Moderate Lifetime Marijuana Use Associated With Reduced Risk Of Head And Neck Cancer, Study Says

Providence, RI: The moderate long-term use of marijuana is associated with a reduced risk of head and neck cancers, according to the results of a population-based case-control study published online by the journal Cancer Prevention Research.

Investigators at Rhode Island’s Brown University, along with researchers at Boston University, Louisiana State University, and the University of Minnesota assessed the lifetime marijuana use habits of 434 cases (patients diagnosed with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma from nine medical facilities) compared to 547 matched controls.

Authors reported, “After adjusting for potential confounders (including smoking and alcohol drinking), 10 to 20 years of marijuana use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma … [as was] moderate weekly use.”

Subjects who smoked marijuana and consumed alcohol and tobacco (two known high risk factors for head and neck cancers) also experienced a reduced risk of cancer, the study found.

“Our study suggests that moderate marijuana use is associated with reduced risk of HNSCC,” investigators concluded. “This association was consistent across different measures of marijuana use (marijuana use status, duration, and frequency of use). … Further, we observed that marijuana use modified the interaction between alcohol and cigarette smoking, resulting in a decreased HNSCC risk among moderate smokers and light drinkers, and attenuated risk among the heaviest smokers and drinkers. … Despite our results being consistent with the point estimates from other studies, there remains a need for this inverse association to be confirmed by further work, especially in studies with large sample sizes.”

A separate 2006 population case-control study also reported that lifetime use of cannabis was not positively associated with cancers of the lung or aerodigestive tract, and noted that certain moderate users of the drug experienced a reduced cancer risk compared to non-using controls.

By contrast, a study published earlier this week in the journal Cancer Epidemiology reports that even the moderate use of alcohol (six drinks or less per week) is associated with an elevated risk of various cancers – including stomach cancer, rectal cancer, and bladder cancer.

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: paul@norml.org. Full text of the study, “A population-based case control study of marijuana use and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma,” will appear in Cancer Prevention Research.

California: Oakland Voters Approve Nation’s First Marijuana Business Tax

Oakland, CA: Municipal voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved the nation’s first ever business tax on retail marijuana sales.

Approximately 80 percent of Oakland voters approved the new tax (which appeared on the ballot as Measure F), which imposes an additional tax for “cannabis businesses” of $18 for every $1,000 of gross receipts beginning January 1, 2010.

Presently, Oakland’s medicinal cannabis dispensaries are taxed at the same rate as other retail sales businesses ($60 per year for the $50,000 of gross receipts, plus $1.20 for each additional $100,000).

Four dispensaries are licensed by the Oakland City Council to sell and dispense medical marijuana.

According to a financial analysis by the Oakland City Auditor, Oakland’s new cannabis business tax will generate an estimated $300,000 in additional annual tax revenue. Other proponents have estimated that the new tax could yield up to a million dollars yearly.

Representatives from the Oakland City Council, the California Nurses Association, and the dispensary community publicly advocated for the new tax, which had no formal opposition.

“The passage of this first-in-the-nation tax further legitimizes cannabis-based enterprises in Oakland and elsewhere,” NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre said. These outlets are contributing to the health and welfare of their local communities, both socially and now economically. At a time when many municipalities are strapped for tax revenues and cutting public services it is likely that public officials in other cities will begin considering similar proposals.”

City officials in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Berkeley may also impose a cannabis-business tax on certain retail dispensaries.

For more information, please contact either Allen St. Pierre, NORML Executive Director, at (202) 483-5500, or Dale Gieringer, California NORML Coordinator at: (415) 563-5858.

Thoughts on abuse as substitute for missing nutritional components

The paper that I wrote suggests that ALL chronic smoking of marijuana is a symptoms of malnutrition, that the cannabis plant is a ‘symbiote’ to the human being, similar to the way that bamboo is to the panda bear and the eucalyptus  is to the koala. We evolved from a form that was more like a slothy bear. I would imagine that drinking and anything else is a substitution  for trying to find what is missing- Cannabis.

Marijuana and the Goddess

by Chris Bennet, illustrations by Ken Lee. Posted on Monday, August 31 1998 11:00:00 PM
http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1374.html

Holy pot has been smoked by Goddess worshippers since before history, and was first banned by those who sought to subjugate feminine spirituality
1374-rheakrona

Part 5 of “When Smoke Gets in my I” a series on the history of cannabis and human consciousness.
In most ancient hunter-gatherer societies, women balanced the males’ supply of game with their collected harvest from the surrounding wilderness. Women therefore became the first to learn the secrets of plants, and how they propagated themselves.
This knowledge led to the development of agriculture, and the evolution from the animal totems of the hunter-gatherers to images of the Great Mother, who with proper worship produced her abundant harvest in the same way that women produced children.
Cannabis is among humanity’s oldest and most useful cultivated crops, and so it is not surprising to find that cannabis, in all its forms, has been intricately associated with Goddess worship in many cultures, throughout history.

Kali-Ma
The most ancient goddess still worshiped in the world today is the Indian Kali-Ma, the Mother of Life and Death. Her worship stretches back into pre-history, and is believed to predate that of her more well-known consort Shiva, the longest continually worshiped god on earth. Both Shiva and Kali are strongly associated with marijuana.
Kali is generally depicted with a girdle of human arms and a necklace of skulls, and represents the dark aspect of the goddess trinity of virgin-mother-crone. Both ancient and modern devotees of Kali partake of marijuana in various forms as a part of their worship.
Devotional ceremonies to Kali involve cannabis ingestion and ritual sex, which is directed at raising the Kundalini energy from the base of the spine up into the higher centres of the brain.
1374-kalicol240x400banner_highend

