Wednesday, August 31, 2011

NBN NEWS - HEMP PARTY WANTS TO SEE ACTION

August 28, 2011
The Cannabis Convoy that travelled from Nimbin to Sydney has been hailed a success.
The President of the New South Wales Hemp Party says the Greens agreed to ask the Health Minister to reconsider legalising medical cannabis.
Michael Balderston says common-sense legislation would ensure the drug is properly administered by professionals.
“There are people with extreme nightmare pain and conditions. If cannabis works for them, whose going to say no, you know.”
Mr Balderston is urging people who benefit from the use of marijuana to treat medical conditions to contact their local member.




Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Nicola Roxon Minister for Health and Ageing promotes Australians suffering

We can thank Ministers such as Nicola Roxon and Frank Johnson and more for the pain, suffering and now DEATH of millions of Australians. As long as ministers like these continue to ignore the hard proven medical facts that Cannabis has, can and will continue to cure cancers and other serious illnesses people will continue to suffer and even die. Govt Study Proves THC From Cannabis Destroys Leukemia, Breast And Lung Cancer Cell ; Cannabis Science Extract Kills Cancer Cells
There is so much proof out there and OUR elected officials continue ignore the proof either because it isn't part of their agenda's or through fear of loosing their seats. All the Australian government does is find ways to make up lies about cannabis, like cannabis causes psychosis, schizophrenia, mental illness and the rest of the lies, when those have also been dis-proven time and time again e.g debunking the Myth of a Link Between Marijuana and Mental Illness & Study debunk claims marijuana causes mental illness.
When will these ministers stand up and do something. They are your ministers make them listen, write them, call them, stand out side thier offices take your friends, stand up for your rights and show these fat cats that we wont stand for this ignorance anymore!

Contact details: The Hon Nicola Roxon MP  
Title: Minister for Health and Ageing.
Party: Australian Labor Party

Parliament House Contact

PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Tel: (02) 6277 7220
Fax: (02) 6273 4146

Electorate Office Contact

Maribyrnong Office:
Location/Postal Address:
1 Thomas Holmes Street
Maribyrnong Vic 3032

Tel: (03) 9317 7077
Fax: (03) 9317 7477


S.A Peaceful Rally for Re-Legalisation - Law REPEAL of Cannabis Hemp ☮

Time
Sunday, November 20 · 12:00pm - 4:30pm

Location
Victoria Square, Adelaide

Created By

More Info
Come enjoy a day of peace and music in lovely surroundings. Bringing awareness to the benefits of Industrial Hemp and Medical Cannabis, and the issues surrounding Cannabis prohibition. Don't forget to invite your friends who support the cause, too!

Victoria Square is just a short walk from the Adelaide train station and bus accessible. If you need any help with directions, please feel free to ask! Can bring chairs or blankets to sit on, water and munchies to keep you going and don't forget to bring your buds! If you're unsure if you can attend, please only RSVP as a 'Maybe'!

There will be several live music acts performing throughout the day, including Brett Stokes, and Kaptain Reefer & The Kone Pakkers! A handful of awesome guest speakers! Including Teresa McDowell the founder of natural skin care line "Hemp Hemp Hooray!", whose beautiful products will be included in PRIZES awarded for "Best Dressed" and "Best Sign"! So make sure to dress up in green or any Cannabis/Hemp related garb!

Remember!:
It's PERFECTLY LEGAL, SAFE & HUMANITARIAN to show your support! Through fear propaganda the government have discouraged people from standing up for what they know is true and right! There are people sick and dying all over the world who need medicine and our planet is suffering, but we have the power to change it all with Hemp, so invite your buds, spread the word and DEMAND RE-LEGALIZATION / LAW REPEAL OF THE MIRACLE CANNABIS HEMP PLANT!

Don't forget to wear your smiles, and green if you can! Please research the topics if you feel like you could learn a bit more about the wonders of Cannabis Hemp!

Ideas for signs and posters can be found at the links below. Some examples are:
'☮ END DRUG WAR ☮'
'IT'S A PLANT'
'CANNABIS IS MEDICINE'
'SAFER THAN ALCOHOL'
'HEMP IS CLEAN ENERGY'

Resources:
www.ldpsa.org.au
www.leapaustralia.org
www.thecureforcanceraustralia.com
www.australianhempparty.com
www.cannabisculture.com
www.jackherer.com
www.theweedblog.com
www.responsiblechoice.com.au
www.hemphemphooray.com.au
www.norml.org
www.ukcia.org
www.erowid.org/plants/cannabis
www.hemphasis.net
www.harbay.net
www.phoenixtears.ca
www.legalizecannabisaustralia.blogspot.com 

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Any interested sponsors, speakers, musicians, entertainers, comedians, pro-legalization politicians and informed doctors, volunteers, including anyone that can spread the word through radio, music and other media platforms, please get in contact!

