Hemp 4 Victory Blog - Hemp 4 Victory

Hemp was once required by law!

9/1/2010

     According to the Hemp Historian, the first cannabis law in our land was enacted in 1619 in Jamestown mandating that hemp be grown. That should be no surprise, though, since the stuff is so incredibly useful. Do a quick Internet search for hemp products and you’ll find everything from food products to fuel. In fact, Treehugger.com has a list of several ways to use hemp you may not have heard of before in their article, by Matthew McDermott, titled, “Perfect Plant “
     But if hemp, a plant humans have relied on for centuries, is so useful; why is it illegal (especially since you can puff on it all day and it won’t get you stoned like it’s more-fun sister plant)? The quick answer is money. You see, other products came on the market, such as wood pulp and oil, and the companies behind them encouraged the U.S. to ban hemp; a major competitor, spreading ridiculous rumors about its effects.
     All of this is ridiculous, of course. As SustainableHemp.com points out, “Hemp is one of the most diverse plants on the planet, and could literally supply most of humankind’s needs for fuel, food, clothing, building products, and medicine.”
     But let’s drag our feet on legalization legislation, shall we? Let’s continue pretending it’s harmful and that our country couldn’t use the tax revenue it would collect if only our legislators would stop being so Puritanical. As long as we turn away from all it can do for us, we’ll continue to fuel “Mexican criminal groups” as the National Drug Intelligence Center puts it; waste money enforcing drug laws and imprisoning people involved in the trade while we continue to deny ourselves realistic alternatives to products that are harmful to us and our planet.

Absolutely Brilliant!

Headed to Hempfest!

8/19/2010

     Going to Hempfest see everyone soon, but before I go here’s a little background on this year’s event!
     Hippies and hempsters from high and low are coming together at the biggest hemp festival in the United States this weekend, August 21-22.
     The Seattle Hempfest celebrates its 19th year by remembering the late, great Jack Herer, a moniker reminiscent of hemp events, whose absence is greatly felt throughout the cannabis community.
     For over forty years, Jack Herer, the Emperor of Hemp, shouted from the rooftops, "Hemp will save the world!" He spoke to advocates and critics alike, filling in the gaps created by propaganda and misinformation. Jack was wholly committed to ending cannabis prohibition, and never ceased sharing the story of hemp to anyone that would listen. Jack left this world on April 15, 2010, but the quest for cannabis freedom lives on.
     It is in his honor that the 2010 Seattle Hempfest is dedicated.
     They say that the Seattle Hempfest started out as a humble little gathering of stoners who had a vision which attracted others with the same understandings. Now that small circle has grown into the largest cannabis policy reform event in the world.
     It was the right thing, at the right time.
     The wave of enlightenment that followed Jack Herer's groundbreaking publication, "The Emperor Wears No Clothes", was just beginning to build in the early nineties, the perfect time for a fresh emergence of marijuana activists to take the stage, taking on traditional politics.
     The mission of Seattle's Hempfest is simple. They seek safe access to medical grade cannabis for qualified patients, the legal domestic production of industrial hemp, and alternatives to incarceration for otherwise responsible adults convicted of marijuana offenses.
     Staffed completely by volunteers, Hempfest is free to attend; therefore most of the 56-plus acts that perform each year do so without compensation, as a contribution to the cause.
     This year, Hempfest's entertainment committee received over 600 submissions from artists to perform, so the decisions were difficult.
     A smattering of the musical line-up includes Tim Pate and Friends, The Rhythm Katz, Two Scoops Combo, Krista Herring, Sam Marshall Trio, Gravity, Reji Lefluer, Ravinwolf, Neal Storme, Herbivores, Big High, Thin C+Weed R The World (with members of Bone Thugs N Harmony), and Deadwood Revival.
     Speakers include Ed Rosenthal, George Clayton Johnson, Jodie Emery, Elvy Musikka, Rick Cusick, Rick Steves, Rob Kampia, Paul Stanford, John Sajo, Madeline Martinez, Gatewood Gailbraith, Justin Kover, Todd McCormick, Russ Belville, and Dave Seber, just to name a few.
     With 20 volunteers from the Seattle Peace Heathens Community Action Group, the very first "Washington Hemp Expo" (as the Seattle Hempfest was first known) was kicked off in 1991. There was a small attendance of only about 500 people in the Volunteer Park location, but it was the beginning of an event that has become a Northwest mainstay, and a leader in the nation.
     Now boasting the largest gathering of speakers on Hemp and cannabis policy reform in the world, the Seattle Hempfest is always the third weekend in August, with world-class music on five stages, and hundreds of arts, crafts, food and political vendors, as well as a "Hemposium" replete with panel discussions and presentations, keynote speakers, displays and workshops.
     Once led by a team of less than two dozen, it now takes a volunteer core staff of 140 working year-round and 50 crews (about 1,000 people) through the week of the event to "run the show" accommodating over 300,000 festival-goers, vendors, speakers and musicians at the largest pot rally on the planet.
     So many people have found their way to this annual event in fact, that the organizers thought it best to extend it by one day.
     Seattle Events, a Non-Profit Corporation asked for the third day, and though the City of Seattle was initially amicable to Hempfest's 3-day safety plan in the winter of 2009, budget cuts and broken bureaucracy led to a sudden shift in city policy. On June 22nd the Special Events Committee under the new Chair Joanne Orsuchi voted to deny the event an additional day.
     “Our 2009 festival caused much concern for safety in our volunteer community," says Vivian McPeak, Executive Director of Seattle Hempfest. "We thought the city would be cooperative in our efforts to maintain public safety."
     Hempfest appealed the decision. However, the City of Seattle responded by issuing an even more restrictive 2-day permit.
     The producers of the event decided to resolve the issues since they were unlikely to win an administrative appeal in the City of Seattle and there was not enough remaining time to both fight a lawsuit and produce the event, given that it was scheduled for the very next month.
     When asked what the plan is for 2011, McPeak said, “We are going to file our permit early and make sure that the City acts within the legally prescribed time-line to issue or deny our application. This will leave us plenty of time to deal with any unforeseen issues.”
     Does this mean they are going to fight for a third day next year? “Yes, it does,” says McPeak.
     In the meantime, the caravans, carpools, thumb trippers, and wagon trains of hempsters are on their way to the biggest hemp festival around.
     Music, food, hemp education and enlightenment await an experience none will soon forget. And that's what the advocates for ending cannabis prohibition are hoping for, that each person who makes their way to the Seattle Hempfest will leave a better, brighter, more enthusiastic proponent of the hemp plant in all its uses.
     Amid the smoke-filled air, Jack Herer's boisterous voice will drift through the crowds, between the lines of the speakers, within the notes of the music, as he continues championing the lofty, yet attainable goal of legalization... through the tens of thousands that have heard the message, loud and clear, and will carry on.
     Where there is Hemp, there is Hope.
     Hope to see you all in Seattle.

