NEWS

 https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/video/355650

LEGALIZE  IT IN 2021 AND NON' CRITICIZE IT 

 KEEP LEGALIZING IT AND DONT CRITICIZE IT.

MAXIMUM RESPECT RESPECT. IT IS THE HEALING OF THE NATION.

NEWS

 Legalize it and we will advertise it to the wonderful world of ours.

https://www.facebook.com/LegalizeItDontCriticizeIt/videos/961119407373156/

 

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NEWS

"INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF CANNABIS OIL EVERYONE SHOULH  KNOW"

http://thenativepeople.net/2017/07/28/7-incredible-health-benefits-cannabis-oil-everyone-know/

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NEWS

"7 REALLY SURPRISING HEALTH BENEFITS FROM SMOKING MARIJUANA"

MORE SOLID REASONS WHY WE SHOULD LEGALIZE IT ALL OVER THE WORLD

http://metro.co.uk/2016/03/07/7-really-surprising-health-benefits-from-smoking-cannabis-5738619/

 

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NEWS

Sunil Kumar Aggarwal, MD, PhD helped... - Cannabis Club Australia ...

 

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NEWS

Autistic Boy Gains Ability to Speak After Just 2 Days of Cannabis Oil Treatment

 

http://www.healthnutnews.com/autistic-boy-gains-ability-to-speak-after-just-2-days-of-cannabis-oil-treatment/

 

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NEWS

"Unlike many other prescription medications it is impossible to die from an overdose on cannabis, making it a safer alternative medicine for many medical condit...ions. Research on cannabis is steadily increasing but more will be required to understand fully the benefits and potential harms of using it to treat certain medical conditions."

 

 https://www.greenrushdaily.com/2016/07/14/medical-conditions-treatable-marijuana/

 

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NEWS

 

Yesterday March 23rd, Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans signed into law an ordinance decriminalizing marijuana possession in the City of New Orleans! The ordinance becom...es effective on June 21, 2016.

 

Thanks to everyone who spoke out or turned out in support and congratulations to CommonSenseNOLA, who has been leading the charge!

 

 

 

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NEWS

 

 

 

 

 

The Narcotic Drugs Amendment Bill 2016, seeking to establish licensing and permit schemes for the cultivation and production of cannabis and cannabis resin for medicinal and scientific purposes, has passed both houses of parliament today.

 

The Commonwealth currently has laws to regulate the import, export and manufacture of cannabinoids and cannabis raw material, but these do not allow the cultivation in Australia of cannabis plants for medicinal purposes. The manufacturing provisions in the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 are considered inadequate to properly manage the risks associated with the potential for diversion of medicinal cannabis products and other narcotic drugs.

 

The Government anticipates that there will be costs involved in the regulation of the cultivation licensing scheme, such as “administration of license and license variation applications, site inspections(to support application decisions), post-license inspections, sampling and testing and the acquisition of law enforcement data to allow determinations related to ‘fit and proper’ person test, as well as other compliance and law enforcement activities.

 

The Government has has proposed that these be funded from a cost-recovery scheme “consistent with the Commonwealth’s cost-recovery guidelines.”

 

 

 

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NEWS 

Dustin Walker's photo.

 

 

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NEWS 

 

 

Oregon Will Pay Reparations To Individuals Formerly Convicted Of Marijuana Related Crimes

 

Posted on May 26, 2015 by Priscilla Mason

 

State officials have announced that starting July 15th, Oregon will begin issuing reparations payments to those previously convicted of marijuana related crimes within the past decade. The decision comes hot on the heels of the marijuana legalization measure which takes effect July 1st throughout Oregon.

Carol Shapiro is the newly appointed coordinator for the Oregon Department of Marijuana Reparations, and he elaborated on how this system will work to get those effected by previous laws, back on their feet. “These were essentially incidents that should have never have been tried as crimes to begin with. Thousands of people have payed dearly over the years for laws which have criminalized a substance that is basically less dangerous than any over-the-counter painkiller.”

“Individuals who was served prison time  for drug offenses involving marijuana within the last 10 years will automatically be eligible for a refund of any fines and fees incurred as a result of those convictions, as well as compensation for pain and suffering endured from being incarcerated. These parties will also have their records automatically expunged. We are hoping that these actions will correct the injustices previously inflicted upon innocent citizens, and help them to go on with their lives.”