Other pot-goddesses

The worship of Kali, under various names, extended into the ancient Near East, and cannabis was also used by many of the worshippers of Kali’s ancient world counterparts.
Kali is the Hindu counterpart of the ferocious and sensual Canaanite goddess Anath, (part of a similar trinity with Ashera and Astarte)who is also described with “attached heads to her back, girded hands to her waist.”
In ancient Germany, marijuana was used in association with Freya, the slightly tamer Kali-like goddess of Love and Death.
Scythian Hempsters
It is generally accepted that it was the horseback-riding Scythians who spread the combination of cannabis and goddess worship throughout much of the ancient world.
Readers of part two in this series (CC#2) will remember that the Amazon-like Scythian women fought alongside their warrior mates, and that these “Hell’s Angels” of the ancient world were known to have used cannabis in funeral rites, doing so in veneration of their own variation of the Goddess Mother of Life and Death, Rhea Krona.
Showing cannabis’ strong ties with Scythian mythology, Rhea Krona came to reap her children in death with the scythe, an agricultural tool named for its Scythian origin, and originally designed for harvesting cannabis. This scythe image has survived through patriarchal times and into our modern day, with both Father Time and the Grim Reaper still carrying Rhea Krona’s ancient hemp-harvesting tool.
The Tree of Life
In a cave where an ancient urn was found that had been used by the Scythians for burning marijuana, there was also a massive felt rug, which measured 5 by 7 metres. The carpet had a border frieze with a repeated pattern of a horseman approaching the Great Goddess, who holds the Tree of Life in one hand and raises the other in welcome.
Imagery of the Goddess and the Tree of Life is also found amongst other cultures with whom the Scythians came into contact. Readers of part three in this series (CC#5) will remember that the ancient Canaanites and also Hebrews paid particular reverence to the Near Eastern Goddess Ashera, whose cult was particularly focussed around the use of marijuana.
According to the Bible itself, the ancient worshippers of Ashera included wise King Solomon and other biblical kings, as well as their wives and the daughters of Jerusalem. The Old Testament prophets often chastised them for “offering up incense” to the Queen of Heaven.
Like the imagery on the Scythian carpet, icons dedicated to Ashera also have depictions of a “sacred-tree”, most likely a reference to the cannabis that her followers grew and revered, using it as a sacrament, as a food and oil source, and also using the fibres in ritual weavings.
1374-adam

Eve: cultural hero

Among her other titles, Ashera was known as “the Goddess of the Tree of Life”, “the Divine Lady of Eden” and “the Lady of the Serpent”. Ashera was often depicted as a woman holding one or more serpents in her hands. It was Ashera’s serpent who advised Eve to disobey the male god’s command not to partake of the sacred tree.
The historical record shows that the Old Testament version of the myth of Eve, the serpent and the sacred tree was concocted as propaganda against pre-existing Goddess cults.
Originally, the outcome of the Eden myth was not tragic, but triumphant. The serpent brought wisdom, and after the magic fruit was eaten, Adam himself became a god. What was originally involved was probably a psychedelic sacrament, like the Elusian festival in Athens, in which the worshipper ate certain hallucinogenic foods and became one with the Mother Goddess Demeter.
Like the Tree of Life, the Tree of Knowledge was a symbol associated with the Goddess. The rites associated with her worship were designed to induce a consciousness open to the revelation of divine or mystical truths. In these rites cannabis and other magical plants were used, and women officiated as priestesses.
Roman Catholic Persecution
In early Christian times, the holy cannabis oil was ingested and used by many Gnostic Christian sects, in honour of the Queen of Heaven.
With the rise of one of the more harshly ascetic and anti-female Christian sects in Rome, and the subsequent development of the Roman Catholic Church, such groups were forced out of existence, along with most pagan religions and the cult of the Great Mother.
The new Church of Rome followed their Judaic predecessors in naming Eve (the representative of all women) the “Mother of Sin”, as well as demonizing magical plants.
Their violent purges of Goddess worship and magical plant use persisted into medieval times. It has been estimated that over a million female practitioners of the older Goddess religions were burned as “witches” for utilizing cannabis, mandrake, belladonna and other plants in their “flying ointments”.
Even medieval French heroine Joan of Arc was accused of using cannabis, mandrake and other plants in order to hear the voices which guided her, and this eventually led the church to commit her to the flames1374-grtgoddess

Marrying your Goddess
Similar to its use in the spiritual techniques of India, medieval European occult and alchemical masters used cannabis to aid in the “Marriage of the Sun and Moon” in the individual. The Sun and Moon represent the masculine and feminine aspects of the self.
Tantrik, Zoroastrian, Gnostic, Alchemical and occult literature all refer to “marrying your Goddess”, which means connecting an individual’s feminine and masculine aspects together into a unified force. This theme appears over and over again in medieval occult literature. Even the Gnostic Jesus states “when you make the male and female one and the same? then you will enter the kingdom.” (Gospel of Thomas)
Much like the woman’s liberation movement which has been taking place in our modern world, individual self completion requires a similar process to take place in our minds. The feminine aspect, or right cortex, becomes a full partner with the masculine aspect, or left cortex.
Marijuana use can greatly assist in this process. Is it any wonder then, that Shiva, the Lord of Bhang, was known as the god who was both man and woman? Or that the hashish eating Sufis, and later the American hippies, were both accused of being too feminine?
Love your mother
From the collected evidence it is clear that cannabis has been associated with worship of the Goddess since antiquity. Now, as we stand on the verge of a new millennia, in what seem to be the death throes of the patriarchy, it is as if the Goddess is once again reaching out her hand and offering her sacred Tree of Life to us in our time of collective need.
Like so many disobedient Eves, numerous female figures such as Elvy Mussika, Hilary Black, Mary Kane, Mountain Woman, The Holy Sisters of Hemp, Mama Indica, Brownie Mary and many others have decided to challenge the commandments of the male authorities and once again tempt us with the forbidden fruits of cannabis.
Indeed, it is likely not until we are once again free to enjoy all the sacred fruits of Mother Earth that the liberation of the feminine will fully take place, and we can restore Gaia, our planetary matriarch, back to health.
-|-
The androgynous nature of the human organism is re-emerging into consciousness in new ways that have evolved from past experience. We are learning to recognize and differentiate the opposites in our nature.
It makes no difference whether we call these opposites masculine and feminine, creative and receptive, knowledge and wisdom, competition and cooperation, explosion and implosion, or Logos and Eros. What is important, is that they be experienced in union as aspects of our own inner self. They are the self-renewing possibilities of our own individuality. Yoked together, they can fertilize each other to generate the creativity which is the potential of human beings.
The return of such female values as cooperation and forbearance is longed for in a world torn by war and threatened by nuclear disaster, poverty, disease and rape of the land. When the goddess of fertility is reunited with the god of consciousness, the renewed culture will have its conception.
? The Yoga of Androgyny, June Singer
-|-