USA the only country idustrialized country without hemp production!

8/1/2010

     A while back, a friend started to work on a blog about industrial hemp and its possible reintroduction into Nebraska’s agriculture. He spent hours researching hemp and its products, growing requirements, etc. He even wrote the Governor asking for his feelings. A quick response was received from the Governor and I'll share it here.
     First off, the Governor stated "Industrial hemp has received increased attention over the years as a potential value-added agricultural product. While I support the development of value-added agriculture, there are a few concerns I have with respect to industrial hemp, mostly related to law enforcement."
     The letter received from the Governor went on to say...
     "First, it would be very difficult to visually distinguish between legal hemp and other cannabis plants using aerial surveillance. This makes the detection of marijuana patches virtually impossible. Second, hemp would have value to drug dealers as an additive to increase marijuana bulk. Lastly, current federal law makes hemp in any form illegal, so there would be a conflict of enforcement interest between federal and local law enforcement officers.
     "There is also concern with regard to the market for hemp products and whether there is sufficient demand to warrant legalization. It would be tragic to commit additional state resources (increases in personnel and funding) to make industrial hemp a reality only to find out that there was no appreciable benefit to Nebraska's agriculture economy."
     It seems to that the governor has a well thought out position. What is difficult to understand is the mixed message the Federal government is passing down the pike…The V.A. announced that patients taking medical cannabis ("legal" in 14 states) would not be denied some services at V.A. hospitals. This smacks of official approval for medical cannabis to a casual observer.
     Let’s talk about those 14 states a moment...Colorado, as a Nebraska neighbor has approved medical cannabis, and is trying to find ways to properly regulate it. If the feds didn't step back from enforcement, this would be a moot point. In California, a state considering total legalization of pot; the city council of Oakland has approved four 100,000 square foot indoor cannabis grow operations. Of course California is drooling at the possible tax ramifications if recreational use of cannabis is approved.
     Oh and one more thing, the US of A is the only industrialized country that outlaws hemp production. Why? The drug war is why!
     So what kind of messages are we getting? Mixed to say the least. In Colorado, California, and 12 other states, medical cannabis is available and the feds do little or nothing about the laws already on the books regarding its cultivation and use. I guess the governor is behind the 8 ball then since as our kids like to say "everybody else is doing it". “Actually, I feel our governor is doing the right thing as he is at least trying to follow the laws already on the books.” Brian said.
     It seems much the same as the immigration fiasco in Arizona right now. The laws are on the books, but the feds do nothing and then get mad when the states do something about it... what a bunch of hooey! Brian stated, “I wish "our" representatives in Washington would quit writing new laws and find ways to enforce the ones we already have, fix them, or repeal them if they don't work. The message sent to the people would likely make some sense at least.”

VA approves medical cannabis with a minor catch!

7/26/2010

     The Department of Veterans Affairs will officially permit patients treated at VA facilities to use medical cannabis, according to a new department directive set to take effect within the next week. The only catch...It's only allowed in the 14 states where it is legal.
     The directive is meant to clarify the discrepancy between federal and state law regarding the use of medical cannabis.
     Under VA rules, veterans can be denied services if they are discovered to be using illegal drugs, which until now included cannabis.
     According to some experts, the policy led many patients to distrust their physicians or avoid the VA health system.
     The new guidance does not allow VA physicians to begin prescribing medical cannabis and applies only to veterans in states like California, which have legalized the herb’s use.
     Physicians still may alter a patient's treatment regimen to account for cannabis use, or choose not to prescribe additional pain medication based on possible drug interactions
     VA Undersecretary for Health Robert Petzel has sent a letter to Veterans for Medical Marijuana Access, which has worked closely with VA on the issue, outlining the new policy. The guidelines will be distributed to the department's 900 facilities within the next week.

Hold Wal-Mart to States Laws in Michigan!

7/10/2010

     Employees should have the right to use medicinal cannabis while not on the job and not get fired for doing so? A Michigan man agrees and has filed a lawsuit against Wal-Mart last week to prove it. Joseph Casias, 30, argues that the retail giant wrongfully fired him for using medical cannabis, which is legal in Michigan, to treat the pain of an inoperable brain tumor and cancer. Similar lawsuits in California, Montana, Oregon, and Washington State have been filed with the courts generally siding with employers, holding that they have no obligation to accommodate medical cannabis users since using or possessing pot remains illegal under federal law.
     The Michigan case could however be very different. That's because the state's medical cannabis statute specifically includes language designed to shield employees from adverse employment actions connected to the use of medical cannabis. The laws in the other states where employees have challenged their medical cannabis use as the basis of their termination do not offer similar protections.
     The Michigan employee also makes for a very sympathetic plaintiff. Joseph Casias, 30, manages the Battle Creek, Michigan store and was the 2008 Associate of the Year. He was fired after testing positive for marijuana, even though he was registered to use it under Michigan's medical marijuana statute. According to Casias, he never smoked pot at work nor did he come to work stoned. Instead, Casias used marijuana in his off-hours to manage the sever pain associated with his brain tumor and cancer.
     The use did however collide squarely with Wal-Mart's no-drug in the workplace policy. Casias showed the retailer his state medical cannabis card but the company refused to recognize it when it fired him. Wal-Mart's official position has been to express sympathy toward Casias' condition but feels like his use places the safety of its customers and associates at risk. According to a released statement, whether or not the drug was prescribed by a doctor is irrelevant- it has a zero-use, zero-tolerance policy and intends to abide by it.
     Perhaps the retailer could sense how insensitive and misinformed its approach really is, because the statement also called on local lawmakers to create clearer legal standards for employers on how to manage a sensible workplace drug use policy as more states adopt medicinal cannabis laws while the drug remains illegal at the federal level. I don’t believe we should cut Wal-Mart any slack here, or any other big-box corporations that are firing their employees over the use of a medical substance to treat a valid illness. People aren’t getting fired for the use of hydro codeine, morphine, Prozac, adderall, or other prescription drugs!