This news comes as a bittersweet relief to those who have faced serious consequences within the last 10 years for their involvement in marijuana growing operations. People such as Portland native Marcus Ford who spent two years in prison in 1999 after his marijuana growing operation was discovered by police. “What can I say. It’s not like I am going to get those years of my life back or get the job back that I lost at the time. I don’t think the federal government is aware of the scope of what people have had to deal with when they went to jail for things as innocuous as marijuana. I didn’t see my kids for 2 years. I spent an additional 4 years on probation. It literally made my life hell and caused my family so much stress and anguish. I am glad they are trying to make up for it, but basically no amount of money is going to replenish what I lost when I got locked up for growing. It’s a relief that they understand the error of their ways now, but keep in mind a lot of us have paid the ultimate price in this pointless war.”

 

 

 

 

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News

 

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 News

UCSF Study Finds Medical Marijuana Could Help Patients Reduce Pain with Opiates

 

A UCSF study suggests patients with chronic pain may experience greater relief if their doctors add cannabinoids – the main ingredient in cannabis or medical marijuana – to an opiates-only treatment.

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News

Medical Marijuana

 

 

One of the most egregious outcomes of marijuana prohibition is that many sick people cannot legally access the medicine that works best for them. For many seriously ill people, medical marijuana is the only medicine that relieves their pain and suffering, or treats symptoms of their medical condition, without debilitating side effects. Marijuana has been shown to alleviate symptoms of a huge variety of serious medical conditions including cancer, AIDS, and glaucoma, and is often an effective alternative to synthetic painkillers. 

Medical Marijuana Access and Research 

Twenty-three states and the District of Columbia have passed medical marijuana laws legalizing the use and production of medical marijuana for qualifying patients under state law. However, the medical use of marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and patients in the remaining states are without any legal access at all.  Even in states where medical marijuana laws exist, patients and providers are vulnerable to arrest and interference from federal law enforcement.  

 

Marijuana prohibition has also thwarted research within the United States to uncover the best and most effective uses for marijuana as a medicine, making efforts to reform medical marijuana laws particularly difficult.

 

DPA played a primary role in the passage of medical marijuana laws in nine states, starting with California’s Proposition 215 in 1996. We seek to implement medical marijuana programs in additional states and to expand existing programs to better protect patients’ rights and to improve patient access to their medicine.  

 

The Drug Policy Alliance is committed to increasing the number of states with medical marijuana laws,

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News

Notice for Medical Marijuana and Other ProCon.org Information

 

4/1/2015 - Is Marijuana an Effective Treatment for Reducing Nausea and Vomiting from Chemotherapy? -  Read pro and con quotes from the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (pro), the US Food & Drug Administration (con), oncologist Dr. Gil Bar-Sela (pro), the American Medical Association (con), and many other experts and organizations.

3/26/2015 - 9 States with Pending Legislation to Legalize Medical Marijuana – 9 States with Pending Legislation to Legalize Medical Marijuana – States considering legislation to legalize medical marijuana include FL, GA, MO, NE, NC, PA, SC, TN, and TX. Also, five states have legislation that is favorable towards medical marijuana but would not fully legalize it. Virginia passed a bill that creates an affirmative defense for cannabis oil used for epilepsy.

3/10/2015 - Does Marijuana Use Increase the Risk of Psychosis (Including Schizophrenia)? - Read pro and con quotes from Marta Di Forti, MD, MRCPsych, Clinical Lecturer at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London (pro), Lynn E. DeLisi, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (con), Matthew Large, MBBS, Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales (pro), Martin Frisher, PhD, Senior Lecturer in Health Services Research at Keele University (con), and many other experts and organizations.

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 News

Peter Tosh and Nelson Mandela

Fighting from Opposite Corners

The Prize: Equal Rights

Jeffrey Coyne

 

"Peter Tosh and Nelson Mandela are two men who dedicated their lives to fight   for equal rights. They are united by common goals but walked on different paths   in their struggles against the oppressors. The major commonality, which made   both men brilliant leaders and revolutionary thinkers, was their passion. The   passion they had for their beliefs and turning their visions into reality.

Tosh and Mandela’s divergent approaches started during their youth and   followed both individuals through a lifetime struggle. Peter Tosh was born on   October 9, 1944 in Westmoreland, Jamaica. Born with the name Winston Huburt   McIntosh, curtsey of his absent churchgoing preacher father James McIntosh and   mothered by Alvera Coke, Tosh found himself alone in the world. Peter faced   the hardships of Jamaican country life including lack of supervision and a poor   economic standing. Immediately challenged as a child, he was watched by his   aunt but claimed that he raised himself. Peter always took responsibility for   his actions and never relied on others for help. Self-reliance was the strongest   characteristic trait gained during this period. The separation from his parents   deeply rooted his need for finding peace in this world. "I was born raised   in righteousness, not to say that my parents was righteous, because they did   not know righteousness. They were being led away to a shitstem, or being deceived   by deceivers, you see, because they wanted to know what was righteousness"   (Holmes and Steffens, Reasoning with Tosh). Tosh negatively associated his parents   with all that is bad in society and that which one must never become. He chose   at a young age to live his life with loftier aspirations. This "righteousness"   ties hand in hand with his Rastafarian beliefs. Tosh clearly states, "I   was born Rastafarian. You cannot turn Rasta man, you have to be born a Rasta"   (Walker, Tough Tosh). His childhood experiences turned him into a tough man   ready to conquer the Babylon.

