cannabisnews.com: Why Pharma Companies Fight Legal Marijuana
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Why Pharma Companies Fight Legal Marijuana
Posted by CN Staff on July 13, 2016 at 08:06:13 PT
By Christopher Ingraham
Source: Washington Post
USA -- There's a body of research showing that painkiller abuse and overdose are lower in states with medical marijuana laws. These studies have generally assumed that when medical marijuana is available, pain patients are increasingly choosing pot over powerful and deadly prescription narcotics. But that's always been just an assumption.Now a new study, released in the journal Health Affairs, validates these findings by providing clear evidence of a missing link in the causal chain running from medical marijuana to falling overdoses. Ashley and W. David Bradford, a daughter-father pair of researchers at the University of Georgia, scoured the database of all prescription drugs paid for under Medicare Part D from 2010 to 2013.
They found that, in the 17 states with a medical-marijuana law in place by 2013, prescriptions for painkillers and other classes of drugs fell sharply compared with states that did not have a medical-marijuana law. The drops were quite significant: In medical-marijuana states, the average doctor prescribed 265 fewer doses of antidepressants each year, 486 fewer doses of seizure medication, 541 fewer anti-nausea doses and 562 fewer doses of anti-anxiety medication.But most strikingly, the typical physician in a medical-marijuana state prescribed 1,826 fewer doses of painkillers in a given year.These conditions are among those for which medical marijuana is most often approved under state laws. So as a sanity check, the Bradfords ran a similar analysis on drug categories that pot typically is not recommended for — blood thinners, anti-viral drugs and antibiotics. And on those drugs, they found no changes in prescribing patterns after the passage of marijuana laws."This provides strong evidence that the observed shifts in prescribing patterns were in fact due to the passage of the medical marijuana laws," they write.In a news release, lead author Ashley Bradford wrote, "The results suggest people are really using marijuana as medicine and not just using it for recreational purposes."One interesting wrinkle in the data is glaucoma, for which there was a small increase in demand for traditional drugs in medical-marijuana states. It's routinely listed as an approved condition under medical-marijuana laws, and studies have shown that marijuana provides some degree of temporary relief for its symptoms.The Bradfords hypothesize that the short duration of the glaucoma relief provided by marijuana — roughly an hour or so — may actually stimulate more demand in traditional glaucoma medications. Glaucoma patients may experience some short-term relief from marijuana, which may prompt them to seek other, robust treatment options from their doctors.The tanking numbers for painkiller prescriptions in medical marijuana states are likely to cause some concern among pharmaceutical companies. These companies have long been at the forefront of opposition to marijuana reform, funding research by anti-pot academics and funneling dollars to groups, such as the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, that oppose marijuana legalization.Pharmaceutical companies have also lobbied federal agencies directly to prevent the liberalization of marijuana laws. In one case, recently uncovered by the office of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), the Department of Health and Human Services recommended that naturally derived THC, the main psychoactive component of marijuana, be moved from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3 of the Controlled Substances Act — a less restrictive category that would acknowledge the drug's medical use and make it easier to research and prescribe. Several months after HHS submitted its recommendation, at least one drug company that manufactures a synthetic version of THC — which would presumably have to compete with any natural derivatives — wrote to the Drug Enforcement Administration to express opposition to rescheduling natural THC, citing "the abuse potential in terms of the need to grow and cultivate substantial crops of marijuana in the United States."The DEA ultimately rejected the HHS recommendation without explanation.In what may be the most concerning finding for the pharmaceutical industry, the Bradfords took their analysis a step further by estimating the cost savings to Medicare from the decreased prescribing. They found that about $165 million was saved in the 17 medical marijuana states in 2013. In a back-of-the-envelope calculation, the estimated annual Medicare prescription savings would be nearly half a billion dollars if all 50 states were to implement similar programs."That amount would have represented just under 0.5 percent of all Medicare Part D spending in 2013," they calculate.Cost-savings alone are not a sufficient justification for implementing a medical-marijuana program. The bottom line is better health, and the Bradfords' research shows promising evidence that medical-marijuana users are finding plant-based relief for conditions that otherwise would have required a pill to treat."Our findings and existing clinical literature imply that patients respond to medical marijuana legislation as if there are clinical benefits to the drug, which adds to the growing body of evidence suggesting that the Schedule 1 status of marijuana is outdated," the study concludes.One limitation of the study is that it only looks at Medicare Part D spending, which applies only to seniors. Previous studies have shown that seniors are among the most reluctant medical-marijuana users, so the net effect of medical marijuana for all prescription patients may be even greater.The Bradfords will next look at whether similar patterns hold for Medicaid. Christopher Ingraham writes about politics, drug policy and all things data. He previously worked at the Brookings Institution and the Pew Research Center.Source: Washington Post (DC)Author: Christopher Ingraham Published: July 13, 2016Copyright: 2016 Washington Post CompanyContact: letters washpost.com Website: http://www.washingtonpost.com/ URL: http://drugsense.org/url/OeFqjOKPCannabisNews Medical Marijuana Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/medical.shtml
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Comment #41 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 27, 2016 at 08:03:13 PT
FoM - #37 But Wait! There is More!
