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4 - Treating Yourself, Issue 18- 2009

Publisher/ Editor in ChiefMarco [email protected]

Assistant to EditorJef [email protected]

Copy EditorAendrew [email protected]

Magazine design & layoutIvan [email protected]

Director of Sales & Marketing Michelle Rainey [email protected]

Technical WriterAlly a.k.a [email protected]

Q&A [email protected]

Text & photography ContributorsMarco Renda, Ændrew Rininsland,Ivan Art, Michelle Rainey, Otto Snow,PFlover, Jef Tek, Shantibaba, Jerry B.,Soma, Jay Generation, Harry Resin,Dr Dog, Chris Thompson, JeremyNorrie, Keith Fagin, John (Shiva), Lara Lesack, Richard Owl Mirror,Suggarpaw, British Hempire, Jackie Sutton, Salvatore Messina HD.,David B. Allen M.D., Hashmasta-Kut,Ale Keppel, Gregorio “Goyo” Fernandez

Cover Pic `Mr Nice Critical Mass flower at 6 weeks`by Gregorio Fernandez “Goyo”for Mr. Nice Seedbank

[email protected]

Treating Yourself250 The East Mall,P.O. Box 36531Etobicoke, OntarioM9B 3Y8 CanadaT: + 416 620 1951F: +416 620 0698

Printed in Canada

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Marco Renda - Federal Exemptee - Publisher & Editor in Chief Treating Yourself, The Alternative Medicine Journal - [email protected]

Marco’s Editorial

Treating Yourself, Issue 18 - 2009 - 5

Well I have to say issue number 17 certainly caused a lot of controversy,

especially surrounding the Dr Frankenbeanstien article. Both Sam The

Skunkman and Ed Rosenthal contacted me regarding this. I offered them

both the chance to rebut what was published, but they declined to do so.

I would also like to take this time to apologize to Dr Steve Blitzer, MD, for

not personally contacting him to get his permission to print the article he

wrote. He gave a copy of this to one of his patients who submitted it without his

prior knowledge. Despite a series of emails that gave the impression that he wanted it

published, that was not the case. This taught me that I must not publish anything based on assumption again. I would

also like to apologize for using a picture that depicted self-mutilation. The intention was to reflect pain but sadly both

my layout designer and I were way off the mark using this picture. Due to what transpired, we had to inform Dr

Blitzer’s patient that their contributions would no longer be accepted after this.

We at Treating Yourself take great pride in representing the truth and appreciate all the submissions by our readers.

One other article that struck a nerve with some folks was the From the Needy to the Greedy piece. Some of the dis-

pensaries that support us in Sacramento were upset that I would publish such an article, even though their dispensary

wasn’t mentioned.

Folks need to remember that Treating Yourself is written for patients by patients. The patients’ views and opinions need

to be published so that they too have a voice. Patients are always trying to get people to understand why we choose

to use marijuana as our medicine. Patients who are licensed to grow their own medicine in Canada not only have to

watch out for rippers, but also having to deal with local police forces and fire marshals. Most of the local police forces

and fire departments are not supportive nor do they want to see a marijuana grow op in their area even if it’s LEGAL. I

believe that we patients need to approach these departments and try to educate them on the medicinal benefits of

marijuana. We all need to work together to eliminate the need for the Black Market.

The other issue that patients have to deal with is unscrupulous designated growers; I get many emails from patients

who are not happy with their designated grower due to the fact that they rarely get the amount of medicine that they

require. Now not all designated growers are like this as I have also received many letters from patients whom I have put

in touch with honest growers who are there to HELP the patient in need. We have been successful with providing

patients with a designated grower who are willing to provide the much needed medical marijuana for FREE!

Be sure to check out the Treating Yourself Medical Marijuana & Hemp Expo web site at

http://www.medicalmarijuana-hempexpo.com . We are now accepting applications from patients who are wanting to

be VIP Judges for the first ever Medi Cup. To request an application please send an email to weedmaster@treatingyour-

self.com

On a sad note the Treating Yourself lost a valued member of its online community. She will be sadly missed.

