For millions of years members of the plant kingdom were by far the most advanced species on the planet. The exact biological nature of the first life forms to take root in the tidal pools along the ocean shores, or shores of inland, fresh-water lakes, will be up for debate for a long time. As plants began to grow deeper and deeper into the dry land, the need to change certain biological functions and develop new chemicals within their internal systems to adapt to their environments, predators, diseases and climates they created new, wonderful plant forms.

Water and sunlight were the most important factors in the lives of these early plants, as nothing can live without access to these life-giving energies. The blood of Mother Earth, water, when combined with sunlight, produces the energy that started and maintains life on this planet. Humans are walking bubbles of electrically charged water molecules.

To say that primitive life forms have a consciousness arouses great dispute because no proof is possible for such a radical opinion or no physical evidence could possibly be produced to help substantiate it. However, we are still discovering new things about how we communicate. We have only a small understanding of the way animals communicate. We are only beginning to relearn the ability to communicate mentally, and there are many intriguing clues to suggest that that entire Youniverse is in continual communication with itself. Some powerful force was working to spread these plants across the continents, into the valleys, lakes and hills, creating diverse ecosystems and life forms everywhere. The most common English term used to describe this awesome creative power behind evolution is, of course, God. However, this word also carries with it many historical and masculine prejudices. To say God created the plant kingdom would mean to imply that a conscious male being called God formed life, when no god lived at this time because there were no humans alive to conceive of such an entity.

Again, to say that this was a conscious effort would take away from the spontaneous nature of life which is creating us today. But to think that it happened entirely by chance is equally as simplistic. When we first stood on two feet, we had before us a world in which we would create huge pyramids, send ships into outer space, process information at an incredible rate of speed and heal many ailments which may afflict us, even building artificial limbs and organs. The Creator formed the human body, a process in continual flux, into it's current diversified, complex, intelligent animal form, while at the same time forming cannabis, in another unending process of genetic engineering, into the most diversified, complex, intelligent plant form on the planet.

Whatever you wish to call this force which constantly creates, alters and destroys millions of different types of plants, insects and animal forms, there can be no doubt that every living thing, every drop of water, every rock and every sound, is related to each other in more intricate ways than most can consciously perceive.

The world went through a long series of ecological and climatic changes before humankind first rose to it's feet, came down from the heavens, or fell from the trees, depending upon your particular beliefs about creation. By the time humankind became dominant there was a large assortment of plant species, from fruits and vegetables to algae and fungi. However, competition for food -sometimes humans were food- combined with changing, extreme weather condition and natural disasters kept the population at bay for millions of years before civilization began.

There are many different organisms which have developed efficient biological functions to accomplish specific healing or nutritional purposes. Plants, fungi, animals and simple life forms have developed the capacity to internally generate complex chemicals using water, air, sunlight, nutrients from the soil and other sources of materials. These chemicals are used by the host life form to combat disease, stimulate growth, send messages through the nervous system, regenerate cells, or a number of other functions. Chemical structures are created by host life forms for the benefit of another life forms. This symbiotic process is simplistically referred to as the food chain. The inter-dependant, inter-connected natural structure of life is a delicate, complex pattern of life and death within which everything serves a purpose. Cannabis has an important role to play in the continuing health and development of the human species.

Cannabis has evolved along with humankind for millions of years into a mutually dependant, symbiotic relationship. There is no other plant with as many as 30,000 different products which could be made from it. It has the capacity to produce nutritious food, reduce stress, relieve symptoms of medical problems and strengthen the immune system, while also inducing mystical experiences and heightened states of awareness. It is no wonder that the history of humankind is so wrapped up in tales involving cannabis, and no wonder why hemp and marijuana are so important to the future of our species.

One of the most ironic circumstances surrounding prohibition right now is the dominant attitude among North Americans that marijuana is physically harmful, mentally disturbing and socially disruptive. In reality, marijuana has more medical applications than any other plant or substances known to humanity. The ingestion of THC has been proven over and over again, in scientific tests and at home, to help most people with mental problems feel better when in the proper set and setting. The social climate which surrounds the cannabis culture is peaceful, loving, and creative. Most negative side effects from smoking pot are a result of prohibition.

There is evidence to suggest that throughout all of these centuries there have been powerful interest groups which have attempted to stop the use of cannabis, blaming man's woes upon it. This opposition began long before the book Genesis was written, and continues today. The official reasons for this series of repressions has fluctuated, but the root of the problem can usually be traced to power and greed. When the Roman Empire started to fall apart they condemned all pagan worship and incense burning because they could not extract taxes from a materially and spiritually independent people. When the U.S.A. government imposed criminal laws upon cannabis, they did so with full knowledge of it's medical benefits. While the main economic and political forces behind prohibition used religion and racism to disillusion the public as to their real intentions, the fledgling pharmaceutical industry was busy inventing drugs made from synthesized plants to replace the wide variety of healing herbs grown around the planet by those who still remembered the old ways. The American Medical Association protested against the 1937 anti-marijuana laws, but they were powerless as compared to the corporate giants who had thrown their power against the cannabis plant in all of it's forms. The chapter on prohibition explains more.

Up until the last century, most medical practitioners depended upon alchemists and herbalists for their prescriptions. Coke was originally a tonic potion which was said to be able to cure all ills. If one ingested enough Coke, pain of any kind would subside quite nicely as the cocaine buzz took over. Merchants would travel with their wagon stacked full of different healing salves and drinks from all sorts of exotic places. There was no real controlling mechanism to maintain an ethical code amongst medicine merchants or doctors, and there was no way to ensure patients that they would be receiving proper medical care or that the drugs they were using were safe. Many people died, and are still dying today, because they were misdiagnosed and given the wrong drugs for their ailment. Now pharmapheutical companies control much of the research and development of the medical industry, conducting profit motivated research for anything but a cure, while mass-producing expensive, addictive, toxic drugs.

STUDIES OF MARIJUANA

The first published account of Cannabis sativa in medical literature comes from China 4000 years ago under the rule of Hen Nun. It was said to be good for malaria, constipation, rheumatic pains, "absent-mindedness" and female disorders. Another early record is found in the Herbal, the prototype of the U.S. Pharmacopoeia, which was written about 450 B.C. It wasn't until 1753 that Linnaeus named the plant Cannabis sativa, though most everyone continued to call it Indian hemp. The fact that marijuana has so many medicinal properties indicates that it has long been used to ease pain and illness, long before written history. As our needs changed, so did the capacity of the plant to heal, enlighten and provide fiber materials for clothing and shelter.