A little more retaliation at a federal level!

7/9/2010

     A two-year investigation has led to another attack on anti-prohibitionists with the arrests of 14 people on the Big Island of Hawaii in connection with an alleged marijuana growing and distribution network.
     The leader of the group has openly said cannabis is a religion for him and that he's proud to spread what he calls the sacrament. How he did it, however, has run afoul of federal authorities.
     Roger Christie of Hilo speaks openly about his religion, the THC Ministry, and of the wealth that has flowed from it. "The nickname for it is ganja-nomics,” he says on web videos he made promoting his services, “the natural economy that happens when you have freedom and cannabis together."
     He claims a state license to be a wedding minister is his license to provide the herb. For donations of varying amounts The Hawaii Cannabis Ministry based issues a “Religious Use of Marijuana” ID card, ordainment, legal defense kits, and what the founder calls the sacrament “cannabis.”
     "We use cannabis religiously, and you can too," Christie says. “Raise the level of acceptance for having the blessings of cannabis in our life. I know you want it. I wanted it, I was hungry for it. I got it."
     Thursday he got arrested, along with more than a dozen others, picked up in various locations from Hilo to Honokaa. Drug enforcement agents, sheriffs, county police, immigrations, customs, and even postal agents were part of the bust. Sources say 14 people in all were taken into custody.
     “They were only after people that they had federal indictments for,” said Nathan Clark, who lives in the THC Ministry building called The Moses Building. “They left all my things alone. They told me I was free to go." Clark said he is from Iowa and has been out of jail himself since May 11th.
     “The DEA, it’s one of their last hurrahs in their failed drug war, the war against cannabis,” Clark said.
     The suspects were put on a Coast guard c-130 plane bound for Oahu. Authorities declined to comment.
     In the past associates of Christie have been arrested as far away as the East Coast. At the time of a high-profile raid in Florida 2 years ago, Christie told the news his religion is a defense against prosecution.
     "Everyone in the USA is born into the right to cultivate and to use cannabis," he said. “Every state in the United States guarantees religious freedom for each of their citizens, and the federal government does, too.”
     Christie openly guided his followers about a Hawaii County law directing low-priority for low-quantity marijuana busts. "There is no more budget for the county police or prosecutors to go after people who are in the misdemeanor amount of cannabis,” Christie claims, “and that's the 24 plants and 24 ounces.”
     Feeding what Christie told the news was a demand that exceeded supply, he developed a system where ministry members could grow pot at home, make a donation of cannabis to the ministry, and get a monetary donation in return. Though 14 are now in custody, the ministry boasts more than 60,000 members.
     "May your garden grow green and plenty,” Christie says. “We'll see you at harvest time."

Law Enforcement Retaliates Against Anti-Prohibition Activists!

7/5/2010

   Time and time again Law Enforcement Agents (LEA) retaliates against pro-cannabis activists.
     Actor Tommy Chong was arrested in 2003 under “Operation Pipe Dreams. Chong was sentenced to nine months in prison, a fine of $20,000, and the forfeiture of about $120,000 in assets. He plead guilty to charges of "conspiring to distribute drug paraphernalia," after a sting operation in which federal agents ordered his bongs over the Internet, to ensure that the items were sent across state lines. The bust was part of a larger anti-bong police effort called “Operation Pipe Dreams”, which involved over 2,000 federal, state and local law enforcement officers. The operation culminated on February 24, 2003, with simultaneous raids against multiple paraphernalia retailers, distributors and manufacturers. Chong was the first of the Operation Pipe Dreams defendants to plead guilty, and also the first to receive jail time. Chong’s lawyers claim he was convicted because of his pot-friendly media persona.
     Country singer Willie Nelson and four others was issued misdemeanor citations for possession of narcotic mushrooms and marijuana after a traffic stop on a Louisiana highway when a trooper smelt the strong odor of cannabis in 2006. There were enough drugs to merit a felony charge of distribution if they had been found in one person’s possession, but all five claimed the drugs as their own and the drugs were not packaged for resale.
     Randy Credico, who heads the William Moses Kunstler Fund for Racial Justice, was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly trying to prevent police officers from arresting two teens outside of his house in 2008. Randy told the Post, "I'm constantly warning kids not to smoke pot on that street. These cops are making Mickey Mouse pot arrests - what a waste of time and money."
     Abbotsford Police arrested marijuana activist and recent political candidate Tim Felger at his store. Wielding a warrant issued under the Controlled Drug and Substances Act, patrol officers and the drug squad busted the Da Kine shop on Essendene Avenue in British Columbia. As Felger was escorted out of the store by a drug squad officer garbed in a black balaclava, Felger was vocal in his assessment of the situation. “Remember the drug war and all the kids that died!” he yelled. “This is just killing the kids left and right, and they’re arresting me for marijuana.”
     Canadian Justice Minister Rob Nicholson ordered that his country's most famous marijuana legalization advocate be extradited to the US to serve a five-year federal prison sentence. Emery and two employees, Michelle Rainey and Greg Williams, were arrested in Vancouver in 2005 by Canadian police acting at the behest of US authorities, who had indicted the trio in Seattle for selling pot seeds over the Internet to customers in the US. However this arrest should have never happened under sovereignty, and postal laws. It is the responsibility of the purchaser to make sure that these purchases abide by their state and federal laws. It became clear that Emery was the true target when Rainey and Williams were offered plea bargains that allowed them to stay in Canada, and Emery himself pleaded guilty to one count of marijuana distribution in exchange for a five-year sentence. He had faced up to life in prison for his pot seed sales.
     The Huffington Post stated that a group of civilly-disobedient hemp farmers and business leaders were arrested while digging up the lawn to plant industrial hemp seeds at the headquarters of the Drug Enforcement Administration. David Bronner, the president of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps, a more than 60-year-old company that does tens of millions of dollars of business annually, was among those arrested.
     A Washington State medical marijuana activist, Phil Mocek, was arrested at the Albuquerque airport after refusing to show ID to TSA screeners. Mocek is one of many Americans who believe Americans have a right to travel freely between the states without showing their papers to the federal government. Mocek was tabling at the 2009 International Drug Policy Reform Conference for a Seattle-based activist group called the Cannabis Defense Coalition. The event was attended by over one thousand people, including New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and former Governor Gary Johnson. At the Albuquerque airport for his flight back to Seattle, Mocek politely refused to show his ID to a TSA screener, who called in a supervisor. Mocek started recording with his digital camera, which caused the TSA supervisor to become extremely agitated. The police were called in, with six officers arriving on the scene. Mocek was immediately arrested. Another Seattle activist, Jesse Gallagos, was traveling with Mocek, and was driven in a police cruiser to the edge of the Albuquerque airport, dropped off, and told he was banned from flying for 24 hours. Like many Americans, Mocek has flown for years without showing ID to federal officials.