You're entirely welcome, but I find myself classically "in way over my head". I can't find a P.O. Box for you anywhere on the site. Can you send me one somehow? My email has not changed. Sorry to have to do things this way, but I am out of options. The only reason I'm still alive is because I am an amateur, a guy with a brain tumor, a nobody. But opinions change. I trust you to know that I am not a crank. Delete this post ASAP.
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Comment #40 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 27, 2016 at 07:41:56 PT
Hope-I was just kidding, of course.
Nobody would confuse you with this mob. I would hold you up before this gang to show them how to behave! It is contrast that illuminates.I apologize for allowing your name to appear in the same box as these cretins.
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Comment #39 posted by Hope on July 25, 2016 at 09:15:13 PT
"Sorry about that, Hope."
Why, Oleg? I am from Texas and I am a Christian but I, for sure, am not on the Trump bandwagon. Joe Arpegio (sp) is on it. Chris Christie! Gads! I know from whence they cometh and whence they want to take us all. I'm not getting on anything with them!Their bandwagon looks a hell of a lot like a Nazi freight train in the forties.
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Comment #38 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 25, 2016 at 04:20:04 PT
Correction
In the last post, I said, "First in Flight" appears on all Ohio license plates.Wrong. That is North Carolina.In Ohio, on some plates, you will see "Birthplace of Aviation". But they are still arguing.Some people in Connecticut claims that the first flight really happened there. (They just can't prove he came down.)
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Comment #37 posted by FoM on July 23, 2016 at 18:01:10 PT
Oleg
Thank you so much for your informative and thought provoking comments.
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Comment #36 posted by FoM on July 23, 2016 at 17:52:28 PT
Oleg
Hiccup fixed!
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Comment #33 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 23, 2016 at 17:18:56 PT
Postgame Show, Cleveland Sat.pm last post really!
Things tend to get lost at circuses, conventions and other large-animal gatherings, so I'll tender the following to air the room if nothing else:The Case of the Empty SeatsOne point not in contention in Cleveland is the capacity of Quicken loans Arena and they didn't even come close. The place looked more like an Indians game in April – one of those icy days when conventional thinking goes out the window and both fans are introduced to the players because it's so much faster. Still, it is considered very bad form for a Republican governor to be just one more no-show among many in his own house… No Filthy Lucre for You Either! Soup Nazi At the Temple of Usury!The catering firm that normally services Quicken Loans Arena expected to service many more gatherings around Cleveland than actually occurred. Extra staff were even flown in from out of town and lodged at area hotels at no little expense -- only to find out that when corporate sponsorship walks away, certain parties are over before they start! What Do You Call A Large Group of Policemen Riding Beamers?A pack? A patrol? A problem in the rear view mirror? On the ground, a group of geese is called a gaggle. In the air, they are called a skein. Neither of those suit to describe the quiet passing of dozens of Ohio State Troopers tooling along Carnegie Avenue recently on their BMWs. But with the "Frankenstein" engines (that stick out on both sides) there just HAS to be a name that ties in with globalism. Didn't we used to make motorcycles for the cops right here in the USA? Didn't a couple of bicycle mechanics from this state invent flight? Isn't that why there are wings on the Ohio State Troopers logo? Isn't that why it says "First in Flight" on all Ohio license plates?Finally, Things Overheard on the Bus and Elsewhere .From a woman in the Texas delegation: "… it is every Christian's duty to vote for Donald Trump… God gave Us Donald Trump!" Sorry about that, Hope.And of course, no convention would be complete without generating at least one standard off-color joke:
"If the Canadians are attacking from the North, and the Mexicans are attacking from the South, who do you shoot first? Answer: The Canadians, remember "business before pleasure.""So look out world. It's a mob seeking mob rule, and it's coming your way.Hello, Philadelphia, is there anybody out there?
