Gateway Theory Debunked … Again! An Aussie blogger reads the studies and rants about propaganda vs science based pot policy Down Under

Sunday, 5 September 2010

New research finds little support for the hypothesis that marijuana is a "gateway" drug leading to the use of harder drugs in adulthood.
--WebMD Medical Reference

You have to feel sorry for people who have learning difficulties. Especially those who bang on and on and on about cannabis being a “gateway” to harder drugs.

It seems that no amount of evidence will stop over zealous, dip-shit anti-drug pundits from spreading their lies and propaganda. Not even those pesky scientists who keep proving them wrong, will keep them quiet.

I wonder what their response will be to the latest study by researchers at the University of New Hampshire who once again disproved “The Gateway Theory”? Somehow I doubt if we will hear much about it. When was the last time you heard a politician or anti-drug group declare they were wrong or the “The Gateway Theory” is obsolete? When was the last time you read about it in the mainstream media?

So, why do they persist? Most people or groups who constantly reject medical research and scientific evidence are usually just written off as nutters but some of these zealots will go to great lengths in a desperate attempt to push their disingenuous cause. Even to the point of using junk science. For example:

In contrast, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy’s “2008 Marijuana Sourcebook” clearly states that recent research supports the gateway hypothesis, specifically that “its use creates greater risk of abuse or dependency on other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine”.
--Drug Free Australia (DFA): Cannabis – Suicide, Schizophrenia And Other Ill-Effects (March 2009)

Of course, the US Office of National Drug Control Policy aka The Drug Czar is notorious for dishing up government sponsored propaganda. Remember, this is the group that manages the "War on Drugs" for the US and the UN. Maybe if they spent more time reading up on the available scientific evidence instead of sifting through volumes of anti-drug propaganda they would come to a different conclusion. Nah, who am I kidding?

It is hard to keep the same attitudes to cannabis prohibition when Obama and the two previous US Presidents are known to have smoked cannabis. Perhaps cannabis is a gateway drug after all * the drug that young Americans have to try if they want to become President of the USA.
--Dr. Alex Wodak - Director of the Alcohol and Drug Service, St Vincent’s Hospital

Ironically, there is some truth about cannabis leading to harder drugs but not for the reasons quoted by the gateway theory supporters. It’s actually the policies pushed by these supporters that are to blame. Simply smoking cannabis doesn’t make someone automatically want something stronger or harder. It’s the association with drug dealers that smokers are forced to endure because of our strict drug laws. Some of these dealers will undoubtedly sell harder drugs, giving way to pressure to try another drug. Pot smokers are forced underground where all drug users are grouped together by a society that doesn’t separate soft drugs from hard drugs. Most pot smokers never go on to harder drugs nor do they want to but being forced underground with addicts, criminals and speed dealers exposes them to a world that they normally wouldn’t encounter.


Teen Pot Smoking Won't Lead to Other Drugs as Adults
Study Shows Marijuana Isn't a 'Gateway' to Other Drugs as Teens Turn Into Adults
WebMD Medical Reference
By Salynn Boyles. Reviewed by Laura J. Martin, MD
September 2010

New research finds little support for the hypothesis that marijuana is a "gateway" drug leading to the use of harder drugs in adulthood.

Teens in the study who smoked marijuana were more likely to go on to use harder illicit drugs, but the gateway effect was lessened by the age of 21, investigators say.

Harder drugs in the study referred to illicit drugs that include analgesics, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, sedatives, stimulants, and tranquilizers.

The study is published in the September issue of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior.

Failure to graduate from high school or find a job were all bigger predictors of drug use in young adulthood than marijuana use during adolescence, says study researcher Karen Van Gundy, who is a sociologist at the University of New Hampshire.

She adds that the findings have implications for policymakers on the front lines in the war on drugs.

"If we overly criminalize behaviors like marijuana use among teens, this could interfere with opportunities for education and employment later on, which, in turn, could be creating more drug use," she tells WebMD.

Marijuana's Gateway Effect Goes Away
Van Gundy says she did not set out to disprove the idea that marijuana is a gateway drug when she and co-researcher Cesar J. Rebellon examined survey data from 1,300 mostly male Hispanic, white, and African-American young adults who attended south Florida public schools in the 1990s. The participants were followed from enrollment in the sixth or seventh grade until they reached their late teens or early 20s.

"Most of the previous research has examined early drug use among people with serious drug problems," she says. "These people do tend to progress from alcohol and marijuana use to other drugs."

When the teens in the study were followed forward into young adulthood, however, a different picture emerged.

"We were somewhat surprised to find the gateway effect wasn't that strong during the transition to adulthood," Van Gundy says. "It really didn't matter if someone used marijuana or not as a teen."

Specifically, the study found illicit drug abuse in young adulthood to be much more closely linked to stress during the teen years and whether or not the young adults were employed.

"Assuming and occupying conventional roles, such as 'worker,' may close the marijuana gateway by modifying and redirecting substance use trajectories," the researchers write.

The Fight Against Drugs
The findings suggest anti-drug efforts aimed at keeping kids in school and providing employment opportunities may have the biggest positive impact on drug use in adulthood, Van Gundy says.

Urban sociologist and drug-use researcher Lesley Reid agrees.

An associate professor of sociology at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Reid's research has focused on the gateway effect of so-called club drugs like ecstasy and cocaine among heavy drug users in their 20s.

She says most of these heavy users do start with alcohol and marijuana and progress to harder drugs.

"Obviously, we don't see this age effect among these heavy users," she tells WebMD. "But in the general population most people do outgrow behaviors like drug use and other delinquent behaviors."

'Gateway' Pioneer Critical of Study
But Columbia University sociologist Denise B. Kandel, PhD, whose research early in the decade found marijuana to be a gateway drug, calls the new research highly flawed and the conclusions "ill founded."

She tells WebMD that the design of the study did not allow the researchers to properly test the hypothesis that marijuana is a gateway drug.

Kandel does not disagree with the conclusion that social position in young adulthood plays a big role in drug use during this time. But she says the researchers fail to consider the potential impact of early marijuana use on social position.

"Using marijuana as a teen can certainly have an impact on whether or not someone fails to graduate from high school or gets a job," she says. "And this increases the risk of persistent illicit drug use."

Study says marijuana no gateway drug

on December 4, 2006

Marijuana is not a “gateway” drug that predicts or eventually leads to substance abuse, suggests a 12-year University of Pittsburgh study. Moreover, the study’s findings call into question the long-held belief that has shaped prevention efforts and governmental policy for six decades and caused many a parent to panic upon discovering a bag of pot in their child’s bedroom.

The Pitt researchers tracked 214 boys beginning at ages 10-12, all of whom eventually used either legal or illegal drugs. When the boys reached age 22, they were categorized into three groups: those who used only alcohol or tobacco, those who started with alcohol and tobacco and then used marijuana (gateway sequence) and those who used marijuana prior to alcohol or tobacco (reverse sequence).

Nearly a quarter of the study population who used both legal and illegal drugs at some point – 28 boys – exhibited the reverse pattern of using marijuana prior to alcohol or tobacco, and those individuals were no more likely to develop a substance use disorder than those who followed the traditional succession of alcohol and tobacco before illegal drugs, according to the study, which appears in this month’s issue of the American Journal of Psychiatry.

“The gateway progression may be the most common pattern, but it’s certainly not the only order of drug use,” said Ralph E. Tarter, Ph.D., professor of pharmaceutical sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy and lead author of the study. “In fact, the reverse pattern is just as accurate for predicting who might be at risk for developing a drug dependence disorder.”

In addition to determining whether the gateway hypothesis was a better predictor of substance abuse than competing theories, the investigators sought to identify characteristics that distinguished users in the gateway sequence from those who took the reverse path. Out of the 35 variables they examined, only three emerged to be differentiating factors: Reverse pattern users were more likely to have lived in poor physical neighborhood environments, had more exposure to drugs in their neighborhoods and had less parental involvement as young children. Most importantly, a general inclination for deviance from sanctioned behaviors, which can become evident early in childhood, was strongly associated with all illicit drug use, whether it came in the gateway sequence, or the reverse.

While the gateway theory posits that each type of drug is associated with certain specific risk factors that cause the use of subsequent drugs, such as cigarettes or alcohol leading to marijuana, this study’s findings indicate that environmental aspects have stronger influence on which type of substance is used. That is, if it’s easier for a teen to get his hands on marijuana than beer, then he’ll be more likely to smoke pot. This evidence supports what’s known as the common liability model, an emerging theory that states the likelihood that someone will transition to the use of illegal drugs is determined not by the preceding use of a particular drug but instead by the user’s individual tendencies and environmental circumstances.