     The most recent of these targeted retaliation attacks is on the infamous rogue cop Barry Cooper who turned himself in on a warrant for allegedly making a False Report to a Peace Officer. Cooper, once one of the Permian Basin Narcotics Task Force's most successful agents, has refashioned himself an anti-prohibition activist. Cooper says that as a result of legal research put in by his team, Yolanda Madden, an Odessa woman jailed in 2005 on possession of methamphetamine, was freed from federal prison in December of 2009. With the help of a benefactor who hoped to embarrass the Odessa Police Department, Cooper and a team of researchers, videographers and lawyers staged a high-media assault on the west Texas cops in late 2008. After setting up a faux cannabis grow-house retrofitted with small pine trees and high-heat light bulbs, then ensuring the delivery of an anonymous tip about the home to a local pastor, a trap was set. Cooper says he suspects police peeked into the home with infrared cameras, after officers received the tip from the pastor, which is illegal without a search warrant. They would have seen the numerous hot bulbs, and what appeared to be plants growing; these could not be verified as cannabis though. A local judge then signed a warrant based solely on the anonymous tip, a practice which has also been barred by the Supreme Court, and officers raided the home; only to discover that they’d been set up in a reverse sting operation. Over a year and a half after his stunt, the Texas Rangers issued a warrant for the arrest of Barry Cooper, along with his wife Candi, accusing them of the Class B misdemeanor. The Coopers contend that delivery of an anonymous letter to a religious leader in the community is not the same as making a false report to police, but authorities in Texas are determined to let that be decided by the courts. The Coopers both have a separate charge of making a False Report to a Peace Officer that's connected to another Kop Buster’s sting in Williamson County.

Another lesson on medical cannabis!

7/4/2010

     Cannabis as medicine is nothing new, despite the current groundswell of laws making pot legal for medical uses. Here's a quick fact file on cannabis and its medical history, makeup, and legality.

1.   "Marijuana" is a Mexican term that originally was applied to low-quality tobacco.

2.   The plant was cultivated in China for therapy and recreation over 4,700 years ago.

3.   More than 20 prescription medicines containing cannabis were sold in U.S. pharmacies at the turn of the 20th century. Pot-based medications were commonly available until 1942, when cannabis was stricken from the U.S. Pharmacopeia, the official compendium of drugs considered effective. From 1937 to 1942 the federal government collected a tax of $1 per ounce for such drugs.

4.   More than 20,000 studies on cannabis and its components have been published, according to NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), an advocacy group. Of these, around 100 have looked into therapeutic value on human subjects.

5.   The federal government is in the pot-growing business. Under a federal contract, the University of Mississippi in Oxford cultivates cannabis for use by researchers, who have to be cleared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

6.   The plant has nearly 500 chemical compounds, more than 60 of which are called cannabinoids.

7.   Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis: Alaska, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maine, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington. Patients in these states may still face federal prosecution for using, growing, or possessing pot for medical purposes.

8. Federal law prohibits physicians from prescribing or otherwise actively supplying patients with the drug. But in 2002 the U.S. Supreme Court backed an appellate court ruling that physicians who discuss it with patients, or provide oral or written recommendations, are protected.

Part 2: The invalid, unenforceable, and illegal drug laws need to end!

6/26/2010

     After still receiving no further comments from the ONDCP, as promised here is the most compelling evidence for ending the war on cannabis and all drugs under the controlled substances act of 1970. Enjoy!
     Most people know that the director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP); more commonly known as the “Drug Czar” is an advocate for the government position regarding the drug war. But not everyone knows that he and his office are mandated to tell lies as part of their congressional authorization.

According to Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998:
Responsibilities: The Director “Drug Czar”
(12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that--
(A) is listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812); and
(B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration;

     Now, let’s take as a simple example, the issue of medical cannabis. If the government finds that cannabis has “currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” or “accepted safety for use of the drug under medical supervision,” then by law, cannabis cannot remain in Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act, which would immediately legalize it for medical purposes.
     However by law, the drug czar must oppose any attempt to legalize the use (in any form). Therefore, despite the fact that there is extensive evidence of medical cannabis’s safety and effectiveness (including the fact that even the federal government supplies it to patients), and clearly the drug czar would know about all this information, he is required by law to lie about it.
     The job description also means that since he must oppose any attempt to legalize, he has no choice but declare that the drug war is working; that legalization would fail, etc., regardless of any… facts. However, The AP got drug czar Gil Kerlikowske to agree t the drug war is a failure. "In the grand scheme, it has not been successful," Kerlikowske said. "Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems is, if anything, magnified, intensified."