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Comment #32 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 22, 2016 at 07:23:38 PT
Notes from Occupied Cleveland, Last Call
Friday Morning.
So what did we learn from the Republican convention? Besides that you will be booed for telling people to vote their conscience? Think about that one for a bit. Apparently, to support Donald Trump, one need not be encumbered by anything even remotely resembling a conscience. A conscience would just get in the way."Law and Order" candidates would rather no one see what they actually do in the name of their brand of "justice". Just look at what is going on in Turkey - no one is interested in the original problem, why a coup occurred – their boss wants law and order, so the beatings will have to continue until morale improves! Cell phone cameras have changed that a lot, and there is no reason to think that this trend will not continue. Expect to see more of the same whoever wins - no one denies being for "law and order" But this group is not an electorate - it's a mob, and I am glad they are gone. I may not live to see the next election, so if we don't get legalization and normalization straight this time…
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Comment #31 posted by FoM on July 21, 2016 at 10:05:32 PT
Oleg the Tumor
Thank you so much!!!
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Comment #30 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 21, 2016 at 09:26:05 PT
Notes from Occupied Cleveland, Thursday morning
What Happened to All the Filthy Lucre?Cleveland Thursday a.m. - Across the street from the Quicken Loans Arena is a restaurant/bar that staffed three full eight hour shifts all this week in anticipation of crowds from the Republican convention, but they have been closing down at about 10 PM, for want of a crowd. The people seem to stream out of the convention center and down Prospect Street, locked in a herd mentality. I really hope they are all going down to the casino to say goodbye to Jack. The owner of the restaurant said that he expected things to get better after they are gone. The best he can expect now is to break even. No doubt this will translate into untold millions by the time the report comes out whenever, if ever.Up to Our Keyhole in Bicycles.There are some 5500 police officers in the Cleveland area from all over the United States and they are doing a remarkable job. (Even if some of them looked lost for purpose as they wander around downtown, their uniforms are pressed) At yesterday's obligatory flag burning, the celebrant accidentally ignited his own pants, causing an intelligent response from a cop with a fire extinguisher, which in turn caused a response from the celebrant to resist, resulting in two other people having their clothing catch fire, creating a perfect clusterfuck of resistance and assistance. Welcome to Cleveland! Flag burning is for people who can't write. Anyway, about the bicycles, the City of Cleveland recently purchased some 300 bicycles in anticipation of the activities this week. These guys will be remembered as the action heroes of Cleveland 2016. If Alexander the Great had bicycles, we would all be speaking Greek! Maneuverable, easy to get between groups of people with issues, the bicycle, when you pick it up, makes an excellent shield when marching either in full phalanx or in partial enfilade. If that last sentence makes sense to you, than you may have been playing too many Avalon Hill games. When everybody goes home, the bikes will stay. This would be a good time to bring public bikes to Cleveland, as I believe some federal money went towards the purchase.What Can the Cannabis Community Expect from Republicans?Not much, from what I can see. When you hear them talking about "Law and Order", that usually means "Jail for pot smokers." Donald Trump is roughly, playing Warren Beatty ‘s role in the film "The Parallax View". (The Disposable Man) The TTIP-ers and globalists have their man in place in the form of Gov. Pence. A year or so after the election, Donald J Trump takes a ride on a yacht and never comes back, creating a New World Order of conspiracy theories blaming Russia, China and players to be named later. Hallelujah! So, I don't expect to see a "Pot Smokers for Trump" group to appear, not with Gov. Christie in the room.Stranded Assets – The New Elephant in the Room. Again.At the end of prohibition, there were many cops working for the Bureau of Narcotics. Put to work in all of those black and white movies chopping up stills and breaking bottles of good liquor, Harry Anslinger’s men did their job, and a number of them, even lost their lives doing it. So do you legalize marijuana and lay everybody off? Or do you just find a new target and keep hammering away? We are in that same position again, so who's the new target, immigrants? Anyone who disagrees? By now we all know what passes for Consensus in the Trump Camp: Consensus is reached when everyone agrees with the Boss.