Between 1840 and 1900 there were hundreds of studies done in the U.S.A. on the medical benefits of marijuana, though test results were always erratic and misleading because proper testing methods had not yet been developed. Also, the euphoric sensations induced with the ingestion of THC was an unfamiliar experience to most patients, some of whom reacted negatively to exposure to non-ordinary reality. Hence, many had an intense trips after smoking or eating large amounts marijuana in settings which were not necessarily created for comfort and relaxation. Those who did not deal well with it were often diagnosed as having mental problems. Smokers enjoyed relative freedom during these time periods as governments and the military were concerned with international politics, and the church busy fixing cracks far too wide to fill, for either group to be concerned about cannabis.

In the last 100 years there have been a number of studies, completed by several different nations, looking at the use of mind-altering substances in certain population groups. These studies were intended upon investigating medical, social and criminal issues associated with the use of substances like cannabis, opium and LSD. Some of these studies, such as the 1973 LeDain Commission in Canada, recommended legal controlled distribution of narcotics to curb harmful actions which result from the substances only being available through the illegal underground. Other studies have shown that the moderate use of marijuana has little to no long-term negative side-effects, if the pot does not contain harmful chemicals from it's food. Some of the more well-known studies on cannabis include the British 1893-4 Indian Hemp Drugs Commission and the 1944 La Guardia Report, titled The Marijuana Problem In The City Of New York, which discredited most of the accusations made against cannabis when the Marijuana Tax Act was passed. Some conclusions reached by the La Guardia Report include:

1)Marijuana is used extensively in the Borough of Manhattan but the problem is not as acute as it is reported to be in other sections of the United States.

2)The introduction of marijuana into this area is recent as compared to other localities.

3)The cost of marijuana is low and therefore within the purchasing power of most people.

4)The distribution and use of marijuana is centered in Harlem.

5)The majority of marijuana smokers are Negroes and Latin-Americans.

6)The consensus among marijuana smokers is that the use of the drug creates a feeling of adequacy.

7)The practice of smoking marijuana does not lead to addiction in the medical sense of the word.

8)The sale and distribution of marijuana is not under the control of any single organized group.

9)The use of marijuana does not lead to morphine or heroin or cocaine addiction and no effort is made to create a market for these narcotics by stimulating the practice of marijuana smoking.

10)Marijuana is not a determing factor in the commission of major crimes.

11)Marijuana smoking is not widespread among school children.

12)Juvenile delinquency is not associated with the practice of smoking marijuana.

13)Indulgence in marijuana does not appear to result in mental deterioration.

14)Under the influence of marijuana the basic personality structure of the individual does not change but some of the more superficial aspects of his behaviour show alteration.

15)With the use of marijuana the individual experiences increased feelings of relaxation, disinhibition and self-confidence.

16)Marijuana not only releases pleasant reactions but also feelings of anxiety.

17)Individuals with a limited capacity for effective experience and who have difficulty in making social contacts are more likely to resort to marijuana than those more capable of outgoing responses.

18)The publicity concerning the catastophic effects of marijuana smoking in New York City is unfounded.

One must take into consideration, while looking at most of the studies and research programs done with marijuana, that those conducting the experiments and the patients were unfamiliar with smoking pot. The patients need to be prepared for the sudden rush of perception and feeling of euphoria in order to comfortably use marijuana. Evidence suggests that getting high in sterile, cold atmospheres such as hospitals and laboratories is too disturbing for some people. Efforts must be made in future experiments to ensure patients who smoke cannabis are in comfortable, preferably green, settings with qualified, reassuring physicians nearby. By qualified, I mean people who are familiar with smoking pot themselves and have the interpersonal skills to help patients deal with experiences of non-ordinary reality. If appropriate precautions are taken in the research projects, the results should be in favour of using marijuana, as experienced pot smokers are not as prone to a bad high.

The effectiveness of any drug has a lot to do with the attitude taken towards the effects. Another reason it is difficult to study the effects of smoking cannabis upon the body is because people will react differently and an individual can even have different reactions at different times. If marijuana was an accepted, legal herb, administrated by trained professionals, the results, especially for stress related problems, would be much more positive. Many who believe marijuana is bad before they try it may actually block positive effects from consciously occurring. Federal authorities have rebuffed the results from any positive tests because it has been hard to get controlled environments to conduct the tests, and the results are varied enough to justify ignoring them. Any tests proving that pot is bad are promoted extensively.

Since there are about 420 different compounds in THC, with 60 to 70 of the chemical molecules generating a pyschoactive effect to one degree or another, it is very hard to figure out which substances cause which effects. The main psychoactive ingredient in cannabis is delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, which is the chemical tested for when attempting to calculate the potency of the plant. The THC content for most marijuana is between 6-20%, with some questionable reports claiming as much as 30 to 40% THC. Psychoactive and/or pharmacologically active chemicals contained in cannabis include cannabavarin (THCU), cannabitriol (CBT), cannabinol (CBN), cannabicycol (CBL), delta-8-THC, cannabidiol (CBD), cannabichromene (CBC), cannabigerol (CBG), and other cannabinoids.

Growing marijuana in organic materials is the best way to provide the full spectrum of chemical compounds contained within cannabis. This generates maximum healing potential within the plant material, while eliminating problems associated with smoking or consuming chemicals which can cause harm or otherwise dehabilitate the body's natural processes. Petro-chemical based fertilizers kill the bacteria and worms in soil, destroying the ground's ability to rejuvenate itself and denying the plant the nutrients it needs to grow full and healthy. While indoor hydroponic pot gets you high, it does not generate the complex array of benefits that smoking natural, organic marijuana does. The high is the conscious benefit we derive from smoking marijuana, the rest of it's effects are more subtle and are important for some bodily functions. Organic pot is generally a longer, better stone, and is much easier on the throat and lungs.

The effects of smoking cannabis are distorted due to prohibition for a vairiety of reasons. Certainly the quality of commercially grown pot is inconsistent. Sometimes cannabis destined for the street is grown with fertilizers which contain chemicals which are harmful when smoked or chemical pesticide sprays, or the plants are over-fertilized, often forcing people to smoke the extra nitrogen the plant absorbed from it's nutrient base, or, in some rare, desperate circumstances, with different addictive or mind-altering drugs added. This makes it very important to ask questions about the marijuana you are purchasing, putting as much friendly pressure as possible upon the growers to provide a well-flushed, clean, properly cured product. Many negative effects people often unnecessarily can possibly feel as a result of prohibition are simply the result of a lack of good information. This includes the fact that many people smoke pot in pipes and bongs which are made of materials which can break down when burned or slowly over time which can cause serious damage to the lungs. Apparently, while the experience of smoking through a ice-cube cooled chamber is interesting, small evoporating water vapours which are released as the ice melts can be inhaled, potentially depositing bacteria and dirty water particle deep into the lungs.