     On April 2, 2003, Congressman Ron Paul wrote a letter to the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) asking for an investigation into ONDCP lobbying activities and their dissemination of “misleading information” (a polite euphemism for “lying”)

The GAO responded:
     Finally, apart from considerations of whether any particular law has been violated, you have asked whether the Deputy Director’s letter disseminated misleading information in connection with statements relating to the debate over legalization of marijuana. [...]
     ONDCP is specifically charged with the responsibility for “taking such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use” of certain controlled substances such as marijuana —- a responsibility which logically could include the making of advocacy statements in opposition to legalization efforts. The Deputy Director’s statements about marijuana are thus within the statutory role assigned to ONDCP. Given this role, we do not see a need to examine the accuracy of the Deputy Director’s individual statements in detail.

     Translation: Since lying is in the job description of the ONDCP, there’s no point in bothering to see whether they’re telling the truth. Keep in mind that this requirement to avoid the truth if it interferes with the mission of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy is not limited to the current drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske, or most recently, John Walters. Unless the law changes, every future drug czar, even if appointed by a President who solidly supports reform measures, will be constrained by the same job description defined by Congress. One may also wonder, of course, if the nature of the job attracts the type of person who perversely enjoys the power of lying to the country.
     Turning this travesty around requires more than the right person for the job. The offending phrases must be struck from the authorizing language (or perhaps a future President will simply not bother to appoint a new czar).
     Given the frequency that the drug czar is quoted in the press either much of the media is not aware that he and his staff are required to lie, or they simply feel obligated to print what they say despite the falsehoods. After all, don’t all politicians lie some of the time? Yes, but who else is actually required to do so by law?

     Lie (verb)
: to make an untrue statement with intent to deceive
: to create a false or misleading impression

     The ONDCP staff lies all the time (and specific examples abound all over the web), but not all lies are mere simple statements. One of the most noxious lies (and a common type of lie used by drug warriors) is the intent to deceive through the use of conjoined statements. Here’s an example of the lies, this coming from a White House session:

     Actually Pete, you’ve got the question exactly backwards. Marijuana is a much bigger part of the American addiction problem than most people – teens or adults – realize. There are now more teens going into treatment for marijuana dependency than for all other drugs combined.

     Note the combination of the two sentences. Marijuana is a bigger addition problem than we realize — there are more teens going into treatment… This is a specific intent to deceive, since the drug czar that the increase of teens in treatment for marijuana has nothing to do with addiction, and everything to do with an increase in governmental referrals. But by placing the two statements together, he attempts to make the lie convincing.

Here’s another example of the conjoined statement lie:
     But marijuana is far from “harmless” it is pernicious. Parents are often unaware that today’s marijuana is different from that of a generation ago, with potency levels 10 to 20 times stronger than the marijuana with which they were familiar.

Here’s another common ONDCP example:
“Quite a few people think that smoking pot is less likely to cause cancer than a regular cigarette,” reads the ad. “You may even have heard some parents say they’d rather their kid smoked a little pot than get hooked on cigarettes. Wrong, and wrong again,” it continues. “One joint can deliver four times as much cancer-causing tar as one cigarette.” According to ONDCP drug czar John Walters, the idea behind the ads is to “give parents some hard facts that they can use to have informed conversations with their kids about the negative consequences of marijuana. …”

     Sometimes they’ll talk about “carcinogens.” Same idea; the intent is to deceive, to convince people that cannabis causes cancer, something they know is not true; so they fall back on the deception, the lie.

     New drug czar Gil Kerlikowske seems not to even bother trying to hide it. It’s almost as though he doesn’t care. Note his comments in California where the fact of marijuana’s medicinal capability is quite fully accepted.
     “Legalization is not in the president’s vocabulary, and it’s not in mine,” he said. [...]
     “Marijuana is dangerous and has no medicinal benefit,” Kerlikowske said in downtown Fresno…

     Now let’s back things up just a little bit to the drug war being a failure. If something is a complete failure shouldn’t it be severed from the rest of what is working? That brings us to the severability clause in the controlled substances act:

TITLE 21 - FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER 13 - DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
SUBCHAPTER I - CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT

SEVERABILITY:
     Pub. L. 106-310, div. B, title XXXVI, Sec. 3673, Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1246, provided that: ''Any provision of this title (see Short Title of 2000 Amendments note above) held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed as to give the maximum effect permitted by law, unless such provision is held to be utterly invalid or unenforceable, in which event such provision shall be severed from this title and shall not affect the applicability of the remainder of this title, or of such provision, to other persons not similarly situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.''

      If the drug laws were enforceable, we wouldn't lose countless lives and dollars, and have overcrowded prisons, only to have a substantial supply still on the streets after 72 years of prohibition. If it were enforceable, billions of U.S. dollars wouldn't make its way to Mexican and Canadian cartels. The Drug War doesn't prevent drugs from entering our country (or even prison isolation cells, for that matter), the selling or consumption of drugs, the rising crime rates associated with drug trafficking, nor has it ever stopped children from acquiring them. This "war" has continued for over 70 years, and not a single one of its stated objectives have been accomplished.
     Yes, Prohibition is unenforceable, and yes, cannabis has many valid medical benefits. If it were legalized and taxed (sales tax only, it is NOT a sin), medicinal or otherwise, then that money would all go back into local communities and effectively lower the crime rates there and abroad as well.

     On the one hand, United States federal government officials have consistently denied that marijuana has any medical benefits. On the other, the government actually holds patents for the medical use of the plant.

     Just check out US Patent 663057titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants” which is assigned to The United States of America, as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services.

The patent claims that:
     “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”

This patent was obtained in October of 2003.

     There is also US Patent 7109245 that was issued September 19, 2006 titled “Vasoconstrictor cannabinoid analogs”

The patent discloses that:
     “The present disclosure concerns pharmaceutical compounds and compositions that are useful as vasoconstrictors, and the use of these compounds, for example in the treatment of shock. Septic shock is a type of vasodilatory shock that is often accompanied by a clinical presentation that suggests infection, such as fever, chills, warm, flushed skin, and hemodynamic instability (characterized by a falling and rising blood pressure). Septic shock is an often fatal condition that accompanies severe microbial infections, frequently with gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella or Bacteroides species. Gram-positive bacterialinfections can also lead to septic shock, particularly those infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and the Pneumococcus. The bacterial infections can be acquired by routes such as ingestion, personal contact, or trauma, but infections are oftennosocornial consequences of therapeutic procedures, including implantation of indwelling catheters or prosthetic devices. Septic shock often occurs in immunocompromised subjects, and therefore has been an increasing problem in recent years because of the increasing number of individuals who are immunocompromised. For example, subjects with HIV disease or who are taking immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of cancer or organ transplantation rejection are at increased risk of developing septic shock. In view of the above, there exists a need for agents that counteract the vasodilation associated with shock.