“The emphasis on the drugs themselves, rather than other, more important factors that shape a person’s behavior, has been detrimental to drug policy and prevention programs,” Dr. Tarter said. “To become more effective in our efforts to fight drug abuse, we should devote more attention to interventions that address these issues, particularly to parenting skills that shape the child’s behavior as well as peer and neighborhood environments.”

Indeed, according to the study, interventions focusing on behavior modification may be more effective prevention tactics than current anti-drug initiatives. For example, providing guidance to parents – particularly those in high-risk neighborhoods – on how to boost their caregiving skills and foster bonding with their children, could have a measurable effect on a child’s likelihood to smoke marijuana. Also, early identification of children who exhibit antisocial tendencies could allow for interventions before drug use even begins.

Although this research has significant implications for drug abuse prevention approaches, Dr. Tarter notes that the study has some limitations. First, as only male behaviors were studied, further investigation should explore if the results apply to women as well. Also, the examination of behaviors in phases beyond alcohol and marijuana consumption in the gateway series will be necessary.

From University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

Notes from Dick Evans' presentation UMass CRC meeting 2/28/11

dupont is gm and other snippets of a great lesson in history and civics

Dick Evans gave a great talk tonight at the UMass CRC meeting about Prohibition and prohibition repeal in America. I love linguistics, and enjoyed the distinctions of punctuation with which Dick Evans opened his discussion of Prohibition, the historical period which began in 1920 and ended 13 years later, and prohibition, the policy. For those of us engaged in the current movement to repeal the prohibition of marijuana in Massachusetts, the lessons of the American experiment in alcohol prohibition, and especially in the under-reported story of how that prohibition got repealed can be quite instructive. Evans' lesson tonight gave us food for thought, much encouragement, and a framework upon which we may ensure a successful repetition of history, all for the good.

Here are some of the notes I took mentally as I listened to the presentation, wishing I'd brought my video camera. it has a better memory than I do but this is the best I can muster tonight:


rhetoric is not to be confused with verbosity
rhetoric is not propaganda

it is the studied use of language

medical-recreational not dichotomous issues there's a trilogy or perhaps further ways to use... expansively, as writers, musicians and artists' use to enhance creative process, or laborers who use it to get through tedious days of hard work .. sacramental use of course should be constitutionally protected?

the issue is not the substance, the issue is prohibition. should it be constitutionally banned? which side are you on?

identifying the polarity:wet vs dry was prohibition era divide, with some candidates dubbed amphibian or moist, damp, when wishy washy or in both camps. a paradigm for now? tolerant vs intolerant... hip vs square? redbud vs ragweed says n harsh vs mellow says i bumper sticker mentality? can it work? we ought to be softer on drugs *and* harder on crime

right to tax

stop arresting people

stop targeting people of color?

the law was originally based on racist discrimination and perpetrates racial targeting to this day

stress the futility

cession-- a state may cede enforcement to another sovereign entity (federal enforcement)

another way to repeal prohibition, constitutional amendment by state's votes, tried and true in the 1930's .in article V of the constitution it turns out that we the voters can pass a constitutional amendment by having constitutional conventions in 3/4 of the states, wherein all delegates get elected by voters in the state, and the voters can know which side of the new amendment each delegate will fall; so the voter wills elect a majority of either sensi or schwag delegates to the convention, thereby ensuring direct democratic representation

pauline sabin in pearls and the women's suffrage movement, new wave of activism building on the studied usage of the meaning of the word temperance, which suggests not prohibition, which creates a papradigm of rampant crime and other social issues, a model of greater tolerance for moderate appropriate use... after earlier suffragette temperance activism, carrie nation with a hatchet, etc extoll temperance

other factors that favored the repeal of the Big P were economic, the Great Depression, the need for new industry and revenue

it's a paragraph:

whether you like it or not m is part of our culture which no amount of money or enforcement will make go away

stop arresting people it's futile!

tax, regulate, DARE to teach accurate history, politics and science based information re marijuana vs BS scare tactic curricula, sends a message to youth, they deserve the truth

After current drug czar claims legalization is not in Obama's vocabulary, LEAP officer asks YouTube q and, "Legalization is on the table" says pres. O

time for a debate

The Latest Update from MPP

Last update: February 17, 2011

On Wednesday, January 5, the 2011-2012 Massachusetts legislative session officially began. Once again, the Marijuana Policy Project, along with Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance, will be working tirelessly to ensure that seriously ill residents of the Bay State are afforded protection from arrest and prosecution for using medical marijuana. Please e-mail your legislators and ask them to support medical marijuana legislation.

Rep. Frank Smizik has once again introduced legislation, HB 625 , that would protect sick Bay Staters from arrest and prosecution for using medical marijuana if their doctor recommends it. In addition, we expect Senate President Pro Tem Stanley Rosenberg to introduce a companion bill in the Senate soon. Rep. Smizik and Sen. Rosenberg’s bill is very similar to the legislation that stalled in committee last session. Please take a moment to contact Speaker DeLeo to politely and respectfully ask that medical marijuana legislation receive a vote this year.

Medical marijuana legislation is not controversial. Rep. Smizik’s 2009-2010 medical marijuana bill gained support from, among many other organizations, the Massachusetts Bar Association, the Massachusetts Nurses Association, and the Massachusetts Public Health Association. To find out more about the proposed medical marijuana law, be sure to check out the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance's site.

Finally, if you are a patient with a serious medical condition who could benefit from medical marijuana, a loved one, a medical professional, or a member of law enforcement or the clergy who might be interested in speaking out, please contact the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance to see how you can be of special help in passing this legislation.

Marijuana possession citation law working well, despite continued attempts to weaken it

On November 4, 2008, Massachusetts became the first state to remove the possibility of jail time for simple marijuana possession by voter initiative. MPP’s campaign committee spearheaded this effort. Under the new law, possession of an ounce or less of marijuana is a civil infraction punishable only by a $100 fine and forfeiture of the marijuana.

During the 2009-2010 legislative session, despite the fact that the new law was overwhelmingly approved with 65% of the vote, several bills were introduced that sought to undermine Massachusetts' new marijuana possession law or otherwise increase the penalties associated with marijuana. Most of these bills were heard before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary in July 2009, but fortunately, none of them passed.

Unfortunately, Rep. Todd Smola has introduced two bills to increase marijuana possession penalties. One would further punish an individual in possession of marijuana while in a school zone and the other would increase the penalty associated with possession of marijuana while in operation of a motor vehicle. Please sign up for our free e-mail alerts to stay up-to-date on any hearings or votes scheduled for these misguided bills.

Marijuana Laws in Massachusetts

Although possession of under an ounce of marijuana is punishable by a civil fine of $100 in Massachusetts, the prohibition of marijuana has plenty of opportunity costs. Time spent enforcing marijuana laws could better be used to investigate and bring to justice perpetrators of violent crime. The clearance rate for murder in Massachusetts is 53.9%; for rape and burglary, the clearance rates are 27.8% and 23.8%, respectively. Please e-mail your legislators and ask them to consider a more sensible alternative. For more information on marijuana laws in Massachusetts, please see an in-depth report by Jon Gettman, PhD, about the current marijuana laws and policies in Massachusetts.

Stay connected

To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in Massachusetts, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service.

Gary Johnson Speaks in Manchester NH tomorrow! Feb 25... and more

Terry writes, on wmdp listserve;

I have received this info third hand -- but since none of the folks involved have posted it here, I thought I'd better do so -- since the first event is tomorrow!

************************************************************

Interest Meeting Feb. 25 with a Special Guest Speaker

We’ll be holding an interest meeting at 1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 25, at Blake’s Restaurant on the west side of Manchester (353 South Main Street). If you are planning to testify at the public hearing, we would particularly like to have you attend. Appetizers will be provided at no cost, and all supporters of medical marijuana are invited.

Our guest speaker will be former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson, a leading national critic of the War on Marijuana.

In other (related) news, our former executive director Matt Simon is now working for Gov. Johnson’s organization, and Matt will be attending our meeting as well. Gov. Johnson will speak to us at the beginning of the meeting, and then Matt and I will lead a discussion on how we can all prepare effective testimony for the hearing.