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The Gawler Train line will be down for seven months starting on September 18th, so be sure to plan your commute to the rally ahead of time to save any hassles with the pesky public transport system. Substitute buses will run to compensate. Check out the www.adelaidemetro.com.au website to plan your trip. If you need help planning your trip please don't hesitate to ask!
http://www.adelaidemetro.com.au/gawler-september-2011



Monday, August 29, 2011

Govt Study Proves THC From Cannabis Destroys Leukemia, Breast And Lung Cancer Cells

Medicinal marijuana oil made from cannabis buds, when ingested thrice daily, for two months, will destroy leukemia and cancer cells. Here is just one study which shows the results: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16908594
The government study was done by Jia W, Hegde VL, Singh NP, Sisco D, Grant S, Nagarkatti M, Nagarkatti PS at the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Virginia Campus, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, USA.
To quote: "Cannabinoids including THC, induce apoptosis in leukemic cells" PMID: 16908594


Sam’s Story: Using Medical Cannabis to Treat Autism Spectrum Disorder

Background on Sam
Sam is an eight-year-old male. He was diagnosed with Pervasive Developmental Delay- Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS) when he was two and one-half years old by a pediatric psychiatrist at the M.I.N.D. Institute, UC Davis Medical Center. He was re-diagnosed at the M.I.N.D. Institute in October of 2007 with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As the psychiatrist told Sam’s mom and I, “Sam is a poster child for ASD”. Sam has lowered cognitive abilities and lowered verbal skills. Sam lives with his mom, dad and his younger sister who is six years of age. She is a typical child with no physical or mental health issues.
Sam was adopted at birth. He had no prenatal issues and was a healthy infant. At around 18 months of age he began exhibiting ASD like behaviors and after six months of reassurances by his primary doctors that he was fine Sam was diagnosed with ASD. Since his diagnoses he has received special education services, speech therapy, occupational therapy, and behavioral therapy. He had been on the Gluten-Casein Free Diet (GCFD). He has been treated by a doctor (supposedly one of the best in the country) who treats ASD patients following the Defeat Autism Now (DAN) protocol which emphasizes a “BioMedical” approach established by Dr. Rimland the founder of Autism Society of America and the Autism Research Institute in San Diego, CA.
As a family we have spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to help Sam. Even though as a teacher I have full coverage insurance, many of the services and doctors Sam has seen are not covered under my plan. Blue Cross of California still categorizes ASD as a “mental illness” instead of an “organic disorder” which precludes it from receiving the coverage a typical physical illness would be granted. I only mention this because since Sam was diagnosed with ASD we have devoted ourselves to helping him. This devotion has been in the forms of time, effort, education, therapy cost, medical costs, conferences, parent support groups, and most importantly love.
Sam’s Strengths
Sam loves people and he loves to “be on the go”. He has been to Disneyland four times, been camping many times, and has been to San Diego to visit the zoo, Wild Animal Park and Sea World. Sam loves to go to San Francisco Giant and Sacramento Kings games and loves to travel to San Francisco. Sam is our gift from God and we love him just as he is. Many tears have been shed from worry and from the joy of watching Sam achieve things parents of typical children take for granted. There have many moments of laughter and warmth given to us by our quirky, sweet, lovable, little boy.
Purpose of this Journal
I write this journal for Sam and other children like him. We almost lost our little boy to ASD and pharmaceuticals. By the grace of God and the help of a little Medical Cannabis (MC) we have him back. Maybe this journal can give other parents hope when all else seems dark and hopeless. Maybe this journal can prompt others to tell their stories if they have treated their ASD child with Medical Cannabis (MC). Even more important would be some legitimate scientific studies conducted to determine the effectiveness of MC to treat symptoms of Autism.
I never wanted to be an advocate for Medical Cannabis (MC). I do not drink alcohol, take marijuana, or any other psychoactive drug. However, this experience has been so profound and dramatic that I feel no choice but to speak out on the issue. I understand the political and legal sensitivity of giving an eight-year-old child medical cannabis but if one child and family can be helped from my disclosure any risk to myself is acceptable. As a parent, I only want to help my son. No one ever questioned our decision to give our son the potpourri of pharmaceuticals prescribed by his doctors that, in my opinion, almost destroyed him.
My wife and I both have very conservative parents and families who are very much opposed to any type of “illegal” drug use. We have their complete support. They witnessed Sam’s deterioration over the last year and they saw his almost miraculous turn around once we started using the MC. We have only disclosed treating Sam with MC to our closest family. We have shared the information with Sam’s primary pediatrician on the recommendation of Sam’s MC Doctor. The pediatrician has been supportive in an “off the record” manner. He has been Sam’s pediatrician since birth and he knows that we are responsible parents.      