Hymn To The Plants ? Rig Veda X.97.
Plants which as receptacles of light were born three ages before the Gods, I honour your myriad colors and your seven hundred natures.
A hundred, oh Mothers, are your natures and a thousand are your growths. May you of a hundred powers make whole what has been hurt.
Plants, as Mothers, as Goddesses, I address you. May I gain the energy, the light, the sustenance, your soul, you who are the human being.
Where the herbs are gathered together like kings in an assembly, there the doctor is called a sage, who destroys evil, and averts disease.
As they fell from Heaven, the plants said, “The living soul we pervade, that man will suffer no harm.”
The Herbs which are in the kingdom of the Moon, manifold with a hundred eyes, I take you as the best of them, for the fulfillment of wishes, as peace to the heart.
The plants which are queens of the Soma, spread over all the Earth, generated by the Lord of Prayer, may your energies combine within this herb.
-|-
How women are like pot.
There are some biological oddities which link cannabis with humans, especially the females of our species.
First, certain active compounds of marijuana have molecular resemblance to the female hormone estrogen. Possibly it is due to this aspect of cannabis’ genetic make-up that some growers have reported success with fertilizing their plants with birth control pills or menstrual fluid, the use of which as a ritual fertilizer goes back to the matriarchal period.
Of similar interest is that cannabis seeds contain rare gamma linoleic acid, found only in spirulina, two other rare seed oils, and human mother’s milk. As the tribal people of the world have always shown an incredible intuition when it comes to right use of plants, it is interesting to note that the Sotho women of South Africa make a mealy pap from hempseed to wean their babies off breast milk. 1374-gseed

Recommended Reading:
The Chalice & the Blade, by Riane Eisler
A History of Religious Ideas, by Mircea Eliade
Ishtar Rising, by Robert Anton Wilson
The Woman’s Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets, by Barbara Walker
The Ritual Use of Cannabis Sativa: A Historical Ethnographic Survey, by WA Emboden (in Flesh of the Gods: The Ritual Use of Hallucinogens, Peter Furst, Ed)
Chris Bennet is the author of Green Gold: Marijuana in Magic and Religion, and the forthcoming Sex, Drugs and Violence in the Bible.

PARENTS: KEEP YOUR KIDS AWAY FROM FDA APPROVED DRUGS

mjvspharmies

Deaths from Marijuana v. 17 FDA-Approved Drugs
(Jan. 1, 1997 to June 30, 2005)

  1. Background
  2. Cause of Death Categories & Definitions
  3. FDA Disclaimer of Information
  4. Summary of Deaths by Drug Classification
  5. Deaths from Marijuana & 17 FDA-Approved Drugs
  6. Sources & Disagreement on Marijuana Deaths
  7. Full Text of All 17 FDA “Adverse Event” Reports

I. Background

Much of the medical marijuana discussion has focused on the safety of marijuana compared to the safety of FDA-approved drugs. On June 24, 2005 ProCon.org sent a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to find the number of deaths caused by marijuana compared to the number of deaths caused by 17 FDA-approved drugs. Twelve of these FDA-approved drugs were chosen because they are commonly prescribed in place of medical marijuana, while the remaining five FDA-approved drugs were randomly selected because they are widely used and recognized by the general public.

We chose Jan. 1, 1997 as our starting date as it is the beginning of the first year following the Nov. 1996 approval of the first state medical marijuana laws (such as California’s Proposition 215). The FDA reports we read from Sep. 13, 2005 to Oct. 14, 2005 included drug deaths “to present”, which was the date each report was compiled for our request. We cut off the counting as of June 30, 2005 to provide a uniform end-date to the various reports.

On Aug. 25, 2005 the FDA sent us 12 CDs and five printed reports containing copies of their Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) report on each drug requested. These reports included all adverse events reported to the FDA, only a portion of which included deaths. We manually counted the number of deaths reported on each drug from the FDA-supplied information.

A review of the FDA Adverse Events reports also revealed some deaths where marijuana was at least a concomitant drug (a drug also used at the time of death) in some cases. On Oct. 14, 2005 we used the Freedom of Information Act to request a copy of the adverse events reported deaths for marijuana/cannabis. We received those reports on Aug. 3, 2006 in the form of three additional CDs.

II. Cause of Death Categories & Definitions

The FDA AERS reports rely on health professionals to detect an “adverse event” and attribute that event to the drug, and then to voluntarily report that effect to either the FDA or the drug manufacturer. The drug firm, by law, must report that event to the FDA. The FDA states “ninety percent of the FDA’s reports are received from drug manufacturers” on page one of its “Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) Brief Description with Caveats of System.” (PDF 2.7 MB)

Select instructions on how to report adverse events, as per the FDA’s AERS Form Instructions (PDF 65 KB), are provided below:

  • Adverse Event: Any incident where the use of a medication (drug or biologic, including HCT/P), at any dose, a medical device (including in vitro diagnostics) or a special nutritional product (e.g., dietary supplement, infant formula or medical food) is suspected to have resulted in an adverse outcome in a patient.
  • Death: Check only if you suspect that the death was an outcome of the adverse event, and include the date if known. Do not check if:
    • The patient died while using a medical product, but there was no suspected association between the death and
    • A fetus is aborted because of a congenital anomaly (birth defect), or is miscarried

  1. Suspect Product(s): A suspect product is one that you suspect is associated with the adverse event.Up to two (2) suspect products may be reported on one form (#1=first suspect product, #2=second suspect product). Attach an additional form if there were more than two suspect products associated with the reported adverse event.
  2. To report: it is not necessary to be certain of a cause/effect relationship between the adverse event and the use of the medical product(s) in question. Suspicion of an association is sufficient reason to report. Submission of a report does not constitute an admission that medical personnel or the product caused or contributed to the event.