******

Hearing Scheduled for March 1

The much-anticipated [medical marijuana] bill has been introduced, and it has been assigned a number (HB 442 -- you can read it here if you’d like). A public hearing has been scheduled for March 1 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 205 of the Legislative Office Building in Concord (behind the golden-domed state house). Mark that date and time on your calendars!

If you can’t make it to the meeting but want to testify, or if you aren’t sure if you'd like to testify, please get in touch with me at kirk@nhcompassion.org

UConn Student Government endorses Governor Malloy's Marijuana Decriminalization Bill

The University of Connecticut Student Government passed a statement in support of Gov. Malloy's Marijuana Decriminalization Bill, SB 1014, with a wide majority, 30-1 on Wednesday night. The Undergraduate Student Government represents over 17,000 undergraduates, and endorsing a marijuana reform bill is a rare move by a student government. UConn Students for Sensible Drug Policy President and Student Government senator Sam Tracy lead the effort with 15 other co-sponsors.

"It is amazing to see that the representatives from such a diverse number of backgrounds could come together to nearly unanimously endorse marijuana reform, something that was pretty controversial only a few years ago. I look forward to helping Gov. Malloy and the General Assembly in finally implenting this common-sense policy that will save our state millions in these tough budget times." Said Sam Tracy UConn SSDP President and USG Senator.

The near-unanimous passage of this bill further illustrates a changing tone in the Connecticut public opinion on marijuana reform. With the recent courageous step by Gov. Malloy to make drug policy reform a high priority, CT is setting itself up for a major shift toward more responsible drug policies. The bill mentioned many poignant recent figures and studies concerning the issue, such as the fact that 444 students were arrested for drug possession on UConn's campus in the past three years. They also noted that the state could save taxpayers over $30 million a year by making possession of small amounts of marijuana an infraction rather than a misdemeanor, according to the nonpartisan Office of Fiscal Analysis. Due to the Aid Elimination Provision of the Higher Education Act of 1965, a drug conviction can bar a student from receiving federal financial aid, while other crimes, even murder, do not. Over 2,000 CT students have been denied federal aid due to drug convictions.

The students plan to present this endorsement to the state legislature in the near future.


--
Sam Tracy

President, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (UConn chapter)
Senator, USG (Undergraduate Student Government)

Another Study Confirms Anti-Cancer Effects of THC and CBD

Posted by Daily Dose on February 16, 2011 at 4:06 pm
Categories: CBD (cannabidiol), Cancer, Cannabinoid System, Cannabis Science, Health News, Medical Marijuana, Pharmaceuticals, Project CBD, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol)

By Jahan Marcu | Published in Examiner.com

THC and TMZ decrease tumor size

Over the last decade there have been numerous publications demonstrating the anti-cancer effects of plant and synthetic cannabinoids. Notably, the main ingredient of Cannabis, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), has demonstrated the ability to kill multiple types of cancers in a variety of cancer research models. CBD (cannabidiol), another common plant component, has also shown the ability to kill cancer cells, recently it has been used to successfully treat breast cancer in a mouse research model of the disease.

Certain types of brain cancer appear to be vulnerable to cannabinoids such as THC and CBD. Scientific research has demonstrated that THC and other cannabinoids can kill extremely aggressive brain cancers known as glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) or grade IV astrocytomas. Researchers have also experimented with combining different cananbinoids for the treatment of aggressive brain cancers. So far, the results have been extremely promising. There is a need for new treatments for GBMs, as current treatments for these cancers can extend life for up to 15 months, if you’re lucky.

Last year, the journal of Molecular Cancer Therapeutics published research demonstrating that combination’s of THC and CBD, the two most abundant cannabinoids on the plant, can lead to a greater-than-additive or synergistic inhibition of cancer growth. Now, nearly a year to the date, the journal has published another article studying the anti-cancer effects of THC and CBD. The new article takes the next steps towards getting this therapy in to the clinic by testing THC and CBD in animals along side a common brain tumor drug TMZ (temozolomide).

The study was conducted in Spain, and the experiments analyzing the effects of cannabinoids were conducted with tumors or brain cancer cells from human samples and a tumor xenograft mouse model. A tumor xenograft model is basically a cancer that is induced into an animal that has a compromised immune system. This allows researchers to give a mouse a tumor consisting of human cells, thus a promising anti-cancer treatment can be tested on a human tumor in a more natural environment, than a petri dish.

The plant cannabinoids used for this study were “kindly provided by GW pharmaceuticals.” THC and CBD were also provided as plant extracts or “botanical drug substances,” meaning they contained small amounts of other cannabinoids. Allowing these researchers to construct a custom anti-cancer, Sativex-like substance. Other synthetic cannabinoids such as SR141716A and SR144528 were donated by Sonafi-Aventis.

In the figure provided it shows that THC and TMZ can drastically inhibit the size of tumor. The pictures on the graph are of tumors after 15 days of treatment.

In other experiments the authors also examined combinations of THC,CBD, TMZ , and SAT-L (a “botonical drug substance” or extract containing a 1:1 ratio of THC and CBD, 7.5mg each). Interestingly their results also showed that TMZ resistant cells, can be killed by cannabinoids or in combination with cannabinoids.

The researchers conclude that:

“Taken together, our observations support that the administration of cannabinoids, and in particular of Sativex, which is currently used for palliative applications in patients with cancer and multiple sclerosis, alone or in combination with TMZ, could be of potential interest for the management of GBM.”

Cannabis-based medicines are most often prescribed to increase quality of life or treat symptoms of disease. As research continues on this ancient medicine, scientific data suggests that cannabinoids are not only promising treatments but represent potential cures.

Continue reading on Examiner.com: Another Study Confirms Anti-Cancer Effects of THC and CBD – Philadelphia medical marijuana | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/medical-marijuana-in-philadelphia/another-study-confirms-anti-cancer-effects-of-thc-and-cbd-1#ixzz1EAa0ZKNX

ANOTHER DREAM JOB FOR MaMaMoJo (Except the heavy lifting!)

Medical Cannabis Member Services Representative
APPLY NOW
Company : Buds and Roses Collective Position : Full Time
Location : California / Los Angeles Experience : 0-2 Yrs
Category : Sales / Biz Development / Medical Salary : Will be discussed at the end of screening process (not before)
Visa sponsorship : No
Tags: Marijuana , budtender , cannabis , customer service , sales , medical

We are actively recruiting for at least one position right now and may have other opportunities shortly. If you are interested in being considered for this position, please read the post thoroughly and follow all instructions.

The ideal candidate for this job will have to be able to follow written instructions to do this job well. And we are assessing candidates' ability to follow written instruction based off their responses.

We are asking that each applicant provide a cover letter which 1) explains why applicant wants to work at our medical marijuana collective; 2) what resources the applicant can bring to our collective; and, 3) what value the applicant can add to our collective.

If your cover letter doesn't address those 3 specific topics, then we'll assume you weren't really that interested in the position.

We also would like 3-5 personal and professional references.

We will be taking our time to find the perfect candidate. There will be a long screening process with a thorough background check. We will be assessing your skills with a variety of evaluations.

Title of the position
Member Services Representative

Department
Showroom Floor

Reports to
Executive Director and other members

Overall responsibility
Interface with all levels of collective members regarding showroom floor activities and tasks.

Key areas of responsibility
• Ensure member satisfaction on a continuous basis
• Assist members with their decisions and options, looking for opportunities to educate
• Oversee the showroom floor when working
• Maximize resources and minimize waste
• Coordinate short and long term goals and tasks
• Open and close the show room floor including cash drawers, inventory, etc
• Pre-package product
• Maintain inventory by daily weighing, tracking, and accounting
• Maintain display cases with proper signage and products and keep clean and tidy
• Order, store, and distribute showroom floor and office supplies
• Document processing and other data
• Receive products physically and within our inventory system (Quickbooks POS)
• Order and Replenishing low inventory, stock, supplies, etc.
• Network and make connections for the Collective
• Organize showroom and area where supplies are kept and Keep showroom tidy

Consults with
• Showroom floor staff
• Member Services Guards
• Administrators
• Board of Directors including the Executive Director
• Other members of the collective

Term of employment
90-Day probation, weekly compensation.

Qualifications
• Strong sense of customer service
• Good organizational skills
• Supervisory experience
• Knowledge about cannabis as a medicine
• experience interacting with patients
• activism encouraged
• Knowledge of Kushman Veganics helpful
• Ability to lift a minimum of 25 pounds
• Experience with photoshop encouraged

We want applicants that take medical cannabis as seriously as we do. Knowledge of medical cannabis politics in Los Angeles, California and USA is a plus.

