tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83349907530479964712024-03-16T12:10:07.891+11:00Hemp EdificationPlease go to https://hempedification.wordpress.com to keep following this Blog, thank you and remember ... "Hemp can save the planet! It grows easily with little water, fertiliser or insecticide and can supply humanity with everything (clothes, cars, houses, fuel and food). No need to exploit natures dwindling resources! Cannabis is a most efficacious medicine. It treats many diseases, Bipolar Disorder, Cancer, Epilepsy, Glaucoma, IBS, MS and PTSD just to name a few ..."Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.comBlogger229125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-74118040632063359542016-03-19T18:06:00.000+11:002016-03-19T18:06:03.399+11:00Cannabis Saved This Australian Boy's Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<dt class="wp-caption-dt" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; overflow: hidden;"><img alt="Cannabis-Saved-My-Sons-Life-1140" class="alignnone wp-image-1244 aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/cannabis-saved-my-sons-life-1140.jpg" height="377" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/cannabis-saved-my-sons-life-1140.jpg" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; border: 0px none; display: block; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="668" /></dt>
<dd class="wp-caption-dd" style="-webkit-user-drag: none; background: rgb(243, 246, 248); color: #4f748e; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; padding: 16px;">Jai in Brisbane, sitting among the MCUA's 'Leaves of Change'</dd></dl>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In what politicians in Australia would have you believe was an historic vote, the Australian federal parliament 'legalised' Cannabis for medical and scientific purposes. Health Minister Ley <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2016-ley013.htm?OpenDocument&yr=2016&mth=02" href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2016-ley013.htm?OpenDocument&yr=2016&mth=02" style="color: #00aadc;">announced</a></em> in February, 2016: “This is an historic day for Australia and many advocates who have fought long and hard to challenge the stigma around 'medicinal cannabis products' so genuine patients are no longer treated as criminal”. </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jai was seen by one of the leading neurologists in Australia, Professor Ingrid Scheffer. Tests uncovered that Jai had a rare combination of three different types of epilepsy: Landau Kleffner Syndrome, Continuous Spike Wave Syndrome, Pseudo Lennox Syndrome, plus autism. Violent physical seizures and unseen seizures were almost constantly damaging his young brain.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="JaiHospitalised" class=" wp-image-1256 alignright" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jaihospitalised.jpg" height="218" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jaihospitalised.jpg" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="164" /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One Australian mother who has long campaigned to give her child a chance to survive the cruellest of afflictions without having to worry about being arrested is Michelle Whitelaw from Brisbane. Michelle has spoken widely about the amazing story of how she had to risk all and go against everything she knew about Cannabis when it became the only hope to save her son’s life. And how his miraculous case has helped change the minds of Australia’s lawmakers. Michelle brought up her five children disapproving of recreational drugs, but when one of the country’s top neurologists confirmed there was nothing more Western medicine could do for her son Jai, 11, Cannabis became their only hope. Terrified she would get a knock on the door from the police and face losing her family, Michelle documented their story meticulously.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michelle remembers clearly the moment her life changed forever. It was the 16th of January, 2010; a sweltering sunny afternoon in Melbourne at a family barbecue. Her bubbly, chatty, youngest son Jai, then aged 5, stood chatting to his cousins. Then, without warning, his legs gave way and he collapsed. “For 18 long minutes, he convulsed on the ground”, recalls Michelle. “We called an ambulance. Jai was wired up for EEG tests, given blood tests, brain scans. His condition was pretty unusual. They even spoke with neurologists in the United States”.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“As well as the physical fits, Jai was suffering up to 500 sub-clinical seizures a day. Every three to five seconds his brain was misfiring”, recalls Michelle. “Sometimes he’d drop to the floor, other times he’d get that blank look we came to recognise, or we couldn’t even tell”. Jai’s life was never the same again. He was given a cocktail of 35 tablets. His parents Michelle and Andrew installed cameras, microphones, alarms all over the house. They never left their youngest son alone for a minute.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Jai2010" class=" wp-image-1266 alignleft" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jai2010.jpg" height="193" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jai2010.jpg" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="145" /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Over the next four years, my husband Andrew and our four children: Lachlan, then 11; Samantha, 15; Emily, 16; and Benjamin, 19; all rallied round their little brother”, says Michelle. “We were in and out of hospital. Brain scans revealed that every time his brain misfired, it was frying his brain, which was slowly shrinking. The helplessness of seeing our little Jai deteriorate impacted each one of us. We lost count of the amount of times we nearly lost him and had to resuscitate his tiny body. I was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Our cheery, chatty child, with a huge vocabulary, able to turn his hand to most musical instruments, was left slurring, stuttering, barely able to walk and talk”. In early 2013, Professor Scheffer had some grave news for the family: all clinical solutions on offer had been exhausted. There was nothing else Western medicine could do to stop their son’s continual decline.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Jai2010b" class=" wp-image-1270 alignright" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jai2010b.jpg?w=680" height="141" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jai2010b.jpg?w=680" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="187" /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were told to be prepared for sudden, unexpected death”, says Michelle, bitterly. “It was a dark time. The neurologists had warned that weaning Jai off all his high strength medications would be very difficult and could even kill him. We knew other families with children who had died trying. But the side-effects were almost as heartbreaking as his illness. He’d lost 17 teeth due to calcium deficiency; the steroids had damaged his muscles, even his vocal chords; and he had cataracts like an old man. Jai suffered horrible withdrawal symptoms. But like a drug addict coming back to life, Jai improved. By March 2014, his seizures weren't as frequent or brutal. We had Jai back for eight good months”.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sadly, it did not last. “Then one horrific night in November 2014, Jai’s little body shook with six hours of seizures. We didn’t know what to do. I lay next to him in bed, terrified of what would happen next. When he woke up, Jai had no idea who any of us were. He was wetting himself, choking on food. Doctors said there was nothing more they could offer. We brought Jai back home”. Michelle had created a Facebook page for sharing information with other families affected by epilepsy. Many reported great results using Cannabis Oil (CO). “I’d spoken to hundreds of families around the world. Many had been investigated by the police and had children’s services called in for treating children with Cannabis. But we had no other hope”, insists Michelle. “The more I read, I thought the side effects couldn’t be worse than the drugs we’d weaned Jai off”. The family decided to give Cannabis extracts are a try.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Mullaways-Medical-Cannabis" class=" wp-image-1275 alignleft" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/mullaways-medical-cannabis.jpg" height="192" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/mullaways-medical-cannabis.jpg" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="192" /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I phoned a Cannabis farmer recommended by another family with an epileptic child and 24 hours later, it arrived: a bottle of <em><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/thc-tincture-for-paediatric-seizures.html" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/thc-tincture-for-paediatric-seizures.html" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">THCa</a></em> extracted from the whole Cannabis plant”, recounts Michelle, referring to tetrahydrocannabinolic acid, the non-psychoactive biosynthetic precursor to THC. “We kept it refrigerated. The heat of the Australian sun could change its effects. I sat on my couch for two days and wondered what I’d do if it didn’t work. Jai was dying. I wasn’t prepared for Jai or my other children to suffer like this any longer. One thing I knew was I was ready to take my own life and his rather than carry on like this. Jai was slumped in his seat, drooling and having constant seizures”. Despite the legal risk that could land Michelle in prison and her children to foster homes, she started the treatment.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the morning of 14 December, 2014, I squirted a syringe with one millilitre of whole plant THCa liquid into his little mouth. Jai looked up at me, it was the first time he made eye-contact with me in a long time. A couple of hours later, I gave him another micro-dose. I waited and watched. And that evening, he looked up at me again. And then he asked, ‘Mum can I go outside?’ I cried”. Was it real? It was impossible not to have doubts. “Did I want him to get better so much that I was imagining things?” Michelle explains, describing her shock. “I hooked his little arm under mine and we walked out and sat on the grass. ‘I’m hungry’, said Jai. The transformation was miraculous. Within 48 hours, I said to my husband, ‘We’ve got Jai back!’”</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Jai2" class=" wp-image-1254 alignright" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jai2.jpg?w=680" height="154" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jai2.jpg?w=680" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="233" /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last January, just six weeks after Michelle and Andrew had brought Jai home from school and said goodbye to all his friends and teachers for what they all believed was the last time, Jai started school again. “When we took Jai to our local neurologist, she was stunned”, adds Michelle. “Jai told her all about the bicycle he got for Christmas and how he was riding it and enjoyed going to the park. ‘I don't need to know what you're doing’, the neurologist said, ‘but keep doing it’. The last time I’d seen her, I’d asked about medical Cannabis. ‘I can’t support medical Cannabis’, she’d insisted. ‘All I can say, Michelle, is you need to do what you need to do’. Jai has had just four fits in the past 14 months. The theory is we all have cannabinoid receptors linked with all kinds of functions. Jai suffers from a cannabinoid deficiency that can be treated with Cannabis Oils”.</span></div>
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" 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" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="JaiMichelleWhitelawBrisSept2014" class=" wp-image-1257 alignleft" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jaimichellewhitelawbrissept2014.jpg" height="204" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/jaimichellewhitelawbrissept2014.jpg" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="272" /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite the incredible recovery, the whole time Michelle admits she was terrified that the family would get a knock on the door from the police and that children services would be informed of her illegal activities. So she began to campaign and travel to meet any local and national health official and politician who would see them and hear Jai’s extraordinary story. “Over the last year, Jai has come with me whenever possible to meet politicians to tell them about his amazing transformation”, says Michelle. “He tells them he can kick a ball now, write, ride a bike and shows them videos on his iPad”. And they appear to have listened. In an historic vote earlier this year, the Australian Parliament voted to pass an amendment to the drug laws to allow farmers to grow and supply Cannabis for medical and scientific purposes. But Michelle has mixed feelings about the 'landmark' legislation. She doubts it will apply to the natural whole-plant Cannabis tincture a grower supplies her son for free.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It's a positive step forward as it means the government has recognised Cannabis as a 'medicinal product'”, said Michelle. “But it's still unlikely to make a difference for families like mine. Each state of Australia needs to adopt the federal legislation changes. People are assuming they can now go to their doctor and grab a script, but there is no supply at present. The changes mean that anyone with a chronic condition should be able to work with their specialists and eventually will have access to pharmaceutical-grade Cannabis, but unless you opt for costly pharmaceutical-grade Cannabis products, families like mine remain criminals”. Michelle says that anecdotally she has heard of mixed results for people with epilepsy in trials of Cannabis-based pharmaceutical products.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“I won't risk Jai on pharmaceutical Cannabis-based medicines when he's seizure-free on the whole plant Cannabis tincture he’s on”, she adds. “It is unclear how the legislation will be implemented, but likely that growers will require a license to grow large cultivations and will have to submit applications. Most compassionate growers here all have criminal convictions. So who ends up being the growers? What experience will they have? Will they be rich businesses who want to make money from the sick and dying with no expertise?” These questions will likely be answered soon.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“It’s a start”, she concludes. “But we still have a long way to go. Still, it’s not that complicated. Jai is 11 years old and gets it. He calls Cannabis ‘my medicine’”.</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On 25th of October, 2015, Jai speaks about his </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">wonderful transformation in his own <em><a data-mce-href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMk3dtFu5rs" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMk3dtFu5rs" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">words</a></em>. </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><em><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adapted from, <a data-mce-href="https://www.prohbtd.com/stories/cannabis-saved-my-sons-life" href="https://www.prohbtd.com/stories/cannabis-saved-my-sons-life" style="color: #00aadc;">Cannabis Saved My Son's Life</a></span></em></div>
Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-81344989883893784872016-02-28T20:14:00.000+11:002016-02-28T20:25:37.257+11:00Hemp for Optimal Brain Health<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://i2.wp.com/wakeup-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Benefits-of-Hemp-Seed-Oil-300x198.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="91" src="https://i2.wp.com/wakeup-world.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Benefits-of-Hemp-Seed-Oil-300x198.jpg" width="175" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are over 400 phytonutrients that exist in </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/hemp-food-of-life.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">hemp</a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (Cannabis sativa L.), the same plant as Cannabis. Optimal brain health is achieved when linoleic acid (LA) and alpha linoleic acid (ALA) are consumed in a ratio only naturally found in hemp. The brain also has a requirement for cannabinoids, which regulate most of the major functions of the body including alertness, emotions, inflammation and cancer defences. The brain can make a small number of its own cannabinoids, but as 4,000 years of history and decades of scientific research indicate, it operates optimally when supplied with dietary cannabinoids, such as those found in hemp. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The brain can build itself from saturated and monounsaturated fats but it has a preference for Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Research on humans and animals suggests that optimal brain health is achieved when linoleic acid (LA) and alpha linoleic acid (ALA) are consumed in a ratio of between 3.5:1 and 4:1, a ratio only naturally found in hemp. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ahp_zeenS0s/VavMOyjFkGI/AAAAAAAAGLE/UOG1KIXpiS4/s1600/HempSeepTransparent.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ahp_zeenS0s/VavMOyjFkGI/AAAAAAAAGLE/UOG1KIXpiS4/s200/HempSeepTransparent.png" width="126" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">The fruit of hemp is not a true seed, but an 'achene', a tiny nut covered by a hard shell. But, like other oil seeds, hemp consists mainly of oil (typically 44%), protein (33%) and dietary fibre and other carbohydrates (12%, predominantly from residues of the hull). In addition, the nut contains vitamins (particularly the tocopherols and tocotrienols of the Vitamin E complex), phytosterols and trace minerals. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hemp’s main nutritional advantage over other seeds lies in the composition of its oil, i.e., its fatty acid profile and its protein, which contains all of the essential amino acids in nutritionally significant amounts and in a desirable ratio. More and more people are discovering the </span><a href="http://preventdisease.com/home/tips105.shtml" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>nutritional benefits</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> of hemp seed, nut and oil.</span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKkJVHMeaZ8/VYLBUlilTMI/AAAAAAAAGCU/5Qd-huQbJ_g/s1600/HempOilMacro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rKkJVHMeaZ8/VYLBUlilTMI/AAAAAAAAGCU/5Qd-huQbJ_g/s1600/HempOilMacro.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">However, confusion among the public on exactly how hemp oil </span><span style="color: #274e13;">differs</span> <span style="color: #274e13;">from cannabidiol, or CBD oil, prompted the non-profit Hemp Industries Association in the United States (US) to issue a statement explaining the difference between the oils in order to ensure consumers, specifically medical Cannabis patients, were not misled about intended use. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Confusion </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/myth-and-reality-cannabis-and-hemp.html" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">between</a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> hemp and Cannabis oil spiked as states in the US passed laws that allowed use of strains of Cannabis low in THC and high in CBD. Consumers often confuse hemp oil with CBD oil because both are low in THC and contain CBD. </span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">“With hemp research and development pilot programs taking off ... and the hemp retail market growing at an incredible rate, it’s crucial consumers and retailers alike understand the difference between hemp oil and CBD extracts”</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, Eric Steenstra, Executive Director of Hemp Industries Association, said.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://wvhia.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/hialogo.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5hRfkWj1IsdzIyf4CglT-F8R7xh4VzCo-WCodkf6XyX917seOSIOFlbWd2nOcsmNpoBTwGahfwklHneeLKso5v43In64etszR7LJEpqEUFqFfZk3" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though hemp oil does contain low levels of CBD, typically less than 25 parts per million (ppm), CBD extracts </span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">“are produced either directly from Cannabis flowers that are up to 15% CBD (150,000 ppm), or indirectly as a co-product of the flowers and leaves that are mixed in with the stalks during hemp stalk processing for fibre”</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. Because of this distinction, the Association says, </span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">“It is important for American farmers and processors of hemp to understand that most CBD in products mislabelled as ‘hemp oil’ is a product of large-scale hemp stalk and fibre processing facilities in Europe where fibre is the primary material produced at a large scale. CBD is not a product or component of hemp seeds and labelling to that effect is misleading and motivated by the desire to take advantage of the legal grey area of CBD under federal law”.</i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://ww2.kqed.org/bayareabites/wp-content/uploads/sites/24/2015/03/hemp1920.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="124" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Z2-dCqXf8L1xbjP3Ty-zn1yRlhZP8bDhVtyFnffxoEUTEny1rZ7VCCyvBWtzR82YXSHRwQNyKSwi7qa1WYVQQKS9Oa3Kg5QOVmdi_WOL8B0jYCcmoWUo6lcR8zUJKlI5flqOPkY" width="172" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reason hemp is illegal is not because of any negative impact to the environment or human health, but exactly the opposite. It is so environmentally friendly, nutritionally and medicinally beneficial, that it provides </span><a href="http://preventdisease.com/news/15/preventdisease.com/news/13/051313_Hemp-Could-Free-Us-From-Oil-Cancer-Forever-and-Its-Environmentally-Friendly-Yet-Its-Illegal.shtml" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #274e13;">t</span><span style="color: purple;">oo many abundant resources</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> which would make it impossible for powerful corporations to compete. Although hemp was once the most important </span><a href="http://potsmokerslounge.net/politics/vermont-becomes-9th-state-to-nullify-federal-hemp-ban/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">cash crop</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> in the US, more so than corn and wheat combined, hemp was banned and classified as a Schedule I 'drug' under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970. While classification under Schedule I meant hemp could no longer be grown in the US, products containing hemp, such as lotions, fabric and food, are legal for purchase in the US and are found at natural and health food retailers and grocers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to scientific and clinical studies, hemp oil has the potential to help a range of conditions including epilepsy, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, alcoholism, schizophrenia, PTSD, antibiotic-resistant infections and various neurological disorders. In addition to trying an alternative energy source, what if it were possible to address the underlying source of the brain’s energy problems? </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It has been shown that glucose receptor dysfunction in the brain is related to membrane instability from dietary essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency. Restoration of adequate membrane EFA content increases glucose uptake and utilisation in brain cells. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.nadiaalterio.ca/images/essential-fatty-acids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.nadiaalterio.ca/images/essential-fatty-acids.jpg" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">One of the functions of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids is to act as oxygen magnets and transporters. It is known that haemoglobin carries oxygen around the body; however, before oxygen can bind with the haemoglobin in red blood cells, it first has to be attracted to and released into the cell. This is exactly what Omega 3 and 6 do. </span></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Research in cystic fibrosis has shown that as cell membrane levels of linoleic acid (Omega 6) decrease and levels of oleic acid increase, the amount of oxygen entering the cell decreases. Linoleic acid, as found in hemp seed oil, undergoes “reversible oxygenation” much more easily than oleic acid. Researchers concluded that a diet overly rich in oleic acid and too low in linoleic acid can impair the oxygenation of cells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The brain can produce its own cannabinoids, all of which are made from metabolites of linoleic acid as found in hemp seed oil. The receptors cannabinoids interact with are also made from Omega 3 and 6. Research shows Omega 3 deficiency leads to destruction of cannabinoid receptors resulting in various mental, emotional and physical dysfunctions. The entire Endocannabinoid System is best fuelled by hemp seed oil. Hemp seed oil’s unique content of Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids may be capable of addressing a number of medically neglected metabolic issues as well as optimising the function of the Endocannabinoid System.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.wanderportcorp.com/v2-040715/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Hemp-Seed-Oil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.wanderportcorp.com/v2-040715/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Hemp-Seed-Oil.jpg" height="144" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Hemp seed oil is a great source of high-quality nutrients and has a long history of use in Eastern culture as a multi-purpose natural remedy. </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Despite its widespread popularity, prejudice related to its association with Cannabis has kept it from common use in the West. </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Thankfully, </span><a href="http://wakeup-world.com/category/politic/education/"><i><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: purple;">education</span><span style="color: #274e13;"></span></span></i></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">is prevailing and the market for hemp seed oil is growing in the US, with an increasing number of people seeking it out for its reported</span> <a href="http://wakeup-world.com/category/health-wellbeing/"><i><span style="color: purple;">health</span></i></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">benefits.</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /><br /><span style="color: #274e13;">Hemp seed oil contains essential fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), that are required for brain development. </span><a href="http://wakeup-world.com/2013/01/30/6-things-to-keep-your-memory-sharp/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">DHA</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13;">is crucial to the health of the brain as well as the retina of the eye, particularly in the first year of life as described in the study,</span> </span></span><a href="http://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/3241811" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">The effects of n-3 fatty acid deficiency ... and function of the brain and retina</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">. <span style="color: #274e13;">Mothers who supplement with hemp seed oil during pregnancy may provide brain- and eye-protective benefits for the developing baby.</span></span>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taking a fish oil supplement can be a helpful way to increase </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mega 3 fatty acids in your diet, a nutrient that is essential for brain development, immune system health, and mood regulation. Expectant mothers certainly want to include these nutrients in their diet; however, fish contains a great deal of </span></span><a href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-mercury/?a_aid=4ed2bae4d1167" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>mercury</i></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #274e13;">which can hinder neurological and developmental mechanisms in the unborn baby. Fortunately, hemp seed oil works as a terrific alternative to traditional </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">O</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">mega 3 fatty acid supplements and doesn’t carry the same risk of mercury ingestion.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>Adapted from</i></span> <a href="http://madizm.org/2016/01/25/the-brain-needs-cannabinoids-and-dietary-hemp-is-the-answer/" style="color: purple;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>The Brain Needs Cannabinoids And Dietary Hemp Is The Answer</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, with</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><a href="http://www.mintpressnews.com/hemp-oil-versus-cbd-oil-whats-the-difference/193962/" style="color: purple;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Hemp Oil Versus CBD Oil: What’s The Difference?</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="color: purple;">Dr Edward F. Group III, DC, ND, DACBN, DCBCN, DABFM</i><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15129302"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Roles of unsaturated fatty acids (especially omega-3 fatty acids) in the brain at various ages and during ageing</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11802309"><span style="color: purple;"><i>n-3 fatty acids and the immune system in autoimmunity</i></span></a><span style="color: purple;">,</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"> </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15907142"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Omega-3 fatty acids in the treatment of psychiatric disorders</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281283/" style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Maternal Fish Consumption</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i> </i></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1281283/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Hair Mercury, and Infant Cognition in a US Cohort</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></span><a href="http://www.biosil.co.za/blogs/news/16932104-5-health-benefits-of-hemp-seed-oil" style="color: purple; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>5 Health Benefits of Hemp Seed Oil</i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Random Drug Testing on Australia's roadsides, </span></i><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">it’s probably not just because of what you’re smoking.</span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Random roadside or Mobile Drug Testing is being rolled out across the country at an increasing rate, with as many as </span><a href="http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/200000-tests-step-up-the-fight-against-drug-drivers/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>200,000</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> drivers to be tested in Victoria and</span> <a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/downloads/drug-driving-f.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>100,000</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">in </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;">New South Wales (NSW)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> by 2017. Prompted by a recent NSW court case, where a Lismore man was acquitted after being pinged </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-02/man-caught-drug-driving-days-after-smoking-cannabis-acquitted/7133628" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>nine days after</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">having Cannabis. What is the c<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">urrent state of play in each Australian state? </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis is, after all, the most widely cultivated, trafficked and used '</span><a href="http://www.who.int/substance_abuse/facts/cannabis/en/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">illicit drug</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">'* and accounts for almost half of all drug seizures worldwide, while </span><a href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/quick-statistics#cannabis" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>34.8%</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13;">of Australians aged 14 years and over have used it one or more times in their life, 10.2% using it in the 12 months </span><a href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129549469" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>to 2014</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">But state governments in Australia, perhaps reflecting their territories' approach to illegal drugs in general, give different advice to drivers about just how long the psychoactive component of Cannabis, <span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">∆</span>9-tetrahydrocannabinol (</span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc.html" style="text-align: justify;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>THC</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">), can be detected by a roadside test; ranging from zero tolerance, general guidelines over how long it takes to become undetectable, to no advice at all.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/storypad-grdM53xTdP35kwU4wuk5NW/adb42f86-2064-4ee6-b7bf-2257db9a4d8e.JPG/r0_219_4288_2630_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/storypad-grdM53xTdP35kwU4wuk5NW/adb42f86-2064-4ee6-b7bf-2257db9a4d8e.JPG/r0_219_4288_2630_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">In NSW, </span><a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/questnews/moreton/police-across-queensland-given-new-drug-testing-equipment-as-professor-defends-their-accuracy/news-story/f33bfbeb171f12556c606dfdb3577d44" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Queensland</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">and the Northern Territory (NT), roadside saliva swabs are tested in the Draeger 5000. While the machines can pick up many drugs, in Australia RDT's are generally geared towards the psychoactive chemicals in Cannabis, methamphetamine and ecstasy. </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Drugs such as MDMA and crystal methamphetamine can generally be detected within 24 hours of taking them, but with THC it’s all a bit vague about how long it takes to get out of your system. In NSW, RDT's are developing into a hotly debated issue following reports people have been picked up days after using Cannabis despite having been told to only wait '</span><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/mystery-laws-drugdriving-push-picks-up-medical-marijuana-user-20160211-gmrjob.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>at least 12 hours</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">' before getting behind the wheel.</span></div>
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<a href="http://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/kTmU5M4qiPJpkhEjiTESN8/bcb52050-bf81-4e79-8b3a-d9671e132a96.JPG/r1716_265_4665_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/kTmU5M4qiPJpkhEjiTESN8/bcb52050-bf81-4e79-8b3a-d9671e132a96.JPG/r1716_265_4665_3456_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg" height="200" width="184" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">Both NSW and the NT use the same</span> <a href="http://www.draeger.com/sites/en_aunz/Pages/Alcohol-and-Drug-Detection/Draeger-DrugTest-5000.aspx" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">testing device</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, however NT drivers are advised by the Department of Transport that THC takes an average of</span> <a href="http://transport.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/51004/Drug-driving-FAQ-sheet-for-website-5-Feb-2016-v2.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>about 5 hours</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, with caveats, to break down and become undetectable in the body. T</span><span style="color: #274e13;">he NT Department of Transpor</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> goes further, and breaks down what happens to THC in your system: <i>"After approximately 5 hours, the </i><i>∆9-</i></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>THC component has metabolised into Carboxy-THC in your body. Carboxy-THC is inactive and may be present in your body for days or weeks after consuming the drug. Police will not be testing for Carboxy-THC during the roadside swab test". </i></span>The NSW road safety website says Cannabis can typically be detected in saliva by an RDT test stick for up to </span><a href="http://roadsafety.transport.nsw.gov.au/stayingsafe/alcoholdrugs/drugdriving/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>12 hours after</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">use.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Even Draeger points to slightly different advice on their website,</span> <a href="http://www.draeger.com/sites/assets/PublishingImages/Segments/Company/Draegerheft/Dr%C3%A4ger%20Review%20107%20-%20Dr%C3%A4gerheft%20192/draeger_review_107_special_2_drug_testing_the_trail_of_saliva.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>linking</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> to a 2013 industry product review that says the device can detect very small quantities of THC (five nanograms per millilitre), and pinpoints the time of drug consumption within an 8-hour time window. <i>“This makes it very easy to determine whether a person has taken one or more drugs recently and is still influenced by them”,</i> Dr Stefan Steinmeyer, responsible for 'Drug Testing' at Draeger is quoted as saying in the review.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.sireneblue.ro/en/img/securetec-slides4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://www.sireneblue.ro/en/img/securetec-slides4.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">In Victoria, police use </span><a href="http://www.securetec.net/en/saliva-drug-test-drugwiper-s" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Securetec's Drugwipe</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> swabs and according to police media, test them in Securtec's Drugwipe Twin II Combo. Victoria's Road Accident Commission warns the effects of THC can last for up</span> <a href="https://www.vicroads.vic.gov.au/safety-and-road-rules/driver-safety/drugs-and-alcohol/cannabis-and-road-safety" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>to 24 hours</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and warns that <i>"recent use of THC and the risk of being killed in a fatal crash is similar to a driver with a BAC of up to approximately 0.15".</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">In South Australia (SA), THC can be detected for "</span><a href="http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/towardszerotogether/Safer_behaviours/Drug_driving2/drug_driving_faqs" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>several hours after use</i></span></a>”<span style="color: #274e13;"> (again the exact time varies depending on the amount and potency of the Cannabis used and individual metabolism). “Inactive THC residue in the body of a driver from use in previous days or weeks will not be detected”, the SA advice says. The state's Legal Services Commission is slightly more specific about the window and advises THC can be detectable for</span> <a href="http://www.lawhandbook.sa.gov.au/ch12s06s03s07.php" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>up to 4 hours</i></span></a>.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">In Western Australia (WA) they also use the Draeger (if you test positive roadside with the Securetec swab, the swab is placed in the Draeger 5000 for further analysis). WA's Road Safety Commission says THC is generally detectable for </span><a href="https://rsc.wa.gov.au/Documents/Drug-Driving/ors-drug-driving-faq.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>up to 4 hours</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">after use, again with the usual caveats.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Queensland has an absolute zero tolerance policy toward drugs and driving and neither the </span><a href="https://www.police.qld.gov.au/programs/roadsafety/drugdriving.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Queensland Police</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">nor the state's</span> <a href="http://www.qld.gov.au/transport/safety/road-safety/drink-driving/drugs/index.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Department of Transport</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> offer any advice on how long it takes for THC to become inactive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Tasmania police warn it is </span><a href="http://www.police.tas.gov.au/services-online/tourist-tips/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>illegal to drive a vehicle</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> with illicit drugs in your blood, but offer no readily available breakdown of THC.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge compares the NSW drug testing system to the UK's, where a range of illicit and prescription drugs are tested for, with set</span> <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/561243/New-DrugWipe-Drug-Driving-Cannabis-Law-Britain-UK-Tomorrow" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>detectable levels of impairment</i></span></a>.<span style="color: #274e13;"> He believes the Lismore decision will open the state government to a flood of legal challenges, as drivers are fined despite believing they are taking sound government advice. The NSW Greens</span> <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/hundred-thousand-nsw-residents-to-be-targeted-for-wasteful-unfair-roadside-drug-testing-20151003-gk0gyo.html#ixzz40ZAEa8hV"><span style="color: purple;"><i>recently used Freedom of Information laws</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> to access police documents that show there is no lower limit of drugs that are detectable in the saliva of people subjected to the roadside oral drug tests.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/4018016/thumbs/o-DRUG-IMPAIRMENT-570.jpg?6" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="drug impairment" border="0" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/4018016/thumbs/o-DRUG-IMPAIRMENT-570.jpg?6" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" /></span></a></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An excerpt from the NSW Police RDT Standard Operating Procedure Handbook</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Shoebridge believes RDT's should test for impairment and the limited trio of drugs screened for expanded to take in cocaine and some prescription drugs (the NSW Greens are preparing to move a motion in parliament to have the state's tests reviewed). “Roadside drug testing is not about getting impaired drivers off the road”, Shoebridge said of drug testing in NSW. “It’s an ideological war on a handful of illegal drugs dressed up as a road safety campaign”.</span></div>
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Shoebridge recently sat in on Lismore local court, where he said there were about 150 matters listed for mention on the day. Forty six were for drug-driving matters, he said, or one third of the court list. “The magistrate was having enormous difficulty getting to some of those seriously important cases, domestic violence, dangerous driving, assault matters, things you want magistrates and barristers spending their time on”.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He pointed to the UK's Wolfe report, which sets out the </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">effects that various</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/167971/drug-driving-expert-panel-report.pdf" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>drugs have on driving</i></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5TIfK69cIY/VsaY2vQzVKI/AAAAAAAAGdY/ZRUyxCNHJrU/s1600/DUIStatsTHCetc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5TIfK69cIY/VsaY2vQzVKI/AAAAAAAAGdY/ZRUyxCNHJrU/s1600/DUIStatsTHCetc.jpg" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">But we don’t know as much about the effects surrounding driving and Cannabis as we do about the effects of alcohol on driving, Queensland University of Technology's Professor Jeremy Davey said. Davey, from the CARRS-Q Centre for Accident Research and Safety, sat on an expert panel that advised Queensland on its own drug driving laws. He says THC can be detected in your saliva for up to 24 hours.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">He argues the focus on impairment is misplaced and likens it to the roughly 70-year history of observations into alcohol and driving and old arguments people used to use about alcohol, such as <i>"I drive better on on the sauce"</i>. <i>"The next one is 'I’m used to it and I’m not affected by it'. Well, you think you’re not affected by it. The other one is ‘Oh, I’ve used only a little bit'. All these excuses they said for alcohol 30, 40 years ago, are being used for illicit substances”.</i> he said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>“We know that at .05 (alcohol reading) you are twice as likely to be involved in a motor accident. This fixation on impairment, we know that there are varying levels of impairment but where do you draw the line on impairment? Impairment is impairment”</i>. he said. <i>“And also, and this is the nature of drugs, the same level may impair you to some degree today, and tomorrow it may impair you to another degree and that can be more or less and operate differently on different people, and at different times. So you have to look at it on a population base”.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Random Breath Testing changes driver behaviour and there is some evidence to suggest the same approach works for drug testing, said Sydney University's Professor Rebecca Ivers, an injury epidemiologist and researcher in global health. From a road safety perspective, the deterrence approach is generally seen as the most effective way of keeping people safe on the roads. <i>"When it comes to road safety, when we're talking about preventing people from crashing and having serious injuries and death, we have to be pretty hard line about it"</i>, she said.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"What we do know works, having random alcohol testing works very well in changing people's behaviour and there is some evidence that the same approach does work for drug testing. If they think they're going to be caught at a random roadside test and be penalised, then they are not going to do that behaviour".</i> The reality is the ‘safe level of alcohol’ when you’re behind the wheel is set at a politically and socially prescribed level and changing the test to narrow or expand it (to take in fewer or more drugs, including prescription drugs) will require a long conversation with the community.</span></div>
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<i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Like when Random Breath Testing was introduced, with the upper prescribed level .08, before we worked our way down while drawing on tens of thousands of clinical tests and controlled experiments"</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, Davey said. </span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Now, we don’t have those controlled experiments with Cannabis. However, we have enough knowledge of the drug that we know that it does impair. One does use a piece of common sense”</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Common sense? Where? Statistics show benzodiazepines and cocaine are causal in more fatal road accidents than all the other 'illicit drugs' put together (excluding only alcohol)! According to Australian drug detection expert Tony Graham, incorporating a test for cocaine in the saliva swab would be a simple matter. "There is absolutely no reason, if they choose to, why they can’t do it", he said, in November 2015.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Random or Mobile Drug Testing is not a road safety measure when you know all the facts. It is an attack on the lifestyle of some and unfortunately, and in some cases tragically, the sick and suffering are caught up in the mix as it is hard otherwise to explain why some drivers are stopped more than once for these purported ‘random’ tests (police themselves admit to targeting previously tested drivers). And this is an expensive campaign, with the drug test kits costing about $40 each (as opposed to $1 each for alcohol breath tests) and a mobile drug testing bus costs up to $500,000. Add in the cost of training, laboratory work and all the television ads and the taxpayer is footing the bill for activities that are not evidence based and DO NOT SAVE LIVES!<br /><br />Australian governments have lately found it hard to frame policies consistent with even some science and this is just one of them. Alcohol breath testing works because of the nature of alcohol. Roadside drug testing for Cannabis does not work as a road safety measure because it does NOT understand the nature of Cannabis. And too many otherwise law-abiding Australian citizens are paying a ridiculously high price for NOT driving whilst impaired!</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• illegal drugs - a drug that is prohibited from manufacture, sale or possession in Australia, for example, Cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy</span></span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• misuse, non-medical or extra-medical use of pharmaceuticals - drugs that are available from a pharmacy, over-the-counter or by prescription, which may be subject to misuse, for example opioid-based pain relief medications, opioid substitution therapies, benzodiazepines, over-the-counter codeine, and steroids</span></span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• other psycho-active substances - legal or illegal, potentially used in a harmful way, for example, kava, or inhalants such as petrol, paint or glue (but not including tobacco or alcohol)</span></span></span></em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Expanded from,</span> </i></span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/02/23/rdt-australia_n_9269504.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">RDT Australia (Huffington Post)</a></div>
Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-81680805819340176822016-02-22T19:10:00.000+11:002016-02-22T19:10:03.648+11:00Doctor Asks Mexico to Embrace its Endocannabinoid System<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><i>How The Science of the 'EndoCannabinoid System'</i></b></h4>
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<b><i>Will Change the Practice of Medicine and the Economy</i></b></h4>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">My name is David B. Allen M.D., an American Board certified Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon and have board certification in General Surgery. I am a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (</span><a href="http://icrs.co/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>ICRS</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">) a non-political, non-religious organisation dedicated to scientific research in all fields of the cannabinoids, ranging from biochemical, chemical and physiological studies of the endogenous cannabinoid system to studies of the abuse potential of recreational Cannabis and consider myself a professor and research scientist of the Endocannabinoid Signalling System (</span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/endocannabinoid-system-ecs-overview.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>ECS</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">), I have been asked to give a summary of the medical and social effects of Cannabis and the current status of this 'new' science.</span></div>
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The discovery of the ECS is the most significant advancement of medicine and will save more lives than any other discovery including the discovery and application of sterile surgical technique. The ECS is a combination of cell membrane receptors that cause physiologic changes when endogenous cannabinoids (endocannabinoids) bind to the receptors. What this entails is: your body makes chemicals (endogenous cannabinoids or endocannabinoids) that bind to specific receptors and regulate metabolism, the immune system, cell division and differentiation.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i><b>Links to references above, at end of article</b></i></span></div>
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This is the discovery of a communication system that all cells have, that lets them sense their environment and manipulate the metabolism to maintain a steady state of life called homoeostasis. Homoeostasis is the ability to adjust metabolism in order for the species to survive hostile environments.</div>
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<br /><b>Homoeostasis is adaptability: A rule of nature; <i>“If you can’t adapt you die”</i>.</b></h4>
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The Cannabinoid receptors, CB-1 and CB-2, are protein chains that pierce the cell membrane seven times and have portions of the receptor both inside and outside the cell membrane. These protein receptors are not visible with conventional microscopy and this fact delayed knowledge of their existence. The external portion of this protein has a specific shape and electrostatic charge that matches the corresponding shapes and charge of the cannabinoid molecules. This matching causes a strong attraction and binding of the Endocannabinoid to the protein receptor.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CB-1 receptors control glucose metabolism and CB-2 receptors control fatty metabolism. There is also some cross control. Glucose metabolism produces a lot of energy quickly, but also produces exhaust in the form of oxygen free radicals. Fatty metabolism produces even more energy, but does it more slowly, and produces oxygen free radicals at a lower rate. The ability to change what you metabolise allows you to survive when food source is scant.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By altering the concentration of cannabinoid receptor types you can change what the cell burns and change its production of exhaust. By changing this rate you can change the longevity of the cell or organism. This, in effect, is what </span><a href="http://www.biography.com/people/juan-ponce-de-le%C3%B3n-9444105" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Juan Ponce De Leon</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> was searching for, the 'fountain of youth'. "When you burn the candle slower it lasts longer".</span></div>
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<i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In 1512, Spanish King Ferdinand encouraged the explorer, Ponce de León, to continue searching for new lands, in hopes of finding more gold and expanding the Spanish empire. Around this time, Ponce de León learned of a Caribbean island called Bimini on which it was rumoured there were miraculous waters purported to be a “fountain of youth”. The fable was familiar on both sides of the Atlantic, alleging the spring was in the Garden of Eden, which many believed was located in Asia (early Spaniards believed America to be Asia).</i></div>
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There is good evidence that hibernation may indeed be a result of changing the food source from glucose metabolism to fatty metabolism during winter torpor. This change can only occur by manipulation of the regulatory mechanism of these two metabolic pathways. Down-regulation of body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate dramatically decreases metabolism and allows an animal to survive without eating, drinking, urinating or defecating for very long periods.</div>
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Cells have similar survival issues. The toxic products (oxygen free radicals) of metabolism can injure DNA and this is the reason why eukaryotic cells have nuclear membranes to separate the DNA from damage caused by metabolic by-products.</div>
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Stem cells are totipotent cells that can develop into any of the cells of the organism. Their only job is to divide and make more stem cells, or divide into one of the three germ cell layers: Ectoderm outside; Mesoderm, middle layer; and Endoderm, inside cells.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">When the cells develop into one of the three germ cell layers, they have different metabolic requirements and different susceptibility to the toxicity of oxygen free radicals. By changing what substance to burn the cells can be directed to differentiate into specialised cells, such as brain, muscle, bone, or intestinal cells. As discussed in the </span><a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?%20id=10.1371/journal.pone.0000641"><i><span style="color: purple;">study</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, <i>'Expression and function of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 and their cognate cannabinoid ligands in murine embryonic stem cells'</i>.</span></div>
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Your health is entirely dependent on the functioning of your ECS. If you have good health you have a well functioning ECS and if your health is diseased you have a diseased ECS. This is why Cannabis works for so many diseases. Many diseases we now have names for will be renamed when the enzyme defect in the patients’ ECS is identified.</div>
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The process of conception does not occur without a functioning ECS. The ECS is the control mechanism for metabolism and as such is the ultimate master control system. Therefore the ECS is the key to life.</div>
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Scientists were not aware of the mechanism of action of aspirin for a very long time. It was finally recognised that aspirin works by inhibiting fatty acid amide hydrolase or FAAH. This is the enzyme your body makes to degrade your endocannabinoids. When this enzyme is inhibited, less endocannabinoids are degraded and levels increase, providing analgesia. Aspirin works by increasing your own endocannabinoids.</div>
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The safety in manipulating the ECS lies largely in the fact that the brain stem has minimal numbers of CB-1 receptors; depression of the brain stem control of heart rate and respiration is not produced by cannabinoid stimulation. Opiates and barbiturates, by contrast, kill by depressing the brain stem control of these vital functions. This deadly situation is never encountered when using Cannabis and this fact accounts for its unprecedented safety over virtually all substances and medications. The LD-50 or lethal dose for 50% of subjects given any drug or substance, is a standard of safety or danger to the subject. Substances producing death at low concentrations are the most dangerous. No medication or substance on earth has a lower LD-50 than Cannabis, including table salt and water.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis use is not associated with any major organ failure or dysfunction, and in fact results in the protection of all organs. Even pulmonary function is not degraded with chronic Cannabis use. Donald Tashkin’s </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23802821" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">'Effects of Marijuana Smoking on the Lung'</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, published in the <i>Annals of the American Thoracic Society</i>, demonstrated a 150cc improvement in forced vital capacity (FVC) of patients who had used Cannabis for over 20 years, over non-smokers. Only mild bronchitis is known to be associated with Cannabis smoking and that condition reverses with cessation of smoking.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">In the near future you will be hard pressed to find any items that do not have Cannabis in them. The oils can be used for fuel, food, cosmetics, paint and frankly too many items to name. The fibre will be used in clothing and building products like hemp concrete (hempcrete), rope and plastic (</span><a href="http://www.hempbasics.com/shop/hemp-information"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Hemp Information</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">). The Cannabis flower will be used unheated in food as a staple and daily nutritional requirement and properly classified as a nutraceutical.</span></div>
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One of the most amazing unknown facts about Cannabis, hidden from the general public, is that if you eat Cannabis that is unheated or raw it does not get you high. There is no euphoria. The reason for this is that the Cannabis plant does not produce THC! Cannabis produces all of the cannabinoids as acid forms of the chemicals, which means they have a carbon dioxide attached to the cannabinoids. This is termed the carboxylated or acid forms of cannabinoids. When you heat Cannabis it releases a CO2 molecule and the cannabinoid becomes decarboxylated or neutral.</div>
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THC (the decarboxylated or PH neutral form) binds onto the CB-1 receptors whereas THC-A (the un-decarboxylated form) does not bind to receptors. Raw unheated cannabis has un-decarboxylated cannabinoids that do not bind to cannabinoid receptors, and thus do not cause euphoria or the high.</div>
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Although Cannabis tastes bad if you eat it raw, it has amazing protective effects, and this fact makes Cannabis a preventive medical treatment. The fact that Cannabis has a very bad flavour will prevent children from eating it, and if they did it would not get them high, or euphoric. This fact makes raw Cannabis safe around children.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis that is eaten raw and unheated results in a lower incidence of diabetes and all of the consequences of the disease. Long-term Cannabis use is associated with 66% less incidence of Diabetes as evidenced in the </span><a href="http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/2/1/e000494.full" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, '</span><i>Decreased prevalence of diabetes in marijuana users: cross-sectional data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination survey (NHANES)</i><span style="color: #274e13;">' in October 2011 and a </span><a href="https://www.google.ch/patents/US8071641" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>patent</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> originally taken out in February 2005 by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, </span><i>'Treatment or preventing diabetes with Cannabidiol; Us Patent'</i><span style="color: #274e13;"> which is still current.</span></div>
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Can you imagine the impact of decreasing the incidence of all complications of diabetes by this amount? There would be 66% less amputations, less blindness, less renal failure, less dialysis and less diabetic testing equipment. Children would be able to eat Cannabis raw and unheated to decrease the symptoms of ADHD. Currently the medical system uses amphetamines to treat ADHD, so the advantage of Cannabis therapy is clear.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Grandma will be able to eat raw Cannabis to decrease the size and severity of a stroke by 50% (US </span><a href="https://www.google.com.au/patents/US6630507" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">patent</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> 6,630,507 <i>'</i></span><i style="color: #274e13;">Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants'</i><span style="color: #274e13;">). Heart attack victims may see even better reduction of myocardial infarction by as much as 66% by use of CBD (</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17890433" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,</span><i style="color: #274e13;">'</i><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive Cannabis constituent, protects against myocardial ischemic reperfusion injury'</span></i><span style="color: #274e13;">). Patients with a history of heart attack or stroke will carry CBD capsules in their pockets to prevent or lessen the severity of these diseases. Insurance companies will pay for this like they do for nitroglycerine tablets.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis is a new class of antibiotic (</span><a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/np8002673" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">A Structure−Activity Study</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, <i>'Antibacterial Cannabinoids from Cannabis sativa'</i>). Almost all classes of bacteria are sensitive to cannabinoids and even MRSA resistant bacteria are killed by cannabinoids. The germicidal mechanism of action of Cannabis is different from the mechanism of action of any other antibiotic such as Penicillin, Sulphur, Tetracycline, Cephalosporin or Quinolones like Cipro, or Levoquin. Antibiotics work by inhibiting many of the vital functions of bacteria. This work includes inhibiting DNA synthesis, RNA synthesis, Protein Synthesis, and Cell Wall Synthesis. The exact mechanism of germicidal action of cannabinoids is not known, and may be due to changes in altering glucose metabolism.</span></div>
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The implications of the cannabinoid germicidal effect are tremendous and can be applied to any situation where bacteria exist. Surgical drapes impregnated with cannabinoids, burn wounds treated with Cannabis oil that provide occlusive dressings, mouthwash for sore throats, vaginal douche, ointments, creams are all possible.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">The major issue with Cannabis that has limited its medical use is that the oil is not soluble in water. This makes Cannabis oil unusable for intravenous injections. The US government has a patent on making water-soluble compounds of cannabinoids by forming esters that are water-soluble (2006 </span><a href="http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/318/3/1230.short" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, '<i>Pharmacological Characterization of Novel Water-Soluble Cannabinoids, Water soluble derivatives of cannabinoids'</i>, US </span><a href="http://www.google.ch/patents/US5847128" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>patent</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> 5847128). The future of emergency medical care is in IV solutions of cannabinoid compounds that can be delivered in the field by the intravenous route or in the operating surgical suite. All cardiac surgeries will use water-soluble cannabinoid compounds to limit reperfusion injury and strokes during surgery.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Currently there is a large body of evidence to show that the ECS controls cell differentiation of stem cells (2007 </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1919431/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">'Expression and function of cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2 and their cognate cannabinoid ligands in murine embryonic stem cells'</i><span style="color: #274e13;">). The implications of this evidence are that one might replace body parts and organs through control of stem cell differentiation. Immortality lies in this science!</span></div>
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Manipulating body metabolism can develop into prolonging life and placing us in suspended animation or hibernation. Some animals have daily torpor and save energy and prolong their life by reducing their metabolism and conserving energy every night. Hummingbirds are an example. There have been reports of short periods of human hibernation with reduced body temperatures and metabolism. By reduction of metabolic rate, we can extend life. Again, immortality lies in this science.</div>
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Cannabis use is associated with a 9% incidence of 'dependent type' activity, less than coffee and far less than alcohol, tobacco or drugs like cocaine and heroin. The definition of “dependent activity” is ethereal and can even be applied to drinking water and breathing oxygen. Can you be dependent on a substance your body needs to maintain homoeostasis? This is a flawed thought process without understanding of the science.</span><br />
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<br /><span style="color: #274e13;">Decriminalisation causes the illegal activity that was once attractive and appealing to be ordinary and boring. Rates for teenage use of Cannabis in Amsterdam are well below rates of those in the United States as evidenced in the </span><a href="http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Netherlands_v_US#sthash.Claw9kH2.dpbs" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">study</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, '<i>Prevalence of substance use in the Netherlands compared with the United States'</i>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">When Cannabis is legalised and made available to the public two things happen:</span></span></div>
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1) Traffic deaths go down; and,</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">2) Beer sales go down! A November 2011 </span><a href="http://ftp.iza.org/dp6112.pdf" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">report</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, '</span><i style="color: #274e13;">Medical Marijuana** Laws, Traffic Fatalities, and Alcohol Consumption',</i><span style="color: #274e13;"> used US' state-level data to examine the relationship between medical Cannabis laws
and a variety of outcomes. Legalisation of medical Cannabis is associated with increased
use among adults, but not among minors. In addition, legalisation is associated
with a nearly 9% decrease in traffic fatalities, likely due to its impact on alcohol
consumption. </span></div>
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Evidence from simulator and driving course studies provides a simple explanation for
why substituting Cannabis for alcohol may lead to fewer traffic fatalities. Studies show alcohol consumption leads to an increased risk of collision. Even at low doses, drivers under the influence of alcohol tend to underestimate the
degree to which they are impaired, drive at faster speeds and take more risks.</div>
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When the true nature of the nutraceutical effects of Cannabis are more widely known, most all humans and animals will use it daily to prevent disease and consumption of Cannabis will increase dramatically.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">The question, <i>"Is Cannabis use the preamble to the consumption of other addictive substances?"</i> is based on the assumption that Cannabis has </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabis-is-not-addictive-drug.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">mechanisms of action</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> that are similar to other addictive substances. As such it is not based on the science of the ECS.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">What are the success stories and failures at the international level in the regulation of Cannabis for medical and / or recreational use? Regulation is about jail sentences and fines for growing a plant that cures everything and prevents you from spending your life savings on pharmaceuticals that don’t work and endanger you. You should not tax medicine or nutraceuticals.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">The NIH produced a </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3033009/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">paper</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> entitled: '</span><i style="color: #274e13;">Sex Differences in the Effects of Marijuana* on Simulated Driving Performance'</i><span style="color: #274e13;">. This government study shows that men have 1.1 seconds faster reaction time and three times better safe avoidance and 18% fewer crashes when they use Cannabis compared to when they were not using it (</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3033009/table/T2/"><i><span style="color: purple;">Table 2</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">). This study shows that in some instances drivers are safer on Cannabis than when they are not!</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The full effects of </span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">∆</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">9</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-tetrahydrocannabinol (</span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>THC</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">) have not been revealed because of the restriction of scientific study that the prohibition laws have created. US Schedule One classification allows scientific research only with government approval and that is rarely granted. Foreign investigators have made most of the advances in the science of the ECS. There are some studies that show the best clinical result of treatment of myocardial infarction is with a combination of CB-1 receptor blockers and CB-2 stimulators in combination. This also holds true for liver disease to prevent hepatic fibrosis. This means that stimulation of CB-1 receptors only may not work for some disease process.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are no documented damaging effects of the use of Cannabis other than mild bronchitis that clears with cessation of smoking. The benefits generated by allowing responsible use of Cannabis are: the decrease of the police state and increase of personal freedoms to use a substance that harms no one.</span></div>
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<a href="http://cannabisdigest.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/AmygdlarControlCannabis.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" height="123" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/UIX9CATazMNAbnz3rd6b6otKaripidewuCx1jDGrSsENA1JyDlwmJTN6iyTv-KzEIXFM5f9raMgbPydEHGi61pdGcI0CqMg5ysxh4sosu4URdpnkUF_7ivKKXJ0bMbISrfUU" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis use allows the user to inhibit the amygdala or the fear organ of the brain. This allows the person to have less fear and anxiety and have a more positive outlook on life. There is less fear of change or fear of others who are different from you. There is more empathy with Cannabis use and when the amygdala is turned off you stay in cognitive thought more often and avoid brain stem autonomic reactions, known as 'Amygdala Hijacking'.</span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis use improves empathy and acceptance of change. </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Avoidance of Cannabis use has the opposite effect.</span></i></h4>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prohibition of Cannabis is in its last moments of life on earth. Science and the Internet have revealed information too important to ignore. The lies on which prohibition was based were hard to disprove prior to the Internet. The Internet is responsible for spreading the truth despite government propaganda.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">There will be wet and dry counties after Cannabis is legalised, but eventually the money made by incarcerating people for using a plant will pale in comparison to what can be made by legalisation of 'Mother Nature’s plant.</span></div>