Nelson Mandela had a very different childhood than Peter Tosh. Born in a small   village called Umtata in Transkei, South Africa on July 18, 1918; Nelson Rolihlahla   Mandela was destined to fight for his people. His father was the chief of their   tribe, meaning that young Nelson had the role of taking over the position when   his father passed away. Mandela grew up in a loving home with his parents and   close ties to his many relatives. Supporting people who cared for his well being   constantly surrounded him. The small African village consisted of small huts   with dirt floors and their diet was mostly corn that they grew in the fields.   They had no luxuries, no true ownership and made next to no money. Young Nelson   grew up wearing only a blanket until age seven when an opportunity arose, to   be the first in his family to attend school. Mandela recalls, "On the first   day of school, my teacher, Miss Mdingane, gave each of us an English name and   said that from thenceforth that was the name we would answer to in school…The   education I received was a British education, in which British ideas, British   culture, British institutions, were automatically assumed superior. There was   no such thing as African culture" (Mandela, Long Walk to Freedom). What   exactly does this experience mark in this young boys life? Babylon!!

As the teenage years moved on for these two men, their paths towards savior   only diverged more. Mandela was moving on in his education attending a Wesleyan   secondary school and later the University of Fort Hare. It was during his time   in college that he saw the legal system as a way to liberate the oppressed.   He was kicked out of the university for his involvement in a protest and later   finished a Bachelors of Art while serving as a clerk in Johannesburg. He became   involved politically and decided he was going to aid his people by attacking   the legal system as a professional attorney.

At fifteen years of age, Peter Tosh found the streets of Trench Town. This   was to be the scene for his lifework. Tosh had already been involved musically   for many years in choirs and by picking up instruments like the guitar. It was   in Trench Town that he met Marley and organized his army. It was music that   was to become his medium for expressing his discontent. Tosh viewed school as   a waste of time and a chance to be brainwashed by the shitstem. He felt that   all that you had to learn was taught to you by Jah or you were born with the   knowledge. "Because when I realize what school is, is just…pack of   shit…I was elementary brought up, seen? And all the things that I teach   today, school didn’t tell me, all of them I see in the lines of inspiration."   He further states that the reason is the Rasta would send their children to   school is "to learn the general shitstem, to learn how to read and write,   you see, to learn that there’s a sign marked ‘Danger,’ see?"   (Steffen’s and Holmes, Reasoning with Tosh) These views of education are   quite contrary to those of Mandela. Where Mandela wanted to be educated to manipulate   the system, Tosh saw education only as a means to "grad u hate."

Tosh and Marley spent their time in Kingston forming a band called the Wailers.   It was in Kingston where Tosh found his weapon of choice, Reggae music. It was   through the sweet sound of his guitar, which at one point was in the shape of   an M-16 rifle, that he cried out for freedom. "This guitar is firing shots   at all them devil disciples. Music is my weapon to fight against apartheid,   nuclear war and those gang-Jah criminals." (Pierson and Steffens, Honorary   Citizen) The music was the outlet for expressing himself to the public. "Reggae   is spiritually revolutionary, and the message is divine. The message content   opens the eyes of the people to the evils of the system…as inside the music   are the seeds of destruction of the said shitstem." (Bagga Brown, High   Times magazine 1983) Tosh has been criticized for his lyrics basically since   the beginning. He was a brilliant songwriter and philosopher evident in his   controversial songs calling for revolution and repatriation. When asked about   his songs he states, "My songs are a revolution, not smiling songs"   (Mark of the Beast, Honorary Citizen Disc One). This revolutionary stance made   him very successful but can also be attributed to his horrific death.