You must be a qualified medical cannabis patient or caregiver and you must be a member of our collective. Long and varied hours required. Night and Weekends a must. Flexibility needed. Fast-pace environment. Lots of standing, moving, lifting, etc.

We will only respond to inquiries that demonstrate some of what we are looking for via resumes, cover letters and references.

We will be unable to discuss job opportunities with members who just stop by. All communication about this position will be by appointment only. Thank you for your understanding.

Compensation is based off of experience, skill sets, and knowledge. And will not be discussed until screening process has been completed.

We are looking for the highest qualified candidate and will take all available information into consideration. Many will apply. Only one will get this job. Opportunities for growth.

Please send a cover letter, resume, and reference to the [Use apply form below ]. Please provide a cover letter explaining why you want to work in our collective.

American Facing Death Penalty in Egypt for Hemp Oil

by Phillip Smith, February 07, 2011, 11:36am, (Issue #670)

A US citizen jailed as a drug trafficker in Egypt in December after importing a shipment of non-drug hemp oil there was freed from jail late last month when mobs of protestors overran prisons across Cairo, but remains in legal limbo. Mostafa Soliman, who operates a company called Health Harvest, has so far been refused a new passport by the US Embassy in Cairo, which means he cannot leave the country. He faces a possible death penalty if convicted of drug trafficking.

http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/mostafa-soliman.jpg
Mostafa Soliman
According to the Death Penalty Project of the International Harm Reduction Association, Egypt is one of 32 countries that have laws mandating the death penalty for some drug offenses on the books. While Egypt is not among the leading drug offender executioner countries, such as Iran, China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia, drug offenders do get executed there, the first one in 1989.

Soliman, 62, was born in Egypt and has retained Egyptian citizenship, but the dual citizen has resided in the US for the past 40 years. He had returned to Egypt to oversee the arrival of the hemp oil shipment.

When the shipment of bottled hemp oil arrived at Egyptian customs in December, authorities translated "hemp oil" as "hash oil," and that's when Soliman's life took a Kafkaesque turn. (Arabic does not have a distinct word for "hemp": any concoction from the cannabis plant, whether high THC or low THC, is simply called cannabis.

"Even the Egyptian drug enforcement people told me they knew it wasn't hash oil," Soliman said by phone from Cairo Friday night. "But they said they had to follow procedure."

That procedure resulted in a December 30 raid by drug enforcers on Soliman's storage facility and Soliman's arrest on drug trafficking charges. He was jailed pending trial, first at a neighborhood police station, and then, after the local police commander grew irritated by consular visits, transferred to one of Cairo's maximum security prisons.

"I was in an eight by eight cell that held as many as 30 people," said Soliman. "There were killers waiting to be hanged, thieves, rapists. That really upset me."

[
http://stopthedrugwar.org/files/tahrir-square.jpg
protests in Tahrir Square
]After Soliman had spent several weeks in prison, his Egyptian attorney managed to arrange bail, which would have allowed him to legally leave prison pending trial. But in a bizarre twist of fate, before he could be released, the current protests exploded in Cairo, and the city's prisons were besieged by mobs of uncertain provenance determined to free the prisoners. The prison guards fled the assault even as the prison caught on fire, leaving prisoners locked in their cells.

"I hid under the window," when the prison came under attack, Soliman said. "I was afraid of the Molotov Cocktails. Then the protestors came and broke the locks on the cells and freed us. It was all planned out. They knew all the military was being moved to the square for the protests and there would be little security at the prisons."

Soliman said he thought the Moslem Brotherhood was behind the attacks on the prisons, but like much else in the current crisis, the truth about that is obscure.

After fleeing the prison, Soliman went into hiding in Cairo, and contacted the US Embassy for help. He sought help in translating research reports on hemp and on obtaining a new passport -- Egyptian authorities had seized his, which meant he was effectively unable to leave the country.

But not much help was forthcoming, said both Soliman and members of the Hemp Industries Association (HIA) and Vote Hemp, leading industry advocacy groups in the US that have taken up Soliman's cause.

"I face a death penalty for selling drugs," Soliman said. "I was hoping for the embassy to help me translate some analyses and reports from the States to help me prove my case, but they don't want to do anything. I did it myself, and spent $3,000 to get it done."

organic hemp seed oil label, from Soliman's company, Health Harvest
Nor would the embassy issue him a new passport. "I went to the embassy and a representative came out and said he would try to help me," recalled Soliman. "After I waited outside for three hours, he came back out and said a photo would expedite the process. I came back with the photo the next day, and he took it and again I waited outside for two hours. Then he came out and said he could not help me," he said.


"I don't know what's going on with these people; the embassy has not been very helpful at all. They're not cooperating," he said.

"The US Embassy has not treated this US citizen with any respect," said Vote Hemp spokesman Adam Eidinger. "Our attorneys sent them a letter, and they acknowledged receipt of it and said they are looking into it, but the embassy has not been sympathetic."

Vote Hemp and the HIA launched an action alert Friday afternoon in a bid to raise the profile of the case. The alert calls on people to write Secretary of State Clinton and urge her to ensure that Soliman is issued a new passport.

"We hope the action alert will generate thousands of letters to the secretary of state," said Eidinger. "We want them to take up his cause and give him a passport. Right now, he's in legal limbo. If he goes to the airport in Cairo, he will be arrested. The only reason we can tell they won't give him a passport is these drug charges. This man's life is on the line. If he's convicted, they could kill him. Egypt does have the death penalty for drug smuggling," he emphasized.

Soliman's arrest and the US Embassy's failure to assist have aroused the ire of others in the US hemp industry. "The Egyptian authorities are just following the lead of their DEA counterparts in this ridiculous conflation of healthy, nutritious, non-drug hemp seed oil with the drug marijuana," said David Bronner, head of Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps and a major player in the US hemp industry. "It's even more ridiculous when you consider that they are accusing someone of smuggling hash into Egypt in a hemp bottle. That is so clearly absurd."

"This is a tragic mistake that could be solved with a simple drug test. Mr. Soliman is being falsely accused of importing ‘hash oil’ when in fact it was healthy hemp food," said HIA executive director Eric Steenstra. "Our campaign to free Mostafa Soliman will hopefully jump-start action at the US State Department. We recognize that the unrest in Egypt will make it more difficult for US authorities to act, but this terrible mistake by Egyptian authorities was made well before the recent protests began and in many ways symbolizes the corruption the protestors are resisting," he added.

Until something happens, Soliman is stuck in Cairo and facing the dire prospect of being tried as a drug trafficker for importing a healthy food product. He said he hoped to be able to clear matters up, but that the ongoing political turmoil made his prospects unclear.

"If this situation gets worse, I'm not going to stick around," he said. "If it clears up, then maybe my attorney can clear up my legal situation. But I still need a passport."

Congressman Tierney responds to Mr Epstein

Dear Mr. Epstein:

Thank you for your comments regarding marijuana policy. I appreciate the opportunity to respond.

As you probably know, a significant number of Americans support a doctor’s right to prescribe medications that may include controlled substances in cases that truly warrant such an approach. Initial reports have pointed to potential success in the use of such substances in the treatment of chronic pain, including marijuana for relief for cancer patients.

We continue to witness an important debate over the appropriate use of these products. However, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that federal anti-drug law allows no “medical necessity” exception to the general prohibition on selling or growing marijuana.

Regardless, I remain sympathetic with the comments of one Massachusetts public health official who stated, “we shouldn’t enforce the drug laws by making ill patients suffer.” As our medical community is satisfied that such treatment is reasonable and useful, we should insist that our guidelines be established to ensure that the use of any current illegal drugs is only for truly medical purposes. It is my intention to continue to see that sufferers of chronic pain should have available to them all avenues of relief that pose no real danger to the public.

Regardless of my stance on medicinal uses of marijuana, I do not believe that a case can be made for the legalization of recreational marijuana use. All too often, marijuana use is the first step toward the use of harder drugs. I do not believe we should ease the way for young people in particular to begin drug-using experience.

You may be pleased to know that I am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 786, legislation that would restore financial aid eligibility to students who have served penalties for drug offenses. Section 485(r) of the Higher Education Act, which bars students with any drug-related offense on their record from ever receiving federal student aid, even after they have served their penalty and rehabilitated themselves, strikes me as patently unfair and counterproductive. As a nation we should be opening opportunities for education and training to reformed drug offenders, not closing them. Higher education represents a great determinant of success in modern America, and it is unconscionable to prevent anyone from the opportunity on the basis of past – and atoned for – mistakes.