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<br /><i><span style="color: #274e13;">*Expanded from a </span><a href="http://cannabisdigest.ca/doctor-asks-mexico-to-embrace-its-endocannabinoid-system/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">letter</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> by David B. Allen M.D., California, United States</span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i>**Cannabis sativa L., is the correct botanical term, marijuana is a North American colloquialism</i></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">Almost all early research was devoted to clarification of cannabinoid chemistry<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref3" id="ref-link-1" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Adams, R. Marihuana. Harvey Lectures 37, 168-197 (1941-1942).">3</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref4" id="ref-link-2" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Todd, A. R. Hashish. Experientia 2, 55-60 (1946).">4</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref104" id="ref-link-3" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Wood, T. B., Spivey, W. T. N. & Easterfield, T. H. Cannabinol. Part I. J. Chem. Soc. 75, 20-36 (1899).">104</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref105" id="ref-link-4" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Cahn, R. S. Cannabis indica resin, Part, III The constitution of Cannabinol. J. Chem. Soc. 1342-1353 (1932).">105</a></sup>, and pharmacology was mainly done using synthetic compounds<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref5" id="ref-link-5" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Loewe, S. Cannabiswirkstoffe und Pharmacologie der Cannabinole. Arch. Exp. Pathol. Pharmacol. 211, 175-193 (1950).">5</a></sup>. Following the isolation and structure elucidation of the plant cannabinoids, particularly of cannabidiol<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref106" id="ref-link-6" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Mechoulam, R. & Shvo, Y. The structure of cannabidiol. Tetrahedron 19, 2073-2078 (1963).">106</a></sup> and of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ<sup style="line-height: 0;">9</sup>-THC)<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref6" id="ref-link-7" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Gaoni, Y. & Mechoulam, R. Isolation, structure and partial synthesis of an active constituent of hashish. J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 86, 1646-1647 (1964).">6</a></sup>, pharmacological and physiological work was initiated<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref8" id="ref-link-8" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Agurell, S. et al. Pharmacokinetics and metabolism of [Delta]-1-tetrahydrocannabinol and other cannabinoids with emphasis on man. Pharmacol. Rev. 38, 21-43 (1986).">8</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref9" id="ref-link-9" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Pertwee, R. G. The ring test: a quantitative method for assessing the 'cataleptic' effect of cannabis in mice. Br. J. Pharmacol. 46, 753-763 (1972).">9</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref15" id="ref-link-10" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Dewey, W. L. Cannabinoid pharmacology. Pharmacol. Rev. 38, 151-178 (1986).">15</a></sup>. The identification of cannabinoid receptors<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref24" id="ref-link-11" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Howlett, A. C., Champion, T. M., Wilken, G. H. & Mechoulam, R. Stereochemical effects of 11-OH-[Delta] 8-tetrahydrocannabinol-dimethylheptyl to inhibit adenylate cyclase and bind to the cannabinoid receptor. Neuropharmacology 29, 161-165 (1990).">24</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref29" id="ref-link-12" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Matsuda, L. A., Lolait, S. J., Brownstein, M. J., Young, A. C. & Bonner, T. I. Structure of a cannabinoid receptor and functional expression of the cloned cDNA. Nature 346, 561-564 (1990).">29</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref31" id="ref-link-13" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Munro, S., Thomas, K. L. & Abu-Shaar, M. Molecular characterization of a peripheral receptor for cannabinoids. Nature 365, 61-65 (1993).">31</a></sup>, of endogenous cannabinoids<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref30" id="ref-link-14" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Devane, W. A. et al. Isolation and structure of a brain constituent that binds to the cannabinoid receptor. Science 258, 1946-1949 (1992).">30</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref32" id="ref-link-15" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Mechoulam, R. et al. Identification of an endogenous 2-monoglyceride, present in canine gut, that binds to cannabinoid receptors. Biochem. Pharmacol. 50, 83-90 (1995).">32</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref107" id="ref-link-16" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Sugiura, T. et al. 2-Arachidonoylglycerol: a possible endogenous cannabinoid receptor ligand in brain. Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 215, 89-97 (1995).">107</a></sup> and of receptor antagonists<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref50" id="ref-link-17" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Rinaldi-Carmona, M. et al. SR141716A, a potent and selective antagonist of the brain cannabinoid receptor. FEBS Lett. 350, 240-244 (1994).">50</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref66" id="ref-link-18" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Rinaldi-Carmona, M. et al. SR144528, the first potent and selective antagonist of the CB2 cannabinoid receptor. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 284, 644-650 (1998).">66</a></sup> made possible extensive pharmacological and neurobiological research leading to cloning of the anandamide-degrading enzyme fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH)<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref108" id="ref-link-19" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Cravatt, B. F. et al. Molecular characterization of an enzyme that degrades neuromodulatory fatty-acid amides. Nature 384, 83-87 (1996).">108</a></sup>, the discovery of retrograde signaling by 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG)<sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref45" id="ref-link-20" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Wilson, R. I. & Nicoll R. A. Endogenous cannabinoids mediate retrograde signalling at hippocampal synapses. Nature 410, 588-592 (2001).">45</a></sup><span style="line-height: 20.0964px;">, the discovery of allosteric sites on cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1)</span><sup style="line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref33" id="ref-link-21" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Pertwee, R. G. et al. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. LXXIX. Cannabinoid receptors and their ligands: beyond CB1 and CB2. Pharmacol. Rev. 62, 588-631 (2010).">33</a></sup>, the discovery that endocannabinoids bind to receptors other than CB1 and CB2 (Refs </span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref109" id="ref-link-21" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank" title="Pertwee, R. G. et al. International Union of Basic and Clinical Pharmacology. LXXIX. Cannabinoid receptors and their ligands: beyond CB1 and CB2. Pharmacol. Rev. 62, 588-631 (2010).">109</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref110" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">110</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref111" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">111</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">), the discovery and evaluation of endocannabinoid-like molecules in the brain</span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref95" id="ref-link-25" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Tan, B. et al. Identification of endogenous acyl amino acids based on a targeted lipidomics approach. J. Lipid Res. 51, 112-119 (2010).">95</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref96" id="ref-link-26" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Milman, G. et al. N-Arachidonoyl l-serine, a novel endocannabinoid-like brain constituent with vasodilatory properties. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 103, 2428-2433 (2006).">96</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> and the discovery and function of inhibitors of the endocannabinoid-degrading enzymes</span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref112" id="ref-link-27" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Bandiera, T., Ponzano, S. & Piomelli, D. Advances in the discovery of N-acylethanolamine acid amidase inhibitors. Pharmacol. Res. 86C, 11-17 (2014).">112</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref113" id="ref-link-28" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Schlosburg, J. E. et al. Prolonged monoacylglycerol lipase blockade causes equivalent cannabinoid receptor type 1 receptor-mediated adaptations in fatty acid amide hydrolase wild-type and knockout mice. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 350, 196-204 (2014).">113</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">. Cell biology</span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref114" id="ref-link-29" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Galve-Roperh, I. et al. Cannabinoid receptor signaling in progenitor/stem cell proliferation and differentiation. Prog. Lipid Res. 52, 633-650 (2013).">114</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">and neuroscience</span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref115" id="ref-link-30" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Katona, I. & Freund, T. F. Multiple functions of endocannabinoid signaling in the brain. Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 35, 529-558 (2012).">115</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref116" id="ref-link-31" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Piomelli, D. & Sasso, O. Peripheral gating of pain signals by endogenous lipid mediators. Nature Neurosci. 17, 164-174 (2014).">116</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;"> investigations were also carried out, and clinical trials were initiated</span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref101" id="ref-link-32" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Leweke, F. M. et al. Cannabidiol enhances anandamide signaling and alleviates psychotic symptoms of schizophrenia. Transl. Psychiatry 2, e94 (2012).">101</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref117" id="ref-link-33" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Syed, Y. Y., McKeage, K. & Scott, L. J. [Delta]-9-tetrahydrocannabinol/cannabidiol (Sativex): a review of its use in patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis. Drugs 74, 563-578 (2014).">117</a>, <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref118" id="ref-link-34" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Roitman, P., Mechoulam, R., Cooper-Kazaz, R. & Shalev, A. Preliminary, open-label, pilot study of add-on oral [delta](9)-tetrahydrocannabinol in chronic post-traumatic stress disorder. Clin. Drug Investig. 34, 587-591 (2014).">118</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">. Cloning of DAG lipase was also reported</span><sup style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0;"><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html#ref119" id="ref-link-35" style="color: #132709; text-decoration: none;" title="Bisogno, T. et al. Cloning of the first sn1-DAG lipases points to the spatial and temporal regulation of endocannabinoid signaling in the brain. J. Cell Biol. 163, 463-468 (2003).">119</a></sup><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px;">.</span></i></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many different methods exist for testing for illicit drugs and the term ‘illicit drug’ can encompass a number of broad concepts, according to the Australian federal government they can include;</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">• </span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">illegal drugs; those prohibited from manufacture, sale or possession in Australia, for example, Cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">• </span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">misuse, non-medical or extra-medical use of pharmaceuticals; drugs available from a pharmacy, over-the-counter or prescription, subject to misuse (opioid-based pain medications, opioid substitution therapies, benzodiazepines, over-the-counter codeine and steroids)</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">•</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"> </span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">other psychoactive substances; legal or illegal, used in a harmful way (kava, inhalants such as petrol, paint or glue [not tobacco or alcohol]).</span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Most employers, insurance companies, government agencies, etc., in the United States (US) and other jurisdictions, will ask for a urine test, the industry standard for workplace drug testing, and the only method approved for US federally mandated drug tests. A test for Cannabis is looking for a metabolite (chemical produced by the body from another chemical taken in by the body) of </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">∆</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">9-tetrahydrocannabinol (</span></span><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc.html" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; text-align: start;"><span data-mce-style="color: #800080;" style="color: purple;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">THC</span></i></span></span></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">), one of the main cannabinoids in the herb, </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabis-is-not-addictive-drug.html" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabis-is-not-addictive-drug.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabis</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></i></span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">sativa L. Urine is used to test for the amount of just one of the metabolites of THC. The metabolite they are looking for in urine is THC COOH (carboxy-THC or </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">11-nor-</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">∆</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/drugtesting-againstmyhumanrights-150910200139-lva1-app6891/95/drug-testing-against-my-human-rights-23-638.jpg?cb=1441915942" href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/drugtesting-againstmyhumanrights-150910200139-lva1-app6891/95/drug-testing-against-my-human-rights-23-638.jpg?cb=1441915942" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/iWqNmPki4SuDLAx3WBs5kHRthuzEmufdhvYfUIriZjIsAMuhIeMEzB4hURNY0buCSBJy1vZD1ZnMZMDuebKhTz0CCR1-ACLo-Km6mCZa_OCtd4WqMIWnSFOeq7cCCJAeDr4yks_xk9Tj50huV9wMmZBbqOov8YcLzPybU9zOld9j1kAcI0S8g3OpN2YQim2LspE6SnQxjPyHgAHNaBhp54cx6MbJ1aRiNaJQtHjxEA" src="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/drugtesting-againstmyhumanrights-150910200139-lva1-app6891/95/drug-testing-against-my-human-rights-23-638.jpg?cb=1441915942" height="300" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></a></span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">THC is extensively metabolised to a number of substances including the active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-THC and the principal inactive metabolite, THC COOH. The active metabolite, 11-hydroxy-THC, is often cited as a marker of very recent Cannabis ingestion, as it is found at a higher concentration in blood when Cannabis is consumed rather than if smoked.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2Doc5KEs-PM6XICuK7fVz1m98oGr58CDDQbf6PlAJEyV2pSDokcN2TzGsYsuFOjsLS6jUhL9SaTBie09-IKpHYmsi8BXwsQiz3ReaxNhIJ8-vC8Gfv4khq4" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2Doc5KEs-PM6XICuK7fVz1m98oGr58CDDQbf6PlAJEyV2pSDokcN2TzGsYsuFOjsLS6jUhL9SaTBie09-IKpHYmsi8BXwsQiz3ReaxNhIJ8-vC8Gfv4khq4" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2Doc5KEs-PM6XICuK7fVz1m98oGr58CDDQbf6PlAJEyV2pSDokcN2TzGsYsuFOjsLS6jUhL9SaTBie09-IKpHYmsi8BXwsQiz3ReaxNhIJ8-vC8Gfv4khq4" height="127" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2Doc5KEs-PM6XICuK7fVz1m98oGr58CDDQbf6PlAJEyV2pSDokcN2TzGsYsuFOjsLS6jUhL9SaTBie09-IKpHYmsi8BXwsQiz3ReaxNhIJ8-vC8Gfv4khq4" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Although very small amounts of THC are excreted in urine, there is little value in attempting to identify it as it is only present for a short period following Cannabis use and testing requires a separate procedure. Urine testing for Cannabis involves firstly the detection of one or more cross-reacting cannabinoids using immuno-assay. Confirmation of Cannabis use involves the identification and often quantification of THC COOH using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of the estimated 55 million drug tests performed annually in the US, approximately 90% are urine tests. While often inaccurately referred to by employers and drug testers as an impairment test, urinalysis cannot detect the presence of any illicit drugs, including Cannabis, they can only identify the presence of non-psychoactive drug metabolites indicating a substance has been previously consumed at an unspecified point in time.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">Unfortunately for Cannabis consumers, the primary metabolite </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">THC-COOH</span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"> is fat soluble and may remain detectable in urine for days and sometimes weeks after past use in regular partakers. Most standard urine tests can be easily influenced by dilution as most drug metabolites are water-soluble and are excreted rapidly from the body. However, THC-COOH is fat-soluble and exits the body slowly. </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/RbrNzk4EGOPdIeuED12ysrZj1EE_s9we8lQdE00ve7ZxGNsQK_4rT89RsudIw8UuFNlqzYpLVjHy6zV0b4MuqQkn9Jr9O353negcT-mFyiIW17yCDjdVr03O2KgB" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/RbrNzk4EGOPdIeuED12ysrZj1EE_s9we8lQdE00ve7ZxGNsQK_4rT89RsudIw8UuFNlqzYpLVjHy6zV0b4MuqQkn9Jr9O353negcT-mFyiIW17yCDjdVr03O2KgB" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/RbrNzk4EGOPdIeuED12ysrZj1EE_s9we8lQdE00ve7ZxGNsQK_4rT89RsudIw8UuFNlqzYpLVjHy6zV0b4MuqQkn9Jr9O353negcT-mFyiIW17yCDjdVr03O2KgB" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/01393/urine_test_1393582c.jpg" height="125" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">It is difficult to say the length of time a person will test positive for Cannabis use since the metabolic process of the body converting THC into THC COOH can vary from person to person. While THC COOH has no psychoactive effects, it can be detected in urine for weeks, even months. It is not a marker for impairment, so it is arguably useless, but nevertheless, THC COOH has become the standard of evidence for determining if a person tests positive for Cannabis use. </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">For infrequent Cannabis users, THC-COOH remains detectable in urine for several hours after one-time use; however, it’s commonly detectable on a standard urine screen for days or even weeks after past use in regular partakers.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Factors such as quantity consumed, frequency, method of consumption and even what food and drink is consumed can modify the amount of time that traces of THC COOH will be detectable in urine come test day. If it was just one night, would that make a difference? It depends as there are several studies that suggest a smaller “</span></span><a data-mce-href="http://www.ndci.org/sites/default/files/ndci/THC_Detection_Window_0.pdf" href="http://www.ndci.org/sites/default/files/ndci/THC_Detection_Window_0.pdf"><span data-mce-style="color: #800080;" style="color: purple;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">window of detection</span></i></span></span></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">” (number of days following last use a urine sample will produce positive results) and others suggest a </span></span><a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3902318" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3902318"><span data-mce-style="color: #800080;" style="color: purple;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">larger window</span></i></span></span></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">, especially for chronic users.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Most agree, a one-time user is typically vulnerable to their urine testing positive for up to three days after use. After that, the chances of testing positive greatly decrease because any trace of THC COOH will likely fall below the required threshold for a positive result. The standard for most employment and US government testing programs is 50 nanograms per millilitres (ng/ml). It is possible, however, to test positive for over seven days. Frequent, regular Cannabis consumers should not be surprised to test positive for a minimum of one week to 10 days after their last use and up to 100 or more days thereafter.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">Following Cannabis use via smoking, vaporising and other inhalation means, THC is rapidly absorbed and distributed into body fat. A 2001 study, </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><i>'The Forensic Pharmacology of Drugs of Abuse'</i></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">, out of the UK reported approximately 20% of THC is excreted in urine and 40% in faeces. THC is found in blood, oral fluid, hair and sweat; 11-hydroxy-THC is also found in blood, while THC COOH is the main urinary metabolite.</span><br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tAOdbn7vyTs/VsbDt2TLQyI/AAAAAAAAGdo/UoAWWuXgNiA/s1600/LiverMetabolism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tAOdbn7vyTs/VsbDt2TLQyI/AAAAAAAAGdo/UoAWWuXgNiA/s320/LiverMetabolism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">In the body, THC is primarily metabolised in the liver where the hepatic cytochrome P450 enzyme oxidises THC to the active metabolite 11-hydroxy-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (11-hydroxy-THC). This is then oxidised to the inactive 11-nor-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol-9-carboxylic acid (THC-COOH) and the conjugated THCCOOH-glucuronide. A number of other minor metabolites are also formed, including the active 8β-hydroxy-Δ9-THC and inactive 8α-hydroxy-Δ9-THC and 8α,11-dihydroxy-Δ9-THC. THC-COOH and 11-hydroxy-THC are most important for biological sample testing procedures.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The question most often asked by clinicians, drug counsellors, lawyers and occupational health and safety representatives is, how long does Cannabis stay in the system? It is a reasonable question but one that cannot be answered in a few words. Firstly, most published studies on the excretion of Cannabis have been conducted using cigarettes containing a known amount of THC, either 1.75% or 3.55% and there is not necessarily a correlation between such controlled doses and use of 'street' Cannabis. Secondly, subjects are usually abstinent prior to the study and thirdly, there is a wide variability in excretion profiles between subjects.</span></span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/oralfluidstalkmontrealdre2011-110728153348-phpapp01/95/oral-fluid-as-a-chemical-test-for-the-dre-program-10-728.jpg?cb=1311945193" href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/oralfluidstalkmontrealdre2011-110728153348-phpapp01/95/oral-fluid-as-a-chemical-test-for-the-dre-program-10-728.jpg?cb=1311945193" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xVbD1yz5_2BeT4RwlqNsgPmVlPkXhavqb2LNdDgVMH1Micbs21G1WKsXCMYSqoirvo7L28RSi_hwSSMaend89OdIwNX604jN3yZJf7NAemNZyW7h4xhyMldHecktldxNFSwMSCVsOYkTPZ1A8N0SMf3D1yFfAgsdce-_Q7_6xxI5drNAqSTT17XOwzZs4bVHokNoFfdCJx2KlXN0HZKZz05Osg9k2MthgRzBWBVpkkbazuh6CQ" src="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/oralfluidstalkmontrealdre2011-110728153348-phpapp01/95/oral-fluid-as-a-chemical-test-for-the-dre-program-10-728.jpg?cb=1311945193" height="300" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The rate-limiting step in the metabolism of THC is the slow redistribution from body fat deposits into the blood. The concentration of THC found in fatty tissue becomes a function of the amount, frequency and potency of Cannabis smoked. Unlike interpretation of laboratory tests for the majority of 'drugs of abuse', Cannabis stands out as being the single substance that requires caveats before one can provide an interpretation; this being, was the person a naïve, occasional or chronic user? For naïve users, Cannabis can be eliminated within hours after use, usually within 24 hours.</span></span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://d34jb20qqe27k2.cloudfront.net/content/bjprcpsych/178/2/101/F2.large.jpg" href="http://d34jb20qqe27k2.cloudfront.net/content/bjprcpsych/178/2/101/F2.large.jpg" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/xFSSSZkAHwuvoWviUf3NPMTmcgy_AKD2m1-11z0LEek0Dom6xCwK8NcToJCyCJZMdCO7apXwLnXkUgqN1vPiTjoC-DPBlCkx8noBV8c4YihtfORfjE_AW2s72TQ9yOFJKp8" src="http://d34jb20qqe27k2.cloudfront.net/content/bjprcpsych/178/2/101/F2.large.jpg" height="272" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In controlled studies in 1995, large inter-subject variability in the elimination of THC COOH, ranging from 8 hours in one subject and 1 day in three subjects was reported. In another study into occasional Cannabis use, volunteers who smoked a single THC cigarette once a week for 3 weeks determined an average elimination time of 2 days for cannabinoids.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">Unfortunately there has been a paucity of data on the excretion and detectability of Cannabis in chronic users. Researchers advised that following use, urinary cannabinoids rise and then fall rapidly, taking up to 2 weeks in chronic users before dropping down to levels approaching the screening cutoff with reported levels of THC COOH sharply dropping to 20-50 ng/ml, and then decreasing at a much slower rate</span>.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.thcdetoxhelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/5-panel-drug-test-kit-1024x604.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thcdetoxhelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/5-panel-drug-test-kit-1024x604.jpg" height="117" style="text-align: start;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">Earlier studies on the elimination of Cannabis found residues of cannabinoids in subjects at up to 77 days of abstinence. However, they used a 20 ng/ml cutoff (</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">c</span>utoffs are simply reporting levels and a means of deeming whether a drug is present or not</span>)<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">, not routine for urine testing. The most useful studies into the relationship between excretion patterns of cannabinoids and chronic users of Cannabis were conducted in the US up to 1998.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These studies were predicated on an earlier finding which showed that by normalising the excreted amount of urinary THC COOH to the creatinine (Cannabis ratio), one obtained a more useful result. The best predictor of new use was achieved when the ratio was ≥ 0.5 relative to the previous sample taken at least 24 hours prior. In 2008 it was determined the elimination time in heavy Cannabis users correlated with the ratio in their first urination following abstinence.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cutoffs were originally determined empirically, based on available technology. Today there is less of a relationship between the ability to detect a drug in a biological fluid and the cutoff. Originally, the screening cutoff for Cannabis was 20 ng/ml (1986); however laboratories were being challenged by claims of passive absorption, forcing the cutoff to be raised to 100 ng/ml. This resulted in fewer false positives but allowed many recent users to escape detection.</span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.nelsonnursingservice.co.nz/assets/Uploads/_resampled/ResizedImage400285-ESR-Drug-Testing-Methods-and-their-approcimate-detection-periods.jpg" href="http://www.nelsonnursingservice.co.nz/assets/Uploads/_resampled/ResizedImage400285-ESR-Drug-Testing-Methods-and-their-approcimate-detection-periods.jpg" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ea6PJfESRL1W09dKHu5-SbfwP-TfG9YYylwyL0uF5Gi2dLd7P_npm7VSyzLe-Pj5h3JmDfNhdZJvYYu8gl872WSw39EmxzW-HTKlGoHz567tSeIIyNCcJ1_IqT_DBp9dyWylTrKyXB7ibLwiVigpFyRq7kuwo5ZyY17G8TLQJ0omfmbei_Qx8GIBS9cV0QmuswlW8wciWhR0oTzerO1ecYan9TFoo1dwkBDL9A" src="http://www.nelsonnursingservice.co.nz/assets/Uploads/_resampled/ResizedImage400285-ESR-Drug-Testing-Methods-and-their-approcimate-detection-periods.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">The screening cutoff is now accepted as 50 ng/ml (ug/l) and 15 ng/ml for the confirmatory analysis of </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">THC COOH</span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">. Using a combination of 50 ng/ml screening cutoff followed by 15 ng/ml confirmatory cutoff, one obtained a confirmation rate of around 99%. Importantly, use of this combination eliminates any claims of passive inhalation. Interpretation of Cannabis results should always be predicated on the possibility of a negative gap, i.e., the time interval between first negative and last positive urine test.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">As </span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">THC COOH </span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">is highly lipophilic (easily dissolved in fats) and re-absorption from fatty tissue is a slow process it can result in a negative urine occurring on one particular day followed by a positive test later. This negative gap is dependent on an individual’s body mass index (BMI). There is a direct correlation of BMI with the day of last positive urine; the higher the ratio at first urination, the longer the period between first negative and last positive urine. An initial low ratio implies low use and conversely, a high initial ratio confirms chronic use.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/LeSsmjOrgftYKiYbgj5tQkq_gksNXJTc1SxPI--mYfUEhLlzkp0S4Zz2YIAyusZKdg2C7sMtvbCFtV-gXzPpycTLHgnrwREc4rCQvw" src="http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/4932992-3x2-340x227.jpg" height="133" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To date, the high individual variability in metabolism and excretion of cannabinoids precludes this approach, despite a number of research studies reporting various terminal elimination half-lives of <span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;">THC COOH</span>. Individual laboratory reports cannot be correlated with usage; however as more tests are conducted on individual patients or employees, the changing pattern of corrected metabolite becomes easier to interpret. In Australia, oral fluid testing for THC continues despite amendments to US workplace testing guidelines, recommending a moratorium on its use until the sensitivity of procedures becomes more robust.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cannabis has been the most studied 'drug of abuse' due more to the prejudices of law-makers than any basis in science, and is the most prevalent illicit substance found in the workplace. Laboratory-based testing is a mature discipline with a high degree of accuracy. Interpretation of results remains contentious and as further studies evolve on the excretion by long-term users, it may be possible to use algorithms to accurately predict time of last use.</span></div>
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<a href="http://consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/urineluck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://consumermediallc.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/urineluck.jpg" height="152" style="text-align: start;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the US there are numerous products on the market that claim to cleanse the system or mask use. There are even some companies that offer 'clean' urine. There are many reasons to be doubtful of these products and their claims. Most do not work, are expensive and can even be identified in a drug test. Collection facilities and labs have become more sophisticated in detecting a specimen that has been influenced or altered.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are, however, some simple, inexpensive and legal things that you can do to, purportedly, lower the amount of metabolites in your urine. Using one of many 100% guaranteed (in the US) safe detoxification products that naturally accelerate normal detoxification systems which allow you to cleanse your blood and urine of traces of Cannabis in roughly three to six days depending on many variables. And, never use the first urine of the day, typically referred to as 'the first void', even if you have to stay awake all night or get up early the day of the test, each time you urinate will make a difference. Also, try to avoid collecting the beginning of the urine stream, as this will have the greatest amount of metabolites in it.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://diagnosisdiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cranberry-juice-licensed1.jpg" href="http://diagnosisdiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cranberry-juice-licensed1.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #00aadc; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/FTT2iQuXGqArigr7sNVwye_y3OU52DI7s-7UTytP6sJQwj6k48A27S-CWDW8O9o-inu0SFkqK3kAkP5GaNtQjt_FM5FH9CnRDarC0rP332mxNa_p1VSaYMm5nbfi9CcYWQQC5uU" src="http://diagnosisdiet.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/cranberry-juice-licensed1.jpg" height="200" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="133" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Flushing the system should be done with great caution as this involves putting large amounts of liquids (excluding alcoholic beverages) into the body so metabolites will be washed away faster. Although this may be an effective method, it can be dangerous. Ingesting too much water can cause water poisoning or </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #800080;" style="color: purple;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><a data-mce-href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/water-intoxication" href="http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/water-intoxication"><span style="color: purple;">water intoxication</span></a><span style="color: purple;"> </span></i></span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">and can cause severe illness or even death. Cranberry juice is a natural diuretic and will help flush the system faster than water alone. Coffee and tea also act as diuretics. But, if urine is overly diluted it may raise a 'red flag'.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To enhance the colour of the urine (more yellow) you can add a Vitamin B tablet to your diet a day or two before the test. There is a lot wrong with urine drug testing, accuracy, privacy violations, proof that it improves workplace efficiency or safety. Unfortunately, until alternative methods are more widely available and accepted, it remains the go-to method in the US workplace.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Drug testing in Australia has been part and parcel of clinical management of patients on drug treatment programs since the late 1960's when methadone was introduced as a heroin substitute, wrote John H. Lewis Ph.D., in a 2009 bulletin, </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>'Clinical and medico-legal implications of drug testing for Cannabis', </i></span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">for the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre (NCPIC). </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The NCPIC is a consortium run under the auspices of the </span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #545454;" style="color: #545454;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre Australia (</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">NDARC), out of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), a federal Department of Health and Ageing initiative. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The NCPIC are Australia's self-proclaimed experts (leading, tax-payer and pHARMaceutical funded, 'reefer madness' mouthpiece for government propaganda) and Australia's equivalent to the US 'DARE' program. So it comes as no surprise that s</span></span><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">ince then, the discipline has evolved into an industry encompassing public and private sector laboratories, forensic institutions and racing laboratories. The scope for drug testing has widened from clinical management to sport, the workplace, correctional institutions and the judicial system.</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHhpTpgYBUYPo2huXpJ8K8OV1PTktVaV1yWbFRKAsrYk7lgX957w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Image result for ncpic" border="0" height="200" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTHhpTpgYBUYPo2huXpJ8K8OV1PTktVaV1yWbFRKAsrYk7lgX957w" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cannabis is one of many 'drug' types commonly tested for in all these jurisdictions; it is paradoxically easy to detect in biological fluids but complex to interpret. The rationale for drug testing people for Cannabis is multi-factorial. For patients on (NSW) public drug treatment programs, clinicians have historically chosen not to screen for cannabinoids; the rationale being that heroin was the main drug of dependence, most clients smoked Cannabis anyway and a toxicology report indicating Cannabis use could jeopardise an otherwise favourable progress report.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, for many patients, especially those in residential rehabilitation environments, a policy of “no drugs” specifically includes Cannabis. In many drug treatment centres throughout NSW, concurrent use of Cannabis can adversely affect client management and there is now a deemed need for monitoring of the so-called 'Cannabis dependence'. Australian defence forces and many heavy industries maintain a strict drug policy and may dismiss personnel for continued Cannabis use.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Although THC is found in saliva (or more correctly, oral fluid), levels are very low and there are often difficulties in recovery from collection pads. Essentially, THC comes from debris within the oral cavity after smoking, rather than diffusion from plasma. Studies in 2002 concluded for reliable identification of THC in oral fluid (fewest false negatives), the most appropriate screening cutoff should be set at 4 nanograms/millilitre (ng/ml), followed by a confirmatory cutoff of 2 ng/ml.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ROSITA study (2001) concluded that no existing on-site device for THC was sensitive enough to be used for workplace drug testing. The issue at stake was one of duty of care. Studies such as ROSITA have been available for a number of years, yet many industries, wishing to avoid the often confrontational issues of mandating for urine tests, have opted for oral fluid testing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Urine testing has the ability to identify infrequent as well as chronic Cannabis users and this may be perceived as either unfortunate, unfair or an invasion of their personal life outside the work environment. Conversely, current use of relatively insensitive on-site devices for saliva may be viewed as ineffective and to a degree, a failure to comply with a duty of care in eliminating risk of Cannabis-induced impairment in the workplace.</span></span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/dMI9BhW0EprteVCh2lXCBZkOLMZ96rj1jOlz-nLAiRJblVqKpDnIpeQ4-w1Mn3B8831zX3aepAPXp5JcdL0zzyuschtLGIvwNbqAKYQyxxfob8ENlaHAqSV2dbaifJwcV4W9Wog" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/dMI9BhW0EprteVCh2lXCBZkOLMZ96rj1jOlz-nLAiRJblVqKpDnIpeQ4-w1Mn3B8831zX3aepAPXp5JcdL0zzyuschtLGIvwNbqAKYQyxxfob8ENlaHAqSV2dbaifJwcV4W9Wog" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="australian-drug-foundation-logo" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/dMI9BhW0EprteVCh2lXCBZkOLMZ96rj1jOlz-nLAiRJblVqKpDnIpeQ4-w1Mn3B8831zX3aepAPXp5JcdL0zzyuschtLGIvwNbqAKYQyxxfob8ENlaHAqSV2dbaifJwcV4W9Wog" src="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/images/stories/australian-drug-foundation-logo.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Australian Drug Foundation, among other organisations across Australia, points out that saliva drug testing only tests for Cannabis, methamphetamines (ice) and ecstasy (MDMA). With detection time after last use for Cannabis being several hours upwards, based on potency, amount and individual metabolism. For ice and ecstasy, it is approximately 24 hours and detection times for opiates and benzo's are currently unknown. The current regime employed by Australian state law enforcement roadside (which is able to be used in the workplace) employs machines able to test for cocaine, opiates and some benzodiazepines (valium etc).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2015/12/04/people-in-nsw-are-losing-their-licences-for-getting-high-days-before-driving-body-image-1449198998.jpg?resize=*:*&output-quality=" href="https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2015/12/04/people-in-nsw-are-losing-their-licences-for-getting-high-days-before-driving-body-image-1449198998.jpg?resize=*:*&output-quality="><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2015/12/04/people-in-nsw-are-losing-their-licences-for-getting-high-days-before-driving-body-image-1449198998.jpg?resize=*:*&output-quality=" height="133" src="https://vice-images.vice.com/images/content-images/2015/12/04/people-in-nsw-are-losing-their-licences-for-getting-high-days-before-driving-body-image-1449198998.jpg?resize=*:*&output-quality=" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">According to Australian drug detection expert Tony Graham, incorporating a test for cocaine in the saliva swab would be a simple matter. "There is absolutely no reason, if they choose to, why they can’t do it", he said in November 2015. There is also absolutely no reason why police shouldn’t run sniffer dogs through places where bankers, lawyers and brokers are using cocaine, as well as where young people are using Cannabis!</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is not a road safety measure but an attack on lifestyles. It is hard otherwise to explain why some drivers are stopped more than once for ‘random’ tests, why the police were unwilling to comply with a Greens political party freedom of information request for the scientific basis of the tests, and why cocaine users are left out of the net.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/de1c7c1c70128392d34ea6a23bfbe2e2" href="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/de1c7c1c70128392d34ea6a23bfbe2e2"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/B-JGNQU_s9oHVRIb4Vc06pvfHexRwBDZmqHfBNiB4buJtpjgCUw3qLUHMSuuzvNyt_wc9RMmifqS1HuGgHPlH2xdv7b7DKjNrUX23C9S6BeoubNy536y" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/de1c7c1c70128392d34ea6a23bfbe2e2" height="112" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This is an expensive campaign. The drug test kits cost about $40 each and at last count there were five mobile drug testing buses in NSW alone, each costing up to $500,000. Add in the cost of training, laboratory work and all the television ads and it seems odd that the taxpayer should have to foot a bill of this size for activities that are not evidence based as Australian governments have lately found it hard to frame policies consistent with systematic knowledge, or even some science.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Australian roadside drug test has defects that would trigger watchdog alarms were it not a government scheme. For a start it produces false positives. During ‘Operation Saturation’ (Northern Rivers, New South Wales, June to July 2015) tests were administered to 1,376 people. Of these, 246 returned positive results, but when immediately re-tested, 72 (more than a third) were found not to be positive at all. It misses the worst drugs and it penalises drivers who may be completely unaffected. The swabs test for Cannabis, amphetamine and ecstasy, but not opiates or pharmaceutical medications such as painkillers and anti-depressants, known to impair driving skills. They test for minuscule amounts of Cannabis, which means a trace amount in a driver’s body, perhaps days after ingestion, records a positive reading, even though there is no suggestion the Cannabis is affecting the driver.</span></span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1hDen_qNzE/VsMRJPRJUzI/AAAAAAAAGcU/EK0gbZnhhZo/s1600/RoadFatalsCannaWolffReport.jpg" href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1hDen_qNzE/VsMRJPRJUzI/AAAAAAAAGcU/EK0gbZnhhZo/s1600/RoadFatalsCannaWolffReport.jpg" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1hDen_qNzE/VsMRJPRJUzI/AAAAAAAAGcU/EK0gbZnhhZo/s640/RoadFatalsCannaWolffReport.jpg" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Q1hDen_qNzE/VsMRJPRJUzI/AAAAAAAAGcU/EK0gbZnhhZo/s640/RoadFatalsCannaWolffReport.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="546" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The United Kingdom's March 2013 Wolff Report (expert panel looked at drug driving to establish world's best practice tests for drug impaired driving), '</span><a data-mce-href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/167971/drug-driving-expert-panel-report.pdf" href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/167971/drug-driving-expert-panel-report.pdf"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Driving Under The Influence Of Drugs</span><span style="color: #274e13;">'</span></i></span></span></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>, </i></span></span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">found benzodiazepines, such as diazepam (valium [pharmacetical]) are the most common medicines detected in drivers involved in motor accidents and where the driver died in the accident; the second most commonly detected drug after alcohol. The report set a threshold level for impairment from diazepam at 550 micrograms per litre. This was halved when alcohol was present and they again recommended the blood alcohol limit be reduced to 0.02 when any benzodiazepine was also present.</span><a data-mce-href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5TIfK69cIY/VsaY2vQzVKI/AAAAAAAAGdY/ZRUyxCNHJrU/s1600/DUIStatsTHCetc.jpg" href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5TIfK69cIY/VsaY2vQzVKI/AAAAAAAAGdY/ZRUyxCNHJrU/s1600/DUIStatsTHCetc.jpg" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5TIfK69cIY/VsaY2vQzVKI/AAAAAAAAGdY/ZRUyxCNHJrU/s1600/DUIStatsTHCetc.jpg" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-i5TIfK69cIY/VsaY2vQzVKI/AAAAAAAAGdY/ZRUyxCNHJrU/s1600/DUIStatsTHCetc.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-align: start;">In Australia, NSW Police have spent more than $6 million on roadside saliva drug testing kits they plan to use 100,000 times a year, only testing for ecstasy, Cannabis and amphetamines. Other states including Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory also perform roadside drug testing and police across the country at roadside tests are routinely waving through drivers who are highly medicated on prescription drugs that they don't even bother to check for. Some of these drivers will be on doses of drugs that are severely impairing their driving ability.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a data-mce-href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9bdWcF1xt7s/VsMVkkYeGcI/AAAAAAAAGcg/pJb9M6IPCGU/s1600/WolffReportTable1.jpg" href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9bdWcF1xt7s/VsMVkkYeGcI/AAAAAAAAGcg/pJb9M6IPCGU/s1600/WolffReportTable1.jpg" style="color: #00aadc; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9bdWcF1xt7s/VsMVkkYeGcI/AAAAAAAAGcg/pJb9M6IPCGU/s1600/WolffReportTable1.jpg" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9bdWcF1xt7s/VsMVkkYeGcI/AAAAAAAAGcg/pJb9M6IPCGU/s1600/WolffReportTable1.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b>United Kingdom Wolff Report</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Wolff report found benzodiazepines are the most common medicines detected in drivers involved in motor accidents and where the driver died in the accident, the second most commonly detected drug after alcohol. The report set a threshold level for impairment from diazepam at 550 micrograms per litre. This was halved when alcohol was present, and they again recommended the blood alcohol limit be reduced to 0.02 when any benzodiazepine was also present.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/dredragernmslabsinnovations-110728152719-phpapp01/95/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community-8-728.jpg?cb=1311945113" href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/dredragernmslabsinnovations-110728152719-phpapp01/95/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community-8-728.jpg?cb=1311945113" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/D_k8XF-f_Q4bta5iihchqlsbepk5PsmhJldwl15hrdWp8G0_OGkT3-JK_GjRqgNwErC5GJwLBe44lwTWW3MoqgrzbrtfSW2cSorxPMgX3KT3VuuUNAaI100kjAr1EZrot2Do6uy5CLngqKz3BRePNbBWx4_gsbwgI-NjB14Fj8MJUu0-BvPhSDyEtZPJc-Dzwq7bUA9n0KBe__rkOeFxe2qEETcDQ3edK0mU3I6h7mqBg6gvFT7UIuM" src="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/dredragernmslabsinnovations-110728152719-phpapp01/95/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community-8-728.jpg?cb=1311945113" height="480" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="640" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The Wolff Report found Cannabis impairs driving at a blood concentration level of 5 micrograms per litre. Because Cannabis and alcohol interact to increase impairment they also found when both substances are present the safe level of Cannabis reduces to 3 micrograms per litre. The safe level of alcohol also reduces when in combination with Cannabis from a blood alcohol level of 0.05 to 0.02.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://images.myhardhatstickers.com/img/lg/H/No-Drugs-Hard-Hat-Decal-HH-0261.gif" href="http://images.myhardhatstickers.com/img/lg/H/No-Drugs-Hard-Hat-Decal-HH-0261.gif" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/6nGM5NcASn6IX2cHItMDvCC8GjU65GrWO7z_LpCS3kxiFCCe6yjwWXbyhHFKXAIRPbCQIax6vnf931bUfgHxfP7zIS4TMGY9VQN5wohi_j99PWC4sZKPED6AswvSlKWgROhFIw" src="http://images.myhardhatstickers.com/img/lg/H/No-Drugs-Hard-Hat-Decal-HH-0261.gif" height="200" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The report went through this same process for pretty much every commonly known drug from ecstasy to heroin, amphetamines to morphine. It used peer-reviewed scientific papers and epidemiological studies to set rational limits for the presence of drugs that directly relate to driver impairment. It applied evidence and rational thought to a difficult social problem and in doing so it came up with a sensible solution that squarely addressed driver safety. Of course this is the exact opposite of what we have in NSW and right across Australia, where ideology and a failed 'zero tolerance' approach to a handful of illegal drugs is seriously skewing the police effort.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It would be a safe bet that most if not all of the convictions recorded against drivers in NSW and across other Australian jurisdictions from random tests concerned levels much lower. The Wolff Report also tabulates the driving impairment thresholds of other drugs, including combinations of drugs with alcohol and finds the most dangerous to be the valium-type medications.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Such prescription drugs are the most often detected in drivers involved in accidents and the second most likely (after alcohol) to be found where the motorist died in the accident. Why has our legislation ignored scientific evidence? Probably because mobile drug testing originated in Victoria in 2004 when there was less evidence available (the Wolff Report came out in March 2013). Other states have adopted the Victorian model (and the drug kits that are manufactured in Victoria) without, apparently, giving it any critical thought.</span><a data-mce-href="http://theoakstreatment.com/wp-content/uploads/Half-Life.png" href="http://theoakstreatment.com/wp-content/uploads/Half-Life.png" style="color: #00aadc;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/iEH7e7F81HVdChleqX7e9R68HY4hO_L7-aDB7GxZlDhIn0dNrN5Q2Gz1juCon4rgT0vW-n4WmCTXwc1AM15tGcr4Q1GwAKRyuyVhNVSCQiE" src="http://theoakstreatment.com/wp-content/uploads/Half-Life.png" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></a></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another reason for avoiding evidence-based legislation is less benign. Right-wing ‘war on drugs’ ideologues are keen to use the police in their attacks on unruly minorities. Ironically, some parts of government are beginning to see the benefits of medicinal Cannabis. The cultural warriors bitterly resist this development, which blurs the simple black-and-white, them-and-us dichotomy they operate under.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><br /></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">World’s best practice would abandon the ideology of the war on drugs in favour of measures for genuine road safety. It would give us tests that can identify all the drugs of concern, tests that do not produce numerous false positives and tests that measure the actual driving impairment of those being tested. Until random drug tests achieve that minimum level of practicality and justice, the public should be wary of the motives of the politicians pushing them.</span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/oralfluidstalkmontrealdre2011-110728153348-phpapp01/95/oral-fluid-as-a-chemical-test-for-the-dre-program-16-728.jpg?cb=1311945193" href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/oralfluidstalkmontrealdre2011-110728153348-phpapp01/95/oral-fluid-as-a-chemical-test-for-the-dre-program-16-728.jpg?cb=1311945193" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/9eNbZDKVff1a-6-eM4h3UULqKhuw8DcbZ4pnRfNp-Gm33Plhjzg335VWiblhB9UcbbI3_jGA4xYhj9q04VSRRSyCYxBqiZQUmMZAu5s_7pDCsJcZZnMOfS3FNwlxRUIdZhwbRjPbSI1V0ZfLU4hd1NNJssIrAbGWb_fyYWSZ7DqQ0lB86Groi0P_lLzI4zKuh-9SFdSDQZWXINJHx4wayNhZ9tOA-kixO4s2oNWFRStL3Nqj1Q" src="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/oralfluidstalkmontrealdre2011-110728153348-phpapp01/95/oral-fluid-as-a-chemical-test-for-the-dre-program-16-728.jpg?cb=1311945193" height="300" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #505050;" style="color: #505050;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">New South Wales defence lawyer Steve Bolt suggested a line of defence to Cannabis users in early 2016. He offered that drivers in New South Wales should visit the Centre For Road Safety's web page, 'Drugs and Driving', and read the section that states, <i>"Cannabis can typically be detected in saliva by an MDT test stick for up to 12 hours after use"</i>. They added the word 'typically' the day after the Police v Joseph Carrall case in Lismore when the Magistrate acquitted the driver for relying on the advice of police that he would be fine to drive within a certain time frame, and he wasn't. </span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #505050;" style="color: #505050;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>"If you therefore wait at least 12 hours after using Cannabis you can reasonably expect it will not be detected, according to advice provided by the NSW government. A precedent has been set which could allow you to test this in court. The onus is on the prosecution to prove otherwise"</i>. But there is no guaranteed outcome as ultimately it is up to the Magistrate.</span></span></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/dredragernmslabsinnovations-110728152719-phpapp01/95/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community-6-728.jpg?cb=1311945113" href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/dredragernmslabsinnovations-110728152719-phpapp01/95/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community-6-728.jpg?cb=1311945113" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0izftN_oBpro7YNu5IVniafuKOs4wKxP_5PCNIFik9kgObzSfGLB7wX2_T85xa35V5z4IQ8VYjLXtPwAGXjNcDRdgHC-jKP1immNzdMibvxF8d7AmvAGxp_84nuLv6hmXrxnsGlTD-1wqift2FS5_ULITPw01D2OzwTQ_0XXJHqPTdknXy4PGJPufnV4FevAHGsy8Z7NntzXCzDfEldXKYzWsshydMlTr2BIx7SWqcO0Y1J0WRyj23U" src="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/dredragernmslabsinnovations-110728152719-phpapp01/95/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community-6-728.jpg?cb=1311945113" height="480" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="640" /></span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In drug testing in Australia, two standards are used as the basis:</span></span></span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">AS/NZS 4308:2008 Procedures for specimen collection and the detection and quantitation of drugs of abuse in urine</span></li>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">AS 4760:2006 Procedures for specimen collection and the detection and quantitation of drugs of abuse in oral fluid</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The steps in a drug testing process are:</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">sample collection;</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">screening test;</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">confirmatory testing.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The reliability of the result may be compromised by any of these steps not being performed properly. For example, a well performed test will never compensate for a poorly acquired or badly managed sample.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In <span data-mce-style="color: #545454;" style="color: #545454;">July 2013 accreditation of on-site drug testing of oral fluid (</span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">AS 4760, Section 3</span><span data-mce-style="color: #545454;" style="color: #545454;">) was suspended by </span>the National Association of Testing Authorities (NATA) <span data-mce-style="color: #545454;" style="color: #545454;">due to significant technical issues with the standard. </span>NATA accreditation is a means of providing everyone with confidence in the competence of drug testing services through its third-party, peer assessment processes.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">In </span><span data-mce-style="color: #000000;" style="color: black;">J</span>anuary 2016 Technical Annex 1, in regard to AS 4760 Section 3 On-site Initial Testing, stated; “<i>Having conducted several assessments, it has become apparent that there are a number of significant issues with Section 3 of AS 4760:2006 which remain unable to be resolved. This is despite NATA seeking independent feedback to clarify these issues from key professional bodies including the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA), the Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (AACB) and from our counterpart organisation in New Zealand, International Accreditation New Zealand (IANZ). </i></span></span></span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; text-align: start;"><i>Accordingly, NATA has not granted accreditation to any facility for AS 4760, Section 3 and a decision has now been made to withdraw the provision of accreditation for this testing. A communication to this effect was sent to NATA's stakeholders in July 2013. Until further notice NATA will no longer accept applications for accreditation in this area and any current applications will no longer be progressed”.</i></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The issues identified in relation to this testing include the following:</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are no prescribed cut-off concentrations for screening devices or set quality control limits as there are for urine screening devices as detailed in Appendix A of AS/NZS 4308:2008.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The target concentrations for screening devices ... are described as<i> “nominated” </i>in Section 1.5. This Section also states that<i> “there is yet to be an accepted cut-off concentration” </i>and that<i> “concentrations higher than the initial testing target concentrations may sometimes be used if sensitivity is the limiting factor but this reduces the ability to detect drug use”. </i>Accordingly, a facility may nominate its own targets (but not lower than those used for confirmatory testing). Where the nominated targets are set higher ... by the facility due to the insensitivity of a screening device, false negative results may result, despite compliance with the Standard. This would be a key concern for both drug screening programs and the public.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The ability to test for drugs with known instability in saliva post collection, especially tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is compounded by the allowance of<i> “nominated”</i> targets. The allowance of nominated screening concentrations at levels at or above the confirmatory concentrations may impact on the ability of confirmatory testing to reproduce a non-negative screening result due to loss of drug during transport and handling.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are no acceptance criteria for what constitutes acceptable verification of screening devices as there are for urine screening devices as detailed published in Appendix B of AS/NZS 4308:2008.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Standard requires quality control (QC) to be run. However, it is noted that the negative QC is defined as a drug free specimen. Such a specimen does not test the sensitivity of a device to identify donor samples which contain drugs at a concentration below the nominated target cut-offs. This is inconsistent with Appendix A of AS/NZS 4308:2008 which requires the below cut-off QC to be at a concentration between 25-50% below the cut-off concentration. The positive control is at or within 50% above the nominated concentrations. This is also inconsistent with AS/NZS 4308:2008 which requires the positive control to be between 25-50% above the cut-off concentrations<i>.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #141823;" style="color: #141823; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“<span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Whilst NATA will not consider granting accreditation for testing to AS 4760:2006, Section 3, agencies are still testing and claiming compliance with the Standard. It is NATA's view that this poses a significant risk to health and safety given the deficiencies as noted above”.</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px;">The best way to deal with Cannabis on the roads in Australia is to legalise, and to gauge the effect Cannabis legalisation can have on the roads, we need only look at what has happened since legalisation took effect in Colorado, US. A month-by-month comparison of highway fatalities in Colorado through half of 2015 and 2014 along with highest fatality figures for each month since 2002, the lowest for each month since 2002 and the average for each month since 2002. If Australian governments were serious about reducing deaths on the roads they would stop doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. We all know that is the definition of insanity. Let's reduce the road carnage, dispense with testing for Cannabis and relegalise it!</span><br />
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<em><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13;" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #3d596d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">*Cannabis - Cannabis sativa L. is a member of the </span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/" href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabaceae</span></a><span style="color: #3d596d;"> </span></span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #3d596d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">family. </span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/Cannabis/" href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/Cannabis/" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabis</span></a><span style="color: #3d596d;"> </span></span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #3d596d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">is the plant genus, </span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://theseedsite.co.uk/latin.html" href="http://theseedsite.co.uk/latin.html" style="color: #00aadc;"><span style="color: purple;">sativa</span></a><span style="color: #3d596d;"> </span></span><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #3d596d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">(Latin for 'cultivated') is the species (in many plant species names, e.g., rice is Oryza sativa L.), and the 'L.' (not always used) denotes the authority who first named the species, Carolus (Carl) Linnaeus, the Swiss botanist considered the 'Father of Taxonomy'. Cannabis sativa L., is; an annual, herbaceous - denoting or relating to herbs (in the botanical sense), usually dioecious - either exclusively male or exclusively female, or monoecious - having the stamen (male, pollen-containing anther and filament) and the pistil (female, ovule-bearing) in the same plant (hermaphrodite). Thus, as the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (</span><a data-mce-href="https://australianhempparty.com/" href="https://australianhempparty.com/" style="color: #00aadc;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">HEMP</span></a><span data-mce-style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" style="color: #3d596d; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">) Party of Australia so rightly point out, Cannabis is a herb!</span></span></span></em></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i style="color: #274e13;">Adapted from;</i><i style="color: #274e13;"> </i><span style="color: purple;"><i><a data-mce-href="http://www.standards.org.au/OurOrganisation/Events/Documents/Presentation%203%20-%20Mr%20Andrew%20Griffin%204760%20Workshop%20-%209%20December%202013.pdf" href="http://www.standards.org.au/OurOrganisation/Events/Documents/Presentation%203%20-%20Mr%20Andrew%20Griffin%204760%20Workshop%20-%209%20December%202013.pdf" target="_blank">Standards AU Presentation Dec 2013</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.questdiagnostics.com/home/companies/employer/drug-screening/products-services" href="http://www.questdiagnostics.com/home/companies/employer/drug-screening/products-services">Drug Screening Products-Services</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.medicaljane.com/2015/06/19/how-long-does-thc-stay-in-your-system/" href="http://www.medicaljane.com/2015/06/19/how-long-does-thc-stay-in-your-system/">How Long Does THC Stay In Your System</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/drug-testing" href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/drug-testing">Drug Testing</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/towardszerotogether/Safer_behaviours/Drug_driving2/drug_driving_faqs" href="http://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/towardszerotogether/Safer_behaviours/Drug_driving2/drug_driving_faqs">Safer Behaviours - Drug Driving FAQs</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://ncpic.org.au/media/1922/bulletin-7-clinical-and-medico-legal-implications-of-drug-testing-for-cannabis.pdf" href="https://ncpic.org.au/media/1922/bulletin-7-clinical-and-medico-legal-implications-of-drug-testing-for-cannabis.pdf">Bulletin 7 Clinical and Medico-legal Implications of Drug Testing for Cannabis</a>, </i><a data-mce-href="http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/roadside-drug-testing-the-magic-12-hour-rule/2927695/" href="http://www.northernstar.com.au/news/roadside-drug-testing-the-magic-12-hour-rule/2927695/"><i>Roadside Drug Testing The Magic 12 hour Rule</i></a><i>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2689518/" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2689518/" target="_blank">Human Cannabinoid Pharmacokinetics</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://www.blogger.com/Read%20more:%20http://www.smh.com.au/comment/roadside-drug-testing-shouldnt-ignore-the-commonly-used-drugs-that-impair-driving-prescription-medication-20151019-gkcfex.html#ixzz40KRb3uPP%20%20Follow%20us:%20@smh%20on%20Twitter%20%7C%20sydneymorningherald%20on%20Facebook" href="https://www.blogger.com/Read%20more:%20http://www.smh.com.au/comment/roadside-drug-testing-shouldnt-ignore-the-commonly-used-drugs-that-impair-driving-prescription-medication-20151019-gkcfex.html#ixzz40KRb3uPP%20%20Follow%20us:%20@smh%20on%20Twitter%20%7C%20sydneymorningherald%20on%20Facebook">Roadside Drug Testing Shouldn't Ignore The Commonly Used Drugs</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://jat.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/2/160.full.pdf" href="http://jat.oxfordjournals.org/content/32/2/160.full.pdf" target="_blank">Cannabinoid Concentrations in Spot Serum Samples 24-48 Hours After Discontinuation of Cannabis Smoking</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://thirdworld.nl/urinary-excretion-profiles-of-11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-and-11-hydroxy-delta-9-thc-cannabinoid-metabolites-to-creatinine" href="http://thirdworld.nl/urinary-excretion-profiles-of-11-nor-9-carboxy-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-and-11-hydroxy-delta-9-thc-cannabinoid-metabolites-to-creatinine" target="_blank">Urinary Excretion Profiles of 11-nor-9-carboxy-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 11-hydroxy-∆9-THC</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16938794_Tolerance_and_disposition_of_tetrhydrocannabinol_in_man" href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/16938794_Tolerance_and_disposition_of_tetrhydrocannabinol_in_man" target="_blank">Tolerance and Disposition of Tetrahydrocannabinol in Man</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://jat.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/6/445.full.pdf" href="http://jat.oxfordjournals.org/content/22/6/445.full.pdf" target="_blank">Differentiating New Marijuana Use From Residual Drug Excretion in Occasional Marijuana Users</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2587336/" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2587336/" target="_blank">Urinary Elimination of 11-nor-9-∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol in Cannabis Users During Continuously Monitored Abstinence</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12501910" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12501910" target="_blank">Oral Fluid Testing For Drugs of Abuse ...</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.rosita.org/" href="http://www.rosita.org/" target="_blank">ROSITA Roadside Testing Assessment</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.echo.net.au/2015/12/drug-driving-law-fails-justice-test/#.VntGJUds9Do.twitter" href="http://www.echo.net.au/2015/12/drug-driving-law-fails-justice-test/#.VntGJUds9Do.twitter">Drug Driving Law Fails Justice Test</a>, </i><i><u>The ABCs of Marijuana and Drug Testing,</u></i><i> </i><i><u>Detecting and Quantifying THC In Oral Fluids, <a data-mce-href="http://www.slideshare.net/nmslabs/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community" href="http://www.slideshare.net/nmslabs/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community" target="_blank">Developments in</a></u><a data-mce-href="http://www.slideshare.net/nmslabs/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community" href="http://www.slideshare.net/nmslabs/developments-in-toxicology-support-for-the-dre-community" target="_blank"> Toxicology</a>, </i><i><u>Information Paper 10 - Workplace Drug Testing - a Guide to Industry</u></i></span></span></div>
