumption is legal, possession of small amounts is treated differently between federal states. In most cases possession of less than 5g Cannabis herb or resin is not prosecuted. There are no special laws for medical Cannabis. In November 2007 some patients get an exception approval for using medical marijuana from the public health authority.

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Ireland Under Irish law cannabis is not recognised as having any medical benefits. The most recent Misuse of Drugs lists cannabis, cannabis resin, cannabinol and its derivatives as schedule 1 drugs under the Misuse of Drugs Acts of 1977 and 1984. Netherlands The possesion/purchase of Cannabis is "tolerated" in small amounts. One can purchase cannabis in special shops (called "coffee shops") if one is age eighteen and over. Cultivation and wholesale of cannabis is likewise "tolerated" in small amounts (guidelines here are no more than five plants). Medical Cannabis - Since 2003 it is a legal prescription drug known as "Mediwiet", available at pharmacies. However laws remain on the books classifying possession and sale as illegal, but due to a non-enforcement policy, it has been de facto legalized. New Zealand Possession of any amount of cannabis is illegal in New Zealand and can result in a fine of up to $500 or even a 3-month prison sentence. Anyone caught in possession of more than 28 grams of cannabis or 100 cannabis joints is classed as a dealer unless s/he can prove they are not. Medical Cannabis - Health Minister Annette King has stated that she is not "unsympathetic to using cannabis in a medicinal form, but that's different to saying we should let everybody smoke it." Her official position is that more conclusive studies are needed, and a method of regulating dosage is necessary before she support medical access to cannabis.

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United Kingdom Cultivation and use of cannabis was generally outlawed in 1928. Cannabis was downgraded from a Class B to a Class C drug in January 2004. Possession: If one is caught with even a "small" amount of cannabis on him or her person or premises, the person is liable to be prosecuted. Medical Cannabis - In 1999, a House of Lords inquiry recommended that cannabis be made available with a doctor's prescription. Though the government of the U. K. has not accepted the recommendations, new long-term clinical trials have been authorized. Sometimes juries have returned verdicts of "not guilty" for people charged with marijuana possession for medical use. USA Medical Cannabis - The United States federal government does not currently recognize any legitimate medical use. However 12 state laws currently allow for the medicinal use of cannabis but the United States Supreme Court has later ruled that the federal government has the right to regulate and criminalize marijuana also in these states, even for medical purposes. Smoked cannabis is today not approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Since 1996, Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington have passed laws to let sick people who qualify use marijuana. Lately a leading US doctors group has endorsed using marijuana for medical purposes, urging the US government to roll back a prohibition on using it to treat patients and supporting studies into its medical applications. The federal government of the United States continues to argue that smoked cannabis has no recognized medical purpose (pointing to a definition of "medical purpose" published by the DEA, not the Food and Drug Administration, the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, or the office of the U. S. Surgeon General and the U. S. Public Health Service). Alaska - 1 oz usable; 6 plants (3 mature, 3 immature) - Approved Conditions: Cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizures, glaucoma, HIV or AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity, and nausea. Other conditions are subject to approval by the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. California - 8 oz usable; 18 plants (6 mature, 12 immature) - California was one of the first. In 1996 California voters passed Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act, legalizing marijuana for medical use. Proposition 215 permits seriously ill Californians to use marijuana, provided they first obtain a doctor's recommendation. Proposition 215 also gives doctors a legal defense against professional or legal sanctions for recommending marijuana use. Approved Conditions: AIDS, anorexia, arthritis, cachexia, cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraine, persistent muscle spasms, including spasms associated with multiple sclerosis, seizures, including seizures associated with epilepsy, severe nausea; Other chronic or persistent medical symptoms. Colorado - 2 oz usable; 6 plants (3 mature, 3 immature) - Approved Conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS positive, cachexia; severe pain; severe nausea; seizures, including those that are characteristic of epilepsy; or persistent muscle spasms, including those that are

