cannabisnews.com: NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - October 25, 2007










  NORML's Weekly News Bulletin - October 25, 2007

Posted by CN Staff on October 26, 2007 at 07:04:59 PT
Weekly Press Release  
Source: NORML  

Inhaled Cannabis Has Biphasic Effect On Capsaicin-Induced Pain, Study Says October 25, 2007 - La Jolla, CA, USALa Jolla, CA: Inhaling cannabis is associated with both an increase and a decrease in humans’ response to painful stimuli, according to clinical trial data to be published in the forthcoming issue of the journal Anesthesiology.
Investigators at the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) assessed the effects of smoked marijuana on capsaicin-induced pain in 15 healthy volunteers. (Capsaicin is the active component of chili peppers.) Participants in the trial inhaled cigarettes containing either cannabis of varying strengths or a placebo. Subjects who inhaled medium-potency cannabis (4 percent THC) reported that they experienced a significant reduction in capsaicin-induced pain 45 minutes after smoking. By contrast, subjects provided high-potency pot (8 percent THC) reported experiencing an increase in pain. Participants reported that inhaling low-potency cannabis (2 percent THC) did not affect their pain response. "Our study suggests that there is a therapeutic window for analgesia, with low doses being ineffective, medium doses resulting in pain relief, and high doses increasing pain," lead investigator Mark Wallace said in a UCSD press release.A previous clinical trial conducted earlier this year found that smoking medium-potency cannabis (3.56 THC) significantly reduced HIV-associated neuropathy (nerve pain). For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul norml.orgFull text of the study, "Dose-dependent effects of smoked cannabis on capsaicin-induced pain and hyperalgesia in healthy volunteers," will appear in Anesthesiology.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7401Random Drug Testing May Increase Risks Among Student Athletes, Study Says -- Findings contradict White House publication touting testing’s “proven” benefits October 25, 2007 - Portland, OR, USAPortland, OR: Random drug testing programs that target high school athletes do not reduce self-reported drug use and may encourage greater risk-taking behaviors, according to findings published in the November issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.Investigators from Oregon’s Health & Science University (OHSU) performed the two-year trial, which is the first-ever prospective randomized clinical trial to assess the deterrent effect of drug and alcohol testing among high school athletes. Researchers found that students who underwent random drug testing did not differ in their self-reported drug use compared to students at neighboring schools who were not enrolled in drug testing programs.Investigators also determined that students subjected to random drug testing were more likely to report an "increase in some risk factors for future substance use," compared to students who attended schools without drug and alcohol testing."This was a state-of-the-art collection and testing program that exceeded those of typical school testing programs," lead investigator Linn Goldberg said in a OHSU press release. "If this did not show significant deterrent effects, less-sophisticated programs are not likely to be more successful."A 2003 cross-sectional study of student drug testing previously reported, "Drug testing, as practiced in recent years in American secondary schools, does not prevent or inhibit student drug use." However, critics of the study argued that investigators included schools with dissimilar drug testing policies in their comparison. Since 2005, the US Department of Education has appropriated over $10 million dollars to enact random student drug testing programs in public middle schools and high schools around the nation. The White House has repeatedly lauded the programs, claiming that "student drug testing has proven to be effective in schools that have tried it." For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Senior Policy Analyst, at: paul norml.orgFull text of the study, "Outcomes of a prospective trial of student-athlete drug testing: the SATURN study," appears in the Journal of Adolescent Health or online at: http://journals.elsevierhealth.com/periodicals/jah/currentDL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7400DEA Head Announces Resignation October 25, 2007 - Washington, DC, USAWashington, DC: US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Karen Tandy announced this week that she will be stepping down as the agency’s first female director. Tandy, who headed the agency for the past four years, will become a senior vice president of the Motorola Company. Motorola, a leading wireless and broadband communications firm, is the chief financial sponsor of the DEA’s controversial exhibit "Target America," which argues that illicit drug use sponsors international terrorism – including the September 11 attacks on New York City and Washington, DC. During Tandy’s tenure, DEA officials dramatically stepped up their efforts to target and federally prosecute medical marijuana patients and providers in California, as well as other states that allow for the drug’s use under state law. In 2005, Tandy authored the DEA white paper, "Marijuana: The Myths Are Killing Us," which states: "We need to put to rest the thought that there is such a thing as a lone drug user, a person whose habits affect only himself or herself. Drug use, including marijuana use, is not a victimless crime. … [M]arijuana kills … innocents." Tandy also led extradition efforts against Canadian publisher and marijuana law reform activist Marc Emery, along with two colleagues, on charges that they distributed cannabis seeds to US citizens. Tandy called Emery’s arrest "a significant blow" to the "marijuana legalization movement," noting that Emery financially sponsored various drug liberalization campaigns in the United States. Extradition hearings for Emery remain ongoing.Neither the Bush Administration nor the DEA have issued a public statement regarding Tandy’s successor.For more information, please contact Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500.DL: http://norml.org/index.cfm?Group_ID=7402Source: NORML Foundation (DC)Published: October 25, 2007Copyright: 2007 NORML Contact: norml norml.org Website: http://www.norml.org/CannabisNews NORML Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/NORML.shtml 