The titles of Tosh’s songs illustrate the various topics and issues he   addressed: Equal Rights, Downpressor Man, 400 Years, Apartheid, Stand Firm,   Peace Treaty and Recruiting Soldiers. The lyrics go into detail how Peter Tosh   planned to bring down Babylon. "Equal Rights" was played for the first   time at the one love peace concert in 1978. The song proclaims, "I don’t   want no peace, I need equal rights and justice, We’ve got to get equal   rights and justice, Right here in Jamaica, Equal Rights and Justice!" It   was an enormous statement to sing this song at the one love concert because   he viewed the concert as something of a fallacy. Tosh spoke before the song   and states "You see, most intellectual people in society think the word   peace means coming together. Peace is the diploma you get in the cemetery, seen."   (One Love Concert, Kingston Jamaica) Words from this speech were reiterated   as "No Justice, No Peace," during the Rodney King controversy in Los   Angeles (Steffens, The Peter Tosh Biography)

Nelson Mandela and Tosh are recognized for their words and their actions. Both   men always favored peaceful protest and only resorted to violence when absolutely   necessary. Mandela’s experience began when he joined the African National   Congress (ANC) in 1943 in support of battling racial injustices. Mandela, accompanied   by Oliver Tambo and Walter Sisulu, broke from the traditional ANC to create   the ANC Youth League in 1944. He was very involved in the running of the organization   and in the strategic planning of the movement. The most devastating blow to   the ANC, as well as South Africa as a nation, was the rise of the National Party   in 1948. Under the rule of Dr. Malan, Apartheid was instituted to support racial   discrimination and oppression. A terrible situation got immediately elevated   to utter Babylon. The entire government making apartheid the official law of   the land substantiated twisted stereotypes. Mandela asserts, "I detest   racism, because I regard it as a barbaric thing, whether it comes from a black   man or a white man." (Mandela, Long walk to freedom) Mandela became the   president of the ANC Youth League in 1951 and leads massive organized revolts   against apartheid.

Tosh sang against apartheid from Jamaica in his song "Apartheid"   and later rewrote the song as "Fight Apartheid." He speaks for the   Africans living their own nations as slaves, "You in me land…And you   build up your partment…you build up your regimes…only talk ‘bout   justice…your in me land…handing down injustice." (Fight Apartheid,   Tosh). The chorus of the song reiterates, "We go fight against apartheid,   We got to fight against apartheid." He saw the shituation in South Africa   as Babylon trying to strike down all Africans around the world. Mandela echoes   Tosh in a statement made from prison, "Unite! Mobilise! Fight on! Between   the anvil of united mass action and the hammer of the armed struggle we shall   crush apartheid." (N.M., African National Congress, June 10, 1980). Mandela   knew that the way to overcome apartheid was via a worldwide platform that enlightened   the government of South Africa of the evils they were perpetuating.

Nelson Mandela and Peter Tosh were living targets that their respective governments   attempted to silence by all means available. The Jamaican government took every   chance possible to silence the revolutionary Reggae artist. Tosh was outspoken   on the topic of police brutalization because of his vast first hand experience.   Tosh speaks of the police: "I see the mark of the beast on their ugly faces.   I see them congregating in evil places. Me know them a wicked." ("Mark   of the Beast", Honorary Citizen Disc Once) He explains his situation as   he introduces the song, "Can you sing a revolution, A threat to society,   you become a threat to society." Peter also experienced, in his own words,   nine "assass-the-fucking-nations" attempts before he was murdered   in his home. The doubt around Tosh’s death also raises the question if   the government orchestrated the murder. From the moment Mandela became politically   involved, he was one of the greatest threats to the South African government   and apartheid as an institution. The South African government dealt with the   Mandela in the most inhumane ways possible, stripping the man justice and throwing   him into a prison cell for over a quarter of a century.

Nelson Mandela earned the nickname of the "Black Pimpernel" because of his success at avoiding the police.  As a political activist and lawyer in the 1950’s he was banned, arrested and imprisoned by the South African government.  In order to keep up his work and not rot away in a cell, he went underground and became a master of disguise eluding the authorities and thus earning the title of the "Black Pimpernel"  (www.anc.org).  Mandela spent the 1950’s leading the revolution and keeping himself out of jail.  Babylon got the best of him in August of 1962 when he was arrested and sentenced to five years on Robben Island.  In 1964 he was brought up on more accounts of sabotage and was sentenced to life in prison along with many of the other leaders of the ANC.  Mandela’s prison life fortified his beliefs, elevated his political stature to a god-like existence and set the stage for the destruction of apartheid in South Africa. 