Debunking the Myth of a Link Between Marijuana and Mental Illness

Despite media claims that marijuana can cause psychosis or schizophrenia, there's no science to back it up. 
By Paul Armentano, July 25, 2011   
Prohibitionists have a long history of exploiting tragedy to further their own drug war agenda. Case in point: Members of Congress in the 1980s seized upon the overdose of basketball star Len Bias to enact sweeping legislative changes establishing mandatory minimum sentencing in drug crimes, random workplace drug testing for public employees, and the creation of the Drug Czar’s office.
So it was hardly surprising to see anti-drug zealots return to this tried-and-true playbook in the days immediately following the shooting this past January of Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and 18 civilians. Only hours after alleged shooter Jared Lee Loughner was taken into custody, pundits on the political far right opined that the 22-year-old former pot smoker had been driven mad by weed.
For example, less than 24-hours after the shooting former George W. Bush speech-writer David Frum posed the question, “Did pot trigger the Giffords shooting?” to which the longtime conservative commentator answered, “Increasingly, experts seem to be saying ‘yes.’”
Frum’s accusation appeared to gain a modicum of respectability one month later when the mainstream media highlighted a report in The Archives of General Psychiatry that purported to have linked marijuana use with psychosis.
“It is increasingly clear that marijuana is a cause of schizophrenia,” the study’s lead researcher, Matthew Large of Prince of Wales Hospital in New South Wales, Australia, told the online publication Web MD in February. (In a separate interview he said he was “horrified” by suggestions that the plant should be legalized and regulated.) Large further insisted, “[T]he schizophrenia caused by cannabis starts earlier than schizophrenia with other causes.”
Or not.
In truth, the supposed new ‘study’ contained no new findings at all. Rather, Large and his team simply reviewed previously published research – much of it decades old.
“There are no new data. I want to emphasize that. This is a meta-analysis, which means it (reviews) the studies that were already out there,” SUNY Albany psychology professor Mitch Earleywine, author of the book Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence, explained on the NORML Audio Stash days after the report’s release. “What you’re not hearing in the media is that in fact, this (reported association) is probably early-onset folks self-medicating (with cannabis).”
There are several published reports to back up Earleywine’s suspicion. For instance, a 2005 study of 1,500 subjects that appeared in the scientific journal Addiction reported that the development of “psychotic symptoms in those who had never used cannabis before the onset of (such) symptoms … predicted future cannabis use.”
Other studies reinforcing Earleywine’s ‘self-medication’ theory include a 2008 study published in the International Journal of Mental Health Nursing which found that schizophrenics typically report using cannabis to reduce anxiety and “improve their mental state.” Marijuana use has also been associated with clinically objective benefits in some schizophrenics. Recently, a 2010 report in the journalSchizophrenia Research found that schizophrenic patients with a history of cannabis use demonstrate higher levels of cognitive performance compared to nonusers. Researchers in that study concluded, “The results of the present analysis suggest that (cannabis use) in patients with SZ (schizophrenia) is associated with better performance on measures of processing speed and verbal skills. These data are consistent with prior reports indicating that SZ patients with a history of (cannabis use) have less severe cognitive deficits than SZ patients without comorbid (cannabis use).”
A 2011 meta-analysis published online by the journal Schizophrenia Research also affirmed that schizophrenics with a history of cannabis use demonstrate “superior neurocognitive performance” compared to non-users. Investigators at the University of Toronto, Institute of Medical Sciences reviewed eight separate studies assessing the impact of marijuana consumption on cognition, executive function, learning, and working memory in schizophrenic subjects. Researchers determined that the results of each of the performance measurements suggested “superior cognitive functioning in cannabis-using patients as compared to non-using patients.”
Investigators stopped short of attributing subjects' cannabis use to the improved outcomes, hypothesizing instead that patients with superior cognitive skills may be more likely to acquire cannabis than subjects with lesser abilities. “[I]t is difficult to determine whether it is cannabis itself that triggers alterations in neuropsychological functioning or if drug-using patients represent a subset of the schizophrenia population who exhibit better neurocognitive performance,” they wrote. Nevertheless, they concluded that it would be reasonable to assume that “cannabis likely has modest … effects on neurocognitive function in schizophrenia.”
Other clinical literature also casts doubt on Large’s claim that marijuana use accelerates mental illness. In a study published last year, a team that included researchers affiliated with the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yale University, and the National Institute of Mental Health assessed whether lifetime pot use was associated with an earlier age of onset of symptoms in schizophrenic patients. They concluded, "Although cannabis use precedes the onset of illness in most patients, there was no significant association between onset of illness and (cannabis use) that was not accounted for by demographic and clinical variables.”
The researchers also criticized the findings of previously published studies that purported to have uncovered a ‘pot trigger’ for mental illness. “Previous studies implicating cannabis use disorders in schizophrenia may need to more comprehensively assess the relationship between cannabis use disorders and schizophrenia.”