R.I.P. Paulette

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Advertising Policy StatementTreatingYourself is not responsible for theactions, service or quality of the products andbusinesses advertised in our publication. Wewill not knowingly support unethical prac-tices of any advertiser. If you choose to pur-chase a product from one of our advertisers,please let them know that you saw their ad inTreating Yourself Magazine

AdsFormat: JPG, TIFF or EPS in (CMYK) Resolution: 300dpi at 1/1 (actual print size)Ad sizes: • 1/4 page: 95mm x 132mm (wxh) / 3.74in x 5.2in

• 1/2 horizontal: 195mm x 132mm (wxh) / 7.7in x 5.2• 1/2 vertical: 95mm x 267mm (wxh) / 3.74in x 10.5in• Full page: 203 x 276 (wxh) + 3mm bleed on all edges. / 8in x 10.9in + 1/8in bleed

Articles Text: submitted in a Word document with photo files attached separately as JPG’s, captions to be written in place of name on the photo filePhoto format: JPG, 300dpi at actual print size. The more pixels the better!

Note Please take photos of objects or buds with a nuetral background (preferably white).

Submission info

Marco’s Editorial

Press Release

Letter to the Editor

Ask Medicinal Michelle

Hemp ChroniclesUS Soldiers Discover MarijuanaThe High cost of Medical Marijuana...“For Patient’s by Patients”...

SocietyIt’s an Outlaw Life:...Just Thinking

HealthThe Dope on Cannabis Doping in SportsAllergies

Health TestimonialsMy Story: Faith vs. Belief

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11

12

15

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4346

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Inside this issue...

Canna ShopsCrosstown TrafficDelta 9DNA GeneticsDolce VitaDr. Dog Dutch PassionEthnogardenGenetics CollectionGreen House Seeds Greenlife SeedsGrobotsGrow Doc SeedsHarborsideHa-sweshHerbal Aire Give AwayHID HUTHotbox MagazineH.U.M.A.N.HydroponiczKDK DistributorsMMA of AmericaMM Seeds WholesalerMichelle RaineyMoe MediblesMr.Nice SeedbankNirvanaNiagra SeedbankOtto SnowParadise SeedsPatient ID Center LAPatient ID Center OaklandPlanetary PridePyramid SeedsRooRSal MessinaSeed BoutiqueSerious SeedsSHHCSilver Surfer VaporizerSOMA seedsTrimproTY SubscribeUK Hemp ExpoVaporizers.caWest Coast CannabisWeedWorld

CartoonsIvan ArtGeorgiatoons

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12839

103428

103108

IB+BCover

12312724552656681824613

2496-98

14186910

102112

IFCover

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930,65,116

Issue 18 - Advertisers Index

The Gold Seal Collectionpg 82

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INSIDE ISSUE NO. 18


Treating Yourself wishes to remind readers to be aware that the sale, possession and transport of viable cannabis seeds is illegal in many coun-tries, particularly in the USA. We do not wish to induce anyone to act in conflict with the law. We do not promote the germination and growthof these seeds where prohibited by law. Treating Yourself assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this publica-tion or in any advertisement. All material is for entertainment and educational purposes only! Treating Yourself does not encourage the ille-gal use of any of the products or advertisements within. All opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of TreatingYourself. Nothing in this publication may be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part without the expressed written consent ofthe publisher. All rights reserved. All advertised products and offers void where prohibited. Occasionally we may use material we believe tobe placed in the public domain. Sometimes it is not possible to identify or contact the copyright holder. If you claim ownership of somethingwe have published we will be pleased to make a proper acknowledgement. All letters and pictures sent are assumed to be for publication unlessstated otherwise. Treating Yourself can not be held responsible for unsolicited contributions. No portion of this publication can be reproducedfor profit without the written consent of the publisher.

Disclaimer

Centerfold strain detailsLemon Skunk, Train Wreck, G-13, White Rhino

GrowThe State of Affairs with Medical Cannabis TodayThe Eleusian Sacrament USATo FIM or not to FIMRootless Transport MechanismThe Gold Seal CollectionMaking BHOKnowing when to Harvest

Smoke Report

TravelHarry Resin’s Visit to Bedrocan BV.

