"Doesn't Medical Cannabis Send the Wrong Message to Children?"

     Well, now that my break is over, I am ready to resume the blog.  Every now and then we need to take breaks, right?  Anyway,  I will be implementing some changes to my blog starting today.  For the foreseeable future, I have decided to focus primarily on medical cannabis education.  If there is pressing news on the political front or elsewhere, I will attempt to cover it.
     Today I present the first of many questions that people unfamiliar with medical cannabis ask those who support its use: "Supporting medical marijuana sends the wrong message to our kids, doesn't it?" Let me begin by citing the state-sponsored California Student Survey (CSS), which notes that marijuana use among teens rose annually until 1996 - then dropped significantly in subsequent years! By the way, 1996 was the year California'a Proposition 215 passed into law.  CSS researchers found that, "There is no evidence supporting that the passage of Proposition 215 increased marijuana use during this period." ( Skager, Rodney; Austin, Greg; and Wong, Mamie, “Marijuana Use and the Response to Proposition 215 Among California Youth, a Special Study From the California Student Substance Use Survey (Grades 7, 9, and 11) 1997-98.”)
This drop in teen usage has been consistent with the passage of compassionate-care laws in other states as well. ( O’Keefe, Karen et al., “Marijuana Use by Young People: The Impact of State Medical Marijuana Laws.” Marijuana Policy Project, June 2008)
     In addition to these findings, one has to ask himself, "What is really sending the wrong message: medical marijuana or the inconsistencies and hypocrisy of our current system of prohibition?"  Criminalizing sick and injured people for choosing their own health care by way of a natural plant is sending the wrong message to children.  Dishonesty by disseminating false "information" through PSAs and anti-marijuana campaigns is sending the wrong message to children.  Arguing that sick people should continue to suffer for the "children's sake" is sending the wrong message to children.
     Education is the right message for children.  They should be taught the difference between use and abuse.  The Physicians' Desk Reference (the industry standard in regards to FDA-approved drug information) includes over 1,100 of the most commonly prescribed drugs - NONE of which should be used for fun!  We do not teach our children to play with the pills found in a medicine cabinet.  Do you remember the time you first learned that cocaine was used in hospitals as an analgesic?  Did that cause confusion in your mind? Probably not.  Humans generally have the mental faculties to discern between good and bad uses of something.  I personally support gun ownership.  I also carry the responsibility to educate my children that guns are tools that can be used properly or improperly.  Why does society have a double-standard when it comes to cannabis?

Fall Hiatus... I'll Be Back!

     To all of my readers:

     I will be taking the next week off as I evaluate this blog and decide where I want to take it.  Changes are coming in regards to content and/or layout.  Never fear... I'll be back and am looking forward to more great articles on the politics, medicine, and culture of cannabis.  Until next week, feel free to peruse through my previous blog entries and SHARE them on Facebook or other sites.  Education is the key to combating the "anti-marijuana" propaganda lies of the government.  Thanks for reading!

Hemp Seeds... For Your Health!

     Cannabis sativa, also known as hemp or simply "cannabis", is one of the most nutritionally balanced foods known to man.  In a day when health foods and supplements are billion-dollar industries,  it is crazy to think that society has not caught on to health benefits of this amazing seed.
     Hemp seeds have been used as a source of food throughout history.  It has been given to livestock and birds as a cheap, balanced food source.  Even today, many natural food advocates praise hemp seed for its high protein and high essential fatty acid (EFA) content.  The protein found in hemp seeds is close to two-thirds edestin and one-third albumin.  These two types of globulin proteins together contain all eight essential amino acids.  About 44% of the weight of the seed consists of healthy oils, which 80% of are EFAs like alpha and gamma-linolenic acids and linoleic acid.

     Medicinally, the oil from the seed has been used to treat skin disorders such as eczema, psoriasis, and acne.  The high "good fat" content of the oil promotes cardiovascular and joint health.  EFAs found in hemp seed oil are also essential for immune health as well as proper nervous system function.
     Currently, it is illegal for farmers to grow cannabis in the United States.  Hemp seed and its oil has to be imported into the country, which at that point can be sold or used as an additive in healthcare products and foods.  Hemp grows in a variety of climates and needs little or no herbicides and pesticides.  Hopefully in the near future, cannabis will be able to be freely grown for its many uses, such as for food, medicine, and industry.

Thyroid Cancer Thwarted by Cannabinoid Receptor Stimulation

     With over 48,000 new cases of thyroid cancer expected this year in the U.S., it is very possible that you may know someone personally who has or will develop thyroid cancer.  Once again, I have come across another study of the positive effects of the endocannabinoid system and how it may be our "answer for cancer".  For those just tuning in to my blog, the *endocannabinoid system* was first discovered in 1988.  Since then ,scientists have been studying the various effects of this system in our bodies.
     In 2003,  Italian researchers at the Universita' di Napoli Federico II found that stimulation of cannabinoid receptors (in living rats with thyroid cancer) with an analog of anandamine (a cannabinoid found in us naturally and similar to THC) caused an interference with angiogenesis in thyroid tumors.  Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels, which tumors need in order to grow.  In addition, the study found that the cannabinoid receptor (CB1) stimulation had a more potent effect on the tumors that had formed as a result of metastasis than primary thyroid tumors.  They concluded that CB1 stimulation may not only help prevent tumor growth but also mitigate the spread of the cancer to other tissues and organs.  Please click on this *link* for the abstract of the report
     My one comment for this is WHY DOES THE U.S. GOVERNMENT CONTINUE TO KEEP CANNABIS LISTED AS A SCHEDULE 1 DRUG??? It is absurd to think that cannabis has no medical benefit whatsoever and keep it on par with heroin and worse than crystal meth.  As long as it stays a Schedule 1 controlled substance it will remain banned from U.S. medical research.  Let us educate, for as long as the people remain in ignorance, the representatives in office will not make a change.

