By JONAH BENNETT

U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy stated on Wednesday during an interview with “CBS This Morning” that not only is medical marijuana effective for some medical conditions, prescription but its effectiveness means that a switch in federal drug policy may be on the horizon.

Read More

Patrick Kennedy, a self admitted oxycotin addict, can’t even use the correct terminology and call Cannabis what it is. Just by continuing to use the term “marijuana” he has exposed SAM’s intent to attempt to use the 80 year old stereotype, which has been broken by truth and a plethora of research, and demonize a very valuable plant. What I immediately ask is does he have a financial interest in pharmaceuticals, timber, petroleum, etc. that hemp and Cannabis may threaten?

In Denver on Wednesday January 9th, SAM, Smart Approaches to Marijuana is having a media event to try and beat the propaganda drums once again against G*d’s creation Cannabis. Please stand up, deny their fear mongering, and voice your opinion by coming to the event.  There is no obvious address, but keep your eyes and ears open and we can find it.

http://learnaboutsam.com/public-health/

If we look again at the source references that are use one will notice that they are not peer-reviewed scientific references. In other words, they are inventing a boogeyman that has been proven to be fake.

The following is from the website:

Health Recap

To recap, the science is emerging on the effects of marijuana, but we can say with some certainty that marijuana use is significantly linked with:
Addiction

Heart and Lung Complications (the jury is out on a connection to lung cancer, though)
Mental Illness
Car Crashes
IQ loss and poor school outcomes
Poor quality of life outcomes
Poor job performance

In today’s America we all must be aware of the possibility that Corporations goal of making money may put your FREEDOM at risk.

Santa brought a sack full of gifts this holiday, but he may not have realized what he carried in his big red sack. Christmas morning was beautiful, our family gathered together as Americans have done for generations to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We opened our gifts one by one sharing hot cider on this chilly day, not realizing what was about to happen.

A small wrapped box was handed to me and I proceeded to open the gift. Inside I found the new “Call of Duty Black Ops II” for XBOX LIVE. In a flash I was up and in front of my console starting up this game. Feeling empowered by hemp in my life, I decided to use “hemp” in the clan name while registering to play the game.

Little did I know something strange was about to happen. My email beeps at me with a new message and as I read it I am thinking how I found it extremely humorous that one can murder, torture, & Kill in this game, but using the Clan Name “HEMP” violates their term of service & could close our family account and refer us to Law Enforcement. What went through my head next was infuriating. Our Country is at risk of loosing our FREEDOM of SPEECH by the joystick and corporate bullying, it is YOUR job to STAND UP AGAINST THIS INJUSTICE.

My suggestion is to stop playing video games, but short of that, put your fear aside and make your voice heard.
Good Luck my Fellow American!

Thank you JAM for the story

Under federal law, Uncle Sam could try to block marijuana legalization in Washington and Colorado.

But there’s another option: President Obama could pull the US out of the marijuana wars.

Read more

Highway 420: The Colorado Marijuana Road to Legalization
Authored by Sadie Lane
Contributions by Christy Lee Rogers

Highway 420 is an eye opening journey into the world of marijuana legislation in Colorado. Did you know Colorado is the only place in the world that has a regulated, case for-profit medical marijuana industry? What are the laws that govern marijuana in Colorado and how did they get to where they are today? Sadie Lane interviewed key legislators, district attorneys, lawyers, patients, business owners, and others, to take you into the minds and hearts of those involved in this incredible journey. Their stories will surprise, amuse and awe, as you peek into their private lives and hear their stories. The history of legislation of marijuana is fascinating and some of the trivia surrounding it is incredible. Come explore the truths and myths surrounding this controversial subject and take the wild ride into the future of marijuana legalization!

Read the interviews with DA Stan Garnett, Rep. Claire Levy, Atty Rob Corry, Matt Cook, Jason Lauve, Cheesecake Lady Jessica, Dr. Paul Bregman, Robert Chase and more!

It may sound silly to walk into a bar and order up a beer with a weed chaser or to open a late night box of cereal called “Weedies” to help you sleep, pharmacy but that is exactly the era we’re moving into.On Election Day, the citizens of both Colorado and Washington made the bold decision to legalize marijuana and manage it with controls similar to alcohol, prompting speculation about Amsterdam-style “drug tourism” and a new round of jokes about Colorado’s official song, Rocky Mountain High.Certainly, for Colorado, there will be big concerns about stoners on the ski slopes, and in Washington, even bigger concerns about stoned lumberjacks wielding chainsaws. But those tend to be edge cases in a much larger opportunity movement.
Read more

