ATF Says "No Firearms for Medical Marijuana Users"... Are You Kidding Me?!

     According to an *open letter* issued by the ATF to all Federal Firearms Licensees on September 21, 2011, even state-granted medical marijuana users are prohibited from "shipping, transporting, receiving, or possessing" firearms or ammo.  Where do I begin?  The tyranny has to stop and I urge EVERYONE to not take this lying down! Get up and write your senators and congressmen.
      Do we have a Second Amendment right to bear arms or not? I  personally believe that if citizens have firearms, it will keep the powers-that-be in check...  No, I'm not crazy and I do not have politicians' faces printed on firearm targets. I do, however think that most politicians only protect our Constitutional rights as long as it is convenient and/or financially profitable (ever heard of a "lobbyist"?) *PLEASE read this article!*
     Does the Tenth Amendment mean anything? According to the federal government, the answer is a huge "NO".  If  powers or jurisdiction is not specifically given to them, it is by default granted to each state or the individual citizen.  The ATF shouldn't even exist in my opinion because the federal government oversteps its Constitutional boundaries.
     The DEA knows very well it is wrong to have cannabis as a Schedule 1 controlled substance but they won't change it. *Read this*  Once again, where in the Constitution is the federal government granted the right to even have a "DEA"?
     I could keep going, but the point is made. Obviously, this nation has let the Constitution go on the wayside and has allowed special-interest groups to be our nation's compass and guide us.

P.S. This is not a Right Wing/ Left Wing argument...  Do not be fooled by Republicans who claim they believe in gun-rights... most of them only stand for the Second Amendment because it helps garner votes (see above).  Ron Paul will protect your rights as President - because of principle...

POLL: Should the U.S. government deregulate cannabis?

Cannabidiol and Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

     I always love finding study after study of the positive health effects of cannabis.  One such study that I came across in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology shows that the leading non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis, cannabidiol (CBD), has been shown to reduce the harmful effects of diabetes-related heart conditions, including cardiac dysfunction and inflammation, fibrosis, and oxidative stress. See for yourself *here*.
Now, mind you, as of last year this was all pre-clinical findings.  What does that mean?  According to the study, mice with diabetic cardiomyopathy were used as well as actual human heart muscle tissue. Actual diabetic human testing has not yet occurred.
    For years people have found relief of their diabetic symptoms by using cannabis.  NORML's website highlights findings of cannabis and diabetes.  Here is a *link*.
     I am keeping it short and sweet today.  Please share this with friends and family that could benefit from these findings.

Bud of the Week - Cinderella 99

     Just like the fairy-tale princess of this bud's namesake, Cinderella 99 is a royal strain with humble beginnings. She is the ultimate by-product of the happenstance of a breeder visiting a coffeeshop in Amsterdam and finding a few seeds in a bud of Jack Herer.  The breeder, from the now-defunct Brothers Grimm, grew the seeds out and isolated one under the name "Princess". Princess' father was unidentified , but the sweet, pineapple aroma was appealing, so the breeder took Princess' brothers and pollinated them with a ShivaSkunk female.  The resulting seeds yielded males, which began the cubing process with Princess and the finished product was "Cinderella 99".
    Unfortunately, this generation is no longer available.  An F2 version was created with the attempt to keep the original traits of the F1 hybrid.  At this point, I will be referring to the F2 in this blog.
     Under 1000W lights, C 99 has yielded two ounces of finished product from 3 gallon soil grows.  The good news is this plant is only in flower for under 60 days.  C 99 can be a pain to manicure due to the abundance of fine leaves common to sativas.
     Be cautious when using this strain as the high is potent and has caught people off guard - even to the point of muscle twitching and paranoia!  The smell is strong of pineapple but the aftertaste has been described as chemical or burnt leaves.