ReviewsAroma and Herbal Therapy Products TrimPro GasTrimPro XLJack Puck PressProhibition DVDMaster Grow GuideThe Healing Fields DVDVapolution Vaporizer

Events6th Annual Toronto’s Cannabis CupThe Continuing Adventures of MA

TY Contest entry form & winner

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70747680828692

100

104

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121124

130

Centerfold Posters

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Why?

Why not?

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PRESS RELEASE


he founding of the AmericanAcademy of CannabinoidMedicine (AACM) was announced

April 23, 2009 by its Board of Directors.

The AACM is a an association of doctorsand researchers active in the field of med-ical cannabis.

The AACM recognizes that there are doc-tors making cannabis recommendations topatients using methods best described asminimalist medicine.

The AACM will bring an end to this inappropri-ate practice, by establishing standards to which allmedical marijuana doctors must adhere.

Additionally, the organization will recognizeskilled practitioners by conferring board certifica-tion.

Toward that end, the American Academy ofCannabinoid Medicine has developed certifyingpractice standards, and guidelines for physicianswho recommend the medicinal use of cannabis.

“Several years ago, the federal governmentreleased inaccurate, misleading information aboutmedical cannabis,” remarked Dr. Bearman,AACM’s Credentialing expert.

“We realized then that there was a need to pro-vide people with accurate, timely informationabout research in this important new field, so ourorganization will focus on this as well.”

The physicians in governance positions at AACMrepresent a diversity of experience in clinical prac-tice, clinical research, and policy-making posi-

tions. The board includes specialists inRehabilitative Medicine, Neurology, InternalMedicine, Psychiatry, Public Health, FamilyPractice, Addiction Medicine and medical geogra-phy.

Members of the AACM Board of Directors are: Greg Carter MD, President Sunil Aggarwall Ph.D., Vice President for Research and OutreachDavid Bearman MD, Vice President for Credentialing & QualityJeffrey Hergenrather MD, Vice President/Secretary Christopher Fitchner MD, Vice President for Public Policy Frank Lucido MD, Vice President for Public Information David G. Ostrow, MD, Ph.D., Vice President for Education

To contact AACM for comments on research and/or radio or TV appearances:Dr. Frank Lucido at 510-848-0958 Dr. David Bearman at 805-961-9988.

T

Press Release:CANNABIS PHYSICIANS FOUND ORGANIZATION TO ENSURE HIGH QUALITY CARE

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR


Editor, Treating Yourself Magazine:

In response to this year s Toronto CannabisCup, I am writing to express my concerns withthe organization and poor lack of managementof what could be an amazing event.

This year was my first attending the event,although previously our store has been asponsor. I believe that tickets were sold withfalse pretenses as many promises were madeand none followed through. What happened to10 samples? I only received 7 entries. Theboat cruise was great, and the only worth−while portion of the weekend. However, on thecruise, the handing out of the samples waschaotic and caused pandemonium; I could notbelieve the complete lack of order. Thiscould have been easily solved with somedirection. This seemed to be the theme of theweekend. There was no MC or host, as the guywho was supposed to be in charge ran aroundall night doing whatever he wanted to do which was mostly promote his own samples. Asimple roped−off line could have made hand−ing out the samples a half an hour affair,instead of the chaotic two hours it took. Orhow about when we boarded the boat and gavethem our tickets; why could the samples nothave been passed out then? All of the crowd−ing could have been avoided.

Worse, speaking with other event goers thenext day, I found out that many handicapped,elderly and actual medicinal marijuana usersdid not get their samples because they couldnot fight the crowd. One elderly lady had mein tears when she told me she came all theway from Alberta. Don t worry, the over 12 peo−ple sitting at our table all opened up ourbags and shared with her. That is not thepoint, though; why were these people over−looked and not thought to be given their sam−ples first? Is that not the whole point? To belooking after our fellow human beings? Ibelieve it was because the man supposedly incharge was trying to make himself look goodso we would vote for him; he wanted to win thegrand prize at his own party! This man has noshame, and I for one believe he is the wrongperson to be in charge and is tarnishing thename of the Cannabis Cup. Not only did he haveno idea what was going on at any time, he was

also ignorant to me and other attendees, aswell as the people handing out the samples. Ioverheard him on more than one occasionaltelling someone to Go F*** themselves. WhenI told him that I did not receive my t−shirt,his response was There is no f***ing way Iam walking up those stairs for you, lady.When I found out where the t−shirts were keptI was shocked, for he was standing threesteps away! Not only did he have no right tospeak to me like that, he had no idea who Iwas! My store sponsored the event this year,as well as bought tickets to attend.