(By contrast, in the Hillary camp consensus is reached when her phone makes a sound no one in the room has ever heard before.)
And I do suspect that Hillary will eventually pull off the rubber mask and reveal herself to be the "Trade Partnership" monster. I am hoping that at that point we can throw a bucket of water on her and watch her scream, "I'M MELTING… I'M MELTING…!Be at Peace
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Comment #29 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 20, 2016 at 08:44:07 PT
Notes from Occupied Cleveland, Wednesday Morning
First, I envy all the rest of you outside the area and I wish I could join you, wherever you are. Trying to get around here is almost impossible.The $40 parking fees never materialized, glad to say, although many of those lots have been taken over by valet concerns which makes a lot more sense.Prediction: The next Tour de France will be won by a cop from Cleveland. There is some confusion as to where precisely the convention is being held. Announcers on radio and TV have been heard saying, "… From the convention center in Cleveland…" There IS a place called "The Cleveland Convention Center." But that is not where the Republicans are holding their convention. This convention is being held at "The Quicken Loans Arena", which is a celebration of usury (as anyone who has ever bought a beer there can attest)In the realm of public advertising, two disturbing items have popped up.The first is a poster on Euclid Avenue near W. 12th St. It includes the standard bad photo of Hillary Clinton's eyes behind the words: "The Democrats are like a bus, always taking poor people for a ride."This can be taken at least two different ways - it can mean either that "The Democrats cheat poor people" (to take for a ride) or it could mean that "The Democrats are assisting poor people – taking them somewhere they don't deserve to go or can't pay – a free ride! It also insults those of us who favor public transportation. Am I to be looked down on as "poor", just because I can't afford (or choose not to) drive a car downtown to work? Monthly parking fees can cost up to $125, if available.
The reader is left to guess what it all means - and we are kind of tired of guessing people out when they're supposed to be explaining themselves in the party platform process…The second one is a billboard near the corner of Carnegie and W. 14th St. This one is a real Corker!
It enquires: "NEED CAMPAIGN FINANCING?", below that it says, Dick to Dick, LLC, EXECUTIVE CONSULTING and at the bottom is the quote, "We're not going to live forever, so why should the earth?" - Drew Dogan III.I do not know who Drew Dogan the Third is, (or who he thinks he is) but what I question is the target market for such an ad. What kind of people is this advertisement trying to reach? The same people who passionately cry out to protect the unborn? There is a rift growing here, and over time it will express itself. Again.The fact is that each side, both Republican and Democrat, are saying all kinds of terrible (but otherwise perfectly appropriate) things about each other! Somebody should get a picture of this ad and post it so everybody can see it.All I know is that the earth is heating up and if we do not substitute something else for oil, then people like Drew Dogan the third will still be out there lending money to like-minded Republicans. But will these people admit who they are?
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Comment #28 posted by Sam Adams on July 20, 2016 at 06:45:47 PT
Trump
I'm not watching the convention, who needs the extra stress and feelings of wanting to throw up? It should be an interesting campaign. If I were the other candidates I would run ads with videos of all the white supremacy groups marching with Trump signage and rallying for Trump at his events. I was just saying to a friend the other day - Trump is hard to take because he forces everyone to realize that this country is very different from European countries and Canada. Living in the USA means you're trapped in a country with hordes of thuggish rednecks. More similar to Russia than the western Europe. They love Trumps' bigotry and all-around dumbness…."you're fired! har har har" how that can be entertaining or funny? only if you're an idiot.Most professional people and progressives move to big cities or liberal enclaves and try to block out reality. But Trump is going to remind everyone where we live! I live in a hick town and the thugs were going crazy on primary day, everybody was running around in Trump shirts and gear. He's incredibly popular among ignorant thugs, and we've got a ton of them out in the sticks.
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on July 20, 2016 at 05:58:31 PT
Donald Trump
I have tried to watch the convention but I can only handle a little at a time. Trump has shown how people on the right feel and I don't like what I see.
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on July 20, 2016 at 05:56:46 PT
Colbert: Christmas in July
Colbert has been great during the RNC. Check out the start of the week.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahChgL85VF8
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Comment #25 posted by Hope on July 20, 2016 at 05:35:47 PT
Thank you, BGreen.
It's so sweet to have a fresh dose of BGreen's ideas on our struggle. Good morning, old friend! You've been missed!