Unlike Earleywine, however, the researchers in this study were not convinced that a large percentage of schizophrenic patients are ‘self-medicating’ with pot. “We … found that about half of our subjects discontinued the use of cannabis when their psychotic symptoms worsened,” said Dr. Serge Sevy of the Zucker Hillside Hospital, who led the study.  “(But) unfortunately, our study did not include questions about (patients’) reasons for using or discontinuing cannabis.  I cannot provide the percentage of patients who discontinued cannabis use because of a worsening of psychosis  … (versus those who) became too impaired to obtain cannabis.”
As for Large’s most serious claim, that juvenile marijuana use “is a cause of schizophrenia,” most experts on the subject – and most scientific reviews of the matter – disagree.
For example, authors of a 2009 study published in Schizophrenia Research said definitively that increased cannabis use by the public has not been followed by a proportional rise in diagnoses of schizophrenia or psychosis. Investigators at the Keele University Medical School in Britain compared trends in marijuana use and incidences of schizophrenia in the United Kingdom from 1996 to 2005. Researchers reported that the "incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia and psychoses were either stable or declining" during this period, even the use of cannabis among the general population was rising.
"The expected rise in diagnoses of schizophrenia and psychoses did not occur over a 10 year period," they concluded. "This study does not therefore support the specific causal link between cannabis use and incidence of psychotic disorders. ... This concurs with other reports indicating that increases in population cannabis use have not been followed by increases in psychotic incidence."
In April, scientists at the University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in Bern, Switzerland also published clinical trial data indicating that cannabis use plays virtually no role in the early onset of psychosis in younger patients. Researchers assessed the differences in the age of onset of psychosis among 625 patients admitted to the Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centre in Melbourne, Australia. They reported, “Only cannabis use … starting at age 14 was associated with an earlier age at onset at a small effect size.” Overall, the age at onset for patients with first-episode psychosis “was not significantly different” among patients with a history of cannabis use versus non-users.
These results don’t particularly surprise Dr. Julie Holland, clinical assistant professor of psychiatry at the NYU School of Medicine and the editor of The Pot Book: A Complete Guide to Cannabis – It’s Role in Medicine, Politics, Science, and Culture.  “The bottom line here is no one knows exactly what causes schizophrenia, and scientists have been looking for decades,” she says. “The best explanation is a ‘stress diathesis’ model, where people have a genetic tendency toward schizophrenic illness, and then something triggers its appearance. But unless you have the genes, you won't get the illness. Cannabis won't change one’s genetic predisposition.”
Holland does caution that people with a predisposition toward schizophrenia “tend to have a stronger, more psychotic-like reaction to cannabis, but that is different from the idea that pot actually gives you schizophrenia, which is completely untrue.” As for the severity of these potential psychotic symptoms, Holland states, “When the drug wears off, so do its effects. There is no lasting psychosis from pot.”
Retired associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Lester Grinspoon, has studied both cannabis and schizophrenia for over 40 years, authoring the books Schizophrenia: Psychopharmacology and Psychotherapy and Marihuana The Forbidden Medicine. His expert opinion largely echoes the views of Drs. Holland and Earleywine.
“Schizophrenia is largely a genetically determined disorder. However, not all people who have this genetic makeup develop the disorder. So, we have been searching for other variables that must be involved but so far with little success,” he explains.  “Recently we have seen the publication of a number of papers that point the finger toward cannabis. Because my work in schizophrenia was first undertaken in the 1960s when marijuana was first observed to be increasingly widely used by young people, I was always careful to include the possibility that the patient had previously smoked marijuana in my history taking. I can't tell you how many patients this involved, but it was certainly measured in the hundreds and not once did I find that it could be considered causal. Its use, on a few occasions, seemed like an attempt to alter an insufferable internal environment, much as people with schizophrenia often do with alcohol and tobacco.”
Ultimately, however, even if such a causal connection between cannabis use and mental illness were to one day be established, this finding alone would do little to support pot prohibition. In fact, the policy implications of such a determination should be just the opposite.
Health risks connected with drug use – when scientifically documented – should not be seen as legitimate reasons for criminal prohibition, but instead, as reasons for legal regulation. After all, there are numerous adverse health consequences associated with alcohol, and it’s precisely because of these effects that the product is legally regulated and its use is restricted to specific consumers and settings. Similarly, if there are legitimate mental health risks associated with use of cannabis by certain individuals then a regulated system would best identify and educate these people so that they may refrain from its use. Placed in this context, drug warriors’ fear-mongering surrounding the issue of marijuana and mental health does little to advance the cause of tightening prohibition, and provides ample ammunition to wage for its repeal.
Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story appeared online on hightimes.com.  This story has been updated and expanded for AlterNet.
Paul Armentano is the deputy director of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), and is the co-author of the book Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink (2009, Chelsea Green).