I want to know where the money went that wasraised. $150,000 (500 tickets sold at $300 apop) is a lot of money that could be used forsome good in the marijuana movement. My othermain concern with the event was that no onewas told how to vote. There were no ballotsmade, no rating system, and no little cardswith a 1 to 5 system. I thought we were hereto judge the best smoke? I really wanted toanalyze each entry properly and give it theshot it deserved to shine. I thought we couldjudge on taste, stoniness, appearance, andaftertaste and so on. I also thought that eachwould be on display at the hall with a bal−lot box. The way to vote clearly marked, so on.This was not the case, and since I had toleave Saturday night, I did not get to vote. AsI was leaving, I spoke with Michelle Raineyand told her that no one had any idea how tovote and it was now 9 p.m. and people wereleaving. As I left immediately after that, Ihave no idea if the voting did take place ornot. Some of my other concerns were the factthat people were left behind on the dock onFriday night after the cruise. About 80 peo−ple could not fit on the buses provided toshuttle us to the after party. The bus neverwent back for them. There was no itineraryprovided to us, we had no idea where the afterparty was. Once again, poor organization andpoor direction all could have been avoided.The location for the after party was also alet down, as you could not drink outside orsmoke marijuana outside. Inside was so hotand uncomfortable as there was not enoughroom for everyone. A better location, like acampground where we could all fit and smoke

Disappointment with

Toronto Cannabis Cup

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LETTER TO THE EDITOR


together, would have been a much betterchoice than downtown Toronto. Why not haveshuttles to a campground after the boatcruise? Also, why was there no activitiesplanned for during the day? There could havebeen lots of fun tours or speeches made. Ithink it was a real waste to have all thosepeople there for marijuana and no one gavethem a speech on what they can be doing forthe pot movement. What a wasted opportunityto educate. Especially since the people thatwent to the event were such a great group ofpeople, all very interested in what they cando for the movement. Many of the promisesmade on the website did not happen. Therewere no glassblowing demonstrations; theshake was forgotten for the honey bee extrac−tor systems, as well as the bubble bag (heremembered his own, thank goodness). The laststraw for me really was on the Saturday whenthey were charging for hamburger and hotdogs.I mean are you for real? It clearly stated onthe website:Saturday June 13th, 2009 − Day 2, Dinner, Comedy& Band NightAfter filling your plate sit down and enjoythe comedy from our performing comediansAfter being charged $300 for a mediocre week−end, I really don t want to pay $4.00 for ahamburger.

I have come to the conclusion that we need anew host. If such an organizer is in chargeof the event next year, I will not be attend−ing or endorsing it. I am sure we can rallytogether and create a truly awesome CannabisCup that we as Canadians can be proud to callour own. If you agree with me, please signyour name below mine, and join our onlinepetition on Facebook. The group is calledLet s make the Toronto Cannabis Cup the bestit can be!!! and can be found atfacebook.com/group.php?gid=93366209715&ref=mfThank you for hearing my concerns; I, for one,would welcome change.

Sincerely,Lara LesackCrazy Bills/Escape Glassescapeglass.ca

Editor’s Reply

Dear Lara,As one of the participating sponsors I totallyagree with you! But don’t despair, as TreatingYourself is putting on an organized event runby professionals. Mark July 16 – 18, 2010 onyour calendar, as we have already booked theMetro Toronto Convention Centre, as well as aboat cruise for the VIP Judges on July 17, 2010.We are hosting the Marijuana Music Awards,as well as a hemp clothing fashion show put onby Ha Shwesh. On the boat cruise, we will beserving a gourmet dinner and all non-alcoholicdrinks are FREE. All VIP Judges will receive abag full of goodies on Friday July 16, 2010 asthey register so they won’t have to wait till theboat cruise. We already have confirmation andapproval from the MTCC for the world’slargest vapor lounge (4,000 sq. ft.), wherepatients will be able to medicate in comfort.We will have seminars and movies in our 6,500sq. ft. theatre, not to mention the 150 plus ven-dors. As you can see, we already have the eventcoming together in a rapid and professionalmanner.