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Comment #24 posted by BGreen on July 20, 2016 at 03:15:48 PT
Donald Trump acts like a vicious bully
I will not lower my energy to the depths of his or his supporters. I was viciously bullied throughout my life. I used to harbor ill feelings towards those who have so violated me, yet now I bless them for presenting the lessons I was supposed to learn.I have so foolishly tried to "fight" those negative entities using their own low energy, only to find myself resembling them more than my own higher vibrational spiritual being.I don't have to be against Donald Trump in order to defeat the lowest of vibrational beings. I only need to be in favor of the things of which I care mostly. The positive vibrational energy we exude will by its very nature overwhelm the negative energy of hate.I have not been able to defeat the negative energy so exemplified by the Republican party even more than the Democratic party. Both have been corrupted by the demon known as "power," but the Republicans have devolved further into hatred and control than I have ever witnessed in my 53 years.I am in complete peace about the perfection of the universe. I have been so in tune with this perfection, with the only true deviation being my impatience with the timing. That's the only real consternation we all seem to have; the idea that it just isn't happening fast enough. In reality, it's all happening at exactly the pace it needs to proceed at. Our job is to keep up our thoughtful and prayerful push for all that is true and righteous.To lower our energy at this point is only going to hurt ourselves, and empower those who feed like vampires off of the negative energy they can conjure up through their bombastic, hateful, hurtful rhetoric.The Reverent Bud Green
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Comment #23 posted by Hope on July 19, 2016 at 15:26:53 PT
What if
We all wrote in Senator Bernie Sanders' name?Would the computers kick it out and void the vote?
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Comment #22 posted by MikeEEEEE on July 19, 2016 at 13:58:32 PT
Sam
You have a good point.
Too bad the corporate media blacks out these guys.
The busine$$ parties are getting the media attention. Only having 2 choice$ is a joke.
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Comment #21 posted by Sam Adams on July 19, 2016 at 10:18:59 PT
don't give up
what about the Libertarians and Greens? I've been voting for them since Clinton I. Gary Johnson and Jill Stein should be on the ballot in most states.
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Comment #20 posted by MikeEEEEE on July 19, 2016 at 08:34:49 PT
Richard
Two choices for presidente is no choice at all.
I'm not planning to vote, not even for the lesser of two scammers.
In a rigged system there is no choice.
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Comment #19 posted by Richard Zuckerman on July 19, 2016 at 08:21:29 PT:
Oleg the Tumor's comment seems hits the bullseye!!
I'm planning to hold my nose and vote for Donald Trump, because the beneficial effects of Hillary Clinton's avowed support for pot legalization does not overcome her support for continued open-borders-immigration, spending us into more debt, continuing the "Free Trade Agreements", and her support for MONSANTO!
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Comment #18 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 19, 2016 at 07:00:23 PT
Sam Adams #16
And when Cheech and Chong's car caught fire, they tried to smoke it! That's the gag: anything connected to marijuana can be in fact, "Smoked" or laughed at, sneezed at, looked down upon, mocked, etc. etc.Now it is serious. We must find oil substitutes from everywhere in the natural realm and cannabis hemp is the prime candidate.Just think of all the things that could be made from the Akro-Mils process, and even more, from the education it would afford us. This is how it begins.As to the question, "Why IS marijuana illegal?" a few choice selections from The Elkhorn Manifesto help frame the discussion.
(What do Hemp and Hitler have in common?
World War II, that's what.) An Open Letter to All Americans
By R. William Davis "PREFACE Before the Gatewood Galbraith for Governor Campaign in 1991, few Kentuckians knew that the plant that the federal government had demonized for over 50 years as "Marijuana - Assassin of Youth," was, in fact, Cannabis Hemp, the most traded commodity in the world until the mid-1800s, and our state's number one crop, industry, and most important source of revenue, for over 150 years.""… the federal government's unjustifiable suppression of our state's right to develop our most valuable and versatile natural resource, is facing increasing opposition from an informed public. Hemp is now recognized as the number one agriculturally renewable raw material in the world, and perhaps the only crop / industry which can guarantee us industrial and economic independence from the trans-national corporations." "It was during the years between the Civil War and the beginning of the Twentieth Century that the Northern industrialists altered the role of the American government. Originally established by the Revolution to protect and preserve the lives, property and freedoms of all Americans from repressive government, it was transformed into an agency to protect the economic future of Northern industrialists.""It is important to remember that the American Revolution was a clash between the agriculturists in the colonies, and the British industrialists who controlled the government in England. Almost 100 years later the Civil War was fought as a continuation of the same basic struggle, but with the victory going back to the industrialists. This began the erosion of the American government "of the people, for the people and by the people." The buying of the 1896 Presidential Election, by Hanna of Standard Oil and the Northern industrial interests, was the next important step on the long road to the American government "of the corporation, for the corporation and by the corporation."