Again, than you for contacting me. Please feel free to do so regarding any issue concerning you.

Sincerely,
John F. Tierney
Member of Congress

Marijuana, Genes, Medicines And Brain Scans Help Scientists Find Better Anxiety Treatments

ScienceDaily (Apr. 22, 2008) — Right now, about half of all people who take medicine for an anxiety disorder don't get much help from it. And doctors have no definitive way to predict who will, and who won't, benefit from each anti-anxiety prescription they write.

But a University of Michigan Medical School researcher and his team are working to bring more certainty to how doctors and patients choose anxiety treatments, by probing the connection between brain activity, genetics and medication.

K. Luan Phan, M.D., and his former University of Chicago colleagues recently reported intriguing findings from a brain imaging study in occasional, non-dependent, marijuana users in the Journal of Neuroscience.

In a placebo-controlled design, they made the findings after giving the volunteers delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, and exposing them to photographs of emotional faces, which served as signals of social communication. The study results, which showed that THC reduces the response to threat in a brain region called the amygdala, allowed the researchers to zero in on an area of the brain that might serve as a good target for new anti-anxiety drugs.

Now, with a new clinical trial that is currently seeking participants, Phan is searching for more clues as to how anxiety treatment could be tailored to the individual patient, to give the best chance that a treatment will work for him or her.

The new study will test a generic form of the drug Zoloft (sertraline), a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for social anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorders. Both people with social anxiety disorder and a comparison group of people without anxiety are needed for brain scanning and genetic testing.

The idea is to see whether variations in the genes for certain brain receptors and transporters are linked with variations in how a person's brain reacts to pictures of emotional faces, and variations in how they respond to the anti-anxiety drug. This information could lead to an individualized or personalized approach to medical care.

"These two studies are trying to get to the same goal: to find better treatments for anxiety disorders that affect millions of Americans and seriously interfere with their functioning," says Phan, an assistant professor of psychiatry at U-M and the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. "The cannabis study highlights a new avenue that we need to explore further as we try to develop novel medications, while the sertraline study will try to find out if we can tell which patients might or might not respond well, and by what mechanism, to an already existing medication known to have some efficacy in treating anxiety disorders."

Phan led the cannabis study at the University of Chicago, collaborating with Harriet deWit, Ph.D., the director of the Human Behavioral Pharmacology Laboratory in the Department of Psychiatry there. Their results are based on brain scans of 16 recreational marijuana users who agreed to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI.

The researchers chose fMRI because it allows them to see in real time which areas of the brain are most active while a volunteer is performing a certain task -- for example, viewing a picture of a human face that is expressing anger or fear, or performing a decision-making exercise.

That same approach will be used in the new sertraline study, with two different scans before and after anxiety patients are prescribed the medication. The healthy volunteers in the study will also have fMRI scans, though they will not receive the drug. All study participants must between 18 and 55 years old, and those with anxiety disorders must not be taking any other medication that could be affecting the brain in order to qualify to enter the study.

The cannabis study used THC, and a placebo caplet that looked exactly like the THC caplet. The researchers found that when the marijuana users received THC, their brain's response to "threatening" faces was less than it was when they received a placebo.

The difference in response was seen in an area of the brain called the amygdala, which is a hub for the brain's ability to process signs of danger or warning, and to decide how to respond. But there were no differences between THC and placebo in the areas of the brain that process non-emotional visual signals or govern body movement -- suggesting that THC had a specific effect on a specific brain region and on a specific task of processing fear. Other researchers have shown this to be a region that's rich in a receptor called CB1, part of the brain's "cannabinoid" system.

The human brain produces compounds called endocannabinoids that act on these receptors, and are involved in anxiety and fear-learning, or the learning of which threats to be afraid of. But little has been known about the effect of THC, an exogenous cannabinoid, on the brain's own system.

For ethical reasons, the researchers did not give THC to non-marijuana users, and the study was small. But the findings in the study volunteers suggest that THC and other compounds that act on the CB1 receptors in the amygdala could be fruitful targets for new anti-anxiety medicines. Phan notes that rimonabant, a smoking-cessation and weight-loss drug not yet available in the United States for clinical use, also acts on the CB1 receptor.

Understanding how drugs such as marijuana affect the brain may also help reveal more about why people become addicted to illicit drugs or abuse certain prescription drugs, Phan notes. Some individuals may be using illicit drugs and misusing prescribed drugs to alleviate their anxiety. He hopes to investigate this issue further by studying people who have used prescription pain drugs recreationally (such as oxycodone), using new funding from the National Institutes of Health.

The THC study links three key domains of human behavior: a specific region of the brain, the function of that area, and a neurochemical agent (THC) that appears to act on them. The new sertraline study will take it one step further, by looking at genetics too. Specifically, Phan and his colleagues will look for variations ("functional polymorphisms") among several genes in individual subjects. Key among them is the gene (5-HTTLPR) that encodes the serotonin transporter protein that transports the neurotransmitter serotonin in and out of brain cells. Serotonin has long been known to be involved in depression and anxiety, and indeed most modern antidepressant and anti-anxiety drugs (such as SSRIs) work on this transporter.

Journal reference: Journal of Neuroscience, March 5, 2008, Vol. 28, No. 10, 2313-2319

Medical Marijuana for PTSD (in Rats?!)

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor
Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on November 5, 2009

Medical Marijuana for PTSD ?A new study carried out by Dr. Irit Akirav and research student Eti Ganon-Elazar, working at the Learning and Memory Lab in the University of Haifa’s Department of Psychology, suggests the use of cannabinoids may help in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder patients.

The study was published in the prestigious Journal of Neuroscience.

According to background information, the result of experiencing a traumatic event — such as a car accident or terror attack — is the appearance of medical and psychological symptoms that affect various functions. While these conditions normally abate, 10 to 30 percent of people who experience a traumatic event develop post-traumatic stress disorder, a condition in which the patient continues to suffer stress symptoms for months and even years after the traumatic event.

Symptoms include reawakened trauma, avoidance of anything that could recall the trauma, and psychological and physiological disturbances. One of the problems in the course of treating trauma patients is that a person is frequently exposed to additional stress, which hinders the patient’s overcoming the trauma.

The researchers used a synthetic form of marijuana, which has similar properties to the natural plant, and they chose to use a rat model, which presents similar physiological responses to stress to that of humans.

The first stage of the research examined how long it took for the rats to overcome a traumatic experience, without any intervention. A cell colored white on one side and black on the other was prepared. The rats were placed in the white area, and as soon as they moved over to the black area, which they prefer, they received a light electric shock.

Each day they were brought to the cell and placed back in the white area. Immediately following exposure to the traumatic experience, the rats would not move to the black area voluntarily, but a few days later, after not receiving further electric shocks in the black area, they learned that it was safe again and moved there without hesitation.

Next, the researchers introduced an element of stress. A second group of rats was placed on a small, elevated platform after receiving the electric shock, which added stress to the traumatic experience. These rats abstained from returning to the black area in the cell for much longer, which showed that the exposure to additional stress does indeed hinder the process of overcoming trauma.

The third stage of the research examined yet another group of rats. These rats were exposed to the traumatic and additional stress events, but just before being elevated on the platform they received an injection of synthetic marijuana in the amygdala – an area of the brain known to be connected to emotive memory. These rats agreed to enter the black area after the same amount of time as the first group, showing that the synthetic marijuana canceled out the symptoms of stress.

Refining the results of this study, the researchers then administered marijuana injections at different points in time on additional groups of rats, and found that regardless of when the injection was administered, it prevented the surfacing of stress symptoms.

Dr. Akirav and Ganon-Elazar also examined hormonal changes in the course of the experiment and found that synthetic marijuana prevents increased release of the stress hormone that the body produces in response to stress.

According to Dr. Akirav, the results of this study show that cannabinoids can play an important role in stress-related disorders.

“The results of our research should encourage psychiatric investigation into the use of cannabinoids in post-traumatic stress patients,” she concludes.

Marijuana-Based Drug Reduces Fibromyalgia Pain, Study Suggests

ScienceDaily (Feb. 18, 2008) — Patients with fibromyalgia treated with a synthetic form of marijuana, nabilone, showed significant reductions in pain and anxiety in a first-of-its-kind study, published in The Journal of Pain.