III. FDA Disclaimer of Information

Included in the 15 CDs and five printed reports from the FDA was the following disclosure:

“The information contained in the reports has not been scientifically or otherwise verified. For any given report there is no certainty that the suspected drug caused the reaction. This is because physicians are encouraged to report suspected reactions. The event may have been related to the underlying disease for which the drug was given to concurrent drugs being taken or may have occurred by chance at the same time the suspected drug was taken.

Numbers from these data must be carefully interpreted as reported rates and not occurrence rates. True incidence rates cannot be determined from this database. Comparisons of drugs cannot be made from these data.”
— July 18, 20/05 – FDA Office of Pharmacoepidemiology and Statistical Science, “Adverse Event Reporting System (AERS) Brief Description with Caveats of System”

[Editor’s Note – ProCon.org makes no claim that the data below reflects occurrence rates. The information is presented for our readers’ benefit who may feel that the relative comparisons have value. ProCon.org attempted to find the total number of users of each of these drugs by contacting the FDA, pharmaceutical trade organizations, and the actual drug manufacturers. We either did not receive a response or were told the information was proprietary or otherwise unavailable]

IV. Summary of Deaths by Drug Classification

DRUG CLASSIFICATION

Specific
Drugs per
Category

Primary
Suspect of the Death

Secondary
Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05
A. MARIJUANA
also known as: Cannabis sativa L

0

279

279
B. ANTI-EMETICS
(used to treat vomiting)

196

429

625
C. ANTI-SPASMODICS
(used to treat muscle spasms)

118

56

174
D. ANTI-PSYCHOTICS
(used to treat psychosis)

1,593

702

2,295
E. OTHER POPULAR DRUGS
(used to treat various conditions including ADD, depression, narcolepsy, erectile dysfunction, and pain)

8,101

492

8,593

F. TOTALS of A-E
Number
of Drugs
in Total

Primary
Suspect of the Death

Secondary
Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05

  • TOTAL DEATHS FROM MARIJUANA

1

0

279

279

  • TOTAL DEATHS FROM 17 FDA-APPROVED DRUGS

17

10,008

1,679

11,687
V. Chart of Deaths from Marijuana and 17 FDA-Approved Drugs
A. Marijuana

DRUG (Year Approved)

Primary Suspect of the Death

Secondary Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1. Marijuana (not approved)
also known as: Cannabis sativa L

0

109

109
2. Cannabis (not approved)
also known as: Cannabis sativa L

0

78

78
3. Cannabinoids
(unclear if these mentions include non-plant cannabinoids)

0

92

92
Sub-Total – Marijuana

0

279

279

FDA-Approved Drugs Prescribed in Place of Medical Marijuana

B. Anti-Emetics

DRUG (Year Approved)

Primary Suspect of the Death

Secondary Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1. Compazine (1980)
also known as: Phenothiazine, prochlorperazine

15

30

45
2. Reglan (1980)
also known as: Metaclopramide, Paspertin, Primperan

37

278

315
3. Marinol (1985)
also known as: Dronabinol

4

1

5
4. Zofran (1991)
also known as: Ondansetron hydrochloride

79

76

155
5. Anzemet (1997)
also known as: Dolasetron mesylatee

22

5

27
6. Kytril (1999)
also known as: Granisetron hydrochloride

36

24

60
7. Tigan (2001)
also known as: Trimethobenzamide

3

15

18
Sub-Total – Anti-Emetics

196

429

625
C. Anti-Spasmodics


DRUG (Year Approved)

Primary Suspect of the Death

Secondary Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1. Baclofen (1967)
also known as: Lioresal, 4-amino-3-(4-chlorophenyl)-butanoic acid

72

33

105
2. Zanaflex (1996)
also known as: Tizanidine hydrochloride, Sirdalud, Ternelin

46

23

69
Sub-Total – Anti-Spasmodics

118

56

174
D. Anti-Psychotics


DRUG (Year Approved)

Primary Suspect of the Death

Secondary Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1. Haldol (1967)
also known as: Haloperidol, Haldol Decanoate, Serenace, Halomonth

450

267

717
2. Lithium (1970)
also known as: Lithium Carbonate, Eskalith, Lithobid, Lithonate, Teralithe, Lithane, Hypnorex, Limas, Lithionit, Quilonum

175

133

308

3. Neurontin (1994)
also known as: Gabapentin

968

302

1,270
Sub-Total – Anti-Psychotics

1,593

702

2,295
E. Other Well-Known and Randomly Selected FDA-Approved Drugs


DRUG (Year Approved)

Primary Suspect of the Death

Secondary Suspect (contributing to death)

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05
1. Ritalin (1955)
also known as: Methylphenidate, Concerta, Medadate, Ritaline
(used to treat ADD and ADHD)

121

53

174
2. Wellbutrin (1997)
also known as: Bupropion Hydrochloride, Zyban, Zyntabac, Amfebutamone
(used to treat depression & anxiety)

1,132

220

1,352

3. Adderall (1966)
also known as: Dextroamphetamine Saccharate, Amphetamine Aspartate, Dextroamphetamine Sulfate USP, Amphetamine Sulfate USP
(used to treat narcolepsy or to control hyperactivity in children)

54

12

66
4. Viagra (1998)
also known as: Sildenafil Citrate
(used to treat erectile dysfunction)

2,254

40

2,294
5. Vioxx (1999)
also known as: Rifecixub, Arofexx
(used to treat osteoarthritis and pain)