Sunday, August 28, 2011

PBS Video Explains Why Medical Cannabis Works and How Big Pharma Is Planning To Cash In On It


Watch the full episode
http://blog.norml.org/2011/08/25/tremendous-pbs-video-explains-why-medical-cannabis-works-and-how-big-pharma-is-planning-to-cash-in-on-it/

Friday, August 26, 2011

The Truth about Cannabis the Government doesn't want you to know



WA cops use new plate scanners to persecute people with drug convictions (but not other criminals)

WA police are using number plate scanning to identify drivers with previous drug convictions, pulling them over, searching their cars and testing their saliva, reports The West Australian.

In a recent trial 4,000 cars were pulled over and four people were found in possession of drugs (Four out of 4,000 is 0.001% - hardly an effective use of police time and resources.). Another 18 drivers were either unlicensed or were driving unregistered vehicles - and I have no problem with this as the scanning revealed an offense being committed, and one that potentially created danger to others.

But searching people because they have a prior drug conviction is wrong for two reasons.

First, having a prior conviction is clearly not the grounds for suspicion normally required to justify a search. Presumably the convicted person has paid their 'debt to society' and should be treated with the rights of a normal person. This is why prior convictions are not revealed to juries in a trial until after a verdict has been reached.

Second, targeting people who have been found guilty of a crime which is not only victimless but in the opinion of many should not even be a crime, is a strange priority. If you were serious about using this technology to protect the community, why not pull over convicted drunk drivers, pedophiles, murderers, thieves and hitmen?

No, it's another example of the obsessive anti-drug ideology driving the WA Liberals government into a systematic campaign of social persecution.


As there is not a single valid argument for prohibition, persecuting a sub-culture in its name is pernicious.

An Introduction to the Medical Benefits of Cannabis

Introduction
This paper collates numerous articles on the use of Cannabis for the healing and prevention of many human diseases. Information is also provided on the Endocannabinoid System, a most import signalling and regulatory system in the human body which is supplemented by the cannabinoids in the Cannabis plant. In assessing the risks and benefits of Cannabis, it must be noted that the opinions in research still range widely e.g. from the view that “Cannabis causes Cancer” to the most recent research that has proved that “Cannabis cures Cancer.”
Even though Cannabis is very effective in the treatment of many ailments, its side effects are not damaging (unlike prescription drugs), and that there is no known toxic or lethal effect in the use of Cannabis. Many activists for the legalization of Cannabis are concerned that Cannabis extracts and cannabinoid synthetics will be patented for profit by pharmaceutical companies, while the use of the plant by ordinary citizens remains illegal. Legalization for the public benefit must ensure access to the plant by all citizens, whether for recreational/preventive use or as prescribed medication for the treatment of ailments. The information provided here shows that the prohibition of Cannabis is NOT justified on the grounds of health.
please read full article at:
Collated by Jeremy Acton
Big thanks Jeremy