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characteristic of multiple sclerosis. Other conditions are subject to approval by the Colorado Board of Health. Hawaii - 3 oz usable; 7 plants (3 mature, 4 immature) - Approved conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS; A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn's disease. Other conditions are subject to approval by the Hawaii Department of Health. Maine - 1.25 oz usable; 6 plants (3 mature, 3 immature) - Approved diagnosis: epilepsy and other disorders characterized by seizures; glaucoma; multiple sclerosis and other disorders characterized by muscle spasticity; and nausea or vomiting as a result of AIDS or cancer chemotherapy. Maryland - Passed a medical marijuana affirmative defense law in 2003 which dictates that if a person is arrested for marijuana use but is found to be using marijuana out of medical necessity, she or he will only face a modest fine. Montana - 1 oz usable; 6 plants - A qualifying patient and a qualifying patient's caregiver may each possess six marijuana plants and one ounce of usable marijuana. "Usable marijuana" means the dried leaves and flowers of marijuana and any mixture or preparation of marijuana. Nevada - 1 oz usable; 7 plants (3 mature, 4 immature) - Approved Conditions: AIDS; cancer; glaucoma; and any medical condition or treatment to a medical condition that produces cachexia, persistent muscle spasms or seizures, severe nausea or pain. Other conditions are subject to approval by the health division of the state Department of Human Resources. New Mexico - 6 oz usable; 7 plants (4 mature, 3 immature) - Approved Conditions: Under current state law, the only qualifying conditions for the medical cannabis program are cancer, glaucoma, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, spinal cord damage with intractable spasticity, HIV/AIDS. Also, any patient in hospice care could qualify. Oregon - 24 oz usable; 24 plants (6 mature, 18 immature) - Approved Conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS, or treatment for these conditions; A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces cachexia, severe pain, severe nausea, seizures, including seizures caused by epilepsy, or persistent muscle spasms, including spasms caused by multiple sclerosis. Other conditions are subject to approval by the Health Division of the Oregon Department of Human Resources. Rhode Island - 2.5 oz usable; 12 plants - Approved Conditions: Cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, or the treatment of these conditions; A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe, debilitating, chronic pain; severe nausea; seizures, including but not limited to, those characteristic of epilepsy; or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to,

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those characteristic of multiple sclerosis or Crohn‘s disease; or agitation of Alzheimer's Disease; or any other medical condition or its treatment approved by the state Department of Health. Vermont - 2 oz usable; 9 plants (2 mature, 7 immature) - Approved Conditions: Cancer, AIDS, positive status for HIV, multiple sclerosis, or the treatment of these conditions if the disease or the treatment results in severe, persistent, and intractable symptoms; or a disease, medical condition, or its treatment that is chronic, debilitating and produces severe, persistent, and one or more of the following intractable symptoms: cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe pain or nausea or seizures. Washington - 60-day supply - Approved Conditions: Cachexia; cancer; HIV or AIDS; epilepsy; glaucoma; intractable pain (defined as pain unrelieved by standard treatment or medications); and multiple sclerosis. Other conditions are subject to approval by the Washington Board of Health.

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.~ Voltaire

References and Credits: Rob Kampia, Executive Director, Marijuana Policy Project, Washington, D.C. Helen Pearson, Innate Cannabis Chemical Erases Fears- Calming Brain Circuit Could Treat Anxieties www.cannabis.net Marsicano, G. et al. The endogenous cannabinoid system controls extinction of aversive memories. Nature, 418, 530 - 534, (2002). Carl Ruck PhD, Professor of Classics at Boston University Was there a whiff of cannabis about Jesus? Claims of drug use by biblical figures surprisingly have Substance www.cannabis.net Chris Bennet, Sex, Drugs, Violence, and the Bible. www.forbiddenfruitpublishing.com/sexdrugs/intro.html Cannabis truly helps multiple sclerosis sufferers 10 September 2004 NewScientist.com news service Anna Gosline, Exeter www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6387 Marijuana Spray Arrests Pain in MS, Spinal Cord Patients, September 6, 2001 - Glasgow, Scotland www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=4344 http://www.norml.org/index.cfm Duncan Campbell Jesus Healed Using Cannabis January 6, 2003 The Guardian http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2633187.stm Jesus Christ using Cannabis article: http://www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc11/christ.html The Guardian - www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,869273,00.html www.whatwouldjesussmoke.com/