Take Care and PeaceMarco RendaFederal ExempteePublisherTreating YourselfThe Alternative Medicine Journal

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ASK MEDICINAL MICHELLE


Hi Michelle,

My name is Todd and I'm a activist working in Alberta and I've been pointed towards you for advice. I'vegot a conundrum that I cannot overcome and unfortunately, in my case, isn't taken seriously at all. I haveADHD and have since childhood. I've been prescribed a veritable pharmacy of drugs that have only mademe less able to function in working society. I've found that certain strains of marihuana not only help mefocus and accomplish tasks laid out before me, but also, ingesting it in food makes me a very efficient work-er. My conundrum is that having approached my doctor about, he laughed me off as others have done herein Alberta. I know that it's not provided as a legitimate treatment for ADHD but it truly helps me. I waswondering: a. if there exists a doctor you know of that would take me seriously

; b.if there is even any hope of me acquiring a license under these untested circumstances.

One for the cause,TT

Dear Todd,You are a brave young man to take control of your own health. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) affects 7% of Canada’s 7 million children and 66% still being afflicted entering adulthood. Thosewho suffer from ADHD have problems focusing, organizing, and prioritizing. Many children are improper-ly diagnosed and immediately prescribed medications not tested in or approved for use by children. Ritalinis the most popular treatment being a junior grade methamphetamine notorious for causing many cardiacdeaths and can cause death by doubling or tripling the recommended dose. A child metabolizes pharmaceu-ticals differently than adults. The harmful side effects have the potential to bring on suicidal thoughts to aninnocent undeveloped mind. In 2005 Health Canada removed the prescribed drug Adderall due to 20reported deaths internationally from ADHD patients using a regular dosage.

Marijuana is becoming a safer alternative treatment for this challenging disorder. Research has been provingmany patients who are using marijuana are able to maintain focus and remain emotionally stable as well.There has been no record of anyone dying either.

Todd we do not have a list of cannabis friendly physicians in Canada that is why we as patients have toeducate them about the benefits of therapeutic marijuana. Treating Yourself Magazine Issue 17 has a com-prehensive article about ADHD and ADD(Attention Deficit Disorder) that you should give to your doctorwhich I will send you! I am also including a list of web-sites that should be read and printed out for him aswell. You have a right to choose the treatment that best suits your body and mind. Being a respectful andresponsible activist educating our health care providers can only empower us to treat ourselves!

http://www.showmethefacts.org/medical-marijuana-facts/add-adhd/http://www.nowpublic.com/health/autism-add-adhd-and-marijuana-therapy-can-we-trust-science

xoxoMedicinal Michelle

AskMichelle

!

?

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HEMP CHRONICLES


ershing’s “Punitive Expedition”revealed gaping holes in everyaspect of military effective-

ness. He submitted a scathingreport in October 1916, assessingnearly four months of field activi-ties in which he pointed to numer-ous deficiencies in combat fitnessamong almost all units under hiscommand. The expedition boggeddown due to its lack of success,tension with Mexican officials andcitizens, and the attraction ofliquor that was provided by canti-nas that remained open all night toprovide service to the thirsty sol-diers. Another salient feature of thecampaign was the regulated broth-el operated under official auspicesas the "Remount Station," withthe rate per copulation set at $2. Aprophylactic was issued to eachman upon his admission to theprecincts, to prevent sexuallytransmitted diseases among thetroops.

When Pershing returned fromMexico, there was some concernthat marijuana had infiltrated theAmerican ranks, although an offi-cial inquiry failed to turn up anyproof to that effect. However, in1921, the commandant of FortSam Houston expressly forbademarijuana anywhere on thegrounds of the military post, osten-sibly because American soldierswere smoking the drug while onduty. In World War I and theFederal Presence in New Mexico -The Punitive Expedition and theEducation of General John J.Pershing, author David V. Holtbydetails the situation regarding thediscipline and behaviour of U.S.

P

troops under Pershing's commandand notes a new “menace to disci-pline” — narcotics, including mar-ijuana.