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"https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fimages.myhardhatstickers.com%2Fimg%2Flg%2FH%2FNo-Drugs-Hard-Hat-Decal-HH-0261.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/6nGM5NcASn6IX2cHItMDvCC8GjU65GrWO7z_LpCS3kxiFCCe6yjwWXbyhHFKXAIRPbCQIax6vnf931bUfgHxfP7zIS4TMGY9VQN5wohi_j99PWC4sZKPED6AswvSlKWgROhFIw" -->Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-57985945696693788772016-02-13T22:55:00.000+11:002016-02-13T22:55:00.130+11:00Understanding Cannabinoid Receptors<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://wp.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-cannabis-1-599x449.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="https://wp.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-cannabis-1-599x449.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Many Cannabis consumers are familiar with popular </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-are-cannabinoids"><span style="color: purple;"><i>cannabinoids</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> like THC (</span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/12/delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol-thc.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Tetrahydrocannabinol</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">) and CBD (</span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/cannabidiolic-acid-cbd-and-cannabidiols.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabidiol</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">), the therapeutic chemical compounds that provide a wealth of medicinal relief for dozens of conditions involving </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/cannabis-and-chronic-pain.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>pain</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, inflammation and </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-help-nausea-vomiting"><span style="color: purple;"><i>nausea</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (just to name a few, literally). Cannabinoids, as well as their cousins </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/cannabis-terpenes-and-their-effects.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>terpenes</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, are the chemicals that provide actual relief to patients by inserting themselves into special receptors in the tissues and cells of the human body. They are among more than </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/cannabinoids.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>480 natural components</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> found within the Cannabis plant. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These special receptors are part of what is known as the </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/the-endocannabinoid-system.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Endocannabinoid System</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> (ECS). This mechanism, which helps modulate many bodily functions, including </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-treat-anorexia" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>appetite</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-marijuana-treat-insomia" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>sleep</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabis-and-good-mental-health-anxiety.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>anxiety</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> level and cognition, is intimately tied to the nervous system and immune system. In fact, particular cannabinoids target specific types of receptors located on the surface of cells in different areas of the body.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This targetting is formally called 'binding affinity'. Some molecules may feature a relatively low binding affinity that offers poor or moderate efficacy for a patient, while other pairings feature a very strong affinity that, when combined with cannabinoids from high-quality plants, can result in superb medical benefit or psychoactive effects</span>. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Molecules like cannabinoids and terpenes fit into special receptors within the ECS. A researcher or doctor would say that molecules like THC and CBD activate particular cannabinoid receptors. These receptors, called CB1 and CB2, work like a lock and key when flooded with cannabinoids, such as after a patient smokes, vaporises, or ingests cannabis flowers, a </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-are-cannabis-concentrates" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>concentrate</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, or an edible.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img height="133" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-2.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The ECS produces its own cannabinoids, and this system is simply supplemented when a person consumes cannabinoids, terpenes or other chemicals from the Cannabis plant, which bind to the receptors within this system. In 1992, it was discovered that the ECS produces an endocannabinoid within the brain called anandamide. This internal cannabinoid, discovered by </span><a href="https://youtu.be/oUkl0zIl72c"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Dr Raphael Mechoulam</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, binds to CB1 receptors in the brain and nervous system and, to a lesser extent, CB2 receptors in the immune system. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Many medical professionals and researchers have identified a shortage of endocannabinoids as a condition called </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-is-cannabinoid-deficiency+"><span style="color: purple;"><i>endocannabinoid deficiency</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">. It is theorised that a deficiency of these molecules, which are increasingly understood to be critical to good health and homoeostasis (balance) within humans, may lead to a variety of diseases related to the immune and nervous systems. These conditions often involve inflammation, pain and nausea, the side effects of diseases, pharmaceutical drugs and treatments like </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/cannabis-for-chemotherapy"><span style="color: purple;"><i>chemotherapy</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The CB1 receptor was discovered in 1990, while CB2 was uncovered shortly thereafter (1993) by a research group at Cambridge University. </span><a href="http://www.news-medical.net/health/Cannabinoid-Receptors.aspx"><span style="color: purple;"><i>One source</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> claims these two receptor types employ significantly different signalling mechanisms. It is known that they are expressed in vastly different ways, including their appearance in various parts of the body (different regions of the ECS).</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ac2Va-j_mKc/VdasvfK24rI/AAAAAAAAGR4/SFWw88VBkEs/s1600/CannabinoidTimeline.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ac2Va-j_mKc/VdasvfK24rI/AAAAAAAAGR4/SFWw88VBkEs/s1600/CannabinoidTimeline.jpg" width="358" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The cannabinoid THC has been shown to possess a very high binding affinity with CB1 receptors </span><a href="http://norml.org/library/item/introduction-to-the-endocannabinoid-system"><i><span style="color: purple;">located</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> throughout the brain, central nervous system, connective tissues, gonads, glands, and related organs. This is one reason that consumption of Cannabis </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-are-cannabis-strains"><i><span style="color: purple;">strains</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and plants containing a high amount of THC result in a relatively potent effect, giving patients significant relief from pain, nausea or </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-marijuana-treat-depression"><i><span style="color: purple;">depression</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> while delivering a strong euphoria to lifestyle users. Significant efficacy is gained by those undergoing </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/c/#CHEMOTHERAPY" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">chemotherapy</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and patients suffering conditions involving inflammation, like </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/a/#ARTHRITIS" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>arthritis</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-treat-lupus"><span style="color: purple;"><i>lupus</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-4.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">CB2 receptors, on the contrary, are located throughout the immune system and related organs, like the tissues of the spleen, tonsils, and thymus gland. They are also common in the brain, although they do not appear as densely as CB1 sites and are found on different types of cells. CB2 receptors feature a high binding affinity with the cannabinoid CBD (among others). </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This means consumption of Cannabis strains high in CBD will deliver a flood of cannabinoids catering to the functionality of that particular receptor type. Unfortunately, strains high in CBD, regardless of their THC content, are still somewhat rare in legal jurisdictions and nearly non-existent on the black markets of prohibitionist areas.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-6.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img height="133" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-6.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">CB2 sites are also found in greater concentrations (density) throughout the gastrointestinal system, where they </span><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabinoid_receptor_type_2"><span style="color: purple;"><i>modulate</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> intestinal inflammatory response. This is why sufferers of </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/cannabis-and-crohns.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Crohn’s disease</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/cannabis-treatment-inflammatory-bowel-disease"><i><span style="color: purple;">IBS</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> gain such great relief from Cannabis medicine. It is also a powerful example of how the ECS, when supplemented by external cannabinoids (such as from Cannabis), can provide such powerful and long-lasting relief for patients of diseases like Crohn’s. Cannabis has been shown to have such great efficacy for this condition that, in nearly half of cases, the kind herb puts the disease into full remission.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Beyond binding affinity, the locations, density, and overall number of cannabinoid receptors are collectively labelled their expression. Researchers discuss how different patients, especially those with particular diseases, may have different expressions of CB1 and CB2 receptors than patients who are not afflicted with these conditions (one example is patients suffering from </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-treat-anorexia"><span style="color: purple;"><i>anorexia</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The expression of cannabinoid receptors in a person is akin to a fingerprint or hairline: It is a highly subjective characteristic of that individual resulting in a range of responses to different cannabis medicines. Some patients prefer a sativa like </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/strains/durban-poison/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Durban Poison</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> or </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/strains/kali-mist/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Kali Mist</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, while others gravitate toward an indica such as </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/strains/kosher-kush/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Kosher Kush</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> or </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/strains/blue-cheese/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Blue Cheese</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> or lock in on a hybrid like </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/strains/blue-dream/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Blue Dream</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> or </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/strains/sour-diesel/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Sour Diesel</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One patient may over-express a receptor like CB1 (meaning they have more receptors than average) and as a result, be very sensitive to a cannabinoid like THC. Other patients may under-express a receptor like CB2, meaning they may be less sensitive to the therapeutic effects of a cannabinoid like CBD and may need to consume it in greater quantities or add other cannabinoids and terpenes to the mix, especially those that target other receptors, like CB1.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wY_DM0p3UNU/ToW4rUA5UbI/AAAAAAAAAe0/VBmbw5PipEo/s200/ganjagourmetbluecheesejar.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wY_DM0p3UNU/ToW4rUA5UbI/AAAAAAAAAe0/VBmbw5PipEo/s200/ganjagourmetbluecheesejar.jpeg" width="162" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Receptor expression pertains not only to variations among individuals, but also to the density of a particular type of receptor within a region of the body. For example, </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2931548/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>a study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> published in 2010 in the British Journal of Pharmacology provided further evidence that receptors vary in the density with which they appear in various parts of the body, mostly the brain, central nervous system, and immune system. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“CB1 receptors are highly expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), with low to moderate expression in the peripheral nervous system”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Receptors can accommodate a variety of molecular structures, so it’s not a situation of CB1 receptors, for example, accommodating only the THC molecule. These molecular parking spots may have a higher binding affinity for THC than most other cannabinoids and terpenes, but other molecules may also bind with this receptor, with a variety of affinities.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://headsup.scholastic.com/sites/default/files/block/images/Lipid-Precursors_Final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://headsup.scholastic.com/sites/default/files/block/images/Lipid-Precursors_Final.jpg" height="200" width="189" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">According to a </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3378782/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>2012 study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, published in <i>Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry</i>, a single receptor type can recognise and bind with multiple varieties of molecules. Due to the dearth of research that has been conducted regarding the human ECS and its interaction with phytocannabinoids from herbs like Cannabis, experts and scientists can currently only speculate regarding the complexity and breadth of this system that is so critical for human health and is present in all mammals (this is why Cannabis studies on primates and rodents yield data that can be effectively extrapolated to humans). </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reported the study: </span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">“The complex molecular architecture of each of the cannabinoid receptors allows for a single receptor to recognise multiple classes of compounds and produce an array of distinct downstream effects”</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">How does a knowledge of the binding affinity of particular cannabinoids to certain types of receptors within the ECS aid consumers? First, patients can become educated about how particular cannabinoids and terpenes offer therapy for targeted diseases and ailments. Those who suffer </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-treat-epilepsy"><span style="color: purple;"><i>epilepsy</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, for example, may prefer a high-CBD, low-THC strain that reduces the incidence of seizures in both </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/news/do-narrow-medical-marijuana-laws-harm-children"><span style="color: purple;"><i>children</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and adults but doesn’t provide so much psychoactive effect that it interferes with one’s school, job, or family life. Common THC-to-CBD ratios of commercial products in legal states are 1:1 and 1:20, although experimentation is occurring with many ratios.</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The endocannabinoid, Anandamide, not only functions within the ECS to serve a variety of medicinal functions, but also interacts with phytocannabinoids like THC and </span><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;"><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/cannabichromenic-acid-cbc-and.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">CBC</span></a> </span><span style="color: #274e13;">(Cannabichromene)</span><span style="color: #274e13;">. Anandamide has been shown to enhance the effects of THC for a variety of conditions, as well as its euphoric effects. This human-produced cannabinoid also interacts with the cannabinoid CBC to do things like fight </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/c/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>cancer</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, particularly </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1774787/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>colorectal</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16343481"><span style="color: purple;"><i>breast</i></span></a> <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16343481" style="color: #274e13;">t</a><span style="color: #274e13;">ypes.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-3b.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img height="196" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors-3b.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put simply, the cannabinoid CBC allows more Anandamide to remain in a patient’s system because it inhibits its uptake, meaning it basically improves the immune system’s ability to use its own healthy chemicals, such as Anandamide, to rid itself of cancer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://rreneesita.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/maincannabinoidgraphic_-as-copy-02.png?w=300&h=94" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="What are cannabinoids?" border="0" height="62" src="https://rreneesita.files.wordpress.com/2015/08/maincannabinoidgraphic_-as-copy-02.png?w=300&h=94" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many researches and scientists speculate that other receptors, beyond CB1 and CB2, may easily exist. A detailed understanding about how cannabinoids and terpenes interact with currently unknown receptor types in the ECS could potentially result in cannabinoid therapies targeted at particular diseases and conditions. Until this research is conducted, however, those considering Cannabis to treat their condition must rely mostly on anecdotal evidence provided by fellow patients. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3378782/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>2012 study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> cited above concluded that additional cannabinoid receptors, which it labels 'sites of action', likely exist. <i>“However, the discovery of additional sites of action for endocannabinoids, as well as synthetic cannabinoid compounds, suggests the existence of additional cannabinoid receptors”.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Until Cannabis is removed from </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-fight-hiv-aids" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Schedule I</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> of the Controlled Substances Act, which is the US federal government’s way of officially and legally declaring it a dangerous and highly </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabis-is-not-addictive-drug.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>addictive drug</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, the necessary research to improve patient conditions for dozens of diseases and ailments will be lacking. US </span></span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/news/congress-kills-marijuana-research" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Congress</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> must allow robust medical research of Cannabis, cannabinoids and terpenes, including human trials, to best serve sick patients and some of the most frail and vulnerable members of society.</span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.smokereports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/timthumb.php_.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="94" src="https://www.smokereports.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/timthumb.php_.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To put things in perspective, consider that cocaine and methamphetamines are both Schedule II drugs, meaning they are considered less dangerous than Cannabis and can be prescribed by a doctor. Meanwhile, bath salts and heroin both share the US Schedule I category with Cannabis. Until eager researchers are permitted to study cannabinoid receptors, including how they bind with cannabinoids and some terpenes, patients will continue to suffer.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Adapted from;<br /> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-are-cannabinoid-receptors" style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: purple;">What Are Cannabinoid Receptors</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-is-thc" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What Is THC</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/cbd-medical-treatment" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">CBD Medical Treatment</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/medical-marijuana-treat-post-operative-pain" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Medical Marijuana Treats Post Operative Pain</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/how-to-identify-terpenes-cannabis" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">How To Identify Terpenes</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="http://adai.uw.edu/marijuana/factsheets/cannabinoids.htm" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Marijuana Factsheets Cannabinoids</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-is-the-endocannabinoid-system" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What is the Endocannabinoid System</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/cannabis-treatment-anxiety" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabis Treatment-Anxiety</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-is-cannabinoid-deficiency+" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">What is Cannabinoid Deficiency</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/does-cannabis-cure-crohns" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Does Cannabis Cure Crohn's?</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/cbc-cannabichromene" style="color: #274e13;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">CBC-Cannabichromene</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><span style="color: purple;"><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/c/" target="_blank">Granny Storm Crow's List - Cancer</a></span></span></i></span></div>
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Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-35268438752929254912016-02-12T17:28:00.000+11:002016-02-12T17:28:22.731+11:00Why Is Cannabis Banned?<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img height="100" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3990482/images/n-MARIJUANA-PLANTS-DRUG-ENFORCEMENT-628x314.jpg" width="200" /></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Across the world, more and more people are asking: Why is Cannabis banned? Why are people still sent to prison for using or selling it? Most of us assume it's because someone, somewhere sat down with the scientific evidence and figured out that Cannabis is more harmful than other drugs we use all the time, like alcohol and cigarettes. Somebody worked it all out, in our best interest. But when</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Johann Hari, award-winning British journalist and author,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> started to go through the official archives, researching his book, '<i>Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs</i>', to find out why Cannabis was banned back in the 1930's, he discovered that's not what happened. Not at all.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3991072/thumbs/h-HARRY-ANSLINGER-628x314.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3991072/thumbs/h-HARRY-ANSLINGER-628x314.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1929, a man called Harry Anslinger was put in charge of the Department of Prohibition in Washington, D.C. (United States). But alcohol prohibition had been a disaster. Gangsters had taken over whole neighbourhoods. Alcohol, controlled by criminals, had become even more poisonous. So alcohol prohibition finally ended and Harry Anslinger was afraid. He found himself in charge of a huge government department, with nothing for it to do. Up until then, he had said that Cannabis was not a problem. It doesn't harm people, he explained, and "there is no more absurd fallacy" than the idea it makes people violent.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ry3zTW8aEWs/Vr10RBmoUkI/AAAAAAAAGcA/8RR8Z8HO3rc/s1600/assassin_of_youth.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ry3zTW8aEWs/Vr10RBmoUkI/AAAAAAAAGcA/8RR8Z8HO3rc/s200/assassin_of_youth.jpg" width="130" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">But then, suddenly, when his department needed a new purpose, he announced he had changed his mind. He explained to the public what would happen if you smoked Cannabis. First, you will fall into 'a delirious rage'. Then you will be gripped by 'dreams ... of an erotic character'. Then you will 'lose the power of connected thought'. Finally, you will reach the inevitable end-point: 'Insanity'. Marijuana* turns man into a '</span><a href="http://theinfluence.org/pulp-posters-from-the-mid-century-show-loose-women-getting-high/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>wild beast</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">'. If marijuana* bumped into Frankenstein's monster on the stairs, Anslinger warned, the monster would drop dead of fright.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Harry Anslinger became obsessed with one case in particular. In Florida, a boy called </span><a href="http://www.thursdayreview.com/VictorLicataPot.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Victor Licata</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> hacked his family to death with an axe. Anslinger explained to America: This is what will happen when you smoke 'the demon weed'. The case became notorious. Parents across the US were terrified. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What evidence did Harry Anslinger have? It turns out at this time he wrote to the 30 leading scientists on this subject, asking if Cannabis was dangerous and if there should be a ban. Twenty-nine wrote back and said no. Anslinger picked out the one scientist who said yes and presented him to the world. The press, obsessed with Victor Licata's axe, cheered them on. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a panic that gripped America, marijuana* was banned. The US told other countries they had to do the same. Many countries said it was a dumb idea and refused to do it. For example, Mexico decided their drug policy should be run by doctors. Their medical advice was that Cannabis didn't cause these problems and they refused to ban it. The US was furious. Anslinger ordered them to fall into line. The Mexicans held out, until, in the end, the US cut off the supply of all legal painkillers to Mexico. People started to die in agony in their hospitals. So with regret, Mexico sacked the doctor, and launched its own drug war.</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"The scientific evidence suggests Cannabis is safer than alcohol.</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Alcohol kills 40,000 people every year in the US. Cannabis kills nobody".</i></b></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gn1KGOrXhaM/Vr10N4BCyvI/AAAAAAAAGbg/OFsTBVRtlWA/s1600/Alcohol_versus_marijuana._Deaths.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gn1KGOrXhaM/Vr10N4BCyvI/AAAAAAAAGbg/OFsTBVRtlWA/s320/Alcohol_versus_marijuana._Deaths.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But at home, questions were being asked. A leading American doctor called Michael Ball wrote to Harry Anslinger, puzzled. He explained he had used Cannabis as a medical student and it had only made him sleepy. Maybe Cannabis does drive a small number of people crazy, he said, but we need to fund some scientific studies to find out. Anslinger wrote back firmly. "The marihuana evil can no longer be temporised with," he explained and he would fund no independent science. Then, or ever. For years, doctors kept approaching him with evidence he was wrong and he began to snap, telling them they were "treading on dangerous ground" and should watch their mouths.</span><br />
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<a href="http://cannabisnowmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/reefers-620x400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cannabisnowmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/reefers-620x400.jpg" height="128" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, most of the world is still living with the ban on Cannabis that Harry Anslinger introduced, in the nation-wide panic that followed Victor Licata's killing spree. But here's the catch. Years later, somebody went and looked at the psychiatric files for Victor Licata. It turns out there's no evidence he ever even used Cannabis. He had a lot of mental illness in his family. They had been told a year before he needed to be institutionalised, but they refused. His psychiatrists never even mentioned marijuana* in connection to him. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, does Cannabis make people mad? The former chief advisor on drugs to the British government, Professor David Nutt, explains if Cannabis causes psychosis in a straightforward way, then it would show in a straightforward way. When Cannabis use goes up, psychosis will go up. And when Cannabis use goes down psychosis will go down. So does that happen? We have a lot of data from a lot of countries. And it turns out it doesn't. For example, in Britain, Cannabis use has increased by a factor of about 40 since the 1960's. And rates of psychosis? They have remained steady.</span></div>
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<a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3991090/thumbs/h-MASON-TVERT-628x314.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="100" src="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3991090/thumbs/h-MASON-TVERT-628x314.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3991090/thumbs/h-MASON-TVERT-628x314.jpg"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://i.huffpost.com/gen/3991090/thumbs/h-MASON-TVERT-628x314.jpg"></a><span style="color: #274e13;">In fact, the scientific evidence suggests Cannabis is safer than alcohol. Alcohol kills 40,000 people every year in the US. Cannabis kills nobody, although Willie Nelson says a friend of his did once die when a bale of Cannabis fell on his head. This is why, in 2006, a young man in Colorado called Mason Tvert issued a challenge to the governor of his state, John Hickenlooper. Hickenlooper owned brew-pubs selling alcohol across the state and it made him rich. But he said Cannabis was harmful and had to be banned. So Mason issued him a challenge, to a duel. You bring a crate of booze. I'll bring a pack of joints. For every hit of booze you take, I'll take a hit of Cannabis. We'll see who dies first.</span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was the ultimate 'High Noon'. Mason went on to lead the campaign to legalise Cannabis in his state. His fellow citizens voted to do it by 55%. Now adults can buy Cannabis legally, in licensed stores, where they are taxed and the money is used to build schools. After a year and a half of seeing this system in practice, support for legalisation has risen to 69%. And even Governor Hickenlooper has started calling it "common sense". Oh, and Colorado hasn't been filled with people hacking their families to death yet. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Isn't it time we listened to the science and finally put away Victor Licata's axe?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">This article was originally adapted from the New York Times best-selling book </span><a href="http://www.chasingthescream.com/"><i><span style="color: purple;">Chasing The Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> by Johann Hari, Glenn Greenwald, Noam Chomsky, Bill Maher, Naomi Klein and Elton John have all praised it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*Cannabis sativa L., is the correct botanical term, marijuana is a North American colloquialism</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/the-influence/real-reasons-marijuana-is-banned_b_9210248.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Real Reasons Marijuana is Banned</span></a></i></span></div>
Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-87814971400791534832016-02-09T16:44:00.002+11:002016-02-09T16:44:22.732+11:00Australian Police Playing Drug Dog Games<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a class="image-link" href="https://newmatilda.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Drug-dogs-sniffer-dogs.jpg" itemprop="image" style="border: 0px; clear: left; color: #010101; float: left; font-family: inherit; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="(IMAGE: Blue Mountains Library, Flickr)" class="attachment-motive-alt-slider wp-post-image" height="123" src="https://newmatilda.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Drug-dogs-sniffer-dogs.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; font-family: inherit; height: auto; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Medical, social and legal attitudes to Cannabis across Australia are changing. As jurisdictions around the world, including Portugal, Switzerland, Alaska, California, Hawaii, and Washington D.C., (to name a few) increasingly acknowledge the valuable medical applications of the plant as well as the basic rights of citizens to consume it if they so desire, there is growing awareness and public debate around the same themes in Australia.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In mid-2015 in New South Wales (NSW),
the Lambert family, motivated by the dramatically beneficial effects
of cannabinoid treatment (CBD from hemp oil, imported from Denmark)
for their grand-daughter’s chronic epilepsy, donated AU$33.7 million
to the University of Sydney (the largest gift ever made for research
at that institution) for the establishment of a Cannabis </span><a href="http://sydney.edu.au/news/84.html?newsstoryid=15109" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">research centre</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">. Discussion of Cannabis, medicinal and otherwise, is becoming
increasingly mainstream, even radio broadcaster Alan Jones has spoken
in favour of a medical Cannabis program and yes, even the current Prime
Minister is said to have inhaled.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2p-akv7TQ7wtAnUWVtRuniu9d01nzacYaP4eK_GrZv80LX2QuqdqlcUeusZDVtqnfCRPw29H7Zu7CO2uupvEn0QHwyReRg3-ubOT" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" class="large" src="http://www.samesame.com.au/558/635_340/15d36_558430.jpg" data-original="http://www.samesame.com.au/558/635_340/15d36_558430.jpg" height="106" style="border: 0px; display: inline; font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 1.5em;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">At the same time, however, we are
witnessing an incongruous and bizarre escalation of drug detection
activities by police, pouring millions of tax payer dollars into
random roadside drug testing and sniffer dog efforts. Searches
without a warrant of members of the public “detected” by a drug
sniffer dog are an ineffective use of valuable police resources and
emerge directly from the mentality of the infamous and ailing 'War on
Drugs'. Cannabis is the most prevalent target for sniffer dog
detection (84%), due to the highly fragrant terpene molecules it
releases into the air (the distinctive aroma of Cannabis). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">There is no doubt that every year,
with every music festival and increased police/police dog presence at
those festivals, more and more people are arrested and charged for
'minor possession of drugs' offences. Offenders are lining up outside
local courts across the nation to have their cases heard and more
young people are dying from overdoses at music festivals. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In 2001 a Law Enforcement (Powers and
Responsibilities) Act for Drug Detection Dogs was put in place in
NSW. This Act, also known as “The Drug Dog Act”, gave police the
power to use dogs to detect if a person is in possession of a
prohibited drug. The Drug Dog Act allows police to screen people for
drugs in prescribed public places such as sporting and entertainment
venues, licensed establishments and public transport routes without a
warrant.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unharm/pages/56/attachments/original/1417066737/Costa_with_quote.jpg?1417066737" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unharm/pages/56/attachments/original/1417066737/Costa_with_quote.jpg?1417066737" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In 2006 the </span><a href="https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/news-and-publications/publications/reports/legislative-reviews/review-of-the-police-powers-drug-detection-dogs-act-2001" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>NSW Ombudsman</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> reviewed the Police Powers (Drug Detection Dogs) Act 2001
and found </span><i style="color: #274e13;">“that despite the best efforts of police officers, the
use of drug detection dogs has proven to be an ineffective tool for
detecting those supplying prohibited drugs. Overwhelmingly, the use
of drug detection dogs has led to public searches of individuals in
which no drugs were found, or to the detection of (mostly young)
adults in possession of very small amounts of Cannabis for personal
use”.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In 2013 the NSW Police Force conducted
17,746 searches following a positive dog indication during general
drug detection operations. Out of these searches, 6,415 revealed
illicit drugs being carried by the individual in question. This means
that almost two-thirds of the original drug dog detections were
<i>'false positives'</i>, often triggered by the police officer’s
subtle physical reaction, such as turning to face an individual who
fits that officer’s stereotypical offender profile. The dog, highly
attuned to its handler’s body language and seeking reward, then
follows with a <i>'detection'</i>.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sniffer
Dog Searches in NSW</span></i></span></span></span></strong></div>
<center>
<table border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 406px;">
<colgroup><col width="49"></col>
<col width="159"></col>
<col width="185"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Year</span></span></strong></div>
</td>
<td width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Number of
Searches</b></i></span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>How Many Found
Drugs</b></i></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2007</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="7603" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">7,603</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="2435" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2,435</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2008</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="10562" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">10,562</span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="3748" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">3,748</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2009</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="17321" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">17,321</span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="5109" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">5,109</span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td sdnum="3081;" sdval="2010" width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2010</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="15779" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">15,779</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="5087" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">5,087</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td sdnum="3081;" sdval="2011" width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2011</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="18281" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">18,281</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="5031" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">5,031</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td sdnum="3081;" sdval="2012" width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2012</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="16184" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">16,184</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="5280" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">5,280</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td sdnum="3081;" sdval="2013" width="49"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2013</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="17746" width="159"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">17,746</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="6415" width="185"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">6,415</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
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<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/drug-searches-thousands-falsely-identified-by-sniffer-dogs-20141128-11wlty.html"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sydney
Morning Herald</i></span></span></span></span></a></div>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/b1a5e0413f347e54fed507f3196fbfcb?width=650" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/b1a5e0413f347e54fed507f3196fbfcb?width=650" height="112" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Looking now at those 6,000 or so <i>'true
positives'</i>, who are the police actually catching? Almost
certainly, they’re catching mostly the kid with a joint in his
pocket, whose threat to social law and order is dubious. In 2013,
during general detection operations involving a sniffer dog, only 713
searches found indictable quantities of an illicit drug and only 397
of those were considered <i>'</i></span><a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/lc/qalc.nsf/c63f637ee30ce3beca2578c300122a54/544b7c57840b84b8ca257ce700216065?OpenDocument" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">trafficable</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>'</i> quantities. This means
that out of almost 20,000 individuals selected to be searched as they
went about their day in a public place, only 4% were carrying a
substance for which they could be charged with a crime.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unharm/pages/70/attachments/original/1439339859/Unharm-Drug-detection-dogs-unfair-120215.jpg?1439339859" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/unharm/pages/70/attachments/original/1439339859/Unharm-Drug-detection-dogs-unfair-120215.jpg?1439339859" width="286" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">That substance could be half an ounce
of Cannabis, for example, for an occasional smoke after work. And at
the pointy end of the sniffer dog enterprise, just 2% of individuals
searched throughout the whole year were caught with a <i>'trafficable'</i>
quantity of an illicit drug. So the use of drug dogs, for example on
public transport, is not only ineffective but also discriminatory. It
discriminates through its very targetting of those who use such
transport over private cars (and we can assume with fair certainty
that when dealers move large quantities of drugs, they do not do so
on suburban trains).</span></div>
</div>
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<div style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 1.714em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The practice furthermore discriminates
in its choice of location and subsequent implications; the sordid and
oft-quoted statistic that passengers at Redfern train station in
inner Sydney, for example, are over six times more likely to be
searched than those at Central station (hub of the Sydney CBD) speaks
for itself. NSW police have better things to do than wrongly
humiliate thousands of mainly young and marginalised people, said NSW
Greens MP, Jenny Leong. “Statistics continue to show that sniffer
dogs have an unacceptably high false positive rate when it comes to
drug detection – around two thirds of people who are stopped and
searched are found not to have drugs”, she said. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In May 2015 Leong gave notice of a
private members bill to amend the <i>‘Drug Dog Act’ </i>through
the proposed Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Amendment ( </span><a href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/PARLMENT/nswBills.nsf/d2117e6bba4ab3ebca256e68000a0ae2/f85da19774b122cbca257e53001b0e06?OpenDocument" style="border: 0px; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Sniffer Dogs-Repeal of Powers</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">) Bill 2015. This Act if passed will
<i>“repeal provisions relating to the use of sniffer dogs in
carrying out general drug detection and to make consequential
amendments to other legislation”</i>, to end the use of drug
detection dogs without a warrant at festivals, on public transport,
in venues and on the streets.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-05/30/10/enhanced/webdr09/enhanced-513-1432994468-3.jpg"><br /></a></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">“People are being intimidated by police and their drug dogs as they go about their daily lives, at train stations, music festivals and social spaces like pubs”, said Leong. “We need an evidence-based, harm minimisation response to drug law reform. Hard nose law and order responses haven’t worked”. Before now, NSW Police admitted to Parliament that drug dogs falsely indicate the presence of drugs 64-72% of the time. Dog Squad boss Commander Superintendent Donna Adney told the </span><a href="http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/greens-want-a-leash-on-drug-dogs/news-story/c25fbfb1b3a062a57c97ce7ecc72d7ad"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Daily Telegraph</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> last year that only one in four people stopped by the dogs had drugs in their possession. A worrying recent study by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (</span><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/banning-sniffer-dogs-at-music-festivals-could-be-valuable-experts-20140716-ztfqv.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>NDARC</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">) suggested that the potential presence of drug dogs changes people’s use of illicit substances, but doesn’t reduce it. 62% of festival goers said they would take drugs whether sniffer dogs were there or not. Event goers who see sniffer dogs outside venues may actually feel compelled to use all their drugs before going in, risking an overdose.</span></span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/42MbaJMsjQ7ZLG64F5ScCbDpRbVqwXRaY65NgnvaCrhPPphMuz0B5knkNty6vuV98AAXwxvpskW9RF4tg2HRdvSrrl9BOwD2uCa4" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Image for Sniff off! MPs say the dogs don’t work" border="0" src="http://www.samesame.com.au/558/635_340/8df1e_558431.jpg" height="213" style="border: 0px; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16.003px;" title="Sniff off! MPs say the dogs don’t work" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 1.5em;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sydney MP Alex Greenwich advised NSW
Premier Mike Baird: <i>“Drug dog searches have doubled since 2009,
yet during this time reported drug use has increased from 12.1% to
13.8% of the population. Drug dog operations can increase the risk of
harm when people consume all their supply prior to going out or on
seeing police in order to avoid detection. The criminal approach
discourages young people seeking help if they feel sick out of fear
of sanctions for themselves and their friends. Drug dog operations
and invasive strip searches do not impact on drug traffickers and
suppliers and have not addressed demand for illegal drugs”.</i></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/w/t/r/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.11wlty.png/1417427187079.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/1/w/t/r/l/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.11wlty.png/1417427187079.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">NSW Premier Baird has called upon <i>"relevant
ministers"</i> within the NSW state government to review the
system under which permits for music festivals are issued. He said:
<i>"Individuals need to take responsibility for their actions,
but so do the organisers of these festivals. In the light of this
latest distressing and avoidable incident, I will be asking the
relevant ministers to review the current system of regulating events
held on public land, including the system for granting permits for
public events such as music festivals". </i>The Premier has
called for more extensive screening at festival entry points, and
added that events that do not comply with new regulations will not be
allowed to go ahead, in spite of any costs they may incur: <i>"If
new rules and procedures place additional burdens and costs on
organisers, so be it - and we will also examine denying permits to
organisers who have not done the right thing in the past. Enough is
enough. This simply has to stop".</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Opinion remains divided on how to
tackle the growing number of drug-related misadventures at music
festivals, from on-site testing and harm prevention through to
tougher enforcement and sentences for drug supply. Baird's plan to
put the onus more on organisers and threaten festivals with shut-down
has already been criticised by some as a <i>'nanny state'</i>
solution to a social problem, on par with Sydney's lockout laws.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/E5DPHw1drAzFgNOCBURG4nFsoEk-B0PhwVkgrhkQckTNRY3BASaZjljTCQAsGMEcKAGjJPcwTllEL79dxH902QargZI-F-p9CKWbqDZ_NxL2nXZn_ElZEPwqMz2LYZNdJxPEYiVv14c9sWNyL_W9u0mfAB3ajVFfI1j63xf835LGxdafts4ZfqWIBW30HpIkj-KPMfLNUSSwXfXOZ_MGlRQwbllU3ULSj4Tyn17O0Z-lwOrM2fPXH7o" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 1.15em; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" class="img-responsive" src="http://d2752rta4dscqv.cloudfront.net/ImageCache/crowd_sydney_college_of_the_arts_st_jeromes_laneway_festival_0215_peter_sharp_2.2da77d283b08f2812d606cd34ce3dabf.jpg" height="112" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; height: auto; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In 2015, NSW Police Assistant
Commissioner Frank Minnelli, who led a joint drug operation at
Stereosonic, that included the use of sniffer dogs, slammed the
"mentality of drug culture and music festivals" saying:
</span><i style="color: #274e13;">"We've got to change it. There's no such thing as safe drugs.
You're playing Russian roulette with your life. You do not know what
you are putting in your system. These drugs are made by criminals in
backyards. It's like opening a bottle of bleach and swallowing it".
</i><span style="color: #274e13;">There have been calls to </span><a href="http://www.pedestrian.tv/news/music/art-vs-science-member-makes-compelling-argument-fo/815a74ed-6723-4c67-b9d6-13e0568f50e6.htm" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">end the use</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> of sniffer dogs at
festivals, but Minnelli defended the practice, saying the police
approach is one of harm minimisation, and that </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"at the end of
the day, it comes back to the individual making the right choices".</i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">A Brisbane drug and alcohol clinician,
and musician, also called for sniffer dogs to be removed from
festivals as the debate over substance use at festivals continued in
2015, pointing out that police dog operations had increased in
prominence with many arrested at</span> </span><a href="http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2015/02/23/38-arrested-at-melbourne-soundwave-across-weekend/"><i><span style="color: purple;">Soundwave</span></i></a>, <a href="http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2015/02/02/40-punters-charged-with-drug-related-offences-at-laneway-festival-sydney/"><i><span style="color: purple;">Laneway</span></i></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">and</span> <a href="http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2015/01/02/record-arrests-made-at-sydney-field-day-festival/"><i><span style="color: purple;">Field Day</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: #274e13;">events in 2015. Geoff Corbett, guest speaker at the Q Music Presents
Drugs, Addiction & Music panel in Brisbane, Queensland, spent 15
years working in the Mental Health and 'Alcohol and Other Drugs'
sector and said sniffer dogs do more harm than good (Queensland has
similar laws to NSW).</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">“<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">I’m like anyone who views it from
a public health level, it’s just wrong. <i>“It’s just asking
for trouble. What really are they looking to prevent? If you’re
looking to prevent mortality and morbidity amongst festival goers
then it hasn’t really been that effective. I’d be more concerned
about people pre-loading before going to a festival than I would be
about busting someone with a couple of pills. In regards to festivals
I’d be looking at things like giving people access to pill reports,
so people actually know if what they’re taking has a warning
attached to it. That’s far more helpful than having cops out the
front with drug dogs. I’m not into it”.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://images.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/1265266554_top-10-australian-music-festivals_flash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://images.askmen.com/top_10/entertainment/1265266554_top-10-australian-music-festivals_flash.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Another issue surrounding illicit
substances is the possibility of decriminalisation and Corbett
believes it’s something that the authorities should look seriously
at. <i>“Me personally, I’m all for it. I don’t see substance
use as an issue of law and order, it’s a public health issue. With
decriminalisation, if we were to look at a model to take the
Australian drug treatment regime in a new direction I think Portugal
is a pretty good one, in that there’s decriminalisation to a point,
for personal use etcetera it’s okay and if you come in contact with
the law a few times then you’re transitioned towards treatment
rather than put in a jail. Things like trafficking and high level
dealing are still outlawed which is fine, but at least at a user
level people aren’t being punished for what is essentially a health
issue. It frees up the cops to chase the ‘baddies’”.</i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="https://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-05/30/10/enhanced/webdr09/enhanced-513-1432994468-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/2015-05/30/10/enhanced/webdr09/enhanced-513-1432994468-3.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Decriminalisation is likely to face
stiff opposition from some sectors of society, but Corbett points to
international examples, <i>“Society there hasn’t fallen apart,
it’s the complete opposite. People will always be crying, ‘What
about the children? What about the kids? If drugs are decriminalised
they’re going to be paving the streets with them!’ and that’s been shown to not be the case. In countries like The
Netherlands where they have a fairly laid-back approach to substances
compared to countries where it’s prohibited, the ages of ‘drug
maturity’ are actually older in countries where there’s
prohibition. Basically that means that kids grow out of it earlier in
countries where they can access it easier. And they don’t
necessarily access it either, just the window where they’re using
is much smaller”.</i></span> </span>
</div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">According to a
NSW Ombudsman’s review, sniffer dogs were accurate in only about
25% of cases. Although they are trained to detect a variety of
'drugs': Cannabis, ecstasy, methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin, the
prohibited substance they indicated in most cases was Cannabis (84%).
The other issue was also where the drug sniffing dogs successfully
detected drugs differed per location and region. For example, the
</span><a href="https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/news-and-publications/publications/reports/legislative-reviews/review-of-the-police-powers-drug-detection-dogs-act-2001" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Ombudsman's report</i></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">revealed that they were less accurate in public
transit areas than they were at dance parties.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><b>Comparison
of ‘Drugs Found’ / ‘Not Found’ By Main Location Type</b></i></span></span></span></div>
<center>
<table border="1" bordercolor="#000000" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" style="width: 643px;">
<colgroup><col width="151"></col>
<col width="152"></col>
<col width="151"></col>
<col width="171"></col>
</colgroup><tbody>
<tr>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Location</span></span></strong></div>
</td>
<td width="152"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Total
indications</span></span></strong></div>
</td>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">%
Where drugs found</span></span></strong></div>
</td>
<td width="171"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<strong><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">%
Where no drugs found</span></span></strong></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Public
Transport</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="6423" width="152"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">6,423</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">25% (1,586)</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="171"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">75% (4,837)</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Licensed
Premises</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="2125" width="152"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">2,125</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">23% (484)</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="171"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">77% (1,641</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Dance Party</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="240" width="152"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">240</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">39% (94)</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="171"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">61% (146)</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Road/street</span></span></div>
</td>
<td sdnum="3081;0;#,##0" sdval="1193" width="152"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">1,193</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="151"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">37% (436)</span></span></div>
</td>
<td width="171"><div align="CENTER" class="western" style="border: none; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">63% (757)</span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
</center>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>22
February 2002-21 February 2004</i></span></span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<div class="western" style="border: none; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The main criticism of the use of sniffer dogs is that they were to be used to effectively target drug supply. However, due to where drug detection dogs are deployed, they primarily detect personal use instead. For example, how often does a drug dealer use public transport? Especially when trying to traffic large quantities of a prohibited substance. According to the Ombudsman’s report, only “1.38% of all indications resulted in ‘deemed supply’ quantity”. If drug detection dogs are being used to crack down on drugs, how come the most common legal action taken as a result of a drug detection through a sniffer dog was a mere cautioning? Only 2.44% of searches led to successful prosecution, according to an article in the</span> </span><a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/drug-searches-thousands-falsely-identified-by-sniffer-dogs-20141128-11wlty.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple;">Sydney Morning Herald</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, <span style="color: #274e13;">NSW. If the end result is only a caution, is that effective use of police resources?</span></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/i/a/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.glmhy8.png/1449993985520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/g/l/m/i/a/y/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.glmhy8.png/1449993985520.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">NSW police
defend the use of drug detection dogs saying they are an effective
deterrent because </span><i style="color: #274e13;">“individuals regularly dump these drugs upon
seeing the dogs”</i><span style="color: #274e13;">. They also argue that </span><i style="color: #274e13;">“70% of indications by the
dogs result in either drugs being located or the person admitting
recent contact with illegal drugs”</i><span style="color: #274e13;">. Instead of being a deterrent,
drug detection dogs actually lead people to ‘pre-load’ on their
drug consumption or as a </span><a href="http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/tronica-147218-sniffer-dogs-harm-reduction-club-health-08-science-technology-ppt-powerpoint/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">study</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, as reported in the</span> <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/drug-searches-thousands-falsely-identified-by-sniffer-dogs-20141128-11wlty.html#ixzz3rd7SbwmL" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">Sydney Morning Herald</span></i></a>, <span style="color: #274e13;">by Dr Tregoning of harm reduction
group Unharm</span> <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1465-3362.2012.00431.x/abstract" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>found</i></span></a>,<span style="color: #274e13;"> more than 2,000 ecstasy users <i>“increasing drug
use had little deterrence effect but did encourage some to consume
all their drugs at once”</i>. He said that is actually how one young
man died at the Defcon1 music festival.</span></span></div>
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<br />
<a href="http://davidshoebridge.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Sniff-off-Triangle-300x296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://davidshoebridge.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Sniff-off-Triangle-300x296.jpg" height="196" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">NSW Greens MP
David Shoebridge opposes Drug Detection Dogs because it is shown
according to</span> <a href="http://davidshoebridge.org.au/sniffoff/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Shoebridge</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">that <i>“dogs falsely indicate the presence
of drugs 64-72%”</i> of the time. They are also as he points out,
intrusive and <i>“breach our privacy and civil liberties”</i>.
The NSW Council for Civil Liberties stated, <i>"It is the view
of the Council that it is an invasion of privacy, harassment and an
illegal search to use dogs to sniff people chosen randomly”</i>. </span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Another
criticism made with regards to Drug Detection Dogs is discrimination.
Young men, and especially Aboriginal men, are more frequently
indicated than women. As NSW Greens MP David </span><a href="http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/a-facebook-site-is-helping-sydney-residents-avoid-drug-dogs" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Shoebridge</i></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">points out,
<i>“they tend to be targeted, particularly against young people,
Aboriginal people, and the homeless”.</i> The</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.vice.com/read/australia-needs-to-talk-about-sniffer-dogs" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">example</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">he uses is
Redfern station, where <i>“a passenger is six and a half times more
likely to be searched than at Central”,</i> noting that <i>“Redfern
has a large Aboriginal population and many students live in the area
as well”. </i>Drug detection dogs negatively impact police-public
relations. Especially if marginalised people feel they are being
unduly targeted. In the</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="https://www.ombo.nsw.gov.au/news-and-publications/publications/reports/legislative-reviews/review-of-the-police-powers-drug-detection-dogs-act-2001" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Ombudsman’s report</i></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">it was noted that <i>“many
submissions commented on the issue of discrimination and targeting.
Most commonly cited, was perceived discrimination against young
people, low-income earners and the gay and lesbian community”.</i></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2014/01/24/1226809/310496-5f3466fe-847f-11e3-b9d4-ee96a3e30d81.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://resources0.news.com.au/images/2014/01/24/1226809/310496-5f3466fe-847f-11e3-b9d4-ee96a3e30d81.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Once someone is
indicated by a drug detection dog, the police add his or her
information to the police database to create a police intelligence
report. Since the false positive rate is so high that means the
police are violating members of the general public’s rights because
they are acquiring information under the premise that the person is
suspected of a criminal offence when in fact they were not. In the
meantime, the general public are protecting themselves from this
grievous infringement on their private liberties by developing
campaigns like Shoebridge’s ‘</span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sniffoff/?fref=ts" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">Sniff off</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">’</span> <span style="color: #274e13;">Facebook page where
people warn each other as to where the drug detection dogs have been
sighted. It seems the introduction of these Police Powers have proved
only to clog our courts with those charged with minor possession of
prohibited drugs charges, at the same time wasting Police resources
and not promoting awareness of the dangers of prohibited drug use.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://cdn1-www.musicfeeds.com.au/assets/uploads/b6e0f38ceb61bb7034beb9d6d21cb866-671x377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn1-www.musicfeeds.com.au/assets/uploads/b6e0f38ceb61bb7034beb9d6d21cb866-671x377.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In January 2016
calls for the increased presence of drug amnesty bins at music
festivals were renewed by Harm Reduction Victoria (HRVic).
Theoretically, the bins would allow disposal of drugs before facing
sniffer dogs or other law enforcement. That means anyone holding
illicit substances could possibly avoid the dangerous 'panic
response' of ingesting unusually large quantities of drugs on the
spot. Similar bins were used in Western Australia outside</span> <span style="color: purple;"><i><a href="http://southboundfestival.com.au/" style="font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: start;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Southbound Festival</span></a>.</i></span> <span style="color: #274e13;">The push comes after Victoria Police called for the Rainbow
Serpent Festival to be examined due to the number of drug-related
offences . Of course, that festival's organisers have also been going
hell for leather in trying to implement drug-testing on site. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Bill O'Loughlin
of HRVic said the measures aim to counteract <i>"a frightened
impulsive reaction at the sight of the dogs"</i>, and wouldn't
interfere with usual police activity. Read: they'd only be set up to
stop festival-goers from overdosing unnecessarily. What's more,
Australian Drug Foundation chief John Rogerson said he'd be in favour
of giving the bins a test-run, saying <i>"I'd certainly be
supportive of trying to see whether it works".</i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wv_7RCUX50A/VriMyQN_Y9I/AAAAAAAAGa8/aAO5HCijVIs/s1600/International-Overdose-Awar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wv_7RCUX50A/VriMyQN_Y9I/AAAAAAAAGa8/aAO5HCijVIs/s640/International-Overdose-Awar.jpg" width="497" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Despite
supporting an investigation into illicit drugs, Mental Health
Minister Martin Foley said people shouldn't expect to see the bins
any time soon. In the wake of January's</span> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple; font-size: small;"><i><a _blank="" href="http://www.pedestrian.tv/news/entertainment/23-year-old-woman-critical-184-on-drug-charges-aft/5bff32f7-a1bf-4071-8775-88627a81db25.htm" target="_blank">Field Day event</a></i></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">in Sydney,
which saw a 23-year old woman hospitalised and more than 180 charged
with drug offences (only 8 relating to supply), NSW Premier Mike Baird gave festival organisers
an angry warning to toughen up on drugs or be shut down. Previously,
the Premier had</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="http://commented/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">commented</span></a> </i></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">on his own state's track record at music
festivals, while championing a review into the festival permit system
with the goal of weeding out organisers who fell foul of the law.
This much is clear: whatever we have going on right now certainly</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">
</span><a href="http://www.pedestrian.tv/news/music/police-blame-drug-overdose-for-death-of-25-year-ol/3bc09498-ef80-402c-b916-c5e508e1af0f.htm" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>isn't working</i></span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.pedestrian.tv/images/article/2016/01/31/amnestyfeature2-619-386.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.pedestrian.tv/images/article/2016/01/31/amnestyfeature2-619-386.png" height="124" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">On an important
emotional and moral level, uniformed police officers with dogs at
train stations, shops, public pools and music festivals intimidate
and alienate the public, especially youth, and those officers are a
symptom of a society sorely at odds with itself. For most kids when
growing up, the police are absolutely the good guys, and indeed they
are, risking personal safety and well-being at all hours of the day
and night in situations that would constitute nightmares for most of
us. Yet, it would be reasonable to suggest that by their late
teens/early twenties, many Australian youth have come to feel the
opposite about police officers. The reasons for this shift to a
negative outlook emerge from one central fact: police enforcement of
drug laws. The police force is essentially being asked to enforce
laws that are unenforceable, and have been since they were enacted.
Everybody involved knows this, yet the charade goes on.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://australianhempparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/relegal-tile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" src="https://australianhempparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/relegal-tile.jpg" /></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Is it not time
for Australia's state police forces to begin to understand this truth
and to acknowledge that its job could be carried out more easily and
harmoniously, with less risk to its employees, if it became a voice
for reason rather than for fear of the imaginary? Drug prohibition,
out of which the sniffer dog-use mentality emerges, has
overwhelmingly failed. We don’t need to continue beating our heads
against the same wall, until the blood flows, to see this. What is
needed is sane, rational, evidence-based policy and policing. Close
to their demise, most systems, living biological ones as well as more
abstract social ones such as bureaucracies, tend to give a final
spasm of resistance.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://nimbinhemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/stonersloth5-320x180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://nimbinhemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/stonersloth5-320x180.jpg" width="200" /></span></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The 2015 failed NSW
Government “Stoner Sloth” campaign, as well as the ramping up
of roadside drug testing, appear to be such spasms. The drug
landscape is changing, and reason and sanity will prevail. The sooner
Australia's state police forces acknowledge this reality, the sooner
they can get on with doing their real job, for which we should all be
thankful. A cessation of drug dog games would be a welcome step in
this direction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">For information
about your rights if approached by police, how to get help or make a
complaint, visit </span><a href="http://www.fair-play.org.au/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>fair-play.org.au</i></span></a> or check the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/yourfairplay" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Facebook</i></span></a> page and the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sniffoff" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Sniff Off Campaign</i></span></a> on Facebook</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>
</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;">Adapted from;</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; text-align: start;"> </span></span><span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://newmatilda.com/2016/01/19/police-force-continues-to-play-drug-dog-games/" style="color: black; text-align: start;" target="_blank">Police Force Continues to Play Drug Dog Games</a><span style="color: black; text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://www.samesame.com.au/features/13246/Sniff-off-MPs-say-the-dogs-dont-work" style="color: black; text-align: start;" target="_blank">MP's Say The Dogs Don't Work</a><span style="color: black; text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://themusic.com.au/news/all/2015/02/26/drug-alcohol-clinician-calls-for-sniffer-dogs-to-be-banned-from-festivals/" style="color: black; text-align: start;" target="_blank">Drug/Alcohol Clinician Calls for Sniffer Dogs to be Banned from Festivals</a><span style="color: black; text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://www.pedestrian.tv/news/arts-and-culture/vic-public-health-body-renews-call-for-drug-amnest/22b5422c-e577-453d-b608-77e52dd507b8.htm" style="color: black; text-align: start;" target="_blank">Vic Public Health Body Renews Call For Drug Amnesty</a><span style="color: black; text-align: start;">, </span><a href="http://www.lylawyers.com.au/drug-detection-dogs-a-complete-failure/" style="color: black; text-align: start;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Drug Detection Dogs - A Complete Failure?</span></a>, </span></i></span><i style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.pedestrian.tv/news/music/police-blame-drug-overdose-for-death-of-25-year-ol/3bc09498-ef80-402c-b916-c5e508e1af0f.htm" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Police-blame-drug-overdose-for-death-of-25-year-old</span></a>, <a href="https://australianhempparty.com/" target="_blank">Australian Hemp Party</a></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRf6p3KLmEX7nnJejJLdi6vzAhuvx09KeNymqMheSk02n9CaMyH" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRf6p3KLmEX7nnJejJLdi6vzAhuvx09KeNymqMheSk02n9CaMyH" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When
Bayer introduced aspirin in 1899, Cannabis was America’s number one painkiller. Until Cannabis prohibition began in 1937, the US
Pharmacopoeia listed Cannabis as the primary medicine for over 100
diseases. Cannabis was such an effective analgesic that the American
Medical Association (AMA) argued against prohibition on behalf of
medical progress. Since the herb is extremely potent and essentially
non-toxic, the AMA considered it a potential 'wonder drug'.</span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.homeremediesweb.com/images/product_willow_bark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.homeremediesweb.com/images/product_willow_bark.jpg" height="88" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In the 1800's, salicin from the bark of </span><a href="http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/willow-bark" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>white willow</i></span></a> was used to develop aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid. In combination with white willow's powerful anti-inflammatory plant compounds (flavonoids, like those found in Cannabis), salicin is thought to be responsible for the pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects of the herb. White willow appears to bring pain relief more slowly than aspirin, but its effects may last longer.</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> The use of willow bark dates to the time of Hippocrates (400 BC) when people were advised to chew on the bark to reduce fever and inflammation. Willow bark has been used throughout the centuries in China and Europe and continues to be used today for the treatment of pain (particularly low back pain and osteoarthritis), headache and inflammatory conditions, such as bursitis and tendonitis.
</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Bayer_Aspirin_ad,_NYT,_February_19,_1917.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Bayer_Aspirin_ad,_NYT,_February_19,_1917.jpg" width="175" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
1980, 555 children died from </span></span><a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/reyes-syndrome/DS00142" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Reye’s
syndrome</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">.
Two years later the United States (US) Centres for Disease Control
(</span></span><a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001108.htm" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>CDC</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">)
advised “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>physicians
and parents of the possible increased risk of Reye syndrome
associated with the use of salicylates (aspirin) for children with
chickenpox and influenza-like illness”. </i></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That
same year, The American Academy of Paediatrics’ Committee on
Infectious Diseases issued a statement advising that “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>the
use of salicylates should be avoided for children suffering from
influenza or chickenpox” </i></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; orphans: 1;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">and
the Surgeon General issued a statement advising “<i>against
the use of salicylates and salicylate-containing medications for
children with influenza and chickenpox".</i></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;">
</span>
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<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Bayer-Tablets_of_Aspirin_ad_1918.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/Bayer-Tablets_of_Aspirin_ad_1918.png" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
2008, David Michaels published, </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Doubt
Is Their Product: How Industry’s Assault on Science Threatens Your
Health</i></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">,
a controversial account of how US regulatory agencies were undermined
and public health endangered by unethical corporations and the
scientists who work for them. In his introduction, Michaels described
how aspirin manufacturers did everything they could to delay the
Food and Drug Administration (FDA)'s decision to place warning labels on aspirin bottles linking
the medicine to the child-killing disease, Reye’s syndrome. The
aspirin industry fought a warning label for five years during which
hundreds of children died. Michaels’ wrote, “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Today,
less than a handful of Reye’s syndrome cases are reported each year
(less than two per year since 1994), no thanks to the corporations
which manufactured the product".</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Michaels
described this as “<i>a public health triumph … but a
bitter-sweet one because an untold number of children died or were
disabled while the aspirin manufacturers delayed the FDA’s
regulation by arguing that the science establishing the link was
incomplete, uncertain and unclear. The industry raised seventeen
specific ‘flaws’ in the studies and insisted that more reliable
ones were needed. The medical community knew of the danger … but
parents were kept in the dark”. </i>The drug makers worked with the
Reagan administration to delay “<i>a public education program for
two years and mandatory labels for two more” </i>while thousands of
children died.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><u>Surgeon
General's Advisory on the Use of Salicylates and Reye Syndrome</u></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Because
the use of salicylates such as aspirin for children with influenza
and chickenpox has been associated with Reye syndrome, the Surgeon
General advises against use of salicylate and salicylate-containing
medications for children with these diseases. The association of
salicylates with Reye syndrome is based upon evidence from
epidemiologic studies that are sufficiently strong to justify this
warning to parents and health care personnel.</span></span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">First
recognised about 19 years ago, Reye syndrome is a rare, acute,
life-threatening condition characterised by vomiting and lethargy
that may progress to delirium and coma. Most commonly it occurs in
children who are recovering from viral infections, particularly
influenza and chickenpox. The CDC estimates that 600-1,200 cases occur each year in the United States,
most in persons between the ages of 5 and 16 years. Death occurs in
20%-30% of reported cases and permanent brain damage has also been
reported in survivors.</span></span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">There
have been reports for several years suggesting an association between
Reye syndrome and the prior use of common medications. However, the
results of recent case-control studies have made it possible to
assess the association with specific drugs. These studies conducted
by state health departments suggest an association between prior
ingestion of aspirin and other salicylates and Reye syndrome ...
studies in Arizona and Michigan have been published … </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The
Surgeon General notes that the matter has been reviewed recently by
several groups from within and outside government.</span></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">CDC,
on the basis of its review of the available data and the
recommendations of an advisory panel on February 12, 1982, stated
that <i>"until definitive information is available, CDC advises
physicians and parents of the possible increased risk of Reye
syndrome associated with the use of salicylates for children with
chickenpox and influenza-like illness"</i>.</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The
American Academy of Paediatrics' Committee on Infectious Diseases
also has reviewed the data and in the June 1982 issue of Paediatrics
issued a statement advising that the use of salicylates should be
avoided for children suffering from influenza or chickenpox.</span></span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A
FDA working group audited the raw
data in February 1982 from 3 studies conducted by state health
departments and independently analysed the data. The FDA evaluation
was discussed in an open public meeting sponsored by FDA, CDC and
the National Institutes of Health on May 24, 1982. The meeting was
attended by invited experts from the academic community, the drug
industry and consumer organisations. It was the consensus of the
scientific working group at the completion of the meeting that the
new analysis supported the earlier evidence of an association
between salicylates and Reye syndrome. As a result of this entire
review process, the Surgeon General advises against the use of
salicylates and salicylate-containing medications for children with
influenza and chickenpox.*</span></span></span></span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*The
Surgeon General notes that the FDA will notify health professionals
through its Drug Bulletin, will develop lay-language information for
widespread distribution, and will take the steps necessary to
establish new labelling requirements for drugs containing
salicylates.</i></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/1measlesmumpspertussischickenpox-140831073215-phpapp02/95/so-youre-not-vaccinating-now-what-session-1-measles-mumps-pertussis-chicken-pox-17-638.jpg?cb=1409470517" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://image.slidesharecdn.com/1measlesmumpspertussischickenpox-140831073215-phpapp02/95/so-youre-not-vaccinating-now-what-session-1-measles-mumps-pertussis-chicken-pox-17-638.jpg?cb=1409470517" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reye's
syndrome is a rare but serious condition that causes swelling in the
liver and brain and most often affects children and teenagers
recovering from a viral infection, usually the flu or chickenpox.
Signs and symptoms such as confusion, seizures and loss of
consciousness require emergency treatment. Early diagnosis and
treatment can save a child's life. Aspirin has been linked with
Reye's syndrome, so use caution when giving aspirin to children or
teenagers. Though aspirin is approved for use in children older than
age 2, children and teenagers recovering from chickenpox or flu-like
symptoms should never take aspirin.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://mychronicrelief.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cannabis-vs-aspirin-pills-A.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://mychronicrelief.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/cannabis-vs-aspirin-pills-A.jpg" height="146" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reye's
syndrome was first discovered in Australia in 1963 by pathologist R.
Douglas Reye and a few months later, rediscovered by G M Johnson in
the US. It wouldn't be truly recognised as a disease until 1973.