Summary:
     The present inventors (George Kunos and Raj K. Razdan) have demonstrated that abnormal cannabidiol (Abn-cbd) is a selective agonist and cannabidiol is a selective antagonist of an as yet unidentified cannabinoid-like or non-classical receptor distinct from the known cannabinoidreceptors CB1 and CB2. Agonists of these receptors, such as Abn-cbd, are believed to cause vasodilation. Even cannabidiol itself, which is generally an antagonist of the putative receptor, has been found to cause some vasodilation, and it therefore acts as a partial agonist, or mixed agonist/antagonist. It would therefore be desirable to have an agent that acts as a pure, or substantially pure, antagonist at the CB1-like receptor. Such an agent would be particularly useful in the treatment of diseases in which hypotension is the result of the action of endogenous cannabinoids and drug-induced vasoconstriction is desirable, for example in hypotensive states, such as shock. The antagonist would have particular application in vasodilatory shock states, such as septic shock, but it could also be used to achieve selective hemostasis to stop bleeding induced by trauma or surgery.”

     Cannabinoids, for those who were wondering, are a group of chemical compounds found in cannabis that are also referred to as terpenophenolic compounds. One specific cannabinoid compound found in cannabis is tetrahydrocannabinol, more commonly known as THC. This substance gives cannabis its psychoactive effects.
     The US government may hold this patent, but that will not stop their officials from consistently denying the benefits of medical marijuana. An FDA spokesperson, for instance, has claimed that “smoked marijuana has no currently accepted or proven medical use in the United States and is not an approved medical treatment.” I guess she didn’t get the memo.
     It makes you wonder why the U.S. government is so unwilling to admit that marijuana has some valid medical properties. It seems unlikely that there is a popularity issue, especially when 60% of Americans believe that doctors should be allowed to prescribe cannabis. Maybe there are some lobbyists or bigwig campaign contributors that would get a little upset.
     Since one part of the government applied for the patent of medical marijuana, and another part of the government approved that patent, it seems logical to conclude that the federal government knows that cannabis has some valid medical properties.

Furthermore the drug laws can be found invalid through violations of property rights as follows:
     Officials have no right to take life, freedom, or property (life/murder, freedom/enslave, property/theft). Drug laws are invalid as they prohibit ownership of property & violate a right to contract. They’ve slowly increased power of the police to violate other rights of privacy, further property rights infringement procedures where the state keeps the property even if there are no charges pressed against the person the property was stolen from. As the constitution protects our liberty, making it illegal to own property is in conflict to the constitution making these laws invalid. Any enforcement of these laws is punishable under US Code Section 18 Title 13 Sections 241&242
     Since you own your life, you are responsible for your own life. You do not rent your life from others who demand your obedience. You are also free from the chains of enslavement and cannot be forced to do anything against your will. Any laws that deprive someone of their unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by limiting their choices is in direct violation of the concepts of liberty, and as liberty is a protected right under the constitution these laws are invalid.

Now the hard part; how do we get them to admit it?

Part 1: The invalid, unenforceable, and illegal drug laws need to end!

6/23/2010

The following correspondence between the ONDCP (Office of National Drug Control Policy) and me is in response to removing cannabis from CSA (Controlled Substance Act) (http://tinyurl.com/23sh5ys). Please enjoy the direct avoidance that the ONDCP makes in the following e-mails.

Thank you for contacting ONDCP.
      On April 20th, 2006, the FDA issued an advisory concluding that no
sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked
marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human
data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general
medical use.
      There are alternative FDA-approved medications in existence for
treatment of many of the proposed uses of smoked marijuana. For
example, a prescription drug, Marinol, is currently available to
anyone with a doctor's prescription. Marinol contains THC, the active
ingredient in marijuana, and has been approved for some of the same
uses as medicinal marijuana.
To learn more about "medical marijuana," please visit the following
Web sites:
     Medical Marijuana Reality Check
http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/marijuana_fs.pdf
     Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a
Medicine
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2006/NEW01362.html
      Medical Marijuana - Marinol
http://www.dea.gov/ongoing/marinol.html
      Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base
http://books.nap.edu/html/marimed/
      Marijuana Studies/Articles from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/marijuana.html
      Marijuana Research Report
http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Marijuana/default.html
      The DEA Position on Marijuana
http://www.dea.gov/marijuana_position.html
Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
ONDCP Clearinghouse
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

My Response:
     As a matter of fact I do have a couple of questions. First is the fact that the words "smoked marijuana" were used together quite frequently. Now smoked cannabis may not be accepted medically but how about ingested cannabis, such as pot brownies and cookies? Also if there is no accepted medicinal value on cannabis, which is a requirement for a schedule 1 controlled substance; then why does the US Department of Health and Human Services hold patent 6630507 titled "cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants" that reads as follows?:
      “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”
      This patent was obtained in October of 2003.
  I look forward to your timely response!
Thank you,
Sean Crystal
420_freedom

Initial avoidance of my questions from the ONDCP:
Dear Mr. Crystal,
      Thank you for contacting ONDCP.
      Marijuana is a dangerous drug and remains in Schedule I of the
Controlled Substances Act. The President opposes marijuana
legalization as does ONDCP Director Kerlikowske, who provides the
following information:
      Marijuana Legalization: A Non-Starter
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/news/press09/marijuana_legalizatio
n.html
      The following resource and Web site provide information about
marijuana and why it remains a controlled substance:
      Denial of Marijuana Rescheduling
http://frwebgate3.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/TEXTgate.cgi?WAISdocID=973249
28153+0+1+0&WAISaction=retrieve
     Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization
http://www.justice.gov/dea/demand/speakout/index.html
      If you would like to view information about marijuana and its
effects, please visit the following Web sites:
      The DEA Position on Marijuana
http://www.justice.gov/dea/marijuana_position.html
      Marijuana Myths & Facts: The Truth Behind 10 Popular Misperceptions
http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/marijuana_myths_facts.
pdf
      What Americans Need to Know About Marijuana
http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/mj_rev.pdf
      Marijuana Abuse Research Report
http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Marijuana/default.html
      Marijuana Facts and Figures
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/marijuana/index.html
      Marijuana-Info.org
http://www.marijuana-info.org/
      Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Content Specialist
ONDCP Clearinghouse
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