Fibromyalgia syndrome has no cure, is difficult to diagnose, and effective pain management strategies are a must to help patients cope with the disease. An estimated 12 million Americans have fibromyalgia, which is characterized by widespread muscle and joint pain and myriad other symptoms. The condition is far more prevalent in women and the incidence increases with age, reaching 7 percent among women 65 years and older.

Forty subjects were selected for the nabilone trial, conducted by researchers at the University of Manitoba Rehabilitation Hospital. They were divided into nabilone and placebo groups and were treated for four weeks. The authors noted this was the first randomized, controlled-access trial to evaluate nabilone for pain reduction and quality-of-life improvement in fibromyalgia patients. Nabilone is one of two oral marijuana-based compounds, known as cannabinoids, available in Canada and is approved for treatment of nausea and vomiting during chemotherapy.

Results of the Manitoba study showed the nabilone group had significant reductions in pain and anxiety, measured by comparisons with baseline scores on the visual analogue scale for pain, the Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ) and the FIQ anxiety score. From the data, the study concluded nabilone has significant benefits for pain relief and functional improvement in fibromyalgia patients. Although the improvement was significant, none of the nabilone-treated subjects had complete relief of their fibromyalgia symptoms.

The drug was well tolerated by treated patients, which the authors characterized as reassuring since fibromyalgia patients are sensitive to most medications and have difficulty tolerating side effects. The downside, however, is cost. In Canada, nabilone would cost about $4,000 for a year's supply.

The authors believe their findings warrant consideration of nabilone as an adjunct to current medical management of fibromyalgia.

How $31 of pot gave mom a 10-year-prison sentence

How $31 of pot gave mom a 10-year-prison sentence
TAFT — Because of $31 in marijuana sales, Patricia Marilyn Spottedcrow is now serving 10 years in prison, has been taken away from her four young children and husband, and has ended her work in nursing homes. This is part of Oklahoma Watch, an independent and investigative reporting project.

BY GINNIE GRAHAM Oklahoman Comment on this article 364
Published: February 20, 2011

* Woman's new life as inmate begins
02/20/2011 After a two-hour trip wearing ankle and wrist shackles, Patricia Spottedcrow and six other women, all dressed in gray, enter prison at 11:15 a.m. Dec. 22 to...
* Inmate's children feel brunt of penalty
02/20/2011 KINGFISHER — Holding back tears, 9-year-old Koby whispers words like “mad” and “sad” when talking about his imprisoned mother. His mom, Patricia...

Three days before Christmas, Spottedcrow, 25, entered the Eddie Warrior Correctional Center.

“I'm nervous … because it's prison … people I don't know,” she said.

“People said don't get too comfortable here or you'll be here longer. Don't make too many friends. Come and do your time and get out.”

Marijuana transactions

On Dec. 31, 2009, Spottedcrow and her mother, Delita Starr, 50, sold a “dime bag” of marijuana to a police informant at Starr's home in Kingfisher, court records state.

Starr handled the transaction and asked her 9-year-old grandson — Spottedcrow's son — for some dollar bills to make change for the $11 sale.

Two weeks later, the same informant returned and bought $20 of marijuana from Spottedcrow.

The two women were arrested for drug distribution and because Spottedcrow's children were in the home, an additional charge of possession of a dangerous substance in the presence of a minor was added.

“It just seemed like easy money,” said Spottedcrow, who says she is not a drug user but has smoked marijuana. “I thought we could get some extra money. I've lost everything because of it.”

The women were each offered plea deals of two years in prison. But because neither had prior convictions and the drug amounts were low, they gambled and entered a guilty plea before a judge with no prior sentencing agreement.

Starr received a 30-year suspended sentence with no incarceration, but five years of drug and alcohol assessments. Spottedcrow was sentenced to 10 years in prison for distribution and two years for possession, to run concurrently. She will be up for parole in 2014.

‘Cried for days'

Starr claims the cases have been “blown out of proportion” by lawmen and criticizes the sentences as stiff. “It shocked me and we cried for days,” she said. In addition, Starr was fined $8,600 and Spottedcrow $2,740.

“Never in a million years did I think I'd be here 10 years,” Spottedcrow said of prison.

“We were under the impression we would get probation. When I left for court, I just knew I was coming back home. It hit me like a ton of bricks. There were no goodbyes, they took me away right then. How do you tell your children you are going to prison? How do you prepare for this?”

Former Kingfisher County Judge Susie Pritchett, who retired in December, said the women were conducting “an extensive operation” and included children in the business.

“It was a way of life for them,” Pritchett said.

“Considering these circumstances, I thought it was lenient. By not putting the grandmother in prison, she is able to help take care of the children.”

A presentencing investigative report prepared by the Department of Corrections rated Spottedcrow's risk of re-offending as “high” and recommended substance abuse treatment while incarcerated.

“It does not appear the defendant is aware that a problem exists or that she needs to make changes in her current behavior.”

Spottedcrow was unemployed and without a stable residence when arrested, the report states. The family lost their Oklahoma City home for not paying bills.

“When she needed money … this is the avenue she chose rather than finding legitimate employment,” the report states. “The defendant does not appear remorseful … and she makes justifications for her actions.”

‘Kids are involved'

Pritchett said on first drug offenses, sentences are usually suspended and may require treatment or random drug tests.

Only if there are other more serious circumstances is a first-time drug offender sent to prison, she said.

“When kids are involved, it's different,” Pritchett said.

“This was a drug sale. When I look at someone in front of me, I'm thinking, ‘What is it going to take to rehabilitate this person?' We look at their attitude and other factors.”

When Spottedcrow was taken to jail after her sentencing, she had marijuana in her jacket. She pleaded guilty to that additional charge Jan. 24 and was sentenced to two years in prison and fined nearly $1,300. That sentence also will run concurrent with her other conviction.

Spottedcrow has four children — ages 9, 4, 3 and 1 — and is determined to keep her 8-year, common-law marriage intact. “It's been really hard on my husband,” she said. “I know a lot of things can happen, but he'll always have my back and be there.”

Her son is aware of what has happened, but the girls have been told their mother is away at college.

“I missed my daughter's fourth birthday, and I'll miss her fifth one too. My other daughter just started talking, and I'm not there to hear her,” Spottedcrow said.

“My baby woke up … and doesn't know where her mommy is. This is the hardest thing to do, and know I can't do anything about it. I just have to focus on myself and take it day-to-day and plan for going home. I will want to see my kids at some point. I'm trying to take this slow. I can't get depressed about it.”

Oklahoma's two prisons for women — the maximum-security Mabel Bassett in McLoud and minimum-security Eddie Warrior in Taft — housed 2,622 prisoners last year.

Of those, 48 percent are serving time for nonviolent drug offenses and 22 percent for other nonviolent offenses such as embezzlement and forgery.

Of the 1,393 women received by Oklahoma prisons last year, 78 percent were identified by DOC as minimal public safety threats.

Most nonviolent offenders are housed at Eddie Warrior, an open campus with a walking track and six dormitories.

‘I'm already changed'

Spottedcrow knows she will need to find a new job skill because her work in the health field won't be there because of her incarceration. She would like to open a boutique.

“Even though this seems like the worst thing … I've been blessed along the way,” she said. “It could have been worse. I'm happy my kids are safe and, ultimately, I'm safe. I'm thankful I still have a family.”

In a year, Spottedcrow will have a review and hopes to shorten her time in prison.

“I'm already changed,” she said. “This is a real eye-opener. I'm going to get out of here, be with my kids and live my life.”

Read more: http://newsok.com/how-31-of-pot-gave-mom-a-10-year-prison-sentence/article/3542585#ixzz1EbMgaFEi

Four female Reps co-sponsor Massachusetts marijuana legalization bill

Representative Ellen Story (D-Amherst) is the lead sponsor.

She is joined by Representatives Ruth Balser (D - Newton),

Lori Ehrlich (D-Marblehead)

and Anne Gobi (D-Spencer).

Solidarity

As I cram for the weekend training I think about the people whose energy, experience and intelligence has gone into this voluminous workbook I am now voraciously inhaling and absorbing, as quickly as I can, trying to give it at least one good thorough read in time for the Activist Boot Camp.

I feel their visceral presence in the fluid, informative text. I feel my own struggles validated by their first hand experiences and I am so grateful for the good minds and hearts of all the kindred spirits that have come before us, a host of people who took responsibility for their own healing processes and who worked on behalf of others', in pain and illness, who could so easily have succumbed to cynicism and apathy and just accepted, because living with illness is so much a lesson in acceptance of losses that cannot be helped... the marginalization and privation of their freedoms.

