Category Archives: News and Updates

Updated news concerning medicinal cannabis

CBD Is Schedule 1, Is This a Joke

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The Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) claimed that Cannabidiol, CBD is Schedule 1, a controlled substance! Who is kidding who? An article in the Miami Herald May 3 2018, stated that the DEA wanted a clarification that CBD is a controlled substance. The DEA claims that the extract comes from marijuana which is a controlled substance. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, a Federal court sided with the DEA. The Hemp industry is up-in-arms because CBD is also produced from the hemp plant.

Beside Myself

CBD is Schedule 1I am so beside myself right now. I am trying to maintain composure so that I can relay this information to you with accuracy, CBD is found in hemp and has been very beneficial to help control certain symptoms. There are no psychotropic effects with CBD, the same as with an aspirin. Many people who need the whole plant extract from Indica cannabis have settled for CBD so that they did not have to worry about the legal issues. Now that this is placed before them, what choices are left? There is but one choice, pharmaceuticals.

Getting the Picture

Is the picture starting to form here for you? I certainly hope so. Big Pharma has reached an even lower low. But to me, it is crystal clear just how much influence the pharmaceutical companies have on our lawmakers. We constantly see how pharmaceuticals are destroying lives. Yet, because of the huge amount of money made, they are still allowed to continue. I hope that you will join me and contact your federal congresspeople to let them know just how mad you are. The link is below if you do not know who your Representatives are.

Let your Government Know

Please, I urgently request that you join with me in an effort to let our government know that we want the medication that God gave us without all the bureaucratic red tape. Even with states that made medicinal cannabis legal, the expense is so great that many can not afford it. Again, their only option is pharmaceuticals. For a few dollars for seeds and solvent, I can produce enough whole plant extract to last the year and for many, save their own lives.

God bless you in this life and the next!

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members

Secret to My Success

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Since the recent posting of my newest profile picture on Facebook, I have had a few people ask me the secret to my success with cannabis and supplements. What it is that I am doing. And while I can tell you that there is not a super pill, there is a list of things that I follow. I am often surprised at the reactions when I explain the things that I do.cannabis and supplements - me

stay as close to God made as possible

Let me first start by telling you that my goal is to stay as close to God made as possible. I absolutely believe the Bible to be the word of God. 1 Peter 2:24 states “by his wounds you have been healed.” 1 Kings 3:14 says “and if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you long life.” Hosea 4:6 “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. …” I am not going get churchie here but just to point out where my faith lies. Why things had to get so bad before getting better, I don’t know. Why must a caterpillar die before the butterfly emerges?

Yes, I have made mistakes and still do, but God is gracious to forgive them and forget after I ask. I also knew that I could not thrive without gaining a lot of knowledge that pertained to me.

I despise pharmaceuticals! Having had to take some antibiotics because of such serious infection(s), I was prescribed Opioids for the pain in my legs at night and Baclofen to help reduce the severe muscle spasticity. I found cannabis, a God given herb, will control both pain and spasticity without the nasty side effects. If you know me, you can remember the terrible condition that I was in 4 – 5 years ago. My goal has not changed and though it seemed like it was not working, I believed that what I was learning and knew would not fail.

cannabis and supplements

I have been taking nutritional supplements since 2007 because it sounded like a good idea. I’ve also known that I had to take responsibility and learn all that I could about was I was taking. You’ll find that Youngevity’s Beyond Tangy Tangerine to be a complete supplement lacking only the omega fatty acids. To my discovery that in the chronic condition that I was in I needed to add more to it. So, I also add selenium, calcium, and vitamin D3, found in Youngevity’s Pollen Burst, to my daily routine. There was a time that I really needed my protein level up and Youngevity has a great powder for that. Probiotics and prebiotics to repair the gut from the antibiotics.cannabis and supplements