Two statements illustrate his learned knowledge while imprisoned.  A fourteen page statement given by Nelson Mandela to the Pretoria Supreme Court on April 20, 1964 states, "I planned sabotage…I planned it as a result of a calm and sober assessment of the political situation that had arisen after many years of tyranny, exploitation, and oppression of my people by the whites."  (Mandela, "I am Prepared to Die.")   Mandela began work on his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom, in prison and later finished it after his release in 1990.  Mandela spent the years continuing his political and philosophical work behind the bars of a prison cell.  This profound realization epitomizes his view of imprisonment after twenty-seven years in prison: 

"It was during those long and lonely years that my hunger for the freedom of my own people became a hunger for the freedom of all people, white and black.  I knew as well as I knew anything that the oppressor must be liberated just as surely as the oppressed.  A man who takes away another man’s freedom is a prisoner of hatred, he is locked behind the bars of prejudice and narrow-mindedness.  I am not truly free if I am taking away someone else’s freedom, just as surely as I am not free when my freedom is taken from me.  The oppressed and the oppressor alike are robbed of their humanity"

Peter Tosh seemed to view equality in different lights depending on his situation in life and time of reference. On one hand, he supports the Rastafarian concept of "One Love" in the statement: "They know I don’t support politricks and games.  Because I have bigger aims, hopes and aspirations.  My duty is not to divide them, my duty is to unify the people, cause to divide people is to destroy people.  And destroy yourself, too."  (Walker, Tough Tosh)  Yet he was also quoted in reference to his view on the white race,  "They try to paint a picture from a picture, so it must look phony.  Their experience and inspiration is secondhand; a mango tree cannot bear an apple."  (Bagga Brown, High times magazine 1983)  Tosh had much more animosity, at least vocalized, for the white race than Nelson Mandela.  In Tosh’s eyes, Babylon was created and is the white man.  Tosh sang a song titled "Here Comes the Judge" in which he sits as a judge in a courtroom and accuses men like Vasco de Gama and "Christ-tief Come-Rob-Us," for crimes such as "colonialism, imperialism, slave trading, killing 50 million black people

without a cause, and teaching black people to hate themselves."  (Honorary Citizen)

Nelson Mandela and Peter Tosh have left considerable impacts on society.  It is interesting to see how both men were viewed by society during the course of their lives.  It would be fairly safe to say that the majority of the factions that which he represented throughout his younger life respected Mandela.  However, it wasn’t until his time in prison and his later release that he became an international figure of hope, democracy and morality.  Mandela’s approach was always dignified, planned and constant in respect to his ideology.  This earned him great admiration from South Africa and political leaders around the world.  A great example of Mandela’s loyalty to the movement was during his own trial and that of the heads of the ANC.  Faced with the death penalty as the ultimate and worst outcome, it was decided before trial that they would never appeal even if given the death sentence.  Ahmed Kathrada, a fellow ANC leader with Mandela, speaks about Mandela’s view; "His political argument was that this is a political case…If the leaders of the movement show weakness…what detrimental effect it would have on the followers outside…Leaders are there to lead, and show the courage that is necessary in the face of any consequences."  (Ahmed Kathrada, www.pbs.org)

Peter Tosh was also a freedom fighter but his mentality was much more controversial and angst ridden.  To many Jamaicans, Rastas, he epitomized the struggle between white and black on their island home.  He had never ending problems with the law and was beaten down by the system time and time again.  Tosh was aware of the fact that he had a very strong personality and was quite proud of it.  He stated, "Most people don’t want to deal with me because most people say I’m hostile, some people say I’m arrogant.  Them have all different kinds of names to class me and most people who hear these things are in fear to even talk to me."   (Walker, Tough Tosh)  He lived his life by his own ideals which some did not always understand.  After the legendary Sunsplash concert in 1980 and his expressive speech, a reporter had the audacity to comment; "Jamaica’s international Reggae singer Peter Tosh as headline artiste gave a sparkling performance which was marred by his behavior-cursing (or maybe it could be called swearing) and the smoking of weed on stage."  (The Weekend Star, Friday, July 4. 1980)

A more intuitive recollection on Tosh is "He was as proud, pompous, stubborn, suspicious, argumentative and hasty-tempered a figure as could be imagined."  (In the Path of the Steppin’ Razor, Timothy White, www.boomshaka.cm/toshx/razor.html)

Nelson and Peter both were treated with more dignity and respect outside of their home countries during their struggles.  It was the mistreatment in their homeland that drove them to achieve equality.  Tosh stated during an interview, "I’ve been respected more outside of Jamaica than in Jamaica…I don’t go to jail…I’m not being brutalized by the police…And I don’t see so many bad-minded people who don’t want to see our progress but want to see our destruction." (Walker, Tough Tosh)  It wasn’t until after Tosh’s death that his cousin Pauline Morris set out to recognize Peter as, in her words, "an honorary, and honorable citizen."  (Pierson and Steffens, Honorary Citizen)    Mandela was accused under racist laws and served a life sentence for twenty-seven years in jail.  Needless to say, both men would have had a much easier life had they left their countries in exile for a more enjoyable locale.      