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Comment #43 posted by whig on October 27, 2007 at 19:04:05 PT
FoM
And cheaper too?
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Comment #42 posted by FoM on October 27, 2007 at 18:08:22 PT
whig
One of the things is that it is steady. HughesNet wasn't steady. My computer always made noise like something was bogging it down and I had code errors in articles that required me to manual fix them and I blamed my old computer but on dial up and this gadget no noise. It seems so much quieter now and moves well. It's plenty fast for me. I changed my setting in WMP and it stopped buffering for the most part on Youtube videos. I have been connected for 389 minutes with no disconnect. My signal strength hit 74 a little while ago. This is a miracle to have after thinking HughesNet was the only thing for this area. They have been selling them around here for about 9 months they said.
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Comment #41 posted by whig on October 27, 2007 at 16:38:20 PT
FoM
It's much faster than Hughesnet, in terms of latency. Whenever you use a satellite for your feed, it takes a really long time between any packets you send and any response.
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Comment #40 posted by FoM on October 27, 2007 at 11:14:51 PT
Hope
I know what you mean. So far I am pleased. I did my banking so fast this morning. I could never of accomplished the things I've done today online with dial up. This seems actually quicker then HughesNet was even though the speed test doesn't seem to be as strong. It's fast enough for me though.
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Comment #39 posted by Hope on October 27, 2007 at 11:03:03 PT
Thanks FoM.
I'll look into it, later. Right now, I'm what I refer to as being "run ragged". I'm taking my breaks and stopping in here every time I run by, though. Of course.
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Comment #38 posted by FoM on October 27, 2007 at 10:53:50 PT
Hope
I downloaded it today but haven't installed it yet but I will. By the way what I am using is the same thing as Verizon offers it seems from doing speed tests. It is only $25 if you use your cell phone instead of what I got. This little gadget is so small and it's hard to believe it can do all this stuff that took a satellite for me to accomplish. 
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Comment #37 posted by Hope on October 27, 2007 at 10:39:14 PT
Firefox
The first thing I really, really liked about it is that it did seem to speed up this dial up, low speed loading, somehow. It really did.Also, you can still keep the other browsers and use them if you wish to. They can even both be used at the same time. But it is a rare time indeed if I use IE instead of Firefox.Also...I think they have options to make the Firefox page look like you want it to.My homepage or opening page is the Firefox Google page and it's my default browser. 
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Comment #36 posted by Hope on October 27, 2007 at 10:33:18 PT
Aolbites
I, too, really like that thing Firefox does that you can recover what you were looking at, if for one reason or another, it gets shut down suddenly. Around here...I'm liable to leave several windows open and forget about them and go to bed, and my husband shuts the computer down for the night. But the next morning, if that happened, Firefox gives me the option of reopening all those windows exactly where they were. Same thing if there is an electrical outage or someone restarts the computer or anything. It's handy. 
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Comment #35 posted by FoM on October 27, 2007 at 09:08:33 PT
Thanks Aolbites and Hope
I love IE 7 but I will try again with Firefox. I think what I never liked about Firefox is it reminded me of a Netscape browser and I didn't like the way it made pages look. Maybe they have made it prettier now. I might just try Zone Alarm too. I am not good at experimenting with techy things. I don't like to try to fix something if what I already have works great. 
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Comment #34 posted by aolbites on October 27, 2007 at 00:27:56 PT
woops and more tips..
config.trim_on_minimize also browser.tabs.closeButtons one of the most debated changes in Firefox 2. Close tab buttons are now found in every tab by default. Go to about:config and customize browser.tabs.closeButtons. Set it to:0, shows the the close button on active tab only1, close buttons on all tabs, this is Firefox’s 2 default behavior2, no close buttons at all3, close button at the end of the tabstrip, like in Firefox 1.5 and previous.
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Comment #33 posted by aolbites on October 27, 2007 at 00:11:00 PT
whig
unfortunately for the recreational users, if the govt fix the medical access through LAW, recreational users loose their freedom... http://www.cfdp.ca/clayjudg.htm-=btw=- thats the stupidest judgment .... amazingly irrational considering the facts...-=btw=-*sigh*
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Comment #32 posted by aolbites on October 27, 2007 at 00:02:51 PT
Firefox users
