Schuette Hates Cannabis...Hey! Must be the Money!

     I wish I could say that I researched and wrote this but I found this article to accomplish the task of informing the public a lot better than what I could do myself.  Here is the link to the *article*.  After reading this, you will find the similarities to my DuPont blog posts to be uncanny.  (Here are the links to my DuPont posts:
http://thecannaculturist.blogspot.com/2011/09/dupont-hates-cannabis-part-1.html
http://thecannaculturist.blogspot.com/2011/09/dupont-hates-cannabis-part-2.html
http://thecannaculturist.blogspot.com/2011/09/dupont-hates-cannabis-part-3.html
If you are not appalled by this cronyism in our public servants, I really do not know how else I can help you!)

For those who wish not to go to the above link for the original article, here is the full text:

"Attorney General Bill Schuette's opposition to medical marijuana has been described by some observers as bordering on an obsession.

"Why is Schuette so obsessed?  Perhaps the real reason is to prevent industrial uses of the hemp plant, from which marijuana is derived, from competing with products of the Dow Chemical Company, in which Schuette's family has a large financial stake, while producing top executives.  Schuette's stepfather, Carl Gerstacker, was a Dow CEO, and his father, William Schuette, Sr., was in line to become CEO when he died of a heart attack in 1959.  The Schuette family's Dow-based wealth has helped to bankroll a long political career that began in 1984, when he was elected to Congress at 31.

"Dishonestly demonizing the use of marijuana, which is for the most part benign, as a cover for crushing potential competition from industrial hemp, is nothing new.  Back in the 1930s, one of the most successful campaigns that resulted in the 1937 federal marijuana prohibition was run by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who used his newspaper chain to spread lies about alleged harmful effects of marijuana.  But Hearst's real concern was that using hemp fiber to produce paper pulp for newspapers would cut into his own paper pulp business derived from extensive timber holdings.  At the same time, the DuPont family and financier Andrew Mellon wanted marijuana banned to prevent hemp fiber from competing with DuPont's nylon.

"So it is with Dow today.  Industrial uses of hemp include plastics, water purification and weed control that could compete with Dow products and perhaps cause its business to decline, costing the Schuette family a lot of money.  As such, Schuette, who led the failed campaign against Proposal 1 in 2008, is now doing all he can to undermine medical marijuana, interpreting the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act as narrowly as possible.  After all, if medical marijuana were to become solidly established as a legal business in Michigan, there would be no excuse not to allow industrial hemp, which has a THC level too low for recreational use.

"So the next time you hear Schuette, a hypocrite who has admitted smoking marijuana in college, dishonestly attack medical marijuana, understand that he isn't out to protect the public.  He's just in it for the money."

When Did Liberty Lose Her Way?

     ‎When did liberty become an anachronism? Is it not meant for our time as well as the time of our nation's forefathers? I speak to those who presume the paths of modern Conservatism and Liberalism are in some way the right paths - yea, the only paths for the future of this nation. I dare say that our freedoms were not taken from us, though it is the easy acknowledgement to claim they were. I say that our freedoms were handed over willingly. We, the people, are in the midst of the greatest experiment of freedom this world has ever seen and yet, at the slightest shake of fear, accept the infringement of our rights, one freedom at a time. Today's Conservatism and Liberalism have bred a willingness to swallow a deadly poison by the name of "Statism". The antidote, my friends, is the education of liberty, a time-lost responsibility gone by the wayside.

     Are you doing your part to see that freedom is regained and retained?  Please - if not for your sake, for mine - share this blog with folks who do not understand.  We need to educate the masses, even if it may hurt our public perception.  Faithful are the wounds of a friend.  It may hurt, but we still have an obligation for the truth...

"Isn't Medical Marijuana advocated by the Same People Who Support Drug Legalization?"

     To answer the title question simply, "maybe, but what does that matter?".   Let's look at this objectively...  Some organizations believe that nobody, sick or otherwise, should be sent to prison simply for growing or using their own marijuana. Why is it surprising or scandalous that those organizations think that patients should not go to prison? Should those organizations take the position that healthy marijuana users should not go to prison but medical marijuana users should?  That would be absurd!  It is only common sense that groups like NORML and recreational users in general would be in favor of medical decriminalization.
     There are plenty of groups out there that support medical cannabis use while not endorsing broad-spectrum legalization.   Supporters of medical marijuana include some of the most respected medical and public health organizations, including the American College of Physicians, American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, American Academy of HIV Medicine, and the state medical societies of New York, California, and Rhode Island.  Poll results show that about half of those who support medical marijuana bills still reject full legalization.
     Let's face it: medical marijuana laws protect patients from jail and/or fines.  That's a good thing, right?  Should seriously ill patients be subject to arrest and imprisonment for using marijuana with their doctors’ approval? If not, then support medical marijuana initiatives.  I personally support an approach to cannabis like other herbs - because that's what cannabis is.  I consume turmeric ground into a powder and put in a fruit/vegetable juice blend  I do this because I believe in its health benefits.  Cannabis should be on par with herbs and spices like turmeric because it is a natural plant with healing properties.  I, like many, believe that healthy as well as sick people should be able to grow and or use cannabis for whatever reasons they desire.  Should society punish those who are sick just to spite people who want full legalization like myself?