Reye's syndrome was nearly always fatal, involving non-inflammatory
encephalopathy and fatty degenerative liver failure, otherwise known
as brain and liver failure. While almost all the bodies organs are
affected, these two are the most common with Reye's Syndrome victims.
It is now extremely rare with only a single confirmed case in 2002
and only three suspected cases in 2009. It is not a contagious
disease.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The creation of </span></span><a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/04/daily-aspirin-side-effects.aspx" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">aspirin</span></i></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> gave birth to the modern pharmaceutical industry
and Americans switched from Cannabis in the name of 'progress'. But
it wasn't really progressive, it was regressive. </span><span style="color: #274e13;">Aspirin</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> has a short
history, in comparison to Cannabis, as the drug of choice for the
self-treatment of migraines, arthritis and other chronic pain. It is
cheap, effective and legally available. But it is not as safe as
Cannabis! </span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">History:</b></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cannabis
has been used for at least 5,000 years</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No
one has ever overdosed on Cannabis (physiologically impossible)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aspirin
has been used for over 100 years</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Approximately
500 people die every year across the US from taking aspirin</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>US
Law:</b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cannabis
is a Schedule 1 drug, meaning the US government believes it is
extremely dangerous, highly addictive and of no medical value</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aspirin
is available for 'pennies' and can be purchased by children at any
drug, grocery or convenience store across America, and is often
handed out free by people with no medical knowledge</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Cannabis
Side Effects and Dangers:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Persecution
and prosecution due to the 'War on Drugs'</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Possible
respiratory problems caused by the deposition of burnt plant
material on the lungs (from smoking). This danger can be eliminated
with alternate forms of consumption such as eating or vaporising
Cannabis</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For
two to four hours, Cannabis causes short-term memory loss, a slight
reduction in reaction time and a possible reduction in cognitive
ability in those new to partaking of the herb. These conditions DO
NOT persist after the initial effects of the herb wears off</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hunger</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Paranoia
(caused mostly by erroneous illegality in various jurisdictions)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://greenflowermedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/blog11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://greenflowermedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/blog11.jpg" height="129" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Laughter</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Introspection</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Creative
Impulse</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Euphoria</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tiredness</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Forgetfulness</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Aspirin
Side Effects and Dangers:</b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">When
taken with alcohol, aspirin can cause stomach bleeding</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reye
Syndrome in children: fat begins to develop around the liver and
other organs, eventually putting severe pressure on the brain. Death
is common within a few days</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People
with haemophilia can die</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">People
with hyperthyroidism suffer elevated T4 levels</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stomach
problems include dyspepsia, heartburn, upset stomach, stomach ulcers
with gross bleeding, and internal bleeding leading to anaemia</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dizziness,
ringing in the ears, hearing loss, vertigo, vision disturbances and
headaches</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Heavy
sweating</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Irreversible
liver damage</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Inflammation
and gradual destruction of the kidneys</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nausea
and vomiting</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abdominal
pain</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lethargy</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hyperthermia</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dyspepsia:
a gnawing or burning stomach pain accompanied by bloating,
heartburn, nausea, vomiting and burping</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tachypnoea:
Abnormally fast breathing</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Respiratory
Alkalosis: a condition where the amount of carbon dioxide found in
the blood drops to a level below normal range brought on by
abnormally fast breathing</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cerebral
Oedema: Water accumulates on the brain. Symptoms include headaches,
decreased level of consciousness, loss of eyesight, hallucinations,
psychotic behaviour, memory loss, coma, and if left untreated, death</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hallucinations,
confusion and seizure</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Prolonged
bleeding after operations or post-trauma for up to 10 days after
last aspirin</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Aspirin
can interact with some other drugs, such as diabetes medication, as
aspirin changes the way the body handles these drugs and can lead to
drug overdose and death</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So
if safety is your concern, Cannabis is clearly a much better choice
than aspirin. If you eat it or vaporise it, Cannabis is the safest
painkiller the world has ever known.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02945/aspirin_2945793b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/02945/aspirin_2945793b.jpg" height="124" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2014, 40 million Americans were advised that if they hadn't had a heart attack they should no longer take an aspirin a day! After many decades of promoting aspirin, the FDA said that if you'd not experienced a heart problem, you should not be taking a daily aspirin, even if you have a family history of heart disease. This represented a significant departure from the FDA's prior position on aspirin for the prevention of heart attacks. <i>"The FDA has concluded that the data do not support the use of aspirin as a preventive medication by people who have not had a heart attack, stroke or cardiovascular problems, a use that is called 'primary prevention'. In such people, the benefit has not been established but risks - such as dangerous bleeding into the brain or stomach - are still present".</i></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The FDA announcement was prompted by Bayer's request to change its aspirin label to indicate it could help <i>prevent</i> heart attacks in healthy individuals. Aspirin generated $1.27 billion in sales for Bayer in 2013 and from Bayer's request it appears they wanted everyone to be taking their drug. But the FDA said, 'not so fast', and rightly so. Evidence in support of using aspirin preventatively went from weak to weaker to nonexistent. Even 'low-dose aspirin' (LDA) may do far more harm than good.</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="354" name="graphics2" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7n2wgJQ0w32OOKwWNLOtxbpR8Jl__Jg45iEXamZdk4kKzRD-9WMPIcCenRO8JVQ2m8PuMAM0DYMlmdA8OQCUajTsa6pOb0pBUZo-iTfu49VErwVjNdmDb7khl1hRMWIT1Woyhw" width="449" /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i>Withdrawal:
Presence and severity of characteristic withdrawal symptoms.</i></span></span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i>Reinforcement:
A measure of the substance’s ability, in human and animal tests, to
get users to take it again and again and in preference to other
substances.</i></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i>Tolerance:
How much of the substance is needed to satisfy increasing cravings
for it and the level of stable need that is eventually reached.</i></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i>Dependence:
How difficult it is for the user to quit, the relapse rate, the
percentage of people who eventually become dependent, the rating
users give their own need for the substance and the degree to which
the substance will be used in the face of evidence that it causes
harm.</i></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i>Intoxication:
Though not usually counted as a measure of addiction in itself, the
level of intoxication is associated with addiction and increases the
personal and social damage a substance may do.</i></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://patients4medicalmarijuana.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/screen-shot-2015-02-21-at-4-56-45-pm.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" alt="Screen Shot 2015-02-21 at 4.56.45 PM" border="0" height="260" name="graphics3" src="https://patients4medicalmarijuana.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/screen-shot-2015-02-21-at-4-56-45-pm.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Adapted
from;</i></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://medprecautions.com/marijuana-safer-than-aspirin-2/" target="_blank">Marijuana
Safer Than Aspirin</a>, <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/reyes-syndrome/basics/definition/con-20020083" target="_blank">Reyes
Syndrome</a>, <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00001108.htm" target="_blank">Surgeon General's Advisory on the Use of Salicylates and Reye Syndrome</a>, <a href="http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/08/04/daily-aspirin-side-effects.aspx" target="_blank">FDA Reverses Its Position on Daily Aspirin</a>, <a href="http://dcraig.blogs.redding.com/2014/07/" target="_blank">25
Years of Global Warming Denial(2)</a></i></span></span></span></div>
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSJOQ9E3J-ChOnMB9bZuEBhh0TVwJnE1I5H02m6UXwfnakhP81JEw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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<a href="https://gotocourt-gotocourtlawyers.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/articleimages/Prosecuting-Commonwealth-Criminal-Offences.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="150" name="graphics1" src="https://gotocourt-gotocourtlawyers.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/articleimages/Prosecuting-Commonwealth-Criminal-Offences.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Australian states and territories each have their own drug laws and the
</span><a href="https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Series/C2004A04868"><span style="color: purple; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Commonwealth Criminal Code</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">provides a national framework for regulating drug trafficking and other drug crimes committed across borders. Our local laws and the drug laws of many other countries around the world are shaped by international treaties and conventions and while these treaties are not technically law in Australia, they have had a major influence on laws enacted by our Federal governments.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
pragmatic recommendations of one of the first, and to this day one of
the most exhaustive studies about the effects of Cannabis, was the
Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report in 1894. The Commission convened
not as the result of any major concerns in India, but because of a
question that was raised in the British House of Commons by
temperance crusaders. They were concerned about the effects of the
production and consumption of 'Indian hemp' and claimed that the
<i>“lunatic asylums of India are filled with ganja smokers”</i>. After
extensive research into the nature of asylum statistics the majority
of the Commission members agreed <i>“that the effect of hemp drugs in
this respect had hitherto been greatly exaggerated”.</i> Most medical
doctors involved in the study were convinced that Cannabis use did
not cause insanity, but rather stimulated a mental illness that <i>“was
already lurking in the mind of the individual”</i> and that alcohol
played at least an equal if not a more important role. That
conclusion seems to summarise current opinions about the relationship
between Cannabis and psychosis. Unfortunately, the seven-volume
report’s wealth of information was largely ignored in the debates
on Cannabis control that were to unfold in the international arena
under the auspices of the League of Nations and the United Nations
(UN) in the 1920's, 1930's and the 1950's.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/effects.htm"><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>The
Indian Hemp Drugs Commission Report (1894)</b></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b>Key
Recommendations</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">1.
Total prohibition of the cultivation of the hemp plant for narcotics
and of the manufacture, sale, or use of the drugs derived from it, is
neither necessary nor expedient in consideration of their ascertained
effects, of the prevalence of the habit of using them, of the social
and religious feeling on the subject and of the possibility of its
driving the consumers to have recourse to other stimulants or
narcotics which may be more deleterious (Chapter XIV, paragraphs 553
to 585).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">2.
The policy advocated is one of control and restriction, aimed at
suppressing the excessive use and restraining the moderate use within
due limits (Chapter XIV, paragraph 586).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">3.
The means to be adopted for the attainment of these objects are:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">adequate
taxation, which can be best effected by the combination of a direct
duty with the auction of the privilege of vend (Chapter XIV,
paragraph 587)</span></div>
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<li><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">prohibiting
cultivation, except under licence, and centralising cultivation
(Chapter XVI, paragraphs 636 and 677)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">limiting
the number of shops for the retail sale of hemp drugs (Chapter XVI,
paragraph 637)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">limiting
the extent of legal possession (Chapter XVI, paragraphs 689 and 690)</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The
limit of legal possession of ganja or charas or any preparation or
mixture thereof would be 5 tola (about 60 grams), bhang or any
mixture thereof one quarter of a ser (a quarter of a litre).</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/h8o1ObLeMiWwoyCCeLwGGpW9nXHersu3E8nt-_jCOgw5ibUB5vzd4JBS9qjBERw-7UDC60VZc2HyAjpaqoilqGth8vSu60wS7o0dcDvIFS0THndKXUoeno0OsWQPkN7DGxRPGSLLVhMxRF0B8l4Q4g9rpqDkNoVBQlZ1DChGZl7hU9cSwYNjzaYipmOPCxmKhvgODdKuDmlNUfV7X5VcS0Dp9zdJX0a7acc" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="118" name="graphics3" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/h8o1ObLeMiWwoyCCeLwGGpW9nXHersu3E8nt-_jCOgw5ibUB5vzd4JBS9qjBERw-7UDC60VZc2HyAjpaqoilqGth8vSu60wS7o0dcDvIFS0THndKXUoeno0OsWQPkN7DGxRPGSLLVhMxRF0B8l4Q4g9rpqDkNoVBQlZ1DChGZl7hU9cSwYNjzaYipmOPCxmKhvgODdKuDmlNUfV7X5VcS0Dp9zdJX0a7acc" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Its
absence from international discussions is pertinent today since
almost nothing of significance in the conclusions of this landmark
report on Cannabis in India has been proven wrong in over a century
since its publication. The Commission looked into earlier
considerations in India to prohibit Cannabis from 1798 to 1892,
concluding those proposals had always been rejected on the grounds
the plant grew wild almost everywhere, and attempts to stop
consumption could provoke the local population and drive them into
using more harmful intoxicants. The report concluded: “</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>In
respect to the alleged mental effects of the 'drugs', the Commission
have come to the conclusion that the moderate use of hemp 'drugs'
produces no injurious effects on the mind … As a rule these 'drugs'
do not tend to crime and violence”</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">.
The report also noted that, “</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>moderate
use of these 'drugs' is the rule and that the excessive use is
comparatively exceptional. The moderate use produces practically no
ill effects”.</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Had
the wisdom of the Indian Hemp Commission’s recommendations
prevailed, we might now have a system not dissimilar to the
legislation on Cannabis regulation adopted recently in Uruguay or the
regulation models in Colorado and Washington implemented after the
successful ballot initiatives to tax and regulate Cannabis in both US
states. Unfortunately, the international community chose to take
another course of action and decided to ban Cannabis in the 1961
United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs. As the name
suggests, the Single Convention is a consolidation of a series of
multi-lateral drug control treaties negotiated between 1912 and 1953.</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There
are three key United Nations (UN) treaties which relate to drugs and
Australia is a signatory to all of them:</span></span></span></div>
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<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">1.
The </span><a href="https://www.unodc.org/pdf/convention_1961_en.pdf"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Single
Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961</i></span></a></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">2.
The </span><a href="https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/psychotropics.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Convention
on Psychotropic Substances 1971</i></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">3.
The </span><a href="https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/treaties/illicit-trafficking.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>UN
Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic
Substances 1988</i></span></a></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/oLoL7x0eh8tp8MUgbmzfqRs8YAddYrssqaz1bvd7sUCF4sptmR6aINHzlekql2YSWGI84GEDsoVRPIHVhOvFjNMm8Pc-gnsbLaraS1gPwaLSu_RZW9ixiK9EikrsY3BLfm1z58EU_q_8srUzcInZ1aH3AHo" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="156" name="graphics4" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/oLoL7x0eh8tp8MUgbmzfqRs8YAddYrssqaz1bvd7sUCF4sptmR6aINHzlekql2YSWGI84GEDsoVRPIHVhOvFjNMm8Pc-gnsbLaraS1gPwaLSu_RZW9ixiK9EikrsY3BLfm1z58EU_q_8srUzcInZ1aH3AHo" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was passed in 1961 when the UN first sought to play a role in the development of international drug laws.
The Single Convention was developed in response to the wide range of
new drugs which had come onto the market since the passage of
previous treaties, which only regulated commonly known drugs such as
morphine, cocaine and heroin. The Single Convention expanded
international drug laws to include Cannabis (erroneously as it is a
non-toxic, non-addictive, herb) and newly-developed drugs.</span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The
main provision of the Single Convention is Article 36, which requires
signatories to enact laws against various drug-related activities,
such as cultivation, sale, possession, distribution, importation and
exportation, as well as: </span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"intentional
participation in, conspiracy to commit and attempts to commit, any of
such offences and preparatory acts and financial operations in
connexion with the offences referred to in this article".</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;"> The
Single Convention was one of the first attempts to ensure uniformity
in drug laws around the world and signatories were required to pass
laws in accordance with its provisions. It has had a major impact on
the development of drug laws worldwide with many countries passing
new or updated drug legislation after signing the Convention. Perhaps
most importantly, it was the first piece of international law to
prohibit the use of Cannabis.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://sydneydruglawyers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DrugCultivation.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="112" name="graphics5" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/OCu6gpicREg7l0AQSfzEjOat8yMwOZfBqlTFOwjL_T651KfPgxGs9yhYd3Jv5iQG3Tsiu4s5zhZ0goDZ5D108NS00EMQyS-CVTnLZ52y2JJjUMNRHBxHHioFIbwvwQfdaXI" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
next important instrument was The Convention on Psychotropic
Substances which was drafted in 1971. Again, this was developed in
response to the growing use of drugs such as MDMA, LSD and other
newly-discovered hallucinogens, and the drugs contained in plants
such as psilocybin mushrooms. Like the Single Convention, the
Convention of Psychotropic Substances was passed at a time when
governments around the world were becoming concerned at the
widespread use of hallucinogens and actively spreading fear that
drugs could cause health risks and an increased propensity to engage
in ‘anti-social’ conduct.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
United Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances was passed in 1988, the final major piece
of international drug law. This represented yet another attempt to
crack down on the use of drugs as the ‘War on Drugs’ waged on, a
fact that is noted in the Preamble to the Convention, which discusses
the unsuccessful attempts of previous conventions to prevent drug use
and the increase in drug usage and trafficking around the world. This
Convention went a step further than previous conventions, by
requiring signatories to enact laws aimed at preventing organised
drug crime and confiscating the proceeds of drug-related activities.
It also required signatories to control drug precursors.
Significantly, Article 3 states that signatories must take steps to
criminalise drug possession, drug purchase and drug cultivation for
personal consumption, subject to its constitutional principles and
the basic concepts of its legal system.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="733" name="graphics6" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Si61E_haY5c/VrKNbFky_XI/AAAAAAAAGas/04ff_HXhWOk/s1600/UNConventions.jpg" width="526" /></span></div>
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</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Before
the 1960's in Australia, drug use was not completely unknown, but
dependent drug use was typically the result of the use of opiates
after first using them for medical reasons. There were drug dependent
doctors (and their wives) and a small bohemian subculture that used
drugs. Many Australian arrests for drug offences involved visiting
jazz musicians. In 1961 Australia signed the International Single
Convention on Narcotic Drugs supporting an obligation to make
Cannabis available as a medicine. Most current state and federal
Cannabis control acts in Australia are in contradiction of this.</span></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
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<a href="http://sydneydruglawyers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/bordercontrolleddrugs.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="112" name="graphics7" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/F2d1sb2c9a0grht111bzcrdC-3RxVGo7yFQdxSfDqJWZW1o0g3YpLKv8uscAn5mwX20nM5zAZELZOpVIoQBvmHkDwFZskx4MMzQ_qtdZ6ciyoTiFExHzfwvV5ySXHJUdg9jLlAcpo8Y" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It
is possible that Australia's purported international obligations
could hinder moves to decriminalise or legalise certain drugs in the
future. One interpretation is that Article 36 of the Single
Convention does not require signatory nations to criminalise drug
related activities but simply requires them to impose adequate
punishments for ‘serious offences’. Furthermore, each Article of
the Single Convention contains a caveat to the effect that, if a
signatory state’s Constitution conflicts with the provisions of the
Convention, the nation’s Constitution would take precedence and the
conflicting provisions would not apply.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<a href="http://sydneydruglawyers.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DrugPossession.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="91" name="graphics8" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/rTW_sN_zZxzjjk8QYlpOXWmzgxOpCU_36RfchiSLNyTGcF1a3O8yoMIQi9BUQugY1Fdo4iz48gXfxnCjzlzSxrijhrxPMX9yoPLxMFeG-BDcanv3S484ZxiMtSoxvxbAmA" width="200" /></a><span style="color: black;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
Australia, it is the Federal government which is a signatory to the
Conventions, rather than state governments. Although most state law
generally follows federal ones, state governments can still enact
laws which conflict with the Conventions. The majority of minor drug
matters, such as drug possession and supply, are indeed regulated by
state laws. At any rate, it seems the UN may one day repeal its
instruments with the European Parliament recommending that The United
Nations Convention Against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances be done away with, citing the failed ‘War
on Drugs’ as evidence that prohibition simply does not work. The
three UN Drug Conventions of 1961, 1971 and 1988 impose a
‘one-size-fits-all’ prohibitionist approach to drug policy
throughout the world. The conventions could be amended to give
countries freedom to adopt drug policies better suited to their
particular needs. However, repealing the Conventions may be
procedurally difficult because they do not contain a termination
clause meaning it might need to remain in force until all signatories
formally withdraw.</span></span></div>
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Theoretically,
the Conventions could be changed by modification, such as moving a
drug from one schedule to another or simply by removing it from the
schedules. However, this cannot be done with Cannabis because it is
embedded in the text of the 1961 Convention. Also, modification would
need a majority of the Commissions’ 53 members to vote for it.
Amendment to the conventions, that is changing an article or part of
an article, does not offer a more promising route for the same
reason. Even if a majority were gained, then only one state need ask
for the decision to go to the Economic and Social Council for further
consideration and demand a vote.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://www.bonkersinstitute.org/showpics/kidun.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="200" name="graphics9" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/s5_5GB45jxzaVD4ixnRbyrTXp7YIxKdhK2TEKCg5TXHgNWtTqudSgmSdJhvgndTS0Wj3cHKm56A45zTJEqzRJnLM1ptk0g" width="188" /></a><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
1971 and 1988 Conventions need a two-thirds majority for change, not
just a simple majority. None of this would occur for the simple
reason that no votes are taken. All resolutions go through by
informal agreement. Also, only those countries up-to-date with the
payment of their UN dues are technically allowed to vote, which is
one reason why no votes are taken, as many countries rarely are
paid-up. Another alternative is state-by-state denunciation, but even
then the conventions would remain in effect until the number of
signatories fell below 40 in the case of the 1961 convention. </span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Moreover,
because the 1988 convention has no termination clause, it would
remain in effect even if only one signatory remained. Many articles
in the conventions are prefaced by the words “<i>subject to
its constitutional principles and the basic concepts of its legal
system”</i>. This has been used by the US not to implement part of
article 3 of the 1988 Convention, which prevents inciting others to
use narcotic or psychotropic drugs, on the basis that this would be
in contravention of their constitutional amendment guaranteeing
freedom of speech.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There
appears to be an ever-widening gap between the UN Conventions, UN
agencies’ own interpretation of them and the reality of various
countries’ responses to the increasing use of illicit drugs for
recreational purposes. The 1961 Convention limits the production,
manufacture, export, import, distribution of and trade in use and
possession of controlled drugs. It also allows the use of controlled
drugs for medicinal and scientific purposes, which means that the
prescription of heroin, morphine or methadone to heroin addicts is
within the conventions. However, the 1988 convention specifically
requires the possession of scheduled drugs for personal consumption
be made a criminal offence under domestic legislation. Although
initially complying, many countries, particularly in Europe, have
either introduced administrative sanctions for possession of illicit
drugs or have simply decided not to enforce the law in this respect.</span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="88" name="graphics10" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wXH1uxLEdAs/U9e3TWJBs4I/AAAAAAAAHzo/Nb-WFRzjVWo/s1600/beckley+foundation.png" width="449" /></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">A
report by The Beckley Foundation in 2012, </span><a href="http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/Roadmaps-to-Reform.pdf"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Roadmaps
to Reforming the UN Drug Conventions</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">,
highlighted that in principle there are many ways in which countries
or groups of countries could change the present system of treaties,
or change their status with respect to them. In practice, all the
ways pose substantial difficulties, but some seem clearly more
feasible than others, in terms of action in the short to medium term.
In particular, the report details the treaty amendments that would be
necessary if a country (or a group of countries) wished to experiment
with either of the following options:</span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">clear
and explicit decriminalisation of the possession of one or more
currently controlled substances for personal use;</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the
creation of a regulated, non-medical market in one or more
controlled substances.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://en.mercopress.com/data/cache/noticias/47713/0x0/un-economic-and-social-council-ecosoc-.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://en.mercopress.com/data/cache/noticias/47713/0x0/un-economic-and-social-council-ecosoc-.jpg" height="118" width="200" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Each
of the three treaties sets out procedures for amendment. Any
Party may propose an amendment to the 1961 treaty (Art. 47). The
Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN may then ask Parties
if there is unanimous support, failing that, may decide to call a
conference to discuss the proposed amendment. A similar procedure is
provided in the 1971 treaty (Art. 30), but with a little more detail (proposed amendment enters into force if no party rejects within 18 months). ECOSOC has the power to decide
whether a conference of Parties should be called, immediately or after 18-months for comment in which one or more Parties
reject the change. The 1988 treaty (Art. 31) has a 24-month comment
period, with an option for ECOSOC to call a conference thereafter if majority of Parties request it be done. The only successful
amendment to the treaties was the 1972 Protocol to the
1961 treaty, agreed on at the adoption of the 1971
convention. The 1972 Protocol strengthened some provisions of the
1961 treaty, though not to the extent hoped for by the
US.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other
than this, the only attempt to amend the treaties was in 2009 by
Bolivia, which filed a proposal to amend the 1961 treaty by removing
coca chewing, a traditional practice, from
its scope. The US convened a group
of <i>‘friends of the convention’</i> to rally against the
proposal. In the end 18 countries, mostly from Europe and North
America, including all the G-8 (economically most powerful
nations), filed objections to the proposal by the deadline of January, 2011. While ECOSOC could have called a conference of
Parties to consider the proposal, Bolivia in June 2011, used an alternative procedure, by formally announcing
its denunciation of the treaty, to take effect on 1 January 2012,
with a plan to re-accede with a reservation concerning coca
leaf.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/UZPWal8xskyNMEJBaxAm2bhcwhmmXghrhIZi6T6I1wUp0bxI3iWx1YvTde2llDAH9dgmzfBLJfFqL090Cdc-Le96VZKYaGV_GkXLMp5hzyhDMUnLgrixxSv3VbKvyuwlGS4diAh9lRUhkw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="138" name="graphics12" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/UZPWal8xskyNMEJBaxAm2bhcwhmmXghrhIZi6T6I1wUp0bxI3iWx1YvTde2llDAH9dgmzfBLJfFqL090Cdc-Le96VZKYaGV_GkXLMp5hzyhDMUnLgrixxSv3VbKvyuwlGS4diAh9lRUhkw" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A
psychoactive substance could in principle be removed from the scope
of the treaties by removing it from any of the schedules of the 1961
and 1971 treaties. This would require the recommendations of a WHO
Expert Committee (transmitted through the WHO Director-General) and
approval by a majority vote in the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND)
and then in the ECOSOC, if any Party appealed the CND decision there.
In the specific cases of Cannabis, coca and opium, there would still
be provisions in force in the 1961 treaty that require state control
of licensing and production and a state monopoly wholesaler. The
provisions on ‘changes in the scope of control’ in the 1961
treaty allow for the possibility of ‘deleting a drug... from a
Schedule’, but this would require that the WHO find that the
substance is not ‘liable to similar abuse and productive of similar
ill effects’ as the other drugs listed in the schedules
accompanying the treaty (Art. 3). Similarly, although the main
emphasis in the 1971 treaty is on adding substances to the schedules,
there is mention of the possibility to ‘delete’ a substance from
the schedules (Art. 2). However, recommendations from WHO are subject
to approval by the Commission on Narcotic Drugs under both treaties,
and also subject to a possible appeal to ECOSOC under the 1971
treaty.</span></span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/iQ1SHtZRjeSDp2hGQJYkMqgdQihyu6Ns6OuaChAhDH6Yph1RFbZehJNTOz-Fgm4z40M_addd_viyBPqqkQ9YUPSr-Jc_iB_8d1NLp9VjgufWuZ79lLXTAkBFChQ5kHsXt98NHVOZObBEhcG27Lez3cnoMNwjTmS1IwtABGu8yGDHet_O6Qt53STlByhrI76bP7PFjrfkawCjpqo5SbWWbQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="200" name="graphics13" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/iQ1SHtZRjeSDp2hGQJYkMqgdQihyu6Ns6OuaChAhDH6Yph1RFbZehJNTOz-Fgm4z40M_addd_viyBPqqkQ9YUPSr-Jc_iB_8d1NLp9VjgufWuZ79lLXTAkBFChQ5kHsXt98NHVOZObBEhcG27Lez3cnoMNwjTmS1IwtABGu8yGDHet_O6Qt53STlByhrI76bP7PFjrfkawCjpqo5SbWWbQ" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Periodically,
UN member states set out how they'll implement the conventions in
the form of a Political Declaration and Plan of Action. In 2009 the
UN member states established the Political Declaration and Plan of
Action International Cooperation Towards an Integrated and Balanced
Strategy to Counter the World Drug Problem. It was due to expire in
2019. Until 2012, at least on paper, all was going to plan. That year
representatives from Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia successfully
lobbied for an extraordinary Special Session of the UN general
Assembly to be held on the world drug problem. Mexico, Guatemala and
Colombia argued the current approach to drug control wasn't just
failing, it was playing into the hands of criminals. In short,
these countries were war-weary from being on the front-line of the 'War on Drugs' for so long, with little sign of peace.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately,
the story of how the UN General Assembly Special Session on the World
Drug Problem 2016 has come about, doesn't provide any further clarity
on what changes are needed. Since the announcement in 2012, much of
the global public policy debate on the world drug problem has been
less than helpful. Discussions seem to have focussed on strategy not
policy goals. Civil society's policy discourses have focussed on
demanding drug policy reform that stops the harm of the 'War on
Drugs'.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
UN University recently argued there is a tension built into
global drug policy because narcotics are both a source of social
harms and social goods. Some argue the legitimacy of this
argument is supported by the positive social goods realised by the
decriminalisation of Cannabis possession and consumption. Add to this
mix the unintended harm caused by the 'War on Drugs' and you've a
nascent argument for a revolution in global drug policy. The current
goal of global drug policy clearly relates to illicit narcotics and
psychotropics. And, as such, by definition this doesn't include those
narcotics and psychotropics that present legal social goods. As has
been proven in Portugal, and the US, sovereign states still maintain
the capacity to regulate narcotics that provide social goods.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.eastbysoutheast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/drug-picture-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="133" name="graphics14" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ZBOvrde4vTaGz6SlvJ3D20LXfnhbhaU4GDbZ1a5f6GOe8NIcYmKhJcvM41sfzYPWSKWt6GFDOmCrq-z6XPdvwvZAcgDPxiEEerIhF9fqNeusvrqUTt7bRmjXNeY1qeqp" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some
experts have been arguing vehemently for decriminalisation or
legalisation of drugs, referring to the Portugal experience to
support this position. Yes, Portugal has decriminalised drug
possession, but the dealing, production or growing of drugs remains a
criminal offence. When the Portuguese government decriminalised drug
possession it also made substantive investments in social and health
programs: including minimum income supplements and addiction
treatment. If anything the Portugal experience highlights the need
for innovation in drug control policy: not simplistic
decriminalisation or legalisation. In contrast, global drug policy
needs to be focussed on a realistic goal: reducing drug-related harm
experienced by individuals and communities, including the harms of the 'War on Drugs'.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div align="CENTER" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="https://stonetreeaus.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/hrcafe7.jpg?w=440&h=240&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="https://stonetreeaus.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/hrcafe7.jpg?w=440&h=240&crop=1" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A
strategy focussed on a harm reduction goal requires a three-pronged
approach: supply and demand reduction strategies, and harm
minimisation. At present the global drug policy primarily focusses on
supply reduction. Embryonic versions of the three-pronged model for
combatting drug problems already exist in Canada and Australia (National Drug Strategy). Supply reduction is
sometimes referred to as 'prevention' and has traditionally been seen
as a front-line program that targets drug dealers and importers to
reduce the availability of drugs. It's believed if the
number of dealers and the availability of drugs </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">can be reduced, drug use</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> m</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ay be prevented as well. This is not meant to be a blunt instrument targetting
drug users, rather strategic interventions that have impacts on
supply. In the global context this piece should be focussed on the
disruption of global illicit narcotics and psychotropic drug supply
chains: in China, Myanmar, Laos, Afghanistan and Mexico.</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Its
core, a focus on reducing the desire or need for illegal/illicit
drugs in our communities. This has many shapes and includes early
intervention, education, demand for treatment and measures designed
to remove the user's need from the equation of drug trafficking. The
harm minimisation or harm reduction strategy should attempt to reduce
the drug-related harm experienced by individuals and communities.
This is typically seen as the safety net for the other two policies
and accepts the reality that the other policies will never be
completely successful. Included in this strategy are healthcare
programs focussed on the health and safety of those who are engaged
in unhealthy and unsafe drug use practices.</span></span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UM7Oej8m1Cw/VYNmgVvvtwI/AAAAAAAAGvI/onPGDq1z_z4/s1600/classification-drugs2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UM7Oej8m1Cw/VYNmgVvvtwI/AAAAAAAAGvI/onPGDq1z_z4/s1600/classification-drugs2.jpg" width="572" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The
narcotic and psychotropic conventions have been operating for over 50
years, but tangible progress towards minimising and eliminating the
availability and use of illicit drugs and psychotropic substances has
been marginal at best. Decriminalisation of illicit narcotics and
psychoactive substances is unlikely, on its own, to reduce the
societal harm created by the use and abuse of narcotic and
psychotropic drugs. And as illustrated by the illegal trade in
tobacco products, decriminalisation isn't a guarantee that the
violence and corruption associated with black markets will be
entirely eliminated either. </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/marijuana-crime-denver_n_5595742.html?section=australia"><i><span style="color: purple;">Statistics</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">
show reductions in crime in jurisdictions where Cannabis and hemp are
legally consumed, Colorado in the US, for example. A 2014 </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3966811/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">
out of the US concluded there is no indication of a crime
exacerbating effect of medical Cannabis legalisation on any Part I
offences (defined as, Criminal homicide, murder and non-negligent
manslaughter). Alternatively, US state medical Cannabis laws may be
correlated with a reduction in homicide and assault rates which runs
counter to arguments suggesting legalisation of Cannabis for medical
purposes poses a danger to public health in terms of exposure to
violent crime and property crimes.</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsA6LANeZGyp47optqjgPhQpyOU0c1W9iLadu0cZxBqE23ZjDa" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQsA6LANeZGyp47optqjgPhQpyOU0c1W9iLadu0cZxBqE23ZjDa" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This
year's United Nation's General Assembly Special Session on the World
Drug Problem (</span><a href="http://www.unodc.org/ungass2016/" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>UNGASS</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
2016) is, by UN standards, set to be controversial. But it is
unlikely to be the game changer in global drug policy that some are
seeking unless consideration is given to redefining the underlying
goal of world drug policies, there will be no change in the prospects
for reducing the harmful effects of drug abuse. The one simple truism
of the drug policy debate is that there are no simple solutions, nor
much consensus. Solutions become even more difficult to find if
you're focussed on the wrong goals. The current global drug policy
goals - the elimination of the use and trade of illicit narcotics -
outlined in the UN's Political Declaration and drug control
conventions, don't address the ground truth of the global drug
problem. And these goals obfuscate the intent that drove the
development of the conventions; reducing the harmful effects of
substances that are being, or are likely to be, abused in such a
manner as to constitute a public health and social problem. The story
of how UNGASS 2016 has come to be, is itself evidence that there
might be a problem with global drug policy goals.</span></div>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/602685723586658304/oYxygEce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/602685723586658304/oYxygEce.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In
Australia the debate on medicinal Cannabis and its use is deemed
controversial by those whom advise policy makers, in the sense that
it represents a collision of terms, concepts, legal boundaries and
values. The 2015 Drug Policy Modelling Program (DPMP) from the
National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC</span><span style="color: black;">)
</span><a href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/DPMP%20Medicinal%20Cannabis%20Paper%2010th%20March%202015_0.pdf"><i><span style="color: purple;">report</span></i></a><span style="color: purple;"><i>
</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">states any medicinal Cannabis debate in Australia should be informed by
the experience of different regulatory regimes abroad. Noting there
are a variety of options to consider including several models
that involve a higher level of control against net-widening and
diversion and some that allow for a greater adherence with standard
medical practice, and yet others that are more open to fast
introduction of innovative, emerging treatment options.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The
report concludes that a key issue for policy makers is the extent to
which only pharmaceutical Cannabis products versus herbal products
under suitable regulatory control should be introduced. </span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"Policy
makers need to determine the extent to which authorisation is
strictly limited versus more broadly defined (prescription versus
recommendation). </i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">Supply
options requires decisions about the extent to which the key goal is
ensuring a high quality range of product types (pharmaceutical,
medical grade herbal, herbal) are available to patients versus
minimising the risk of diversion into the recreational market. </span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>"The
tightness of the model will depend on the extent to which it is
desirable to draw clear distinctions between medicinal and
recreational use, with the attendant risk of creating a false
dichotomy and valorising medicinal use at the expense of
marginalising recreational use and non-recognised medical use"</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/10/25/1226747/043210-bffa146a-3d3b-11e3-abda-bf8c41bbd447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://resources2.news.com.au/images/2013/10/25/1226747/043210-bffa146a-3d3b-11e3-abda-bf8c41bbd447.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In February 2016, a spokesperson for Australia's Federal Health Minister outlined the Government’s current position regarding the use of medical Cannabis in Australia as <i>"supportive of use for medicinal purposes where it is evidence-based and backed by good science to ensure favourable patient outcomes"</i>. However, the Government is concerned about people accessing illicit Cannabis supplies, exposing themselves to risk without medical supervision and increasing adverse results. The Minister </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-10-17/federal-government-to-legalise-growing-of-medicinal-cannabis/6862294" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>announced</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> the Government’s intention to enable cultivation on 17 October 2015 and legislation to enable this is intended to be introduced in the week commencing 8 February 2016. The Office of Drug Control within the Department of Health will be responsible for overseeing the cultivation scheme. Once the Secretary is satisfied there is a lawful use, cultivators will be granted a licence, subject to conditions to ensure Cannabis is not diverted for illicit uses (the Office will monitor compliance).</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<a href="https://www.marijuanaoil.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/page_558x332/public/about_us.jpg?itok=vXzrtWi4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://www.marijuanaoil.com.au/sites/default/files/styles/page_558x332/public/about_us.jpg?itok=vXzrtWi4" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">"There have always been legal pathways to access Cannabis products for </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">medicinal purposes under the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989 ... however, these have been poorly used. In part, this is because of difficulty in getting a supply of products to import", the government spokesperson said. The Government believes by cultivating and manufacturing locally, appropriately manufactured products will be assured. When medical practitioners become aware of the availability of product and evidence is available of its safety and efficacy, they can consider it within their clinical practice. The scheme will facilitate pharmaceutical companies undertaking clinical trials on prospective Cannabis-based products and enable involvement in manufacture of product for supply to clinical trials and other patients with any pharmaceutical company free to bring forward a product for registration by the TGA based on clinical trials conducted overseas. The clinical trials being conducted by Australian states are seen to be necessary to increase the evidence base for Cannabis for medicinal purposes. There is sufficient evidence that Cannabis-based products may have a benefit to patients in certain clinical settings under appropriate medical supervision. The Government is concerned about the health and welfare of all Australians and wishes to ensure that they have access to the most appropriate and safe treatments available. Patients are expected to have access to medicinal Cannabis products manufactured from Cannabis legally cultivated in Australia as soon as the first half of 2017.</span></span></div>
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<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.spellsgalore.com/communities/1/004/011/025/871/images/4606547342_450x253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" src="http://www.spellsgalore.com/communities/1/004/011/025/871/images/4606547342_450x253.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol and gambling are enjoyed by a lot of Australians, but they can be seriously harmful to some, to their families, to others, and can involve a lot of violence. We cannot eliminate smoking, drinking or gambling by making them a crime, so we reduce the harms by regulating sale and other measures, such as public campaigns to persuade people to give up, restrictions on advertising, treatment for addiction and so on. The US tried to ban drinking alcohol, Prohibition, it didn't work. By contrast, the use of what law-makers deem a drug (Cannabis is a non-toxic, therapeutic herb, wrongly proscribed as a drug) is mostly prohibited, by making possession for personal use a crime. Why a different attitude to drugs? The distinction is irrational and has adverse consequences. The futile attempt to prevent drug use by prohibition is hugely expensive and worse, it makes criminals out of ordinary people. Bringing people before the courts, stigmatising them as criminals and punishing them by fines or imprisonment is only justified if the conduct is wrong, and seriously wrong at that. We have eliminated crimes such as vagrancy, blasphemy, adultery, prostitution and homosexual acts because we have come to recognise that these behaviours are not wrong or, as some would say, not sufficiently wrong to justify making them a crime.</span></span></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
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</span></span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.mediscreen.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Not-So-Obvious-Health-Effects-of-Using-Illicit-Drugs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.mediscreen.net.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Not-So-Obvious-Health-Effects-of-Using-Illicit-Drugs.jpg" height="131" width="200" /></a>There is much that can be done to reduce the harmful effects of drug use and abuse. Such measures should not be hampered by the cry that they condone a crime when use should not even be a crime (a health issue, it should be nothing to do with law enforcement). Drug use should no more be a crime than smoking, drinking or gambling. It is time to give up the futile attempt to prevent drug use by prohibition and to concentrate on rational and achievable measures to minimise harm (supposed to be the over-arching principle adopted by the Australian government and the basis of the National Drug Strategy since 1985). Sales should be a different matter. With decriminalisation the sale of drugs would require a regulatory framework to control. Just as the market for tobacco, alcohol or gambling is regulated, and there might be some drug products so harmful we wouldn't countenance even regulated sale. It would take time to devise a satisfactory regulatory regime for the sale of all currently deemed illicit drugs. That is for tomorrow. Meanwhile, the abolition of the crime of possessing drugs, where possession is for personal use, is something that can be done today.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/michaela/sites/1/meta_images/original/ICSDP_Logo_RGB_onWhiteBG.png?1435847995" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/michaela/sites/1/meta_images/original/ICSDP_Logo_RGB_onWhiteBG.png?1435847995" height="58" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
Dr David Nutt, Professor of Neuropsychopharmacology at the Imperial College London, and on the <a href="http://www.icsdp.org/scientific_board"><i>Scientific Board</i></a> of the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (<a href="http://www.icsdp.org/"><i>ICSDP</i></a>), stated, <i>“Governments have yet to systematically measure and evaluate their policies based on health and security outcomes experienced by communities. These outcomes include the numbers of fatal overdose, blood-borne disease transmission rates, or traffic accidents – all of which have a far more meaningful impact on communities than measuring the level of drug use in the general population, or the amount of drugs that have been seized annually. While these may be important statistics, they tell us very little about how drugs are impacting communities”.</i></div>
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</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>Adapted
from;</i></span><span style="color: purple;"> </span><a href="http://sydneydruglawyers.com.au/blog/international-drug-law-treaties-shaping-domestic-drug-prohibition/" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">International Drug Law Treaties Shaping Domestic Drug Prohibition</span></a><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-style: italic;">,</span> </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/p/cannabis-historical-timeline.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabis Historical Timeline</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://www.fuoriluogo.it/arretrati/2003/apr_17_en.htm" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">UN Drug Policies and the Prospect for Change</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/Roadmaps-to-Reform.pdf" style="font-style: italic;"><span style="color: purple;">Roadmaps
to Reform</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/john-coyne/ungass-2016-change-to-glo_b_8815362.html" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">UNGASS 2016 Change To Global Drug Policy Unlikely</span></a><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="https://www.tni.org/files/download/rise_and_decline_ch1.pdf" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">The Rise and Decline of Cannabis Prohibition</a><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/DPMP%20Medicinal%20Cannabis%20Paper%2010th%20March%202015_0.pdf" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Medicinal Cannabis in Australia – Framing the regulatory options. Sydney:Drug Policy Modelling Program</a><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;">, </span><a href="http://aca.ninemsn.com.au/article/9081623/medical-marijuana" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Medical Marijuana</span></a>, <i><a href="http://adlrf.org.au/" target="_blank">Australian Drug Law Reform</a>, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/drugs-are-no-different-to-other-indulgences-so-why-are-they-illegal-20151208-glibh4.html" target="_blank">Drugs are no Different to Other Indulgences so Why Are They Illegal</a>, <a href="http://www.icsdp.org/open_letter_global" target="_blank">Scientists Demand A New Approach To Evaluating Illicit Drug Policy</a></i></span></div>
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orphans: 1; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://greenrushdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/CANANBIS-EXTRACTS-715X400.jpg"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="403" name="graphics1" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/W9TWxYR8bg81oqKsG2H3_KuZLFLlgHrnDGRBLt5CRmAjjFUBB1iw1VOyakGX943Ujd20Ws0gWtfARkoXMjk57DOTNCLk3iqBAwJxHiwtybwAMvENRN4nDHXqWW586yab2FzKJ0Tu" width="718" /></a></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis extracts are made by extracting cannabinoids and other molecules from Cannabis sativa L., plants. Whole plant extracts do not in fact use the whole plant, even though the whole plant is able to be used, for other purposes, such as juicing leaves or making salve with the roots etc. Whole plant extract means all the medicinal molecules from the plant are captured and concentrated; these molecules being cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids; this is what equals a whole plant extract. Cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavonoids are found in abundance in the buds of the Cannabis plant and whole plant extracts come from the buds. There are two basic methods for extraction:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Solvent:
Chemicals separate cannabinoids from plant matter</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Mechanical:
Resins are pressed out of plant using machines</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">For medicine, or those concerned about their chemical intake, extracts that don’t use solvents are most desirable. The following terms refer to the consistency of the extract, but are sometimes used interchangeably as terms for types of extracts:</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
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<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Crumble: dry, crumbly chunks</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Wax: sticky, stretchy, stays together when cool</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Shatter: hard, candy-like</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Live Resin: Extract taken from fresh plants instead of dried</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The following are different types of Cannabis extracts:</span></span></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Kief</span></span></span></h4>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.thcfinder.com/uploads/files/kush-kief-medical-cannabis-concentrate-thcf.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="140" name="graphics2" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sM-1rbVObQv_0L4wMMfsnQiPm-U2I94FYkqjL66QSk4bEyKKzaIWsgoyye7KFZm1wkRs3KJN61Si4nLXVQ6ZshXB7n7lI0afhEzfP-UevHCmahnDeApl_HJw15tE8zJez84fNW8E3Hr8Aw" width="122" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Solvents:
None</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Process: Simplest extract, using only dried trichomes collected during trimming or by rubbing buds over mesh screens.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Result: Fine, powdery dust</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Note: Can be smoked on its own, but burns up quickly. Kief makes an excellent material for making extracts.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hashish</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Solvents: Herbalists use Ethanol to make Cannabis tincture or Hash oil from Hashish or Kief. Ethanol would produce lousy hashish, so it should be made without solvents</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/leafly/content/the-great-wide-world-of-cannabis-concentrates/btwIludJQIqvGgk8IPm7_hash.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="96" name="graphics3" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/leafly/content/the-great-wide-world-of-cannabis-concentrates/btwIludJQIqvGgk8IPm7_hash.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Pressed kief</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: Can form a paste-like substance through to solid chunks</span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: justify;">Note: One of the oldest extracts, using kief and pressure, traditional hash is made. Many use hash as a generic term for extracts.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bubble Hash</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: None, ice water is used</span>
</div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://assets.hightimes.com/styles/large/s3/bubble_hash.jpg?itok=kn7mP-q4" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://assets.hightimes.com/styles/large/s3/bubble_hash.jpg?itok=kn7mP-q4" height="85" name="graphics12" width="172" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Buds or trim are run through a series of mesh screens, called Bubble
Bags, after being soaked in ice water</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: Similar to traditional hash, but the ice bath extraction removes
more trichomes</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: This is one of the more popular extraction techniques for DIY
smokers since the process is safe and relatively easy</span></div>
</li>
<br />
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://skunkpharmresearch.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/leaf-with-iso-1-1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="104" name="graphics4" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/h5_1TGox8sffwUZsTV8QpaVTYTp_FwCG0-tVsFyXeh0Hf7TXGeHFK7ASACZvoMWrPwcnl9JQdkw3bQvpIbe8AgsTLkBWDo1UYpd-UgKV2JSy9BpHZHcCA8ikSgE4PkA" width="140" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ISO Hash</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: Isopropyl alcohol or Ethanol</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Alcohol extracts cannabinoids and then evaporates</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Result:
Tarry oil to shatter</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: Also popular among DIY smokers who don’t mind chemicals in their
extract. Some believe the taste of extract suffers from this process.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: black;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFN0XXJQVbw/VrA1kXCblgI/AAAAAAAAGag/t6iJeoQfvgI/s1600/BHO.jpg"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" name="graphics11" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zFN0XXJQVbw/VrA1kXCblgI/AAAAAAAAGag/t6iJeoQfvgI/s1600/BHO.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<h4 class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; margin-top: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<br />
</h4>
<h4>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">BHO (Butane Hash Oil)</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Solvents: Butane</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Process: Cannabinoids are extracted from the plant using butane</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Result: waxy oil to hard shatter</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">Note: make sure to test BHO as residual butane may be present</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<br /><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">CO2
Oil</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: CO2</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tUa3ypdq6rU/U1Wfwrplm2I/AAAAAAAACKg/aN4JUwFXKpk/s1600/10177942_650534935020349_2772573324399008932_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="100" name="graphics6" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tUa3ypdq6rU/U1Wfwrplm2I/AAAAAAAACKg/aN4JUwFXKpk/s200/10177942_650534935020349_2772573324399008932_n.jpg" width="80" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Expensive machines using pressure and CO2, in a process known as supercritical fluid extraction, separate the cannabinoids from the plant</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: liquid (often used in vape pens) to waxy consistency</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: much cleaner than BHO, tends to be more expensive</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Budder</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
</ul>
<a href="http://weeddealer.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/dabs-672x357-672x357.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="94" name="graphics7" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/x8PujD_9_GAqu1tWD7wvGZFE-YFkIgaqzgengWw9HBZ_bthleiGU_p95veFbwoz2Ln6E9G4-uWO4cBS5U8gmwXxD0nt6wmS230sTAjAU_o3pt0EeSnnv2kRVXxc" width="172" /></a><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: Butane</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Plant material processed to an oil will form a gooey wax at specific
temperatures</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: Soft, creamy 'crumbles' (like ear-wax!)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: Tends to have less THC than other extracts. This process preserves more
terpenes, giving it a better flavour.</span>
</div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Tincture</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.thcfinder.com/uploads/files/homemade-cannabis-elixrs.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="142" name="graphics8" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/pqXEFiY2kf2aVsnmSyNFh9zyB_arjkpgdSohy9lPF8Ox2Lo3oKG6h3sf2IYGwRePGpnpdgygNIw2Wn-tx6X5VBZqS3aT20IRCOBiaHIeA1nRZwEBeTwb" width="134" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: Alcohol (Ethanol is the only form of alcohol recommended for internal medicinal
application. Never Isopropyl Alcohol (ISO) because ISO is not safe for internal use)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Cannabinoids are extracted and suspended in alcohol</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: A concoction of cannabinoids and alcohol</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: Tinctures use food-grade alcohol making them excellent medicine</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rosin</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<div class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<a href="http://www.weedist.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Exciting-New-Concentrate-Extraction-Methods-Rosin-Tech-Weedist-640x383.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="93" name="graphics9" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/krrzuSM5v4lI8RsEy2D8MohdaQIH6m2oje9dzKMUHp4koE_IQso7yNqCW9gMtjzB3acSEbmFtn-VO4tb8oWnsVQPHXxejMdI2cq4wygRs708I5vcUEXmLmyDukISqIwsMnJscLgjkn0-oBUHfsD0jCZ8us2MgTlkA-0FbdkbMGV4CgXqSs0LB9lYgBJqsOB7" width="166" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: None <a href="http://greenrushdaily.com/2016/01/23/rosin-tech-make-your-own-hash-without-solvents/">extracted</a> through heat and pressure</span><br />
<br />
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: A hair straightener, some parchment paper and pressure</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: Clean oil or shatter</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: Increasingly popular due to its simplicity and the clean finished product</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<h4 class="western" style="orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://www.trichome-alchemy.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/The-Rick-Simpson-Story-Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img align="BOTTOM" border="0" height="150" name="graphics10" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/2MPnlqS1lQReLTG0Nt8XknDI7cd-83gsZLn0sgJNN2nTPJWSrGrCAC_IpA2359ChDlLppB97He4B7gfzIQ78rev2wkaGdi4nxjCeAaXqAMOhWD3bLFMv9GK1GVb2IX98Zz1JRhoIv7mEFWdfYQEAD1k" width="150" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Rick Simpson Oil (<a href="http://greenrushdaily.com/2016/01/25/rick-simpson-claims-can-show-anyone-beat-cancer/"><i>RSO</i></a>)</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: black;"></span></div>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Solvents: Pure Naphtha or Isopropyl Alcohol</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Process: Whole plant is extracted in alcohol</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Result: Sticky tar remains, containing high levels of various cannabinoids
(depending on the strain of the plant)</span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border: none; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Note: Developed in 2003 by its namesake,</span><a href="http://phoenixtears.ca/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Rick Simpson</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, RSO has become a popular alternative cancer treatment. RSO has also been found to be a highly effective topical ointment.</span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://greenrushdaily.com/2016/01/28/cannabis-extracts-beginners-guide/"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Cannabis Extracts Beginners Guide</i></span></span></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.encod.org/info/local/cache-vignettes/L125xH125/arton5116-ea57c.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/s_YxPt3c5jNsEFViaYrykDPVOAC5KDKAfBU4R_7P4jBGJbS4PlkaP-aiZO47clP913vza2lOpHbXBwQW4vMKTnruVlPCkLpyxwnIMQfwjVduh733OPQgKvjOcss5jpk5hg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">During
the last four months of 2015 the Spanish State Supreme Court
condemned three associations of Cannabis consumers for alleged
offences against public health. In its judgements the Court concluded
the cultivation and distribution organised by </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/spanish-supreme-court-cannabis-crime/"><span style="color: purple;">Ebers</span></a>
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hemp
Users and Study Association and Pannagh Association of Cannabis Users
(Bilbao), along with Three Monkeys Cannabis Association (Barcelona)
did not fit into the "not punishable" concept of collective
cultivation (</span></span><a href="http://www.encod.org/info/-Cannabis-Social-Club-52-.html"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Cannabis
Social Clubs</i></span></span></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">)
for personal consumption, which until now had been considered by many
Spanish local courts as an argument to absolve these and other
associations.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/files/2015/04/FREE-PANNAGH-2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a><a href="http://www.encod.org/info/local/cache-vignettes/L300xH225/arton5185-a5df1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<br /></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/HB0ghkYfjqELZRnTWeTVZd2uCr0ySn38BRF8LHpbsGQdyZTdk4M9xS8K7OA71TfxFwbwXhjWPYX5-y6ztNYB9xpndlSh4ds-Xd0MbxXiawALhQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/HB0ghkYfjqELZRnTWeTVZd2uCr0ySn38BRF8LHpbsGQdyZTdk4M9xS8K7OA71TfxFwbwXhjWPYX5-y6ztNYB9xpndlSh4ds-Xd0MbxXiawALhQ" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
condemnation of Pannagh, a standard-bearer for the Cannabis movement
and its associations in Spain, is a significant blow. It was the
first </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://www.encod.org/info/PANNAGH-ACQUITTED-FIRST-LEGAL.html"><span style="color: purple;">acquittal</span></a>
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">by
the Provincial Court of Biscay (Basque Country) in April 2007 that
gave a boost to Cannabis consumers across Spain who were seeking ways
to develop their activities within a legal framework. It led to the
creation of hundreds of associations throughout the country
(especially in Catalonia and the Basque Country) where Cannabis could
be cultivated and distributed to members under the watchful eye of
authorities. However, in November 2011, police entered Pannagh
headquarters (Bilbao) and arrested five of their members, including
President Martín Barriuso. The police intervention netted 75 kg of
Cannabis, the annual harvest for its 300 members. In April 2015, the
Provincial Court of Vizcaya acquitted, after a judicial process
lasting almost 3½ years, the association Pannagh. “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>No
attempt to traffic was established, nor any intention to promote,
favour or facilitate illegal 'drug' consumption, nor to spread it to
third parties. There was no crime against public health, so we have
been acquitted”</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">,
said Barriuso. “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>It
was not proven that we were promoting anything illegal”</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ZBn69cbUAiHoxEb9P9IWbbcJCL1RUwGgRljWHaAgmr4ffmCIchnJ3QuwCbhqunSXxBi8GBtb7wiVDwcHuX-7e_jWlvYMTS6WQYbM-JM8c-_2RmZ9_Qj87rvIxU7rEy-aow" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ZBn69cbUAiHoxEb9P9IWbbcJCL1RUwGgRljWHaAgmr4ffmCIchnJ3QuwCbhqunSXxBi8GBtb7wiVDwcHuX-7e_jWlvYMTS6WQYbM-JM8c-_2RmZ9_Qj87rvIxU7rEy-aow" width="200" /></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">However,
the Public Prosecutor’s office lodged an appeal that the Supreme
Court partially upheld. Along with the President, the Treasurer and
Secretary were accused of drug trafficking. The Prosecutor called for
sentences of 4½ years along with an additional 1½ years for
belonging to a 'criminal' group. Members of Pannagh find the
reasoning behind the ruling “</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>full
of errors and blatant contradictions” </i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">and
believe it does not consider crucial data that was “</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>relevant
for the defence”</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">.
Pannagh alleges despite the fact its activity was deemed to be
criminally irrelevant by the Provincial Court of Biscay (in 2006) and
by the Court of Álava (in 2012), both cases ended with the return of
seized Cannabis to Pannagh. The ruling states the accused parties
acted in a way that was “</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>encouraged
by the unfounded hope that their actions could be tolerated or
believing that some judicial authorities could accept the thesis
putting forward the criminal irrelevance of the actions”</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">.