Hey firefox users, heres a little add on that makes browsing much much easier/fun .. radialcontext . . http://www.radialthinking.de/radialcontext/Its the first thing I install after noscript http://noscript.net/-----------------------I also recommend setting [under firefox>options>Main tab] startup>'show my windows and tabs from last time'then if theres a prob and when radialcontext has probs/stops working you can close and reopen firefox with the same tabs in place.the reason for the radialcontext problems seems to be some sites restrict what you can do with right clicks - close and open firefox and its fixed.-I also recommend checking the setting 'open radial menu only when dragging' for radialcontext
-----------------------------------another tip for the low memory guys:  1. Open Firefox and go to the Address Bar. Type in about:config and then press Enter.  2. Right Click in the page and select New -> Boolean.  3. In the box that pops up enter config.trim_on_minimize. Press Enter.  4. Now select True and then press Enter.  5. Restart Firefox.this will reduce your memory usage for firefox whenever its minimized - trims the memory cache
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Comment #31 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 23:57:50 PT
aolbites
I would not be surprised to see more lawlessness like this, depending on the province or state especially, as the fact that cannabis is legal and prohibition is unconstitutional becomes clear to people.
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Comment #30 posted by aolbites on October 26, 2007 at 23:44:29 PT
Oh Canada!
http://digg.com/offbeat_news/ONTARIO_JUDGE_RULES_CANNABIS_PROHIBITION_INVALIDIts has to hold up, simply because the law does not exist any more, you can't get charged with a law that does not exist. [ahem - although you have to follow the footsteps of these cases to get that ruling-(truth)]the problem for the Canadian govt is that after 'fixing' the problems, they never actually got around to writing and passing a charter compliant Law - they just made a Policy [that could be changed by whatever fasict is in power]
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Comment #29 posted by aolbites on October 26, 2007 at 23:25:46 PT
anti spyware
generally, I will put both on any machine, you don't leave them running all the time, just to do a scan about once a month or so, one then the other [reboot between] .. although spybot SD had a thing that can run all the time for extra protection, if you are short on memory [anything under 512kb] you could leave that off.. it only takes ~15megs though so it depends on how tired the machine is.also, firefox is far faster on low memory machines it seems to me, and of course its far far far safer to be running than IE - even patched ieI would direct the EVDO questions to that forum, I don't know all that much about that.. but like i said, having the antenna on the side of the house closest to the Cell tower will give you the best reception .. Good luck! 
[unlimited downloads are worth a bit of effort =) vs satellite]
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Comment #28 posted by Hope on October 26, 2007 at 22:31:45 PT
FoM
I absolutely love Foxfire and would never willingly go back to using Explorer. Somehow, it seems to make even this slow dial-up come through actually, noticeably, faster, more reliably, and steadier than Explorer did.Over the years I've used several different anti-virus and firewalls and spyware protection programs...but I'm using Zone Alarm now, and have for some time, and really like it. It's simple and easy to understand and I think it must work really well.
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Comment #27 posted by John Tyler on October 26, 2007 at 19:49:19 PT
re #1
Re #1 I have read reports of a couple of recent legal cases in Canada where two different courts have declared current cannabis laws null and void. They ruled that Parliament screwed up some legislation back in 2003 so cannabis has actually been legal since then. So, if that holds up Marc and his associates would have to be released because for the extradition to work cannabis has to be illegal in both countries. Now there is some question if cannabis is illegal or not. The gov. is expected to appeal, but if they lose there would be nationwide implication. Cannabis could be ruled legal in Canada. What a strange turn of events that would be.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 19:16:21 PT
aolbites
I am getting 3 bars and 61%. It goes down a little sometimes but usually stays with 3 bars. Is that good enough?
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 19:12:45 PT
aolbites 
Which of those would work easiest on an old tired computer like mine? I never used anything for spyware. 
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Comment #24 posted by aolbites on October 26, 2007 at 19:08:42 PT
avast is good
Avast is a good anti-virus program, I use it myself, but you also need to do a spyware sweep now and then .. or have a full time antispyware program running. Spybot search and Destroy, and Adaware are pretty good.
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Comment #23 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 18:53:54 PT