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Aussie man wants licence for cannabis medicine

A man who has developed a cannabis-based medicine is calling for the NSW government to approve his application to manufacture and distribute the cure-all.
Tony Bower and a handful of supporters travelled from the state's north to protest outside the NSW parliament on Tuesday, bringing with them a giant inflatable marijuana joint to use as a prop. The Kempsey man developed the medicine 10 years ago and is now giving away the liquid cannabis tincture to about 300 people around Australia.
He now wants to manufacture it in commercial quantities but says the state government won't grant him a licence. The oil-and-alcohol based medicine is extracted from the cannabis plant but Mr Bower says all the drug's illegal properties have been removed from it.
He says medical cannabis can relieve pain and nausea in cancer and HIV suffers, while it can also be used treat other illnesses, from multiple sclerosis to post-traumatic stress disorder. "It's for pain relief, it's for people who are sick and dying," Mr Bower told reporters outside parliament in Sydney. "I've been trying (to get approval) for two years or more, and it's just going nowhere."

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Cannabis NOT a "Gateway to other Drugs"

After reading this story http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/wellbeing/cannabis-a-gateway-to-other-drugs-20110718-1hlor.html I thought I would combat it with some real Truth.

Research Proves Marijuana is Not a "Gateway Drug" 

The surging debate surrounding the legalization of marijuana has brought with it the resurrection of the "gateway theory," which alleges that experimenting with marijuana leads to the use of harder drugs like cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. The gateway debate was reborn last week, thanks to a video of FBI director Robert Mueller testifying before Congress that marijuana should be illegal because it leads to more dangerous drug use.
Although the Mueller video has provoked amusement on pot-friendly websites, the unfortunate reality is that the "gateway drug" stigma continues to present an impediment to the reform of marijuana laws. A new Rasmussen poll found that a large percentage of Americans believe the gateway argument:
The new survey also shows that nearly half of voters (46%) believe marijuana use leads to use of harder drugs. Thirty-seven percent (37%) do not see marijuana as a "gateway" drug.
Revealingly, the percentage who opposed marijuana legalization and the percentage who believed in the gateway theory were identical, both coming in at exactly 46%. As we look for ways to persuade those who remain opposed to marijuana reform, it's clearly in our interest to work towards demolishing the pernicious gateway theory once and for all. Let's take a look at what the data shows.
In 1999, the National Institute on Drug Abuse commissioned a major study on medical marijuana conducted by the venerable Institute of Medicine, which included an examination of marijuana's potential to lead to other drug use. In simple terms, the researchers explained why the gateway theory was unfounded:

Patterns in progression of drug use from adolescence to adulthood are strikingly regular. Because it is the most widely used illicit drug, marijuana is predictably the first illicit drug most people encounter. Not surprisingly, most users of other illicit drugs have used marijuana first. In fact, most drug users begin with alcohol and nicotine before marijuana -- usually before they are of legal age.