"Don't Medical Marijuana Laws Subvert the FDA Drug Approval Process?"

     Cannabis is NOT medicine. At least that is what the FDA would have you to believe from a *statement* released in April 2006.  The provided link in the previous sentence takes you right to the FDA website's archived copy of this said statement.  Let me pull a quote from it: "A past evaluation by several Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA), concluded that no sound scientific studies supported medical use of marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data supported the safety or efficacy of marijuana for general medical use."  Here is another quote: "FDA is the sole Federal agency that approves drug products as safe and effective for intended indications. The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act requires that new drugs be shown to be safe and effective for their intended use before being marketed in this country."  Let me show you why the FDA either (1) has no clue, (2) has a political agenda, or (3) a conflation of the two.  
     The FDA failed to use or cite any scientific studies that contradicted federal policy, such as the 1999 Institute of Medicine report.  That’s why IOM co-author Dr. John A. Benson told The New York Times that the government “loves to ignore our report ... They would rather it never happened."  The FDA statement was immediately denounced by health experts and newspaper editorial boards around the country as being political and unscientific.
     State medical marijuana laws do not have anything to do with the FDA in the slightest.  Those laws are in place to protect patients and caregivers from state and local criminal prosecution - not to decide for the public if cannabis is safe or recommended for medicine.  Besides, many Americans are already using substances that claim some sort of medicinal benefit in spite of the fact that they are labeled with this statement: "This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease."  The FDA does not bar Americans from growing, using, and possessing a wide variety of medical herbs that it has not approved as prescription drugs, including echinacea, ginseng, St. John’s Wort, and many others.
     There is already substantial evidence that marijuana is safe and effective for some patients, including new studies published after the FDA’s statement.  However, the federal government has blocked researchers from doing the specific types of studies that would be required for licensing, labeling, and marketing marijuana as a prescription drug. They've created a perfect Catch-22: Federal officials say “Marijuana isn't a medicine because the FDA hasn't approved it,” while making sure that the studies needed for FDA approval never happen.
     Marijuana was already on the market (in some two dozen preparations -such as tinctures and lozenges- many marketed by well-known pharmaceutical companies) before the 1938 Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act was passed, creating the FDA. Under the terms of the Act, marijuana should not be considered a “new” drug, subject to the FDA drug-approval requirements that new drugs must meet. Many older drugs, including aspirin and morphine, were “grandfathered in” under this provision, without ever being submitted for new-drug approval by the FDA.  Marijuana didn't get a "fair shake" because it was all but outlawed by The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937.  I have other articles on my blog that go into more detail about that!
     Half of current prescriptions have never been declared safe and effective by the FDA. Between 40-60% of all drug prescriptions in this country are for drugs not approved by the FDA for the condition they’re being prescribed for - also known as "off-label". We know much more about marijuana’s safety and efficacy in cancer, AIDS, MS, and many other conditions than we know about most off-label prescriptions.
     The FDA is not infallible.  For instance, FDA-approved Vioxx is estimated to have caused between 26,000 and 55,000 needless deaths before it was taken off the market. And David Graham, associate director of the FDA’s Office of Drug Safety, has told Congress that the FDA is “virtually defenseless” against another Vioxx-type disaster. In contrast, 5,000 years of real world experience with marijuana show that it is safe and effective for many patients.  Are we not grown-up enough to make wise decisions for our own health and well-being -whether that be through using prescription drugs available on the market or self-medicating with an herb like echinacea or cannabis- or must we depend on the "guidance" of a select few who may not have our best interests in mind?

Does Cannabis Make You Stupid?

