27 01 08 - 06:33
Australia encroaches.
We have just had Australia day, a day where people are supposed to stand up, be counted and be grateful for the Fair Go for All country. ( ie "Australia advances")
But, when it comes to people suffering from acute and chronic illnesses, diseases and disorders, who want - nay, who need - medicinal cannabis to help with their quality of life, to help to provide benefit for their condition, the recreational and medicinal drug taking Politicians of Australia state, "No, no, no chance in hell!".
Every time these drug takers (albeit buzzword 'legals') deny this vital medicine, they are violating the individuals right of a 'fair go', and they are doing two things. 1) Advancing Australia Unfair and 2) Advancing Australian Despair.
They believe in fairness, acceptance and yes, even forgiveness, for their drugs, their drug takers, their drug dealers and their drug cartels only, and we ... (more)
25 01 08 - 04:14
Is this logical or fair?
Our ire was raised when we read this article and just had to make a comment...or two...or three...or more on what was written. (Our response after article)
http://news.yahoo.com/
By PAUL ELIAS, Associated Press Writer
SAN FRANCISCO - Employers can fire workers who use medical marijuana even if it was legally recommended by a doctor, the California Supreme Court ruled Thursday, dealing the state another setback in its standoff with federal law enforcement.
The high court upheld a small Sacramento telecommunications company's firing of a man who flunked a company-ordered drug test. Gary Ross held a medical marijuana card authorizing him to use the drug to treat a back injury sustained while serving in the Air Force.
The company, Ragingwire Inc., argued that it rightfully fired Ross because all marijuana use is illegal under federal law, which does not ... (more)
18 01 08 - 13:10
Let's petition the Gov't
It is very important to let the Government know that we are serious when it comes to getting Cannabis re-instated as a Medicine of CHOICE. Cannabis has been used as a medicine for over 5,000 years very successfully (when used and not abused....as with all drugs) and can be....and already is being.....used in responsible, respectful and safe ways.
IF YOU AGREE that people should be able to choose to use Cannabis as their personal choice of medication, then please leave your name (first), your town/city or country (if overseas) and perhaps a comment in a comment box. Thankyou.
Cannabis has a 1:40,000 safety ratio. Most prescription drugs have less than 1:16. Many people we have spoken to in our Campaign said that they would much rather be able to use cannabis instead of the synthetic/chemical pills and potions they have to take. One man said he had to take 84 tablets a week! That's 12 tablets a day and would rather just have a few puffs on a joint/pipe, as he only ... (more)
14 01 08 - 17:46
The right medicine for you?
You may be able to find the book mentioned here at your local library. Well worth the read.
The following statements released from:
Bill Zimmerman PhD; a trained scientist in the area of neuro-psychology and is the Director for ‘Americans for Medical Rights‘.. Author of: “Is Marijuana the right medicine for you?”-
in association with Rick Bayer M.D. (a member of the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, the American College of Physicians and Physicians for Social responsibility) and Nancy Crumpacker, M.D. (a member of the American Soc. Of Clinical Oncology. The American College of Physicians, and Physicians for Social Responsibility).
“Keep in mind that one of the most important goals of medicine, if not the most important goal, is to relieve human suffering. When it comes to cures, Doctors are often able to make objective measure-ments of success. However, when the goal is ... (more)
14 01 08 - 16:37
photos,comments
Another good day at the Harbourside Markets in Coffs Harbour. We have been well received even by the stall holders around us, as well as people who have stopped and read our boards, asked questions or had a chat. There were many who didn't stop, but made a favourable comment or gave a thumbs up on their way. We estimate that in the time we have been doing this campaign out on the street and at the market (in total about 25 hours), we would have spoken with at least 400 people....and only had three negatives among that.
We were expecting a lot of people to be interested and positive, but even our expectations have been exceeded. Perhaps if the drug bodies, Politicians and other anti-cannabis campaigners (even for medical...and there are many) took time to listen to the people instead of listening only to 'crash' cases or trying to 'discover' negative things in a test tube, then we might get somewhere. ... (more)
06 01 08 - 21:27
Dr. Leveque -Med.Cannabis
Cannabis medicines were at one time the “drugs of choice” in the United States, until they were declared illegal. They had been used for 100 specific medical problems through the use of about 30 prescription medicines.
(MOLALLA, Ore.) - When I was ordered before the Oregon Board of Medical Examiners, the first question I was asked by Dr. Spokas, the chairman, from Ontario, Oregon, was “Dr. Leveque don’t you know that marijuana is very addicting and very dangerous?”