This publication, however, reveals documented historical evidence that the suppression of the hemp industry was only one key part of a much larger conspiracy in the 1930s, not only by the three corporate interests named above, but by many others, as well. Congressional records, FBI reports and investigations by the Justice Department, during the 1930s and 1940s, have already documented evidence of this wider plot. A list of the corporations named include Du Pont, Standard Oil, and General Motors, all of which were proven to be conspiring with Nazi industrial cartels to eliminate competition world-wide and divide among themselves the Earth's industrial resources and commercial markets, for profitable exploitation. This conspiracy succeeded. It is now obvious that this lack of serious competition in the industrial raw materials market caused our present - and totally contrived - addiction to petrochemicals. Its success is directly responsible for the most troubling problems we now face in the 1990s; serious damage to our environment, concentration of economic and political power into fewer and fewer hands, and the weakening of the rights of individuals and states to determine their own futures. It is more and more evident that, given the historical record, the structure of the New World Order is being built upon the Foundation of Marijuana Prohibition, and only the relegalization of free-market hemp competition can save us. R. William Davis
July 4, 1996
Louisville, Kentucky(Note the above date. This info has been out for over 20 years!)So (in short) why is it illegal? Because to cover a lie, you have to keep lying, that is why.
And that is the only reason.
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Comment #17 posted by FoM on July 18, 2016 at 20:25:31 PT
51-Foot Marijuana Joint Coming to Philly
51-Foot Marijuana Joint Coming to Philly for the DNCURL: http://www.phillyvoice.com/51-foot-marijuana-joint-coming-philly-dnc/
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Comment #16 posted by Sam Adams on July 18, 2016 at 09:22:44 PT
Hemp car
Oleg yes, don't forget that Cheech & Chong were way ahead of the curve, driving a van made from hemp in the 1970's! Actually those movies were ahead of their time in many ways, Stacey Keach's vaporizer was the first one most of us ever saw also, 20+ years before the rest of us discovered them.I currently have some gardening containers (pots) made by a company called Akro-Mils, they are plastic in appearance but the resin is actually derived from plant fibers. Some of them are 20 years old, they work really well. Almost anything plastic can be made from hemp and other plants rather than petroleum.many people think Prohibition was enacted 100% to wipe out the competition for petroleum-based products, that all the moral stuff and gateway effect BS is just window dressing, they may be right.
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on July 18, 2016 at 07:42:55 PT
Colbert Crashes the RNC
It made me laugh. I know I am not suppose to be up here but neither is Donald Trump! LOL!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5hAJIx6eIE
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Comment #14 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 18, 2016 at 07:32:35 PT
Less Meds Sold Because of Pot? What Else?
So what is wrong with biodegradable rope? Geo. Washington himself asked for each farmer ". . . to put in an acre of hemp for the Navy." Or Paper? With Four Times as much pulp yield per acre then from a stand of trees. All without Chlorine!Or Hempseed Oil? The original Diesel ran on it. Plus a thousand other uses.With the return of Hemp as a raw source for manufacturing, we can get back to the serious work of protesting the slaughter of all of those poor orlons, rayons, and polysters, murdered just so all of us can wear cheap stupid-looking shirts! Oh! The Humanity!
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Comment #13 posted by John Tyler on July 17, 2016 at 18:17:49 PT
Medicare savings part 2
I located the link to my previous post.
http://www.attn.com/stories/9986/medical-marijuana-reduces-painkiller-abuse
The big savings are in the Medicare Part D prescription drug plan. If you get Medicare you will know what I am talking about. The savings are in the area of pain medication. Basically, the Medicare folks are using cannabis for pain relief instead of prescription pain meds. Added up, it amounts to some big savings and no overdoses on pills.
