Federal Government Claims Marijuana Has No Medicinal Benefit.

The corrupt, federal government has ruled that marijuana has no medicinal benefit; but, they didn't stop there and went on to claim it should remain in the same class as heroin!! Heroin??? They know very well that the two are about as similar as beer, and heroin. These regulatory bodies are all too often corrupted by the very industries they are supposed to police. In this case, it seems the big drug companies are heavily influencing them to stick to this absurd opinion out of avoiding competition.

Growing numbers of people know that the old line, which says marijuana is similar to heroin has been debunked. The fact that they keep sticking to this insult to our intelligence reminds me of, "The Wizard of Oz." In particular, the scene where the "wizard" is finally found out to be nothing but an old man spewing propaganda behind the curtain (to see clip, click on this sentence). Even after being discovered, he still tries to keep up the charade until it's hopeless. As annoying and illogical as this "finding" is from the feds, I think it's the last gasps of a failed drug policy toward marijuana.

This ruling is a huge, collective slap in the face to highly esteemed and credited doctors throughout America, and the world, who see the benefits of marijuana in their patients. When it comes to medical issues, I'll trust the opinions and findings of doctors over politicians, any day. The drug companies don't want competition from a natural herb that people can grow in their own homes; and the DEA and law enforcement (in part) want to keep it illegal to keep them in jobs!! This is less about medicine from their end and more about political power and corruption. This ruling is also spitting in the face of the millions of citizens who've democratically voted to legalize medicinal marijuana in 16 states, and the District of Columbia.

This won't stop the advocates of marijuana who see the real medical benefits from this wonder drug. We'll push on until all 50 states legalize it and the federal government will be forced to finally accept reality. Perhaps, even, the goal should be full legalization to avoid any wiggle room for a corrupt federal agency to keep up the lies and distortions. I'm a hard-core liberal but even I accept that the federal government has over-stepped it's authority and decency in regards to sick patients who find merciful relief from their very real ailments through this non-addictive, all natural, substance.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Cannabis Rx: Cutting Through the Misinformation by Dr. Andrew Weil.

Dr. Andrew Weil is a famous, well-respected physician who is the founder and director of the Arizona Center for Integral medicine. He is best known for establishing and popularizing "integrated medicine." It is a style of treating ailments and diseases through both conventional medicines and practices along with natural treatments that ancient civilizations have successfully used for millennia. China has been so successful at using natural supplements that their formulas are increasingly being adapted to western medical treatments. Herbs like cannabis (marijuana) don't survive for thousands of years as medicines without there being something to it:

If an American doctor of the late 19th century stepped into a time warp and emerged in 2010, he would be shocked by the multitude of pharmaceuticals that today's physicians use. But as he pondered this array (and wondered, as I do, whether most are really necessary), he would soon notice an equally surprising omission, and exclaim, "Where's my Cannabis indica?" In his day, labor pains, asthma, nervous disorders and even colicky babies were treated with a fluid extract of Cannabis indica, also known as "Indian hemp." (Cannabis is generally seen as having three species -- sativa, indica and ruderalis -- but crossbreeding is common, especially between sativa and indica.) At least 100 scientific papers published in the 19th century backed up such uses.

Green Man: They knew then what we're finally remembering now about marijuana; it's somewhat of a miracle drug that helps with everything from: Chronic pain, to appetite loss from cancer and HIV/AIDS, to glaucoma and menstrual cramps. It is also being used to treat depression for those with mental health struggles. I have a form of bipolar and I have prevented several emergency suicidal depression crises by administering a little cannabis into my system. It brings me up out of that dangerous place quicker than any other prescription drug I've been given--and I've taken them all. Plus, the effect from marijuana lasts even after it has worn off. Nothing works like marijuana to treat emergency depression and with little to no side effects compared to the drugs my psychiatrist gives me. So, how is it that I can use marijuana for medical reasons and I don't have to worry about over-dosing but the pills that society deems "safe" and "legal" could kill me instantly if taken in the wrong dose? But what else is cannabis good for when it comes to medicine?:

Meanwhile, as a medical doctor and botanist, my aim has always been to filter out the cultural noise surrounding the genus Cannabis and see it dispassionately: as a plant with bioactivity in human beings that may have therapeutic value. From this perspective, what can it offer us? As it turns out, a great deal. Research into possible medical uses of Cannabis is enjoying a renaissance. In recent years, studies have shown potential for treating nausea, vomiting, premenstrual syndrome, insomnia, migraines, multiple sclerosis, spinal cord injuries, alcohol abuse, collagen-induced arthritis, asthma, atherosclerosis, bipolar disorder, depression, Huntington's disease, Parkinson's disease, sickle-cell disease, sleep apnea, Alzheimer's disease and anorexia nervosa.

But perhaps most exciting, cannabinoids (chemical constituents of Cannabis, the best known being tetrahydrocannabinol or THC) may have a primary role in cancer treatment and prevention. A number of studies have shown that these compounds can inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animal models. In part, this is achieved by inhibiting angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels that tumors need in order to grow. What's more, cannabinoids seem to kill tumor cells without affecting surrounding normal cells. If these findings hold true as research progresses, cannabinoids would demonstrate a huge advantage over conventional chemotherapy agents, which too often destroy normal cells as well as cancer cells.

As long ago as 1975, researchers reported that cannabinoids inhibited the growth of a certain type of lung cancer cell in test tubes and in mice. Since then, laboratory studies have shown that cannabinoids have effects against tumor cells from glioblastoma (a deadly type of brain cancer) as well as those from thyroid cancer¸ leukemia/lymphoma, and skin, uterus, breast, stomach, colorectal, pancreatic and prostate cancers.

Green Man: The bottom line is that the war on marijuana has been costing us billions of dollars for decades upon decades with nothing to show for it except an increasing number of people who are tolerant of the drug. That's because people know the truth--that marijuana is at the very least no worse than alcohol but it is increasingly seen as being less of a problem to society than alcohol. It doesn't make you aggressive like alcohol. Also, unlike alcohol, it isn't physiologically addictive. So, the word got out that the government wasn't just embellishing the dangers of marijuana but outright lying and pushing blatantly false propaganda about it. Not many in the know have trusted what they have said about pot every since. The cynical side of me says that the authorities maintain the status quo on marijuana's legality because it keeps the DEA, local police and politicians with a job.

Well, the people have had it with the violence that prohibition of marijuana has brought to our southern border region with Mexico; and we're tired of hemorrhaging money to fight a weed during a time of economic crisis when every last dollar counts. We shouldn't be wasting money on a substance that is nearly as tolerated at all levels of social strata as alcohol was during prohibition. During that time even the president of the United States was drinking illegal booze!! Along with politicians up and down the line. The prohibition of marijuana has taken the same predictable and wasteful course as the prohibition of alcohol in the 20s and 30s. It has only increased its popularity, increased the crime associated with it's illegal status and a rise in violence between drug traffickers. Regardless of your morals it just doesn't make sense to keep fighting this losing war on a drug that is no worse than alcohol and with health benefits that bring real comfort and relief to many people suffering from ailments and diseases. The time is now.

~The Green Man has Spoken~