I found out nearly 3 years ago that I was 190 pounds overweight! Still hard for me to confess that. That is hard to lose when you can exercise but how do you do it sitting in a wheelchair? I knew that I could lose the weight following a high protein, low carb diet. But knowing if I stopped the fat would return so I made a lifetime eating change. As of my last weight check in Feb., I am down 91 pounds. I do use an online site to help me track what I eat so that I can know and no longer guess at the amounts I eat.

bottom line

I think the bottom line is simple, maybe not easy. I had to decide what was important to me. Once that was done it was a daily and sometimes hourly struggle to follow through. There were many nights that I would go to bed with an oxygen hose in my nose, that I asked God to take me home, but if I awake in the morning I would do my best to bring him praise. I have modified my Grammy Pratt’s bedtime prayer. “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray dear Lord, my soul, you’ll keep. If I should die and not awake, I pray dear Lord my soul you’ll take. If I should live another day, in my heart dear Lord I pray you’ll stay.”cannabis and supplements prayin hands

Cannabis – Herb or Drug

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Cannabis herb or drug? That is a question of much debate. Merriam – Webster defines herb as:
      “a seed-producing annual, biennial, or perennial that does not develop persistent woody tissue but dies down at the end of a growing season – a plant or plant part valued for its medicinal, savory, or aromatic qualities.” This definition really answers the question. 



cannabis herbCannabis is a seed producing, flowering plant that dies off at the end of a growing season. There are many varieties but three species, Indica, Sativa, and Ruderalis. Hemp is a variety of the Sativa species which has different values not generally associated with medicine. 

Some may bring up the point that the DEA has marijuana listed as a Schedule 1 drug. That means, according to the DEA, cannabis has NO medicinal benefits.  The United States of America used cannabis in medicines to treat numerous medical conditions until the 1900’s. Illnesses including mental disorders, gout, cholera,  hydrophobia, and insomnia. The cannabis herb was also used to treat respiratory conditions like asthma by smoking it. Even more recently, studies suggest that inhaling either the smoke or vapor could help patients with COPD. The THC component has shown signs, in laboratory tests, to even kill cancerous tumors.

What are Drugs

Drugs, according to Wikipedia, are any substance other than foods that when inhaled, injected, smoked, consumed, absorbed via a patch on the skin or dissolved under the tongue causes a physiological change in the body. A pharmaceutical drug is a chemical substance used to treat, cure, prevent, or diagnose a disease or to promote well-being. These definitions may be boring but help us to understand the plant called cannabis.

Based upon these definitions and findings we can conclude that cannabis is an herb with drug-like qualities. The concern that marijuana has psychoactive effects should be no reason to keep it from those that choose to use it. Caffeine is found in countless beverages as well as chocolate also having the psychoactive properties in it. I see no value in banning caffeine, do you? Yet caffeine has no real medicinal value. Your comments and questions are always welcome. Please share your thoughts.

Huge Drug Raid by Mass. State Police & Nat’l Guard

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Sept. 21, 2016, drug raid. Image, if you will, sitting at your 81-year-old mother’s table eating lunch



mass-helicopter-drug-raidnot expecting a drug raid. The sound of helicopter blades whirring fills the house and vibrates the windows. You look outside to see a low-flying helicopter hovering and moving slowly about. Two persons are in the open doorway holding something. State troopers arrive in several vehicles minutes after the helicopter leaves. One bangs on the door and flashes a badge asking you if you were aware of any marijuana growing on the property. The trooper tells you that if you do not require a warrant they will not press charges.
Margaret Holcomb after drug raid

Margaret Holcomb and her son Tim Holcomb

This is what happened at an 81-year-old grandmother’s home. She was not at home during the drug raid. Her son and daughter were there having a late lunch. To point out Margaret Holcomb was raising a single plant. Her hope that it would help her deal with the symptoms of arthritis and glaucoma and to help her sleep at night. Although Ms. Holcomb does not hold a medical marijuana card to authorize her growing the plant. Nevertheless, Ms. Holcomb’s herb was in the back yard, fenced in from the neighbors and tucked in her raspberry plants. Ms. Holcomb is not a social activist but says that she feels her civil rights were violated.