My reply:
     As a matter of fact I do still have a couple of questions, and they are the same questions you failed to answer in the prior e-mail. First is the fact that the words "smoked marijuana" were used together quite frequently. Now smoked cannabis may not be accepted medically but how about cannabis ingested through brownies and cookies, or for that matter how about vaporized cannabis? Also if there is no accepted medicinal value on cannabis, which is a requirement for a schedule 1 controlled substance; then why does the US Department of Health and Human Services hold patent 6630507 titled "cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants" that reads as follows?:
     “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”
      This patent was obtained in October of 2003.
I look forward to your timely response and actually receiving an answer to my questions!
Thank you,
Sean Crystal
420_freedom

More avoidance from the ONDCP and the final correspondence:
Dear Mr. Crystal,
      Thank you for contacting ONDCP.
      What constitutes safe and effective medicine should continue to be
based upon reviews of the appropriate science by the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). Medical evidence does not support the efficacy
of smoked marijuana for medical purposes. ONDCP will continue to work
closely with other stakeholders to review law, science, and medicine
to refine the Administration's marijuana enforcement policy.
      Following is some specific information and resources concerning
medical marijuana:
      On April 20th, 2006, the FDA issued an advisory concluding that no
sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked
marijuana for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human
data support the safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general
medical use.
      There are alternative FDA-approved medications in existence for
treatment of many of the proposed uses of smoked marijuana. For
example, a prescription drug, Marinol, is currently available to
anyone with a doctor's prescription. Marinol contains THC, the active
ingredient in marijuana, and has been approved for some of the same
uses as medicinal marijuana.
      To learn more about "medical marijuana," please visit the following
Web sites:
      Medical Marijuana Fact Sheet
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.org/drugfact/pdf/medicalmarijuanfactsh
eet.pdf
     Medical Marijuana Reality Check
http://www.ncjrs.gov/ondcppubs/publications/pdf/marijuana_fs.pdf
     Inter-Agency Advisory Regarding Claims That Smoked Marijuana Is a
Medicine
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/2006/ucm1086
43.htm
      Medical Marijuana - Marinol
http://www.justice.gov/dea/ongoing/marinol.html
      Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base
http://books.nap.edu/html/marimed/
      Marijuana Studies/Articles from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
http://www.drugabuse.gov/drugpages/marijuana.html
      Marijuana Research Report
http://www.drugabuse.gov/ResearchReports/Marijuana/default.html
      The DEA Position on Marijuana
http://www.justice.gov/dea/marijuana_position.html
      Please let us know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Content Specialist
ONDCP Clearinghouse
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov

My last two e-mails to the ONDCP have been waiting for a response for over a week:
     You have completely avoided answering my questions yet again with this pish posh nonsense on "smoked marijuana." Now smoked cannabis may not have medical value, but how about cannabis ingested through brownies and cookies, or for that matter vaporized cannabis? If there is no accepted medicinal value on cannabis, which is a requirement for a schedule 1 controlled substance; then why does the US Department of Health and Human Services hold patent 6630507 titled "cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants" that reads as follows?:
     “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”
      This patent was obtained in October of 2003.
      Also under this fact of medical value; Why does the AMA (American Medical Association) and the ACP (American College of Physicians) accept medicinal value on cannabis? In fact the AMA has more than 7000 physicians that have accepted the use of cannabis for more than 400,000 patients.
      If the ONDCP wants to avoid my first two questions yet again then here are some new questions. Under the Severability clause in the controlled substances act the drug laws should be abolished or changed. In a major, broad-ranging report released Thursday, the Associated Press declared that "After 40 years, $1 Trillion, US War on Drugs has failed to meet any of its goals." The report notes that after four decades of prohibitionist drug enforcement, "Drug use is rampant and violence is even more brutal and widespread." The AP even got drug czar Gil Kerlikowske to agree. "In the grand scheme, it has not been successful," Kerlikowske said. "Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems is, if anything, magnified, intensified." This should cause the following to become in effect:

TITLE 21 - FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER 13 - DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
SUBCHAPTER I - CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT

SEVERABILITY
     Pub. L. 106-310, div. B, title XXXVI, Sec. 3673, Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1246, provided that: ''Any provision of this title (see Short Title of 2000 Amendments) held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed as to give the maximum effect permitted by law, unless such provision is held to be utterly invalid or unenforceable, in which event such provision shall be severed from this title and shall not affect the applicability of the remainder of this title, or of such provision, to other persons not similarly situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.''

     Why has this not been upheld, and why can't the ONDCP give me an honest answer to any of my questions? Is it because of the following text that basically requires lies to the citizens of America about these schedule 1 controlled substances?

     According to Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998:
Responsibilities: The Director “Drug Czar”
(12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that--
(A) is listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812); and
(B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration;

     I look forward to your timely response, and hope that the ONDCP realizes that there's people that are smarter than them.
Thank you,
Sean Crystal
420_freedom

To whom it may concern,
     You failed to reply to my prior e-mail which will be included in this; however it will be revised once again. I presume the reasoning for not replying back to me is because the ONDCP knows the laws are wrong, doesn't want to change the laws, and doesn't want to say anything that could cause the laws to be changed. That would also explain the direct avoidance of questions that I've had, and the fact that these laws on cannabis are invalid. Every which way you look at it the cannabis laws should be abolished. There's accepted medicinal value in not 1 but 2 patents held by the Dept. of Health and Human Services. The drug war has been admitted as a failure by many politicians and law enforcement agencies including our current Drug Czar Gil Kerlikowske. This should enforce the severability clause of the Controlled Substances Act. Prohibition of cannabis began because of yellow journalism winning over medical science in a case of who's got more money! Why does the ONDCP continue to avoid me...are you scared?