Smoking any material is not good for the lungs, though in moderation some substances like cannabis cause relatively few problems. Heavy, long-term pot smoking can cause chronic bronchitis. The practice of inhaling as deep, and for as long as possible, substancially increases the negative impact of smoking upon the lungs and does little to increase the absorption of THC. The heat of the smoke causes damage to the throat and lungs, which is partly why some use a bong or vaporizer and why others will only inhale lightly, commonly referred to as "Grandma tokes". If non-organic chemicals are contained in the cannabis, there could be other serious lung problems. Some of the harmful chemicals contained in the cannabis plant include hydrogen cyanide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, phenols and volatile aldehydes, as well as the solid tars. While these chemicals have been shown to cause cancer, the anti-cancer properties of cannabis may somehow over-ride the potential cancer causing effects of these materials, which would explain why so relatively few pot smokers get mouth, throat or lung cancer and even these cases may be the result of impure cannabis or tobacco smoking.

The effects of smoking cannabis upon the heart rates and blood pressure can vary dramatically. Initially, smoking causes the heart rate to increase, about as much as jogging for the first minute and for about 1 hour in total, though frequent users develop a tolerance to this effect. This is only potentially dangerous for people with heart problems, hypertension, cerebrovascular disease and coronary atherosclerosis. The effect of smoking cannabis upon blood pressure can even depend upon whether a person is standing (decrease) or lying down (increase). A 'head rush' which is experienced by many smokers could partly be the feeling a decrease in blood pressure, with the momentary dizziness being subdued simply by lying flat. After a short amount of time, cannabis use generally lowers blood pressure, which leads to less stress of the bodies systems. Marijuana's ability to help many people physically and mentally when dealing with stress could actually lessen a person's chances of having a heart attack. However, if you smoke cannabis and tobacco and are overweight your heart will likely fail under the stress.

The high a person gets from smoking depends upon a number of factors, including diet, or lack thereof, the quality and quantity of the pot, the consumption of other mind-altering substances, the setting and people nearby, the amount of misinformation a person receives as a child concerning negative effects of marijuana, and, of course, the extent of experience with getting high a person has. A sense of lightness, a lack of focus, loss of time, clarity of thought, intense sounds and colours and a calm inner peace are all signs of a good stone. Though not everyone can experience pleasure from smoking marijuana, with some people having bad reactions from being even nearby, most people can learn to experience a wide range of pleasant sensations by smoking marijuana. Another potential negative effect of smoking cannabis is a slight increase in chances of accidents, not necessarily automoblie, due to intoxication.

While there is some evidence suggesting that marijuana can trigger, not cause, schizophrenia in some youth, there is also living proof that symptoms of this illness can be controlled with the moderate use of cannabis. For many seriously mentally ill people, cannabis does little to help and can aggravate problems, though, especially when eaten, it can have a calming effect upon violent people. While some see the use of cannabis as a means of distraction, escapism and avoiding problems, others see these effects as important tools in dealing with stress. Many people struggling with forms of depression, anxiety, attention difficulties, stress and other mental issues find that cannabis helps subdue feelings of extreme emotions, though other people dealing with mental illnesses can have terrible bad reactions. Usually the only time smoking marijuana causes these people a problem is when they run out.

Eating cannabis can get you much more high than smoking. In ancient times, people would burn the resin to deties, while they would consume vast quantities of the plant in food and drink in order to experience union with the Youniverse. Again, the variety of factors which dictate the quality of the experience are similar to those considered when smoking cannabis, though the manner prepared when orally injesting marijuana does dramactically influence the high. When a good amount of pot is eaten, one can expect to spend the night lying or sitting down, as your muscles relax and your mind becomes preoccupied. If enough is eaten, hallucinations can begin to occur.

Apparently, researchers have found receptors in three parts of the brain which have the sole function of absorbing THC. These receptors are located in the areas controlling motor functions, memory and thinking, which is primary done in the pineal gland, i.e. third eye. The ability to block pain and extrasensory perception when using cannabis is the main function of the receptors in the area at the top of the spine where it meets the brain and which controls motor functions. The effects of cannabis use upon short and long term memory are interesting and depend upon the capacity of the individual in question almost as much as the quality and quanity consumed. Experienced users can develop a tolerance to the loss of short term memory, the effect of which on first-time smokers has generated much laughter while causing some students a problem. A person who smokes cannabis will not forget very important matters, at least not like someone under the influence of alcohol, though it can make remembering trivial things like names more difficult. The brain, though, is much like a muscle, and if exercised properly, with constant reading, accounting, scientific debate, and active living/learning patterns of behaviour, mature adults usually find the use of mind-altering substances like cannabis helps release creative energies, explore personel feelings and relax from the pressures of modern life. Finally, the receptors in the pineal gland have the potential to trigger the creation and release of chemicals in the brain which induce the experience of ecstasy. While the degree of pleasure experienced by individuals varies, the potential to open the doors of perception to become emersed into the Eternal Light swells underneath. This is where the true magic of cannabis is revealed, and because there is such a complicated chemical relationship between cannabis and the human body, we can be sure that the survival of both species could is some ways be dependant upon each other.

The best method to make food laced with THC is to first grind the leaf into powder. Then, using a double-boiler, the shake should be cooked in extra virgin olive oil, or other quality vegetable oil, for at least 30 minutes and up to 12 hours. Use this oil as a replacement for butter or margarine in cookie, muffin or other recipes. If you want to make bhang, take 1 ounce of powdered leaf, 1 liter of water and 1 liter of milk, boil in the double-boiler for 12 hours and strain the plant materials out.

Today, the scientific studies which we have regarding marijuana are still lacking in quantity and quality, and we would like to help instigate or provide information for any marijuana study. We do not personally need these studies to prove to ourselves how beneficial cannabis can be. The testimony from the individuals who smoke marijuana and those who are suffering from some medical conditions who have chosen marijuana over prescription drugs, gives us more than enough information than we need to know. We need medical marijuana now, and the research needs to be done to prove to those who do not yet believe that the cannabis plant will bring healing to the nations..