Medicinal Uses: Chronic Pain, Cancer, Nausea, Depression, MS, Migraines 
   

DuPont hates Cannabis - Part 3

     Until now, I have left one factor out of this saga's equation: *William Randolph Hearst*.  Hearst was the owner of the largest newspaper conglomerate in his day and he took full advantage of it. Using yellow journalism and smear tactics, Hearst's papers painted a false picture of cannabis as being a factor in violent crimes and interracial unions.  

     It is ironic that this occurred around the same time as the invention of the hemp decorticator (1935), a device used in separating the cellulose fibers from the plant.  Much like the cotton gin did for cotton, the decorticator allowed for hemp fiber processing time - and ultimately production costs - to drop significantly.  Previously (in 1916), the USDA concluded that pulp made from hemp was "favorable in comparison with those used in wood pulp".Here is a *link* to a downloadable copy of their findings.  Hemp was on course to become America's leading cash crop!  

     Hearst had other plans, however. Because the Hearst corporation also was a major logging company, Hearst had vested interest in hundreds of thousands of acres of timber. DuPont produced the chemicals for the treatment of raw wood pulp into usable paper.  DuPont also was a huge advertiser in Hearst's publications. These two giants were not about to let hemp get between them and dollar bills...

     The vast size of the newspaper empire of the Hearst Corporation allowed for Hearst to propagate completely made-up tales of rape, murder, and "madness"! It was claimed that white women would be seduced by marijuana to "seek sexual relations" with "Negroes and  Mexicans and entertainers".  With society being duped of the purportedly dangerous effects of cannabis, the stage was being set for prohibition.  Remember Andrew Mellon? He was the Treasury Secretary at the time and he appointed his nephew, Harry Anslinger, to be head of the newly formed Federal Bureau of Narcotics (by the way, cannabis is not a narcotic).  Anslinger hated minorities and believed that "the Devil's music", Jazz, was a direct  result of marijuana use by minority entertainers.  

    It is quite sad that all of this greed, racism, and lies have set America back. Because of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1938, cannabis was virtually outlawed (by doubling the cost for registered possessors and multiplying the cost a hundred-fold for unregistered possessors).  If you haven't, please read "DuPont hates Cannabis" in all three parts.  Also, share these blog entries with people who think marijuana was outlawed with good intentions.  

     

DuPont hates Cannabis - Part 2

     In Part 1, I mentioned society's shift from using hempseed oil to synthetic chemicals in paints and varnishes.  I would like to now draw your attention to behind the historical "curtain".  In the late 1800s,  "Agriculture" was begining to lose marketshare to the up-and-coming  "Industy". Several billion dollars were at stake.  In 1896, Rudolph Diesel's new engine had been designed with the presumption that vegetable and seed oils (like hempseed oil) would be used as fuel.
     Have you ever heard of Chevron? Chevron was the result of the merger of Standard Oil and Gulf Oil companies in 1985.  Gulf Oil had been throughout most of the twentieth century one of the major manufacturers of fuels and lubricants. Fuels and lubricants that were made from petroleum instead of natural oils such as hempseed oil.  It was in 1913 that Gulf Oil opened its first drive-in gas station - the same year Ford Motor Company began using the assembly line for automobile manufacturing.  At this time I shall mention briefly that the Alcohol Prohibition of 1919 falls right in line with the fledgling automotive industry's decision of which fuel to use - ethanol ( alcohol produced from grains) versus petroleum-derived gasoline.

     The special interests do not stop there - we are just getting started!  One of DuPont's larger financial backers, a man by the name of Andrew Mellon became the Treasury Secretary of this nation.  Mellon had taken over Gulf Oil.  In 1914, DuPont had purchased $25 million in stock of a little known company called General Motors.  Pierre DuPont, the founder of DuPont, became president of GM in 1920.  The ties between DuPont and the Oil and Automotive industries had been made.  They were going to rise or fall as a group - they needed each other.
     As this story unfolds, I hope you are beginning to see the corruption that is starting to brew and how it all links in the prohibition of cannabis.  Stay tuned for Part 3!