Previous e-mail revised:
     Smoked cannabis may not have medical value, but how about cannabis ingested through brownies and cookies, or for that matter vaporized cannabis? If there is no accepted medicinal value on cannabis, which is a requirement for a schedule 1 controlled substance; then why does the US Department of Health and Human Services hold US Patent 6630507 titled "cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants" that reads as follows?:
     “Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties, unrelated to NMDA receptor antagonism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and HIV dementia.”
      This patent was obtained in October of 2003.

There is also US Patent 7109245 that was issued September 19, 2006 titled “Vasoconstrictor cannabinoid analogs”

The patent discloses that:
     “The present disclosure concerns pharmaceutical compounds and compositions that are useful as vasoconstrictors, and the use of these compounds, for example in the treatment of shock. Septic shock is a type of vasodilatory shock that is often accompanied by a clinical presentation that suggests infection, such as fever, chills, warm, flushed skin, and hemodynamic instability (characterized by a falling and rising blood pressure). Septic shock is an often fatal condition that accompanies severe microbial infections, frequently with gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella or Bacteroides species. Gram-positive bacterialinfections can also lead to septic shock, particularly those infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus and the Pneumococcus. The bacterial infections can be acquired by routes such as ingestion, personal contact, or trauma, but infections are oftennosocornial consequences of therapeutic procedures, including implantation of indwelling catheters or prosthetic devices. Septic shock often occurs in immunocompromised subjects, and therefore has been an increasing problem in recent years because of the increasing number of individuals who are immunocompromised. For example, subjects with HIV disease or who are taking immunosuppressive drugs for the treatment of cancer or organ transplantation rejection are at increased risk of developing septic shock. In view of the above, there exists a need for agents that counteract the vasodilation associated with shock.

Summary:
     The present inventors (George Kunos and Raj K. Razdan) have demonstrated that abnormal cannabidiol (Abn-cbd) is a selective agonist and cannabidiol is a selective antagonist of an as yet unidentified cannabinoid-like or non-classical receptor distinct from the known cannabinoidreceptors CB1 and CB2. Agonists of these receptors, such as Abn-cbd, are believed to cause vasodilation. Even cannabidiol itself, which is generally an antagonist of the putative receptor, has been found to cause some vasodilation, and it therefore acts as a partial agonist, or mixed agonist/antagonist. It would therefore be desirable to have an agent that acts as a pure, or substantially pure, antagonist at the CB1-like receptor. Such an agent would be particularly useful in the treatment of diseases in which hypotension is the result of the action of endogenous cannabinoids and drug-induced vasoconstriction is desirable, for example in hypotensive states, such as shock. The antagonist would have particular application in vasodilatory shock states, such as septic shock, but it could also be used to achieve selective hemostasis to stop bleeding induced by trauma or surgery.”

     Also under this fact of medical value; Why does the AMA (American Medical Association) and the ACP (American College of Physicians) accept medicinal value on cannabis? In fact the AMA has more than 7000 physicians that have accepted theuse of cannabis for more than 400,000 patients.
     If the ONDCP wants to avoid my first two questions yet again then here are some new questions. Under the Severability clause in the controlled substances act the drug laws should be abolished or changed. In a major, broad-ranging report released Thursday, the Associated Press declared that "After 40 years, $1 Trillion, US War on Drugs has failed to meet any of its goals." The report notes that after four decades of prohibitionist drug enforcement, "Drug use is rampant and violence is even more brutal and widespread." The AP even got drug czar Gil Kerlikowske to agree. "In the grand scheme, it has not been successful," Kerlikowske said. "Forty years later, the concern about drugs and drug problems is, if anything, magnified, intensified." This should cause the following to become in effect:

TITLE 21 - FOOD AND DRUGS
CHAPTER 13 - DRUG ABUSE PREVENTION AND CONTROL
SUBCHAPTER I - CONTROL AND ENFORCEMENT

SEVERABILITY
     Pub. L. 106-310, div. B, title XXXVI, Sec. 3673, Oct. 17, 2000, 114 Stat. 1246, provided that: ''Any provision of this title (see Short Title of 2000 Amendments) held to be invalid or unenforceable by its terms, or as applied to any person or circumstance, shall be construed as to give the maximum effect permitted by law, unless such provision is held to be utterly invalid or unenforceable, in which event such provision shall be severed from this title and shall not affect the applicability of the remainder of this title, or of such provision, to other persons not similarly situated or to other, dissimilar circumstances.''

     Why has this not been upheld, and why can't the ONDCP give me an honest answer to any of my questions? Is it because of the following text that basically requires lies to the citizens of America about these shedule 1 controlled substances?

According to Title VII Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998:
Responsibilities: The Director “Drug Czar”
(12) shall ensure that no Federal funds appropriated to the Office of National Drug Control Policy shall be expended for any study or contract relating to the legalization (for a medical use or any other use) of a substance listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) and take such actions as necessary to oppose any attempt to legalize the use of a substance (in any form) that--
(A) is listed in schedule I of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812); and
(B) has not been approved for use for medical purposes by the Food and Drug Administration;

     I look forward to your timely response, and hope for the sake of my fellow Americans; the hard working, non-violent, taxpaying citizens that on a daily basis are having their lives destroyed, careers ended, and families’ torn apart; that the ONDCP realizes there wrongs and takes any and all means necessary to correct them. It's not a war on drugs; it's an unnecessary evil that are government has forced upon us called prohibition. God didn't put us on this Earth with the prohibition of this plant so why is the ONDCP enforcing this?
Thank you,
Sean Crystal
420_freedom

I have all the information required for the drug wars to be abolished by law, without law change. The government has held us to the lies of prohibition by creating rules such as the responsibilities of the drug czar. Our government has used the drug laws to for property rights infringements. Let’s hold these people that have enforced these laws responsible by law. I am not going to post this additional information in the same post please watch for it!

Part 2 will be posted very soon!