SEEDS OF THE FUTURE

The nutritional value of hemp seeds, and the oil which can be pressed from it, is a very important component of cannabis which is overlooked and underrated. For many farmsteads, hemp seeds were a staple food over the long, hard, winter months. No matter how poor the growing season was, there was always hemp seeds at the end of the year. They did not know it at the time, but hemp seeds are the most nutritional food for humans on the planet, containing all the essential amino acids and essential fatty acids necessary to sustain our lives. Not only that, but the ratio of oils in the seeds, with 80% Essential Fatty Acids (EFA) and 8% saturated fat, is perfect for the human digestive system. With 35% of the total seed weight being hemp seed oil, hemp is the richest source of EFA's on the planet. These EFA's have been the focal point of a lot of scientific inquiry as of late. Many professionals believing that degenerative diseases may be a result of a lack of EFA's in our diet. This is because most convenience foods are systematically cleaned of EFA's in order to prolong their shelf life. Hence, the faster hemp oil is consumed after being extracted from the seeds, the better it is for you, it should never be heated and should be kept in the refrigerator.

An exciting, new process was developed in 1986 which extracts the oil in absence of heat, light and air. This allows the oil to be pressed into a bottle without being contaminated with oxygen, which causes it to go rancid. This oil is very effective for sunburns and to prevent peeling, as it is absorbed into the skin cells instead of just coating them. Many ancient recipes use hemp oil and crushed hemp root in their healing potions, massage rubs and salves. The EFA's act as the lipids in the membranes of all body cells, which prevents the build-up of arterial plaque. EFA's structure the very base of our immune system. Consumption of EFAs has proven to be beneficial in the fight against AIDS.

Hemp seed is especially high in minerals. It has plenty of Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Sulfur, while being low in heavy metals such as Strontium, Fhorium, and Arsenic Chromium . It is low in vitamins, as most grains are, so fresh vegetables are necessary to maintain a healthy diet, though it is not clear if sterilization, which we will discuss further, affects the vitamin content of the seed . The only plant to have a higher protein content than hemp seed is soybean, although the complex proteins in soybean make it harder to digest. Many scientists claim that hemp seed could treat malnourishment and block diseases in all Third World countries, if hemp was given the chance. Soy oil contains 50% LA (Omega 6, linoleic acid) and 9% LNA (Omega 3 Linolic acid), while hemp oil contains 57% LA, and 19% LNA, a substantially higher ratio . Hemp's ratio of three to one, LA to LNA, was figured out by scientists before hemp's rediscovery to be the most ideal ratio for the human body . A careful mixture of other oils would be needed to come close to the perfect, natural balance hemp oil provides to our body.

Hemp oil also contains 1.7% GLA (Super Omega 6, Gama Linolic Acid), and although the nutritional value of which is still undetermined, many people take a supplement in pill forms of evening primrose oil, black current oil, and borage oil . The recommended daily requirement of LA is three grams daily, and LNA, two grams a day . Of the dozen fatty acids we usually eat; only a couple have proven to be essential to human life, LA and LNA being the two most important . Flax oil has become a six million dollar a year industry through growing awareness, but the taste of it is very gross compared to hemp oil . GLA is not considered an EFA and included in the daily requirements because the human body, unless subjected to stress from auto-immune diseases, alcohol abuse or other imbalance, can produce GLA from LA . It is easy to see the potential hemp seeds and hemp oil have for us today .

Saturated fatty acids (SFA) are straight, sticky molecules which are found in butter, lard and coconut oil . When hydrogen atoms are removed the molecule changes to a cis-configuration, actually altering the molecule into a curved shape . This bent structure stops EFA's, a property called surface activity, which lets EFA's form a very thin surface layer over cells. This allows substances like toxins to travel to the surface of the skin, intestinal tract, kidneys and lungs where they can be removed, while it does not clog up arteries like SFAs. Furthermore, this cis-configuration creates a pi-electron cloud in the bend of the molecule comprised of de-localized electron clouds. The negative charge which creates an electrostatic force within the molecule, enables the EFA's to retain oxygen molecules and proteins in cell membranes. These two effects substancially benefit the entire body with more food.

An energy field is created throughout the entire body with the ingestion of EFA's, as they produce a bio-electric current very similar to static electricity, essential to nerve, muscle, heart and membrane functions. This is our very life-force, the energy which stimulates our most active body tissues in our brain, retina, inner ear, adrenal and testicular cells. The high energy created by LA, LNA and the highly unsaturated fatty acids the body makes from them, ensures a high oxygen content to body cells, helping life-force energy travel. LA is thought to be able to transform solar energy into chemical energy, in a sense creating photosynthesis within human cells, and LNA transports that energy. As we become aware of the increase in vital energy which is the result of eating hemp seeds, realizing that our forward thinking mental capacities are greatly enhanced by the power in our sacred treasure, we can create a cloud of consciousness which flows outwards and amongst those of like mind.

Many of the figures used to examine the nutritional value of hemp seeds are distorted because of what the government does before they can be studied or sold on the market. When the 1937 Marijuana Tax Act was put in place, a concession had to be made for bird owners, who demanded access to hemp seeds for their pigeons and poultry. Under the condition that the seeds were steamed at a temperature of 160 degrees F, permission was granted to allow the importation of hemp seeds. This does not crack the shell of the seed, causing the oil inside to go rancid, but it does destroy the seeds ability to germinate. Since the recent increase in consumption and interest in hemp seeds has been so dramatic, the U.S.A. government has increased the temperature, dry heated at 300 degrees F, which is just enough to crack the shell and cause the seed to go rancid if not consumed soon enough. The test results in this book have been done with seeds before this increase in vulgarity. The seeds are also fumigated with methylene bromide, which works like a carbon dioxide, suffocating all living matter while still being inert enough not to react with the seeds.

All food brought into North America must undergo this treatment so that no living insect or plant pest can travel across international borders via human foodstuffs. Although methylene bromide used as a fumigant is only a small portion of what is used on farms themselves, if any of it is released into the air it travels up to the upper layers, depleting the ozone layer. Of course, if we could grow hemp here these negative factors would be tossed aside, and the true nutritional value of hemp would be known.

In China, toasted hemp seeds are sold by street vendors like popcorn. In parts of the Ukraine, hemp seed recipes using the seed, oil and flour ground from seeds, are passed down from generation to generation. Japanese use hemp seeds for condiments, Polish use them in holiday treats. Soon restaurants will begin popping up all over specializing in hemp seeds.