DuPont hates Cannabis - Part 1

     If one is willing to take a moment and do some homework, he or she would find that DuPont, one of the world's leading chemical corporations, was a major player in the "Let's eradicate cannabis from the planet!" campaign.  I will try to give my readers a condensed version of this story, but please take some time and search out these facts for yourself.  Due to the fact that I try to keep my blog entries to a few paragraphs per blog, I will not pour out everything there is to know about this "relationship" between cannabis and DuPont in this blog entry.  I will begin by focusing on the use of cannabis in paints and varnishes.
     Prior to DuPont's multiple petrochemical creations hitting the market, *hempseed oil* was used in the manufacturing of virtually all quality paints and varnishes. It has been a staple in the industry for thousands of years.   In 1935, 116 million pounds of it were designated for paint and varnish use in America alone!  The testimonies of DuPont lobbyists between the years of 1935-1937 to Herman Oliphant (Chief Counsel for the Treasury Department) that hempseed oil could be synthetically replaced by DuPont's new chemical products are undoubtedly tied in with Oliphant's drafting of the Marijuana Tax Act, which was submitted to Congress and passed in 1938.
cont. in Part 2
   
 

Simpson Oil (or "Why Cancer Foundations are a Fraud")

     Have you ever wondered why, in spite of BILLIONS of dollars being funneled to major players in the pharmaceutical industry and the multiple cancer research foundations, we still do not have a cure for cancer, but rather, cancer is on the rise - especially among children and young adults?  If they discovered a cure - which, in my opinion, they have - they would ultimately be out of work and out of money.  This is where Rick Simpson steps in...
     Rick Simpson decided to treat his Basal Cell Carcinoma with oil that he extracted from the cannabis plant using naphtha to dissolve the cannabinoids from the unwanted parts of the plant.  Rick didn't realize at the time, but when he showed his doctor the wonderful results of the "Simpson Oil" on his skin cancer, he soon discovered that the medical world did not appreciate this and soon Rick was being dealt with by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The following video documentary (about one hour long) explains his story in full:

     In an additional video, I have included the "recipe" for making Simpson Oil.  Certain states, like California, do not allow solvent-extracted concentrates of cannabis.  The making of Simpson Oil can be dangerous, so make it at your own risk!  Here is the video:

     I conclude by saying that cancer's best "cure" is prevention.  Unfortunately, society has committed to processed, artificially colored and flavored foods and toxic petroleum distillates in skin-care items.  Our tap water is laden with fluoride and crops are coated with radioactive pesticides. I could go on but the point is made... With that being said, cannabis has shown clinically and anecdotally to combat cancer and we hear nothing of it from the mainstream sources.  Let us do something about it! Tell your friends that you support cannabis and help inform people of its benefits.

Bud of the Week - Chronic

     Dr. Dre would be proud... All kidding aside, Chronic has become one of the iconic cannabis strains in the marijuana community.  A 50/50 hybrid with Skunk, Northen Lights and AK-47 ancestry, Chronic is a highly sought-after strain for its great yield and potent medicinal value.

     For those interested in growing Chronic, you will be happy to know that with the right growing techniques, this strain has a production ratio of one gram per one watt of light!  Because of its tendency to produce monster top colas, Chronic makes for a great SOG grow.  Flowering stage for Chronic is about two months.

     Do you like a more subtle taste in your strain? Chronic may be the bud for you!  With a little patience, one can draw out the wildflower and sweet tones by curing your buds properly.

Medicinal Uses: Chronic Pain, Cancer, Insomnia, Depression, MS, Cachexia, Crohn's Disease, Arthritis 

Cannabinoids vs. MRSA

      Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) kills about 20,000 people in hospitals in the U.S. each year.  MRSA is what some would call a "superbug" - Staph bacteria that have developed resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics (which include penicillins and cephalosporins).  These strains are a result of society's overuse and/or misuse of conventional antibiotics.

     We gotta love our cannabis-researching scientists!  In a joint effort between Italy's Universita del Piemonte Orientale and Britain's University of London, School of Pharmacy, five cannabinoids (cannabidiol [CBD], cannabichromene, cannabigerol, Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol [that's THC, folks!], and cannabinol were found to show a "potent activity against a variety of (MRSA) strains". Here is a *link* to the study's abstract.