However, “</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>those
sentenced did not have an ‘unfounded hope’ but rather the
certainty, based on previous legal proceedings, that their conduct
was not criminal"</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sQBlmiKESFC6IAcS0BVTnzow3uqA8zDUkvUD1x1_JVtG2P2LQMTiKC5V_frpJuiJiDiLrk-1vgqMko3IMk3qdChO1tKBTaol1U7PEqmN3m21QIhx9A0QzcNNlywa4obFDqIB07Q" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/sQBlmiKESFC6IAcS0BVTnzow3uqA8zDUkvUD1x1_JVtG2P2LQMTiKC5V_frpJuiJiDiLrk-1vgqMko3IMk3qdChO1tKBTaol1U7PEqmN3m21QIhx9A0QzcNNlywa4obFDqIB07Q" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This
result is consistent with an earlier ruling handed down on Ebers in
which the Supreme Court had ruled and the Public Prosecutor had
appealed. The appeal was upheld and five members of that association
were sentenced, as perpetrators of the crime of illegally growing
'drugs', to jail time ranging between 3-8 months. An official
announcement by the EUSFAC (Federation of Associations of Cannabis
Users in the Basque Countries) was released in October, 2015 in
response to the harsh sentencing; <i>"We are disappointed
and perplexed with a legal decision that harms the public health that
it claims to protect. This ruling indirectly condemns, stigmatises
and marginises hundred of thousands of people that use Cannabis
throughout the state"</i>.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.larosaverda.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/3monkeys-600x432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.larosaverda.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/3monkeys-600x432.jpg" height="144" width="200" /></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Along
with similar charges laid against Barcelona's Three Monkeys, the
Ebers charges are seemingly paving the way towards criminalisation of
the activity of all Cannabis social clubs in Spain, as according to
the Supreme Court’s Criminal Chamber, the structuring and
functioning of these two clubs went beyond the limits of shared
consumption and infringed upon public health, but many of the
allegations in the ruling contradict those made by the Provincial
Court. While the Provincial Court ruled there was evidence of
“<i>management of
the delivery of substances and of the person carrying it out”</i>,
according to the Supreme Court there was “<i>a
lack of control”</i>.
Likewise, the entity went from being comprised of members that
accepted “<i>growing
for private consumption”</i>,
to “<i>a nucleus of
people” </i>who
“<i>organise the
association’s structure; they provide and prepare management,
supplies, distribution and growing ... and they make these structures
serve a wide and indiscriminate group of users"</i>.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/justicia_blog_cdn.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/justicia_blog_cdn.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
sentenced parties intend to lodge a suit for nullity of proceedings
to the Supreme Court and a subsequent appeal to the Constitutional
Court, as they believe that their “<i>right
to the presumption of innocence, to a trial with due processes and
proportional sentences” </i>has
been violated. They even propose submitting an appeal to the Court of
Human Rights in Strasbourg if necessary. “<i>The
Pannagh association want to denounce the fact that several of the
association’s workers have been punished for activities that, as
shown in the trial, and as outlined in the revoked sentence, were the
initiative and responsibility of all of Pannagh’s members,
according to its statutes and through an assembly agreement”</i>.
The association also makes it clear they will not be intimidated or
throw in the towel, as this is clearly “<i>a
political ruling, aimed at dismantling the social reality of Cannabis
within the Spanish state”</i>.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="http://www.encod.org/info/local/cache-vignettes/L214xH300/arton3864-b79e3.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/_YF9TYZPPEyHskfzSGmTaoc-2AAIdfcFL2Ufc730IuLan9obPlufyZa3_vzSHD-H4peBQO-nJVOrqG7uZp_CyOiKu6V6X6XUOVqmGMc7dlzGPNewLxQQPQ-slNNM-EAutg" width="142" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">“</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>At
Pannagh we encourage people to continue fighting for a change to drug
policy that puts an end to the unfair current situation and to keep
driving forward the promising debate about Cannabis regulation that
is taking place in a large part of the world, a debate that Pannagh
has tried to contribute to since its establishment in 2003”</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.
This is the concluding phrase of the </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://www.fac.cc/comunicado-de-la-asociacion-pannagh/"><span style="color: purple;">announcement</span></a>
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">issued
by Pannagh after the ruling from the Supreme Court that partially
upheld the prosecutor’s appeal against the ruling of the Court of
Bizkaia that absolved them of the crime of drug trafficking for
growing Cannabis for their members.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
ruling has serious consequences for the pioneering association from
Bilbao, with the President and Secretary sentenced to 1 year, 8
months in prison and fined 250,000 euros each. Two other members will
have to serve 6 months, but the Treasurer was absolved through an
omission by the Court. Pannagh believes “<i>this
is a political sentence, aimed at dismantling the Cannabis
association movement and based on a completely distorted view that is
behind the times in terms of the social reality of Cannabis in the
Spanish state”</i>.
The Federation of Cannabis Associations and other organisations have
already shown their support to the members.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
2016, Spain will attain its 50th anniversary of prohibitionist
legislation, which commenced with the ratification on 3 September,
1966, of the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961. Unlike
other countries though, the Spanish Supreme Court decided in 1974
that mere consumption and possession of 'drugs' for personal use
should not be punished by criminal law. Consistent with that initial
decriminalisation of consumption and possession not intended for
trafficking, the Supreme Court also decided that so-called collective
cultivation or the providing of a 'drug' to an habitual consumer
cannot be considered a crime when this serves compassionate purposes,
such as to alleviate any withdrawal.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/portada_111_blog_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="150723082740" border="0" height="124" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/portada_111_blog_full.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In
2001, legal experts at the request of the Drugs Commission of the
Regional Government of Andalusia, produced a report in which a set of
criteria were established that would make it possible to set up
establishments in which Cannabis could be obtained for both
recreational and therapeutic purposes while respecting the legal
framework. <i>"These
initiatives would have a place in our legal system if configured as
centres that would be closed to the public but where access would be
restricted to Cannabis consumers"</i>.
The report provided an interpretation, according to which, people who
consume Cannabis may use their constitutional right to associate, in
order to organise the cultivation of their supply without having to
recur to the illicit market. The association rents a space and grows
plants for the members, according to their estimated consumption in
order to avoid a surplus. Expenses incurred by the association (rent,
equipment, travel, administration etc.) are added and divided by the
total harvest so the contribution each is supposed to pay (calculated
in euros / g) covers the costs in proportion to his/her consumption.</span></span></div>
</div>
</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/cannabis%20club_1_blog_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/cannabis%20club_1_blog_full.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Spanish
Cannabis associations are not meant to sell Cannabis, because they do
not own the plants, but are care-takers of what remains the property
of the members. They are not meant to make profit, but to provide a
service to their members, independent of the size of the harvest.
What counts are the benefits enjoyed by the members: no uncertainty
about quality or possible adulteration of the product; with a
reliable source of counselling and information on Cannabis; a
transparent model for the provision of Cannabis as a first step
towards a true normalisation.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0qVJeP_cTDQyG4VpAbtCkm1bjzBd7_SvKp3192ZbZ4afaJIXknrR6XGaXDBvh_jeQ6HxE7_UL4KSsvGJ4ia-lHhf1_MPmwuLWaoTOyK-8e5YLGcdGbpkOqnaTwdjYaQ9t_6E" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #274e13; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/0qVJeP_cTDQyG4VpAbtCkm1bjzBd7_SvKp3192ZbZ4afaJIXknrR6XGaXDBvh_jeQ6HxE7_UL4KSsvGJ4ia-lHhf1_MPmwuLWaoTOyK-8e5YLGcdGbpkOqnaTwdjYaQ9t_6E" width="200" /></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Due
to the absence of any national political initiative to create a legal
framework to regulate the model, the newly created associations
started their own interpretations of the original code of conduct
developed by Pannagh and other pioneer activists. In the margin of
the non-profit distribution model some people could not resist the
temptation to replace transparency and accountability by commercial
strategies in order to obtain a quick benefit from what was conceived
as a new legal market in Cannabis. In many cases, associations became
clubs and members became customers. In cities like Barcelona or San
Sebastián, local politicians started to develop a regulatory
framework for clubs to operate regardless of the approval of the
central government in Madrid. Investors from around the world arrived
in order to ’buy a Cannabis club’, attracted by </span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://cannabisclubforsale.com/"><span style="color: purple;">websites</span></a>
</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">with
promotional texts such as: </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>"since
the opening of a new generation of Cannabis clubs and the appearance
of a more demanding consumer, Barcelona has stepped ahead of
coffee-shops from Amsterdam. Nowadays, some dispensaries in Barcelona
have nothing to envy the medical marijuana* dispensaries from
Colorado and California"</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">.</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #274e13; text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://praguepot.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/spain-flag-on-cannabis.jpg?w=860&h=280&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Spain Flag on cannabis background. Drug policy. Legalization of marijuana" border="0" height="65" src="https://praguepot.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/spain-flag-on-cannabis.jpg?w=860&h=280&crop=1" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">While
for the members of Pannagh, forming a Cannabis Social Club
represented a necessary act of civil disobedience intended to
challenge an unjust law and provoke discussion in society about the
urgent need for change, for the new generation it seems more and more
a financial investment. Consequently the movement of Spanish Cannabis
activists, a tiny group of people who struggled for more than 10
years to obtain this remarkable progress, became affected by high
tempered conflicts over the strategy to run. The judgement of the
Supreme Court, inspired by a last convulsion of conservative Spain to
stop the process towards Cannabis regulation, is expected to have
drastic consequences in the short term, as many of the legally
established clubs are expected to close in order to avoid
prosecution.</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://ep00.epimg.net/ccaa/imagenes/2014/11/06/catalunya/1415289434_191583_1415349367_noticia_normal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #274e13;"></span></a><br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/2_5_blog_cdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/2_5_blog_cdn.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile
everybody knows in the longer term, central powers in Madrid cannot
permit themselves to enforce a highly unpopular total ban on
Cannabis, among other substances, because of the ammunition this may
give to the call for regional autonomy. A real step forward for the
entire country in the form of a new law is unavoidable, though it
seems unlikely this will happen any time soon, due to the
unprecedented political crisis that arose in Spain after the
</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="https://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/letter-from-spain-post-election-imbroglio/"><span style="color: purple;">inconclusive
general election</span></a> </i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">on
20 December. The case will also be of great significance for the
debate in Europe. After the first police operation against Pannagh in
2005, the Italian MEP Giusto Catania put this question to the
European Commission: “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>If
the Spanish legislation allows an association of users of Cannabis to
operate, and if there is a possibility of cultivating Cannabis plants
legally, provided it is done without commercial purposes, how come
the Spanish justice proceeds against a legally constituted
association that cultivates for its own use? Is this not an
inconsistency which undermines the principle of legal security and
the right of association?”.</i></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/7uUQXZHDXUS7UHYccBDHf8_uNFQ5qsChaquTBGMXfwF7H9xgNISLiutHvCSJy0vXxQJaPc43ZQ8Z2R3QTtnfmrdJnIhedLgxb9EEXjn0QTyVT18J0-iJTHD4xJTyEFqO8kUl5NHiKbpP22J3EJiMzqF4ideUFjMrg8RXqQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ep00.epimg.net/ccaa/imagenes/2014/11/06/catalunya/1415289434_191583_1415349367_noticia_normal.jpg" height="169" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The
response was very clear: The European Union does not have any
competence on the regulation of activities related to possession and
consumption. EU Member States are obliged by the UN and EU
legislation to prosecute everything that has to do with commercial
distribution of illicit drugs. But this obligation disappears in the
case of cultivation for own use, as this is not covered by the
Framework Decision of the European Council. Cultivation of Cannabis
for personal use is defined by national laws. A similar margin exists
in the UN Single Convention. The Spanish Government, like any other,
is therefore competent to establish its own administrative regulation
for the individual or collective cultivation of Cannabis consumption,
determining the amount of plants that each person may possess,
without violating any international agreement.</span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.42cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In
January 2016, Pannagh published a 'Manifesto Of Support' regarding
the concerning judgements made by the Spanish Supreme Court against
four members of their association for an alleged crime against public
health, highlighting the following;</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">
</div>
<ul style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">the
Provincial Court of Biscay stated in their original acquittal that
Pannagh is a "<i>legally constituted association</i>" and
the confiscated Cannabis was intended exclusively for consumption of
members of the association themselves</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">the
Supreme Court altered the account of the proven facts in order to
conclude the existence of criminal offences. Its main argument is
that although Cannabis produced by Pannagh was never handed over to
non-members, there was a potential risk of leakages to people
outside the association by the members.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; orphans: 1;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">the
activities of Pannagh have been repeatedly subject to court
decisions that have affirmed their legality (Judgment nr. 218/2006
of the Provincial Court of Biscay and nr. 377/2012 of the Court of
Álava) both cases ended with the return of seized Cannabis to
Pannagh.</span></span></div>
</li>
</span></ul>
<div style="orphans: 1;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/foto%202_8_blog_cdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/foto%202_8_blog_cdn.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 0.48cm;">These
resolutions have been widely disseminated through the media and are
well known, just as the activities of Pannagh, which have clearly
been allowed for years by various public institutions. Therefore,
instead of </span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 0.48cm;">"unfounded hope"</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 0.48cm;">, they were rather driven
by an informed conviction, apparently shared by several courts of
justice.</span></span></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; text-align: justify;">
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
<span style="color: #274e13;">Helena Echeverri, a criminal lawyer who has spent her career defending the Cannabis sector, analysed the scenario that Cannabis Social Clubs face in Spain; the Supreme Court's recent negative rulings establish jurisprudence and prevent associations with large numbers of members from dispensing Cannabis. The solution involves sidestepping the courts and advocating for change at the polls. However, one thing seems clear for now, Cannabis Social Clubs are absolutely illegal and those in violation of the High Court's</span> <span style="color: purple;"><i><a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/Supreme-Court-requirements-cannabis-social-club/"><span style="color: purple;">requirements</span></a>
</i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">will be moved against.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</span></span><div>
<a href="https://praguepot.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/img_4555.jpg?w=860&h=280&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<div style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/foto%202_8_blog_cdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></a>
</div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<div style="line-height: 0.48cm;">
<a href="https://praguepot.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/img_4555.jpg?w=860&h=280&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="65" src="https://praguepot.files.wordpress.com/2015/07/img_4555.jpg?w=860&h=280&crop=1" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Spanish Supreme Court has opted for a very restrictive interpretation of the rules regarding shared consumption, which hinders the activity of clubs that currently exist. The court has outlined parameters in order to determine if the activity of a Cannabis association is criminal or not. These rules will be very useful for Provincial Courts which usually have widely varying opinions when it comes to dealing with these matters. However, in the end, everything will depend on the analysis of each specific case.</span>
</div>
<div style="line-height: 0.48cm;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<strong style="font-family: 'times new roman'; line-height: 0.48cm;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><i>Criteria that a Cannabis Social Club must comply with in order not to be deemed illegal;</i></span></span></strong></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<ol>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Association must be comprised only of habitual Cannabis users who can show this and; not be open to an indiscriminate number of members. This limitation is aimed at preventing third parties that have nothing to do with the club’s principles from using it illegally.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consumption must take place in a closed-off area in order to prevent it from being promoted in public and prevent it from reaching those not members. Meetings must take place between small numbers of users in order for them to be considered a “</span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">private affair that is not of a public nature”</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People associated with the Association must provide identification to prove that they really are habitual Cannabis users.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Consumption must be immediate in order to ensure the product does not leave the premises and to stop it from falling into the hands of third parties that should not have access.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The quantity of Cannabis that Associations possess must be “minimal” and suitable for consumption in a single meeting.</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Associations are urged to prevent storing large quantities of the plant as that is considered to be the “seed of danger that the legislator wants to banish” (with regard to the trafficking of drugs).</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The management body of the Association aims to ensure all of the above measures are fulfilled, i.e., they should have the ability to control and fulfil all of the aforementioned requirements.</span></li>
</ol>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/3_15_blog_cdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'helvetica neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="133" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/3_15_blog_cdn.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; max-width: 100%; padding: 0.25rem;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Given that analysis of circumstances will depend on each case, greater precision is needed in order to know the boundaries where the activities of a Cannabis Social Club may or may not constitute a crime. Until there is complete regulation, users will remain defenceless. Spaniards now know it is not legal for a club with a large number of members to grow and dispense Cannabis. Dispensing is considered legal only by associations with small numbers of members, from 10-20 (although the exact number is to be determined by legislators). It is also essential that product not leave the premises since there is a risk of third parties being exposed to it, that establishments harbour no intention of making a profit and that all the requirements specified in the rulings be complied with.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/marihuana_19_blog_cdn.jpg" style="clear: left; color: #274e13; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/marihuana_19_blog_cdn.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 0.58cm;">Madrid's La Santa Le Club's case was thrown out and their Cannabis returned, so under Spanish law they may allege a "prohibition error", which means if a judge has previously ruled they were operating properly, there is no reason they should be found non-compliant now. However, in view of the delicate overall situation, the legal recommendation is for associations to assess whether they are properly organised, not open their doors to the police without a search warrant, and get members tested, so that if they later end up in court, they can prove they have been regular consumers. If convicted and subject to a final sentence of more than two years of imprisonment, the judge may waive incarceration if one can present results of such tests and agree to undergo "detoxification".</span></div>
<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="font-family: 'times new roman'; line-height: 0.48cm; margin-bottom: 0cm;">
<br />
</div>
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/foto%203_5_blog_cdn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; font-family: 'times new roman'; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://www.dinafem.org/media/photologue/photos/cache/foto%203_5_blog_cdn.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Helena Echeverri has spent years warning people that she did not see a green future, but rather a "very black" one and that the only way to change this was to take the political fight to Parliament, not to the Provincial or other courts. She does not, however, trust any political party. She states the Partido Popular (PP), along with the PSOE, have "pursued the sector" the most and defines them as enemies. The PP has acted in a repressive way to end substance consumption through punishment. An example is the Public Safety Act which punishes not only consumption but cultivation that can be witnessed by third parties. In her opinion, the worst thing is that the Partido Popular "<i>continues to believe that Cannabis is worse than alcohol"</i> and spruiks that "smoking a joint before going to bed is the worst, because you'll end up on heroin, or it will kill neurons".</span></div>
<br />
<span style="clear: right; color: #274e13; float: right; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/LHrLQI4v-VMISpj6qm_thIZ_3MjbpivAyyNkX5gZNOGznM0RbtFvyEKdGciiXDMuu510DhbMZEKyzONNPfTI2NJwECNeLcP7UU0qQKfCwk6HoCsb_Ww1QNSh9ldMo_Da_nOK" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/LHrLQI4v-VMISpj6qm_thIZ_3MjbpivAyyNkX5gZNOGznM0RbtFvyEKdGciiXDMuu510DhbMZEKyzONNPfTI2NJwECNeLcP7UU0qQKfCwk6HoCsb_Ww1QNSh9ldMo_Da_nOK" width="216" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">As a criminal lawyer she has never seen anyone commit a violent crime (like hitting their partner or stealing) just because they used Cannabis. In contrast, she sees such behaviour every day as a result of alcohol consumption. <i style="color: #274e13;">"But if we were to try to ban it in a country like Spain, many wineries, which constitute a lobby, would thwart it. There are many interests involved .... "</i><span style="color: #274e13;">. She points out that every prisoner costs taxpayers around 69,000 euros, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">and most of this country's inmates are in for crimes against public health"</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, change is more necessary than ever. She cites as an example the 'puritan' United States (US) which has nevertheless legalised </span><a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/alaska-washington-jamaica-legalisation-americas/"><i><span style="color: purple;">dispensing</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> in some states. This is a model that Spain might want to consider following, if only because the US is almost always a forerunner.</span></span>
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="western" style="line-height: 0.58cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Spanish courts have taken a drastic course and the only way to turn things around is at the polls and through the critical thinking capacity of voters, and the Cannabis community. In light of the latest political developments, however, it seems that a positive scenario will take time to materialise. Pannagh is expected to announce its plans to take the case to a higher level, which could be the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. The follow up concerns all those fighting worldwide for regulation that eliminates the current legal uncertainty around cultivation of plants for personal consumption. In any state that calls itself civilised, adults ought to be allowed (under certain conditions such as maximum number of plants or equivalent area for indoor as well as outdoor cultivation) to grow any plants for individual consumption and share this with others.</span></div>
<br /></div>
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<div style="color: #274e13; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
Adapted from; </div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.encod.org/info/Encod-Bulletin-131.html"><span style="color: purple;">ENCOD Bulletin Drug Policies In Europe 31/12/15</span></a>, <a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/pannagh-supreme-court/">Pannagh Supreme Court</a>, <a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/spanish-supreme-court-cannabis-crime/"><span style="color: purple;">Spanish Supreme Court Cannabis Crime</span></a>, <a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/Supreme-Court-Opens-Door-to-Criminalisation-Social-Cannabis-Clubs/">Supreme Court Opens Door to Criminalisation Social Cannabis Clubs</a>, <a href="http://www.encod.org/info/The-Pannagh-Manifesto.html" target="_blank">The Pannagh Manifesto</a>, <a href="https://www.dinafem.org/en/blog/green-fight-parliament/" target="_blank">Green Fight Parliament</a></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, Cannabis is stronger today, but not for the reasons most would think.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Taboos about drugs are lying shattered across the United States (US) like the debris after a party. But even as some US states have begun to decriminalise or legalise Cannabis, and other jurisdictions across the America's including Canada and Mexico are looking to decriminalisation and even outright legalisation, there is an argument that is making some hesitate and ask: "Aren’t many drugs and herbals, even Cannabis, much more potent today than they were in the 1960's when the boomers formed their views on drug use? Hasn’t Cannabis morphed into 'super-skunk'? Aren’t people who used legal painkillers like OxyContin and Percocet sliding into heroin addiction - suggesting legally accessible drugs are a slippery slope toward the abuse of harder drugs?"</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s the irony. Drugs are more potent today and people are taking more powerful drugs but that’s largely because of the drug war, not despite it. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To grasp why, you need to understand a counter-intuitive phenomenon best explained by the writer Mike Gray in his book “Drug Crazy”. In January 1920, the day before Prohibition went into effect, the most popular alcoholic drinks were beer and wine. Once alcohol was legalised again, in December 1933, the most popular drinks were again beer and wine, as they remain today. But between those dates, beer and wine virtually vanished and the only alcoholic beverages available became hard spirits such as whiskey, vodka and 'moonshine'.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;">Some strains of Cannabis available at a co-operative in San Diego, California, US</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://thelibertycaucus.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/prohibition-laws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://thelibertycaucus.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/prohibition-laws.jpg" height="200" width="140" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So why would banning a drug change people’s taste? In fact, it didn’t. It just changed what they had access to. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Imagine you had to smuggle all the booze to be consumed in your local bar next week in a wagon from the Mexican or Canadian border. If you filled the wagon with beer, you could serve maybe a few hundred drinks. But if you filled the same space with whiskey, you could serve thousands. When you are smuggling anything over distance, “you have to put the maximum bang in the smallest possible package”, as Gray wrote. Bar-goers would prefer beer, but if all they can get is whiskey, plenty will drink that instead.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Gray points out that you can watch this dynamic any weekend if you go to the stands of any US college football game. Students prefer beer, but most college stadiums don’t allow or sell any alcohol. It’s a zone of prohibition. So what do the students do? They smuggle in hard liquor in flasks. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The technical term for this (coined by drug reform advocate Richard Cowan in 1986) is “the iron law of prohibition”. As crackdowns on a drug become more harsh, the milder forms of that drug disappear and the most extreme forms become most widely available. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So US presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina was right when she said during the CNN Republican debate, “the marijuana* that kids are smoking today is not the same as the marijuana* that Jeb Bush smoked 40 years ago”. Today’s 'pot' is significantly richer in THC, much like hard spirits have a higher alcohol content than beer. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">But using that fact as an argument against legalisation misrepresents what is going on. Most Cannabis users don’t want to get totally baked on 'super skunk', any more than most social drinkers want to get smashed on Smirnoff. But the milder stuff isn’t available because the market basically prohibits it from happening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The iron law is playing out to devastating effect with opiates. People who become addicted to OxyContin or Percocet (oxycodone and paracetamol [acetaminophen]) want to continue using those drugs. Doctors, however, are required by law to stop prescribing these opiates if they suspect the patient is feeding an addiction, not treating physical pain. Yet when an addict tries to find his drug on the illegal market, Oxy's or Percs are almost impossible to get. What is widely available and cheaper, is a much stronger and completely outlawed opiate: heroin.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This isn’t the intention of the drug warriors, any more than champions of prohibition intended to super-charge the market for moonshine. But it is the practical effect. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So if you want drugs to be as wildly potent as possible, sticking with the war on drugs is the way to go. But if you believe milder and less intoxicating drugs present less risk to us all, its time, at last, to end prohibition.</span></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Adapted from </span><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-marijuana-stronger-today-20160114-story.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Marijuana Stronger Today</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> by Johann Hari, author of “Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War on Drugs”</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">*Cannabis sativa L., is the correct botanical term, marijuana is a North American colloquialism</span></span></i>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">As a scientist working to improve the health of people living with </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/stories/2005/11/17/1831305.htm"><span style="color: purple;"><i>HIV/AIDS</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) in Canada who use illicit drugs*, an Infectious Disease Epidemiologist is reminded every day of the impacts of government policies on drugs. What's more, he has seen how misinformation about drugs can lead to ineffective and even harmful drug policies. His own work involves researching the potential impact of Cannabis among people living with HIV/AIDS.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Patients have stated for decades that Cannabis helps them deal with the side effects of their medications. But, in a preliminary study, <i>High-intensity Cannabis use associated with lower plasma human immunodeficiency virus-1 RNA viral load among recently infected people who use injection drugs</i>, researchers found evidence to suggest that people who use Cannabis are more likely to have </span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/dar.12223/abstract?"><span style="color: purple;"><i>slower HIV disease progression</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, meaning they can live longer and healthier lives.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">That finding is likely due to Cannabis' </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828614/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>anti-inflammatory properties</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, which slows the replication of cells carrying the virus in a person's body. It's an outcome that helps better understand a role for Cannabis in viral infections. The study concluded; <i>"Consistent with the findings from recent in vitro and in vivo studies ... we observed a strong association between Cannabis use and lower pVL (plasma HIV-1 RNA viral loads) following seroconversion among illicit drug-using participants. Our findings support the further investigation of the immunomodulatory or antiviral effects of cannabinoids among individuals living with HIV/AIDS"</i>.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis's therapeutic benefits stem from the way it stimulates with the body's own method of making us feel good, known as the </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/introduction-to-your-endocannabinoid.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>endocannabinoid system</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (ECS), explains Emeritus Professor of Anaesthesia, Laurence Mather, from the Northern Clinical School at the University of Sydney. "The endocannabinoid system in the body is not a pain relieving system like the endorphin system, like for morphine-type things, it's more a general well-being system and it works by making people feel more comfortable with themselves. It doesn't ablate pain, it makes the body more accepting". Cannabis helps with a very specific type of pain that does not appear to respond well to pain relieving treatments, such as opioids or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS).</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">The appetite stimulating effects of Cannabis more commonly known as 'the munchies', have also proven useful in countering the bodily wasting associated with a range of conditions from </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/health/library/stories/2005/11/17/1831305.htm"><span style="color: purple;"><i>HIV/AIDS</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> to cancer. </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"That was observed back in the 1960's and 1970's, particularly by the recreational users of the time who noticed the incidence of weight gain was more favourable in those that used Cannabis than others</i><span style="color: #274e13;">", Mather said. </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"The side effects of many things that are used for treating these conditions such as heavy duty pain and things of that kind, treating them with opioids or treating with NSAIDS, are far more dire than they are from Cannabis"</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, said Mather. </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"People can die from morphine, they stop breathing; people can die from paracetamol because it buggers their livers, people can die from NSAIDS because it buggers their kidneys, but Cannabis doesn't do any of these things"</i><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.vancouversun.com/cms/binary/11380093.jpg" style="clear: right; color: #274e13; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/P6DITqM7IvNWZKWkLyptQ-9rbd5jN_kmv3LCXM2W7lKC3llTAtJVGSWmsFS6Uv8wnHhZYsneUiiaPvZl3OG-Cov2mZB9Jl8" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In Canada, Cannabis is widely available and levels of use appear to be </span><a href="http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/82-003-x/2015004/article/14158-eng.pdf"><span style="color: purple;"><i>static</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">. In 2012, 41% of Canadians reported ever using Cannabis, while 43% reported using it in 2002. Which means that many Canadians have first-hand experience with Cannabis and many others have an opinion on it. What is troubling, though, is that while the scientific evidence on Cannabis is growing rapidly, non-scientific claims about the impact of Cannabis on the body are continually repeated in headlines, online, and by policy-makers, to the point that, to some they begin to sound true.</span></span></div>
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Medical Cannabis presents a conundrum for some medical professionals. Its illegality in large parts of the world, including Australia, means most medical users are self-medicating and this also makes it difficult to study in clinical trials. As a consequence, a significant proportion of medical Cannabis research is based on self-reported use and outcomes, rather than large, carefully-designed, randomised trials, said Professor Ian Olver, head of the Cancer Council Australia. <i>"Probably two decades ago I remember sitting on a panel that reviewed the evidence for medical Cannabis, and in most cases the evidence is anecdotal" </i>said Olver. As a result, he is cautious about the idea of more widespread availability of medical Cannabis but acknowledges that there may be some patients for whom it is their only recourse to relief. <i>"If you've got a patient who's been through conventional therapy and has not responded, you're sympathetic to them if they find something that's worked ..."</i>. he said.</div>
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/L0uoArNq4wcc7XutSiDcbgpdtrrj0D2GfLWpgDwXsLFdfjX9E8BDCq0o0VckzFR0aLySb7NIVs8l4AoCeplIJ0U1yoGhXoRgNIWuS205FUbEj1Dd_Q" style="clear: left; color: #274e13; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/L0uoArNq4wcc7XutSiDcbgpdtrrj0D2GfLWpgDwXsLFdfjX9E8BDCq0o0VckzFR0aLySb7NIVs8l4AoCeplIJ0U1yoGhXoRgNIWuS205FUbEj1Dd_Q" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;">Interpreting scientific evidence isn't always an easy task: it involves assessing a massive set of studies and sometimes coming up against competing findings. Take the issue of </span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_potency_impact_use_heart_lungs"><span style="color: purple;"><i>potency</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, for example, which was in the Canadian news with the former Canadian federal government's anti-Cannabis television advertisements which were shown across Canada, before they comprehensively lost the last federal election. The ads claimed Cannabis potency had increased on average by up to 400% from a few decades ago. The issue is just not that straightforward. </span><a href="http://www.nature.com/news/the-cannabis-experiment-1.18201#b11"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Data</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> from the United States (US) government suggests that on average, Cannabis potency has increased from about 3% in the 1980's, to 12% in 2012, a</span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_potency_impact_use_heart_lungs" style="color: #274e13;"> </a><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_potency_impact_use_heart_lungs"><span style="color: purple;"><i>300%</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> increase.</span></div>
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Lost in this debate around potency, though, is a basic but important question. Does increased potency actually have any detrimental effect on the body? This seems to be another case where the evidence shows there is no risk of the overdose-type effects of alcohol or opioids like heroin. Scientists who have reviewed the evidence have flatly stated that concerns over potency are not supported by any science.</div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">Even if we assume increased Cannabis potency is problematic, though, what is the best way of controlling it? Between the 1980's and the 2000's, when US Cannabis potency increased by about 300%, the US government engaged in a massive global program to reduce Cannabis supply. Clearly, it was a failure. In comparison, when a Canadian medical Cannabis supplier accidentally released a strain of cannabis with delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) levels of 14% in 2015 (labelled as 9% THC), Health Canada took a simple step: it </span><a href="http://www.torontosun.com/2015/02/11/health-canada-recalls-overly-potent-medical-marijuana" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>recalled</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> the product. Just like that, the higher-potency Cannabis was off the market, something the US government couldn't achieve despite investing billions of dollars and deploying the world's largest counter-narcotic force.</span></div>
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<a href="https://teens.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/images/fod_marijuana.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://teens.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/images/fod_marijuana.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2014 the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) increased its spending on</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabis</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> research by 50% and annual production soared from 18 to 600 kilograms and the harvested crop included two new strains. One with low concentrations of THC and high levels of cannabidiol and the second strain with relatively balanced levels of the two cannabinoids. In the US in March 2015 it was revealed researchers would be able to access more varieties of Cannabis for research purposes courtesy of NIDA. Under a government contract the University of Mississippi in Oxford grows Cannabis for the sole US supplier, NIDA, and research scientists must obtain Cannabis for study via NIDA alone. The Director said they want to be able to evaluate the claims that Cannabis is therapeutically beneficial and to explore treatments for addiction. In Australia</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, <span style="line-height: 18.2px;">the Federal Health Minister announced in late 2015 support for a change to the Narcotics Drugs Act (1967) to create a regulatory body to oversee the cultivation and importation of medical Cannabis for state trials of a Cannabis based-pharmaceutical, NOT whole plant. This would make it easier for researchers in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales, where clinical trials for the use of a Cannabis-based pharmaceutical have been announced, to obtain the plant locally.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/michaela/pages/92/attachments/original/1440176097/5463701385_5e885d1ba5_o.jpg?1440176097" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="119" src="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/michaela/pages/92/attachments/original/1440176097/5463701385_5e885d1ba5_o.jpg?1440176097" width="200" /></a>We expect our political leaders to build policies based on the evidence so that they are as effective as possible. Drug policies should be no different. Unfortunately, Canada's current policies on Cannabis are based on a misreading of the science at best. Worse, they are making it harder for people to access life-saving medicine. The circumstances are even worse in countries like Australia where there is NO legal access to medicinal whole plant Cannabis which simply leads to many, otherwise law-abiding citizens, being arrested and treated like common criminals when all most of them are seeking is relief from some terribly debilitating disease or syndrome. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Expanded from; </span></i></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/misinformed_cannabis_policies_prevent_access_to_life_saving_treatments"><span style="color: purple;">Misinformed Cannabis Policies Prevent Access To Life Saving Treatments</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, with </span><a href="http://www.nature.com/news/marijuana-gears-up-for-production-high-in-us-labs-1.17129"><span style="color: purple;">Marijuana Gears Up For Production High In US Labs</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, and, </span><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/health/thepulse/stories/2014/10/27/4115279.htm"><span style="color: purple;">Why some doctors are in favour of medical Cannabis</span></a></i></span></span></div>
</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Notes:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*The term ‘illicit drug’ can encompass a number of broad concepts, according to the Australian government, including;</span></i></span></i></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• illegal drugs - a drug that is prohibited from manufacture, sale or possession in Australia, for example, Cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• misuse, non-medical or extra-medical use of pharmaceuticals - drugs that are available from a pharmacy, over-the-counter or by prescription, which may be subject to misuse, for example opioid-based pain relief medications, opioid substitution therapies, benzodiazepines, over-the-counter codeine, and steroids</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">• other psycho-active substances - legal or illegal, potentially used in a harmful way, for example, kava, or inhalants such as petrol, paint or glue (but not including tobacco or alcohol)</span></i></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">*Cannabis sativa L., is an annual herbaceous plant, i.e., a herb</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><strong><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Unquestioning Acceptance by Australian Courts of Irrational Laws Regarding</span></span></em></strong></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><strong><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Illegal Drugs, Leads to Cruel Punishment, and Makes Criminals of Decent People.</span></span></em></strong></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5RT1L2ybUEqNAn_9x5cHnDuh9phWW3nn_nDXexJxtGqndGA0RElo32-MnQ1dytkWzvCY7XCLuxoN-58BWSxzmaAcc2skm5dgy5A6sVZSzAz-mvncQrvjBr9qsGqRapcj7w" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5RT1L2ybUEqNAn_9x5cHnDuh9phWW3nn_nDXexJxtGqndGA0RElo32-MnQ1dytkWzvCY7XCLuxoN-58BWSxzmaAcc2skm5dgy5A6sVZSzAz-mvncQrvjBr9qsGqRapcj7w" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5RT1L2ybUEqNAn_9x5cHnDuh9phWW3nn_nDXexJxtGqndGA0RElo32-MnQ1dytkWzvCY7XCLuxoN-58BWSxzmaAcc2skm5dgy5A6sVZSzAz-mvncQrvjBr9qsGqRapcj7w" height="138" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/5RT1L2ybUEqNAn_9x5cHnDuh9phWW3nn_nDXexJxtGqndGA0RElo32-MnQ1dytkWzvCY7XCLuxoN-58BWSxzmaAcc2skm5dgy5A6sVZSzAz-mvncQrvjBr9qsGqRapcj7w" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="244" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #003300; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many Australians labour under the misconception that all substances officially labelled as 'dangerous drugs of addiction' are indeed so and should be prohibited. However, there is no reputable evidence that so-called drugs* currently labelled as such across Australia actually cause pharmacological harm. Drug laws have been established by decree and are based on belief, not scientific facts. This means severe punishment for possession and/or use of outlawed drugs, most of which are far safer than alcohol or tobacco, is both cruel and unjust. Governments and regulatory bodies want to conceal the truth about prohibited drugs and maintain world-wide misconceptions to justify the hypocritical, unjust and cruel punishments meted out by courts for infringements. It would seem that in the eyes of our legislators any so-called drugs, except alcohol and tobacco, that give any degree of pleasure must be prohibited and automatically defined as 'a dangerous drug of addiction', whether or not the substance in question actually causes pharmacological harm!</span></div>
<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/images/stories/shopimages/black_alcohol_enforcement.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/images/stories/shopimages/black_alcohol_enforcement.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Zu14AK_zmFpb0Mrff9TEy9nTy_IYa7kGKeIy_QBV5Rznf8SSK6ALgX6mTiW7EyA0KSqvYl_R5uIdGCTfzxGOoBT_NNzOQ3LKwKDUr7OCVWSyoDA0JySwIJo-6Js46aiL5DxlgL53oHj3uQ" height="211" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Zu14AK_zmFpb0Mrff9TEy9nTy_IYa7kGKeIy_QBV5Rznf8SSK6ALgX6mTiW7EyA0KSqvYl_R5uIdGCTfzxGOoBT_NNzOQ3LKwKDUr7OCVWSyoDA0JySwIJo-6Js46aiL5DxlgL53oHj3uQ" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="253" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In science and philosophy, truth is what can be demonstrated and proved with facts; and a lie is making a false statement knowing it to be false. The difference in the concepts of truth (and justice) between the disciplines of science and philosophy and the discipline of the Law, are depressing indeed, particularly where drugs are concerned. The legal profession, from the Supreme Court down, supports current drug laws without demanding proof that outlawed drugs are indeed 'dangerous drugs of addiction'. It seems truth has been established by authoritarian decree, in the face of facts and evidence, something we associate with religion rather than secular justice. As the laws are based on things that are untrue, it seems in jurisprudence (the study, knowledge, or science of law) a lie is not a lie if it is ‘the Law’! But is it sensible to make unjust laws so that the Law falls into disrepute?</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To rational, free-thinking people it would seem incumbent on our courts of justice to demand proof of the danger of substances before even considering imprisoning people for years, confiscating property and accepting tainted evidence obtained from 'witch-hunts' conducted on hearsay from anonymous callers! But this is not the case. Even though no one wants courts to have the power to make the laws, we should be able to expect them to at least check the veracity of the facts on which the laws are based before even considering adjudicating! For argument's sake let's say we have three drugs, A, B, and C. Drug A is pharmacologically and psychologically far more harmful than drugs B or C in six respects;</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">i) Death rates, +ii) Addiction rates, iii) Withdrawal, iv) Overdose, v) Destruction of brain/body cells, vi) Behaviour.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Logically and ethically, one would expect the Law to punish users of drug A and prefer people to use drugs B and C. Instead, in Australia the reverse is true. Drug A is feted as the most appropriate social drug while 25 years jail and disproportionate confiscation of property is the punishment for producers and users of drugs B or C. Surely this demonstrates the highest level of hypocrisy and injustice? Is it ethical to insist on obedience to cruel and unjust laws based on false premises? What principle in jurisprudence allows the Law to be used as the instrument for cruelty and injustice? If people prefer to relax with drugs B or C instead of drug A, and thus do less harm to themselves, why should the State want to punish them?</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="https://external.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCLOlOmiWItzR4z&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.guim.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fmedia%2F966b506c46e12b415da79086e53987f2dda1d448%2F0_372_3500_2100%2Fmaster%2F3500.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26q%3D85%26auto%3Dformat%26sharp%3D10%26s%3D2a19b33426a9584d7dd2529de25893a9&cfs=1&upscale=1" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://external.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCLOlOmiWItzR4z&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.guim.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fmedia%2F966b506c46e12b415da79086e53987f2dda1d448%2F0_372_3500_2100%2Fmaster%2F3500.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26q%3D85%26auto%3Dformat%26sharp%3D10%26s%3D2a19b33426a9584d7dd2529de25893a9&cfs=1&upscale=1" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" data-mce-src="https://external.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCLOlOmiWItzR4z&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.guim.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fmedia%2F966b506c46e12b415da79086e53987f2dda1d448%2F0_372_3500_2100%2Fmaster%2F3500.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26q%3D85%26auto%3Dformat%26sharp%3D10%26s%3D2a19b33426a9584d7dd2529de25893a9&cfs=1&upscale=1" height="88" src="https://external.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCLOlOmiWItzR4z&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.guim.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fmedia%2F966b506c46e12b415da79086e53987f2dda1d448%2F0_372_3500_2100%2Fmaster%2F3500.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26q%3D85%26auto%3Dformat%26sharp%3D10%26s%3D2a19b33426a9584d7dd2529de25893a9&cfs=1&upscale=1" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="169" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>“Major drug offences are among the most serious of crimes. The growing community awareness of the problem has allowed governments of recent times to equate these offences with murder and to provide penalties, including sentences of life imprisonment”</em>. Justice Williams, 1979</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br data-mce-bogus="1" /></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1980 the Australian (Justice Williams) Royal Commission of Inquiry into Drugs arbitrarily decided 5kg <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/Cannabis/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/Cannabis/" style="color: #003300;">Cannabis</a></em>* and 0.3kg heroin was 'trafficking' and any lesser quantities got 5 years, for 'possession'. No penalties for alcohol nor tobacco, Australia's actual drugs of abuse and addiction. The Williams Report was an outstanding example of how the legal mind could come to any conclusion it wants to or needs to (or feels like, it would seem), irrespective of reason or evidence. 98% of drug deaths in Australia are directly attributable to alcohol or tobacco (or a combination of both) and statistics on these deaths remain startlingly similar, year after year.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #3d596d; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; text-align: start;">
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With a vested interest in the alcohol industry, Justice Williams (who sat on the board of Foster's Brewing) was not objective and incredibly harsh considering the report's list of all the ‘evil toxic effects of alcohol’. Williams advocated life imprisonment for those who make an intelligent and far more rational decision to use non-toxic substances. <a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/images/stories/shopimages/alcohol_related_incident.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/images/stories/shopimages/alcohol_related_incident.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/aORVUrCJA2lIAACQm7d0PW1hS8IDBNLj42uV5xTfxk8JZuZ3w4ObrIvNrMKL0eayZd7zzj5TmdYAknJGnEvKwCs9nTz302RWK3NcWCLqzF-G7m_bVyNYlb63o_XohWXRoYZ4u9tt-Mj8" height="229" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/aORVUrCJA2lIAACQm7d0PW1hS8IDBNLj42uV5xTfxk8JZuZ3w4ObrIvNrMKL0eayZd7zzj5TmdYAknJGnEvKwCs9nTz302RWK3NcWCLqzF-G7m_bVyNYlb63o_XohWXRoYZ4u9tt-Mj8" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="274" /></a>The multi-volume report, rather than considering the degree of harm produced by various drugs, took the view that Cannabis in particular was not a harmless drug because it produced an 'intoxicating' effect. It concluded removal of prohibitions against Cannabis would depart from the intention and spirit of the <em>Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs</em>, have a domino effect ensuing in stimulating calls for relaxation of prohibitions on other drugs and send a signal to the community that drug use was acceptable. The Williams Royal Commission recommended consideration of relaxation of prohibitions on Cannabis not occur for 10 years, during which time information about the 'drug' and its use would be collected by National and State Drug Information Centres. The Commonwealth government set up a National Drug Information Centre but state and territory centres were not established, making the recommended review impossible.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Drug Strategy that commenced in 1985 was designed to engage all levels and parts of government, the non-government sector and community with the overarching approach of 'harm minimisation', encompassing reduction of demand, supply and harm. 'Harm minimisation' is a deceptive title to cover-up the fact that lawmakers have overstated and demonised cannabinoids and opiates in a most dishonest manner. To solve the problem of the evil and cruelty that result from the present drug laws, the public should be told the pharmacological truth about non-addictive cannabinoids and the less addictive, natural opiates.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #3d596d; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; text-align: start;">
<div data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="margin-bottom: 24px; text-align: justify;">
<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="cannabis" class=" wp-image-595 alignleft" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/cannabis.jpg" height="150" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/cannabis.jpg" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" />In 1989 a Parliamentary Joint Committee investigation touched on Cannabis with its terms of reference including the scope and nature of the trade in illegal drugs, the efficacy of law enforcement and the costs and efficacy of prohibition. It concluded; <em>"If the aim of the policy of prohibition was to reduce the use of prohibited substances, or even to minimise access to them, it has clearly failed"</em>, and <em>"should the latest initiatives fail to make any significant inroads on the market then it would be appropriate to consider some relaxation of the present prohibitionism as an alternative policy"</em>. Since 1998 reported use of all illicit drugs combined has fallen. Within this trend, however, use of some drugs increased and a number of new drugs and trends have emerged including increased use of specific illicit 'drugs' such as Cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens and increased misuse of over-the-counter and prescription pharmaceuticals such as prescription opioids and benzodiazepines.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #3d596d; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; text-align: start;">
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The National Illicit Drug Strategy '<em>Tough on Drugs</em>' was launched in November 1997 by the then Prime Minister as part of the <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/" style="color: #003300;">National Drug Strategy</a></em> (NDS) which has been in existence in one form or another since 1985 (re-named in 1993 from the <em>National Campaign Against Drug Abuse</em> [NCADA]). Both the NCADA and NDS were created with strong bipartisan political support and involve cooperative ventures between the Commonwealth, State and Territory governments as well as the non-government sector.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jr_c85nz30/VpeByhlLGbI/AAAAAAAAGY8/ArWDsJ-QGnE/s1600/1NationalDrugHarm.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jr_c85nz30/VpeByhlLGbI/AAAAAAAAGY8/ArWDsJ-QGnE/s1600/1NationalDrugHarm.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jr_c85nz30/VpeByhlLGbI/AAAAAAAAGY8/ArWDsJ-QGnE/s1600/1NationalDrugHarm.jpg" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1jr_c85nz30/VpeByhlLGbI/AAAAAAAAGY8/ArWDsJ-QGnE/s1600/1NationalDrugHarm.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Initiatives at Commonwealth, State and Territory level affecting law and order issues related to drug use include:</span></span></span></div>
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<ul style="color: #3d596d; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; text-align: start;">
<li data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Possession of small quantities of Cannabis and cultivation of defined numbers of plants has been decriminalised in a number of Australian jurisdictions: South Australia (SA), Western Australia (WA), Northern Territory (NT) and Australian Capital Territory (ACT). In these jurisdictions, expiation/infringement notices can be issued by police when a person is found in possession of a small amount of Cannabis or growing a defined number of plants. Payment of the expiation/infringement notice fine means the person avoids going to court and a criminal conviction.</span></span></span></li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Diversionary programs operate under the <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.health.gov.au/pubhlth/strateg/drugs/illicit/diversion/about.htm" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.health.gov.au/pubhlth/strateg/drugs/illicit/diversion/about.htm" style="color: #003300;">Illicit Drug Diversion Initiative</a></em>, part of the Australian Government's national approach to early intervention and prevention of illicit drug use. Under the national framework to tackle illicit drug use agreed by all Australian states and territories, police and courts have the formal power to divert drug users to education, assessment or treatment. The primary objective of the Drug Diversion program is to increase incentives for drug users to identify and treat their illicit drug use early.</span></span></span></li>
<li data-mce-style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Australian Institute of Criminology's publication, <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/crm/crm023.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/crm/crm023.pdf" style="color: #003300;">Australian Approaches to Drug-Crime Diversion</a></em> (2004) describes the five main types of diversionary programs operating in Australian jurisdictions. Drug Courts are specialist courts that deal with offenders who are deemed dependent on drugs. Trialled in the United Kingdom (UK), Canada and several Australian jurisdictions, the <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/drugcrt/drugcrt.nsf/pages/drugcrt2" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/drugcrt/drugcrt.nsf/pages/drugcrt2" style="color: #003300;">Drug Court of New South Wales</a></em> (NSW) was the first trialled and evaluated in Australia. As a result of the <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/bocsar1.nsf/pages/pub_legislative" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/bocsar1.nsf/pages/pub_legislative" style="color: #003300;">evaluations</a></em> it was decided to continue the pilot program.</span></span></span></li>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tobacco</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BI8oVexd2AkmTMVcHKEiPqIWoP0ybrBimy4nhpR0Xyny3J8C1QbojHgvFdR1p0pp5E7DxWyMJBiy-FnpBLH3TD6sk-lbIxiy9989McaJB9kglveIXUMxIQg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BI8oVexd2AkmTMVcHKEiPqIWoP0ybrBimy4nhpR0Xyny3J8C1QbojHgvFdR1p0pp5E7DxWyMJBiy-FnpBLH3TD6sk-lbIxiy9989McaJB9kglveIXUMxIQg" style="color: #003300;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BI8oVexd2AkmTMVcHKEiPqIWoP0ybrBimy4nhpR0Xyny3J8C1QbojHgvFdR1p0pp5E7DxWyMJBiy-FnpBLH3TD6sk-lbIxiy9989McaJB9kglveIXUMxIQg" height="154" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/BI8oVexd2AkmTMVcHKEiPqIWoP0ybrBimy4nhpR0Xyny3J8C1QbojHgvFdR1p0pp5E7DxWyMJBiy-FnpBLH3TD6sk-lbIxiy9989McaJB9kglveIXUMxIQg" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="205" /></a>Tobacco smoking is one of the largest preventable causes of death and disease in Australia. It is associated with an increased risk of a wide range of health conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, cancer, renal disease, eye disease and respiratory conditions such as asthma, emphysema and bronchitis. The Australian Medical Association's (AMA) 2015 <em><a data-mce-href="https://ama.com.au/position-statement/tobacco-smoking-and-e-cigarettes-2015" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://ama.com.au/position-statement/tobacco-smoking-and-e-cigarettes-2015" style="color: #003300;">statement</a></em> on tobacco and e-cigarettes notates smoking rates in Australia have declined over the past few decades, but 16% (2.8 million) Australians continue to smoke. Tobacco smoking is responsible for 8% of the burden of disease in Australia. Each year 15,000 Australians die as a result of tobacco smoking. A large scale Australian <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25857449" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25857449" style="color: #003300;">study</a></em> found two in three smokers (1.8 million people) will die as a result of their smoking. Tobacco continues to cause more ill health and premature death than any other drug. The Department of Health and Ageing <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/34F55AF632F67B70CA2573F60005D42B/$File/mono64.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/34F55AF632F67B70CA2573F60005D42B/$File/mono64.pdf" style="color: #003300;">estimated</a></em> that in 2004–05 the total cost of smoking in Australia was $31.5b, an increase of 23.5% from the 1998–99 estimate. This increase occurred despite steady falls in smoking prevalence since the mid-1970's and a decline in the annual deaths attributable to tobacco use from 19,429 in 1998–99 to 14,901 in 2004–05. Costs did not decrease because the impact of previous decades of tobacco use was still being observed in 2004-05; <em>"... as the lagged effects work their way through the system and assuming that smoking prevalence continues to decline, real smoking costs (adjusting for the effects of inflation) should eventually fall very significantly".</em></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The tobacco industry has often argued both in Australia and elsewhere that it generates much-needed employment and government revenue. A study commissioned by British American Tobacco Australia (BATA) estimated in 1999–2000 about 57,500 full-time equivalent jobs were generated by the demand for tobacco products. This total included 310 people employed in growing, 3,270 in manufacturing, 18,460 in retailing and distribution and 35,650 as a result of the flow-on effect in other sectors. Since 2001 there have been major changes to the growing and production of tobacco products in Australia. Tobacco is now sourced from overseas and two of the three major tobacco companies now manufacture products overseas too.</span></span></span></div>
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<div style="color: #3d596d; font-size: 15px; line-height: 25.5px; text-align: start;">