There is no conclusive evidence that the drug effects of marijuana are causally linked to the subsequent abuse of other illicit drugs.
In 2006, the University of Pittsburgh released a more thorough study in which researchers spent 12 years tracking a group of subjects from adolescence into adulthood and documented the initiation and progression of their drug use. The researchers found that the gateway theory was not only wrong, but also harmful to properly understanding and addressing drug abuse:
This evidence supports what’s known as the common liability model, an emerging theory that states the likelihood that someone will transition to the use of illegal drugs is determined not by the preceding use of a particular drug but instead by the user’s individual tendencies and environmental circumstances.“The emphasis on the drugs themselves, rather than other, more important factors that shape a person’s behavior, has been detrimental to drug policy and prevention programs,” Dr. Tarter said. “To become more effective in our efforts to fight drug abuse, we should devote more attention to interventions that address these issues, particularly to parenting skills that shape the child’s behavior as well as peer and neighborhood environments.”
Of course, the simplest refutation of the gateway theory is the basic fact that most marijuana users just don't use other drugs. As the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration reports:
More than 100 million Americans have tried marijuana; 14.4 million Americans are estimated to be "past-month" users. Yet there are only an estimated 2,075,000 "past-month" users of cocaine and 153,000 "past-month" users of heroin. [DrugWarFacts]
Clearly, people who use marijuana overwhelmingly do not move on to other drug use. That's why the number of people who use marijuana will always be more than 10 times greater than the number of people who use cocaine, heroin, etc. The fact that marijuana users rarely become involved in other drug use is right here in front of us.
Unfortunately, there is one important way in which marijuana use can result in exposure to other more dangerous drugs. Laws against marijuana have created an unregulated black market, in which criminals control the supply and may attempt to market more dangerous drugs to people who just want marijuana. As the Journal of the American Medical Association reported in 2003:
Alternatively, experience with and subsequent access to cannabis use may provide individuals with access to other drugs as they come into contact with drug dealers. This argument provided a strong impetus for the Netherlands to effectively decriminalize cannabis use in an attempt to separate cannabis from the hard drug market. This strategy may have been partially successful as rates of cocaine use among those who have used cannabis are lower in the Netherlands than in the United States."
Ironically, the only real gateway that exists is created by marijuana prohibition, yet proponents of harsh marijuana laws cynically cite the damage they've caused as evidence that the drug itself is acutely harmful. It's truly the height of absurdity, yet it persists despite the mountain of categorical data I've outlined above.
The point here isn’t just that marijuana isn’t actually a "gateway drug," but that there really is no such thing as a gateway drug to begin with. The term was invented by hysterical anti-drug zealots for the specific purpose of linking marijuana with harmful outcomes that couldn’t otherwise be established. Everyone knows marijuana is completely non-lethal, but if it leads to sticking needles in your arm, anything's possible. Through repeated use, the term began to stick and we're now confronted with a marijuana legalization debate in which 46% of the country believes an antiquated, widely-refuted fabrication that erroneously renders marijuana as deadly and unpredictable as anything a scared parent can imagine.
It's perfectly typical of the unhinged drug war demagogues that one of their most popular anti-pot propaganda points doesn't even actually have anything to do with pot. Their tireless reliance on such nonsense may go a long way towards explaining why support for legalization is growing faster than ever before.


Prescription drug addiction is becoming a big problem in Australia and costing lives

A PRESCRIPTION drug is one that is a licensed medicine regulated by legislation and requiring authorisation from a doctor to obtain.
Sounds safe and controlled, doesn't it? So why are so many Australian lives being wrecked by such a safe and controlled system?
The National Drug Strategy household survey results in 2007 reported more than 1.2 million Australians had used a pharmaceutical drug, "for a non-medical purpose".
Now some experts believe as many as 100,000 Australians may have a problem with prescription painkillers.
This is not unique to Australia; prescription drug addiction is a problem worldwide. US authorities talk about a modern-day epidemic where prescription drug addiction is killing more people than crack cocaine in the 1980s and heroin in the 1970s combined. And in Australia we are heading down the same tortuous path. Here one of the most common prescription drugs abused is the painkiller OxyContin.
Dr Benny Monheit, who is a drug and alcohol physician and medical director of Southcity Clinic in Melbourne, said this drug was used all over the world and legislated by governments because it was effective in reducing chronic pain. But it is made from an alkaloid found in opium and produces a feeling of euphoria. And for some that can become addictive. Narelle Hassett believes her brother, Shane, got hold of this and other prescription drugs too often and too easily.
Shane Hassett with his new baby daughter,
died three days before Christmas after
overdosing on prescription drugs.
Picture: Rob Leeson Sunday Herald Sun
It was a prescription for death.
She said he had visited 15 different doctors in a week for prescriptions without raising alarm bells. Three days before Christmas, Shane Hassett, 29, died after overdosing on prescription drugs.
His family maintained that until Shane was prescribed painkillers a couple of years ago for an infected ear and wisdom tooth, he rarely took a tablet or had a drink. Research shows that if a patient remains on a powerful analgesic for two weeks or more, the body becomes dependent.
Shane was no angel in the last four years of his life. He became, in many ways, the stereotypical drug addict. He struggled to hold down a job, he suffered a change in personality and denied he had a problem. Last year his wife, Alicia, gave birth to their first child, a daughter. Alicia, his parents and two older siblings hoped the birth might help Shane beat his addiction. For a time it did. Then the demons returned. Shane moved to the city for work, coming home on weekends. Narelle believes that away from the support of family, Shane's addiction spiralled out of control. She said in the end he needed a cocktail of painkillers and anti-depressants to get through each day.
The family did not give up on him, not even when Shane held up a petrol station last year. Narelle believes the robbery was a cry for help, saying he didn't need money because he had borrowed from her that day, and that the petrol station he robbed was across the road from a police station. Shane's family are still suffering from his death, and others, too, remain traumatised by Shane's actions. The man he robbed, and worse, waved a samurai sword at, was shattered by the experience. The young father of two said he had lost his confidence, and his job. All because an addict crossed his path. As far as that man was concerned, he believed drug addicts like Shane cop out and do not take responsibility for their actions.
Shane Hassett, in his mind, chose his addiction over his family.
But whether you believe that or, as some health professionals argue, that addiction is a form of mental illness and should be treated as such, is beside the point. What has to be addressed, sooner rather than later, is the increased prevalence of people addicted to prescription drugs, whatever the reason. Narelle, Alicia and Shane's best friend Brett Thompson say it is time to do something about the problem most are too ashamed to confront. "There needs to be real-time monitoring of drug prescriptions," Narelle said.
And the family wants more awareness of addiction problems to readily-available drugs. "I don't want this to happen to any other normal family," Narelle said. "What happened to Shane has torn our family apart and he has a little girl he will never see grow up." Dr Monheit said real-time monitoring -- where doctors and pharmacists can see immediately what has already been prescribed for a patient -- is not available in Victoria, but is being trialled in Tasmania. "The feedback is that it is feasible," he told me. "But there are legitimate concerns about privacy." Dr Monheit believes the monitoring system could be part of an overall solution. "This problem is complex and involves every level of the health system," he said. But with so many agencies involved, a concern is that not everyone is speaking the same language to find a national solution. We can't have that. This cannot be about personalities, egos or even politics.
Story by: http://www.heraldsun.com.au