     Maybe you know of someone who is battling a nasty MRSA infection...  There is hope and help available.  God provided mankind with a wonderful healing herb that has been suppressed for decades by governments.  We need to take back our freedoms - and this is just one more reason why!

     

Intellectual Honesty: Ron Paul

     For years, I was spoon-fed the argument that marijuana is bad - bad for one's health and bad for the moral fiber of society.  Then I got a clue. After watching numerous documentaries, reading many books, and sprinkling in a little bit of common sense (a little bit is all it takes and frankly, it is all I am capable of!),  I had changed my position on cannabis.
    First, cannabis is not harmful when used in moderation and the studies that claimed marijuana smoking is dangerous used ABSURD amounts (such as 10-15 joints a day) of it on the test subjects to get their results! Here is a helpful *LINK* in regards to the "harm" of cannabis...
     Second, cannabis has NOT destroyed our nation's "moral fiber".  The prohibition of it has given cannabis a bad name. Prior to the 1940's, cannabis was socially accepted - it was actually used as a cure for alcoholism!   It later became taboo and illegal due to *racial bigotry and corporate greed* on the part of Big Pharma and many other industries that competed with hemp.
      I have included a few videos of Republican candidate Ron Paul discussing cannabis and personal freedoms.

      I even threw in a video for my liberal blog followers:

      Be honest. Learn the facts and don't be afraid of something that you are not sure about. Ask questions. Seek answers.

Mycorrhizae for Better Cannabis!

     Myco-what?  Many people who grow their own cannabis do not realize that they may be missing out on a great way to protect and strengthen their plants from the roots up.  Lo and behold, mycorrhizae!  *Mycorrhizae* are colonies of fungi symbiotically joined with root systems of plants - each providing unique benefits to the other.
     The picture here shows a root system of a seedling on the left prior to inoculation while the shot on the right shows the mycorrhizal symbiosis.  The fungi act as "webbing", allowing the plant to grab much more water and nutrients from the surrounding soil. The plant in return provides sugars as a food source for the fungi.
     Mycorrhizae provide protection to the symbiotic plant as well.  Scientists have found that mycorrhizal fungi provide superb soil remediation by guarding the plant roots from pollutants such as heavy metals and other inorganic toxins.  Plants are also more disease-resistant and handle environmental stresses such as drought much better.
     When shopping for mycorrhizal fungi, make sure you look for endomycorrhizae - NOT ectomycorrhizae.  This is important if you do not like spending money for nothing.  While "endos" actually bind internally with the plants roots, "ectos" do not.  Certain plant species only benefit from one or the other.  Cannabis has been found to only respond to the endomycorrhizae.
     I hope this can be a help to those trying to grow the best medicine possible.  The Internet is a great tool for further research.  Also, message me with further questions and I will be glad to answer them.

Bud of the Week - Blue Cheese

     Don't let the name fool you - this strain has nothing to do with the fungus-laden cultured dairy product that we associate with the name "blue cheese".  A popular strain among connoisseurs, Blue Cheese combines a delicious flavor with a decent yield of quantity and quality.
     An Indica-dominant hybrid, Blue Cheese is a result of an ideal phenotypical selection through over forty male Blueberry x Big Buddha Cheese strains.  The best male then was crossed with a female Big Buddha Cheese to give a plant that is predominantly cheese with a little blueberry.
     This strain can do well indoors or outdoors.  Due to the internodes being so close, this plant can be groomed for Sea of Green and will do well.  Yields of over 2 ounces of cured bud have been reported when proper pruning techniques have been implemented.
     Despite its Cheese-heavy genetics, Blue Cheese delivers mostly blueberry and vanilla flavor with a dank, woodsy undertone.  Also, for being mostly Indica, the euphoria is clear and functioning without the "couch-lock" feeling.  Blue Cheese is recommended for daytime use and has a decent potency to deliver the relief you need.