Here is a sampling of some of the new industries this will spawn:New Products – With a growing aversion to “smoking,” the style and form of marijuana will need to be shifted into edible and drinkable products. This will include everything from sodas, to candies, to cookies, to inhalers, to lotions, and much more.Conventions & Events – Seattle’s Hempfest is already the world’s largest pot gathering with over 250,000 people getting together, smoking dope, and discussing the stoners view of the world ahead. Look for the number of conventions, Meetups, and other kinds of events to expand greatly.Associations – Many new associations will come out of the woodwork including retailers associations, growers association, standards associations, etc.Testing Laboratories – The alcohol industry is already tightly controlled, but marijuana brings with it a thousand times as many variables as booze. Testing will be the centerpiece of control for this industry.Ratings Organizations – We hear a lot of hype about which kind of pot is the best, but this will open the doors for new companies to do a thorough ranking of the industry options.Newspapers & Magazines – There is already an underground newspaper and magazine industry for the weed world, but this will grow dramatically.News Specials – The first wave of opportunity will develop around news organizations, as this will become a rich vein of news programming.Education, Training & How To Guides – Everyone looking to enter the field will be searching for quick ways to bring themselves up to speed. This type of training will become more formalized over the coming years, and some of the coming legislation will likely require it.Movies, Documentaries & TV Shows – Look for industry-related new sitcoms, comedies, documentaries, and other ingenious “potlines” to involve an entirely new set of good guys and bad guys.Patents – Expect a rush to patent new marijuana devices, gadgets, formulas, processes, and much more.Support Groups – There will be many negative issues resulting from legalization and each one will likely create the need for support groups to help people work through them.Pharmaceuticals & Alternative Medicines – Suddenly THC will be finding its way into a variety of stress relieving, pain controlling, and sleep enhancing pills. Big Pharma is already licking their lips on this one.Farmers Markets – Get it right from the source. Farmers markets will welcome the new weed dealers with open arms.Marijuana Tourism – While this seems to be the primary focus of the news media, marijuana tourism will only be a tiny piece of a much larger industry.Many More – Look for additional opportunities in agriculture, processing plants, transportation, distribution, marketing, advertising, training, certification, regulators, and much more.
Read more

February 19, 2009

(PhysOrg.com) — Cannabis has been used recreationally and for medicinal purposes for centuries, yet its 60 plus active components are only partly understood. Now scientists have discovered how a compound in cannabis can help cells to function in our bodies, and aid recovery after a damaging event.

In a paper published in the Journal of Neuroscience, the researchers report on their studies into cannabidiol – a naturally occurring molecule found in cannabis.

Also known as CBD, it is not the constituent that gives the high – that compound is called tetrahydrocannabinol or THC – and so may be more acceptable as a drug treatment.

Both compounds are currently used in a pharmaceutical medicine to help patients relieve pain and other symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.

Now researchers have discovered how CBD actually works within brain cells.

By interacting with mitochondria – which are the power generators of all cells – it can help maintain normal levels of calcium allowing cells to function properly and providing a greater resistance to damage.

Disturbance of calcium levels has long been associated with a number of brain disorders. So the finding could have implications for the development of new treatments for disorders related to malfunctioning mitochondria.

Dr Bettina Platt, from the University’s School of Medical Sciences, said: “Scientists have known for a long time that cannabidiol can help with pain relief but we never really knew how it worked. “However we have discovered what it actually does at the cellular level.

“We are hoping that our findings can instruct the development of cannabidiol based treatments for disorders related to mitochondrial dysfunction such as Parkinson’s disease or Huntington’s disease.”

Nevertheless, Dr Platt warned that smoking cannabis would not necessarily have the same effect. “There are different strains of cannabis out there and many no longer contain cannabidiol. In fact, these have been deliberately bred out to enhance the THC content,” she said. “As a result, smoking cannabis would not necessarily have the same beneficial effect, and could even exacerbate neuronal damage.”

http://phys.org/news154280470.html

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/powerful-court-quietly-takes-marijuana-case-could-shatter-federal-prohibition-laws

For the first time in two decades federal courts will consider the science behind medical marijuana — and today there is more evidence than ever.

October 11, viagra medical-marijuana advocates are taking to the courts to eliminate the biggest barrier to legal use—the federal law that classifies marijuana as a dangerous drug with no valid medical use. On Oct. 16, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, the federal appeals court that usually handles cases involving government regulations, will hear oral arguments onAmericans for Safe Access v. DEA . It will be the first time in almost 20 years that federal courts have considered the science of medical marijuana, says ASA spokesperson Kris Hermes.Specifically, ASA, a California-based patient-advocacy group, is trying to get the Drug Enforcement Administration to move marijuana out of Schedule I, the Controlled Substances Act of 1970s category for drugs with “a high potential for abuse,” “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” and no “accepted level of safety for use under medical supervision.” Heroin, LSD, and PCP are also in Schedule I. Cocaine, methamphetamine and OxyContin are in Schedule II, legal for medical use but strongly restricted.Two previous attempts to get the DEA to reschedule marijuana failed, but advocates believe there is enough new evidence to convince the courts. “There’s simply more science now,” says ASA chief counsel Joseph D. Elford. Since 2000, says Igor Grant of the University of California at San Diego’s Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research, the center has done six studies that showed “efficacy for marijuana over a placebo” in relieving pain caused by peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage).
READ MORE
http://www.alternet.org/drugs/powerful-court-quietly-takes-marijuana-case-could-shatter-federal-prohibition-laws