Sunday, August 14, 2011

BREAKING NEWS: Medical Marijuana, A Cure for Cancer?

Cannabis Science Extract Kills Cancer Cells While Treating Cancer Patients Through Its Licenced Distributor Rockbook
cancer_extract_kills.pdf

Why Marijuana should be legal: by Anonymous

Anonymous said...
If weed is a bad drug and it grows on plants and paracetamol is a chemical made in a lab by pharmaceutical company whose only interest is having the largest profit margin possible then how bad is that. I'm sick to death of people looking down on me cause i smoke the finest. Ive heard about many people getting pissed and hitting there wife. Ive never seen someone have a smoke and go start a fight if you want to clean the streets get rid of the boose. I quit cigarettes by replacing it with green and cutting out the tobacco slowly. The only reason people say that weed is the gate way drug is you have to meet dodgy people to smoke it. There are lots of good dealers but the ones that make the money sell the addictive stuff and ice, heron, pills if you think smoking green compares to any of these things its time to get a cat scan or maybe consider doing some research before you open your mouth. More people die each year from taking an aspirin no one dies from green and most people you think it messed up shouldn't have smoked ice and been embarrassed by what everyone else things and blamed green take some respectability weed dose not affect the receptors in your brain that trigger addiction it can be habit forming but so is surfing and that just keeps me fit. If your worried about addiction then its time to put your cup of coffee down and see how long before the headaches start. The only reason weed is still illegal is because nobody is capable of thinking for themselves i mean just go look up all the side effects of alcohol and compare them to hooch its obvious which is the worse. My only hope is that one day all of my fellow stoners will stand up for there right to be free and do as the please without harming others. Just so you all know the people who want weed illegal the most is the criminal underworld that makes billions every year selling it to decent people and using the money to make our life worse. It is obvious from the alcohol prohibition that this dose not work how about we stop funding the crooks and and give the government some make money to waste on there drug war rather then educating the future generations of the real dangers of drugs because schools teach that all drugs are the same that's why so many young people smoke ice they try green and realize that its not to bad then there dealer gives them some ice to try and there hooked. So to everyone that hates green your just telling your kids to smoke ice!!!!!!!!

Endocannabinoid System: an overview




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Illicit Drug Data Report 2009 - 10 Cannabis

Illicit Drug Data Report 2009 - 10 Cannabis
It seems to me that if there where 57,170 arrests for cannabis possession or use in 2009-2010 that there is still a larger chunk of Australia that hasn't been caught or charged, suggesting to me that there could be up to 500,000 or more Australians that want their cannabis, That seems to me like enough votes to change parliament, so let us have it.

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