The healthy benefits gained from eating hemp seeds can be used by everyone to increase the energy that one's body consumes and produces. Hemp seeds can especially help those who suffer from particular immune diseases, AIDS, for example. It is obvious, however, that a health oriented public, eating nutritional foods, using environmentally responsible goods and living healthy social lifestyles, would be detrimental to several large drug companies and medical suppliers. The reason most of this information about EFA's and the nutritional value of hemp seeds has been suppressed is becuase food, drug and chemical companies make vast amounts of money from unhealthy comsumption patterns. This repression, however, is minor when compared to the amount of energy spent on the part of the anti-human society condemning marijuana, LSD and opium.

CANNABIS HELPS WITH...

We will now examine a list of medical problems either cured, controlled or subdued by the ingestion of THC either by salve, orally or smoking. First we will look at cancer. Over the past few decades, more and more people seem to be dying from a variety of forms of cancer which to our knowledge had never appeared before in history. Why, you might ask? Well, there are several possible reasons why usually inert cancer cells, which everyone has inside their body, become triggered and begin eating healthy cells. Most of these reasons center around the waste and pollution we have produced in our indusrial countries over the past few centuries, and the chemicals we continue to eat, breath and drink every day in our food, water and air. Most of us do not need to be told how truly ugly this disease is, as we have seen friends and family fall victim to cancer's merciless wrath.

Recent research has proven promising in some areas, especially in chemothraphy. Every few weeks patients are injected chemotherapeutic agents which attack both cancerous cells and non-cancerous cells alike, causing serious side effects. Cisplatin (Platinol{R}) can cause life-threatening kidney failure or deafness. Isofamide (Ifex{R}) causes bleeding and bruising. Doxorubin (Adriamycin{R}) kills heart muscle cells. Then there is cyclophospamide (Cytoxan {R}) which disturbs the entire immune system. Other drugs delivered by needles, such as melphan (Alkeran{R}) and chlrorum (Leukeran{R}), are nitrogen mustard derivatives which are so toxic that it literally eats all flesh it comes in contact with, occasionally resulting in the loss of a patients limb from a single misplaced drop. Most of these drugs also cause hair loss, may trigger a second form of cancer in the patient, and must be safely administered. An overdose could cause kidney, heart or respiratory failure. The worst side effects, for most, is the vomiting and nausea afterwards, sometimes resulting in broken bones and a ruptured esophagus. The sight or smell of food becomes completely repulsive. As patients lose weight and strength from the drugs and bodily functions from the cancer, the will to live, for some disappears. Some stop treatments, others take more drugs and live in hospitals and a few even take their lives. Others find marijuana.

Relief can be obtained for many cancer patients by taking standard anti-emetic drugs like prochlorperazine (Compazine{R}) or ondanstron (Zofran{R}), which is now considered the better medicine, though it is administered intravenously at a very high cost. These drugs do not always work and their effects may lessen and disappear over time. In a study printed in the New York State Journal Medicine 88 (October 1988) called "Inhalation of Marijuana as in Antiemic for Cancer Chemotherapy", it was discovered that 78% of a group of cancer patients who received no help from legal medicine became symptom-free after smoking marijuana. Growing, eating, drinking and smoking cannabis, in appropriate amounts and combinations, can help people fighting cancer with severe nausea, pain relief, appetite stimulation, sleep enhancement, boredom, stress and depression.

The synthetic THC pill, Mariol{R}, started to be prescribed by many oncologists beginning in 1985, and by 1989 over 100, 000 doses had been given out. The pill is not nearly as effective as smoking for many conditions, though it does considerably help some people with AIDS, cancer, Hep C., and some other medical difficulties. Marinol takes much longer to take effect than smoking, and if the patient is having trouble keeping down food in the first place, taking another pill is not going to help.

Cannabidiol is a substance present in marijuana smoke which reduces anxiety, making the patient more comfortable mentally before chemotherapy. Some research has even indicated that tumour growth might not only be stopped, but actually reversed with both benign and malignant (cancerous) tumours. Obviously, more research needs to be down in these areas.

Some cancer patients who benefit medically from smoking marijuana claim that although the side affects of the legal drugs may be devastating, they have no choice but to use them because of moral obligations, fear of arrest, social, religious and personal repercussions and the high prices of pot on the illegal market. These are all sad excuses, real as they may be. Unfortunately, many cancer patients are unaware of the potential marijuana has for relieving the side affects of chemotherapy because their doctors are misinformed or misguided. Most find out through word of mouth or the illegal drug trade. Though some in the late stages of cancer recieve government marijuana -UBC developed a strain of pot called Chemo- it has been kept very quiet and restricted.

An unresearched area of medicinal uses of cannabis was uncovered in a mice experiment in the 1970's called "Anti tumor Properties of Cannabinoids". When mice received delta-9-THC, delta-8-THC or cannabinol, after being injected with cancer cells, the size of the tumors decreased, depending upon the size of the dose and duration of treatment, from 25 to 82%, with a relative increase in the life expectancy. Other studies done with animals have yielded similar results, though no human research has ever been done. We want those studies done immediately!

Doctors should be made aware of the effects of marijuana directly so they can help patients with their first experience of marijuana intoxication.

Glaucoma is an eye disorder which afflicts someone if the intraocular pressure within the eyeball builds up, causing it to lose it's almost perfect spherical shape. This can occur if the eye produces too much aqueous humor, the internal fluid, or more commonly, if the channels which excrete the aqueous humor are gradually blocked. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness, next to old age, afflicting 1.5% of the population over the age of 50 and 5% at 70. It is usually treated with eyedrops containing beta-blockers, which effectively control the activity of epinephrine (adrenaline) but also may cause depression, aggravate asthma, slow the heart rate and increase the chance of heart failure. Other epinephrine-like eyedrops are also effective, though they irritate the white of the eye, aggravate hypertension and may cause heart disease. In the past, patients were usually given miotics such as pillocarpine, which are safer for the heart, respiratory and digestive systems but can cause blurred vision, loss of night vision and cataracts. Pills containing a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor may also be used, though they may cause lose of appetite, nausea, diarrhea, headaches, numbness and tingling, depression and fatigue, kidney stones and, rarely, a fatal blood disorder. Fifteen percent of glaucoma patients cannot handle any of these drugs.

It wasn't until the LA Police Department tried to prove that marijuana dilates the pupils, that was officially discovered that THC actually slightly constricted, rather than dilated, the pupils. When eaten or smoked marijuana reduces inocular pressure, with no serious, bad side effects whatsoever, for 4 to 5 hours. It has been confirmed that THC is a much more effective medicine to help glaucoma patients than any other drug yet developed and that it works in a way which we don't quite fully understand. A few people in the USA have been able to obtain legal permits for marijuana because they have glaucoma, though this is the exception, for the patients must go through the entire legal process alone, something many cannot do.