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the 1990's, the industry directly engaged in several attempts to disrupt the scientific review process. For example, in Australia, the industry mounted a concerted effort to undermine and derail the National Health and Medical Research Council's (NHMRC) review on passive smoking, finally published in 1997. The Tobacco Institute of Australia launched legal challenges, attempted to discredit individuals on the working party, commissioned several consultants to make submissions to the working party expressing pro-industry views and the industry primed allies to speak to the media in its support. The Tobacco Institute of Australia had a fair measure of success, publication of the recommendations of the final report was prevented on procedural grounds, no problem with the science or the recommendations themselves, nonetheless enough ammunition was provided for the industry to dismiss the report and its findings widely in the media. The industry also tried to prevent agencies outside of the health sector from publishing damaging tobacco control reports. In 1999 the World Bank published a landmark report on the economics of tobacco control <em><a data-mce-href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTETC/Resources/375990-1113853423731/chapter5.asp" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTETC/Resources/375990-1113853423731/chapter5.asp" style="color: #003300;">Curbing the Epidemic: Governments and the Economics of Tobacco Control</a></em>, which concluded, tobacco control brings unprecedented health benefits without harming economies.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/54204/area14mp/39b6zfc4-1405656233.jpg" height="362" src="https://62e528761d0685343e1c-f3d1b99a743ffa4142d9d7f1978d9686.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/files/54204/area14mp/39b6zfc4-1405656233.jpg" style="display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="533" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><em>Smoking prevalence rates for people 14+ </em><em>in Australia 1991-2013</em></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alcohol</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alcohol, a psychoactive substance, when consumed in moderation has some benefits including euphoria, relaxation and being a social conduit. However, misuse of alcohol (e.g., binge drinking) leads to a wide range of problems including individual health issues, lower life expectancy, reduced productivity in the workforce and absenteeism, accidents, violence and other alcohol-related offences (e.g., public nuisance offences), as well as drink driving. The total costs to Australian society of alcohol-related problems in 2010 was estimated to be $14.352b. Of this, $2.958b (or 20.6%) represented costs to the criminal justice system, $1.686b (or 11.7%) comprised costs to the health system, $6.046b (or 42.1%) costs to Australian productivity and $3.662b (or 25.5%) costs associated with traffic accidents. This estimate of total costs however does not incorporate the negative impacts on others, <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/research/The-Range-and-Magnitude-of-Alcohols-Harm-to-Others.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.fare.org.au/wp-content/uploads/research/The-Range-and-Magnitude-of-Alcohols-Harm-to-Others.pdf" style="color: #003300;">estimated</a></em> at $6.807b.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Zmj3DssasBo7mk_s6CURtLoQ-PEYwN0VMhxg6bdq-HCb_WNSbphzVAiuzHM4JtPfT-ENZBTk709boQnNnf5xaSoQekYDFHK95BQB66nN2NAzzO6WokNIj6M4B52Glz8Tp_c" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Zmj3DssasBo7mk_s6CURtLoQ-PEYwN0VMhxg6bdq-HCb_WNSbphzVAiuzHM4JtPfT-ENZBTk709boQnNnf5xaSoQekYDFHK95BQB66nN2NAzzO6WokNIj6M4B52Glz8Tp_c" style="display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Costs to Society - Alcohol</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alcohol occupies a significant place in Australian culture and is consumed in a wide range of social circumstances. In general, alcohol is consumed at levels of low immediate risk. However, some people drink at levels that increase their risk of developing health problems over their life, as well as increasing their risk of alcohol-related injury. The 2009 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/fact-sheets/australian-guidelines-for-low-risk-drinking" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/fact-sheets/australian-guidelines-for-low-risk-drinking" style="color: #003300;">Australian Alcohol Guidelines</a></em> for reducing health risks associated with consumption of alcohol stated for healthy men and women, "drinking no more than two standard drinks on any day reduces the lifetime risk of harm from alcohol-related disease or injury". In 2014-15, 17.4% of adults aged 18+ consumed more than two standard drinks per day on average, exceeding the lifetime risk guideline. This was a decrease from 2011-12 when 19.5% of adults exceeded the guidelines. A 2013 <em><a data-mce-href="http://nceta.flinders.edu.au/index.php/nceta/publications-and-presentations/nceta_presentations/?a=date&id=2013" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://nceta.flinders.edu.au/index.php/nceta/publications-and-presentations/nceta_presentations/?a=date&id=2013" style="color: #003300;">study</a></em> cited alcohol use as responsible for 5% of all workplace deaths and up to 11% of non-fatal injuries. The Australian Drug Foundation says the annual cost of absenteeism alone due to alcohol was estimated to be up to $1.2b. In 2014-15, 80.6% of Australians aged 18+ had consumed alcohol in the past year. A further 8.2% had consumed alcohol 12 or more months ago and 10.7% had never consumed alcohol. 85.6% of males and 75.7% of females had consumed alcohol in the past year. 66.2% (two-thirds) of all 15-17 year olds had never consumed alcohol, an increase from 2011-12 when about half (49.1%) of all 15-17 year olds had never consumed alcohol.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Os93XFV2DWdoQ4czmsI2xgJrKw8UDC6K5k2ZStripqbXz9-pkatNSXNis5g7xxHz9gKVbEKO_hQrt3Ue4Up3v6QIdtL-UmmMorcZGQAD-lCekehjRxfDq7ktWsO3IxXFheWKaCRVHeo" height="166" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Os93XFV2DWdoQ4czmsI2xgJrKw8UDC6K5k2ZStripqbXz9-pkatNSXNis5g7xxHz9gKVbEKO_hQrt3Ue4Up3v6QIdtL-UmmMorcZGQAD-lCekehjRxfDq7ktWsO3IxXFheWKaCRVHeo" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2010 data identified non-GST revenue from alcohol taxation as a total of $7.075b received by the Commonwealth. Given the magnitude of this revenue and available evidence on mitigation expenditure by government, an increased proportion of this revenue could arguably be used to implement strategies aimed at further reducing the social costs associated with alcohol misuse. Alcohol causes more than twice as many deaths as road accidents. In fact alcohol kills 15 Australians every day and 5,554 each year. It also hospitalises 430 Australians every day and 157,132 each year. The harms from alcohol cost Australians $15.3b a year (alcohol taxes only generate $7b). Almost 5 million Australians aged 14 and over (26%) had been a victim of an alcohol-related incident in 2013. Most of these incidents involved verbal abuse (22%). Around 1 in 5 recent drinkers aged 14+ put themselves or others at risk of harm while under the influence of alcohol in the previous 12 months. Driving a vehicle was the most common risky activity undertaken (12.2% of recent drinkers).</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9qSrAjCVGk/VpSCeaZ7ESI/AAAAAAAAGYo/2ZEbJM8_9Xs/s1600/UnderTheInfluenceAlcoholAus.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9qSrAjCVGk/VpSCeaZ7ESI/AAAAAAAAGYo/2ZEbJM8_9Xs/s1600/UnderTheInfluenceAlcoholAus.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9qSrAjCVGk/VpSCeaZ7ESI/AAAAAAAAGYo/2ZEbJM8_9Xs/s1600/UnderTheInfluenceAlcoholAus.jpg" height="313" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-V9qSrAjCVGk/VpSCeaZ7ESI/AAAAAAAAGYo/2ZEbJM8_9Xs/s1600/UnderTheInfluenceAlcoholAus.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="644" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In February 2015 the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) launched findings of research into the ‘hidden harm’ of the impact of alcohol on women, children and families. The research report, The hidden harm: Alcohol’s impact on children and families, finds over a million children in Australia (22% of all Australian children) are <em>"estimated to be affected in some way by the drinking of others"</em> and in 2011 there were more than 29,000 incidents of alcohol-related domestic violence reported to the police (figures drawn from four states and territories with data available). Proportions of Australians reporting risky patterns of alcohol consumption for short term harm at least once in the previous 12 months declined 2007-2010, while those reporting more frequent consumption at this level remained stable. Daily drinking declined 2007-2010 (8.1-7.2%) which was primarily due to a decline among older males.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><strong><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other Drugs</span></span></strong></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/x/q/m/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.1msnzz.png/1430556868951.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.smh.com.au/content/dam/images/1/3/x/q/m/e/image.related.articleLeadwide.620x349.1msnzz.png/1430556868951.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/GEahp-QZUwHBk75O1EpnFcAMGYNxGOkWUbQMcKTSBu0X6lU6zpRejQZkRP5bpYR11XC3qS6ksvJgQgXNB6AyFMT3IjE1LOS2R7qgQHlFRkKphSig-MqeFYraKLxTW22MS0jV_th9bchwILc5fuJ_Seu4pGULzBFzia7YHjrCZx6RQATiyxPeMgFJQA" height="149" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/GEahp-QZUwHBk75O1EpnFcAMGYNxGOkWUbQMcKTSBu0X6lU6zpRejQZkRP5bpYR11XC3qS6ksvJgQgXNB6AyFMT3IjE1LOS2R7qgQHlFRkKphSig-MqeFYraKLxTW22MS0jV_th9bchwILc5fuJ_Seu4pGULzBFzia7YHjrCZx6RQATiyxPeMgFJQA" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="265" /></a>Illicit drug use declined in Australia between 1998 and 2007, while 2010 saw an increase in use primarily driven by an increase in <em><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/myth-and-reality-cannabis-and-hemp.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/myth-and-reality-cannabis-and-hemp.html" style="color: #003300;">Cannabis</a></em> use (9.1% [2007] to 10.3% [2010]) and non-medical pharmaceutical use (0.2-0.4%). In 2008 the estimated cost of illicit drug abuse to Australian society was $8.2b, or 15% of the total burden of disease figure. Deaths attributable to illicit drug use in Australia include deaths attributed to opiates, Cannabis, psycho-stimulants, hallucinogens, other psychotropics and other licit, unspecified and combined drug use. Among people aged 14–24 years, age of initiation into illicit drug use increased from 16 years (2010) to 16.3 years (2013) for both Cannabis and <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au/drugs/list/methamphetamines.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druginfo.sl.nsw.gov.au/drugs/list/methamphetamines.html" style="color: #003300;">methamphetamines</a></em> (man-made stimulant, more potent form of the drug, amphetamine, synthesised in 1918 and used during World War II; commonly called 'meth'). Males (18.1%) are more likely than females (12.1%) to use illicit drugs and people 20–29 are more likely to use illicit drugs than any other age group (27%). Older people (50+) generally have the lowest rates of recent illicit drug use but in recent years this age group had the largest increase in illicit use 2010-2013 (8.7-11.1% for 50–59 year olds and 5.1-6.4% for people 60+). No significant increase in meth use was seen in 2013, but a change in the main form of meth used was seen with powder decreasing from 51-29% while 'ice' (crystal meth) more than doubled, 22% (2010) to 50% (2013). People used meth' more frequently in 2013 with an increase in the proportion of users daily/weekly (9.3-15.5%) particularly 'ice' users (12.4-25.3%). Ecstasy use declined among the general population in 2010 for the first time since 1995. Population surveys conducted in 2007 and 2010 showed an increase in cocaine use, although still at an overall low prevalence (2.1% of general population [2010]). Patterns of use remain sporadic.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/j0S3JxykzN4d1JiYchFgt9EIvtGib53r8bZj0oRYrfyrNJxhKzfAFKB3XQRFFnl493-2p_NeppBsxazm73iVIpdi4l7hjyDOF_knblIHYfyiTrcF6UVeBE5cOHdZ1Y74YxLLUA" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/j0S3JxykzN4d1JiYchFgt9EIvtGib53r8bZj0oRYrfyrNJxhKzfAFKB3XQRFFnl493-2p_NeppBsxazm73iVIpdi4l7hjyDOF_knblIHYfyiTrcF6UVeBE5cOHdZ1Y74YxLLUA" style="color: #003300;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/j0S3JxykzN4d1JiYchFgt9EIvtGib53r8bZj0oRYrfyrNJxhKzfAFKB3XQRFFnl493-2p_NeppBsxazm73iVIpdi4l7hjyDOF_knblIHYfyiTrcF6UVeBE5cOHdZ1Y74YxLLUA" height="193" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/j0S3JxykzN4d1JiYchFgt9EIvtGib53r8bZj0oRYrfyrNJxhKzfAFKB3XQRFFnl493-2p_NeppBsxazm73iVIpdi4l7hjyDOF_knblIHYfyiTrcF6UVeBE5cOHdZ1Y74YxLLUA" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="232" /></a>Experts suggest opioid-related deaths in Australia are increasing as the number of people participating in illicit use of drugs, particularly pharmaceutical misuse, was on the rise (4.2% [2010] to 4.7% [2013]). Non-medical use of pharmaceuticals in 2012 increased 1% since 2007 and was at the highest level seen since 1998 (3.7% [2007] to 4.7% [2013]). The increase in pharmaceutical misuse in 2013 was due to more use by men aged 30–39 (4.5-6.9%) and women aged 40–49 (3.1-4.5%). But the proportion of people using most illegal drugs remained relatively stable (2010-2013) and use of some illegal drugs decreased over the past few years. Declines were seen in use of ecstasy (3.0-2.5%), heroin (0.2-0.1%) and GHB (0.1% to <0.1%) in 2013. In Australia in 2010 there were 613 accidental deaths attributed to opioids among people 15-54 years with 74 deaths in the 55+ age group. Many of these deaths were due to multiple drugs being taken, including prescription opioids (poly-pharmacy). Of all illegal substances, heroin and other opioids were involved with the largest number of drug-related deaths, despite the number of people using them being low compared to other substances. Amphetamines including 'ice' have the second highest death rate of illegal drugs.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GimyVddp9SU/VpeBy8mJG-I/AAAAAAAAGZE/eKc3JcBd_Yk/s1600/RecentDrugUse.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GimyVddp9SU/VpeBy8mJG-I/AAAAAAAAGZE/eKc3JcBd_Yk/s1600/RecentDrugUse.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GimyVddp9SU/VpeBy8mJG-I/AAAAAAAAGZE/eKc3JcBd_Yk/s1600/RecentDrugUse.jpg" height="494" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GimyVddp9SU/VpeBy8mJG-I/AAAAAAAAGZE/eKc3JcBd_Yk/s1600/RecentDrugUse.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="617" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most people in Australia did not support regular use or legalisation of illicit drugs in 2010. Three in five (60.2%) people aged 14+ had never tried an illicit drug. In 2010, 14.7% of people in Australia aged 14+ had used an illicit drug in the past 12 months, an increase since 2007 (13.4%). Many illicit drug users also used licit drugs or more than one illicit drug, most commonly Cannabis (an annual herbaceous plant). Illicit drug use in Australia appears to be moderate to high compared with that for other OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries (more than 30 democratic governments with market economies working together purportedly to promote economic growth, prosperity and sustainable development). In February 2014 an Australian Government Services Report showed the perception of illegal drugs as a problem in Australia decreased from 45% to 37% (2011-12 to 2012-13).</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In October 2015, only 7% of Australians <em><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/how-australians-feels-about-legalising.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/how-australians-feels-about-legalising.html" style="color: #003300;">surveyed</a></em> for their views on medical Cannabis said they were opposed to the herb being made legal for medicinal purposes. The survey by Roy Morgan Research asked 644 Australians aged 14+, <em>“In your opinion should the use of marijuana* for medicinal purposes be made legal or remain illegal?”</em> 91% said it should be made legal, while 2% were unsure. The strongest support for legalisation came from the 50+ age group, with 94% of respondents in favour. The age group least likely to support it were 14-24 year olds, but even so, 85% of that group said it should be legalised for medicinal use.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BUsXKs1dp4A/VpeByNwRiOI/AAAAAAAAGY4/Zg7_9N1P-6Y/s1600/1weedforwomen_0.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BUsXKs1dp4A/VpeByNwRiOI/AAAAAAAAGY4/Zg7_9N1P-6Y/s1600/1weedforwomen_0.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BUsXKs1dp4A/VpeByNwRiOI/AAAAAAAAGY4/Zg7_9N1P-6Y/s200/1weedforwomen_0.jpg" height="115" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BUsXKs1dp4A/VpeByNwRiOI/AAAAAAAAGY4/Zg7_9N1P-6Y/s200/1weedforwomen_0.jpg" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="176" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how can lawmakers continue to justify the legal use of the toxic drug alcohol, which causes permanent irreversible brain and body cell damage (liver, heart, pancreas, foetal and kidney) with an addiction rate of 15%, whilst prosecuting and imposing severe and harsh punishments on those who would choose other non-toxic substances? The human body produces its own non-toxic pain killers, including small quantities of numerous endogenous cannabinoids (<em><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/introduction-to-your-endocannabinoid.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/09/introduction-to-your-endocannabinoid.html" style="color: #003300;">endocannabinoids</a>;</em> anandamide [<em><a data-mce-href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabinoid-and-endocannabinoid.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabinoid-and-endocannabinoid.html" style="color: #003300;">isolated</a></em> in 1992] and 2-AG [isolated in 1995] for example) and heroin-like endorphins ('endogenous morphine' is an hormonal compound made by the body in response to pain or extreme physical exertion). Endorphins are similar in structure and effect to opiate drugs. They are responsible for the so-called runner's high and release of these essential compounds, alongside the endocannabinoids, enables humans to endure childbirth, perform strenuous everyday activities, block pain, regulate the immune system, enhance reproduction and protect the brain from stroke and trauma damage. One could properly argue those who use cannabinoids and opiates are making a sensible, intelligent decision to use substances which don’t cause irreversible organ damage. Due to the quasi-religious mentality of law makers and enforcers regarding drugs their apparently infinite capacity for deception and self-deception means it is impossible to use reason, logic, facts and truth in the drugs debate. Like those who believe the 'Virgin' birth and the 'Resurrection' on the evidence of the Bible, they believe what they choose to believe regarding drugs.</span></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://media.cinewsnow.com/images/Marijuana10.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://media.cinewsnow.com/images/Marijuana10.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Db09DCrRJJ5bmdLfwIUrw0kS9Wh2T_WNwP-YwC6jFsaTXdt1N7bQ0kqkOaHWSlZlNx6IEld5OBeuJ-uaiciMglCR8wzB" height="135" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Db09DCrRJJ5bmdLfwIUrw0kS9Wh2T_WNwP-YwC6jFsaTXdt1N7bQ0kqkOaHWSlZlNx6IEld5OBeuJ-uaiciMglCR8wzB" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="241" /></span></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #003300; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Heroin and Cannabis are cheap to produce and illegality makes their black market prices and profits high. Police estimates of the value of drug busts is based on arbitrarily inflated black market prices. When police say they made a million dollar drug haul, they’re quoting an inflated street value, if the drugs were legal the value would be more like one hundred dollars! The Law has created a fake scenario, linking drugs with the Mafia, house-burglaries, corrupt police, violent crime etc., as they are linked, but solely because they are illegal! If the truth was told and the laws repealed, criminal activity would decrease. Bad laws create criminals, it’s as simple as that. Interestingly, heroin linctus, to be taken orally, was legally available from Australian chemists up to 1953. Heroin was the drug of choice for child-birth, cancer pain and as a cough suppressant for the aged, besides its recreational use, and the liquid form avoids problems of injection. However, in 1953 the Australian government yielded to the U.N.W.H.O. Narcotics Commission, legislated to prohibit heroin and later signed the International Treaty.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.thedailysheeple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/jury.png" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.thedailysheeple.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/jury.png" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/rhCrsd5vrWf-lGD_PCXUMFy6wSUfuI0hzeh1qMKgJKU1JjQGhaQBR7DaM52NiTaX59qGuB9gjTePgv7-8H8Ci9Tr3cS59U_dmRUy5fOnwCSOvpPac5E" height="258" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/rhCrsd5vrWf-lGD_PCXUMFy6wSUfuI0hzeh1qMKgJKU1JjQGhaQBR7DaM52NiTaX59qGuB9gjTePgv7-8H8Ci9Tr3cS59U_dmRUy5fOnwCSOvpPac5E" style="border: 0px; float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="258" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;">In a letter to The Age in April 1991, John McNicol of the ACT Social Conscience Group wrote: <i>“According to an old English and American common law tradition, trial by jury gave Juries the power to rule not only on the guilt or innocence of a defendant, but on the validity or justice of the law itself. So if a jury finds a law to be unjust, they have the power to invalidate the law and acquit a defendant. Why are not modern day juries instructed on this part of their role? To keep the Law mysterious?”</i> We know the law on Cannabis and heroin is based on lies, so why don’t defence lawyers for those charged with opiate offences direct the juries to acquit because the law is unjust? The US brought on the International Treaty of the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, and Australia is a signatory to this treaty. Opponents of drug reform say we cannot break the treaty. But since the US, acting through the U.N.W.H.O. Narcotic Commission misrepresented the harm of opiates, Australia could abrogate its obligation on the grounds that its signature was gained under false pretences!</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><a data-mce-href="http://images.addictionblog.org/cherrycake/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Why-people-use-marijuana-Top-10-reasons1.gif" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://images.addictionblog.org/cherrycake/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Why-people-use-marijuana-Top-10-reasons1.gif" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/huCzLzmbG2zluauoeRByk0xNNVoIZ-StfeK56gSYEn7kZRVTdm7c0edugxaXidDZ3eMEw31xXK1r3u3KFj8Q8c8ACey4vsIyAv7oGKiMtoybxdzp-1DTYVRN0CdN7KrQr9FAfQx0e0-g42pbcrt3tE4ijaCaaiEq4lTdo1Vf1Ha6lOf7odo" height="151" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/huCzLzmbG2zluauoeRByk0xNNVoIZ-StfeK56gSYEn7kZRVTdm7c0edugxaXidDZ3eMEw31xXK1r3u3KFj8Q8c8ACey4vsIyAv7oGKiMtoybxdzp-1DTYVRN0CdN7KrQr9FAfQx0e0-g42pbcrt3tE4ijaCaaiEq4lTdo1Vf1Ha6lOf7odo" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="157" /></span></a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabis was once defined by the Law as a 'drug of addiction', but since that was patently false, it became the vaguer and hence harder to disprove 'drug of dependence' (we are all dependent on water, even addicted) and then a 'dangerous drug of dependence'. Our law makers certainly are very adept spin-doctors! But the Law is attempting to define white as black. When the legal system convicts because Cannabis has been defined, not on facts or evidence, to be a 'dangerous drug of dependence' then the legal system is aiding and abetting injustice and the litany of lies concocted by parliament to justify cruel punishments. In jurisprudence when a law is a lie by all other criteria, it is apparently not a lie by legal definition. Such delusions of infallibility are laughable in religions; distinctly alarming in courts of 'justice'!</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Although cognitive studies have suggested Cannabis use may lead to unsafe driving, experimental studies suggest it can have the opposite effect. Epidemiological studies have been inconsistent and have not thoroughly resolved the question. One distinct possibility, however, is that many people who use Cannabis share certain qualities; being young, male and risk-taking. That would increase their risk of road traffic accidents even in the absence of Cannabis use. Two epidemiological studies in New Zealand that attempted to address this hypothesis found the significant relationship that existed between Cannabis use and accidents disappeared after risky driver behaviours and unsafe driver attitudes were controlled for. In other words, the increased risk reflects the characteristics of many of the people who use Cannabis rather than the effects of Cannabis use on driver performance.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #003300;" style="color: #003300; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Recent reports out of the US states of Colorado and Washington show a decrease in DUI's (alcohol and Cannabis). In the state of Colorado, recreational Cannabis use and possession was regulated in 2012, since then traffic fatality rates have been below the yearly average seen for over a decade (since 2002). There isn’t any evidence to suggest regulating Cannabis will lead to more people involved in deadly car crashes and the assumption that impaired driving will increase because Cannabis use will increase under a regulatory scheme is not supported by evidence. It is worth emphasising that scientific evidence has not found an association between levels of Cannabis use and any national Cannabis policies. In 2015, researchers at the University of Iowa's National Advanced Driving Simulator <em><a data-mce-href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871615003142" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0376871615003142" style="color: #003300;">reported</a></em> that drivers with blood concentrations of 13.1 ug/L THC, showed increased weaving that was similar to those with a .08 breath alcohol concentration, the legal limit in most US states. The legal limit for THC in the states of both Washington and Colorado is 5 ug/L, the amount other US states have considered. The study also found that analysing a driver’s oral fluids can detect recent use of Cannabis but is not a reliable measure of impairment.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="http://images.addictionblog.org/cherrycake/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Tolerance-to-Valium-2-2.jpg" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://images.addictionblog.org/cherrycake/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Tolerance-to-Valium-2-2.jpg" style="color: #003300;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/8Lp0H9fb14HEMWJt8tAAq35u42kWlTu_8CLo6yf-YICjFAb54L96BzC9NmSi3jmJRMkXXehrJecouS9RmRQLU7HrzGR4zhNc-7HJC5gkzmgrPKZvzKp4ptgnwBBHXrBiTYcjTBP22j5dT8Y2n6o4I76RmIUa" height="232" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/8Lp0H9fb14HEMWJt8tAAq35u42kWlTu_8CLo6yf-YICjFAb54L96BzC9NmSi3jmJRMkXXehrJecouS9RmRQLU7HrzGR4zhNc-7HJC5gkzmgrPKZvzKp4ptgnwBBHXrBiTYcjTBP22j5dT8Y2n6o4I76RmIUa" style="border: 0px; float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="310" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The belief that somehow traces of Cannabis in fatalities implicate cause is false. In 1999 a <em>Transport South Australia</em> report stated, <em>“the culpability rates for injured drivers who tested positive for Cannabis were no higher than those for drug and alcohol free drivers"</em>. Sample <em><a data-mce-href="http://the%20%20prevalence%20%20of%20%20alcohol%2C%20%20cannabinoids%2C%20%20benzodiazepines%20%20andstimulants%20%20amongst%20%20injured%20%20drivers%20%20and%20%20their%20%20role%20%20in%20%20driverculpability/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://the%20%20prevalence%20%20of%20%20alcohol%2C%20%20cannabinoids%2C%20%20benzodiazepines%20%20andstimulants%20%20amongst%20%20injured%20%20drivers%20%20and%20%20their%20%20role%20%20in%20%20driverculpability/" style="color: #003300;">results</a></em> from 2,500 South Australian drivers injured in road crashes for alcohol, Cannabis, stimulants and tranquillisers were analysed by Dr Marie Longo of the Department of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology. Her major finding regarded tranquillisers, with a significant relationship emerging between having tranquillisers either at the prescribed levels or above and being culpable in crashes. Dr Longo also found alcohol overwhelmingly played the greatest role in road crashes, was the most frequently detected drug and produced the greatest effects. Conversely, and for some no doubt controversially, Cannabis and stimulants have a negligible impact on culpability. <em>“The most interesting result was the tranquillisers, because of the ramifications it could have”</em>, she said. <em>"If a person took tranquillisers like Valium or Serepax at or above prescribed levels, the chance of being culpable in a road crash would increase from the 53% chance if you had no drugs to 70% if you had the tranquillisers”.</em> Cannabis had little or no effect on culpability in crashes although when combined with alcohol or other drugs, culpability rates rose.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #003300;" style="color: #003300; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/eSOuM67WJ_ugd5iwD6NDOeETrhwi5j1JbXtch4RQMlD1dnURmpZYqMn1H66IrcSmheCfqPEyUrb752N58UsO5APNdYubl9E1YoU0Ug" height="198" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/eSOuM67WJ_ugd5iwD6NDOeETrhwi5j1JbXtch4RQMlD1dnURmpZYqMn1H66IrcSmheCfqPEyUrb752N58UsO5APNdYubl9E1YoU0Ug" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="297" />Australia is a highly regulated country and if a company tried to launch a product that was defective in operation, based on dubious science there would be swift action, and probably severe penalties. Unless of course it were a government product, then the perpetrators would line up to take credit and spin their misinformation and dodgy statistics to the credulous media. Meet the Roadside Drug Test with enough defects to trigger watchdog alarms were it not a government scheme, as it produces false positives (with no Australian Standard covering officers who perform the tests). During ‘Operation Saturation’ which targeted the Northern Rivers (NSW) region in June/July 2015, 1,376 people were tested. 246 returned positive results, but when immediately re-tested, 72 (over a third) were found not to be positive at all! The testing is selective for non-toxic Cannabis, amphetamines and ecstasy, but opiates and commonly abused pharmaceuticals such as painkillers and anti-depressants, known to impair driving, are not tested for; at the cost of everybody else's safety. A trace amount of Cannabis in a driver’s body possibly days after ingestion will record a positive reading, with no suggestion the substance is affecting the driver. You can fail a roadside drug test not because you are under the influence of drugs, but because of the presence in your body of prohibited molecules, no matter how infinitesimally few they may be as 'drug driving' involves driving when you have drugs in your system. The NSW Commander of Random Drug Testing, Inspector Steve Blair, told the Huffington Post in September 2015; <em>"It is purely a presence offence. In the roadside test, we’re not saying you’re impaired or off your face. The offence is simply a strict liability. If you have it in your system, that’s it"</em>.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Mardigrass.JPG/350px-Mardigrass.JPG" height="142" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c8/Mardigrass.JPG/350px-Mardigrass.JPG" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="286" /></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">It is not a road safety measure but an attack on alternative lifestyles and choices that people such as the NSW National Party politicians, Ministers for Police and Roads, both disapprove of. Otherwise it is hard to explain why some drivers are stopped more than once for ‘random’ tests, why police were unwilling to comply with a Greens Party 'Freedom Of Information' request for the scientific basis of the tests and why cocaine users are left out of the net. Incorporating a test for cocaine in the saliva swab would be a simple matter. <em>"There is absolutely no reason (if they choose to) why they can’t do it"</em>, said drug detection expert Tony Graham to Sydney Morning Herald journalist Dana McCauley, in November 2015. There is also of course absolutely no reason why police shouldn’t run sniffer dogs through places where bankers, lawyers and brokers are using cocaine, as well as where young people are using Cannabis.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-812 alignright" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/driving-laws-nsw-fc2805a828f4954b4f761a2978de5a1a.jpg" height="149" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/driving-laws-nsw-fc2805a828f4954b4f761a2978de5a1a.jpg" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="305" />Comparing evidence from Britain and many other countries, the March 2013 UK <em>Wolff Report</em>, <em>Driving under the Influence of Drugs</em>, concluded the level at which Cannabis impairs driving is a blood concentration of five micrograms per litre. The report tabulated driving impairment thresholds of other drugs, including combinations of drugs with alcohol and found the most dangerous to be valium-type medications. Such prescription drugs are the most often detected in drivers involved in accidents and the second most likely after alcohol to be found where the motorist died in the accident. In both Colorado and Washington state, US, the law on Driving Under the influence of Drugs (DUID) nominates THC identified in a driver's blood in quantities of 5ng/ml or higher gives rise to permissible inference that the defendant is 'under the influence'.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class=" wp-image-619 alignleft" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/080311-national-war-on-drugs.jpg" height="173" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/080311-national-war-on-drugs.jpg" style="float: left; height: auto; margin: 16px 16px 16px 0px; max-width: 100%;" width="173" /></span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">One might well ask why has Australian legislation ignored scientific evidence? Mobile drug testing originated in Victoria in 2004 when there was purportedly much less evidence available and other states and territories simply adopted the Victorian model and the drug kits manufactured solely in Victoria (an absolute monopoly), without giving it any critical thought and certainly not doing any research of their own! The other reason for avoiding evidence-based legislation is less benign. ‘War on Drugs’ ideologues are keen to use police in their attacks on unruly minorities. Ironically, some parts of government are beginning to see the benefits of using Cannabis medicinally. Cultural warriors are bitterly resisting this development, which blurs the simple black-and-white, them-and-us dichotomy they operate under. There have already been cases of false positives costing thousands of dollars to fight, of trace drug findings losing people their licences and hence their jobs. World’s best practice would abandon the ideology of the 'War on Drugs' in favour of measures for genuine road safety and perform tests that could identify all drugs of concern, tests that do not produce numerous false positives and tests that measure the actual level of driving impairment of those being tested. Until random drug tests achieve that minimum level of practicality and justice, the public should be wary of the motives of the politicians pushing them.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;" style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" data-mce-src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzgmd8AiadUM7xP9Q_h0lhrbOk61UwIM-LPfTnOSi89fTNtUem7g" height="110" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzgmd8AiadUM7xP9Q_h0lhrbOk61UwIM-LPfTnOSi89fTNtUem7g" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="165" />The 1487 <i>Malleus Maleficarum</i>, the 'handbook for Inquisitors', is a sickening account of the atrocities religions are capable of in pursuance of power and control. Religious witch-hunts lasted 600 years and drug witch-hunts are seemingly going to be as long-lasting because those in control have the same quasi-religious attitude to 'drugs' as the inquisitors had to ‘heresy’. Religious wowsers in the US failed to outlaw alcohol, but found it easier to outlaw opiates because opiate use was majority by ethnic minorities. This has developed into a world-wide tragedy and the history of drug prohibition is disgraceful. Those in authority who know the pharmacological truth on drugs, suppress these truths and keep on with their misrepresentations to justify the existence of the drug laws. They apparently couldn’t give a damn about the hypocrisy, injustice and unnecessary deaths of their fellow Australians ... not even the children.</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> Notes:</span></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Medical definition of the term 'drug' - therapeutic agent; any substance, other than food, used in the prevention, diagnosis, alleviation, treatment, or cure of disease.</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The term ‘illicit drug’ can encompass a number of broad concepts, according to the Australian government, including;</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• illegal drugs - a drug that is prohibited from manufacture, sale or possession in Australia, for example, Cannabis, cocaine, heroin and ecstasy</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• misuse, non-medical or extra-medical use of pharmaceuticals - drugs that are available from a pharmacy, over-the-counter or by prescription, which may be subject to misuse, for example opioid-based pain relief medications, opioid substitution therapies, benzodiazepines, over-the-counter codeine, and steroids</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">• other psycho-active substances - legal or illegal, potentially used in a harmful way, for example, kava, or inhalants such as petrol, paint or glue (but not including tobacco or alcohol)</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Cannabis - Cannabis sativa L., is a member of the <a data-mce-href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/" style="color: #003300;">Cannabaceae</a> family. <a data-mce-href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/Cannabis/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.theplantlist.org/browse/A/Cannabaceae/Cannabis/" style="color: #003300;">Cannabis</a> is the plant genus, <a data-mce-href="http://theseedsite.co.uk/latin.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://theseedsite.co.uk/latin.html" style="color: #003300;">sativa</a> (Latin for 'cultivated') is the species (in many plant species names, e.g., rice is Oryza sativa L.), and the 'L.' (not always used) denotes the authority who first named the species, Carolus (Carl) Linnaeus, the Swiss botanist considered the 'Father of Taxonomy'. Cannabis sativa L., is; an annual, herbaceous - denoting or relating to herbs (in the botanical sense), usually dioecious - either exclusively male or exclusively female, or monoecious - having the stamen (male, pollen-containing anther and filament) and the pistil (female, ovule-bearing) in the same plant (hermaphrodite). Thus, as the Help End Marijuana Prohibition (<a data-mce-href="https://australianhempparty.com/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://australianhempparty.com/" style="color: #003300;">HEMP</a>) Party of Australia so rightly point out, Cannabis is a herb!</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><em><span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">*Marijuana - Cannabis sativa L., is the correct botanical term, *marijuana is a North American (in particular) colloquialism</span></span></em></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; color: #003300;" style="color: #003300;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Adapted and Expanded from<em> <a data-mce-href="http://atheistfoundation.org.au/article/drugs-and-the-law/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://atheistfoundation.org.au/article/drugs-and-the-law/" style="color: #003300;">Drugs and the Law</a>, </em>with,<em> <a data-mce-href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737420455" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=10737420455" style="color: #003300;">Drugs in Australia 2010: Tobacco, Alcohol and other Drugs</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/2013-national-drug-strategy-household-survey/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/2013-national-drug-strategy-household-survey/" style="color: #003300;">AIHW 2013 National Drug Strategy Household Survey</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/34F55AF632F67B70CA2573F60005D42B/$File/mono64.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/publishing.nsf/Content/34F55AF632F67B70CA2573F60005D42B/$File/mono64.pdf" style="color: #003300;">The costs of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug abuse to Australian Society 2004/05</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs/ndshs/2013/illicit-drug-use/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/alcohol-and-other-drugs/ndshs/2013/illicit-drug-use/" style="color: #003300;">Illicit use of drugs NDSHS 2013</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Australian%20Drug%20Trends%202001%20to%202013.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/Australian%20Drug%20Trends%202001%20to%202013.pdf" style="color: #003300;">Trends in Drug Use and Related Harms in Australia, 2001 to 2013</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/quick-statistics#tobacco" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/quick-statistics#tobacco" style="color: #003300;">Tobacco</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/accidental-opioid-induced-deaths-australia-2010%20%20%20%20" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/resource/accidental-opioid-induced-deaths-australia-2010%20%20%20%20" style="color: #003300;">Accidental opioid-induced deaths in Australia 2010,</a> <a data-mce-href="http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2013/july/illicit-drug-overdose/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.racgp.org.au/afp/2013/july/illicit-drug-overdose/" style="color: #003300;">Illicit drug overdose – prevalence and acute management</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/BCBF6B2C638E1202CA257ACD0020E35C/$File/National%20Report_FINAL_ASSAD_7.12.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.nationaldrugstrategy.gov.au/internet/drugstrategy/Publishing.nsf/content/BCBF6B2C638E1202CA257ACD0020E35C/$File/National%20Report_FINAL_ASSAD_7.12.pdf" style="color: #003300;">Australian Secondary School Students Use of Tobacco, Alcohol, Over-the-counter and Illicit Substances 2011</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/quick-statistics#alcohol" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druginfo.adf.org.au/topics/quick-statistics#alcohol" style="color: #003300;">Australia's mothers and babies 2012</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/441-460/tandi454.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/tandi/441-460/tandi454.html" style="color: #003300;">The societal costs of alcohol misuse in Australia</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.icap.org/PolicyTools/ICAPBlueBook/BlueBookModules/22AlcoholandtheWorkplace/tabid/542/Default.aspx" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.icap.org/PolicyTools/ICAPBlueBook/BlueBookModules/22AlcoholandtheWorkplace/tabid/542/Default.aspx" style="color: #003300;">The burden of alcohol drinking on co-workers in the Australian workplace</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/aus/can_ch3_4.htm" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/library/studies/aus/can_ch3_4.htm" style="color: #003300;">Cannabis in Context: History, Laws and International Treaties</a>, '<a data-mce-href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/tobacco" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/tobacco" style="color: #003300;">Tobacco control</a>', <a data-mce-href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442467990" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442467990" style="color: #003300;">The Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia 2003</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.001~2014-15~Main%20Features~Smoking~24#Anchor1" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.001~2014-15~Main%20Features~Smoking~24#Anchor1" style="color: #003300;">Australian Bureau of Statistics-Smoking</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ALRCRefJl/2005/7.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/ALRCRefJl/2005/7.html" style="color: #003300;">Finding alternatives to imprisonment: Drug courts in Australia</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442467990" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=6442467990" style="color: #003300;">The Burden of Disease and Injury in Australia 2003</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129548150" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aihw.gov.au/WorkArea/DownloadAsset.aspx?id=60129548150" style="color: #003300;">Australia’s Health 2014</a>, <a data-mce-href="https://ama.com.au/position-statement/tobacco-smoking-and-e-cigarettes-2015" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="https://ama.com.au/position-statement/tobacco-smoking-and-e-cigarettes-2015" style="color: #003300;">Tobacco Smoking and E-cigarettes - 2015</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/rpp/121-140/rpp129/20-drug-abuse.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/current%20series/rpp/121-140/rpp129/20-drug-abuse.html" style="color: #003300;">Drug abuse</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.aic.gov.au/crime_types/drugs_alcohol/illicit_drugs/enforcement.html" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.aic.gov.au/crime_types/drugs_alcohol/illicit_drugs/enforcement.html" style="color: #003300;">Policing and Law Enforcement Activity</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/2b14b998dda58536ca2571620017ecd2/$FILE/Sub%2046%20BATA%20-%20Attachment%202.pdf" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/prod/parlment/committee.nsf/0/2b14b998dda58536ca2571620017ecd2/$FILE/Sub%2046%20BATA%20-%20Attachment%202.pdf" style="color: #003300;">Sales of Cigarettes and Tobacco Products by Type of Retail Business</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr11-dept-dept250211.htm" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/mr-yr11-dept-dept250211.htm" style="color: #003300;">Ministerial Council on Drug Strategy 2011</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.bata.com.au/group/sites/BAT_7WYKG8.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO7WYLAS?opendocument&SKN=1" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.bata.com.au/group/sites/BAT_7WYKG8.nsf/vwPagesWebLive/DO7WYLAS?opendocument&SKN=1" style="color: #003300;">Australia's tobacco industry</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.budget.gov.au/2010-11/content/bp1/html/bp1_bst5.htm" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.budget.gov.au/2010-11/content/bp1/html/bp1_bst5.htm" style="color: #003300;">Budget 2010-11 Revenue Estimates By Revenue Head</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/12/suppl_3/iii102" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/cgi/content/abstract/12/suppl_3/iii102" style="color: #003300;">Exposure to ETS Report on Passive Smoking</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTETC/Resources/375990-1113853423731/chapter5.asp,%20Illicit%20Drugs%20in%20Australia:%20Use,%20Harm%20and%20Policy%20Responses" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTETC/Resources/375990-1113853423731/chapter5.asp,%20Illicit%20Drugs%20in%20Australia:%20Use,%20Harm%20and%20Policy%20Responses" style="color: #003300;">Curbing the Epidemic: Governments and the Economics of Tobacco Control</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10812" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=10812" style="color: #003300;">Definition of Endorphin</a> <a data-mce-href="http://norml.org/legal/item/colorado-drugged-driving" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://norml.org/legal/item/colorado-drugged-driving" style="color: #003300;">Colorado Drugged Driving</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://norml.org/legal/item/washington-drugged-driving" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://norml.org/legal/item/washington-drugged-driving" style="color: #003300;">Washington Drugged Driving</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.echo.net.au/2015/12/drug-driving-law-fails-justice-test/#.VntGJUds9Do.twitter" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.echo.net.au/2015/12/drug-driving-law-fails-justice-test/#.VntGJUds9Do.twitter" style="color: #003300;">Drug Driving Law Fails Justice Test</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://now.uiowa.edu/2015/06/ui-studies-impact-marijuana-driving" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://now.uiowa.edu/2015/06/ui-studies-impact-marijuana-driving" style="color: #003300;">UI studies impact of marijuana on driving</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.ccguide.org/driving.php" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.ccguide.org/driving.php" style="color: #003300;">Cannabis and Driving</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/" data-mce-style="color: #003300;" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/" style="color: #003300;">The Effect Of Cannabis Compared With Alcohol On Driving</a></em></span></span></div>
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"https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.druginfo.adf.org.au%2Fimages%2Fstories%2Fshopimages%2Fworkplace_thumbnail2014.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Os93XFV2DWdoQ4czmsI2xgJrKw8UDC6K5k2ZStripqbXz9-pkatNSXNis5g7xxHz9gKVbEKO_hQrt3Ue4Up3v6QIdtL-UmmMorcZGQAD-lCekehjRxfDq7ktWsO3IxXFheWKaCRVHeo" -->Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-37079634947397724012016-01-10T21:28:00.000+11:002016-01-10T21:28:25.010+11:00Cannabis Facts, Not Fiction<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
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<a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/4tta7MCjEVQJSt6wMtQpLVywCINSOKrcYgYVFxtxGGD6CJjs2bdPaopfLBpWAgsPne_bpZlL6YUWF96k_KEfxxWEEzWaqwnxrjdYJ_aWs-GajKGaLhDzOZsSWgUzK2F7i1mdbrp3jmD1xogLbpTZ9UEixSVg5KhJ0ywQV236Mr2pi1ydfoIcZs60F7BwDV7jg-9jBgQSozy1CELQP6hQLZa2vr81loXLv8w" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="115" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/4tta7MCjEVQJSt6wMtQpLVywCINSOKrcYgYVFxtxGGD6CJjs2bdPaopfLBpWAgsPne_bpZlL6YUWF96k_KEfxxWEEzWaqwnxrjdYJ_aWs-GajKGaLhDzOZsSWgUzK2F7i1mdbrp3jmD1xogLbpTZ9UEixSVg5KhJ0ywQV236Mr2pi1ydfoIcZs60F7BwDV7jg-9jBgQSozy1CELQP6hQLZa2vr81loXLv8w" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Some of the claims and counter-claims on a slew of topics related to Cannabis use and regulation, for example, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"Cannabis is as addictive as heroin"</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"Cannabis causes schizophrenia"</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, and one of the latest in a long line of headlines that should be called imaginative journalism at best, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"Cannabis regulation leads to increased traffic fatalities"</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, are just some that pop up, again and again, in </span><a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2013/02/06/mexicos-president-opposes-legalizing-marijuana-calls-it-a-gateway-drug/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>news articles</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><a href="http://wfad.se/latest-news/1-articles/4724-smoking-cannabis-can-cause-lethal-dam-"><span style="color: purple;"><i>online</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">. They sound true to some, perhaps because they are repeated so many times and because they are often said to be based on scientific evidence. In the United Kingdom (UK) the </span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/edward-fox/drug-policy-cannabis_b_5945880.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Telegraph</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> ran the headline in 2015; “</span><i style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis as addictive as heroin, major new study finds”</i><span style="color: #274e13;">. On the surface this claim reads as if it were backed by scientific evidence. But, as is so often the case, it wasn't. The International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (</span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>ICSDP</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">) tasked itself with determining the strength of scientific support for such '</span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_claims"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabis Claims</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">' and narrowed down the list of most oft used falsehoods to thirteen (see all <i>Cannabis Claims</i> at the end of this article), finding that not one of the claims was strongly supported by any scientific evidence.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">As a neuropsychopharmacologist at the Imperial College London, </span><a href="http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/d.nutt" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Professor David Nutt</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> studies the impact of drug use on the brain. On the whole, his years of research on drug use has taught him a major overarching lesson that we are much more likely to demonise drugs for their negative effects than consider their neutral or potentially positive impacts. Or, in scientific terms, there is a built-in bias in the scientific literature, textbooks and the popular press towards highlighting the negative aspects of drug use. And more ink has dried on Cannabis (a herb) than any other substance, perhaps because it’s the most widely used illegal substance and the subject of intense debate concerning its regulation. Professor Nutt's research focuses on neurological function and he often comes across claims about Cannabis’ impact on the brain. You’ve likely heard them too, including claims that Cannabis use lowers IQ by up to 8 points and that use causes schizophrenia and impairs cognitive function in the long term. What’s fascinating about these claims is that they’re almost always purportedly “based on the scientific evidence”, but we already know this is not the case. The ICSDP </span></span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_claims" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>reports</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> addressed this head-on by evaluating the science in support of some of the most high-profile claims about Cannabis. The results are compelling: taken together, they demonstrate how easily evidence can be twisted to support political ends.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">An example, often-repeated, is that Cannabis causes a drop in IQ of up to 8 points, the major finding of a 2012 report from Duke University (North Carolina, United States [US]). But, these results were based on one very minor study and the 8-point drop in IQ was observed in only 38 individuals
(3.7% of the total sample). In 2014 a University College London </span><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonkblog/wp/2014/10/22/no-marijuana-use-doesnt-lower-your-iq/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>report</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> was published that re-examined this issue in another group of young people, with a sample size over twice as large as the Duke study and taking into account alcohol use, cigarette use, maternal education and other potential confounders. The result? The authors found no association between Cannabis and IQ at all, not even among heavy Cannabis users. It is clear that we are some way off from a final answer to the question of whether Cannabis is ever harmful to intelligence.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Another example of deceit is that science does not suggest Cannabis is as addictive as heroin, in fact, science tells us Cannabis is not an </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/08/cannabis-is-not-addictive-drug.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>addictive</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> substance at all. Around 147 million people worldwide (2.5% of the world population) have used Cannabis with no clear evidence of any withdrawal syndrome, let alone dependence. A lifetime of Cannabis use
carries a low risk of dependence (9%, less than one in ten people). Rates of lifetime dependence to heroin, by contrast, are about one in four. The risk of dependence is very low among those who report using it for one year (2%) or even 10 years (5.9%). This is much lower than the estimated lifetime risk of dependence to heroin (23.1%).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The question, <i>"Does Cannabis use cause schizophrenia?"</i> is still routinely answered by mainstream media and many in both private and public health systems, the pharmaceutical industry and law enforcement (just to name a few with a seemingly vested interest in the illegality of Cannabis) with a resounding "yes", but they are all patently wrong. While studies have shown Cannabis use is associated with schizophrenia, this is a very different claim. Scientists suggest people at risk of schizophrenia might actually use Cannabis to mitigate early symptoms of the condition and that this is the reason for the association. The claim, then, confuses correlation with causation. Furthermore, if Cannabis use caused schizophrenia, we would presumably see changes in schizophrenia rates based on levels of Cannabis use. But during a period when Cannabis use increased fourfold in the UK (1970–2010), the incidence of schizophrenia remained essentially stable. In 2013 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/12/10/harvard-marijuana-doesnt-cause-schizophrenia/63148.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>research</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> by
Harvard Medical School, published in </span></span><em style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i> Schizophrenia Research </i><span style="font-style: normal;"> </span></span></em><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">from a comparison between families with a history of schizophrenia and those without, found little support for Cannabis use as a cause of schizophrenia. "T<i>he results of the current study suggest that having an increased familial morbid risk for schizophrenia may be the underlying basis
for schizophrenia in Cannabis users and not Cannabis use by itself”.</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis impacts the very system that research suggests has a major role in schizophrenia, the Endocannabinoid System (</span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/04/5-things-about-endocannabinoid-system.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>ECS</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">), which is involved in neurotransmission and regulation of functions
such as sleep, cognition and emotion. The ECS is also involved in reward processing, which recent findings suggest is deficient in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Matthijs Bossong, PhD, of the Rudolf Magnus Institute of Neuroscience, University Medical Centre Utrecht in the Netherlands explained in </span><a href="http://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/schizophrenia-and-psychoses/cannabis-and-schizophrenia-trigger-or-treatment/article/399675/"><i><span style="color: purple;">Psychiatry
Advisor</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, “</span><i style="color: #274e13;">It has been shown that patients with schizophrenia have enhanced levels of endogenous cannabinoids as measured both in their blood and cerebrospinal fluid and neuro-imaging studies and post-mortem examinations have shown that they have increased levels of cannabinoid receptors in their brains".</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Bossong co-authored a </span><a href="http://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/24380726/Role_of_the_endocannabinoid_system_in_brain_functions_relevant_for_schizophrenia:_an_overview_of_human_challenge_studies_with_cannabis_or_%E2%88%869_tetrahydrocannabinol__THC__"><span style="color: purple;"><i>review</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> in 2014, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">Role of the Endocannabinoid System in brain functions relevant for schizophrenia: An overview of human challenge studies with Cannabis or Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC),</i><span style="color: #274e13;"> in the journal, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, while at the Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, which provided further support for the involvement of the ECS in symptoms of schizophrenia. “For many brain functions, such as memory, executive function and emotional processing, we found striking similarities between 'Cannabis-intoxicated' healthy volunteers and non-intoxicated schizophrenia patients”, he said.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>"</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><i>Does
Cannabis regulation lead to more traffic fatalities as a result of people driving while affected by Cannabis?"</i> In the state of Colorado (US), recreational Cannabis use and possession was regulated in 2012. Since then, traffic fatality rates have been below the yearly average seen since 2002 (over a decade). So, there isn’t any evidence to suggest regulating Cannabis will lead to more people involved in deadly car crashes. This claim seems to be rooted in the assumption that impaired driving will increase because Cannabis use will increase under a regulatory scheme. It is therefore worth emphasising that scientific evidence has not found an association between levels of Cannabis use and any national Cannabis policies.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">It is important to note that responsible regulatory schemes would not legalise driving under the influence of Cannabis. It remains an offence in Colorado and indeed the law has arguably been tightened with new Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) blood limits, increased enforcement efforts and a public education drive funded in part by Cannabis tax revenue. Importantly, compared to prohibition, Cannabis regulation allows for detailed public education and awareness campaigns to prevent any perceived risky behaviours, such as impaired driving, as has occurred with drunk driving. Interestingly, experts agree the risk of motor vehicle collisions is much lower for Cannabis use compared to the risk associated with alcohol use. The impact of alcohol intoxication on driving should therefore remain a far greater
public health concern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In Washington state (US) where Cannabis was legalised and regulated in 2012, members of law enforcement, Sheriff John Urquhart of </span><a href="http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/sheriff/about-us/biographies.aspx"><span style="color: purple;"><i> King County</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">and John Schochet, Deputy City Attorney for Policy and Constituent Affairs from the </span><a href="http://www.seattle.gov/cityattorney"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Seattle City Attorney's Office</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, shared their thoughts on how regulation has impacted impaired driving (excerpts from a September 2015 interview with responses condensed for clarity).</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Q: </b><i><b>"A claim we often hear is that Cannabis regulation will lead to greater impaired driving. What has your experience of Cannabis impaired driving been since legalising and regulating Cannabis markets in Washington State?"</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>A:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> John Schochet: </span></strong><i>"Cannabis legalisation does not seem to have increased DUI's overall, though it might be that some Cannabis DUI's are substituting for alcohol DUI's. Overall, DUI increases are not an enormous problem when it comes to marijuana* legalisation".</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>A: <span style="font-weight: normal;">Sheriff Urquhart: </span></strong><i>"The Washington State Patrol's numbers indicate that, despite the
legalisation of recreational marijuana*, driving under the influence (DUI) has not measurably increased".</i></span></div>
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</b><i><b>"How has Initiative 502 (Washington State's Cannabis legislation) impacted the way individuals are convicted of driving under the influence of Cannabis?"</b></i></span></div>
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<strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></strong><strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">John Schochet</span></strong><strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">: </span></strong><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"</i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>First, it's worth emphasising Cannabis legalisation didn't mean impaired driving was legalised. What it did do was make it easier to convict people who are actually driving 'stoned' (impaired), rather than those who simply show evidence of Cannabis use in their blood. There are two substances that can be determined by a blood test; Carboxy-THC and active THC. Carboxy-THC doesn't indicate impairment because it stays in your blood for a long time. It just shows that you used Cannabis at some point. Active THC actually shows impairment. Without other evidence of impairment, basing conviction on carboxy alone is unreasonable. But before 502, a lot of people were being convicted of driving under the influence of Cannabis based on just carboxy in the blood" </i>(as is the case across Australia where no impairment is required for law enforcement to interfere with the healthcare of sick and suffering, sometimes dying, otherwise law-abiding citizens).</span></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/MyFJxR7fJIJwCbYDyZvg1JrLKFB8OCtdQQNXjmyv7SfPQb7kueKidP0l5zgDwl4I6TaxnQOOcLjq3NWX_WXZMFDJF5hn4AE8psVVhCA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201405/r1282118_17369125.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>A:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></strong></span><strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sheriff Urquhart</span></strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">: </span></strong><i>"Investigating impairment solely for marijuana* use has historically been a little tricky. The officer would have to prove impairment based on his or her observations of the driver and often a drug recognition expert would have to observe the driver as well. With the new 'per se' limits on THC, however, it has become much easier to investigate and prosecute a driver for being impaired solely from marijuana*".</i></span></div>
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<strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A: </strong><strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">John Schochet</span></strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="font-weight: normal;">: </span></strong><i>"Is there a concern with impaired driving? Absolutely. It's a huge issue with alcohol and has been for a long time. But our response isn't to ban alcohol. Our response is to go after people who drive impaired
and to engage in public safety campaigns. So when it comes to impaired driving, I view it as something we should be worried about, but it is not a justification for banning marijuana*".</i> </span><br />
<strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A:<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></strong><strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sheriff Urquhart</span></strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">: </span></strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>"The truth of the matter is that regulation will come with harms. The key is weighing the costs and benefits of a regulated v's unregulated
market. We have been fighting a futile drug war for over 40 years. I'm pleased we are not allowing the fear of change to impede the search for a better way".</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The examples of fact over fallacy given are only a few of those reviewed by the ICSDP '<a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_claims"><i>Cannabis Claims</i></a>'. The main conclusion is that, for the most part, the global conversation around Cannabis policy still remains mired in unscientific claims. And that can and does have serious consequences for the effectiveness and potential harms of Cannabis policies in many countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and both the UK and US (just to mention a few).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Given the conflicting findings on this issue, why do any of these dangerous claims continue to circulate as if unequivocally true? Part of it has to do with our appetite for discovery: our society is wired, for better or for worse, to celebrate and obsess over technological and scientific breakthroughs. So when a new scientific finding is made, particularly about a </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">substance</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> like Cannabis that so many people are familiar with, it makes headlines. Unfortunately, it seems that after those initial “discovery moments,” our collective interest in the issue wilts away. Put another way, the initial studies always make
headlines, in both the scientific and popular press; the corrections and conflicting findings that come a year, two years or five years later? Not so much.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://australianhempparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ncpic-time-to-get-real-720x376.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://australianhempparty.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/ncpic-time-to-get-real-720x376.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In Canada during the 2015 federal election the then Canadian government’s production of </span><a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-s-doctors-decline-to-join-anti-marijuana-campaign-1.2738595"><span style="color: purple;"><i>anti-Cannabis</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> public service announcements drew the ire of the country’s main physician group, the Canadian Medical Association, which refused to endorse the so-called 'educational campaign' because it believed the ads were serving political rather than educational goals. In the US and elsewhere, third-party advocacy groups continue to spread disinformation about Cannabis.</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> Kevin Sabet, director of Smart Approaches to Marijuana*, an anti-regulation group in the US stated on </span><a href="http://www.thecannabist.co/2015/04/20/weed-3-cnn-project-sam-kevin-sabet/33728/"><i><span style="color: purple;">CNN</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> that Cannabis “</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>is
a drug that can result in serious, long-term consequences, like schizophrenia”</i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">, a claim that is not backed by any science. In Australia the leader in 21st century 'reefer madness' is the National Cannabis Prevention and Information Centre, </span><a href="https://australianhempparty.com/3397/time-to-get-real-ncpic"><i><span style="color: purple;">NCPIC</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (federally funded, i.e., with tax-payer dollars added to regularly by pharmaceutical industry funds and 'donations'). The President of the Australian HEMP Party noted in September last year that, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">"With statements like, ‘Cannabis is addictive and there’s no proof it’s useful for medical purposes’, the NCPIC needs to grow up </i></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">... '<i>It’s as addictive as tobacco with severe withdrawal symptoms and it causes lung cancer' is more reefer madness nonsense from them ...</i></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>”.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to Professor Nutt, the other main reason that false claims about Cannabis continue to circulate is a little more insidious. It boils down to the trust we place in our gut feelings and the way that we’ve been educated about drug use in general. Using substances like Cannabis, we’ve been taught, makes you stupid. So when those ignorant of the truth about Cannabis see a headline touting scientific evidence consistent with how the mainstream has been educated to feel about Cannabis, it becomes very appealing as a way to validate our gut instincts. When that science is shown to be equivocal or false, though, there’s a lot more work that has to go into adjusting those same instincts. Instead of changing our minds based on the evidence, it is much easier just to ignore it. The end result is too often that the many scientific corrections, refutations and re-interpretations of the evidence just get swept under the carpet. We don’t want to believe we have been misled for all these years.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s one more important reason, Professor Nutt believes that reporting on Cannabis science tends towards the negative; money. Scientists examining the health and social impacts of substances are usually funded by government agencies and they often highlight the negative effects of substances to justify their own source of funding. If a scientist can show that a substance is harmful, then they can show that it’s important to do more research on the topic to protect society. The more harmful the substance appears to be, the more critical it is to fund research on it, so their funding is perpetuated. By contrast, if use of a substance appears to have only benign effects, then why would governments bother spending more research money on it? This cycle has perpetuated a scientific industry intent on demonstrating the harmful effects of substances like Cannabis, precisely because doing so allows the industry to justify its own existence. Of course, one of the major consequences of this cycle is that research on the potential benefits of substances gets sidelined, for example with not nearly enough government funding for studies on Cannabis’ health benefits.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a massive and growing scientific literature on Cannabis. And yet, for all its complexities and contradictions, we only tend to hear about the most negative study outcomes. When people state with conviction that Cannabis causes a loss of IQ points, or causes schizophrenia, they are absolutely wrong in their certainty. Whilst the evidence accumulates, we need to remain open-minded to the possibility that Cannabis does not impact IQ or cause schizophrenia. Understanding the scientific evidence on these issues, which the ICSDP’s </span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_claims" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">reports</a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> help us to do, is the first step towards having an informed discussion about how we as a society should treat Cannabis. The harder part is understanding and overcoming the many obstacles that restrict the use of that same evidence in our public discourse.</span><br />
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<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: x-small;"><i>*Cannabis
sativa L., is the correct botanical term, marijuana* is a North