Frankly, I didn’t know or believe this and all of my experience with fifty years study and 4000 patients told me this was totally false, but when one is facing a “Spanish inquisition” with psychological “thumb screws” or “hanging”, I decided to answer “maybe for some people”. I didn’t believe a word of it. I didn’t dare ask where he got his information but I assumed it came from the U.S. government, which has produced false propaganda for 70 plus years.
Cannabis is less addictive and less dangerous than ... (more)
06 01 08 - 21:21
Very Powerful anti-oxidants
Researchers for the National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH), under the guidance
of Dr. Julius Axelrod (a legend in the field of neuro-psychopharmacology),
infused exquisitely delicate preparations of foetal rat-brain neurons with highly corrosive, "oxidative" nerve-toxins like glutamate and peroxide, and bathed them gently in cannabis's two most active cannabinoids, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).
Dr. Axelrod duly reported that the toxicity of the nerve poisons was greatly reduced, thanks to the anti-oxidant properties of THC and CBD.
"We have found that cannabinoids are very powerful anti-oxidants," emphasized Dr. Aidan Hampson, a biologist on the project, for reporters. "In fact they appear to be more powerful than vitamin C or vitamin E."
06 01 08 - 21:02
The Right to Choose
Paul Connett, Emeritus Professor of Chemistry at St. Lawrence University, New York stated recently,
- “Enforcing the public to consume (a particular medication), NSW Health is doing what no Doctor is allowed to do - enforce medication. This is an unethical violation of a central tenet of medical practice and a breach of some basic human rights”.
- Medical Cannabis users are already sick and suffering. They are not going to put something into their bodies that is going to make them feel worse or become sicker, which is why many people do not choose to use prescription drugs due to the side effects.
- The right to choose a particular Medication, (as with religion, education, marriage partner and anything else we choose for ourselves as we get into adult years), is a person’s fundamental human right, especially if it proves to be beneficial to them.
- There is no ‘one size that fits all’. ... (more)
06 01 08 - 20:49
Cannabis, cognition & memory
What about claims of cannabis' damaging effect of cognition?
A review of the scientific literature indicates that rumors regarding the " stupid stoner" stereotype are unfounded. According to clinical trial data published this past spring in the American Journal of Addictions, cannabis use -- including heavy, long-term use of the drug -- has, at most, only a negligible impact on cognition and memory.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School performed magnetic resonance imaging on the brains of 22 long-term cannabis users (reporting a mean of 20,100 lifetime episodes of smoking) and 26 controls (subjects with no history of cannabis use). Imaging displayed "no significant differences" between heavy cannabis smokers compared to controls, the study found.
Previous trials tell a similar tale. An October 2004 study published in the journal Psychological Medicine examining ... (more)
06 01 08 - 20:39
Cannabis reverses brain damage from alcohol
Alcohol treatment group ARBIAS stated: “2 million Australians are at risk of permanent brain damage from heavy drinking (ethanol drug abuse), while more than 200,000 are living with the condition undiagnosed”.
ALCOHOL is the world’s most widely used psycho-active drug, but chronic, excessive alcohol consumption (drug abuse) leads to permanent organ damage and death. Alcohol induced brain damage produces some of the most insidious effects of alcoholism, including cognitive deficits such as learning and memory impairment….. Ethanol may also injure the brain by increasing oxidative stress.
Rats were fed 9-12 grams per kg per day of the drug ethanol/alcohol for a 4-day binge. At the end of the experiment, brain slices prepared from ethanol treated rats showed a significant loss of neurons throughout the hippocampal cortical circuits of the brain. The most affected regions included the olfactory bulb and dentate gyrus granular cell layer, as well as ... (more)
03 01 08 - 22:15
Is Medical Cannabis Important To You?
A story is told of a man trying to get water out of a well. The water was way down in the bottom of the well and could not be reached. So the man picked up a stone and dropped it in the well. This didn’t seem to make a lick of difference, so he dropped another one in, and another, and another. This seemed like an impossible task for him alone, but he knew it had to be done, and so he continued with his hard slog for what seemed like forever. As the sun reached higher in the sky, passers by feeling thirsty and realizing that they all had a common goal, (i.e. to get water otherwise they would die of thirst), walked up to the man, bent down and without a word started picking up stones and dropping them in the well. In a very short time, the water had reached the top of the well and everyone was able to have a drink. How? By working together for the common good. Please stay in touch