Tosh and Mandela were proud of their heritage and dedicated their lives to fight the oppression of African people.  Interestingly, Tosh commented on the pain he felt for the inequality in South Africa:  "It was like I was born in South Africa, because of the environment I was born, because of the philosophy that they preaches inoculates the youth with inferiority complex in as much as I was taught that when your white your perfectly right, but if you are black, stay in the back."  (Stepping Razor Red X)  This is the same concept that Mandela defended since childhood, to be proud regardless of skin color.  Tosh recollects as a child, "And I ask why am I black, they say I was born in sin, and shamed inequity.  One of the main songs we used to sing in church makes me sick, ‘Love wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.’" (Stepping Razor Red X) 

Mandela and Tosh were motivated and driven by different forces in their fight against Babylon.  Tosh felt: "I have a job to do…I am a vehicle for the word of Jah, a spanner from him toolbox, so I must pass on the message…to be the ‘constructive awakener’ of the black masses of the world so them know themselves and others know what black people suppose to be, and where"  (Bagga Brown, High Times magazine 1983) Tosh was driven by a higher force that had placed him on earth for this specific function.  "Peter was a black messenger.  A man who liked to see equal rights and justice, freedom for his people.  Peter was a great singer, a messenger and a philosopher," states Carlton Smith.  (Piersons and Steffens, Honorary Citizen)  Mandela took on the responsibility of standing up against apartheid for all of South Africa.  He was not instructed by his god and did not view himself as a messenger, just a man acting morally.  Mandela’s first words upon his release from prison describe the motivational factors, which placed him in jail to begin with, and what eventually set him free.  "Friends, Comrades and fellow-South Africans, I great you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all.  I stand before you not as a prophet, but as a humble servant of you the people.  Your tireless and heroic sacrifices have made it possible for me to be here today — I therefore place the remaining years of my life in your hands." (Mandela, Release Speech) 

Although Tosh’s life was cut short at a young age, his achievements carry on beyond the grave.  If peace exists in death, then his diploma would be the legacy he has left for today and tomorrow’s freedom fighters.  His Rastafarian beliefs would echo the fact that since he was here 1000 years ago, he will be here in another 1000 in one form or another.  Tosh sang, "I’m a man of the past, and I’m living in the present, and I’m walking in the future. I’m such a mystic man."  (Mystic Man, Tosh, Honorary Citizen, Disc 2)

The final chapter of Nelson Mandela’s life began in 1990 when he was freed from his bondage as a political slave.  During his first speech after being released from prison, he quotes his own words from his trial in 1964, "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination.  I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities.  It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve.  But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die"  (Mandela, February 11, 1990) Nelson was elected the ANC president in July of 1991 and accepts the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 with F.W. de Klerk for ending apartheid.  April 26, 1994 was the mark of the first democratic election where all races vote and elect Mandela as president.  In his inaugural speech on May 9, 1994 Mandela spoke, "You have mandated us to change South Africa from a country in which the majority lived with little hope, to one in which they can live and work with dignity, with a sense of self-esteem and confidence in the future." (Mandela, Address to the people of Cape Town, Inaugural Speech, May 9, 1994)

Nelson Mandela and Peter Tosh were forward thinkers. Leaders who had a vision   of a world that was different from the oppressive system in which they lived.   They were not in search of perfect world, but one that was equal. One of Mandela’s   most famous quotes that can also defines the experience of Peter Tosh, "The   struggle is my life." (Mandela, Long walk to freedom) They dedicated their   lives to humanity. Mandela’s passionate acceptance speech includes this   passage: "We stand here today as nothing more than a representative of   the millions of our people who dared to rise up against a social system whose   very essence is war, violence, racism, oppression, repression and the impoverishment   of an entire people." (Nobel Peace Prize Speech, December 1993) Mandela   and Tosh were representatives in the loftiest of struggles and will forever   remain pillars of the resistance against oppression."

 

 

News

Alcohol is the most dangerous substance in the US

Posted by Jeandre Gerber on 03/01/2015 in Medical Marijuana News

Location: USA

Yep, research shows us that alcohol is 114 times more dangerous than cannabis consumption. In fact, it is the most dangerous substance in the US causing tens of thousands of deaths each year and many other harmful effects on society.

Yet despite this, alcohol can be bought on virtually every corner without a problem. On the other hand, we have cannabis that has to jump through various loopholes and legal hurdles to even be prescribed as a medicine to those in need.

Stats on Booze

There are roughly 87.6% of people 18 and older who have stated that they have consumed alcohol in the past. 71% reported that they consumed the drug in the past year and with about 56% of people claiming they have consumed it in the past month.