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Comment #12 posted by John Tyler on July 17, 2016 at 08:20:02 PT
Medicare savings
I saw on another website that Medicare expects to save $400 to $500 million a year on prescription costs in states with medical cannabis. That is money that is not going to big Pharma. I was looking for the website reference to it but I cannot locate it right now.
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Comment #11 posted by HempWorld on July 16, 2016 at 22:01:03 PT
Hiya Garry!
I think I remember, I've seen your posts over the (many) years.Excellent!Yes, the evidence has been in! You are so correct and excellent for pointing that out!Cannabis, Kaneh Bosm, is the miracle plant, it is a God sent, that is why it has been made illegal, etc. etc. The healing of the nation, the cure for many, many ailments... see Granny's list, ha, ha ...My point has been, the old line: "we need to study some more"The "do do do, the da da da"For lack of better words, from the Police!Ha, ha, love ya, Sting! Dear Sir!We never, or rarely, get justice!Go figure!Blessings and Godspeed to All! We are in perilous times!
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Comment #10 posted by Garry Minor on July 16, 2016 at 14:14:39 PT:
HempWorld #9
From the Journal of Neuroscience, 2005Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease Pathology by Cannabinoids: Our results indicate that cannabinoid receptors are important in the pathology of AD and that cannabinoids succeed in preventing the neurodegenerative process occurring in the disease.http://m.jneurosci.org/content/25/8/1904.fullKaneh Bosm
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Comment #9 posted by HempWorld on July 16, 2016 at 07:48:34 PT
MARIJUANA COMPOUND REMOVES ALZHEIMER’S PLAQUE
MARIJUANA COMPOUND REMOVES ALZHEIMER’S PLAQUE FROM BRAIN CELLSAlzheimer’s disease may now be added to a list of diseases with promising treatment from cannabis compounds, a new study from the Salk Institute says.While there has been research and trials to use compounds to treat chronic pain, cancers, epilepsy, and other diseases and illnesses, this laboratory study is the first of its kind to test tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a main component in marijuana, against the plaque buildup of the brain associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
The researchers took human neurons that they grew in a lab and altered them so that they created the plaque buildup (comprised of proteins such as beta-amyloid). The researchers then subjected the neurons to amounts of THC and other marijuana compounds.
What they found was that not only did the THC cause a breakdown of the protein buildup, but a reduction in inflammation in the cells. Inflammation is bad because it makes it harder for your neurons to communicate with one another correctly.
"Although other studies have offered evidence that cannabinoids might be neuroprotective against the symptoms of Alzheimer's, we believe our study is the first to demonstrate that cannabinoids affect both inflammation and amyloid beta accumulation in nerve cells," says Salk Professor David Schubert, the senior author of the paper said in a statement."Peace, Love, Prosperity, Abundance"http://www.popsci.com/marijuana-compound-removes-alzheimers-plaque-from-brain-cells-study
MARIJUANA COMPOUND REMOVES ALZHEIMER’S PLAQUE
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Comment #8 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 16, 2016 at 07:29:45 PT
Assembling an Oxymoron in Cleveland
It is a dreary, rainy morning in Cleveland made strange by a weather report that denies it. Or as the black ops workers cryptically text nosy taxpayers in the middle of the night: "It is a nice day." Right.They have been working all night to erect the rest of the barricades while simultaneously trying to replace the sponsors that will not show their corporate face in Cleveland.I just heard on the radio that $8 million in donations have just walked away, leaving a $6 million shortfall to be made up by… "Notme"– that character from "The Family Circus", famous for messing things up and running off! Republicans visiting Cleveland can look forward to speeches by sports figures, lots of sports figures. Perhaps the entire Trump chess team will stand to lecture the assembly on precisely how their leader outmaneuvered everyone else
by using only the laws of supply and demand (in this case, the media) like a modern-day Aristotle/Sherlock Holmes.The meal count is in. Caterers and hotel reservations show that there should be 50,000 people coming to Cleveland next week. Either that or there is going to be a lot of food
leftover.
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Comment #7 posted by HempWorld on July 14, 2016 at 17:27:18 PT
Nice!
Nice, or...Well, I actually grew up there...So, when I see and recognize the images and places, it makes me think... As far as I am now capable of this, anyway, nearing retirement and death.I remember getting pulled over (for nothing) whenever I was driving, with my Dutch plates, in the middle of the night. So, driving after 2 AM, is not advisable for me, or was.Of course they thought I was smuggling hash.Oh, that was so, so long ago...At least they didn't carry big guns and shot on sight, I would have been dead many times over. Grateful dead.But, apparently, after many years of unnecessary wars... and many more to follow... what can you expect?It's not pretty, but this is the new reality!