Marijuana or Tobacco (Cigarette) Smoke... Which is Worse?

     I remember sitting in my 5th grade class listening to the D.A.R.E. officer speak about the dangers of marijuana. One thing that stuck with me was that smoking a joint was equivalent to smoking a whole pack of cigarettes in regards to the amount of lung damage incurred.  Fast forward to this year.  A common thought that has been passed around among cannabis smokers is that cannabis smoke is safer than tobacco smoke.  I decided to do my own homework and search for clinical studies and scientific explanations. The following is what I have found:

WARNING! 

THIS ARTICLE CONTAIN BIG SCIENTIFIC WORDS AND STUFF... 

IT MAY GET BORING!

     When comparing cannabis to tobacco, I am going to be a little unfair.  I will be comparing commercially manufactured cigarettes to organically grown cannabis.  Why?  Because the vast majority of tobacco that is smoked is in the form of a cigarette made by one of the giant tobacco companies while cannabis, because of its current legal status, has not been exploited by industry and is generally grown by individuals or businesses who only use safe, organic products on the plants.  It may not be fair but it is a more accurate way of representing common usage.

    Tobacco smoke is laden with carcinogens created from the incomplete combustion of organic matter (the tobacco leaf).  Couple that with the myriad of items added to tobacco and a bigger danger occurs.  This *LINK* has a list of nearly 600 government-approved additives commonly found in cigarettes. While these substances may not pose much of a problem when ingested (they are all approved for use in food), combustion of these same additives produces thousands of various chemicals, most with the potential to cause cancer or other harmful effects.   Wait! I just got started...  Let us not overlook the *radiation found in cigarettes*.  It is a known fact that the fertilizers used by these tobacco giants contains radioactive elements that accumulate in and on the plant.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it!  (Actually, don't.)

     Cannabis on the other hand, because of the care put into growing it by hand, is simply that - cannabis!  Cannabis growers will use natural fertilizers like earthworm castings and bat guano (poop).  Sure, "N-P-K"s  (like fertilizers you might purchase for your garden) are used by some growers but those that do perform a "flush" prior to harvest to ensure the purity of the finished product. 

     As we continue to delve into the contrasts of the two smokes, we find that science has revealed to us a distinguishing factor - a family of chemicals known as cannabinoids (found exclusively in cannabis).  I will not go into full detail of how cannabinoids work in our body or how our own bodies actually have  receptors exclusive to cannabinoids and their endogenous equivalents.  That will have to be a future blog entry.  For now, let us focus on a particular study...

     Researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the UCLA School of Medicine, have pitted tobacco and cannabis against each other in how much they encourage cancerous growth through the  activity of the enzyme CYP1A1 in the liver.  Activity of this enzyme on *polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons* (PAHs) has been linked to the formation of carcinogens in the body, leading to cancer.  What are PAHs, you ask?  Stay with me here.  When we cook a steak on the grill, PAHs are formed.  When we burn a campfire, we have produced PAHs.  PAHs are a by-product of combustion.  Unfortunately, our bodies do not take too kindly to them.  Our liver metabolizes them into nastier chemicals that cause genetic mutations, even to the point of altering or halting a cell's normal apoptosis.This would ultimately lead to the development of cancer.  Anyway, the researchers discovered that cannabis does exhibit far greater tar build-up (meaning more PAHs) in the lungs (because it is generally packed looser than cigarettes when smoked, cannabis smoke is typically held in the lungs longer, AND cigarettes generally have filters).  The crazy thing is that the researchers found that THC found in cannabis tar reduced the effects of the PAHs in tar by inhibiting the actions of CYP1A1 .  The full findings are located  *here*.  The study is not to conclude that smoking is safe.  Anything you smoke will have some risks involved.  It is refreshing to know that scientists are discovering that cannabis and its exclusively-found cannabinoids may very well be the saving grace of the cannabis smoker.

Bud of the Week - Hawaiian Snow

    About as rare as its namesake, Hawaiian Snow has become a favorite choice among connoisseurs of the haze variety.  Its parentage include three types of haze: Hawaiian, Pure, and Neville's.  The heavy-haze gives the user everything they would expect from a sativa - an uplifting, "I need to go accomplish something" stimulation with feelings of well-being.
     Growers will find Hawaiian Snow to be an ideal indoor grow due to its long grow cycle (unless tropical weather is typical of the area).  Like a typical sativa, this plant will need plenty of space and time.  Hawaiian Snow is best suited for the grower who has plenty of patience as the flowering stage can last over 14 weeks.
     Hawaiian Snow's aroma reminds one of spicy or musty pine, even astringent-like.  The flavor is described as being minty / musky with hints of lemongrass and moss.

Medicinal Uses: Chronic Pain, Cancer, Nausea, Crohn's Disease, GI Problems, Depression, MS, Migraines 

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.