4,540

167

4,707
Sub-Total – Other Popular Drugs

8,101

492

8,593
F. TOTALS of A-E

Primary Suspect

Secondary Suspect

Total Deaths Reported
1/1/97 – 6/30/05

  • TOTAL DEATHS FROM MARIJUANA

0

279

279

  • TOTAL DEATHS FROM 17 FDA-APPROVED DRUGS

10,008

1,679

11,687
VI. Sources & Disagreement on Marijuana Deaths

Has marijuana caused any deaths?
General Reference (not clearly pro or con)

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 2003 report Mortality Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, 2001 (1.5 MB) stated:

“Marijuana is rarely the only drug involved in a drug abuse death. Thus … the proportion of marijuana-induced cases labeled as ‘One drug’ (i.e., marijuana only) will be zero or nearly zero.”
2003 – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

PRO (Yes)

CON (No)
Thomas Geller, MD, Associate Professor of Child Neurology at the Saint Louis University Health Sciences Center, et al., wrote the following in their Apr. 4, 2004 article titled “Cerebellar Infarction in Adolescent Males Associated with Acute Marijuana Use,” (560 KB) published in the journal Pediatrics:

“Each of the 3 cannabis-associated cases of cerebellar infarction was confirmed by biopsy (1 case) or necropsy (2 cases)… Brainstem compromise caused by cerebellar and cerebral edema led to death in the 2 fatal cases.”
Apr. 4, 2004 – Thomas Geller, MD

Liliana Bachs, MD, Senior Medical Officer at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, et al., wrote the following in their Dec. 27, 2001 article titled “Acute Cardiovascular Fatalities Following Cannabis Use,” published in the journal Forensic Science International:

“Cannabis is generally considered to be a drug with very low toxicity. In this paper, we report six cases where recent cannabis intake was associated with sudden and unexpected death. An acute cardiovascular event was the probable cause of death. In all cases, cannabis intake was documented by blood analysis… Further investigation of clinical, toxicologial and epidemiological aspects are needed to enlighten causality between cannabis intake and acute cardiovascular events.”
Dec. 27, 2001 – Liliana Bachs, MD

[Editor’s Note: Dr. Bachs clarified the findings from her Dec. 27, 2001 study reported above in a Nov. 28, 2005 email to ProCon.org, as quoted below.

“Causality is a difficult assessment in forensic toxicology. It is often an ‘exclusion diagnosis,’ and so it is in our cases. I’m therefore not sure about how to classify those deaths.

At the time I published that study I would probably not classify [the cannabis] as primary causation because it was not broadly accepted that [a death from cannabis] could occur at all. Today I see reports coming all the time that acknowledge cannabis cardiovascular risks, and the situation may be different.”]

 Stephen Sidney, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Kaiser Permanente, wrote the following in his Sep. 20, 2003 article titled “Comparing Cannabis with Tobacco — Again,” published in the British Medical Journal:

“No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts…

Although the use of cannabis is not harmless, the current knowledge base does not support the assertion that it has any notable adverse public health impact in relation to mortality.”
Sep. 20, 2003 – Stephen Sidney, MD


Joycelyn Elders, MD, former US Surgeon General, wrote the following in her Mar. 26, 2004 editorial published in the Providence Journal:

“Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose.”
Mar. 26, 2004 – Joycelyn Elders, MD

VII. Full Text of All 20 FDA “Adverse Event” Reports

[Please note that some of these PDF files exceed 5 megabytes and may take several minutes to load]

  1. Adderall (PDF 495 KB)
  2. Anzemet (PDF 1.5 MB)
  3. Baclofen (PDF 755 KB)
  4. Cannabinoids (PDF 65 KB)
  5. Cannabis (PDF 330 KB)
  6. Compazine (PDF 1.6 MB)
  7. Haldol (PDF 1.5 MB)

  1. Kytril (PDF 2.2 MB)
  2. Lithium (PDF 2.4 MB)
  3. Marijuana (PDF 220 KB)
  4. Marinol (PDF 535 KB)
  5. Neurontin (PDF 6.3 MB)
  6. Ritalin (PDF 1.6 MB)
  7. Reglan (PDF 1.5 MB)

  1. Tigan (PDF 2.4 MB)
  2. Viagra (PDF 7.6 MB)
  3. Vioxx (PDF 31.5 MB)
  4. Wellbutrin (PDF 8.3 MB)
  5. Zanaflex (PDF 6556 KB)
  6. Zofran (PDF 1 MB)

California: Marijuana Smoke Added To State’s List Of Carcinogens

Sacramento, CA: The Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and the California Environmental Protection Agency have added marijuana smoke to the state’s list of official carcinogens, pursuant to Title27, California Code of Regulations, section 25305(a)(1).

Under state law, the Governor’s office is required to publish an annual list of chemicals that possess potential carcinogenic properties and/or are associated with reproductive toxicity, such as arsenic, lead, and tobacco smoke. Products containing such chemicals are required to carry warning labels. Business establishments with ten employees or more are also are mandated to post signs indicating whether there is a likelihood that an individual may be exposed to such chemicals while on the premises.

State environmental regulators determined that there is “limited” evidence “suggestive” that marijuana smoke exposure may be associated with an increased cancer risk in humans. Their review added, “[T]he similarities in chemical composition and in toxicological activity between marijuana smoke and tobacco smoke, and the presence of numerous carcinogens in marijuana (and tobacco) smoke, provide additional evidence of carcinogenicity.”

Presently, over 300 separate chemicals – including aspirin and alcoholic beverages – are designated as carcinogens under California law.

Labeling requirements for marijuana smoke will not take effect until June 2010. Neither marijuana nor edible products containing marijuana will be designated as carcinogens under state law.

Regulators made no official determination regarding the status of cannabis vapor, which does not contain combustion gases and has been determined to be a “safe and effective vehicle” for cannabis delivery in clinical trials.

Authors of the review did note that the largest population case-control study ever to assess the use of marijuana and lung cancer risk did not find a positive association between long-term cannabis smoking and cancer.