Epilepsy is a strange disease which has plagued humankind, and some other highly intelligent animals, for a very long time. Many myths and rumors about people being possessed by the devil and cursed by the gods, probably have an epileptic as the main character . It can be caused by physical damage to the epileptic focus, a specific grouping of brain cells, at birth, by accident, or an otherwise over-stimulation of that area, which can cause minor to very violent muscle spasms, loss of consciousness, or a varied combination of the two. Patients usually develop a recurring symptom (grimacing, excited eye movements, hand, foot or mouth movements) which is in some patients nothing more than a smell, anxiety, dizziness or de-ja-vue. It is hard to classify the different types of epileptic seizures because each patient seems to have their own unique type of attack, and even patients with similar appearing attacks react differently to the same drugs.

Anticonvulsant drugs, phenytoin (Dilation{R}), primidone (Mysoline{R}) and phenobarbital (Dilantin {R}) help epileptics about 75% of the time, with focal seizures and temporal lobe epilepsy being hard to treat, though they soften bones, reduce the production of red blood cells (pernicious anemia) cause the gums to swell, and create emotional disturbances. If too much is taken, or a negative reaction occurs, the results could be anything from rapid uncontrollable eye movements, (nystagmus) loss of coordination and balance, coma or even death.

The use of cannabis to treat this ailment has been known for millennium, in some parts of the world, though it's therapeutic use has been ignored almost completely in current Western medical literature. Although not all epileptics are cured using cannabis, with some patients showing no improvement at all, quite a few do completely stop having seizures with a relatively small prescription of marijuana. Some have dramatic decreases in the regularity, insensity or both, of their seizures. This is definitely one area of research which needs much, much more investigation, particularly if one looks into the ancient spiritual mysticism which surrounds those having epileptic attacks.

The incredible effect that THC can have upon a sick body is still a great mystery to science. By some means, THC seems to maintain, strengthen, and in some cases repair the immune systems of humans and mice. THC is probably responsible for the plant's immunity to pest and disease's. AIDS and Multiple Sclerosis are two excellent examples of diseases helped by this healing power.

MS occurs when the body's immune system goes haywire and treats the myelic, the protecting covering of spinal brain and nerve cells, like a foreign invader, destroying the thin skin and disrupting the nerve fibers and signals. Symptoms include severe depression, skin ulceration's, constipation, urinary tract infections, loss of bladder control, tremors, weakness or paralysis, fatigue, loss of coordination and balance (ataxia ), painful muscle spasms, difficulty in speaking, impaired vision, and numbness and tingling. These symptoms usually occur in early adulthood and come and go without warning or mercy until the attacks stabilize or the patient dies. The average age of survival is 30 years, though injury, stress or other illnesses may rapidly stimulate the deterioration of nerves. No effective treatment is known by medical societies, at least no legal one.

Most MS patients hear through the grapevine about marijuana's use in treating this horrible disease. The drugs adrenocorticotropic hormone (ATCH) and prednisone, known as corticosteroids, help with the most acute symptoms, but cause mental problems and weight gain. Muscle spasm drugs like diazepam Valium{R}), baclofen (Lioresal{R}) and damtrolene (Dantrium{R}) are used, though Valium can be addictive, cause drowsiness and must be used in heavy doses over long periods of time, Lioresal causes dizziness, weakness, and confusion, and Dantrium can cause fatal liver disease, drowsiness, dizziness, weakness, general malaise, abdominal cramps, diarrhea, speech and visual disturbances, seizures, headaches, impotence, tachycardia, erratic blood pressure, clinical depression, myalgia, and feelings of suffocation and confusion. There is a lot of evidence proving that THC can not only stop the symptoms of MS almost immediately, but that it can also repair the myelic and return crippled MS patients to normal, productive lives.

AIDS is a disease that many of us find hard to comprehend. While some believe that it is a curse put upon homosexuals and intravenous drug users, entire towns and communities are being totally wiped out in some African and Asian countries. Since 1981, 150,000 Americans alone have died from this illness. Nearly 2 million have the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and about 250, 000 are dying from it today. Once infected with HIV, it is almost certain that you will become ill, with the average incubation period being between 8 to 10 years, and once the immune system is defunct all types of infections and cancerous growths (neoplasm) attack the body. These can be combated with the proper treatment, though often a simple cold can last for months. Zidelovadine (AZT) attacks the virus itself, though it suppresses the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow, decreases the number of white blood cells and causes many problems in the digestive system. On top of that, AZT causes intensified nausea in patients already suffering semi-starvation and weight loss. Betwen HIV and AIDS is a phase called ARC, the symptoms being fatigue, pain, diarrhea, nausea, fever, and swelling of the lymph nodes. This stage can last for years or weeks, and the standard drugs usually prove ineffective.

Marinol is used quite often as a legal substitute for THC but it is not nearly as effective as smoking, especially for patients who are already having trouble keeping food down. Marinol can also cause weight gain and other unpleasant psycho tropic effects. As well, 20% of AIDS patients develop cytomegalovirus retinitis, a blinding eye infection. Foscarnet (Foscavir{R}), effectively treats the disease though it causes nausea. Many, many AIDS, chemotherapy and other patients will stand behind their knowledge that eating or smoking marijuana not only stops even extremely bad nausea, but that it increases appetite and enhances the flavor of foods. In order to live happy, productive and longer, these people need marijuana now. Many organizations are appearing around the world to do just that despite our governments, because these ailing people have nothing left to lose.

Paraplegia occurs when disease or injury to the spinal cord causes weakness or paralysis in the lower body. If the injury is from the neck down it is called quadriplegia, permanently condemning it's victim to a wheelchair. Pain and muscle spasms, which usually accompany this ailment, are treated with opioids, baclofen and diazepam. The reasons paraplegics use marijuana for pain relief and controlling muscle spasms are much the same as the reasons given by MS patients. Not only are the tremors stopped and motor coordination improved, but the ability to retain an erection and orgasm is quite often returned, as is bladder control. Many patients in and out of hospitals use marijuana, though most must learn this through word-of-mouth because doctors are too ignorant about the medicinal uses of THC or they are unwilling to risk exposure for their personal use of the herb. Very little documented medical evidence is available regarding marijuana's ability to help these patients, an unfortunate circumstance soon to be reversed.