State Police Verified The Drug Raid

According to an email to the Daily Hamshire Gazette, a spokesman David Procopio for the State Police verified the drug raid in the Amherst and Northampton areas Sept 21, 2016. The State Police in a joint effort with the National Guard seized a total of 44 plants that day. Of course, the sum of the plants taken was from various properties in those areas. Procopio said that none of the property owners were charged with a crime. Also that the plants were in plain sight. How many people have a thermal imaging device and a helicopter to see in their neighbor’s backyard?

With the amount of money spent on this operation, I can think of far worse crimes to spend it on. Michael Cutler, a Northampton attorney, believes authorities are using up funds allocated before the end of the fiscal year to gas up the helicopter and do fly-overs. “Is this the way we want our taxpayer money spent, to hassle an 81-year-old and law-abiding patients?” Cutler said.

Margaret Holcomb’s son Tim wonders if the crackdown is to stop citizens from self-medicating. As a matter of fact, most of us wonder the same thing. Self-medicating would intrude on the lucrative medical marijuana industry. Once again we can see how money influences the scale of right or wrong. My opinion is that anything that is a danger to society should be legally regulated. Why make something illegal that possess helpful benefits to an individual.

Medical Cannabis News

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We are always looking for news on medical cannabis, both federal and state laws. This site is subscribed to several information sources, therefore bringing the most relevant information to you. Our readers require validated information and that is our goal. Every post article will have at least one reference link to validate its issue. If you have any comments, suggestions, or corrections concerning medical cannabis news, please leave us your remarks below.

States with Medical Cannabis on 2016 Ballot

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The states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballot are increasing. More people are becoming aware of the medicinal benefits of cannabis and are getting their legislators to support them. Not only is marijuana being recognized for its medicinal qualities but also for being less harmful than originally believed. Help support these states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballot.

arkansas states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballotArkansas has the Arkansas Medical Cannabis Act, Issue 7. A competing measure, though much smaller, is Arkansas Medical Marijuana Amendment Issue 6. Issue 7 sets forth a statewide program for the licensed production, analytic testing, and distribution of medicinal cannabis. Under the program, patients diagnosed by a physician with one of over 50 qualifying conditions may obtain marijuana from one of up to 38 licensed non-profit care centers. Qualified patients who do not have a center operating in their vicinity will be permitted to obtain a ‘hardship certificate’ in order to cultivate their own medicine at home. Currently, polls indicate that 68% of voters approve of this Issue. Issue 6 reduces the number of qualifying conditions and would disallow home cultivating.

florida states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballotFlorida voters will find Amendment 2 on the 2016 ballot. This amendment is called Use of Marijuana For Debilitating Conditions. The passing of the amendment would permit qualified patients to possess and obtain cannabis from state-licensed facilities. In fact, according to a recent statewide poll, 70 percent of Florida voters say that they support the passage of the amendment. According to Florida law, 60 percent of voters must approve a constitutional amendment in order for it to become law. In November 2014, Floridians narrowly rejected a similar amendment, which received 58 percent of the vote.

More States with Medical Cannabis on 2016 Ballot

missouri states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballotMissouri has an initiative pending. New Approach Missouri is under litigation with the courts. The initiative will establish a statewide system for the production and sale of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products. It also provides for limited and regulation of patient’s own cultivation. The initiative imposes a four percent retail tax. Furthermore, all revenue in excess of the cost of regulating the medical cannabis program will go to help Missouri’s veterans. The initiative maintains the current prohibition on public use and driving under the influence. Additionally, the Department of Health and Senior Services will institute a seed-to-sale tracking system to ensure that the product and money do not reach the illicit market. The initiative puts the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services in charge of licensing and implementation. But also allows the department to contract with other state agencies when necessary for effective and efficient regulation.

montana states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballotThe state of Montana has initiative I-182, Montana Medical Marijuana Initiative, on the 2016 ballot. The initiative will repeal the limit of three patients for each licensed provider. Furthermore, allowing providers to hire employees to cultivate, dispense, and transport medical marijuana. I-182 repeals the previous law that physicians who provide certifications for 25 or more patients annually be referred to the board of medical examiners. I-182 removes the authority for law enforcement to conduct unannounced inspections of medical marijuana facilities but requires annual inspections by the state.