California NORML Coordinator Dale Geiringer said that the ruling did not come as a surprise because it has been well known for years that cannabis smoke contains known carcinogenic chemicals. However, he noted that the intake of these noxious chemicals “can be completely eliminated by vaporization or by consuming marijuana orally.”

NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said that it remains unclear what effect, if any, these new regulations will have on the dispensing of medical marijuana in California. “Since it is marijuana smoke, not marijuana per se, that is at issue here, it is not clear that legally operating medicinal cannabis dispensaries will have to alter their actions to comply with Prop. 65,” he said – noting that few such facilities allow patients to smoke cannabis on the premises. “Liquor stores are not required to post warnings on the premises just because they dispense alcohol, so why would medical cannabis dispensaries be treated any differently?”

MORGELLONS… A Natural Medicine Approach

Posted by C.E. Carnicom on Behalf of the Author:
Gwen Scott, N.D.
Jan 27 2008

Timing is everything, we are told, and now seems to be the time for some revelations.

Those of you who have watched Clifford Carnicom’s documentary on the aerosol operations (Chemtrails) will know me. We have worked together for many years now, trying very hard to unravel the purpose, content, and impact of what is being dumped into our air supply every day. It should be realized that because these are very small particles, they are systemic to your entire body in less than a minute. Think about that, seriously.

My interest is, primarily, finding natural medicines that can help ALL people mitigate the devastating effects of a multi-leveled assault on human health. Mr.Carnicom has provided immeasurable help in identifying contents so that I may design some natural medicine protocols around them. And make no mistake, the contents can be changed at any time without our knowledge or consent. In fact, I believe it has happened and will continue to happen without accountability.

Before I continue a few legal issues need to be addressed. New Mexico and most other states do not license Naturopathic Doctors. The law says I may educate you, but I cannot diagnose illness, or prescribe any medications. With that in mind, I am going to recount my own personal journey with Chemtrail implications as well as “Morgellons.” If any of the information I present has meaning to you, please find an enlightened and competent health care practitioner to work directly with you. Many natural medicines and drugs (prescription and over the counter) do not interact very well, and in some cases, can cause dangerous contraindications. It is imperative that you work closely with a professional you trust and not try to “cowboy” your health circumstances. I give you permission to share any and all information presented here with your health care practitioner so that he/she may evaluate it in light of your own regimen and symptoms.

Also, it is important that you understand one of the founding principles of natural medicine…Herring’s Law of Cure. This law presents that your body will rid itself of anything unwanted (diseases, etc.) from top to bottom, from the inside to the outside, and in the reverse order in which it entered your system. As you will see, much of the work on my own body follows this law exactly.

I am presenting both empirical (personal observation) with scientific information. Many thanks to Clifford Carnicom (hundreds of unpaid hours on his side), a research doctor, a surgeon, a chemist, and many publications for the scientific information. Although I do not have formal scientific training, I have read many books on human anatomy and physiology (structure and function of the systems) as well as herbal remedies, and all other natural modalities. I have also spent lots of hours looking into a microscope. I have a degree as a Naturopathic Doctor from an accredited college. But again, this is a journal of my personal experiences and not in any way to be understood as a “how to” remedy for the Chemtrail maladies, including “Morgellons.”

I spoke of timing at the beginning. It is time to say I am the “Morgellons” person that Mr. Carnicom used for many of his blood, skin, lung, and mouth samples. At the beginning of this work, I was the only provider. Now with so many people willing to give him samples, I know his work will continue. It is time for me to step forward.

I will get to what is being called “Morgellons” disease in just a minute. I must say, in my opinion, it’s not really a disease in the traditional sense. It is not measles or mumps. It doesn’t run a finite course nor is it exclusive to contact with other humans. What we are looking at here is an inorganic fiber and other components delivered through the air supply. In my opinion, what we are really looking at is a progressive “system” or “syndrome” in which “Morgellons” is just the latest and most visible aspect.

My journey into this “syndrome” began over ten years ago. I felt “something” was in me that didn’t belong…a gut feeling. I also noticed that my joints were aching more than they should, I got tired easily, I was getting skins breakouts, and my digestion was “off.” I was eating well (organics, free range meats, etc.) and exercising, yet I felt my vitality slipping. I decided to begin a program of “wellness” without any idea where it would lead me.

I began by introducing herbs and herbal combinations that would address the full range of pathogens that might be causing me problems…bacteria, virus, fungus, and parasite. I was able to eliminate organic parasites at the beginning. That still left me with the other three. So, I searched for and found one herbal combination that addressed all three. It is called Deep Health by Herbs, Etc. I also made some bad or aggressive choices that were really quite dangerous which I will not share. With this herbal extract I began to get sores all over my head, but, mindful of Herring’s Law, I saw this as a good thing (top to bottom, in to out) They were painful, numerous, volcano like, and produced scabs that were very itchy and would not heal for weeks, months, and, in one case, two years. Of course, at the time, it was before Chemtrail awareness, so I assumed something from earlier years was coming out or some new disease I didn’t know was presenting (later I was to look at photos and see the lines in the sky that I was unaware of at the time.)Those sores were exactly like the ones I have today on my back, but I cannot tell you if there were fibers in the scabs. I strongly suspect there were.

One thing that is very interesting. After my scalp finally healed my hair got thicker, the few gray hairs I had fell out, replaced by much darker hair. Also, the texture of my hair changed. Instead of straight, fine hair it became more coarse and wavy. I don’t know why to this day, but I took it as a good sign. I have a client in Los Angeles who I began working with about 8-months ago and he reports that his once gray eyebrows are now brown again. He also says his once brown hair is growing in again…that he has brown roots in his white hair. Again, I take this as a sign of renewed health.