Pruritis is a strange inflammatory skin disorder, atrophic dermatitis. It is probably caused by an allergic reaction, which makes a person to have very itchy patches of inflamed skin on mostly the hands, face, neck, legs and genitals. The treatment is a combination of corticostroids (anti-histamines) and ointments, though they are only partially effective. Steroids work, too, though long term use causes serious side effects. In most cases, these drugs are not enough to stop the itching, and many patients end up in the hospital from infections caused by this disease. Patients who smoke marijuana find that the urge to scratch disappears almost instantly and using THC salve is by far the best ointment to use on the skin. Though this disease is less understood and not as common as some other ailments, it is important that those suffering from pruritis get marijuana, buds and salves, so that they can live normal, productive lives.

Last century it was common for women to use marijuana to ease menstrual cramps and labour pains, though almost no literature proving this is available. Many women today claim that smoking a joint greatly relieves the discomfort caused by these natural processes. Some even believe that the reason THC even exists in the first place is to help with the labour of childbirth.

Chronic depression and other mood disorders are diseases which we know very little about. It seems to be able to suck the very life out of people to the point where many consider suicide or just give up on life entirely. While most people can snap out of a lethargic and negative mood after a few hours or days, others get trapped into that mindset for years. Loss of appetite and sleep loss, or over-eating and weight gain, headaches, backaches, upset stomachs, constipation and chronic fatigue are all physical symptoms of depression. For many, it is simply a matter of trying to escape from the world to live inside their own shell. Many lose all interest in life, no longer feeling pleasure.

The most popular drugs for treating depression are antidepressants called tricyclics, (Tofranil{R}), amitryptiline (Elavil{R}) and desipramine (Norpramin{R}), whose side effects include dry mouth, weight gain, blurred vision, constipation, difficulty in urinating, and orthastatic or postural hypotension (dizziness from loss of blood in the brain) which can make them dangerous for patients with heart problems. Monoamine oxiduse (MAO) inhibitors, isocaboxazid (Marplan{R}), tranyleypromine (Parnate{R}) and phenelzine (Nardil{R}) can cause dizziness, insomnia and impotence, if certain foods are eaten at the same time. Fluoxetine (Prozac{R}) is the newest drug on the market, though it is far too addictive to use over the long term, putting the patient in a "loose-fitting emotional straight jacket". Smoking marijuana is the best treatment for these people.

Asthma is the medical term for repeated attacks of breathlessness and wheezing caused by allergic reactions to pollen, dust, feathers or animal hair, cold air, infections, exercise or air pollutants, during which the bronchioles (small airways in lungs) close up. More common in children, this disease kills over 4000 Americans every year, as a chronic cough can develop from the swollen, inflamed and phlegm-filled linings of the bronchodilators. Treatment is usually beta-agonists, used to relax the bronchial muscles which opens up the lung airways, or synthetic steroids to reduce inflammation, the former causing possible sleeplessness, jitteriness and nausea, the later causing bone lose, seizures and bleeding. Other non-inflammatory drugs cause more serious side effects. There is evidence to suggest that some of these drugs are associated with high death rates in asthma sufferers.

THC has proven to act as a bronchodilator in both healthy and sick people, allowing more cannabinoid-laden oxygen into the bloodstream in healthy people, while reversing bronchial restriction in asthma patients. Compared to a standard bronchodilator, isoproternol, THC worked for a longer period of time, though it worked slower and had a less dramatic peak effect.

Since the carcinogens in THC are toxic to the hair-like cells that keep the lungs free of mucus, cilia, and the tars could cause chronic bronchitis in the lungs, it is necessary to consider alternative methods of ingesting cannabinoids. The Vapourizer, water pipe and other similar smoking devices, could prove perfect for asthma sufferers. A kind of THC inhaler is being studied in Britian currently by G.W. Pharmapheuticals. If the mechanism that THC used to trigger the bronchioles' relaxation is discovered, it may solve all of our problems concerning asthma.

Over 4.5 billion sleeping pills were sold in B.C alone in 1994, causing all sorts of medical problems and in some cases death. Cannabis has a long history of putting people at ease, mellowing them out and making them go to sleep. Those with insomnia or those who have smoked a joint late at night after a hard day's work, will agree that nothing puts you asleep as nice and gently as a blast of THC.

Another quality of marijuana is also the largely unexplored area of the suppression of violent impulses and actions. Whereas alcohol and cocaine can stimulate violent rages in certain people, smoking marijuana is traditionally a globally accepted means of calming people down. Although no public research is available to date, there is no doubt about that in the minds of those who, like myself, have seen alcoholic bastards turn into loving, pot-smokers without needing to resort to professional help. The amount of deaths, injuries and general negative energies which tend to result from alcohol stimulated violence and accidents is staggering. This is truly one area in which the benefit would be beyond quantification in our hospitals, prisons and homes. But then again, the last thing the White House wants is a peaceful, loving society because they wouldn't be able to recruit our young, innocent children and turn them into mindless killing machines, so that they could go to Third World countries, killing it's inhabitants so that we can get cheaper oil which fuels the vehicles sending tons of chemicals into the atmosphere and water. But I digress.

Another general use of THC which was briefly touched upon is the control of nausea. Many patients develop nausea either along with a disease or because of the drugs they are taking, and smoking marijuana usually suppresses the discomfort enough so that the patient can hold food down. One of the effect of cannabis is that it relaxes muscles, which is partly why it helps people with muscle problems or have damage done to their skeletal systems and stretching or moving is painful. The stomach, though, is a smooth muscle, and so smoking cannabis immediately eases the tightening of the gut while eating can strongly encourage eating full healthy meals. This is one of the most important aspects of medical marijuana because many people suffer from poor diet because either their illness makes them sick or the medications they are taking make them nauseous. If a person cannot keep their food down or otherwise maintain a steady diet, then they cannot live for long, especially if they have a disease of other medical problem seriously affecting their lives. The effects upon the stomach is also helpful in treating patients with appetite disorders, both over and under eating problems.

Hyperemesis gravidarum is a rare form of intense morning sickness in which the pregnant mother is never free of pain and would usually have an abortion to save her own life. Recently they have been hospitalized and fed intravenously. Smoking marijuana everyday is the only real option these women have, if they want a baby. Though taking any drugs at all during pregnancy is risky, cannabis is more than likely one of the safest, if not the safest, of any drug.

As an antibiotic, THC may in fact prove to be the most effective and diverse ointment known to humanity. Cannabiolic acid attacked strains of micro-organisms which resist penicillin and other antibiotics, treating such conditions as ear infections, cuts and open sores. THC even cures herpes. In a shampoo, THC gets rid of dandruff, kills tics and other pests, while revitalizing dry hair. This, too, is an area which needs more research to be done, especially if the number of diseases which cannot be helped with penicillin keeps increasing at the current rate. In any case, THC is so good for your skin that there is no question the two were made for each other.

Idiopathic dystonia is a group of disorders causing prolonged muscle spasms or muscle contractions, which looks life abnormal postures or movements. Quite often, this disease is a side effect of the neuroleptic drugs used to treat chronic psychotic disorders. Not only did cannabidiol help 20 to 50% with these patients, but the use of THC in helping fight psychosis is another unexplored, intriguing and future area of research.

One wonders why more research hasn't been done with marijuana after only one or two of these remarkable medical statistics; until you realize that the people paying for all of this current centuries research are large pharmaceutical firms which cannot patent a plant so common as cannabis. They cannot even replicate a true synthetic form of the drug. So now, these people have not only stopped doing research, but they are the major contributors in the War On Drugs, suppressing the evidence in their care which validates the therapeutic use of THC in order to make more money. It was estimated in Nov 1980 by Omni Magazine that legal marijuana could eliminate 40% of the drugs we sell in drug stores, that was before AIDS, and before cancer became as common as it is today.

MODERN MEDICINE AND MARIJUANA

Doctors should be aware of the effects of cannabis directly so they can help patients with the experience of marijuana intoxication. As patients become more confident that they will not be stigmatized by their physician when they bring the subject up, more doctors will become aware of the wide range of benefits people can receive from cannabis. Doctors literally have a patient's life in their hands, as a physician has the ability to change prescriptions, authorize increases in government allowances and influence other important areas of one's life. In times past, the doctor was almost the last person in the world one would admit smoking marijuana to. An open dialogue between doctors and patients can only begin when prohibition is over..

Doctors have turned into legal drug pushers under intense pressure from pharmaceutical companies and medical associations. Many have become corrupted by greed and power (I'm speaking about some doctors working in government institutions), and they are unable to properly treat their patients and encourage a healthy lifestyle. But the problems that are plaguing our medical system are much more complex than that, and warrant a whole series of books to be written upon that subject alone. Most doctors who support the medical use of marijuana have done so because a patient has been very honest with them regarding their use of the herb and the doctor has monitored their health as it improved resulting from using cannabis. Doctors who smoke pot themselves are less likely to stand forward because they are risking both their professional career and personal lives.

The self-awareness which arises from smoking marijuana is partly responsible for the reason it is so effective in helping deal with such a wide variety of illnesses because the human physche is activated into a state where it can consciously feel and perceive energies that we normally cannot. Sensing negative forces disturbing bodily functions, the human brain is capable of sending chemicals and vibrations to that area if the immune system is running properly, which dissipates the problem. Cannabis is uniquely capable of curing, subduing or easing the pain of more diseases, both mental and physical, than any other substance known to humanity- that is undeniable- so the mental feeling of well-being and the state of physical well-being are intricately linked together when using this herb.

Once a person begins to feel better about themselves, not only do they usually get better, but they can even make others feel and get better. Once a community as a whole develops this general sense of well-being and peace, the possibilities are endless. More than likely it was such a community which was the very first civilized organization, a group of Neolithic humans who could sent energy in the form of messages, warnings, physical signs, sexual contact and healing powers. That original tribe spreading from the garden their seed across the globe, losing their innocent and purity in exchange for worldliness and dominance in an evolutionary process we are yet to understand. The human species developed such a large brain because we needed it to survive and function in a savage climate. One reason we seem so dysfunctional as a society is that we are only using 10% of our brain, cutting off our perception of non-physical energy forms. But that was necessary for us to evolve as a species, combining technology and consciousness towards the next step of evolution.

While it is difficult to concretely prove that cannabis seed had been a very important part of the nutritional diet of early humans, the history of the medical use of marijuana begins with the history of medicine itself. Many of the new diseases of the late 20th Century can be managed with marijuana use, while other ancient problems are still best countered with this sacred herb. A great number of medical problems can be traced to improper diet, environmental deterioration and/or stress, all of which can be avoided in the future with the proper use of cannabis.

In June of 1999, HEALTH CANADA announced they had given 2 exemptions to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA), they were beginning studies on the medical benefits of cannabis, and they started the search for a Canadian source of medical marijuana. The pot being used for the two studies on AIDS in Toronto is being brought in from the University of Mississippi, where the US Federal Government grows medical marijuana, the only legitimate source in North America. However a contract to grow medical marijuana for the government has been given to a company which will be growing low-grade pot hundreds of feet below ground in a mineshaft. While they have since accepted Exemptions #56 applications for about 140 people, HEALTH CANADA is taking as much time as possible handing out permits for medical marijuana, and the only studies being done are on AIDS. While we realize that drugs must be tested before being allowed on the market, if tests are not done looking at medical benefits for people who have conditions other than AIDS, the government won't open the process up to more people than the courts force them to.

The government of Canada is currently preparing to bring a series of new regulations in July, 2001, which are intended to allow for the eprsonal consuption of marijuana for people suffering for incurable medical problems who have their doctor's support. They are not doing this out of compassion, but because the courts have forced the government to acknowledge the use of cannabis as medicine, the cases of Terry Parker and Jim Wakeford in particular being of influence. These new regulations are not exactly perfect and they do not allow for distribution by clubs.

Many people like Hillary Black with the Vancouver Compassion Club and myself have started up organizations across Canada which help supply cannabis to people with medical problems. We have used the definition of incurable medical conditions to decide who we help with the Vancouver Island Cannabis Buyers Club, and have had no problem with local authorities as we operate our group. While not everyone who is in need has a club nearby yet, theere is little doubt that with the changing laws, medical marijuana organizations will appear in every large community. However, it is the opinion of many of us that the government should be supplying or subsidizing the cost of cannabis for those who need it as medicine and that clubs such as ours should not exist. This is a situation we at VICBC would very much like to see, as we envision large greenhouses at every hospital and a wide variety of medical products made from cannabis. However, until that happens, we will continue providing the services that our membership depends upon.

The changes in government policy is making work in the medical marijuana field very interesting. While the prospect of working legally in the future is very exciting, many people have been arrested for giving information to Health Canada which was handed over to the police. On the other hand, the courts are protecting clubs, returning money and cannabis to growers able to prove they worked exclusively for medical purposes and the general population has accepted the medicinal benefits of cannabis, with more supporting full legalization every day.