Medicinal Uses: Chronic Pain, Cancer, Muscle Spasms, Nausea, MS, Gastrointestinal Issues, Crohn's Disease, Arthritis 

2011 MMMA Rally in Lansing

      It was an amazing scene... Thousands of people gathered on the front lawn of Michigan's Capitol Building, some holding signs while others clapped and cheered.  Many medical marijuana activist groups, including NORML, were represented.  Scores of unemployed dispensary workers were present to speak their minds.  On the front steps of the Capitol stood a few dozen protesters with a podium in front, giving different people the platform to rail against Bill Schuette or give praise to the medical research that has been done with cannabis.  I have included a few photos taken from my phone.  Enjoy!

Cannabinoids and Uterine Contractions

     I find myself ever amazed at the scientific research results of cannabinoids.  For most of my life, I was led to believe that cannabis offered NO medicinal benefits and only caused harm to one's body and mind.  Once again, I come across a study that puts the fables to rest.
     In 2004, The National University of Ireland's  Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology reported that, contrary to popular belief, cannabinoids do not cause premature labor.  Here is a *link* if you would like to see the abstract.  In the study, scientists took human pregnant myometrial (middle layer of the uterus) tissue and exposed it to anandamide (a cannabinoid found naturally present within our bodies) and delta 9-THC (the main cannabinoid in marijuana).  These cannabinoids bind to the endocannabinoid receptor CB1 found in the tissue and cause a relaxant effect! The scientists concluded that cannabinoids do NOT directly induce contractions in the pregnant uterus and that anandamide may actually play an important role in pregnancy and childbirth.
     If only more research could be done, we could possibly find that cannabis may help prevent early labor and premature births. Unfortunately, as long as the DEA keeps cannabis listed as a Schedule 1 drug, further research will be very limited and it may be many years before we get a clue as to how great this plant actually is.
P.S.- I do not encourage pregnant women smoking cannabis or any other product for that matter...  There are other ways to receive the benefits of cannabis without smoking - expecting Jamaican women have for years been known to drink a tea made with cannabis!

Cannabis use = Sorcery??? Part Two

     Just as we picture a witch stirring a cauldron with a big spoon and adding a menagerie of ingredients (drugs) to complete a magic spell, the word "pharmakeia" should evoke the idea of magic incantations and occultic rituals - all with the explicit purpose of manifesting the lusts of idolatry, the worship of gods other than the True God.  It was not uncommon for magi and sorcerers to use psychoactive substances to conjure spirits and communicate with otherworldly entities.
     As a Christian, I am to abstain from any "conjuring" of spirits, for the Word of God tells me that these spirits are in fact demons.  Anyone opening themselves to such is asking for trouble.  The question that now arises is, "Can a Christian use cannabis without it being sorcery?"  My opinion is YES!  Certainly cannabis has and still is being used as a tool to disconnect from reality (which can invite spirits into one's presence).  That does not discredit other reasons for using cannabis, such as for pain relief, appetite stimulation, general health and well-being, and any other of a number of reasons.  Claiming that using medicine is sorcery goes completely against the principles found in the Bible.  If that was the case, how many Christians are "living in sin" because they are taking Vicodins for a back injury or are on a regimen of chemotherapy pills for cancer?
     To conclude, I want to be clear that the reason for using cannabis has everything to do with it being "witchcraft" or not.  Matt.15:11 makes it clear that it's not what I put in my mouth that corrupts me - it is what comes out of my mouth. If consuming cannabis is bad (which it's not - it's very safe), then what does that say about a double cheeseburger with a large fry and Mountain Dew?  Christians shouldn't be out to offend others with things that may cause another to stumble, but cannabis  is one of God's creations and medicinal blessings and science has begun to realize the medical value of the plant.  We have been duped by money-grubbing politicians and lobbyists over the years into thinking that it is an evil plant. C'mon...Who is truly being the "stumbling-block"?