American colloquialism</i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/cannabis_claims_reports"><span style="color: purple;"><i>#CannabisClaims</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> is a campaign by scientists and academics to set the record straight on thirteen of the most oft-repeated claims on Cannabis use and regulation, none of which are strongly supported by the scientific evidence. As more and more jurisdictions reconsider their Cannabis policies, the public discourse is filled with conflicting evidence about the impacts of Cannabis use and regulation.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/michaela/pages/61/attachments/original/1439332287/Using_Evidence_to_Talk_About_Cannabis.pdf?1439332287" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">Using Evidence to Talk About Cannabis</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> equips readers with evidence-based responses to the claims. The majority of Cannabis use claims outlined in the reports tend to either misinterpret or overstate the existing scientific evidence. </span><a href="http://surc.columbia.edu/hart.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Dr Carl Hart</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry at Columbia University (US) stated, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">“The claim that Cannabis is a ‘gateway’ drug, for example, confuses correlation and causation. Worse still is the fact that a false claim like ‘Cannabis is as addictive as heroin’ is reported as front page news ... False claims like these hamper public understanding of these issues and ultimately lead to harmful policies”.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;"><i>Adapted from, <a href="http://www.icsdp.org/separating_fact_from_fiction_in_the_cannabis_debate">Separating Fact From Fiction In The Cannabis Debate</a> with <a href="http://www.icsdp.org/heres_why_we_hear_so_many_false_claims_about_cannabis">Here's Why We Hear So Many False Claims About Cannabis</a>, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/international-centre-for-science-in-drug-policy/cannabis-washington-state_b_8100122.html">How Cannabis Legalization Has Impacted Impaired Driving in Washington State</a>, <a href="http://www.icsdp.org/impact_of_regulation_on_drug_crime_impaired_driving">Impact of Regulation on Drug Crime & Impaired Driving</a>, <a href="https://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/michaela/pages/100/attachments/original/1441229791/ICSDP-short-singles_11.pdf?1441229791">Using Evidence to Talk About Cannabis</a>, <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0050141" target="_blank">Toward a Global View of Alcohol, Tobacco, Cannabis, and Cocaine Use: Findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys</a>, <a href="https://www.codot.gov/safety/alcohol-and-impaired-driving/druggeddriving/marijuana-and-driving" target="_blank">Marijuana and Driving</a>, <a href="http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/arh27-1/63-78.htm" target="_blank">Epidemiology and consequences of drinking and driving</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24076302" style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 12px;" target="_blank">Drug use and fatal motor vehicle crashes: A case-control study</a>, <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21976636" style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 12px;" target="_blank">Marijuana use and motor vehicle crashes</a>, <a href="http://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/schizophrenia-and-psychoses/cannabis-and-schizophrenia-trigger-or-treatment/article/399675/" style="line-height: 12px;">Schizophrenia and Psychoses/Cannabis and Schizophrenia -Trigger or Treatment</a></i></span></span></span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="bottles-of-different-kinds-of-milk" class=" size-full wp-image-272 aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/bottles-of-different-kinds-of-milk.jpg?w=559" data-wpmedia-src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/bottles-of-different-kinds-of-milk.jpg" height="427" src="https://hempedification.files.wordpress.com/2016/01/bottles-of-different-kinds-of-milk.jpg?w=559" style="display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="640" />The search for palatable and sustainable alternatives to cow's milk has been going on for years, with more people becoming conscious of how their food is produced and what effect it has on their bodies. In the US the market has shown a move toward alternatives, with almond milk sales soaring to $700 million in 2015, up 40% over 2014. For the sake of good health we can replace cow’s milk with healthy natural substitutes including Hemp, brown rice, almond, or even raw goat’s milk. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hemp milk is an incredibly nutritious and tasty alternative to cow’s milk which supplies the body with essential nutrients without causing harm to the body, like cow's milk does. Whatever the reason you are considering abstaining from cow’s milk, Hemp milk is probably the best alternative to consider. Hemp milk is a blend of Hemp seeds and purified water which produces a creamy textured nut-milk, with a delicious, nutty taste. And unlike cow’s milk, Hemp milk is easy for the body to digest.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="Milk Cartoon" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ddwniB6Q8VWwGzmgxjFKELJFacz16IIKemN7RmGpjaNkZ_5KfMktQ233MBpFvMuqyxQ-YjkBRyBO28PH9t1dJa0d6DfZjMyhL_jqpQGROXRkB6jNkSZ8H9eojE9e" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/ddwniB6Q8VWwGzmgxjFKELJFacz16IIKemN7RmGpjaNkZ_5KfMktQ233MBpFvMuqyxQ-YjkBRyBO28PH9t1dJa0d6DfZjMyhL_jqpQGROXRkB6jNkSZ8H9eojE9e" style="float: right; height: auto; margin: 16px 0px 16px 16px; max-width: 100%;" />A <a data-mce-href="http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6015" href="http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6015" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">study</a> published in 2014 in the <i>British Medical Journal </i>revealed cow's milk contributes to a greater risk of mortality in men and women as well as bone fractures in women. A 2013 <a data-mce-href="http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1704826" href="http://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1704826" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">paper</a> published in the <i>Journal of the American Medical Association Paediatrics </i>found bone fracture rates tend to be lower in countries that do not consume cow's milk compared to those that do, noting there are many other, better sources of calcium. However, calcium isn’t as bone protective as was once thought. Multiple studies on calcium supplementation have shown no benefit in reducing bone fracture risk. In fact, a 2003 <a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12540414" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12540414" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">study</a> showed Vitamin D to be more effective, concluding, <i>"an adequate Vitamin D intake is associated with a lower risk of osteoporotic hip fractures in post-menopausal women. Neither milk nor a high-calcium diet appears to reduce risk". </i>And, a<i> </i>2005 <a data-mce-href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15883441" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15883441" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">study</a>, among others, suggested dairy products might increase male risk of developing prostate cancer by 30-50%.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around 65-75% of the total human population have a reduced ability to digest <a data-mce-href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance" href="http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/lactose-intolerance" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">lactose</a> after infancy, evidence enough we are not doing what is natural, in accordance with our bodies. Lactose intolerance is an impaired ability to digest lactose, a sugar found in milk/dairy products, normally broken down by an enzyme called lactase, which is produced by cells in the lining of the small intestine. Every other mammalian species weans and never drinks milk again for the rest of their lives, due to that, they don’t have an enzyme to break down the sugar in milk. But during human evolution, some humans experienced a mutation in the LTC gene, the lactase gene, mutations allow us to process lactose as adults.</span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.food-intolerance-network.com/images/stories/lactoseintolerance/lactose-intolerance-in-recent-population.jpg" href="http://www.food-intolerance-network.com/images/stories/lactoseintolerance/lactose-intolerance-in-recent-population.jpg" style="color: #00aadc;"><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/idKqyPtrNSB9TOL86zzLYU5ZyqHMwezii6_KrKscxxPnLQ0lFGLeXkXTSmyFF7Sdi0kIhmkuhxpC6EVH3GsS0QVI-6EAQevtVxTbuR8U_Y9TikkmOkAFqAdqV33aPXOSxHllxFO56dqdkc1NRn3K7VV9pt-_ZejTYLc9VNY7dd2iNAKE_6h3CjNN" height="273" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/idKqyPtrNSB9TOL86zzLYU5ZyqHMwezii6_KrKscxxPnLQ0lFGLeXkXTSmyFF7Sdi0kIhmkuhxpC6EVH3GsS0QVI-6EAQevtVxTbuR8U_Y9TikkmOkAFqAdqV33aPXOSxHllxFO56dqdkc1NRn3K7VV9pt-_ZejTYLc9VNY7dd2iNAKE_6h3CjNN" style="border: 0px; display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/3Sapr7t3AqWxon40IauaQPvupQEYJD8dPfaNV2hjwEZv1q_j9g3B067ZQtkFiDncvuzfJ9Tse8hbrfdoX0cOoauQ5uXVS68lOo9wMXpjFX5lsBHk6zzieY-j51RmpEqbE-sYSCq0pODIJTLf6-RH9Pc1hw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Hemp seeds" border="0" class=" alignleft" data-mce-src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/3Sapr7t3AqWxon40IauaQPvupQEYJD8dPfaNV2hjwEZv1q_j9g3B067ZQtkFiDncvuzfJ9Tse8hbrfdoX0cOoauQ5uXVS68lOo9wMXpjFX5lsBHk6zzieY-j51RmpEqbE-sYSCq0pODIJTLf6-RH9Pc1hw" height="142" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/3Sapr7t3AqWxon40IauaQPvupQEYJD8dPfaNV2hjwEZv1q_j9g3B067ZQtkFiDncvuzfJ9Tse8hbrfdoX0cOoauQ5uXVS68lOo9wMXpjFX5lsBHk6zzieY-j51RmpEqbE-sYSCq0pODIJTLf6-RH9Pc1hw" style="height: auto; margin-top: 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Produced from the seeds of the Hemp plant, some are concerned that Hemp milk might contain some of the psychoactive cannabinoid, THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), found in Cannabis. These concerns are totally unfounded as none is present in Hemp milk. Some US Hemp milk producers have to rely on obtaining Hemp seeds from farmers in Canada or Europe, where the growth of Hemp plants for oil or milk is perfectly legal. In Australia, Hemp is still illegal for human consumption, but can be grown and sold for external use only (labels must be affixed to any imported or local product clearly stating same in both Australia and New Zealand). Law enforcement in both countries are showing their combined ignorance by banning this nutritionally supercharged food. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hemp milk contains no sugar, no cholesterol and is free of soy, gluten and lactose. For many these factors make it the perfect, healthier choice. An abundant source of vital nutrients, essential fatty acids, and vitamins all in a single 225g (8oz) glass of organic Hemp milk, including the following:</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">900mg Omega-3 Fatty Acid</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2800mg Omega-6 Fatty Acid</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All 10 Essential Amino Acids</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4 grams of Digestible <a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/protein" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/protein" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Protein</a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">46% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of <a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/calcium" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/calcium" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Calcium</a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">0% Cholesterol</span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/potassium" href="http://www.healthdirect.gov.au/potassium" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Potassium</span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/phosphorus" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/phosphorus" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Phosphorous</a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Riboflavin <a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-a" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-a" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Vitamin A</a></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-e" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-e" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vitamin E</span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-b12" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-b12" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Vitamin B12</a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Folate (<a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/folate" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/folate" target="_blank">Folic Acid</a>)</span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-d" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/vitamin-d" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vitamin D</span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/magnesium" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/magnesium" target="_blank">Magnesium</a></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/iron" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/iron" target="_blank">Iron</a></span></div>
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<a data-mce-href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/zinc" href="https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/zinc" target="_blank"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zinc</span></a></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And more …</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" class=" aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://www.frescohealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Shelled-hemp-seeds-nutrion-facts-clean.png" src="http://www.frescohealth.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Shelled-hemp-seeds-nutrion-facts-clean.png" height="398" style="display: block; height: auto; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; max-width: 100%;" width="400" /></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/QEqCWCxGntBQeRXDFsoXvNvGxzaVL_X_jpG6GLPojVe4YE60ha3UPVIgP5iAhlL4gywmNMokvr-0W0bq9lu9yI00MpyQmx3eNAztIU0KgtLcjpOe-OmznlS-auLZr8VUI0HlRTE1JA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class=" alignright" data-mce-src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/QEqCWCxGntBQeRXDFsoXvNvGxzaVL_X_jpG6GLPojVe4YE60ha3UPVIgP5iAhlL4gywmNMokvr-0W0bq9lu9yI00MpyQmx3eNAztIU0KgtLcjpOe-OmznlS-auLZr8VUI0HlRTE1JA" height="150" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/QEqCWCxGntBQeRXDFsoXvNvGxzaVL_X_jpG6GLPojVe4YE60ha3UPVIgP5iAhlL4gywmNMokvr-0W0bq9lu9yI00MpyQmx3eNAztIU0KgtLcjpOe-OmznlS-auLZr8VUI0HlRTE1JA" style="height: auto; margin-top: 16px; max-width: 100%;" width="200" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hemp milk benefits include:</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strengthened immune system</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Clear, healthy skin, hair and nails</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Strong, healthy heart</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Increased mental capacity</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Excellent anti-inflammatory</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Improved circulation.</span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Make your own organic Hemp milk with the following ingredients:</span></div>
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<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1 cup Hemp seeds (shelled)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5-6 cups purified water</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Natural sweetener such as Agave nectar, raw Honey, organic Vanilla essence</span></li>
<li><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nut-milk bag or cheesecloth (for straining)</span></li>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Combine water and Hemp seeds in a blender. Use more water to achieve a skim milk consistency and less water to produce a heavier, creamier consistency. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes, or until you reach desired consistency. Strain the milk through a nut-milk bag or cheesecloth and sweeten by adding your choice of organic sweetener. As Hemp milk tastes better cold, chill before use. This recipe makes: 6-7 cups which will stay fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator in a sealed glass container. Shake well before each use. The seed pulp can be used as an excellent body scrub, facial mask or compost.</span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Resources:</i></span></div>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/03/milk-does-not-do-a-body-good-massive-new-study-says/" href="http://www.collective-evolution.com/2014/11/03/milk-does-not-do-a-body-good-massive-new-study-says/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Milk Does Not Do A Body Good</a>, </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6015" href="http://www.bmj.com/content/349/bmj.g6015" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Milk Intake and Risk of Mortality and Fractures in Women and Men</a>, <a data-mce-href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-cows-milk/" href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/dangers-of-cows-milk/" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">The Dangers of Drinking Cows Milk</a>, </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.themeat-tingplace.com.au/milk-wars...-a-staple-for-many-people,-milk-is-readily-available-and-also-ridiculously-cheap.html" href="http://www.themeat-tingplace.com.au/milk-wars...-a-staple-for-many-people,-milk-is-readily-available-and-also-ridiculously-cheap.html" style="color: #00aadc;" target="_blank">Milk - A Staple For Many</a>,</span><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"> <a data-mce-href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-hemp-milk/" href="http://www.globalhealingcenter.com/natural-health/benefits-of-hemp-milk/" style="color: #00aadc;">Health Benefits of Hemp Milk</a>, </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><a data-mce-href="http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/196789/2/Dharmasena_Capps_Kosub_Almond_milk_SAEA_2015%20%28paper%29.pdf" href="http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/196789/2/Dharmasena_Capps_Kosub_Almond_milk_SAEA_2015%20%28paper%29.pdf" style="color: #00aadc;">Hemp Milk</a>, </span><span data-mce-style="font-size: small;" style="font-size: x-small;"><a data-mce-href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/512124-what-are-the-benefits-of-hemp-milk/" href="http://www.livestrong.com/article/512124-what-are-the-benefits-of-hemp-milk/" style="color: #00aadc;">What are the Benefits of Hemp Milk</a></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlckAHmx4MQ/VU9Dh3lUvRI/AAAAAAAAF6o/ejKsXIo9FVg/s400/CannabinoidGraphic_.png"><img alt="Cannabinoids" border="0" class="aligncenter" height="125" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mlckAHmx4MQ/VU9Dh3lUvRI/AAAAAAAAF6o/ejKsXIo9FVg/s400/CannabinoidGraphic_.png" width="400" /></a>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In Israel in 1964 the most prominent compound in Cannabis sativa L., a non-toxic herb commonly referred to simply as 'Cannabis', delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), was discovered. THC starts out in the Cannabis plant as geranyl pyrophosphate and olivetolic acid. Through enzyme catalisation (an increase in the rate of chemical reaction, without which most biochemical reactions would not occur) they become Cannabigerolic acid (<em><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/cannabinoids-overview-cbg-the-precursor.html" target="_blank">CBG-a</a></em>), the essential precursor for all cannabinoids. CBG-a becomes <em><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/thc-tincture-for-paediatric-seizures.html" target="_blank">THC-a</a></em>, a cannabinoid which has very different effects to THC. But, with heat or over time, THC-a decarboxylates into THC. Cannabinoids are specialised molecules that mimic similar chemicals in the human body and fit into special receptors within the brain, nervous and immune systems and as reported in the scientific literature at this time there are around <em><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/cannabichromenic-acid-cbc-and.html" target="_blank">111</a></em> known natural cannabinoids. </span>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/tetrahydrocannabinol.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" height="130" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/tetrahydrocannabinol.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabinoids have been found to work synergistically with the human body and, more specifically, the <a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/endocannabinoid-system-ecs-overview.html" target="_blank"><i>Endogenous Cannabinoid System</i></a> (ECS). The human body produces its own cannabinoids, called <a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/endocannabinoid-system-ecs-overview.html"><i>endocannabinoids</i></a> (endogenous means produced internally). Phytocannabinoids (literally, 'plant' cannabinoids) from the Cannabis plant are a perfect fit for the specialised cannabinoid receptors found throughout the brain, nervous and immune systems. In addition, cannabinoids do more than work independently to deliver a particular therapeutic effect, they also work in tandem to regulate one another, something that has been labelled the <a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/medicinal-cannabis-much-more-than-just.html"><i>Entourage Effect</i></a>. These miracle molecules give the herb a wide variety of therapeutic benefits, from reducing inflammation to managing pain and many researchers and patients have begun to recognise the fact that single cannabinoid extracts may not be the best solution for the majority of patients.</span>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/what-is-thc.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" height="130" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/what-is-thc.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a coordinated network that consists of the canonical Cannabinoid Receptors (CB1 and CB2), their endogenous ligands, <a href="http://grannystormcrowslist2014.webs.com/apps/forums/show/15236735-anandamide-aea-n-arachidonoylethanolamine-"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Anandamide</i></span></a> <span style="color: #274e13;">(the 'bliss' molecule) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (</span>2-AG<span style="color: #274e13;">) and their synthesising and degrading enzymes. THC mimics the actions of Anandamide and 2-AG and has been shown to be an effective treatment for a variety of neurological, gastrointestinal and psychological ailments. It is an especially effective treatment for </span><span style="color: purple;"><i><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015_07_01_archive.html" target="_blank">Crohn’s disease</a></i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">. This is primarily because of the way in which this cannabinoid decreases inflammation, the core cause of Crohn's. In fact, THC is such an effective treatment for Crohn’s, it has been shown to put the disease into remission. Strains high in THC are also effective in treating </span><span style="color: purple;"><i><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/marijuana-ptsd-treatment" target="_blank">PTSD</a></i></span><span style="color: #274e13;"> and even preventing heart attacks. Strains high in THC can sometimes deliver a strong dose of paranoia but this is easily ameliorated with everyday household pantry items like </span><span style="color: purple;"><i><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/03/black-pepper-to-relieve-cannabis-anxiety.html" target="_blank">Black Pepper</a></i></span>, and patients who suffer from acute anxiety often find strains lower in THC to be more therapeutic. Cannabichromene (</span><span style="color: purple;"><i><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/cannabichromenic-acid-cbc-and.html" target="_blank">CBC</a></i></span><span style="color: #274e13;">) another cannabinoid, has been found to enhance the potency of THC. Thus, a strain that is high in both THC and contains enough CBC to enhance its psychoactive properties will be especially potent, providing greater efficacy for some patients. Likewise, another cannabinoid, Cannabigerol (<a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/cannabinoids-overview-cbg-the-precursor.html" target="_blank"><i>CBG</i></a>), has the opposite effect on THC, serving to buffer its effects and decrease its psychoactive properties. Strains that are high in THC, but also with sufficient amounts of CBG, may be more tolerable for some.</span>
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<a href="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/thc-cannabinoid-profile-599x396.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" height="132" src="https://www.whaxy.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/thc-cannabinoid-profile-599x396.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The commercial value in most jurisdictions where use of Cannabis is still illegal is typically dictated by the amount of THC it contains. Cannabis strains with larger percentages of THC (12-21% is purportedly the average) are capable of delivering more potent therapeutic and medicinal efficacy. Some strains of Cannabis, such as <em>Train Wreck</em> and <em>OG Kush</em>, feature THC in quantities as high as 24-30%. Concentrates, such as hash and wax may feature as much as 85% THC. One method of isolating the THC contained in whole plant Cannabis is to vaporise it, allowing it to be consumed without the tars and toxins of smoking.</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://cannabisincanada.jademaple.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2015/07/Cannabis-is-an-Effective-Asthma-Treatment-360x240.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" height="132" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/1p5NjKzCmrObNvbpDhm9r9XDowphmsMwupbNmIv6mhjbWHGiYwyDcoEY_-xv0mdjguGWq0L0_ztMSlQWSu8fz3CyASGQoedp4fPIK74DJGsEs8lWq-M7bJdp3kutzgXF28lTOZefAAHvLfATY1fD2ojKmLCakBMKbboIJSqWvtuCd0GjHkHD1xOF1eIZl-v2CXM" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">THC is a bronchial dilator, an effective treatment for asthma and related respiratory conditions, again this is due to its anti-inflammatory properties. It is also very helpful for those suffering from autoimmune deficiencies, such as wasting syndrome and HIV/AIDS, because of its ability to stimulate a patient’s appetite. THC allows sufferers to maintain body weight and enjoy proper nutrition so they are most capable of battling their disease. THC is a powerful treatment for nausea caused by chemotherapy and other toxic treatments. It allows patients to keep down food or critical pharmaceutical drugs that otherwise would be lost through vomiting. Like its cousin Cannabidiol (<a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/cannabidiolic-acid-cbd-and-cannabidiols.html"><i>CBD</i></a>), THC also provides neuroprotective qualities, making it well suited to treating diseases like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Parkinson’s and Epilepsy. Like CBD, CBG and CBC, THC has also been proven to fight cancer and can be an effective analgesic (pain killer).</span> </span><br />
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/AoeXL_8vBmPDCmnu2Xcso2LxZTsNYY-xX1x_h0d1qic54pG4-UN5OtGp3NQWklvZWojyk-33I3LgwjKxPH3PjF9xRiXVPmcY21WB-hOhkL2Vf-gMYLsOCdI68QimrhjjfMzwXCTht6EC0MfWHZttGSg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" src="http://www.braintrainingcentersfl.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/marijuana-brain2-300x282.gif" height="223" width="237" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">THC has been proven completely safe to consume with decades of research revealing the impossibility of overdose. According to the United States (US) National Cancer Institute, “Because cannabinoid receptors, unlike opioid receptors, are not located in the brain-stem areas controlling respiration, lethal overdoses from Cannabis and cannabinoids do not occur”. Lethal doses are simply not possible due to the lack of cannabinoid receptors in the brain stem, responsible for respiration and heart function, unlike drugs such as cocaine and heroin, which can easily result in overdose. In 2008, researchers in universities in both Montreal and Vancouver, Canada, </span><a href="http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/178/13/1669" target="_blank">reviewed</a><span style="color: #274e13;"> 23 clinical investigations of cannabinoid drugs (typically oral THC or liquid pharmaceutical Cannabis extracts) and eight observational studies conducted between 1966 and 2007. Investigators "did not find a higher incidence rate of serious adverse events associated with medical cannabinoid use" compared to non-using controls over these four decades.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Regulation of THC by other cannabinoids like CBG also affect potency and overall effect, providing another buffer. A <a href="http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/the-toxicity-of-recreational-drugs/4"><i>2009 study</i></a> revealed that using only 10 times the “effective” dose of alcohol can be fatal, whereas 1,000 times the effective amount would be necessary to achieve a fatal dose of Cannabis, a quantity impossible to consume! More research has indicated additional reasons why humans don’t die from Cannabis poisoning. In 2014, the journal <em>Science</em> published <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/343/6166/94"><i>results</i></a> from a French study, <i>Pregnenolone Can Protect the Brain from Cannabis Intoxication</i>, which documented the discovery and presence of a natural hormone that reverses Cannabis intoxication - in rats, at least. According to the researchers: “When the [rat] brain is stimulated by high doses of THC, it produces pregnenolone - a 3,000% increase - that inhibits the effects of THC”. </span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>Therapeutic and medicinal values include (</b><em>but are certainly not limited to</em><b>):</b></span>
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<b style="clear: right; color: #274e13; float: right; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignright" height="100" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/yHZByWbNisoxFbaFm125k85IGQ9SXPS_vAheSNfZhLn3stWQ3NGrqe2yTTEh21IACI_Gr2gVosLR-MoArQ1ViK4xxK24NO2RnIPS1WgLmJTyEwfoGt-VDBjgAQn0OwEzMcFN0ZwPkQ" width="211" /></b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Analgesic (</b>Pain Killer<b>) –</b> Understanding the mechanism of cannabinoid-induced <em><a href="http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq#link/_34_toc" target="_blank">analgesia</a></em> has been increased through the study of cannabinoid receptors, endocannabinoids, and synthetic agonists and antagonists. The CB1 receptor is found in both the central nervous system (CNS) and in peripheral nerve terminals. One of the most common uses of Cannabis is for pain relief and THC is the cannabinoid responsible for its pain-relieving effects. A 2010 double-blind study titled <em>"Smoked Cannabis for Chronic Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial",</em> published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal stated: "Adults with post-traumatic or postsurgical neuropathic pain were randomly assigned to receive Cannabis at four potencies (0%, 2.5%, 6% and 9.4% THC) over four 14-day periods in a crossover trial. Participants inhaled a single 25-mg dose through a pipe three times daily for the first five days in each cycle, followed by a nine-day washout period. Daily average pain intensity was measured using an 11-point numeric rating scale. Conclusion: A single inhalation of 25mg of 9.4% THC herbal Cannabis three times daily for five days reduced the intensity of pain, improved sleep and was well tolerated". </span><span style="color: #274e13;">A 2012 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22448949" target="_blank"><i>study</i></a> shows THC activates pathways in the central nervous system which work to block pain signals from being sent to the brain. Likewise, in a 2013 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23237736"><i>study</i></a>, Cannabis is shown to be especially effective against neuropathic pain, or nerve-related pain. Another 2013 study titled, <em>"Low Dose Vaporized Cannabis Significantly Improves Neuropathic Pain"</em>, published in the <em>Journal of Pain</em> stated; "Cannabis has analgesic efficacy with the low dose (1.29%) being, for all intents and purposes, as effective a pain reliever as the medium dose (3.53%). Psychoactive effects were minimal and well-tolerated, and neuropsychological effects were of limited duration and readily reversible within 1–2 hours. Vaporised Cannabis, even at low doses, may present an effective option for patients with treatment-resistant neuropathic pain". A quick search via Google Scholar returns around 26,900 results for <a href="https://scholar.google.com.au/scholar?q=thc+as+an+analgesic&hl=en&as_sdt=0,5&as_vis=1"><i>THC as an analgesic</i></a> and over 3,000 of those results are from 2015.</span>
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<a href="http://www.usnews.com/dims4/USNEWS/190a655/2147483647/thumbnail/652x434%3E/quality/85/?url=%2Fcmsmedia%2F75%2Fca%2Fc697439a436a821d93469530e378%2F150414-medicalmarijuana-stock.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" class="alignleft" height="109" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSUV-79W20maAwTfOhrDRh_NvtA4qD9YlWguu1zI5BmS8t-_6RN" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Anti-emetic (</b>Nausea and Vomiting<b>) – </b>In 2001 a Post-doctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Chicago (Illinois, US) wrote an article, "Antiemetic Efficacy of Smoked Marijuana: Subjective and Behavioral Effects on Nausea Induced by Syrup of Ipecac" in the journal <em>Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior</em> which stated; "The present study examined the antiemetic effect of smoked Cannabis cigarettes (8.4 and 16.9mg THC) compared to a highly potent antiemetic drug, ondansetron (8mg) in 13 healthy volunteers. Nausea and emesis were induced by syrup of ipecac. Cannabis significantly reduced queasiness and slightly reduced the incidence of vomiting compared to placebo. Ondansetron completely eliminated the emetic effects of ipecac. These findings support and extend previous results, indicating that smoked Cannabis reduces feelings of nausea and also reduces emesis in this model".<em> </em></span><span style="color: #274e13;">THC has to be dosed relatively highly, so any resultant side effects may occur comparatively frequently and more recent investigations have shown THC in low doses improves the efficacy of other anti-emetic drugs if given together. There is evidence from clinical studies that cannabinoids are effective in nausea and vomiting due to radiotherapy and after surgery. Cannabinoids are popular in alternative and complementary medicine and are often used in other causes of nausea including <a href="http://grannystormcrowslist2014.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/13152086-hiv-aids-" target="_blank"><i>AIDS</i></a>, <a href="http://grannystormcrowslist2014.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/13152109-hepatitis-" target="_blank"><i>Hepatitis</i></a> and <a href="http://grannystormcrowslist2014.webs.com/apps/forums/topics/show/13153161-morning-sickness-see-also-nausea-" target="_blank"><i>nausea in pregnancy</i></a>.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Synthetic THC has been available in pill form and used for treating nausea and vomiting in cancer patients <a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page5"><i>since</i></a> the 1980's. In the US, a growing number of cancer patients and oncologists view Cannabis as a viable alternative for managing chemotherapy’s effects, as well as some of the physical and emotional health consequences of cancer, such as bone pain, anxiety and depression. Marinol® was the first synthetic THC pharmaceutical to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for this purpose. Since then, other THC pills have been developed and prescribed to patients undergoing chemotherapy. However, the danger with synthesising any plant extract is that you lose the intrinsic checks and balances provided by nature and undesirable side-effects ensue. For example, Marinol® causes more psychoactive effects than natural, organic THC! Nature is always best, even when the pharmaceutical industry tries to tell us otherwise!</span>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/XLP8zp1a-U6VOZLAYXnnMov5Wg25Jn49kLLmzrLwdl9iIzsfvWTqr2OR4BQJ0ovNodlv3gN4Yb4V9D7Q8nEJMpZEnPyplQ2-wfARHOXQj3S8oTbkzmGqo14fSxoq_A" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignright" height="94" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/XLP8zp1a-U6VOZLAYXnnMov5Wg25Jn49kLLmzrLwdl9iIzsfvWTqr2OR4BQJ0ovNodlv3gN4Yb4V9D7Q8nEJMpZEnPyplQ2-wfARHOXQj3S8oTbkzmGqo14fSxoq_A" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Appetite Stimulant -</b> Along with its ability to reduce nausea, THC is known to work as a powerful appetite stimulant in both healthy and sick individuals (whole organic Cannabis promotes a healthy appetite). As Professor of Clinical Medicine (University of California, San Francisco), Dr Donald Abrams says Cannabis “is the only anti-nausea medicine that increases appetite”. Cannabis also helps Dr Abrams' patients sleep and elevates their mood which is no easy feat when someone is facing a life-threatening illness. “I could write six different prescriptions, all of which may interact with each other or the chemotherapy that the patient has been prescribed. Or I could just recommend trying one medicine”<em>, </em>Dr Abrams said.</span>
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<a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/gxK0ns6923iIM8WFaSjsE2JaCiprbR1A2ULCRg7PvjlagUGo9afWQrgBMHPGuO50izroH1_mYVFDKj59RQguInRND6BnKKyeY8Hm84W1fy_GRQJqRqUXaR4SI2xY5cXCLId633fkuNbC" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" height="94" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/gxK0ns6923iIM8WFaSjsE2JaCiprbR1A2ULCRg7PvjlagUGo9afWQrgBMHPGuO50izroH1_mYVFDKj59RQguInRND6BnKKyeY8Hm84W1fy_GRQJqRqUXaR4SI2xY5cXCLId633fkuNbC" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Asthma - </b>THC’s ability to improve breathing in asthmatics is supported by research examining the anti-asthmatic effect dating from the 1970's. In Australia, up until the 1920's, 'Cigares de Joy' (Joy's Cigarettes), which were Cannabis cigarettes or 'joints' were sold. "Joy's Cigarettes afford immediate relief in cases of Asthma, Wheezing and Winter Cough, and a little perseverance will effect a permanent cure",<em> </em>read the 1920's advertising blurb! Following trials in the first half of the 1970's that <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1099949" target="_blank"><i>showed</i></a> smoking Cannabis could help calm asthma attacks, scientists tried to develop an inhaler that could deliver THC, and some say <em><a href="http://www.leafscience.com/2014/02/04/study-explains-marijuana-isnt-bad-asthma/" target="_blank">vaporisers</a></em> might be the solution. The effects of a Cannabis cigarette (2% THC) or oral THC (15 mg), respectively, approximately correspond to those obtained with therapeutic doses of common bronchodilator drugs (for example, salbutamol).</span>
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<a href="http://sensiseeds.com/en/blog/files/2013/11/cannabis-and-crohns-disease-text.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Crohn's" border="0" class="alignright" height="124" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/PheXlMvWRGz9O2Sb2zh93DQwSzWhOQOw6D0eh9bUrzz0FbVzPfumSlEklRuXkJ54vmFKTWMx-04IcgrYw5H_lUrMbHurEK1PUI5l7_V-Bl-0CqrBiol0acXHUx_eG2pn4ASeSg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Crohn's Disease –</b> A prospective trial in Israel showed complete remission in five of eleven patients suffering Crohn's Disease who were given Cannabis twice daily. Authors of the study said it had been reported for years that Cannabis lessened the painful symptoms of the inflammatory bowel disease, but findings had not been proven in a controlled trial. The 2013 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23648372" target="_blank"><i>study</i></a>, published in <em>Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology</em> compared 21 patients who did not respond to conventional treatment. Half were given Cannabis cigarettes and the other half were given placebo (Cannabis cigarettes with the THC removed). Results showed improvement in the group treated with the THC-intact Cannabis. Those subjects also reported improved sleep and appetite. The 8-week treatment with THC-rich Cannabis caused a decrease in the Crohn's Disease activity index in 90% of patients without producing significant side effects. The mechanisms involved most likely include peripheral actions on cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2) and may also include central actions.</span>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSfz_vdjaLS6yK9uoueWmoi6SjV3F5x-ZSCJv_YUBWnxdchQrnA" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Epilepsy" border="0" class="alignleft" height="178" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSfz_vdjaLS6yK9uoueWmoi6SjV3F5x-ZSCJv_YUBWnxdchQrnA" width="178" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Epilepsy – </b>One of the mechanisms underlying the anticonvulsant properties of cannabinoids is through their activation of CB1. THC has shown CB1-dependent anticonvulsant activity in experimental models of seizure and epilepsy. Cannabis has some contradictory effects in <em><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/e/#EPILEPSY/SEIZURES" target="_blank">Epilepsy</a></em> which likely has to do with the complexity of the plant itself. Cannabis not only exhibits many cannabinoids, it exhibits other compounds including potentially neuroactive substances such as terpenes, hydrocarbons, ketones, aldehydes and other hydrophobic compounds capable of crossing the blood–brain barrier. The variability of the strain-specific ratios of the most common cannabinoid, THC, and the second most common cannabinoid, CBD, offers further complexity in utilising whole Cannabis as an anti-epileptic. In addition, the mode of administration likely affects bio-availability and neuroactivity. However, there is evidence that Oral Cannabis Extracts (OCEs) are well tolerated by children and adolescents with Epilepsy, according to a 2015 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25845492" target="_blank">study</a>, <em>Parental reporting of response to oral cannabis extracts for treatment of refractory epilepsy,</em> in the journal, <em>Epilepsy & Behavior</em>.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Glaucoma –</b> Glaucoma causes patients to develop a reduced field of vision that can lead to blindness. Glaucoma is incurable and the second leading cause of blindness in the world, according to the World Health Organization. There are actually several different types of Glaucoma, but only two are common. These two are characterised by an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), or pressure inside the eye (shown in the diagram), which damages the optic nerve. The cause of the increase in eye pressure is similar, but different between the two most common types. A benefit of THC, recognised early on, was its potential to relieve eye pressure in patients with glaucoma. <a href="http://archopht.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=264203" target="_blank"><i>Studies</i></a> in the 1970's showed that smoking Cannabis could reduce symptoms in Glaucoma sufferers and scientists tried (and failed) to develop a way to administer THC in eye drops. The idea proved too complicated due to THC not being soluble in water. In 2004 in an article titled <em>"Glaucoma"</em>, by GW Pharmaceuticals Cannabinoid Research Institute stated; "The ability of Cannabis and THC to lower intra-ocular pressure in Glaucoma was serendipitously discovered in the late 1970's by a variety of patients and researchers. Several patients in the US Compassionate Use Investigational New Drug Program maintained their vision while employing large amounts of daily Cannabis in situations where standard drug therapy failed ... An emerging concept is that Glaucoma represents a progressive vascular retinopathy that requires a neuroprotectant to preserve vision. Some of the resulting optic nerve damage accrues due to NMDA hyperexcitability, an effect that THC and CBD may counter as neuroprotective antioxidants. Thus, Glaucoma is an area where Cannabis and cannabinoids may offer particular advantages over available single ingredient ocular anti-hypertensive agents".</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ HIV/AIDS (</b>Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome<b>) – </b>The American Academy of HIV Medicine (<a href="http://www.aahivm.org/" target="_blank"><i>AAHIVM</i></a>) stated in 2007, "When appropriately prescribed and monitored, Cannabis can provide immeasurable benefits for the health and well-being of our patients". Also in 2007, Dr Donald Abrams, Professor of Clinical Medicine (University of California, San Francisco) wrote an article; Cannabis in Painful HIV-Associated Sensory Neuropathy: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial, in the journal Neurology: "Objective: To determine the effect of smoked Cannabis on the neuropathic pain of HIV-associated sensory neuropathy, and an experimental pain model ... Patients were randomly assigned to smoke either cannabis (3.56% THC) or identical placebo cigarettes with the cannabinoids extracted three times daily for 5 days ... Conclusion: Smoked Cannabis was well tolerated and effectively relieved chronic neuropathic pain from HIV-associated sensory neuropathy. The findings are comparable to oral drugs used for chronic neuropathic pain". A group of researchers from Louisiana State University (US) published a study in 2014 in the journal <a href="http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/aid.2013.0182" target="_blank"><i>AIDS Research and Human Retroviruses</i></a> which suggests Cannabis can help stop the progression of HIV/AIDS and its associated symptoms of chronic pain, nausea, fatigue and more. The specific compound that halts the spread of HIV compounds into other healthy cells is none other than THC. </span>
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqYigVfPWKxAp7VSPowZpwhWDwNHQudiwm2BK5W1dg8nXbLmdVrg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" height="194" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRqYigVfPWKxAp7VSPowZpwhWDwNHQudiwm2BK5W1dg8nXbLmdVrg" width="259" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – </b>A 2001 study, <em>"Prospects for New Cannabis-Based Prescription Medicines",</em> published by GW Pharmaceuticals in the <em>Journal of Cannabis Therapeutics</em> stated; "In practice it has been found that extracts of Cannabis (processed whole plant compounds) provide greater relief of pain than the equivalent amount of cannabinoid given as a single chemical entity (such as Marinol) .... Some patients with Multiple Sclerosis who smoke Cannabis report relief of spasm and pain after the second or third puff of a Cannabis cigarette. This implies very rapid transit to, and absorption into the central nervous system. The time involved is seconds rather than minutes". In a 2012 study, <em>"Multiple Sclerosis and Extract of Cannabis: Results of the MUSEC Trial"</em>, published in the <em>Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry</em>, patients with stable MS across the United Kingdom (UK) were randomised to oral Cannabis Extract (CE) or placebo. This was a Double Blind, Placebo controlled, Phase III study with a screening period, a 2 week dose titration phase from 5-25mg of THC daily and a 10 week maintenance phase. The rate of relief from muscle stiffness after 12 weeks was almost twice as high with CE than with placebo. In conclusion, the study met its primary objective to demonstrate the superiority of CE over placebo in the treatment of muscle stiffness in MS. At the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in August 2015, researchers took isolated immune cells, which target and harm the brain and spinal cord, from paralysed mice and treated them with either THC or CBD. In both cases, the immune cells produced fewer inflammatory molecules, strongly associated with MS and very harmful to nerve cells and their insulating covers. Researchers concluded the presence of THC or CBD restrains the immune cells from triggering the production of inflammatory molecules and limits the molecules' ability to reach and damage the brain and spinal cord. Researchers say further studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of cannabinoids in treating MS in humans but in many countries, THC and CBD are already prescribed for the treatment of MS symptoms, including pain and muscle stiffness.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) -</b> The euphoric 'high' from THC is <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17019571" target="_blank"><i>associated</i></a> with temporary impairment of memory. While this may be seen as a drawback for some Cannabis users, impaired memory is often therapeutic for those who struggle to forget painful memories, such as patients who suffer from PTSD. In 2014, research out of Israel confirmed oral doses of THC can help relieve a variety of PTSD-related symptoms including flashbacks, agitation and nightmares. In a 3-week pilot study involving 10 patients with severe PTSD, oral doses of THC led to significant improvement across a number of measures, including sleep and hyperarousal symptoms. The findings were published in the journal <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40261-014-0212-3"><i>Clinical Drug Investigation</i></a>. The researchers wrote, “The results show good tolerance and safety, reduction of PTSD hyperarousal symptoms, improved sleep quality and reduced frequency of nightmares”. Recent evidence suggests cannabinoids may enhance the ability to overcome traumatic memories. What’s more, cannabinoids are known to <a href="http://www.leafscience.com/2013/11/25/5-ways-marijuana-affects-sleep/"><i>affect sleep</i></a> in various ways, including a decrease in REM sleep — the sleep phase during which nightmares occur. Anecdotal <a href="http://www.leafscience.com/2014/05/08/marijuana-may-improve-ptsd-study-finds/"><i>reports</i></a> also suggest Cannabis may be of benefit. Also in 2014, psychometric data on PTSD symptoms collected during 80 psychiatric evaluations of patients applying to the New Mexico (US) Medical Cannabis Program between 2009-20011 was statistically analysed. PTSD symptoms were reduced by more than 75% in patients using Cannabis ...". The 2015 <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26195653" target="_blank">study</a>, <em>Use and effects of cannabinoids in military veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder</em>, concluded; "evidence indicates that substantial numbers of military veterans with PTSD use Cannabis or derivative products to control PTSD symptoms, with some patients reporting benefits in terms of reduced anxiety and insomnia and improved coping ability". </span>
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<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/OsI-C7_cbv1iqo8NqPN2Cr4AleftWz7oNpr_tV8re2SdUHGrQBY82ubgPWHgVR9M7JF2juKEpnSF2yvdhSy4eTvG3o-_n9Lu9jR--fA9MQgtF-Mxa_adjHcBDnfEEw" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="alignleft" height="94" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/OsI-C7_cbv1iqo8NqPN2Cr4AleftWz7oNpr_tV8re2SdUHGrQBY82ubgPWHgVR9M7JF2juKEpnSF2yvdhSy4eTvG3o-_n9Lu9jR--fA9MQgtF-Mxa_adjHcBDnfEEw" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Sleep Aid – </b>The sleep-inducing effects of Cannabis are well known and research shows that THC is largely responsible. In fact, trials conducted in the 1970's <a href="http://www.truthonpot.com/2013/03/30/using-medical-marijuana-for-insomnia/" target="_blank"><i>found</i></a> oral doses of THC helped both healthy individuals and insomniacs fall asleep faster. More recent <a href="http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyt.2013.00001/abstract" target="_blank"><i>studies</i></a> suggest THC may also improve night-time breathing and reduce sleep interruptions in those who suffer from a common disorder known as Sleep Apnoea.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><b>♋ Tourette Syndrome (TS) – </b>In 2003, the Director of the Tourette Syndrome Clinic at the Medical School of Hannover stated, THC was "effective and safe in the treatment of tics" from Tourette syndrome, following a Double-Blind Study, <em>"Delta 9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) Is Effective in the Treatment of Tics in Tourette Syndrome: A 6-Week Randomized Trial"</em>, which was published in the <em>Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. </em>"In this randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 24 patients with TS (according to DSM-III-R criteria) were treated over a 6-week period with up to 10 mg/day of THC and found a significant difference or a trend toward a significant difference between THC and placebo groups ... at 10 treatment days (between days 16 and 41) there was a significant difference between both groups and no serious adverse effects occurred ... results provide more evidence that THC is effective and safe in the treatment of tics. It, therefore, can be hypothesised that the central cannabinoid receptor system might play a role in TS pathology".</span>
<span style="color: #274e13;">Regardless of any personal opinion one may hold on the use of Cannabis, a firm grasp of the facts is necessary to overcome an abundance of misinformation, particularly from mainstream media and those with a vested interest in keeping Cannabis illegal (researchers and government/s reliant on 'donations' from pharmaceutical companies, for example). More research is certainly still necessary to even begin to fully comprehend the seemingly endless applications and benefits of THC and the sometimes extremely subtle ways in which it interacts with a variety of other phyto and endocannabinoids (and that's just for starters). Despite the ability of high-THC strains to cause confusion and anxiety in some patients (easily ameliorated as noted above), THC will continue to be the focus not only of users of Cannabis, but of medical researchers, and as more is learned about its function/s and how it interacts with other cannabinoids, new strains will be bred and natural extracts developed that better target particular illnesses and diseases for the benefit of all humankind.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">This is <b>Part 4a </b>of a series covering the major branches of cannabinoids. Parts 1 to 3 covered the other major branches; <em><b><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/cannabinoids-overview-cbg-the-precursor.html">Part 1</a> -</b></em><em> </em>CBG-a, The Precursor, and CBG. <i><b><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/cannabidiolic-acid-cbd-and-cannabidiols.html">Part 2</a> </b></i>covered Cannabidiols (CBD's) including Cannabidiolic acid (CBD-a). <i><b><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/cannabichromenic-acid-cbc-and.html">Part 3</a></b></i> covered Cannabichromenes (CBC's), including Cannabichromenic acid (CBC-a)<em>. </em><b>Parts 4b </b>and<b> 4c </b>will cover Tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THC-a) along with Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabinolic-acid (CBN-a) and Cannabinol (CBN).</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/what-is-thc" target="_blank">What is THC?</a>, <a href="http://www.leafscience.com/2014/07/22/7-proven-medical-benefits-thc/" target="_blank">7 Proven Medical Benefits of THC</a>, <a href="http://medicalmarijuanaanewbeginning.com/2015/08/02/how-do-thc-cbn-cbd-relate-to-marijuana-potency/" target="_blank">How do THC, CBD, CBN Relate to Marijuana Potency?</a>, <a href="https://www.whaxy.com/category/learn/cannabinoids-learn/" target="_blank">Cannabinoids - Learn</a>, <a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/10/no-official-lethal-dose-for-cannabis.html">No Official Lethal Dose For Cannabis</a>, <a href="http://norml.org/component/zoo/category/recent-research-on-medical-marijuana" target="_blank">Safety Profile of Medical Cannabis - NORML</a>, <a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/07/cannabis-and-crohns.html" target="_blank">Cannabis and Crohn's</a>, <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/epi.12610/full" target="_blank">The Case For Medical Marijuana In Epilepsy</a>, <a href="http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000140" target="_blank">Is Marijuana an Effective Treatment for Glaucoma?</a>, <a href="https://www.whaxy.com/learn/glaucoma" target="_blank">Using Cannabis to Treat Glaucoma</a>, <a href="http://mfa.gov.il/MFA/InnovativeIsrael/ScienceTech/Pages/Marijuana-could-help-treat-MS-20-August-2015.aspx" target="_blank">Marijuana Could Help Treat MS</a>, <a href="http://www.leafscience.com/2014/06/19/cannabis-treats-ptsd-symptoms-pilot-study/" target="_blank">Cannabis Treats PTSD Symptoms - Pilot Study</a>, <a href="http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000884#ptsd" target="_blank">60 Peer Reviewed Studies on Medical Marijuana</a> and <a href="http://grannystormcrowslist2014.webs.com/" target="_blank">Granny Storm Crow's List 2015</a></span>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>UPDATE 26 October, 2015</i></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://external.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCLOlOmiWItzR4z&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.guim.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fmedia%2F966b506c46e12b415da79086e53987f2dda1d448%2F0_372_3500_2100%2Fmaster%2F3500.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26q%3D85%26auto%3Dformat%26sharp%3D10%26s%3D2a19b33426a9584d7dd2529de25893a9&cfs=1&upscale=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="scaledImageFitWidth img" height="104" src="https://external.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/safe_image.php?d=AQCLOlOmiWItzR4z&w=470&h=246&url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.guim.co.uk%2Fimg%2Fmedia%2F966b506c46e12b415da79086e53987f2dda1d448%2F0_372_3500_2100%2Fmaster%2F3500.jpg%3Fw%3D1200%26q%3D85%26auto%3Dformat%26sharp%3D10%26s%3D2a19b33426a9584d7dd2529de25893a9&cfs=1&upscale=1" style="border: 0px; min-height: 100%; position: relative; vertical-align: bottom;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only 7% of Australians surveyed for their views on medical cannabis said they were opposed to the 'drug' being made legal for medicinal purposes, a new survey shows. In a poll released by Roy Morgan Research, 644 Australians aged 14 and above were asked: “In your opinion should the use of marijuana* for medicinal purposes be made legal or remain ill<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">egal?” Most – 91% – said it should be made legal, while 2% were unsure. The strongest support for legalisation came from the 50-plus age group, with 94% of respondents in favour. The age group least likely to support it were 14-to-24 year-olds, but even so, 85% of that group said it should be legalised for medicinal use. Michele Levine, the CEO of Roy Morgan Research, said it was not surprising that Australians aged 50-plus were the strongest supporters.</span></span>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“This group is most susceptible to several of the conditions that medicinal marijuana* can provide relief from: Parkinson’s disease, cancer, glaucoma and more”, she said. “It should also be noted that the special telephone survey found that only one third of the population believes that the smoking of marijuana* should be made legal. This demonstrates that Australians understand that smoking and consuming marijuana* for medicinal purposes are two very separate issues”. Sussan Ley, the Federal Health Minister, announced earlier this month she would seek parliamentary support to change the Narcotics Drugs Act of 1967 to create a regulatory body to oversee the cultivation and importation of medical cannabis for state trials. This would make it easier for researchers in Victoria, Queensland and New South Wales – where clinical trials for the use of medicinal cannabis have been announced – to obtain the plant locally.</span>
<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/26/legalised-medical-marijuana-opposed-by-only-7-of-australians-poll-shows" rel="nofollow" style="color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-size: 12px; line-height: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"></a>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>ORIGINAL 25 October 2015</i></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/26/legalised-medical-marijuana-opposed-by-only-7-of-australians-poll-shows"><br /></a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In January 2015, Roy Morgan Research asked Australians 14+ the question, "In your opinion should the smoking of Cannabis* be made legal - or remain illegal?". Judging by more recent media reports, the use of Cannabis for medical purposes could become legal in Australia in the foreseeable future. Politicians such as New South Wales Premier Mike Baird and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews expressed their support for the idea, and clinical trials are to start in 2016. But how do Australians feel about the legalisation of Cannabis?</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over the last decade, the proportion of the population who believe it should be made legal has grown from 26.8% (2004) to 31.8% (2014). </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In this time, the 65+ age bracket has seen the largest proportional increase in favour of legalisation, rising from 16.9% to 25.5% (a 50% growth rate). However, this is still well behind young Australians aged 18-24 (35.7%), the age group with the most support for making smoking Cannabis legal.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>How Australians of Different Ages Feel About Legalising Cannabis</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: small;">Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), January 2014–December 2014 (n=51,969). Base: Australians 14+</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The belief that smoking Cannabis should be made legal has become more widespread across all ages except 25-34 year olds (among whom it has declined fractionally). Even 14-17 year olds, traditionally the least likely to support legalisation, seem to have become more open to the idea in the last 10 years, having gone from 15.5% in favour to 20.7%. University-educated Australians are more likely than those who didn’t complete high school to agree that smoking Cannabis should be made legal: 35.8% of people currently at university and 32.3% of tertiary graduates are in favour, compared with 30.9% of people who finished at year 10 and 28.4% of people with ‘some secondary’ education.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course, Aussies’ growing conviction that Cannabis smoking should be made legal means the proportion who want it to remain illegal is declining. In 2004, 64.1% of the population thought smoking Cannabis should remain illegal; by 2014, it sat at 56.8%. Still a majority, it has to be said, but not such a large one. Meanwhile, the proportion of Australians who are undecided on this issue has risen from 9.2% to 11.4%.</span></span></div>
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Michele Levine, CEO, Roy Morgan Research, said:</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>“Whether someone feels that smoking Cannabis should be made legal or not often indicates how progressive or traditional their social attitudes are in general. In fact, the gradual increase in the proportion of Australians who support legalisation corresponds with an increase in the proportion who describe their ‘viewpoint with regard to social issues and social trends in Australia’ as somewhat or very progressive.</i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, the current debate is centred on medical use rather than personal recreational use, so this casts a different light on the issue, and may provide a clue as to why there has been significant growth in support for legalisation among Australians aged 50 and over. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Medical Cannabis has been found to provide relief from, or slow the progress of, several conditions that are not uncommon among older people: glaucoma, cancer, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, Parkinson’s disease and more (of course, it’s also worth noting that many Aussies aged 50+ would have been part of the hippy movement in the 1960's and 1970's, which had very liberal views on Cannabis use).</span></i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Having measured Australians’ attitudes to societal, political, environmental and health issues for many years, Roy Morgan Research has accumulated data that can assist government departments wishing to gauge how the population is feeling about particular issues at any given time”.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Adapted from; </i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><a href="http://www.roymorgan.com/findings/6026-how-australians-feel-about-marijuana-201501272145" style="color: purple;" target="_blank">How Australians Feel About Marijuana*</a><span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13;">and </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/26/legalised-medical-marijuana-opposed-by-only-7-of-australians-poll-shows" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;">Legalised Medical Marijuana</span></i></a></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>*Roy Morgan Reseach actually used the North American colloquialism 'marijuana' in their questioning, which is botanically incorrect and just shows their lack of knowledge regarding the herb, Cannabis sativa L.</i></span>Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-83407446185727617592015-10-25T16:26:00.000+11:002015-10-25T16:26:07.006+11:00Viewing Psychoactivity as Medicine<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bigstock-Marijuana-Background-56304008-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Marijuana Background" border="0" src="http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bigstock-Marijuana-Background-56304008-300x200.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now-a-days we easily accept the 30,000 per reviewed scientific/medical papers on medicinal properties of Cannabis, very few people are discreditable enough to refute the medically confirmed facts. That's good. When it comes to the psychoactive property of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it's another story, we tend to only think of 'Recreational Use'. The truth is that the very word 'psychoactivity' directly points to brain and especially upper brain function ... a very important branch of pharmaceutical and herbal medicine.</span></div>
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<a href="http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/chemobrain22414-150x150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="chemobrain22414" border="0" src="http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/chemobrain22414-150x150.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.unitedpatientsgroup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/bigstock-Marijuana-Background-56304008-300x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One simple case in point. Recently I had a patient in extremely bad shape mentally and emotionally and I very badly needed the patient to sleep. Large dose administration of THC is very successful in inducing sleep. More importantly, it doesn't compound with the negative side effects of other 'drugs' playing in that 'space'. I didn't have to worry about it suppressing the patients breathing, or slowing/stopping the heart. This would have been the case with the vast majority of sedatives, tranquilisers, beta-blockers, etc ... but not terpenoids. For the same sort of reasons, I didn't have to worry about the patient attempting to overdose on the treatment (it takes about 200 grams of pure THC to reach LD-50). Back on the general medicine ward, our only option was 100mg of Benadryl (large dose inducing drowsiness) ... if the patient tolerated it. </span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">By the way, I eased the patient into a semi-relaxed state first, with a cup of Chamomile tea, laced with 3 additional drops of </span><a href="https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/german-chamomile" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>German Chamomile</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> essential oil, lightly sweetened with </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21756533" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Blueberry</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> honey (I chose it because blueberry pollen is neuro-protective). This initial relaxation gave the THC 'an easier path'. German Chamomile is composed of yet more, highly compatible, terpenoids, the bisabolol terpenoids and chamazulene. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Properly used, the psychoactive property of Cannabis carries with it many other important treatment options. A good friend of mine lives with ADHD and by focussing on sativa strains containing significant amounts of a-Pinene, Limonene and Terpinolene, in strains like Super Silver Haze, their mind becomes energetic, clear-headed and project-oriented, turning the unfocussed, chaotic ADHD mind into a mildly focussed OCD.</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.zoominfo.com/p/Kymron-deCesare/207904830" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Rev. Dr Kymron deCesare</i></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chief Research Officer</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Steep Hill Lab Inc.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #274e13;">adapted from, </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/steep.hill.lab?fref=nf"><span style="color: purple;">Food for Thought: Viewing Psychoactivity as Medicine</span></a></i></span></div>
Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-12276453297217977622015-10-18T23:08:00.002+11:002015-10-18T23:08:18.664+11:00100 Scientific Studies That Prove Cannabis Cures Cancer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a class="td-modal-image" data-caption="" href="http://higherperspectives.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/shutterstock_218532583.jpg" style="color: #23b2dd; outline-offset: -2px; outline: none;"><img alt="" class="entry-thumb" src="http://higherperspectives.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/shutterstock_218532583-700x480.jpg" itemprop="image" style="border: 0px; max-width: 100%; vertical-align: middle;" title="shutterstock_218532583" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In Australia, Cannabis is a Schedule 9 'prohibited substance' listed in the </span><a href="https://www.comlaw.gov.au/Details/F2012L01200" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Poisons Standard</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (the most restrictive classification) and in the United States, Cannabis is a Schedule I 'drug'. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Australia, a Schedule 9 'prohibited substance' is deemed, by the government, as a substance that can be "<i>abused or misused and the manufacture, possession, sale or use of ... should be prohibited by law except when required for medical or scientific research, or for analytical, teaching or training purposes with approval of Commonwealth and/or State or Territory Health Authorities"</i>. Currently, the Australian Federal Government is following trials in some States with even more trials, about two years worth, at least.</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On 17 October, 2015, the Australian Federal Government announced that, "<i>The Commonwealth intends to develop amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act 1967 that will establish the authority, within the Department of Health, to regulate the cultivation of cannabis for medical and scientific use required under the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961 ... </i><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Cannabis material cultivated in Australia may then be used to conduct clinical trials and develop therapeutic products to be used in accordance with the Therapeutic Goods Act 1989</i></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">". T</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> US government has designated the Cannabis plant as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse; even though Medicinal Cannabis is approved for use in some way or another in nearly half (23) of the States in the US.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No accepted medical use? There are scores of studies that say
differently (see below).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;">Rick Simpson, medical Cannabis activist, who has been on a personal crusade of healing considers Cannabis to be the most medicinally active plant that humans can use on this planet. Cannabis has been shown in some cases to effectively treat numerous types of cancer, improve immunity and fight anxiety and pain.</span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;">Dr
David Bearman (California, US) introduces us to the history of
Cannabis in the following video: <i>Medical Cannabis and its Impact
on Human Health</i>, "It's truly amazing the number of
conditions that respond favourably to Cannabis ... It would appear
that Cannabis and hemp are one of the first plants that have been
grown in agriculture" ...</span> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<iframe allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen" frameborder="0" height="420" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VsDic2na8co" style="height: 420px; max-width: 100%;" width="100%"></iframe> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: large;"><b><i>Here’s the full list of studies:</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></strong></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis kills tumor cells</span></strong>
</span><br />
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1576089/" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1576089</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20090845" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20090845</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/616322" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/616322</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14640910" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14640910</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19480992" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19480992</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15275820" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15275820</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15638794" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15638794</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818650" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818650</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20307616" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20307616</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16616335" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16616335</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16624285" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16624285</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10700234" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10700234</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17675107" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17675107</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14617682" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14617682</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342320" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17342320</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16893424" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16893424</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15026328" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15026328</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Uterine, testicular, and pancreatic cancers</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional/page4</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20925645" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20925645</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong><br /></strong></span>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Brain cance</strong>r</span></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11479216" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11479216</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mouth and throat cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516734" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20516734</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Breast cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454173" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18454173</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16728591" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16728591</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9653194" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9653194</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lung cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25069049" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25069049</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22198381?dopt=Abstract" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22198381?dopt=Abstract</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21097714?dopt=Abstract" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21097714?dopt=Abstract</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prostate cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12746841?dopt=Abstract" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12746841?dopt=Abstract</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339795/?tool=pubmed" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3339795/?tool=pubmed</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22594963" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22594963</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753356" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15753356</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10570948" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10570948</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690545" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19690545</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Blood cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12091357" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12091357</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908594" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908594</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skin cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12511587" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12511587</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19608284" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19608284</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Liver cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475304" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21475304</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabis cancer cures (general)</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12514108" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12514108</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15313899" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15313899</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20053780" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20053780</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18199524" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18199524</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19589225" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19589225</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12182964" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12182964</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442435" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442435</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12723496" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12723496</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16250836" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16250836</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17237277" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17237277</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cancers of the head and neck</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277494" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2277494</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cholangiocarcinoma cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://ww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21115947" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21115947</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Leukaemia</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1545448" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1545448</a>2</span></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16139274" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16139274</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14692532" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14692532</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabis partially/fully induced cancer cell death</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12130702" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12130702</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19457575" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19457575</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18615640" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18615640</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17931597" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17931597</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438336" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18438336</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19916793</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18387516" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18387516</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15453094" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15453094</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19229996" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19229996</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9771884" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9771884</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18339876" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18339876</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133838" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12133838</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596790" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16596790</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11269508" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11269508</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15958274" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15958274</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425170" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19425170</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17202146" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17202146</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903061" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11903061</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451022" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15451022</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336665" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20336665</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19394652" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19394652</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11106791" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11106791</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189659" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189659</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500647" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500647</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539619" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539619</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059457" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19059457</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16909207" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16909207</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18088200" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18088200</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10913156" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10913156</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18354058" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18354058</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189054" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19189054</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17934890" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17934890</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16571653" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16571653</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19889794" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19889794</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361550" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15361550</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Translocation-positive rhabdomyosarcoma</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19509271" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19509271</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lymphoma</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18546271" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18546271</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16936228" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16936228</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16337199" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16337199</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19609004" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19609004</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabis kills cancer cells</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818634" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16818634</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12648025%20" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12648025</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17952650</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16835997" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16835997</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Melanoma</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17065222" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17065222</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thyroid carcinoma</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18197164" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18197164</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Colon cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18938775" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18938775</span></a></li>