Two States to Go

nd states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballotNorth Dakota has its act for the ballot. The North Dakota Compassionate Care Act 2016 will permit patients with an eligible debilitating condition to possess and obtain marijuana (up to three ounces) and marijuana-specific preparations under a doctor’s written certification. The act will also establish a statewide regulatory system for the creation of licensed ‘compassionate care centers.’ Patients (or their caregivers) who do not live in close proximity to such centers may cultivate up to eight marijuana plants in an enclosed, secured facility.

oklahoma states with medical cannabis on 2016 ballotThe Oklahoma voters will be voting yea or nay on State Question 788. Proponents are currently challenging the attorney general’s rewording of the ballot title. In the first place, the legal challenge could force the issue to be decided in a special election after November 8. The Act establishes a state-licensing system for permitted eligible patients to possess and cultivate personal use quantities of cannabis for therapeutic purposes. Those who do not possess such a license face civil fines but not criminal penalties. The Act also establishes a state-regulated system for growing and dispensing medical cannabis. Marijuana sales will have taxes imposed.

Many thanks to NORML for their continuing efforts to educate and reform cannabis laws, in specific, medical marijuana laws. Please pay them a visit and tell them we sent you. In conclusion, please get out and vote and particularly you state with medical cannabis on 2016 ballot. Equally important is your comments. Please leave your comments at the bottom of the page. Many regards.

If you are unsure of your state’s position, click the link below.

http://norml.org/states

To find out who your state legislators are, click on the link below.

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

To find out who your federal legislators are, click on the link below.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members

 

Pharmaceutical Company Fights Marijuana Legalization

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A pharmaceutical company fights marijuana legalization due to concerns that legal weed would affect their product sales. Insys Therapeutics donated $500,000 to Arizonans For Responsible Drug Policy. ARDP is an organization to fight legalized cannabis.

pharmaceutical company fights marijuana legalization InsysInsys executives claimed that the donation was made out of concern for child safety. However, a statement from Insys to the SEC claims otherwise. According to The Intercept, the filing reads in part:

“Legalization of marijuana or any non-synthetic cannabinoids in the USA could significantly limit the commercial success of any dronabinol product candidate. ***If marijuana or any non-synthetic cannabinoids were legalized in the US, the market for dronabinol product sales would likely be significantly reduced. Our ability to generate revenue and our business prospects would be materially adversely affected.”

Insys Therapeutics said it opposes Prop 205 on the Arizona ballot. The reason is because it fails to protect the safety of Arizona citizens and particularly it’s children.

“***We believe that all available medicines should meet the clinical standards set by the FDA. Insys firmly believes in the potential clinical benefits of cannabinoids. Likewise, as many others in the health care community, we hope that patients will have the opportunity to benefit from these potential products. Once clinical trials can demonstrate their safe and effective use.”

The Arizona Republic posted an article on Sept 8, 2016.  J.P. Holyoak is the chairperson of the campaign, Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. Holyoak stated, here you have a pharmaceutical company fights marijuana legalization, using profits from sales of what is called, the most potent and dangerous opioid on the market. Consequently preventing adults from using a far less harmful substance is motivated by pure selfish interest.

Insys Therapeutics

Insys Therapeutics has 2 drugs in development. Dronabinol has been FDA-approved as of July 2016. Dronabinol is to be used for cancer patients suffering from nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy. In conjunction, Dronabinol can also be used for patients suffering weight loss from AIDS. Cannabidiol is the other product in development currently in stage 2 of development. This drug is targeted for pediatric severe epilepsies.