whig
I don't know anything about operating systems except I use Windows. I know this system fairly well and for someone who isn't into technical things it works for me. I know the next computer I get will probably be an emachine from Gateway since I like Gateway and have had three of them over the years. My backup computer is a Gateway and works fine but is old. I have had this one for 4 years and hopefully it will go a little longer.
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Comment #22 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 18:30:04 PT

FoM
Ubuntu isn't a virus scanner, it's a replacement operating system for Windows.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 18:26:57 PT

whig
I never heard of it. I really like Avast. I gave up on Norton and Avast is free.
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Comment #20 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 18:19:17 PT

FoM
Have you ever considered using Ubuntu?
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Comment #19 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 18:15:43 PT

aolbites 
That's very good advice. I have been lucking using Avast. My problem was I had to turn it off on dial up. I do a virus scan almost everyday. Sometimes I wait a couple days. I really do like Avast. My sister had to take her computer in for an upgrade she wanted and they saw she was using Avast and they use it too and said it is very good. When I helped my sister do the install and ran a scan for viruses 13 were found and deleted. I am happy I can have my virus program running all the time now. Windows updates automatically on my computer then I don't have to worry. I am going to make a new restore point tonight since everything is working so well.
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Comment #18 posted by aolbites on October 26, 2007 at 17:51:24 PT

FYI
unpatched system Survival Time: 5-6 minutesThe survival time is calculated as the average time between reports for an average target IP address. If you are assuming that most of these reports are generated by worms that attempt to propagate, an unpatched system would be infected by such a probe.The average time between probes will vary widely from network to network. http://isc.sans.org/survivaltime.html-------------------------remember this if you are forced to reinstall windows, make sure Up To Date anti virus and anti malware/spyware software is installed before pluging in the internet...Don't forget to keep those windows updates [critical] up to date!

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Comment #17 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 14:46:36 PT

whig
I was running without virus protection on dial up because I couldn't go anywhere with it on. I really like Avast. Now I have it back on.
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Comment #16 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 14:37:54 PT

Sanctuary
I think there should be a Sanctuary built in Missoula, Montana.
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Comment #15 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 14:34:46 PT

Safe browsing
Don't use Internet Explorer. Use Firefox, or something else.
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Comment #14 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 14:33:42 PT

FoM
Viruses are really bad on many networks, if your computer isn't well protected by some kind of firewall.
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Comment #13 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 14:30:08 PT

whig
I think choking back tears is more guy thing then a woman thing. Women just let go easier I think. I feel a little empty today but empty isn't a bad thing. I always believe that somewhere inside us we have a way of coping when things get hard. People really are amazing creatures.
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 14:26:58 PT

aolbites
I will check into another antenna. This little evdo gadget is nice. I did a virus scan last night and had a bad virus so I think that was causing it to disconnect. I actually am listening to Rust Radio now and I have missed it so much. I need music in my life in a big way. I am wearing out Chrome Dreams II today too. Thank you.http://www.rustradio.org/

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Comment #11 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 14:17:05 PT

US 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pKujuTgtL0
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Comment #10 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 14:14:10 PT

FoM
I've had to choke back tears a few times today. At least in public, that's not needed right now. There is a lot to do.I'm going to have a good sob eventually, I think.
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Comment #9 posted by aolbites on October 26, 2007 at 14:11:25 PT

evdo
Consider asking for a external antenna, something like this:http://www.evdoforums.com/thread3136.htmlthey might give you one for free if you say your signal keeps dropping, also if you can get that EVDO antenna thing that you plug into your usb port in a window on the same side of the house as the cell tower that should get your best indoor signal possible.. but you will always get a better signal with a permanently mounted outside antenna.ask questions here perhaps..:
http://www.evdoforums.com/forum-19.htmlGood luck!R.I.P. MBC  =(
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Comment #8 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 14:09:28 PT