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047095" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19047095</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intestinal inflammation and cancer</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442536" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19442536</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabinoids in health and disease</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18286801" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18286801</span></a></li>
</ul>
<div style="line-height: 23px; margin-bottom: 23px;">
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cannabis inhibits cancer cell invasion</span></strong></div>
<ul style="color: #262626; line-height: 23px; margin: 0px 0px 10.5px 25px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19914218" style="color: #730b7a; text-decoration: none !important;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19914218</span></a></li>
</ul>
<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></i></span></span>
<span style="line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Adapted from </span><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://higherperspectives.com/cannabis-cures-cancer/" target="_blank">Cannabis Cures Cancer</a></span></i></span></span>Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-49150785603752107752015-10-15T14:51:00.000+11:002015-10-15T14:51:39.712+11:00Cannabis - Alcohol Substitute and Cure for Alcoholism<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://mikuriyamedical.com/about/biography.html" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">Dr Tod Mikuriya</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (1935-2007), a former </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Berkeley, California, United States (US) Psychiatrist,</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">may be unknown by many new to the movement to re-legalise cannabis (worldwide) and Tod himself would not have been surprised about his leadership role being obscured. “It’s not just marijuana* that got prohibited, it’s the truth about history”, he used to say.</span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />In 1959 during his second year of medical school he read a book on pharmacology which chronicled early American uses of cannabis oils and tinctures. By the end of the summer he had also read everything on cannabis available in the school’s medical library and had travelled to Mexico to sample the plant. Upon graduating he found work with Humphrey Osmond in research at the New Jersey Psychiatric Institution at Princeton; Mikuriya was hired as Director of its Drug Abuse Treatment Centre. Osmond, credited with coining the term ‘psychedelic’, introduced Mikuriya to Timothy Leary, America’s leading light on all things LSD and to members of the San Francisco Diggers, informal anarchists with a passion for guerilla theatre. During his months off he travelled to Morocco and Nepal where he befriended locals and observed the cultivation and use of cannabis.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 1967 Dr Mikuriya was recruited as Director of non-classified marijuana research for the US National Institute for Mental Health. The ‘non-classified’ designation is important, as from 1945-1975 there was much classified research on 'marihuana' carried out both by the CIA in its MK-Ultra program and by the US Army. It did not take Mikuriya long to discover NIMH’s anti-cannabis bias. When the Institute sent him out to spy on San Francisco communes he arrived, checked out the culture, found it congenial and stayed on.</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Dr Mikuriya was not only an MD he was also an historian, publishing an anthology of the pre-prohibition literature entitled, <i>Volume One Marijuana: Medical Papers, 1839-1972</i>, which unearthed the western history of medical cannabis (</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">there are two other volumes: </span><i style="color: #274e13;">Volume Two: Clinical Studies</i><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><i style="color: #274e13;">Volume Three: Collected Works of Tod Mikuriya, MD</i><span style="color: #274e13;">, you can find all these </span><a href="http://mikuriyamedical.com/about/can_write.html"><span style="color: purple;"><i>online</i></span></a></span>)<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The Medical Papers introduced North Americans of the day to the 19th Century published works of Dr William O’Shaughnessy, as well as to the works of other doctors influenced by him. O’Shaughnessy served as surgeon and physician for the British East India Company in Calcutta from 1833-1842. He was a quick study in languages and whilst there travelled widely, immersing himself in studies with local Ayurvedic doctors, who routinely employed what he called 'Indian Hemp'. He learned to develop his own tinctures and conducted experiments on animals and humans. He returned to England with plant specimens for the Royal Horticultural Society and quantities of prepared Indian Hemp (cannabis) medicine to share with European and North American doctors. Thanks to O’Shaughnessy’s many lectures and publications, news of medical cannabis spread throughout Canada and the US. Thanks to his careful documentation, local doctors and chemists were able produce their own potent tinctures and to use them as they and their patients saw fit. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><br />Pharmaceutical companies followed suit, pouring medicines into those now collectible bottles whose images we love to post. Cannabis tincture or oil became standard over the counter remedies until the early 1940's, when they were forcibly removed from the formularies - though not before over a 100 clinical studies on these remedies had been published in the medical journals of the day. These were the studies that Mikuriya had discovered and had made available to a 1970's public that had lost all memory of them. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Mikuriya helped draft Proposition 215, the 1996 initiative that legalised cannabis for medical use in California, US. He insisted the law should cover not just the gravely ill, but patients coping with “any other condition for which marijuana* provides relief”. For several years after Prop., 215 passed, Tod was the only doctor in California known to issue approvals readily for conditions other than AIDS and cancer. He called the new law “a unique research opportunity”, and kept adding to the list of conditions known to be treatable by cannabis. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In 2000 Dr Mikuriya founded a group called the California Cannabis Research Medical Group (now the </span><a href="http://cannabisclinicians.org/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">Society of Cannabis Clinicians</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">) so that doctors issuing approvals could share their experiences, clinical and legal. He foresaw that Cannabis Therapeutics would emerge as a specialty in its own right, and that a journal was needed so that doctors in the field would have an outlet to publish their findings and observations. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Publishing </span><i><a href="http://www.hamsnetwork.org/mikuriya.pdf" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabis as a Substitute for Alcohol</span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">: A Harm Reduction Approach,</span></i><span style="color: #274e13;"> was a big part of the motivation in launching </span><a href="http://www.beyondthc.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">O’Shaughnessy’s</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> in 2003</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">'Harm reduction' is a treatment approach that seeks to minimise the occurrence of drug/alcohol addiction and its impacts on the addict/alcoholic and society at large. A harm-reduction approach to alcoholism adopted by 92 of Dr Mikuriya's patients in northern California involved the substitution of cannabis - with its relatively benign side-effect profile - as their intoxicant of choice</span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. No clinical trials of the efficacy of cannabis as a substitute for alcohol were reported in the then literature and there were no papers directly on point prior to Dr Mikuriya's own account (1970) of a patient who used cannabis consciously and successfully to reduce her problematic drinking. </span></span></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D3RwhIvcVdw/Vh4xy5YYJeI/AAAAAAAAGWw/vYgVOgRE3fY/s1600/Eli_Lilly_package_label.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D3RwhIvcVdw/Vh4xy5YYJeI/AAAAAAAAGWw/vYgVOgRE3fY/s320/Eli_Lilly_package_label.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">In the late 19th century in the US, cannabis was listed as a treatment for delirium tremens in standard medical texts (</span><a href="http://books1.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=161550" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Edes 1887</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100129124" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Potter 1895</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">) and manuals (Lilly 1898, Merck 1899, Parke Davis 1909). Since delirium tremens signifies advanced alcoholism, we can adduce that patients who were prescribed cannabis and used it on a long-term basis were making a successful substitution. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By 1941, due to prohibition, cannabis was no longer a treatment option, but attempts to identify and synthesise its active ingredients continued. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">A synthetic Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) called pyrahexyl was made available to clinical researchers and one paper from the postwar period reports its successful use in easing the withdrawal symptoms of 59 out of 70 alcoholics (</span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13099650" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">Thompson and Proctor 1953</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;">). In 1970 Dr Mikuriya reported on Mrs A., a 49-year-old female patient whose drinking had become problematic. The patient had observed when she smoked cannabis socially on weekends, she decreased her alcoholic intake. She was instructed to substitute cannabis any time she felt the urge to drink. This regimen helped her to reduce her alcohol intake to zero. The paper concluded, “It would appear that for selected alcoholics the substitution of smoked cannabis for alcohol may be of marked rehabilitative value. Certainly cannabis is not a panacea, but it warrants further clinical trial in selected cases of alcoholism”. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The warranted research could not be carried out under conditions of prohibition, but in private practice and communications with colleagues Dr Mikuriya encountered more patients like Mrs A. and generalised that somewhere in the experience of certain alcoholics, cannabis use is discovered to overcome pain and depression - target conditions for which alcohol is originally used - but without the disinhibited emotions or the physiologic damage.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By substituting cannabis for alcohol, they can reduce the harm their intoxication causes themselves and others. <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: start;">Although the increasing use of cannabis starting in the late 1960's had renewed interest in its medical properties - including possible use as an alternative to alcohol, meaningful research was blocked until the 1990's, when the establishment of “buyers clubs” in California created a potential database of patients who were using cannabis to treat a wide range of conditions. The medical cannabis initiative passed by voters in 1996 mandated prospective patients get a doctor’s approval in order to treat a given condition with cannabis - resulting in an estimated 30,000 physician approvals as of May 2002. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">A 2009 </span><a href="http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/6/1/35" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: purple;">study</span></i></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> published in the Harm Reduction Journal, </span><i style="color: #274e13;">Cannabis as a Substitute for Alcohol,</i><span style="color: #274e13;"> came to the conclusion that t</span><span style="color: #274e13; line-height: 17.6px;">he substitution of one psychoactive substance for another with the goal of reducing negative outcomes can be included within the framework of 'harm reduction' and that medical cannabis patients have been engaging in substitution by using cannabis as an alternative to alcohol, prescription and illicit drugs. </span><span style="color: #274e13;">"Substitution can be operationalised as the conscious choice to use one 'drug' (legal or illicit) instead of, or in conjunction with, another due to issues such as: perceived safety; level of addiction potential; effectiveness in relieving symptoms; access and level of acceptance. This practice of substitution has been observed among individuals using cannabis for medical purposes. This study examined drug and alcohol use and the occurrence of substitution among medical cannabis patients. </span></span>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Successful use of cannabis as a less harmful substitute for alcohol and other toxic substances continues with statistics out of Canada, from the University of Victoria, showing reasons cited for using cannabis by Canadian patients instead of other substances, including better symptom management and less adverse side effects.</span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption"><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">2015 Statistics out of Canada from the University of Victoria</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Adapted from </span><a href="http://www.marijuana.com/blog/news/2014/06/how-cannabis-acts-as-a-substitute-for-alcohol-and-a-cure-for-alcoholism/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>How Cannabis Acts as a Substitute for Alcohol and a Cure for Alcoholism</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><a href="http://cannabisdigest.ca/medical-cannabis-in-perspective-remembering-tod-mikuriya/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Medical Cannabis in Perspective Remembering Tod Mikuriya</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span><a href="http://www.harmreductionjournal.com/content/6/1/35"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabis as a substitute for alcohol and other drugs</i></span></a></span></div>
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Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-49355811616193838732015-10-13T21:16:00.002+11:002015-10-13T21:16:46.814+11:00Molecular Biologist - THC Kills Cancer<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/4JrhhqCI_lh2VGEI3wFQRpPhHn_vlV21VXEt6M9bSTpcbng0JnxSMgPXlFbbPBYSCk_mtBSQmYsIPnqsQMpA0lFPd74SARLbnmmAeX2okgKmJMZWBFzO0hT-2X9DGcQVcVge" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/4JrhhqCI_lh2VGEI3wFQRpPhHn_vlV21VXEt6M9bSTpcbng0JnxSMgPXlFbbPBYSCk_mtBSQmYsIPnqsQMpA0lFPd74SARLbnmmAeX2okgKmJMZWBFzO0hT-2X9DGcQVcVge" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From Compultense University in Madrid, Spain, Dr Christina Sanchez has been studying the anti-tumour effects of cannabinoids and in particular, Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive component of Cannabis for over a decade. In 2014, she delivered sound information that explained exactly how THC kills cancer cells entirely – without adverse effects to healthy cells.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Her research is an addition to other’s work, such as British scientist, Wai Liu, an Oncologist at the University of London’s St George’s medical school. Liu’s </span><span style="color: #274e13;">research</span><span style="color: #274e13;"> also reveals </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">how THC has ‘potent anti-cancer activity’ and can significantly ‘</span><a href="http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/10/24/study-cannabis-compounds-can-kill-cancer-cells" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>target and switch off</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">’ pathways that allow cancers to grow. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Liu points out that pharmaceutical companies spend billions on drugs that do the very same thing, while the cannabis plant does it naturally. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the following video, </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Endocannabinoid System and How THC Cures Cancer, </i></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dr Sanchez explains exactly how THC does the dirty work of eliminating cancer cells by activating the body’s own cannabinoid receptors, creating endocannabinoids.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s more, Cannabis can do this without any psychoactive effects. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“There’s quite a lot of cancers that should respond quite nicely to these Cannabis agents”, Liu said. “If you talk about a drug company that spent billions of pounds trying to develop these new drugs that target these pathways, Cannabis does exactly the same thing – or certain elements of cannabis compounds do exactly the same thing – so you have something that is naturally produced which impacts the same pathways that these 'fantastic drugs' that cost billions also work on”.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This comes at an important time when American states are legalising medical Cannabis and the United States (US) Federal Government is receiving pressure to de-list Cannabis as an illegal 'drug' – an archaic and erroneous definition of a plant which the US Fed's say "has no medicinal value", even though they hold </span>Patent <a href="http://www.google.com/patents/US6630507"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>No. 6,630,507</i></u></span></a>, <i>Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants</i>. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could this be why they are dragging their feet on declassifying this valuable plant? </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The patent was awarded to the </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">US Fed's</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) in October 2003. It was filed four years earlier, in 1999, by a group of scientists from the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), part of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH). </span></div>
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<a href="http://www.leafscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/us-patent-marijuana-07-25-720x340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.leafscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/us-patent-marijuana-07-25-720x340.jpg" height="94" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The patent claims exclusive rights on the use of cannabinoids for treating neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, stroke and diseases caused by oxidative stress, such as heart attack, Crohn’s disease, diabetes and arthritis. It is easy to think of the patent as a patent on Cannabis itself. However, this would be inaccurate, since the patent actually covers non-psychoactive cannabinoids (both synthetic and natural), meaning those that don’t cause a 'high'. The patent also covers only a specific application of these cannabinoids and not the production or use of Cannabis and cannabinoids overall.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Three scientists from the US Department of Health and Human Services said in the abstract - or summary - of their findings submitted with the patent application: </span></span><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroproectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke or trauma, or the treatment of neurological diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia”.</i></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The patent claims to: “provide a new class of antioxidant drugs, that have particular application as neuroprotectants”. According to the description, the inventors recognised “a previously unanticipated antioxidant property of the cannabinoids in general (and cannabidiol in particular)”. </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Importantly, the patent does not cover cannabinoids that act through cannabinoid pathways, also known as receptors: “This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/s/#STROKE" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>stroke</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as </span></span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/a/#ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>Alzheimer’s disease</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/p/#PARKINSON'S DISEASE" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>Parkinson’s disease</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/h/#HIV/AIDS" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>HIV</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> dementia.”</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">US Fed's</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> patent does not cover THC. On the other hand, </span><a href="http://hempedification.blogspot.com.au/2015/06/cannabidiolic-acid-cbd-and-cannabidiols.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>Cannabidiol</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> (CBD) is specifically mentioned as an example of a cannabinoid that is covered. The patent describes CBD and other non-psychoactive cannabinoids as superior when taken in higher doses. “Non-psychoactive cannabinoids, such as CBD, are particularly advantageous to use because they avoid toxicity that is encountered with psychoactive cannabinoids at high doses”. </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">According to the description, CBD can be ingested in very large amounts without side effects. “No signs of toxicity or serious side effects have been observed following chronic administration of cannabidiol to healthy volunteers, even in large acute doses of 700mg/day”. The patent explains that CBD previously had not been considered useful as a neuroprotectant. However, it cites various studies on CBD as an </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/e/#EPILEPSY/SEIZURES" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>anti-epileptic</i></u></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"> and as a potential treatment for </span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/g/#GLAUCOMA" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>glaucoma</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely they knew it could treat cancer too. </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In Hindu texts Cannabis was known as ‘sacred grass.’ It has also been used in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries. Cannabis can replace toxic medications and drastically reduce </span><a href="http://www.casesjournal.com/content/2/1/7487" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><i>pain</i></u></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. The abstract from a study in 2008, </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Standardized natural product cannabis in pain management and observations at a Canadian compassion society: a case report, </i>states:</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"An adult Caucasian male with excruciating pains following multiple traumas was monitored, daily, over one year while managing chronic pain by self-administering quantifiable amounts of natural cannabis. Tetrahydrocannabinol, Cannabidiol, and Cannabinol were all measured in tinctures, capsules, smoke-able product plus some baked goods, prior to their administration. By allowing standardization, the subject was able to develop a daily regimen of pain management that was resistant to a battery of most patent analgesics".</span></i></span></div>
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<a href="http://41.media.tumblr.com/a9fd02ac3e03eceaa6cbdfa8d8ca3dc7/tumblr_mfdvwiHnNZ1ryin08o1_r1_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://41.media.tumblr.com/a9fd02ac3e03eceaa6cbdfa8d8ca3dc7/tumblr_mfdvwiHnNZ1ryin08o1_r1_1280.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Dr Sanchez and other researchers studies are just adding to the age-old wisdom surrounding the medicinal use of this phenomenal plant. In some parts of t</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">he world medicine has come a long way with regard to accepting this plant rather than demonising it falsley as a harmful substance. A plant that can benefit the planet in more ways than one, Cannabis should be offered instead of chemotherapy for cancer. It is important to continue to spread information like this as nobody should deny the tremendous healing power of this plant.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adapted from </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.healthy-holistic-living.com/molecular-biologist-explains-thc-kills-cancer-completely.html?t=MAM" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Molecular Biologist Explains THC Kills Cancer Completely</span></a></u><span style="color: #274e13;"> with</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><u style="font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.leafscience.com/2014/07/25/u-s-government-patent-marijuana/" style="color: purple; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">US Government Patent Marijuana</a></u><span style="color: #274e13;"> and </span><u style="font-style: italic;"><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Granny Storm Crows List</i></span></a></u></span></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.healthy-holistic-living.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F08%2Fmarijuana.gif&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/4JrhhqCI_lh2VGEI3wFQRpPhHn_vlV21VXEt6M9bSTpcbng0JnxSMgPXlFbbPBYSCk_mtBSQmYsIPnqsQMpA0lFPd74SARLbnmmAeX2okgKmJMZWBFzO0hT-2X9DGcQVcVge" -->Dragonfanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06268062603711091277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8334990753047996471.post-85584832294707788982015-10-08T11:32:00.000+11:002015-10-08T11:32:54.435+11:00Cannabinoids; Pre- Neo- and Post-natal
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What do breast milk, tea and Cannabis have in common? Quite a bit, it
turns out. In addition to providing a soothing sense of comfort and
bliss, they also facilitate in stimulating and nourishing the
Endocannabinoid System (ECS). For a variety of legal and moral
reasons, adults generally do not indulge in a glass of breast milk
when they need comfort. Instead, many enjoy a cup of tea. Black,
white and green tea all come from the same species of plant, </span><a href="http://camelliasaustralia.com.au/green-tea/" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Camellia sinensis</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">. They contain an anti-oxidant known as catechin which
responds to cannabinoid receptors (CB1) in the same way cannabinoids
do, providing </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19897346" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><i>anti-inflammatory
and neuro-protective</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> health benefits. When the cannabinoid known
as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is released into the body and interacts
with the CB1 receptors, it causes a temporary increase in dopamine.
As a result, the user experiences a sense of relaxation and pleasure.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thecannabist.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/x170817055-800x504.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/a6B7DQsmGY5duSIg3LodInKrPu0LrKrvFzs2lga2tfVt2FkvrntnjvC3lq_NL8ZtpZuvsMjB2RddTX6I3Ix1DsX8_vYA8BDOyRchSz4lbAVCb5MpMCdNYU8FYYAh-Tal" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium;">
<i><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cannabinoids, like those found in Cannabis, </span></span></i><i><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">occur naturally in human breast milk</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Breast
milk has been revered for generations as the most wholesome and
beneficial source of nutrition that a mother can provide her growing
infant. The human body has an intricate system of proteins known as
cannabinoid receptors, specifically designed to process cannabinoids
such as cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), two of the
primary active components of Cannabis sativa L., (Cannabis). And it
turns out, based on the findings of several major scientific studies,
human breast milk naturally contains many of the same cannabinoids
found in Cannabis, which are actually extremely vital for proper
human development. Since cannabinoids exist in breast milk, clearly,
humans are designed to utilise them.</span><br />
<br /><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cell
membranes in the body are naturally equipped with cannabinoid
receptors. The two receptor types found in the body, CB1 (in the
brain) and CB2 (immune system and the rest of the body), respond to
cannabinoids, whether from human breast milk for newborns, or from
juiced Cannabis, for instance, in adults. When activated by
cannabinoids and various other nutritive substances, they play a
critical role in protecting cells against viruses, harmful bacteria,
cancer and other malignancies, boosting immune function, protecting
the brain and nervous system and relieving pain and disease-causing
inflammation, among other things. Cannabinoids are naturally
occurring chemical compounds that promote homoeostasis by interacting
with specific receptors found in the human body which essentially
means the human body was built for cannabinoids and an intricate
system of cannabinoids, receptors and other binding substances
manufactured in the brain make up the ECS (Endocannabinoid System).</span></div>
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<a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/leafly/content/is-your-endocannabinoid-system-in-balance/FZtAQa0yR4LgEdJEhBOt_cannabinoid-receptors.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/leafly/content/is-your-endocannabinoid-system-in-balance/FZtAQa0yR4LgEdJEhBOt_cannabinoid-receptors.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Breast
milk is an abundant source of endocannabinoids, a specific type of
neuromodulatory lipid that teaches a newborn how to eat by
stimulating the suckling process which is essential for an infant’s
development. According to a 2004 </span><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/s0014299904007423"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
published in the European Journal of Pharmacology, cannabinoids found
in breast milk activate the CB1 receptor which in turn activates the
oral-motor musculature, imperative for suckling. It is also believed
cannabinoids promote an infant’s desire to eat, much like an adult
cannabis user getting the munchies. If it were not for the
cannabinoids in breast milk, newborns would not know how to eat, nor
would they necessarily have the desire to eat, which could result in
severe malnourishment and even death. Newborns who are breastfed
naturally receive doses of cannabinoids that trigger hunger and
promote growth and development. “Endocannabinoids have been
detected in maternal milk and activation of CB1 (cannabinoid receptor
type 1) receptors appears to be critical for milk sucking …
apparently activating oral-motor musculature”, says the abstract.
"The medical implications of these novel developments are far
reaching and suggest a promising future for cannabinoids in
paediatric medicine for conditions including ‘non-organic
failure-to-thrive’ and cystic fibrosis".</span></div>
<div>
<br />
<a href="http://theleafonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/The-common-link-between-breast-milk,-cannabis-and-tea---The-Leaf-Online.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/proxy/N1kudXCl5iB9GWEFpHvBoXlz9HRJGIuRRTy3JZqlzbRFym6Z7ZHTaqcmry7Iw6oSMH-hYfnhtcys29e3aYFqI1CET-1jG9xRhEA3sm-eoCpP65LCL54niVsm9JKuDWx_lpBYFwLbbpfn1DJihWlKo2a_JLAlwm2qgsinhp-1q7WGKN50xgH9O_9QTgA1Grt59nMM" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Even
given the above information, the more conservative 'public' are still
concerned about how Cannabis use will affect children. Given the
masses of misinformation still being fed to many communities by
ignorant and (if not actually then morally) corrupt public health and
government officials in various jurisdictions around the world,
including the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, across the
Asia-Pacific region and Australia this is unsurprising. Many parents
who consume Cannabis, including new mothers, do have unaddressed (due
to a lack of education on Cannabis or illegality or just plain
ignorance) concerns about the effects of their Cannabis use and
whether or not they should breastfeed their babies. The American
Academy of Paediatrics suggests pregnant women or nursing mothers
should not use Cannabis, however, their concerns appear to be totally
unfounded.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Cannabis
exposure during the prenatal period ... at the very least we can say
there is no harm". This quote is from Dr Melanie Dreher,
co-author of what has become more commonly known as 'The Jamaica
Study', </span><a href="http://druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/can-babies.htm"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>Prenatal
Marijuana Exposure and Neonatal Outcomes in Jamaica: An Ethnographic
Study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.
Dr Dreher's study set out with the objective of identifying
neuro-behavioural effects of prenatal Cannabis exposure on neonates
in rural Jamaica. The study was, by design, based on ethnographic
field studies and standardised neuro-behaviour assessments during the
neonatal period in the setting of rural Jamaica, traditionally a
'heavy-Cannabis-using' population. The participants were twenty-four
Jamaican neonates exposed to Cannabis prenatally and 20 non-exposed
neonates. Exposed and non-exposed neonates were compared at 3 days
and 1 month old, using the Brazelton Neonatal Assessment Scale,
including supplementary items to capture possible subtle effects.
There were no significant differences between exposed and non-exposed
neonates on day 3. At 1 month, the exposed neonates showed better
physiological stability and required less examiner facilitation to
reach organised states. The neonates of heavy-Cannabis-using mothers
had better scores on autonomic stability, quality of alertness,
irritability, and self-regulation and were judged to be more
rewarding for caregivers. Dr Dreher and her fellow researchers
concluded that the absence of any differences between the exposed or
non-exposed groups in the early neonatal period suggest that the
better scores of exposed neonates at 1 month are traceable to the
cultural positioning and social and economic characteristics of
mothers using Cannabis that select for the use of Cannabis but also
promote neonatal development.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://scontent.fbne1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-0/s180x540/11870699_983528155020456_6085973025649693893_n.jpg?oh=6a805b6cc9fcf24667b145cf0005f601&oe=56A6D7DB" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Dr Melanie Dreher PhD" border="0" class="photo_img img" src="https://scontent.fbne1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-0/s180x540/11870699_983528155020456_6085973025649693893_n.jpg?oh=6a805b6cc9fcf24667b145cf0005f601&oe=56A6D7DB" style="border: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" title="Dr Melanie Dreher PhD" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium; line-height: 12px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Dr Melanie Dreher PhD</span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">As
a nurse and anthropologist, Dr Melanie Dreher has enjoyed a
distinguished research career and was principal investigator for
several cross-cultural studies examining Cannabis in the context of
Caribbean society. As a doctoral student in anthropology at Columbia
University, she conducted the first ethnographic study of 'ganja'
(Cannabis) in Jamaica. That early work opened the door to three
decades of funded research on the social context of Cannabis and the
impact on health, development and performance of adults and
children. Dr Dreher has authored and co-authored two books on
Cannabis, numerous peer-reviewed articles, and several government
reports. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Throughout
her career, she has been a consistent advocate for an objective and
scientific appraisal of Cannabis and its relationship with society.
In addition to her academic role, she has taken on the responsibility
of speaking to community groups, professional organisations and
academics, using her leadership positions in health and education to
enlighten the public on the history of Cannabis and its role in other
societies. She has served as an expert witness in Cannabis-related
cases in several states. As Dean of Nursing at the University of
Iowa, her College of Nursing hosted the first clinical conference on
Medical Cannabis almost 20 years ago, with the goal of exposing
clinicians to an informed and reasoned use of Cannabis as medicine.
Dr Dreher was awarded the first 'Lester Grinspoon National
Organisation for the Reform of Marijuana Laws Award' for her
sustained commitment to seeking the truth about Cannabis. While
conducting her research, she received the Ambassador’s citation for
her humanitarian work in Jamaica.
</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">In
a 2013 interview, Dr Dreher discussed the 40 years of studies she was
involved with in Jamaica. There, Cannabis is used for a variety of
medicinal, therapeutic and preventative uses. These studies refuted
many of the assumptions attributed to Cannabis use, particularly
regarding pregnancy and infant development.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">At
the International Cannabinoid Research Society’s 2014 Symposium, a
2013 </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23587650"><span style="color: purple;"><i>study</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">, </span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Role
of 5HT1A Receptors on the Neuroprotective and Neuro-behavioural
Effects of Cannabidiol in Hypoxic-Ischaemic Newborn Pigs</i></span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">,
highlighted the amazing potential of cannabidiol (CBD) for premature
babies:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>At
one day old the piglets were robbed of oxygen to the brain to mimic
hypoxic-ischaemic conditions: the brain damage caused by the oxygen
deprivation often brought on by severe apnoea and/or cardiac stress
events premature babies sometimes experience multiple times per day.
Following verification of the induced brain damage the piglets were
given cannabidiol (CBD) oil - one group received one dose of CBD oil
thirty minutes after the event and another group was given only three
very, very small doses over the course of six days. Later the piglets
brains were compared against those of normal, healthy piglets. In
looking at each of the eight regions of the piglets brains, the
researchers were “shocked and amazed” to report full restoration
and not just that, “full restoration in each of the eight sections
of the brain and evidence of neuro-protection in all cells”. The
piglets were dosed with considerably small amounts of CBD oil; 1
milligram per kilogram of weight “there were no differences between
piglets receiving one dose or three doses of CBD”. What that means
for premature babies is a neuro-protective result from less than 1
milligram of CBD oil. Less than 1 mg (there are 1000 mg in each gram
of Cannabis oil).</i></span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In
Australia, in 2011, 8.3% of babies were
born pre-term (before 37 completed weeks gestation). </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Extremely
pre-term</b> (<28 weeks)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Very
pre-term</b> (28 to <32 weeks)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><b>Moderate
to late pre-term</b> (32 to <37 weeks)</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The
results of the Mothers and Babies report in 2012, showed pre-term
birth occurred for 7.7% of mothers (before 37 completed weeks of
gestation), 26,535 babies were born pre-term and over 47,000 babies
were admitted into a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or Special Care
Nursery requiring additional care after birth. The mean gestational
age for all pre-term births in 2012 was 33.3 weeks. Nationally,
(0.8%) of births were at 20–27 weeks gestation (0.7%) were at 28–31
weeks and (6.2%) were at 32–36 weeks. Tasmania had the highest
proportion of pre-term births at 9.6% of all births and New South
Wales had the lowest, at 7.6%. In August 2014, a world first
Melbourne-based study to determine how being born prematurely affects
your adult life showed premature babies born at 24-weeks gestation
have a 60% chance of survival and that survival rates have never been
higher. Dare we wonder what survival rates could be like with
Cannabis made available in every hospital? The ability to administer
CBD to every pre-term baby born across Australia could move that rate
much closer to 100% - imagine that. Imagine the lack of need for
Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Special Care Nurseries right across
the country!</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.lilaussieprems.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/table22.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.lilaussieprems.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/table22.JPG" height="385" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><u>Premature Birth Survival Rate % Australia</u></span></i></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"The
American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists suggests that
pre-term birth rates have increased because of a dramatic rise in
late pre-term births, defined as births between 34 weeks and 36-6/7
weeks of gestation. Late pre-term newborns are the fastest growing
subset of neonates, accounting for approximately 74% of all pre-term
births and about 8% of total births".</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><u style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">USA
Pre-term Birth Rates (National 2007)</u></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Pre-term
birth rates per 100 births in each specified gestational age
category.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Total
pre-term</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Extremely
pre-term</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Early
pre-term</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Late
pre-term</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">less
than 37 weeks’ gestation</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">less
than 28 weeks’ gestation</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">less
than 34 weeks’ gestation</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">34–36
weeks’ gestation</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">12.7</span></span></div>
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<td width="166"><div class="western" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">0.8</span></span></div>
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<td width="161"><div class="western" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3.6</span></span></div>
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<td width="137"><div class="western" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">9.0</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.ladybud.com/2014/09/17/cannabis-beats-placebo-cbd-promising-for-treating-brain-damage-in-preemies/" style="clear: right; color: black; float: right; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; margin-top: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px;"><img alt="Cannabis Beats Placebo: CBD Promising for Treating Brain Damage in Preemies" src="http://www.ladybud.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Premature_infant_CPAP-474x303.jpg" height="127" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px;" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; line-height: 0.5cm;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">One
tiny gram of CBD oil could potentially treat up to 1,000 babies
(1,000 premature babies born weighing less than a kilogram [2.2 lbs])
and induce "neuro-protection”, that which is so desperately
necessary for these high-risk infants. Premature babies are at
high risk for hypoxic-ischaemic brain damage. Many do not survive
their premature birth with few long-term effects. Most struggle to
survive, sometimes for the rest of their lives due to the
circumstances of their birth and the pharmaceutical manner in which
many of their conditions are treated.</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 0.5cm;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Can
any parent or grandparent sit idly by knowing there is a non-toxic,
low-dose traditional, complementary medicine that is an option -
scientifically proven - that’s being overlooked because so few
medical professionals and policy makers know anything of the science
of Cannabinoid medicine? Few have ever heard of the ECS (</span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18.8976px;">Endocannabinoid System</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 0.5cm;">) and its amazing ability to heal the body and protect,
not harm, the brain. Researchers have spent many decades looking
for safe, non-toxic remedies for a wide-variety of illnesses and
conditions. In 1988 the ECS was discovered, so there is still much
that medical science hasn't explored. Fortunately, some jurisdictions
are beginning to see the stigma lifted from this research arena
(Israel, Canada etc.). It’s time for the
science to reach the masses so the entire world can learn there is a
safe, non-toxic (and cheap) choice, an option beyond the current raft
of often hazardous and toxic treatments.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">In
the United States the science required to remove Cannabis from their
Schedule of Controlled Substances has been conducted and is far more
than adequate (there are more studies done on Cannabis than on many
FDA approved pharmaceuticals) and every citizen with an ECS (100%)
and every citizen who supports the Americanisation of Cannabis (87%)
still waits for the federal government to take action. In Australia
we are still in the grip of archaic 'reefer madness' even though the
International Centre for Science in Drug Policy (</span></span><a href="http://www.icsdp.org/publications"><span style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><i>ICSDP</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">)
has debunked the most common misinformation about Cannabis with their
Cannabis Claims campaign.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDhETIL9YuQ/VhPTa4LsVII/AAAAAAAAGVU/rTyOOfUs1E8/s1600/CannabisClaims.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NDhETIL9YuQ/VhPTa4LsVII/AAAAAAAAGVU/rTyOOfUs1E8/s640/CannabisClaims.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div align="JUSTIFY" class="western" style="border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-source: initial; border-image-width: initial; border: none; line-height: 0.5cm; margin-bottom: 0cm; padding: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-size: small;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">The
educational chasm between endocannabinoid researchers and family
physicians is greater than the gap between patient and doctor or even
patient and researcher. Many of today's patients are self-educated and rely heavily
on other patients for information, plus they embody a specific type
of knowledge regarding the use of Cannabis, one that still fails to
reach researchers, medical professionals, policy-makers, or the
masses to a significant degree. Understanding
the ECS (</span></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 18.8976px;">Endocannabinoid System</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small; line-height: 0.5cm;">) will continue to shed light on the
natural role cannabinoids play. While there is still a great deal of
research that needs to be done before we can fully understand how
Cannabis works, there is already substantial evidence that this plant
has exceptional medicinal value.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13; font-style: italic;">Expanded from </span><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://cannaiq.com/cannabinoids-like-those-found-in-marijuana-occur-naturally-in-human-breast-milk/" style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em; text-align: start;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabinoids Like Those Found in Marijuana Occur Naturally in Human Breast Milk</span></a> </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-style: italic;">and</span><span style="color: purple; font-style: italic;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/hemp-edification/dr-melanie-dreher-the-jamaica-study-and-ganja-research-since-the-70s/983521715021100" style="color: purple; font-style: italic;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Dr Melanie Dreher The Jamaica Study and Ganja Research</span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-style: italic;">,</span><i style="color: purple;"> </i><a href="http://www.alternet.org/drugs/common-link-between-breast-milk-cannabis-and-tea" style="background-color: transparent; color: purple; line-height: 1.5em;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;">Common</span><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 1.5em;"> Link Between Breast Milk, Cannabis and Tea</span></i></span></a><i><span style="color: purple;"> </span><span style="color: #274e13;">and</span><span style="color: purple;"> </span></i><a href="http://www.ladybud.com/2014/09/17/cannabis-beats-placebo-cbd-promising-for-treating-brain-damage-in-preemies/" style="font-style: italic; line-height: 22.5px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;">Cannabis Beats Placebo : CBD Promising for Treating Brain Damage in Premies</span></a><i style="color: purple;">, </i><a href="https://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/embryology/index.php/Birth_-_Preterm#Australia_Preterm_Birth" style="color: purple; font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Birth-Preterm Australia</a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.44px;">,</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 19.44px;"> </i><a href="http://www.lilaussieprems.com.au/survival-rate-for-premature-babies/" style="color: purple; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: italic; line-height: 19.44px;" target="_blank">Survival Rate For Premature Babies</a></span></div>
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<a href="http://incrediblehealingjournals.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/DennisHillAdenocarcinomaProstateCancerCurewithCannibasExtract.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/proxy/Pa7F1dwr9M8GiO1sWIYRjJatWlMoaEJ7LekZK9X3KvPRC6hxqGSM3NlwFNrHku6i_wWCNvNkSNal70-bkoBvvh5yF3nhCyRCl6RDr4yz3L_ycTr03TgtJMHiXOBD-UYxA2Hgm9MhpOe72lDcnQ5M9Jub-qaU0jDVTNE_kD-QVulMWQITMk_enQyMsBUxSFqlMt9kEvW8" width="160" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite a deficiency in human trials, there are a significant amount of studies that show compounds found within cannabis, known as cannabinoids, have <a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/the-list/conditions-and-related-articles-2010-2015/c/" target="_blank">anti-cancer</a> properties. The United States’ federally funded </span><a href="http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/cam/hp/cannabis-pdq" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Institute of Health</a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> even goes as far as to state on their website that: </span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Cannabinoids may cause anti-tumour effects by various mechanisms, including induction of cell death, inhibition of cell growth, and inhibition of tumour angiogenesis invasion and metastasis".</span></blockquote>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dennis Hill earned a degree in biochemistry from the University of Houston, worked in medical research at the University of Texas and as of September 2015, resides in California. Following a biopsy in 2010, he was diagnosed with aggressive Stage 4 adenocarcinoma of the prostate. A digital exam revealed metastatic lesions in the bladder and rectum. “Opting out of radiation, chemo and surgery, I chose cannabis extract”, he said. “Within six months the cancer was in remission. I never really noticed any dramatic changes; the cancer just went away. After three months, the primary tumour was gone; after three more months, the metastatic lesions were gone”. Utilising his expert knowledge of human biochemistry, Dennis explains in detail exactly what occurs when a cancer patient ingests cannabinoids.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let us look first at tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and observe THC is a natural fit for the CB1 cannabinoid receptor on the cancer cell surface. When THC hits the receptor, the cell generates ceramide that disrupts the mitochondria, closing off energy for the cell. Disruption of the mitochondria releases cytochrome c and reactive oxygen species into the cytosol, hastening cell death. It is notable this process is specific to cancer cells. Healthy cells have no reaction to THC at the CB1 receptor. The increase in ceramide also disrupts calcium metabolism in the mitochondria, completing the demise to cell death.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The other cannabinoid we know is effective in killing cancer cells is cannabidiol (CBD). The primary job of CBD in the cancer cell is to disrupt the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the wrecking of the calcium metabolism, pushing calcium into the cytosol. This always results in cell death. Another pathway for CBD to effect cancer cell death is the caspase cascade, which breaks down proteins and peptides in the cell. When this happens the cell cannot survive. Again, these processes are specific to cancer cells, no normal cells are affected. Certain cannabinoids destroy cancerous tumours by working symbiotically with our body’s Endocannabinoid System (ECS):</span><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) started revealing itself to researchers in the 1940's and by the late 1960's the basic structure and functionality had been laid out. Today we know the ECS is a comprehensive system of biochemical modulators that maintain homoeostasis in all body systems including the central and peripheral nervous systems, all organ systems, somatic tissues and all metabolic biochemical systems, including the immune system".</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;">T</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">his homoeostatic matrix is not a recent evolutionary twist just for humans; we find the ECS in every chordate creature for the last 500 million years. It is a fully mature biochemical technology that has maintained health and metabolic balance for most of the history of life itself.</span><br />
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<a href="http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/cannabis/endocannabinoids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/addiction/cannabis/endocannabinoids.jpg" height="170" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The two major interactive systems within the ECS are (1) The cannabinoid receptors that we find on all cell surfaces and neurological junctions and (2) The endocannabinoids that fit the receptors to trigger various metabolic processes. Looking at a cannabinoid receptor distribution map we see that CB1 receptors, most sensitive to anandamide, are found in the brain, spinal and peripheral nerves. CB2 receptors preferred by 2-Arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are found largely in the immune system, primarily the spleen. A mix of CB1 and CB2 receptors are found throughout the rest of the body including the skeletal system. And yes, 2-AG or CBD will grow new trabecular bone. It is also useful to note that both anandamide and 2-AG can activate either CB1 or CB2 receptors.</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The nature of the endocannabinoids are functionally much like neurotransmitters, but structurally are eicosanoids in the family of signaling sphingolipids. These signaling cannabinoids keep track of metabolic systems all over the body. This information is shared with the nervous system and the immune system so that any imbalance is attended to. If the body is in chronic disease or emotional stress, the immune system can fall behind and lose control of compromised systems. It is here that phytocannabinoids can pitch in to support the stressed body in a return to health. The cannabis plant provides analogues of the body’s primary signaling cannabinoids. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is mimetic to anandamide and CBD is mimetic to 2-AG, and has the same affinity to CB1 and CB2 receptors, providing the body with additional support for the immune and endocannabinoid systems.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Phytocannabinoids supercharge the body’s own ECS by amping up the response to demand from the immune signaling system in two modes of intervention: one, of course, is in bonding with the cannabinoid receptors; the other is in regulation of innumerable physiological processes, such as cannabinoid’s powerful neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory actions, quite apart from the receptor system. It is interesting to note here that the phytocannabinoids and related endocannabinoids are functionally similar, but structurally different. As noted above, anandamide and 2-AG are eicosanoids while THC and CBD are tricyclic terpenes.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The (US) National Institutes of Health tells us that THC is the best known because of its signature psychotropic effect. This government report shows THC to be effective as an anti-cancer treatment, an appetite stimulant, analgesic, anti-emetic, anxiolytic and sedative. There is a plentiful supply of research articles and personal testaments that show the efficacy of cannabis effecting cancer remission. However, only a few point to the mechanism by which the cancer cells die. To understand this better we need to know what metabolic processes provide life to the cells. There are two structures in most cells that sustain life; one is the mitochondria and the other is the ER (<span style="line-height: 23px;">endoplasmic reticulum)</span>. The mitochondria primarily produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that provides the necessary energy. The ER is a loosely bound envelope around the cell nucleus that synthesises metabolites and proteins directed by the nuclear DNA that nourish and sustain the cell …</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In every cell there is a family of interconvertible sphingolipids that specifically manage the life and death of that cell. This profile of factors is called the ‘Sphingolipid Rheostat’. If ceramide (a signaling metabolite of sphingosine-1-phosphate) is high, then cell death (apoptosis) is imminent. If ceramide is low, the cell will be strong in its vitality. Very simply, when THC connects to the CB1 or CB2 cannabinoid receptor site on the cancer cell, it causes an increase in ceramide synthesis which drives cell death. A normal healthy cell does not produce ceramide in the presence of THC, thus is not affected by the cannabinoid.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The cancer cell dies, not because of cytotoxic chemicals, but because of a tiny little shift in the mitochondria. Within most cells there is a cell nucleus, numerous mitochondria (hundreds to thousands) and various other organelles in the cytoplasm. The purpose of the mitochondria is to produce energy (ATP) for cell use. As ceramide starts to accumulate, turning up the Sphingolipid Rheostat, it increases the mitochondrial membrane pore permeability to cytochrome c, a critical protein in energy synthesis. Cytochrome c is pushed out of the mitochondria, killing the source of energy for the cell.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ceramide also causes genotoxic stress in the cancer cell nucleus generating a protein called p53, whose job it is to disrupt calcium metabolism in the mitochondria. If this weren’t enough, ceramide disrupts the cellular lysosome, the cell’s digestive system that provides nutrients for all cell functions. Ceramide, and other sphingolipids, actively inhibit pro-survival pathways in the cell leaving no possibility at all of cancer cell survival. The key to this process is the accumulation of ceramide in the system. This means taking therapeutic amounts of cannabinoid extract, steadily, over a period of time, keeping metabolic pressure on this cancer cell death pathway. How did this pathway come to be? Why is it that the body can take a simple plant enzyme and use it for healing in many different physiological systems? This endocannabinoid system exists in all animal life, just waiting for it’s matched exocannabinoid activator.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is interesting. Our own ECS covers all cells and nerves; it is the messenger of information flowing between our immune system and the central nervous system (CNS). It is responsible for neuroprotection and micro-manages the immune system. This is the primary control system that maintains homoeostasis: our wellbeing … </span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Endocannabinoids have their origin in nerve cells right at the synapse. When the body is compromised through illness or injury it calls insistently to the ECS and directs the immune system to bring healing. If these homoeostatic systems are weakened, it should be no surprise that exocannabinoids perform the same function. It helps the body in the most natural way possible.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To see how this works we visualise the cannabinoid as a three dimensional molecule, where one part of the molecule is configured to fit the nerve or immune cell receptor site just like a key in a lock. There are at least two types of cannabinoid receptor sites, CB1 (CNS) and CB2 (immune). In general CB1 activates the CNS messaging system, and CB2 activates the immune system, but it’s much more complex than this. Both THC and anandamide activate both receptor sites. Other cannabinoids activate one or the other receptor sites. Among the strains of cannabis, Cannabis sativa tends toward the CB1 receptor, and Cannabis indica tends toward CB2. So sativa is more neuroactive and indica is more immunoactive. Another factor here is that sativa is dominated by THC cannabinoids and indica can be higher in CBD.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is known that THC and CBD are biomimetic to anandamide and AG-2, that is, the body can use both interchangeably. Thus, when stress, injury, or illness demand more from endogenous anandamide than can be produced by the body, its mimetic exocannabinoids are activated. If the stress is transitory, then the treatment can be transitory. If the demand is sustained, such as in cancer, then treatment needs to provide sustained pressure of the modulating agent on the homoeostatic systems. Typically CBD gravitates to the 5-HT1A and vanilloid receptors. CBD stimulates production of anandamide and AG-2, endogenous cannabinoids that are agonists for CB-1 and CB-2 receptors. From there, immune cells seek out and destroy cancer cells. Interestingly, it has been shown that THC and CBD cannabinoids have the ability to kill cancer cells directly without going through immune intermediaries. THC and CBD hijack the lipoxygenase pathway to directly inhibit tumor growth. As a side note, it has been discovered that CBD inhibits anandamide re-uptake. Here we see that CBD helps the body preserve its own natural endocannabinoid by inhibiting the enzyme that breaks down anandamide.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In 2006, researchers in Italy showed the specifics of how CBD kills cancer. CBD stimulates what is known as the Caspase Cascade, that kills the cancer cell. First, let’s look at the nomenclature, then to how Caspase kills cancer. Caspase is an aggregate term for all cysteine-aspartic proteases. The protease part of this term comes from prote (from protein) and -ase (destroyer). Thus the caspases break down proteins and peptides in the moribund cell. This becomes obvious when we see caspase-3 referred to as the executioner. In the pathway of apoptosis, other caspases are brought in to complete the cascade.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #274e13;"><br /></span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even when the cascade is done and all the cancer is gone, CBD is still at work healing the body. CBD also shuts down the Id-1 gene; a gene that allows metastatic lesions to form. Fundamentally this means that treatment with cannabinoids not only kills cancer through numerous simultaneous pathways, but prevents metastasis. What’s not to like … Nature has designed the perfect medicine that fits exactly with our own immune system of receptors and signaling metabolites to provide rapid and complete immune response for systemic integrity and metabolic homoeostasis.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What advice would Dennis Hill dispense to somebody with terminal cancer who is looking into the possibility of utilising cannabis oil? He replied; “Many who have sought out cannabis as a last resort have recovered. It’s never too late”.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #274e13;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Below is a video of Dennis Hill explaining how cannabinoids cause cancer cells to die:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Expanded from </span><a href="http://reset.me/story/the-biochemist-who-cured-his-cancer-with-cannabis-oil/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>The Biochemist Who Cured His Cancer With Cannabis Oil</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Also, </span></span><a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v15/n11/full/nrn3811.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple; font-size: x-small;"><i>Early phytocannabinoid chemistry to endocannabinoids and beyond</i></span></a><br />
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">For a few simple definitions of some of the more scientific terms used in this article, try Granny Storm Crow's List '</span><a href="https://grannystormcrowslist.wordpress.com/welcome/mini-dictionary/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Mini Dictionary</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">'. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">F</span></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">or further reading on Cannabis and cancer, the following was collated </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">for another article on </span><a href="https://patients4medicalmarijuana.wordpress.com/how-cannabinoids-kill-cancer-dennis-hill/" target="_blank"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Dennis Hill</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;">:</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, July 2011 - </span><a href="http://mct.aacrjournals.org/content/10/7/1161.full?sid=e4c1cf49-4f40-4dc2-b320-7aa2db1e910d"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabidiol Induces Programmed Cell Death in Breast Cancer Cells by Coordinating the Cross-talk between Apoptosis and Autophagy</i></span></a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA, January 2006 - </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1334629/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Peripheral cannabinoid receptor, CB2, regulates bone mass</i></span></a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2006 - </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16918439"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabinoids, immune system and cytokine network</i></span></a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The Journal of Neuroscience, February, 2009 - </span><a href="http://www.jneurosci.org/content/29/7/2053.long"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabidiol Targets Mitochondria to Regulate Intracellular Calcium Levels</i></span></a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">The Journal of Cancer Research, March 2005 - </span><i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/65/5/1635.abstract">Cannabinoid Receptor as a Novel Target for the Treatment of Prostate Cancer</a> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Journal of Neuroimmunology, March 2007 - </span><i><span style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165572806004747">Immune control by endocannabinoids – new mechanisms of neuroprotection?</a> </span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Journal of Neurochemistry, August 2008 - </span><a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2007.05073.x/abstract"><i><span style="color: purple;">5-Lipoxygenase and anandamide hydrolase (FAAH) mediate the antitumor activity of cannabidiol, a non-psychoactive cannabinoid</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">University of Naples Federico II, Institute of Biomolecular Chemistry and Endocannabinoid Research Group, Italy. Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products, Israel - </span><a href="http://leavesofgrass.info/info/Non-Psychoactive-Cannabinoids.pdf"><i><span style="color: purple;">Non-psychotropic plant cannabinoids: new therapeutic opportunities from an ancient herb</span></i></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Not Just A High - June 2010 - </span><a href="http://virtualonlineeditions.com/display_article.php?id=768754"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Scientists test medicinal marijuana* against MS, inflammation and cancer</i></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Biochim Biophys Acta, November 2006 - </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1766198/"><span style="color: purple;"><i>A house divided: ceramide, sphingosine, and sphingosine-1-phosphate in programmed cell death</i></span></a><span style="color: #274e13;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, September 2006 - </span><a href="http://www.researchgate.net/publication/6878742_Massi_P_Vaccani_A_Bianchessi_S_et_al.The_non-psychoactive_cannabidiol_triggers_caspase_activation_and_oxidative_stress_in_human_glioma_cells._Cell_Mol_Life_Sci_632057-2066"><span style="color: purple;"><i>The non-psychoactive cannabidiol triggers caspase activation and oxidative stress in human glioma cells</i></span></a></span><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, November, 2007 - </span><a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18025276"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabidiol as a novel inhibitor of Id-1 gene expression in aggressive breast cancer cells</i></span></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: #274e13;">National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, USA - </span><a href="http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/cam/cannabis/healthprofessional"><span style="color: purple;"><i>Cannabis and Cannabinoids–for health professionals (PDQ®)</i></span></a></span></div>
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