The World (in French)
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Comment #6 posted by FoM on July 14, 2016 at 15:51:19 PT
Truck Plows Into Crowd in France; Many Dead
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/15/world/europe/truck-plows-into-crowd-in-france-report-says.html
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Comment #5 posted by FoM on July 14, 2016 at 15:49:40 PT
Oleg the Tumor
What a terrible tragedy occurred in France today. Who knows how many are dead this time.They have 5,000 police coming to guard the convention. That's crazy and I am worried it could get very dangerous to be near. Stay safe! I live in south eastern, Ohio far away from Cleveland. Please keep us informed.
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Comment #4 posted by Oleg the Tumor on July 14, 2016 at 08:44:30 PT
HAPPY BASTILLE DAY FROM CLEVELAND, OHIO!
The Dems have put together a "Path to Legalization". Hoo-ray!As occupied Cleveland prepares for the Republican Convention next week (mostly by evacuating for vacation) the rest of us get to watch the barricades go up. Since I live at ground zero, I may as well keep my eyes open and say what I see."They are not called barricades, they are called assets" said Mayor Jackson, but not with a straight face.
I have seen these things. They are 8 feet high and will link up to surround the Convention, which is a good thing actually, considering that these barricades are what dog cages, jails and temporary lockups for lost populations and soccer hooligans are made of. It's good that they keep them all together, safely under lock and key. It makes me feel safe, anyway. If it's an asset you want, buy gold.And speaking of valuables… Prices for everything will approximately double next week in downtown Cleveland. That four dollar latte is now an eight dollar latte. Premium parking that used to go for 20 bucks is now 40 bucks, you get the idea.Maybe wealthy Republicans want every place to resemble New York City, where high prices and debt go to get married, forever and ever. The result is a perpetual overhead of debt that never quite gets paid off. If you're carrying a student loan, then you know what it's like. On the other hand, if you buy and sell debt to outsource your expenses, then you will elect to continue the present system indefinitely under the "if it's not broke, don't fix it" rule. You are probably much more concerned with which bathroom people are using then with the over-use of credit to commit the entire world to the over- production (and over-use) of hydrocarbons is now causing worldwide hypothermia.
Frogs in warming water? Or is it a burning River?It will be interesting to see how many tried and true Conservative Republicans will actually show their faces in Cleveland and proclaim, "This is the party of Abraham Lincoln, and Yes, Donald Trump is a Republican, and so am I!"Just consider the exciting speakers now fighting for their turn at the podium!All of the former primary losers, his own wife, and all of his kids will be dragged through the Arc of Triumph, like treasures from the Temple of Solomon. Welcome to the New Rome. Il Duce is now presiding. One of them ought to carry a menorah – just to complete the optics. No Former Republican Presidents? No Republican State Governor? None of the usuals one might expect to hear expound from "the Party of Lincoln"?There will be a Night of Long Knives, to be sure. Probably sooner than later. I predict that anyone identified as being part of the "Dump Trump" movement will find their IDs invalid by Tuesday AM, because Donald Trump has assumed control of the Republican Party and he is not your Big Brother! ( And you may need those credentials to get out!)"May you live in interesting times!" - old Chinese insult.That, we are.
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Comment #3 posted by FoM on July 14, 2016 at 04:56:10 PT
Paint with light
Good to see you and thank you for the article. I didn't see that one.
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Comment #2 posted by Paint with light on July 14, 2016 at 03:26:50 PT
I had to post this
I ran across this article at Huff Post,http://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/war-on-weeds-end-in-sight_b_10934184.html ".........but realistically speaking the end will happen when the government does exactly what Bernie Sanders boldly called for during his campaign — the federal government treating marijuana not the same way it treats heroin or crystal meth, but the same way it treats alcohol and tobacco."Still sayin'.........Legal like alcohol for a start.
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on July 13, 2016 at 13:22:21 PT
Democrats to Endorse Federal Legalization of MMJ
Democrats to Endorse Federal Legalization of Medical MarijuanaURL: https://www.greenrushdaily.com/2016/07/13/democrats-endorse-federal-legalization-medical-marijuana/
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