With roughly 88,000 deaths caused by alcohol which makes it the third cause of death in the US. A 2006 estimate suggests that this costs the Taxpayer a whopping $223.5 billion dollars per year. More than 10% of American children live with a parent who have problems with alcohol.

Stats on Marijuana

In the US, there are roughly 97 million people who say that they have tried marijuana at least once in their lifetime. The regular smokers tend to hover in the 20 million marker. While there have been ER visits because of marijuana, none of them were fatal.

A recent study found that cannabis consumption does not lead to an increase of the likeliness to crash your vehicle. In addition, there are millions of Americans who currently have a recommendation from their doctors to use cannabis for medical relief.

Prohibition doesn’t work

In the end, you have to look at the facts. Under prohibition, cannabis became more prevalent than ever. While alcohol is significantly more dangerous than cannabis, we’re not seeing Al Capone and his ilk running around waging turf wars on the streets.

The regulated system allows people to legally purchase alcohol without having to resort to the black market. If one were to legalize cannabis, we would see a lot of the black market vanish. There will always be some sort of black market for everything; however, the legal market will always trump the black market.

It’s time we stop the hypocrisy, if you are truly in favor of making America safer but you don’t have the cojones to make alcohol illegal, you can’t exercise such a deep level of hypocrisy when it comes to cannabis. People should have a right to choose their intoxicant, especially if it doesn’t affect anyone else. 

 

News

Conservatives Push Marijuana Reform in Congress

Pot activists have some surprising new allies

By Tim Dickinson April 16, 2013

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/news/conservatives-push-marijuana-reform-in-congress-20130416#ixzz3YQv9sX22
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There's a new congressional push to end the federal War on Pot in the states – and it's being spearheaded by some of the most conservative members of the Republican conference.

The "Respect State Marijuana Laws Act" introduced in the House last week would immunize anyone acting legally under state marijuana laws from federal prosecution under the Controlled Substances Act. Depending on the state, the legislation would cover both medical marijuana and recreational pot, and would protect not only the users of state-legal cannabis, but also the businesses that cultivate, process, distribute and sell marijuana in these states.

The legislation is in keeping with poll data released last week from Pew Research that found that 60 percent of Americans believe the feds should allow states to self-regulate when it comes to marijuana. The same poll finds that 57 percent of Republicans also favor this approach, which may explain why this bill is attracting arch-conservative backers in the House.

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The Next Seven States to Legalize Pot

The three GOP co-sponsors are:

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher of California, who is best known to liberals as a villainous climate denier for theorizing that global warming is the result of "dinosaur flatulence."

Rep. Don Young of Alaska, the mastermind of the infamous Bridge to Nowhere, who was most recently in the news for recalling the "wetbacks" his father employed on the family farm.

And Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, who was recently "purged" from the Republican House Budget Committee – allegedly for being too conservative – and who has repeatedly voted against toughening penalties for human trafficking.

These hardcore Republicans are joined in a ganja Gang of Six by liberal pro-pot stalwarts Reps. Jared Polis of Colorado, Earl Blumenauer of Oregon and Steve Cohen of Tennessee.

Speaking for the group, Republican Rep. Rohrabacher said the bipartisan bill "establishes federal government respect for all states' marijuana laws" by "keeping the federal government out of the business of criminalizing marijuana activities in states that don't want it to be criminal."

Steve Fox, national political director of the Marijuana Policy Project, hailed the effort to bend federal marijuana law to the will of the governed. "Marijuana prohibition is on its last legs because most Americans no longer support it," said Fox, adding that the new legislation offers the states'-rights crowd in the House with a chance to vote their principles: "This legislation presents a perfect opportunity for members to embrace the notion that states should be able to devise systems for regulating marijuana without their citizens having to worry about breaking federal law."

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“Confession of a Doctor Who Drank Cannabis Oil: “I Had Cancer, Cannabis Oil Brought My Life Back”ent of all drugs. Classical medicine is my calling. However, when I faced lung cancer I tried everything”, says the doctor. He claims to be cured by cannabis oil.

The fifty-year old doctor from Serbia had been detected with lung cancer with metastasis to the lymph nodes 6 months ago. Stage two of three. He began to use cannabis oil. He now fully supports the opportunity to legalize marijuana for medical purposes. “Colleagues immediately did everything to help me. Diagnosis and biopsy were done within seven days. After the initial shock, I decided to go into battle against a very awkward opponent”. As an advocate of classical medicine, he began to go to chemotherapy and had to have over five cycles. “All possible alternatives were included . I used a variety of preparations, drops, syrup monastery … I have heard of the cannabis oil, but because its usage is prohibited by the law and is punishable, it was difficult to procure and to convince the seller that I am not a provocateur, “says P.B.