I am grateful to the people who actively resisted repressive laws prohibiting safe access to patients' treatment of choice, and championed for the laws' peaceful transformation, all the hard core human rights activists and legislators who've supported and brought safe access into the political agenda. I'm feeling connected with the arrestees whose unjust persecution spurred the formation of Americans for safe Access and especially, most eerily and compellingly,

I feel the strong presence of some beautiful beings who can no longer speak for themselves, the spirit of those extraordinary individuals who gave their last days to the work of raising awareness, championing for a compassionate, sensible, legal medical marijuana policy in America.

Medical Marijuana Patient Advocates Hold First-of-Its-Kind Virtual Nationwide Conference

Hundreds of activists in more than 20 cities will engage in skills-building and strategic planning

Oakland, CA -- As the issue of medical marijuana heats up across the country, leading patient advocacy group Americans for Safe Access (ASA) will hold a two-day interactive, virtual “Boot Camp” February 19-20 to train hundreds of U.S.-based activists in skills-building and strategic planning. This first of its kind nationwide conference on medical marijuana will be conducted in more than 20 cities in 9 states, including Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, and Washington, D.C.

ASA has held numerous trainings over its 9-year history, but this will be the group’s first decentralized virtual conference in an attempt to better reach patient advocates, building greater breadth and depth in the medical marijuana movement. “I think it’s really important for people to understand that they are the power,” said U.S. Representative Sam Farr (D-CA) in a promotional video for the conference. “Government is lent to us and you hold the power to…change the laws of this land,” continued Representative Farr. “If you want to change things, all you have to do is get involved.”

Conference participants will be trained in outreach and recruitment, coalition building, leadership development, lobbying public officials, organizing protests and rallies, and working with the media. Once trained, patient advocates will have greater skills with which to develop strategies for protecting and expanding patients’ rights, as well as adopting medical marijuana policies in states without such laws. “Activists across the country are clamoring for the skills to bring about change at the local and federal level,” said ASA Executive Director Steph Sherer. “This historic conference is an attempt to satisfy that demand and to build a stronger medical marijuana movement in the U.S.”

From grappling with local regulatory ordinances to passing new state medical marijuana laws, the work of patient advocates has been challenging and ongoing. Literally hundreds of local governments in medical marijuana states are deliberating land use laws that dictate how patients can cultivate and obtain their medicine. More than a dozen state governments are also currently considering new statewide medical marijuana laws. “The ‘ASA Activist Boot Camp’ will provide patient advocates with the skill-set and road map to address these political challenges,” continued Sherer.

As the country’s largest grassroots medical marijuana organization with more than 50,000 members in all 50 states, ASA is also using this conference to help push for a meaningful federal policy. Based on a conviction that Americans deserve the right to choose their own form of health care treatment whether they live in California or Florida, ASA is providing activists with the tools to bring about equal rights for all of the country’s sickest and most vulnerable citizens.

Further information:
Promotional video clip with U.S. Representative Sam Farr: http://www.medicalmarijuana411.com/2011/02/10/join-americans-for-safe-access-for-a-national-call-to-action/
ASA Boot Camp flyer: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/downloads/ASA_Boot_Camp.pdf
ASA Boot Camp registration info: http://AmericansForSafeAccess.org/ActivistBootCamp

# # #

Compassion First

ENTRPRENEURS
Apply Now

Company: Compassion First

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Date Posted: February 14, 2011

Are you special? We are starting a medical marijuana business that's built to give back to our communities. We're looking for social entrepreneurs interested in managing a medical marijuana dispensary as one of our joint venture partners. Are you one? If you are: Successful Entrepreneurial Have nonprofit or significant volunteer experience Have been an Arizona resident for 3 years Then you can expect: A starting salary of $120,000 to $160,000 depending on experience Full benefits To manage a small team you choose To help ill people obtain their medicine To give back in excess funds to nonprofits you trust to help our community Contact us at www.CompassionFirstAZ.com and let us know a little about yourself. Source - Arizona Republic - Phoenix, AZ Please refer to the Job Description to view...

View full job description
From CareerBuilder - 1 day ago

Marijuana Should Be Mandatory

Roseanne: "Marijuana Should Be Mandatory"
Roseanne Barr
donderdag, 10 februari 2011

Roseanne: "Marijuana Should Be Mandatory"10 Feb 2011 - In her third book Roseannearchy: Dispatches from the Nut Farm, Roseanne Barr explains about how marijuana helped her. The American comedian says it kept her "balanced enough to become successful and rich".

The Emmy Award-winning actress also writes of "a natural substance called THC" and says it's "the only drug that should be legal. In fact, it should be mandatory."

"I had stopped smoking the Herb of the Goddess that had forever kept me balanced enough to become successful and rich, in order to support my then-husband's 'sobriety,' and that led to massive bipolar troubles that were all capped off with tons of psychiatrists and psychiatric drugs, none of which helped with my problems at all and, in face, made them even worse."

Congressman Sam Farr hopes you will attend ASA's Activist Boot Camp on February 19 and 20

February 14, 2011 4:01 PM

Dear Rachel,


It's less than one week until our National Conference/Activist Boot Camp, and the excitement is mounting! Activists all across the country have been clamoring for the skills and trainings ASA is providing to create this historic conference.

To give you a better idea of what our goals are with this really important event, we wanted to show you a short video by California's 17th District Congressman Sam Farr, explaining the dire need for individuals like yourself to be involved and engaged, and why ASA is a great resource for such direct political action.

Check out this short clip

Pot Use May Mellow Out Men's Sexual Function

By Stephanie Pappas
LiveScience Senior Writer
LiveScience.com

Marijuana users sometimes report that pot enhances their desire for sex. But a new review of research on marijuana and sexual health suggests that male smokers could be courting sexual dysfunction.

Research on the topic is contradictory and few studies are high-quality, said study researcher Rany Shamloul, a physician with appointments at the University of Ottawa and Queen's University in Canada as well as the University of Cairo. But recent research – including the finding that the penis contains receptors for marijuana's active ingredient – suggests that young men may want to think about long-term effects before rolling a joint, Shamloul told LiveScience.

"It's a strong message to our younger generations and younger men," Shamloul said.

Shamloul reported his findings online Jan. 26 in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.

Sex and drugs

Scientists first began to study marijuana and sex in the 1970s. Some researchers found that cannabis seemed to have the effect of a love drug; in one 1982 study published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, 75 percent of male pot smokers said the drug enhanced their sex lives. Meanwhile, another study published in the same journal the same year found that erectile dysfunction was twice as common in marijuana users – not such good news for lit lotharios. Other research suggests a dose effect, in which small amounts of marijuana have little impact on sexual dysfunction, but more marijuana makes for fewer erections.

But problems are rife with this research, Shamloul said, because none of the studies used validated measurement techniques when surveying men about their sexual function. The different questions used could skew the responses, as could the drug itself, he noted in the review. The 39 percent of men in the original 1982 study who said marijuana extended the duration of sex may just have been experiencing the drug's altering effects on the perception of time.

What most concerns Shamloul is a study published in 2010 in the journal European Urology. In that study, researchers found receptors for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient in marijuana, in penis tissue from five male patients and six rhesus monkeys. These receptors were mainly in the smooth muscle of the penis, Shamloul said. Additional lab studies suggest that THC has an inhibitory effect on the muscle.

"This is a more serious effect on the erectile function because the smooth muscle makes up 70 percent to 80 percent of the penis itself," Shamloul said.

Men and marijuana

Marijuana use is widespread, especially among men at their sexual peak in life, Shamloul said. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that 162 million people worldwide use marijuana each year. More than 22 million use it daily. That makes understanding long-term effects important, Shamloul said.

People tend to focus on the possible upsides of marijuana more than the possible downsides, said Sharon Johnson, a professor of social work at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, who has studied marijuana use and sexual health in the past. Her study, published in 2004 in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior, found that marijuana users have a slightly elevated risk of inhibited orgasms and pain during sex. (Johnson was not involved in Shamloul's review study.)

Research on sexual health and marijuana use in women is even less common than studies in men, Shamloul said.

"What we are really missing are clinical studies," Shamloul said. "We are stuck with only animal studies and molecular studies, and some clinical studies done in the '60s and '70s, most on a very small number of men… We need well-designed, placebo-control studies examining marijuana's effect in both the short-term and long-term."