I think that is easy to conclude that Insys, a Chandler pharmaceutical company, would stand to lose a lot of money with the legalization of cannabis. We must not let any large business dictate laws to our government. I can not trust anything that the FDA has approved. Furthermore, look at all of the drugs that are FDA approved and have major side effects. Drugs that can cause serious problems, illnesses, and even death. Viagra now is being sued for causing skin cancer.

“Let go, let God,” is a favorite saying among Christians. God created plants, animals, and humans. Our bodies are not created to utilize chemicals. However, we do very well with natural occurring substances. To sum up, we have no need for synthetic milk, eggs, or herbs.

Let you local legislators know how you stand.

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

Let your Federal legislators know how you stand.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members

Please put your comments below to let us know how you feel.

DEA Was Going To Reschedule Cannabis

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DEA Refuses Cannabis Rescheduled

The DEA refuses cannabis rescheduled, announcing on August 11th that marijuanaDEA Refuses Cannabis Rescheduled badge would remain classified as a schedule I drug. We heard rumors that the DEA was going to reschedule cannabis in August 2016 or even as early as July 2016. This ruling keeps cannabis in a group of illicit drugs with absolutely NO medical value. I would like to point out that cannabis is, by definition, a herb and not a drug. The more this writer researches the information, the more infuriated I become. Also, the DEA has marijuana listed as a hallucinogen.

The statement on August 11 brought forth 3 issues from the DEA. 1) The DEA and Dept. of Health and Human Services feel that marijuana has a high risk for abuse. 2) Since the chemistry of cannabis isn’t known and reproducible there is no way to back up cannabis supporters’ claims that it can treat any ailment. 3) The Drug Enforcement Administration, again, feel that marijuana lack a sufficient safety protocol.

I don’t mean to pick on alcohol, or fast food, or your favorite snack food, but don’t these have a high risk for abuse. I am sure that you have known someone to abuse alcohol to where they stand or walk, some have even died. The obesity crisis in America is largely credited to snack foods and fast foods. I have never met, known, or read about anyone who smoked so much (clean) weed that they could not stand or walk. Furthermore there as never been anyone to smoke themselves to death with unmolested marijuana. I know that cannabis use tends to give some people the munchies, that is because marijuana increases the metabolism. Some people that use pot may be overweight, but no one has gotten obese from using it.

Medical Benefits Can Not Be Verified

The DEA stated that since the chemistry of cannabis can not be replicated, then those claims of medical benefits can not be verified. Personally, I think that this previous statement tells the truth. Big Pharma has lobbied our government and influence the laws by which you and I must abide. According to U.S. News and World Report, in 2014 theDEA Refuses Cannabis Rescheduled us-news drug companies raked in $100B dollars. How many people still died, I wonder? The latest report that I was able to find was from 2012. Cancer.org reported that 8.2 million people died from cancer in 2012 and yet few people are speaking out to change the laws so that our family, friends, or countrymen might live.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse states, “Hallucinogens are a class of drugs that cause hallucinations—profound distortions in a person’s perceptions of reality. Hallucinogens can be found in some plants and mushrooms (or their extracts) or can be man-made, and they are commonly divided into two broad categories: classic hallucinogens (such as LSD) and dissociative drugs (such as PCP). When under the influence of either type of drug, people often report rapid, intense emotional swings and seeing images, hearing sounds, and feeling sensations that seem real but are not.” Really, I personally would love to interview anyone that would claim to have had this experience while under the influence of marijuana not mixed or laced with anything.

We Must All Speak Out

In summary, the DEA refuses cannabis rescheduled, denies cannabis as having any medical benefits. I don’t like being redundant but, really? Simply because the countless amounts of video and written testimonies were not verified according to the FDA procedure. Since when did we Americans need bureaucrats to verify what your neighbor has told you. It is not in our Constitution. It is not morally right to suppress a herb that could change the quality of life for the better. We must all speak out as one people.