I began to look at what was happening very carefully. Surely this was not a “normal” or known situation (ten years ago.) I started to see a “network” under my skin that looked like it might be fungal in nature. I contacted a good friend who is a research doctor to get his opinion. Strangely enough, he and his research partner had been looking at live blood samples under an atomic microscope and observed a fungus in EVERYBODY’S blood sample, including his own (note: Mr. Carnicom is finding fibers and an unknown, perhaps bacterial, form in everyone’s blood as well.) He was very upset because he said it looked “altered” and was using very fine particulate metals as weapons against the immune system. He said the fungus actually collected heavy metals and “stabbed” all immune responders. It sounded so science fiction to me at the time. He told me that he had found a great metal detoxification method using food grade diatomaceous earth that he took everyday in distilled water (perma-guard.com.) He said about one tablespoon would work for most adults. The FDA doesn’t give approval for taking diatomaceous earth internally in humans, but we can give it to our cats, dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, etc. Most feed stores carry it. The only known contraindication is if it is taken with food. It will not recognize what metals are good for you (iron, trace copper, etc) and what ones are harmful. My research doctor friend says it will bind up metals and carry them out of your body. I do know this therapy is widely used in India (white earth,) especially by pregnant women. I met the head medicine man of the Shoshone Indian People and he told me they have historically used it to detoxify people. I also met an African American healer in Georgia last year and he told me they’d been using it in his community for years, all the way back to the days of slavery.

At this point in my journey I realized that I not only needed to get rid of any metals in my system, but I needed to go on an aggressive anti-fungal diet with supporting herbs. I made sure to eat LOTS of garlic, onions, etc. and I avoided ALL sugars. I drank Pau D’ Arco tea daily and began to see some important results. I also found a wonderful anti-fungal herbal combination that is no longer available, but Herbs, Etc. has a similar one called Yeast ReLeaf. It should be said, I have no financial ties with any of the companies I mention in this journal.

I continued to eat organics, drink distilled water, and eat, moderately, only free range meats. And I began to notice some vitality returning with the anti-fungal focus. But, I also knew that I was far from “clean.”

About eight years ago I became sadly aware of the Chemtrails. I was blessed to be introduced to Clifford Carnicom, who at that time was a voice in the wilderness. He began to share with me all of the data he was gathering and I began to see why it was so important to get those metals out of the system. Recently, the National Institute for Health in Washington, D.C. released a report on barium. The report linked barium “intoxication” to M.S., ALS, and other diseases of “unknown” origins. The report also said that the military sprayed barium in the air! That was certainly interesting to me. A good deal of research is available linking aluminum to Alzheimer’s disease, especially when the aluminum is combined with fluoride.

Also recently, an oncologist in Italy, Dr. Tullio Simoncini, says he believes cancer is really a fungus. Many other doctors came out in support when he was attacked for presenting his work. He is currently treating people with cancer with enormous success (www.cancerfungus.com). I personally think he is on the right track and so does my surgeon friend who tells me they are opening people up and finding them full of fungus.

He told me there are times they can’t even find the organs because they are “covered” with fungus. I personally have not seen this, but this surgeon has years of experience and no reason to mislead me. I think a strong anti-fungal diet is a great idea. There are many books at the health store outlining them. I should say, most of the books are focused on Candida Albicans, a common fungus and we may be looking at a different “breed” here, but it’s a good start.

I have also found anti-fungal soaps of great help. The brand called Miracle II and its companion Neutralizer have been invaluable in my healing process (www.miracle2.net). Most health stores carry anti-fungal soaps, usually with Tea Tree Oil.

About three years ago, I began to get open, painful sores on my back…they remain to this day. Old ones, in time, will close up and I will think I am finished, but new ones will appear, sometimes overnight. This is the “Morgellons” aspect of my journey. It wasn’t until Mr. Carnicom put the scar tissue under high magnification that the true nature of these sores came to light. In every scar tissue they was at least one and sometimes many fibers. Now I began to understand why the process was ongoing. I breathe…fibers are in the air supply…body wants them out. So, I stand alone, at this time, with the following theory…Morgellons is NOT a disease in the conventional sense. It is the body’s HEALTHY response to an invader, or foreign matter, that does not belong. It seeks to push it out.

About one month ago my teeth started aching. It was slight at first and I really didn’t pay attention. About 4am one morning I awoke with the most painful “tooth ache” I could imagine. I tried every remedy I knew to no avail. I “talked to the kingdom” and got the answer to rinse the tooth vigorously with red wine. I certainly wouldn’t have thought of that. The results are on Mr. Carnicom’s web site. I continue to “pull” them out everyday with the red wine therapy and, although not as many are coming out, I am still producing. It would be an interesting test to run for yourself to see if you have fibers in your gums. Many of my friends who do not have a single “Morgellons” symptom have done it and in all cases fibers can be seen in the sink. Another interesting test is to take your temperature (digital is the fastest) everyday. Everyone seems to be running lower than the 98.6 average. Some of my clients are down in the 94-95 range.

We now know that combined with these fibers are a pathogen that has yet to be identified. It appears to cause damage to the blood, consequently all body systems. I keep hoping that someone with some expertise in this field will step up to the plate and help Mr. Carnicom with his efforts. You know, if you breathe…or your children breathe…or your mother breathes…time to understand that ALL humans are involved.

Another component that is also part of the “Morgellons syndrome” is a luminescent material that some call plastic, others silicone. It comes out of the lungs, eyes, skin, and mouth. My tears are very sticky, a recent development. The material “glows” under a black light and is unknown in its properties. Also, its purpose is unknown as well. I do know that it has somehow incorporated into what is leaving my body. It also contains the unknown pathogen seen in the fibers.

I was interested to note that as I drove across the country recently, in three different states a large “glob” of perfectly clear material hit my windshield (not a gift from the birds.) When I tried to clean it off with my wipers it smeared and took many passes to finally clear. I didn’t collect any samples, but it wouldn’t be surprising if this material coming out of my body is one and the same.

Also of interest to me, on CNN Anderson Cooper presented a series called Planet In Peril and one of the segments contained the results of a blood test he had taken. It was reported that he had an unusually high amount of “plastic” in his blood…wonder if we all do.