You can follow LiveScience Senior Writer Stephanie Pappas on Twitter @sipappas.

Make The Medicine

http://phoenixtears.ca/

For those of you who have watched the documentary “Run from the Cure”, this should answer any questions about producing your own oil. I recommend that people grow their own hemp either in a small indoor grow system or outdoors. Growing it yourself will eliminate the high cost associated with buying hemp from drug dealers. The cost of hemp can vary greatly from dealer to dealer and so can the quality of the hemp. For anyone new to growing hemp a good book or video on the subject is a necessity. If you go to Cannabis Culture, the good people there should be able to point you in the right direction.

Caution: Oils that drug dealers sell can have many contaminants and often little or no THC. From my experience, most hemp oil available on the street should be avoided for medicinal use. Make your own oil or have someone you trust produce the oil to assure a very pure, high quality oil is produced.

How much to make and take?
One pound (500g) of bone-dry hemp buds will usually produce about 2 ounces (55 – 60 mL) of high-grade oil. This amount of oil will cure most serious cancers; the average person can ingest this amount in about three months. This oil is very potent so one must begin treatment with small doses. A drop of oil about half the size of a grain of rice, two to four times a day is a good beginning. After four or five days, start increasing your daily dosage very gradually. As time goes on the body builds a tolerance to the oil and more and more can be taken. In cases where people are in a great deal of pain, I recommend that their dosage be quickly increased until it kills the pain. High quality hemp oil will stop pain even when morphine is not effective. The oil can be applied to external injuries for pain relief in minutes.

Will I get high?
Following the dosage previously described, many people can take the full treatment and never get high. In regards to hemp, getting “high” is a joke, even if a person does take too much oil the effect wears off quickly and no harm is done. No one has ever died from the use of hemp medicine.

Will I become addicted?
Hemp oil does not cause your body to crave more. It is non-addictive, harmless and effective for practically any medical condition.

Is this the same as hemp seed oil?
No! This is hemp oil, made from the bud and small leaves of the hemp plant. It is the essential oil of the hemp plant. Health food store sells oil made from hemp seed that is often mislabeled as hemp oil. Although seed oil is very beneficial, it does not contain enough THC to have any effect on cancer and other serious illnesses.

Are hemp and marijuana the same?
The word marijuana is one of over four hundred slang terms used worldwide to describe the cannabis and/or hemp plant.

Are all hemp plants the same?
When buying or growing hemp, procure a strain that has the highest possible THC content. To energize someone suffering from depression, I recommend a good Sativa strain. For most other medical conditions, I strongly suggest that Indica strains be used. Indicas relax a person and provide them with more rest and sleep.

How do I use it?
High quality hemp oil can be vaporized, ingested or used topically. Add the oil to creams and salves for external use.

Where can I get information about making the oil?
For someone new to making the oil I suggest that you go to “Run From The Cure”. There you can watch our documentary in seven segments. Segment #4 shows how the oil can be produced at home or one can go to Phoenix Tears Movie and download the full documentary. You will need a high-speed internet connection and there is no charge. The process in the video could only be described as crude at best, but the oil that is produced will cure cancer. In reality, this medicine should be produced in a controlled environment, using distilling equipment, etc. to reclaim the solvent and to purify the oil. Most people do not understand distilling and do not have access to the required equipment. This is the reason such a simple method is descried in the documentary, so if need be just about anyone can produce the oil. As in the video, again we stress that this process, if not done properly can be dangerous and we bear no responsibility if this educational information is misused.
My process:

Starting material: I generally work with a pound or more of good grade hemp starting material. You can use just one ounce. An ounce will usually produce 3 or 4 grams of oil. The amount of oil produced per ounce of hemp will vary from strain to strain, but it all has that wonderful healing power.

1. Place the completely dry starting material in a plastic bucket.
2. Dampen the material with the solvent you are using. Many solvents can be used. I like to use pure naphtha but it costs $500 for a 45-gallon drum. You can use 99% isopropyl alcohol, which you can find in your local drug stores. Alcohol absorbs more chlorophyll from the plant material than naphtha does. This gives oils made with alcohol a darker color but does not diminish the potency of the oil to any noticeable degree. Ether, naphtha or butane and many other solvents can produce oils that are amber and transparent. Granted these clear oils do look better but dark oil can be just as potent. If the process is done properly, little or no solvent residue is left in the oil. I have been consuming oils produced using different solvents for eight years with no harmful effects. You will require about two gallons of solvent to strip the THC off one pound of dry starting material. 500 milliliters of solvent should be more than enough to strip the THC from one ounce of hemp starting material.
3. Crush the plant material using a stick of clean untreated (chemical free) wood or some such device. Even though the starting material has been dampened with the solvent, you will find that the material can be readily crushed.
4. Add solvent until the starting material is completely covered. Use the stick to work the plant material. As you are doing this, the THC dissolves off the plant material into the solvent.
5. Continue this process for about 3 minutes.
6. Pour the solvent-oil mix off the plant material into another bucket. You have just stripped the plant material of about 80% of its THC.
7. Second wash – again add solvent to the plant material and work it for another 3 minutes to get the other 20%.
8. Pour this solvent-oil mix into the bucket containing the first mix that was poured off previously.
9. Discard the twice-washed plant material.
10. Pour the solvent-oil mix through a coffee filter into a clean container.
11. Boil the solvent off. I have found that a rice cooker will do this boil off very nicely. The one I have has two heat settings – high and low – and will hold over a half gallon (2.5 liters) of solvent-oil mix.
12. Add solvent-oil mix to the rice cooker until it is about ¾ full. Make sure you are in a very well ventilated area and set up a fan to carry the solvent fumes away. The fumes are very flammable. Be sure to stay away from red-hot elements, sparks, cigarettes etc. that could ignite the fumes.
13. Plug the rice cooker in and set it on high heat.
14. Continue adding solvent-oil mix as the level in the rice cooker decreases until it is all in the cooker.
15. Add a few drops of water to the solvent-oil mix as the level comes down for the last time. The amount of water added depends on how much starting material you had in the beginning. If I am producing oil from a pound of good bud, I usually add about ten drops of water.
16. When there is about one inch of solvent-oil-water mix left in the cooker, put on your oven mitts, pick the unit up and gently swirl the contents.
17. Continue swirling until the solvent has been evaporated off. The few drops of water help release the solvent residue and protect the oil somewhat from too much heat. When the solvent has been boiled off, the cooker that I use automatically goes to low heat. This avoids any danger of overheating the oil. At no time should the temperature of the oil go over 290F degrees (140 C).
18. Put on your oven mitts and remove the pot containing the oil from the rice cooker.
19. Gently pour the oil into a small stainless steel container.
20. Place this container in a dehydrator or put in on a gentle heating device such as a coffee warmer. It may take a few hours but the water and volatile turpines will be evaporated from the oil. When there is no longer any activity on the surface of the oil the medicine is ready for use.
21. Pour the hot oil into a bottle; or as in the video suck it up into a plastic syringe. Putting the oil in a plastic syringe makes it very easy to dispense the medicine.

When the oil cools off it has the consistency of thick grease. Some strains will produce very thick oil and you may have trouble squeezing it out of the syringe. If this happens, place the syringe in warm water a few minutes prior to use.

To anyone starting to use hemp oil as a medication, here are some simple facts. Hemp oil will lower blood pressure and if you are on blood pressure medication, you may find that this medication is no longer needed. The same is true for diabetics. I have seen hemp oil control blood sugar to the extent that insulin was no longer needed.

I am not a doctor and I do not have the right to tell people what they should do. Personally, I would not consider taking any cancer treatments currently in use by our medical system, I do not recommend that hemp oil be taken along with chemotherapy. What would be the sense of making your own cure and then allowing the medical system to give you massive doses of poison?

From my experience with hemp medicine, I have found that most pharmaceutical medications are no longer needed once a person starts using hemp oil. Hemp oil seems to mix well with most natural medications but I have had a few reports from people trying to take hemp oil and pharmaceuticals who experienced stomach pain etc. All problems ceased when they stopped taking the prescription drugs.

To anyone who is going to act on this information to help a loved one, I welcome you to the world of real medicine. Again, I caution you to be very careful when boiling the solvent off. The fumes are very flammable. Be sure to stay away from red-hot elements, sparks, cigarettes etc. that could ignite the fumes.

I wish you the best luck and health.

Warmest regards,
Rick Simpson