 

DEA Refuses To Loosen Restrictions On Cannabis!

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DEA Refuses to Reconsider the Reclassification of Marijuana

The DEA refuses to reconsider the reclassificationDEA badge Reclassification of Marijuana of marijuana. According to Criminal justice reporter, Carimah Townes, at ThinkProgress, stated in an article Aug. 12, 2016. Consequently, as a Schedule I drug, cannabis is ranked in with the notorious drugs like heroin and LSD. This also means that the Federal government refuses to accept that cannabis has any medicinal value, despite all of the ongoing evidence and support of Americans.

According to a National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), eight out of ten, that is 80%, of Americans, support legalization of cannabis for medicinal benefits. NORML Reclassification of Marijuana

“It’s really sad that DEA has chosen to continue decades of ignoring the voices of patients who benefit from medical marijuana,” Tom Angell, the chairman of Marijuana Majority, said in a statement. “President Obama always said he would let science — and not ideology — dictate policy, but in this case, his administration is upholding a failed drug war approach instead of looking at real, existing evidence that marijuana has medical value.”

The DEA restricts research

The DEA’s announcement means that the DEA considers cannabis is still as harmful as heroin and more harmful and less beneficial than cocaine! It also bars scientists from any federal funding to research marijuana and inhibits insurance companies from covering any cannabis treatments. A study done by the University of Georgia showed 8 of 9 symptoms, for which the green herb is commonly used; anxiety, depression, glaucoma, nausea, pain, in addition to, psychosis, seizures, sleep disorders and spasticity were successfully treated.

May of 2016, Ohio became the 25th state in this union to recognize and legalize medical cannabis. If your state is not onboard, please contact your state legislators. That is the only way that they know how you, the voters, feel on this important issue. Furthermore, we must hound our federal legislators as well. Write to them, call them and do it often!

If you are unsure of your state’s position, click the link below.

http://norml.org/states

To find out who your state legislators are, click on the link below.

http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/

To find out who your federal legislators are, click on the link below.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members

Publix heiress gives $800G to fight medical marijuana

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One of Florida’s richest women

Publix heiressPublix heiress, Carol Jenkins Barnett, one of Florida’s richest women is donating big time to keep medical marijuana out of the state. The trust of Carol Jenkins Barnett, daughter of the founder of the Publix supermarket chain, has donated $800,000 to the Drug-Free Florida group, which is fighting a legalization measure on the ballot this November, the Miami New Times reports.

Amendment 2 would allow doctors to prescribe marijuana for what it calls “debilitating medical conditions”. In particular are cancer, HIV, epilepsy, and PTSD, reports the SaintPetersBlog. A similar amendment failed in 2014—with Barnett’s trust donating $540,000 to defeat it. As a result, the only Floridians who now have access to medical marijuana are children with severe epilepsy. They are prescribed a low-THC version, and terminal cancer patients allowed to use marijuana under an “experimental drugs” program, reports the Miami Herald.

Barnett, 59, has early onset Alzheimer’s and resigned from the company’s board last month. Publix says her donation to the anti-pot group is personal and does not reflect company policy.

“She feels that Amendment 2 would usher in an unprecedented era of legalized marijuana in Florida. Instead of only helping those who suffer from debilitating illnesses,” the company said in a statement to Time.

Publix heiress has her money to waste

The campaign manager for United for Care, which is leading the legalization campaign, says he thinks she’s wasting her money. It isn’t time for “potheads to get up in arms and boycott Publix just yet”. In other words, “I’m still shopping at Publix, let’s put it that way,” he tells the New Times.

The amendment needs 60 percent support to pass. In fact, in a poll released Monday,  shows 77 percent of Floridians in favor. This article originally appeared on Newser: Publix Heiress Gives $800K to Fight Medical Pot

As for medical cannabis news, I think that you can see the concern the pharmaceuticals have concerning medicinal cannabis!