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www.cannabis.net/articles/jesus-cannabis.html Cannabis in the bible: www.ccguide.org.uk/bible.php List of Famous Cannabis Users. www.slatts.fsworld.co.uk/famous.htm www.medical-marijuana-testimonials.org/Cancer-and-medical-marijuana.htm All-Time High for Homegrown as Pot Becomes Top Cash Crop in US Dan Glaister December 19, 2006 The Guardian www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,,1975161,00.html Marijuana U.S.'s Top Cash Crop, New Study Finds, 12/18/06 Jon B. Gettman, PhD www.drugscience.org/bcr/index.html "The Writings of George Washington" Volume 33, page 270 (Library of Congress) Jessica Fraser, Statistics prove prescription drugs are 16,400% more deadly than terrorists, July 05, 2005 www.newstarget.com/009278.html Americans for Safe Access www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=36 Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation www.saferchoice.org/ Joan Bello, The Benefits of Marijuana, Physical, Psychological & Spiritual From the album: "Wall Photos" by Jeff Christen-Mitchell From the album: "Wall Photos" by Red Sky http://www.mpp.org/ http://www.antisoccermom.com/2009/10/12/5-things-you-need-to-know-about-your-caregiver/ Clif Deuvall, ‗Smell the Freedom’, Founding Executive Director, NORML of Waco Inc.

http://blog.norml.org/2009/10/15/getting-rid-of-the-stigma-stiletto-stoner-style/ http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7002 http://mapinc.org/norml/v09/n932/a08.html Cockburn, Alexander; Jeffrey St. Clair (1998). Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press. Verso. pp. 117– 118. ISBN 1859841392. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=s5qIj_h_PtkC&printsec=frontcover#PPA118,M1.

http://www.shreveporttimes.com/article/20091018/NEWS01/910180307 http://www.imperial.ac.uk http://www.news-medical.net/news/2006/05/17/17995.aspx http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/91602/differences_between_industrial_hemp.html http://www.PLANTtheLAND.com http://www.wcranchohemp.com/info.php http://www.DrugWarFacts.org

http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/popmech1.htm http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/91602/differences_between_industrial_hemp.html http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2009/10/01/2009-1001_stiletto_stoners_more_professional_women_turning_to_pot_for_stress_relief_relaxa.html http://stash.norml.org/washington-posts-kathleen-parker-highlights-jessica-corry-and-female-support-forre-legalization-of-marijuana

[email protected] www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,869273,00.html http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2633187.stm Jesus Christ using Cannabis article: http://www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc11/christ.html www.whatwouldjesussmoke.com/ www.cannabis.net/articles/jesus-cannabis.html www.cannabisculture.com/backissues/cc11/christ.html Cannabis in the bible: www.ccguide.org.uk/bible.php

99 Take the Quiz -- The Potentially Deadly Alcohol and Cannabis Quiz http://cannabis-alcoholquiz.com/home/ http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5337a2.htm

Michael Billy, http://ky.usmjparty.org/wordpress/2009/10/23/opinion-us-government-holdspatent-for-medical-cannabis-shows-hipocrisy/ Amy M. Lake, Medical Cannabis: The fight for relief http://www.cannabis-uses.com/essays/001.html http://www.lycaeum.org/drugwar/letter1.html http://www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis.shtml

http://www.norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7985 Did you learn something from my paper, The Cannabis Solution? This was a labor of love for the sake of the personal freedoms of Americans. This research paper (mini book) is my gift to all those in need of education and elucidation on this controversial subject. If you enjoyed this, please take a moment to donate to my favorite causes who are making sure that the laws in America are changed to protect the freedoms of patients, farmers and all citizens. Thank you for taking action 

NORML (The National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws) – Take Action Here MPP – The Marijuana Policy Project – Take Action Here VOTE HEMP - http://www.votehemp.com/

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