Hemp, Inc. (OTC: HEMP), the first all-hemp, publicly-traded company in US history forges path in the industrial hemp industry, continues its effort to blow the lid off a nest of deception and double standards many feel have been imposed by the United States government concerning the ancient superfood, hemp seeds. Despite the Cannabis classification, hemp seeds aren’t for smoking, nor does it get you “high” as countless people have been led to believe, according to the Kimble Group, LLC. Hemp seeds are growing in popularity, thus, questions are arising concerning their presumed health benefits. So what is it ‘they’ don’t want the American people to know? Why would such enlightening, useful and beneficial information be kept under wraps? (PRWEB) September 28, 2012  It wasn’t until this year, August, US senators Jeff Merkley, Ron Wyden, Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul ardently worked together in a bipartisan effort to get industrial hemp removed from the federal doghouse. If passed, this historic senate bill will create economic opportunities by removing federal restrictions on the domestic cultivation of industrial hemp.Before light is shed on the benefits on hemp, let’s take a look at how and why hemp has been getting a bad rap over the years. According to Hemp, Inc. (OTC: HEMP), the first all-hemp, publically-traded company in US history, William Hurst, an influential American newspaper publisher, created a yellow journalism campaign to associate hemp with marijuana. Why?Commercial hemp seeds contain very low amounts of THC, the property responsible for the drug response, plus they contain a substance that counteracts THC. According to Dr. David P. West, who specializes in plant breeding and genetics and who has written a plethora of articles on industrial hemp, says, “The washed hemp seed contains no THC at all. The tiny amounts of THC contained in industrial hemp are in the glands of the plant itself. Sometimes, in the manufacturing process, some THC- and CBD-containing resin sticks to the seed, resulting in traces of THC in the oil that is produced. The concentration of these cannabinoids in the oil is infinitesimal. No one can get high from it.” Hurst, along with his friend Pierre DuPont, succeeded in outlawing hemp in America and in turn robbed the world of an environmental cash crop. Why would they do such a thing? As noted by Hemp.com, “Because instead of using hemp for paper, clothing, fuel, oils, resins, medicines, and many other uses, we now use trees and synthetic petrochemicals. Hearst owned huge forests and interests in lumber mills. DuPont made synthetic fuels and fibers (nylon, rayon, plastics) from petroleum.” Go figure.Hemp seeds go back as far as 8,500 years. Initially, the Chinese were harvesting it and using the plant fibers to produce durable cloth, however, 3,000 years ago, they began using the seeds as a food source. Hemp seeds have been a proven source of protein on the planet, primarily because they contain all twenty one known amino acids. Clinical herbalist, Larken Bunce, says, “Hemp seeds are a nutritionally dense food source that provide the body with necessary macro- and micronutrients, including protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, vitamins and minerals. The addition of hemp seeds to your daily diet can ensure you are getting necessary essential fatty acids, a good balance of protein and carbohydrates, a good source of fiber as well as some essential vitamins and minerals.”Essentially, the human organism is unable to produce all essential amino acids, but amazingly, hemp does. The hemp seeds are a great source of polyunsaturated fat as well as essential fatty acids. According to Nourishing Gourmet, hemp foods are also a rich source of phytonutrients, the organic compounds of plants that are thought to promote human health.More specifically, Dr. Cassandra Forsyth, nutrition researcher at the University of Connecticut, says, “Hemp seeds are rich in omega3 fatty acids, which reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke.” According to an article in Men’s Health, written by Carolyn Kylstra on 9/25/12, a 1-ounce serving of the seeds provides 11 grams of protein, not to be confused with incomplete protein found in most plant sources. The article’s research found the protein in hemp seeds to be comparable to that found in meat, eggs, and dairy.If hemp food is easily digested and in turn can be used to treat malnourishment, why such a bad rap? Why not mass produce since the consumption of complete proteins is necessary for human survival? The US Government’s complacency of ‘profit before health’ can no longer stand on the incredulous foundation on which it was built. The American people are, indeed, waking up. Lynita KimbleThe Kimble Group, LLC(202) 695-2077 http://m.yahoo.com/w/legobpengine/news/us-government-unable-keep-ancient-superfood-hemp-seeds-110314997.html?orig_host_hdr=news.yahoo.com&.intl=US&.lang=en-US

“I am endorsing Amendment 64 not despite my conservative beliefs, ampoule but because of them.

Throughout my career in public policy and in public office, and I have fought to reform or eliminate wasteful and ineffective government programs. There is no government program or policy I can think of that has failed in such a unique way as marijuana prohibition.

Our nation is spending tens of billions of dollars annually in an attempt to prohibit adults from using a substance objectively less harmful than alcohol.

Yet marijuana is still widely available in our society. We are not preventing its use; we are merely ensuring that all of the profits from the sale of marijuana (outside the medical marijuana system) flow to the criminal underground.”
-Tom Tancredo