Before he started therapy he was unsure whether the therapy will work or not. “The symptoms I feel when I use cannabis oil is  a dry mouth and sometimes mild transient feeling of head floating”, explains P.B.

The recent findings of his lungs are stunning. “After only three months of cannabis oil usage the cancer is reduced, and the last finding of scanner is good. My radiologist is delighted. I told my oncologist that I use cannabis oil, and  he only shrugged and told me to use everything that I think can help me”, says P.B.  There are many controversies  in the world about the use of marijuana. “There is solid evidence that marijuana helps, but I support the continuation of experimentation with cannabis in order to find the best solution for patients,” said recently Dr. Cat Arni, famous physician who deals with the examination of the tumor.

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NEWS

 

 

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After Decades of Denial National Cancer Institute Finally Admits that “Cannabis Kills Cancer”

 

By Jay Syrmopoulos

 

After decades of claiming that cannabis has no medicinal value, the U.S. government is finally admitting that cannabis can kill cancer cells.

 

Although still claiming, “there is not enough evidence to recommend that patients inhale or ingest cannabis as a treatment for cancer-related symptoms or side effects of cancer therapy,” the admission that “cannabis has been shown to kill cancer cells in the laboratory,” highlights a rapidly changing perspective on medicinal cannabis treatments.

 

In the most recent update to the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) website included a listing of studies, which indicated anti-tumor effects of cannabis treatment.

 

Preclinical studies of cannabinoids have investigated the following activities:

 

Antitumor activity • Studies in mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells. • A study in mice showed that cannabinoids may protect against inflammation of the colon and may have potential in reducing the risk of colon cancer, and possibly in its treatment. • A laboratory study of delta-9-THC in hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) cells showed that it damaged or killed the cancer cells. The same study of delta-9-THC in mouse models of liver cancer showed that it had antitumor effects. Delta-9-THC has been shown to cause these effects by acting on molecules that may also be found in non-small cell lung cancer cells and breast cancer cells. • A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in estrogen receptor positive and estrogen receptor negative breast cancer cells showed that it caused cancer cell death while having little effect on normal breast cells. Studies in mouse models of metastatic breast cancer showed that cannabinoids may lessen the growth, number, and spread of tumors. • A laboratory study of cannabidiol (CBD) in human glioma cells showed that when given along with chemotherapy, CBD may make chemotherapy more effective and increase cancer cell death without harming normal cells. Studies in mouse models of cancer showed that CBD together with delta-9-THC may make chemotherapy such as temozolomide more effective.The NCI, part of the U.S. Department of Health, advises that ‘cannabinoids may be useful in treating the side effects of cancer and cancer treatment’ by smoking, eating it in baked products, drinking herbal teas or even spraying it under the tongue.

The site goes on to list other beneficial uses, which include: anti-inflammatory activity, blocking cell growth, preventing the growth of blood vessels that supply tumors, antiviral activity and relieving muscle spasms caused by multiple sclerosis.

 

Several scientific studies have given indications of these beneficial properties in the past, and this past April the US government’s National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) revised their publications to suggest cannabis could shrink brain tumors by killing off cancer cells, stating, “marijuana can kill certain cancer cells and reduce the size of others.”

“Evidence from one animal study suggests that extracts from whole-plant marijuana can shrink one of the most serious types of brain tumors,” the NIDA said. “Research in mice showed that these extracts, when used with radiation, increased the cancer-killing effects of the radiation.”

Research on marijuana’s potential as a medicine has been stifled for decades by federal restrictions, even though nearly half of the states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana in some form.

Although cannabis has been increasingly legalized by states, the federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug — along with heroin and ecstasy — defining it as having no medical benefits and a potential for abuse.

The vast majority of the $1.4 billion spent on marijuana research, by the National Institute of Health, absurdly involves the study of abuse and addiction, with only $297 million being spent researching potential medical benefits.

Judging by the spending levels, it seems the feds have a vested interest in keeping public opinion of cannabis negative Perhaps “Big Pharma” is utilizing their financial influence over politicians in an effort to maintain a stranglehold on the medical treatment market.

Jay Syrmopoulos is an investigative journalist, free thinker, researcher, and ardent opponent of authoritarianism. He is currently a graduate student at University of Denver pursuing a masters in Global Affairs. Jay’s work has been published on BenSwann’s Truth in Media, Chris Hedges’s Truth-Out, AlterNet, InfoWars, MintPressNews and many other sites.

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