FoM
Cheaper with no restricted downloads sounds a lot better.
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Comment #7 posted by whig on October 26, 2007 at 13:58:19 PT

Hope
I think Arnica montana is what is homeopathically given for many people with whiplash-type injuries. It's a kind of tobacco, I think.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arnica_montanaYou can do a google search for more.
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on October 26, 2007 at 13:29:12 PT

Dankhank
I believe what you are saying. I hope you are feeling better now.PS: I am still so bummed out about MBC/Robin that I am in a sort of exhausted wandering state of mind I can get into when I feel dissconnected. I think it is a way I cope with hard situations. I get busy doing house work. I sure hugged Stick tight last night. I just hate losing people I care for and I care for all of you here.On a sort of good note yesterday I connected with our cell phone service using a EVDO thing that plugs into a USB port. I tried to get it to work when we got home yesterday but it kept disconnecting and I went back on dial up after we started talking about Robin. She will always be MBC to me though. This morning we moved my tower and moved the modem if that is what it's called and it has been working fine. Youtube buffers a little but I was able to download this song and I am listening to it now. It is called No Hidden Path and is really long. It was performed in Boise on the first leg of Neil's tour. I have a 14 day trial to test this and if not I can return it. It is $10 cheaper then HughesNet and no restricted downloads. 
Neil Young - Boise, ID, 18 October 2007 - No Hidden Path
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Comment #5 posted by dankhank on October 26, 2007 at 13:11:18 PT

medicine ...
driving along that 17-mile-long causway on I10 in Louisiana a few months ago I was struck with a case of heartburn that was coming on strong. I had no antacids, travel with them now, and didn't know what to do.A few tokes, and ta daaaa ... heartburn, gone ... there is no end to the uses of the fair plant ...
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Comment #4 posted by aolbites on October 26, 2007 at 12:49:55 PT

this is why..
This is why there needs to be more research done on the 1000's of different strains to find the ones that work on different conditions and which balance of cannabinoids is more efficient for different conditions.
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Comment #3 posted by Hope on October 26, 2007 at 10:45:42 PT

Potpal
I think you are right about that. It can, maybe certain strains, maybe the "Physical" one...maybe the "Mental" one. You "feel" the pain and where it's coming from. I've experienced that with back trouble. The same experience could help me in realigning myself to decrease the pain. But I did experience that relief, extraordinary and profound relief of pain, I told you guys about that time, from that horrendous headache, which locks in the whole head, face, neck and shoulders. It worked, profoundly, when I thought there was no hope but screaming, as quietly as I could, in agony...and I was very, very impressed. It was the first time I'd ever been struck with intense and intractable pain without having Advil or Tylenol on hand...and of course I'm grievously allergic to aspirin and that was the only other option I had. I had to try it.It worked. It was wonderful. And of course...no liver damage or stomach damage. I was able to lay down again and rest. The pain crept back again in about 45 minutes, sooner than it might have with a "hard" pharmaceutical....but not as bad and another few puffs staved it off again. Hard pharmaceutical relief usually lasts two to three hours...but it worked and it wasn't a vicious drug...as the hard pharms can certainly be.It's a thing caused from my neck that has spurs and arthritis and degenerative disc disease brought on by an old whiplash. Pinched nerves I guess. It's hot, like hot oil running iside me (nerve pain, I think), and hellacious and excruciatingly, unignorable, miserably, fiercely painful. I likely will have to have surgery for it someday, but for now, when I have my special pillow and see the Chiropractor regularly I keep it under control most of the time...but that night, away from home, I didn't have my special pillow...and all hell came forth. 

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Comment #2 posted by potpal on October 26, 2007 at 10:19:01 PT

this vs that
Occurred to me that too much may increase the awareness of the pain, not the pain itself but in any case that's good, a little dab 'ill do ya. On the other hand, too much of most pharmaceutical pain reliever can kill you!
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Comment #1 posted by Sam Adams on October 26, 2007 at 08:10:13 PT

prediction
Canada will string along the Marc Emery (& his friends) process until Bush/Cheney is gone. Then they'll drop it. I think as we inch closer to 11/08 we'll see a lot external players go into a holding pattern, knowing they can just wait for whoever comes after.  Even if it's a Republican (god forbid) I predict a lot of this crazed Dictator-type stuff will be discontinued.
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