I do know that a scientist named Marcel Vogel was experimenting with luminescent materials and their uses in the 70’s (Secret Life of Plants.) He later went to work for IBM and there are many patents with his name involving luminescent material. I was particularly interested in the one involving Electro-luminescent materials, but couldn’t get into the data.

Another curious phenomenon…EVERYBODY’S eyes I have examined under a black light reveal that their pupils “glow” or are luminescent. Is this normal? Perhaps an expert can tell me, as I remember black light parties in the 60’s and I personally don’t remember pupils glowing.

Another interesting observation…after the sores finishing expelling blood with fibers, the scar tissue becomes “plastic” which also contains the fibers.

One final note. There is a huge assault on all life forms taking place electro-magnetically. The planet and all life on it evolved, together, with a common electro-magnetic field. We know from Mr. Carnicom’s work that new frequencies of many levels are being introduced into the atmosphere. How can this not affect us? We are electro-magnetic beings. Could these new “waves” be causing the epidemics I see in depression (NBC reported that nearly ONE-HALF of all Americans are taking anti-depressants,) sleep depravation, tinnitis (ear ringing,) and memory loss? A physicist told me that some of these new frequencies correspond to the same frequencies in the brain that control sleep, mood, and memory. What “materials” are in our body that might respond to these frequencies as well? I certainly don’t know, but it is worth considering when taking a holistic approach to wellness.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS

So, as far as I can observe, we are dealing with a highly integrated “system,” not one disease called “Morgellons.”

And, as I have indicated, it needs to be addressed on a number of levels…heavy metals, fungus, diet, etc. I know you cannot hope to heal eating processed, denatured, chemically rich foods. It has been suggested that perhaps some of what we are looking at here actually comes into us through our food supply. I don’t know. Consider what you put in your mouth very carefully…does it heal or harm? If you are serious about being well during these times, you really have to look at your diet. “Food is your remedy, your remedy is food” Hippocrates.

Fungus is a major player…so are fibers, a bacterial form (mycoplasma, etc) and luminescent materials. There might be others as yet unseen. A research doctor is sure we also have nano-technology in there as well. Although I haven’t observed any in the blood samples, I wouldn’t be surprised. Many of the national labs are spending a lot of money and research on nano-tecnology. Some of the titles of the studies are very unnerving.

I have another observation based purely on my own physical experience. The more I rid my body of these unwanted materials, the more people tell me that I am looking younger. My hair is thick…I have lost about 10-pounds that I simply couldn’t get rid of…they just feel off and I am returned to my “normal” weight. My eyesight has improved dramatically…20-250 to 20-150 in a year and the process continues. Many of the “age” lines on my face have disappeared and my previously achy joints don’t bother me at all. Could it be that these materials are designed to age us rapidly? I have heard lots of people talking lately about how their friends and family members are getting old quickly. I have noticed it myself. Could the agenda presented years ago to thin the population be in full swing (read “….and the truth shall set you free by David Icke.) It seems like it to me.

A final word to anyone involved in spraying our skies…even if you think you are doing something good for the citizens of the world…you are not. And if you and those you love breathe…well then, someone has mislead you. I believe in time we will find that EVERYONE has “Morgellons” syndrome. That EVERYONE, whether they are presenting sores or not, is carrying fibers, fungus, luminescent material, etc. Mr. Carnicom’s most recent work would certainly lead us in that direction.

Again, work with a professional who understands and has the expertise to help you towards wellness.

I will update this journal with new information as it appears.

Stand in The Light

Blessings and Good Health

Gwen Scott, N.D.”

Marijuana bills intorduced into congress

Today, Congressman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to eliminate all federal penalties for marijuana possession. This came only one week after he also introduced a bill to protect medical marijuana patients.

Would you please take one minute to ask your U.S. representative to support these two bills? MPP’s easy online action center makes it simple — just enter your name and contact info, and we’ll do the rest.

The Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2009 would eliminate the threat of federal arrest and prison for the possession of up to 3.5 ounces of marijuana and the not-for-profit transfer of an ounce of marijuana — nationwide.

What’s more, last week Congressman Frank introduced the Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, which would allow states to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail without federal interference, as well as allow pharmacies to dispense marijuana to patients with a doctor’s recommendation. You can take action on this bill here.

MPP has worked closely with Congressman Frank’s staff in past months, helping to craft both pieces of legislation and build political support for the proposals on Capitol Hill.

Now members of Congress need to hear from their constituents who want to see it passed — that means you! It takes only a minute or two to use MPP’s online action system to send a quick note to your member of the House, so would you please send your letter right now?

Eliminate threat of federal arrest and prison for marijuana possession

Protect medical marijuana patients nationwide

ALERT OF THE WEEK- Stop Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Wheat

wheatMonsanto and the biotech bullies are once again moving to tighten their grip on the world’s food supply. Genetically engineered (GE) varieties now account for 70-90% of all conventional (non-organic) corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola grown in the U.S. Joining the growing menu of unlabeled and untested gene-spliced Frankenfoods, genetically engineered sugar (derived from GE sugar beets) hit store shelves in 2008. Now it appears that the most controversial crop of them all, Monsanto’s GE wheat, is not far behind, at least if industry gets its way. Given that wheat is such a major global crop and essential ingredient in bread, breakfast cereals, pasta and other everyday foods, the force-feeding of unlabeled GE wheat on the public would represent a major conquest for Monsanto and the biotech industry.

Although Monsanto withdrew their applications to the U.S. and Canadian governments for approval of genetically engineered wheat in 2004 because of tremendous pressure from the OCA and hundreds of our allied public interest groups and farmers (as well as pressure from large food companies such as General Mills), it looks like we’re in for another round of battle.

Wheat industry groups in the United States, Canada and Australia announced on May 14, 2009, they would work toward the objective of “synchronized commercialization of biotech traits in the wheat crop.” For the sake of the Earth and public health, we must stop them.

LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION