Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera, reported head of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, ranked 701st on Forbes' yearly report of the wealthiest men alive, and worth an estimated $1 billion; today officially thanked United States politicians for making sure that drugs remain illegal. According to one of his closest confidants, he said, “I couldn't have gotten so stinking rich without George Bush, George Bush Jr., Ronald Reagan, even El Presidente Obama, none of them have the cajones to stand up to all the big money that wants to keep this stuff illegal. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say, Gracias amigos, I owe my whole empire to you.”
     According to sources in the Mexican government, President Calderon is begging American officials to, in the words of reggae great Peter Tosh, legalize it. “Oh yeah,” said an official close to the Mexican president, “Felipe is going crazy. He's screaming at everybody who comes in, ‘Why don't they make this shit legal already! You're killing me here!’ Look, everyone knows, when you have Prohibition, you create gangsters. And the more you prohibit, the more gangsters you make. El Chapo is hero now to all those slum dogs who want to be millionaires. Kids in the street, when they play games, they all want to be El Chapo, the baddest man in the whole damn town.”
     Meanwhile, many speculate that rich and prominent Mexican families are in cahoots with American businessmen in the alcohol industry, wealthy industrialists who launder the unprecedented profits from the drug business
with their legitimate enterprises, and lawmakers who get gigantic kickbacks and payoffs to make sure that these drugs remain illegal; so they can remain rich, fat and happy. According to sources on both sides of the border, tens of millions of dollars in payoffs and kickbacks are stashed in Swiss banks every year; blood money from the brutal business made possible by a corrupt system supported by laws that don't, and have never worked.   
     Rather than putting El Chapo and his kind out of business by modernizing outdated laws and in the process making billions of dollars from taxing drugs (as is done with cigarettes and alcohol), United States government has spent hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars chasing its tail, and has now offered a $5 million reward for the capture of El Chapo. Many have said that the offer is unofficially: Dead or Alive.
     Meanwhile, as an epidemic of murderous violence rages on the Mexican-US border, and the American government wastes boatloads of badly needed money on the illegal drug business which results from the Prohibition laws, El Chapo is laughing all the way to the bank. “Whoever came up with this whole War on Drugs,” one of his lieutenants reports he said, “I would like to kiss him on the lips and shake his hand and buy him dinner with caviar and champagne. The War on Drugs is the greatest thing that ever happened to me, and the day they decide to end that war, will be a sad one for me and all of my closest friends. And if you don't believe me, ask those guys whose heads showed up in the ice chests.”

     It is sad seeing some “Versativa” reps on video making claims that their company is the “first network marketing company based on hemp products.” You can see on the video that they know they’re lying (especially since these same individuals were part of the hemp network at one time)! Just watch their eyes and body language.
     It is sad to see good people become “MLMers” with no regards to the truth, and become part of the hype machine now that they have a financial interest in the success of their “new” company. If they want to sell a different “deal” more power to them, but having to make false claims as part of their presentation to attract others is very sad indeed.
     Here are the facts...The Natures Ancient Wisdom Product introduced by “The Hemp Network” long before “Versativa” was started has two ingredients 1) Medicinal Mushroom Blend and 2) Hemp Protein. If you look at the top 4 ingredients of the “V” product, based on the percentage of ingredients in the product, you will find 1) Dates, 2) Raisins, 3) Oats 4 Whole Fruit (Cherry, Blueberry, or Raspberry). Where is the Hemp? Oh yeah, coming in at a distant #5 is Hemp Seeds.
     Can you really consider a product with Whole Hemp Seeds as the 5th ingredient in a product more of a “hemp product” than one that includes Hemp Protein (much more potent than raw seeds) as part of an exclusive blend along with a Medicinal Mushroom Blend...Of course not. You can buy a bag of whole hemp seeds for less than $5 a pound! So what does this tell you about those who make such claims (knowing them to be untrue)?
     But hey, they are likely making money selling their bags of oats (another extremely cheap ingredient) and fruit using “The Hemp Network” presentation to others. It appears they will say anything to sell their products.
     What about their product that contains hemp seed extract? Well ask them about the Hemp Protein (non stated) or the Omega content (non stated)...each of which can be found in Hemp Milk and Hemp Oil but for some reason is not present in any measurable amount in their product and you will likely get a blank stare. You can be sure that any ingredient label would include any measurable amount of protein or healthy omega fats on the label if indeed in contained a measurable amount per serving. It does not.
     The fact is there is no measurable amount of any of the known beneficial nutrients found in hemp seeds (omegas/protein) in this product but rather, like their primary product, is made up of a bunch of other perhaps beneficial ingredients but only includes a dash of hemp seed extract to the slightest degree; that way they can make the claim that it contains “hemp” so they can market it as a hemp product...when in fact it is not.
     Clever marketing for sure, but this is not a “hemp product” by any stretch of the imagination. It is important that you understand the facts as it relates to product ingredients should you encounter anyone who may ask you about their products. Just keeping it real! I would not even bother posting this critical review if I there were not “testimonial videos” by some of their reps making inaccurate and misleading claims about being the “first network” marketing company offering hemp based products. 
     I have chosen not to post the entire ingredients lists, but it does validate the fact that there is more hemp in their products name, then in their products.
     As someone who is learning about the nutritional supplement industry, and understands that if a product has any measurable nutritional benefits not only may you be required to include them on your label but you WANT to include them on your label. The label for the most part is the real product presentation...it goes beyond the hype and directly to the substance.
     When a product label boasts having a concentrated hemp seed extract yet has no measurable amount of Omegas or Hemp Protein this tells you that the amount is insignificant. Hemp Milk and Hemp Oil are “concentrated hemp seed extracts”. Each boast real nutritional benefits, the “Versativa” fruit juice products main benefit claim is that it includes a “proprietary blend of peace and happiness!”
     When a product makes a conceptual claim and not a real nutritional benefit claim you know it lacks the latter.
     A single serving of Hemp Oil or Hemp Milk would offer more “hemp” benefits than drinking an entire bottle of the “V” concentrated fruit juice product, and at a fraction of the cost. Note that the entire serving size of the “V” fruit juice is 52mg which is composed of around 10 different concentrates of which the hemp extract is only one...our Hemp Omega
product (which we all know is more fish oil than hemp oil) contains a full 100mg of Hemp Oil (a very dense whole hemp seed extract!)
     So what you have is a concentrated fruit juice with a marginal amount of condensed hemp milk or oil. Again, if the amount was not “marginal” the product would boast either a protein benefit or an omega benefit, but it offers neither. This is not to say that drinking concentrated fruit juices with a little hemp is not good for you, but rather highlights that this product is not a “hemp based” product; rather it is a concentrated fruit juice that happens to contain a little bit of hemp juice.
     It is clear you would get more “hemp benefits” plus other REAL benefits from taking the Hemp Omega supplement which also includes a potent Aloe Extract, 1175mg of Omega 3s, Astaxanthin (one of the most potent antioxidants known to man!) and more; all in measurable and meaningful amounts.
     Likewise, eating a bag of fruit with some hemp seed could indeed taste good and be good for you... but when hemp is listed as the 5th ingredient on a label (ingredients are listed in order of percentage of content) you are not eating “hemp based” product but a “fruit based” product that contains
hemp.
     My beef is not with any product but rather with the hypocrisy of and the misleading claims made by those promoting these products...especially since they claimed that the Medicinal Mushroom and Hemp Protein product we offer was not a “real” hemp product!
     Just as the Hemp Omega product offers more “hemp” benefits than their concentrated fruit juice product, our medicinal mushroom and hemp protein product offers more “hemp” benefits than their fruit snack. Plus...it is my belief that medicinal mushrooms offer a more “unique” and powerful benefit than Dates, Raisins, Oats, Cherries, Blueberries, and Raspberries!
     I can eat a bowl of healthy cereal and get the key ingredients in their fruit snack products. In fact their ingredient list looks like a common list of ingredients from granola bars and cereals. Throw on some hemp seeds and I get the benefits they boast at a fraction of the cost. But an organic medicinal mushroom blend formulated to address specific health objectives is indeed a unique product offering that you cannot easily replace with a bowl of cereal or a granola bar.
     If you are not aware of the benefits of Medicinal Mushrooms you really do need to take a moment to view the following video: http://thehempnetwork.ning.com/video/medicinal-mushrooms-can-save
     Perhaps I am too blame in the sense that I too have fallen for the desire to have more “real” hemp products and not really looking at the current product line for what it is...a quality product line. Of course we will all be very excited as we get more “traditional” hemp products in the portfolio but perhaps we should embrace what we have with the same enthusiasm that the “Versativa” crowd seems to have for their fruit snacks!
     A least we can honestly boast that we are the first network marketing company to offer “hemp based” products, that we are the largest hemp based network marketing company in the world, and that our products really do offer unique benefits that combine hemp with other exciting and unique
ingredients!
     If you want to be a part of this revolution I'll see you at http://www.thehempnetwork.com/hemp4victory

     In the early 1930′s the federal government was faced with the continuous embarrassment of being unable to convict the infamous gangster Al Capone. They turned to the Internal Revenue Service, whose
examination of Al’s tax records, such as they were, was the cause of his
downfall. Now there is the ominous prospect of the federal government doing the same thing to another one of its enemies; the medical cannabis industry.
     According to reports, at least 12 dispensaries are currently under audit by the IRS. Their reasoning is that it is illegal to claim tax deductions for “trafficking” in Schedule I or II drugs (cannabis is Schedule I); and since that is what dispensaries do, their deductions must be illegal. There are currently efforts to change the tax code to accommodate legal medical marijuana in states that have it, but one wonders what the DEA will have to say about that.
     After all, changing the tax code would be another chink in the DEA’s federal armor. Once one federal agency starts making accommodations, it becomes a precedent. On the other hand, does the DEA really want the IRS encroaching on their turf and driving their cash cows out of business? If medical cannabis folds, who will the DEA raid? Who will they target without
the large signs in front of establishments clearly marking them as medical marijuana dispensaries or collectives?
     It will be interesting to watch this play out, and it just goes to show what’s always said at The 420 Times: until marijuana is fully legal on a federal level, no cannabis user will truly be free.

     I've been glued to the internet reports with the unfolding disaster in Japan. 1st an 8.9 magnitude earthquake strikes near the island, then a tremendous tsunami washes ashore leaving an estimated 10,000 dead and thousands more missing. Now the failure of power and back-up cooling units has led to potential meltdowns in the country's nuclear reactors.
     (CleanEnergy.org) As reported in the New York Times: Two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi plant 170 miles north of Tokyo appear to have suffered partial meltdowns and three reactors at the nearby Fukushima Daini plant are dealing with failures in the cooling system. Releases of volatile radioactive elements have occurred, though the exact amounts are not yet known. Reports have stated that radiation levels have exceeded permissible limits and over 200,000
people living around the two nuclear power plants have been evacuated. There are reports that several plant workers have experienced significant radiation exposure, a confirmation that at least one worker has died and more than 160 people outside of the plant are also contaminated with radioactivity. Radioactive cesium has been measured, a sure sign that the nuclear fuel has been damaged.
     I've been told by friends and family that no matter what the story is I can find a way to connect it to cannabis or hemp. The tie-in between marijuana and Japan can be found in the efforts to clean up the soil following the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Ukraine.
     (McGraw-Hill Higher Education) In 1989, three years after the explosion, the Soviet government asked the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to assess the radiological and health situation in the area surrounding the power plant. Among the most significant findings were radioactive emissions and toxic metals--including iodine, cesium-137, strontium, and plutonium--concentrated in the soil, plants, and animals. Such substances are potentially harmful to
human health. For example, although iodine tends to disappear within a few weeks of exposure, it can be inhaled or ingested and then accumulated in the thyroid gland, where it delivers high doses of radiation as it decays. Since 1991, the Canadian Nuclear Association has noted a marked increase in the incidence of thyroid cancer in the area surrounding the nuclear accident. Cesium-137, radioactive cesium with a mass number of 137, can enter the food chain and deliver an internal dose of radiation before it is eliminated metabolically.
     Getting those toxic and radioactive elements out of the soil is crucial to restoring the ecosystem after a nuclear disaster. A technique called “phytoremediation” uses certain plants to leech these elements from the soil...guess which one is one of the best at that task? Good old industrial hemp, cannabis' non-drug cousin that our government bans because our police are too uneducated to tell the difference.
     (Hemp.net) In 1998, Consolidated Growers and Processors (CGP), PHYTOTECH, and the Ukraine's Institute of Bast Crops began what may be one of the most important projects in history - the planting of industrial hemp for the removal of contaminants in the soil near Chernobyl.
     Phytoremediation can be used to remove radioactive elements from soil and water at former weapons producing facilities. It can also be used to clean up metals, pesticides, solvents, explosives, crude oil, polyaromatic hydrocarbons, and toxins leaching from landfills. 
     Plants break down or degrade organic pollutants and stabilize metal contaminants by acting as filters or traps. PHYTOTECH is conducting field trials to improve the phytoextraction of lead, uranium, cesium-137, and strontium-90 from soils and also from water.
     “Hemp is proving to be one of the best phyto-remediative plants we have been able to find,” said Slavik Dushenkov, a research scientist with PHYTOTECH. Test results have been promising and CGP, PHYOTECH and the Bast Institute plan full scale trials in the Chernobyl region in the spring of 1999.
     This technique of hemp phytoremediation has applications that extend beyond nuclear accident cleanups. If prohibition on hemp farming was lifted and the industry was allowed to flourish, there could be thousands of new jobs created.
     (Damn Interesting) All in all, the field of phytoextraction seems to be one of the most promising in the efforts to clean up the hundreds of thousands of sites worldwide (30,000 in the US alone, according to the EPA), that require hazardous waste treatment. Even if only modestly successful, the use of plants as contaminant removers could reduce cleanup costs considerably. Even more promising, phytoextraction is only one aspect of the whole field of phytoremediation, in which plants are being used not only to remove toxins, but sometimes to break them down (phytotransformation), enhance microbial activity (phytostimulation), or prevent leaching of contaminants in the first place (phytostabalization).
     In Belarus, site of the original Chernobyl disaster, they are not only using the hemp to clean up the soil, they’re making money on the processing of that hemp into bio-fuel!
     (CannaZine.co.uk) Belarus Foreign Minister Sergei Martynov said: “We consider ethanol to be one of the
most promising and sustainable sources of cheap and nature-friendly energy, and we have several advantages for its production here.”
     Belarus is probably the only country in Europe with vast territories which can be used for biomass production, the lands affected by the Chernobyl catastrophe 21 years ago.
     The Minister concluded: “The Government of Belarus has declared ethanol a priority topic for energy development, so we are very happy today to see the first steps being taken, in what we are sure will be a successful and large-scale development of ethanol production.”
     Greenfield chairwoman Ann McClain said, “Greenfield's plan to produce bio-ethanol will use land which has been contaminated by radioactive isotopes to cultivate biomass crops for the ethanol distilleries and at the same time, we believe growing the biomass crops will work to clean up the affected areas.”
     Japan allows for the farming of industrial hemp, but acquisition of a license to do so is very limited, thanks to the US Government forcing the occupied Japanese to sign onto a Cannabis Control Law in 1948 which, like US law, confuses cultivators of non-drug hemp with those growing medicinal marijuana and consumer cannabis.
     (JapanHemp.org) However, the cannabis control law was enacted under GHQ under the United States occupation after World War II in 1948. As a result, an annual license from the prefecture governor was needed to grow hemp. It felt that the farmer was the same as making of the cultivation of hemp the narcotic drug because of the licensing system degree. After that, hemp products of the plant origin disappeared one after another by the spread of the life use goods of the oil origin in postwar days. And the number of farmers who grow hemp has decreased gradually.
     The hemp agriculture of Japan was 4049.2 ha the total planted acreage of the fiber harvest and the seed harvest, and a scale of 25,118 people in 1950. However, the planted acreage in 1996 was only 12.4 ha according to Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry today. Of that 12.0 ha was grown in Tochigi Prefecture, some 50 km north of Tokyo.
     There are only 102 hemp farmers now. (From the Ministry of Health and Welfare Pharmaceutical and Medical Safety Bureau Narcotics Division as of January 1, 1999).
     At least Japan does have some hemp farmers and laws that will allow them to get started on hemp phytoremediation as soon as possible. If an American nuclear reactor melted down we'd have to go through all the politics and argument and legislation necessary to repeal a federal prohibition of industrial hemp as a Schedule I drug before we could plant the first non-drug hemp plants to begin saving the land. Over in Oregon as well as few other American states we have already legalized industrial hemp and could begin planting it the minute the federal prohibition is lifted.

     A good indicator of the financial health of a public company is whether the CEO (in the case of Forever Green Ron Williams) is accumulating, holding, or selling the shares in their own company. In the case of Mr. Williams...he is dumping small quantities of the stock every few days (to prevent the collapse in the stock price) and has been doing so for month:

 http://www.sec.gov/cgi-bin/own-disp?action=getissuer&CIK=000109...

     Of course, occasional sales are nothing to be concerned about (if you are an investor or a distributor), a large sale now and then to take some money out is routine, but when a CEO is selling every couple days and trying to “get out” of a stock under the radar by making multiple small sales it indicates that they believe the stock is likely going to become worthless as time moves on. If Mr. Williams was a true believer in the “V” product, that it would be a major success, he would not be selling the stock continuously...he would be scooping them up at these discounted prices!
     The fact that he is continuously selling represents that he believes the stock is heading further south. Perhaps trying to get out before the next quarterly statement is seen by the general public.

Join me at http://thehempnetwork.com/hemp4victory