     I came across this article this week and knew that I had to share it on my blog.  I normally try to write my own articles on here but couldn't improve on what Jonah Lehrer says in his blog.  *Click here for a direct link to the article in reference.*  His article sheds some light on the myth that "marijuana use = stupidity".  I will say this: I have come across people who tell me "all the people I know who use marijuana are unproductive in their lives."  I feel like telling them that they don't get out much.  Should I mention to them that I know plenty of people personally who do not use cannabis and in my own opinion are unproductive as well?  Since we are judging other people's successes and failures, did smoking cannabis in office affect the productivity of Abraham Lincoln?  Let me guess... he wouldn't have been assassinated, right? (I'm being facetious, people!)  Who decides what is unproductive for another man?  Also, why assume that cannabis is the reason for the "lack of production" in their lives?
     When everything is taken into perspective, one can see that the prohibition of cannabis has been the biggest danger of its use.  Prior to the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, cannabis was used on all levels of society - recreationally, medicinally, and industrially (is "industrially" a word?).  Once it was prohibited, use was restricted to only those willing to break the law - which is why prohibition never works!  Prohibition of cannabis created a subculture of "pot smokers" that became a bane to society in the minds of most who did not know the suppressed history of the plant.  It certainly didn't help that cannabis was given a bad name by government-sponsored media outlets (think "Reefer Madness").
     With the advent of state-sanctioned medical marijuana we are beginning to see a return to normalcy when it comes to society's acceptance of cannabis.  I say "beginning" because cannabis still has a long way to go before it becomes mainstream.  That is precisely why I created this blog.  Those that know the truth have an obligation to stand for it.  Please join with me by sharing this blog with people who do not understand the history, the cover-ups, the scientific discoveries, and the medical benefits of cannabis.

Being on the Right Side of History

     Is the picture big enough?  I was having some trouble trying to find the best picture for today's blog entry.  This one seemed fitting, as it sends a clear and concise message.  I believe that if one seeks truth sincerely, they will find it.  In many cases, it doesn't take much seeking - the truth is right under our noses. 

"I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper." 

--Gary Cooper on his decision not to take the leading role in "Gone With The Wind."  

     "Hindsight is 20/20"... We have all heard that before.  However, I would prefer NOT to wait for truth to be in my rearveiw mirror before I recognize it as such.  Unfortunately, that is how many of us operate.  What is worse is when we realize we were wrong on some issue for so long and yet still refuse to change our stance. It may be fears or peer pressures. Maybe something darker...  

     If one is (1) willing to do a little homework, and (2) ready to be intellectually honest, he or she would discover that our own nation - the tall and proud U.S. of A. - has been on the wrong side of issues throughout  its existence.  Even when the truth smacks this nation in the face, we as citizens fight it as if truth is yanking our teeth out with pliers!  We round Japanese Americans in concentration camps out of fear. It wasn't until 1988 that our nation publicly declared it "wrong".  How about slavery?  Enough said.  We had discovered that Prohibition was not the answer.  Trail of Tears.  The Gulf of Tonkin incident.  Must I continue? 

     In previous blog entries, I had discussed the outright travesties by our own nation in regards to cannabis. I urge you to read my articles entitled "DuPont hates Cannabis" Parts 1-3.  I believe that if you and I are willing to educate ourselves and those in our circles of influence, we will see America get on the right side of history in regards to cannabis.  I mean, it certainly wouldn't be the first time America has been wrong.  I challenge you with this: 

1. Share this blog.  I mention this blog in discussions I have with people all the time. Certainly it helps when it's MY blog, but I am passionate about the truth.  Please join me in that passion.

2. Do your homework.  Challenge what you have been taught.  The Internet can be a great tool in discovering truth. Cross-reference sources - do not rely on only one source, even if I am that one source.

3. Be prepared to stand when confronted with opposition.  If you are new to the "world of cannabis", do not feel overwhelmed - take it one bite at a time.  If someone challenges you with their own "facts", don't let the pressure force you into a quick, sloppy answer. Let them know that you will come back to them and resort back to my second point.

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?

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
   
 

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.

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!

I hope Bill Schuette is happy...

     As of Wednesday, August 24, it is now illegal to dispense medical cannabis in compassion centers and dispensaries in the state of Michigan.  The Michigan Court of Appeals ruled that the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act (MMMA) of 2008 does not give clearance for the sale of marijuana - even among medical marijuana cardholders.
     It is a travesty that Bill Schuette, our Attorney General, and multiple county prosecutors and law enforcement agencies throughout the state have joined together for what they believe is a fight for our security and protection. They think that the MMMA should have never been enacted and they are doing whatever they can to stop sick people from getting the help they need.  The recent decision by the three-judge panel to ban the sale and dispensing of cannabis probably has Schuette licking his chops.  I hope he doesn't get too excited however - we the people will not go down easily...
      I find it ridiculous that just when we gain some ground in the fight for liberty, the public officials come and snatch our freedoms away.  Whether you are a patient with a debilitating illness or just a concerned, freedom-loving citizen, please consider attending the next MMMA patient rally on September 7 at the Capitol in Lansing and show your support for liberty! If that is not possible, e-mail, snail-mail, or call the AG's office in Lansing and let Bill Schuette know that his employer- the electorate- will no longer stand for this act of tyranny:
Attorney General Bill Schuette
G. Mennen Williams Building, 7th Floor
525 W. Ottawa St.
P.O. Box 30212
Lansing, MI 48909
Main Number (517) 373-1110
Facsimile (517) 373-3042
miag@michigan.gov
Any comments for me are certainly welcome...