Camp Cody in Deming served asthe National Guard headquartersclosest to Columbus. It, too, strug-gled with lack of troop discipline.The conduct of National Guardunits stationed in Columbus and atnearby Camp Cody revealed prob-lems associated with the rapidmobilization of civilians. While theProgressive era fostered attentionto morals, and even though theArmy had long enforced disciplinein personal habits, the deportmentof citizen-soldiers in 1916-17exposed problems on a scale thatrequired new approaches to howthe Army controlled its soldiers’conduct.

Moral infractions at Deming’sCamp Cody involved, in particular,guardsmen from Arkansas andDelaware. Drunkenness and vene-real disease at Camp Cody

prompted military officials towork with community leaders inthe fall of 1916 to monitor thetown’s seven saloons. Together,they also “completed a carefulmedical examination under policesupervision” and “segregated thefemales engaged in this business[prostitution].”

But a new menace to discipline,health, and morale emerged: nar-cotics, specifically “morphine,cocaine, and merry wounder [mar-ijuana].” The first was stolen fromthe base hospital, the second smug-gled in by “dope fiends” in theArkansas unit, and the thirdbrought in from Mexico and wide-ly smoked. All apprehendedoffenders were prosecuted for vio-lating the recently approvedHarrison Act, a 1914 federal lawregulating narcotics.

Incidents involving drugs resultedin detailed reports sent to GeneralFrederick Funston, Pershing’s supe-rior in charge of the Army’s

U.S. Soldiers discover

MarijuanaBy British Hempire

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HEMP CHRONICLES


to proclaim its independence onNovember 3, 1903, and in a classicdisplay of gunboat diplomacy, theU.S.S Nashville was stationed inlocal waters and impeded anyinterference from Colombia.

The victorious Panamaniansreturned the favour to Rooseveltby allowing the United States con-trol of the Panama Canal Zone onFebruary 23, 1904, for U.S.$10million (as provided in the Hay-Bunau-Varilla Treaty, signed onNovember 18, 1903). The UnitedStates formally took control of theFrench property relating to thecanal on May 4, 1904, when

Roosevelt was able to reverse aprevious decision by the WalkerCommission in favour of aNicaragua Canal, and pushedthrough the acquisition of theFrench Panama Canal effort.Panama was then part ofColombia, so Roosevelt openednegotiations with the Colombiansto obtain the necessary rights. Inearly 1903, the Hay-Herran Treatywas signed by both nations, but theColombian Senate failed to ratifythe treaty. In a controversial move,Roosevelt implied to Panamanianrebels that if they revolted, the U.S.Navy would assist their cause forindependence. Panama proceeded

Theodore Roosevelt, who becamepresident of the United States in1901, believed that a U.S.-con-trolled canal across CentralAmerica was of vital strategicinterest to the U.S. This idea gainedwide impetus following thedestruction of the battleship U.S.SMaine, in Cuba on February 15,1898. The U.S.S Oregon, a battle-ship stationed in San Francisco,was dispatched to take her place,but the voyage around Cape Horntook 67 days. Although she arrivedin time to join in the Battle ofSantiago Bay, the voyage wouldhave taken just three weeks viaPanama.

disobedient as a result. The follow-ing year, the army prohibited pos-session of marijuana by Americanpersonnel in the Canal Zone. By1925, the U.S. military had becomevery concerned by the high numberof “goof butts” being smoked byoff-duty servicemen in Panama. Asa result, the U.S. government spon-sors the Panama Canal ZoneReport.

troops were discovering thedelights of Mexican marijuana,U.S. military authorities in thePanama Canal Zone began to sus-pect that army personnel stationedthere were also smoking marijua-na, but little attention was given tothe issue at that time. Six yearslater, in 1922, the provost marshalbecame concerned about reportsthat American soldiers were smok-ing marijuana and were becoming

Southern Department at Fort SamHouston in San Antonio. A sum-mary report on narcotics submit-ted at the end of the PunitiveExpedition noted, “it is well knownthat the improper use of thesedebasing and habit forming drugs isincreasing in our army and willprobably continue to increase morerapidly when and where all alcoholstimulants are cut off entirely.”At the same time as Pershing's

The Panama Canal

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HEMP CHRONICLES


Lieutenant Jatara Oneel of theUnited States Army was presentedwith the keys; there was a smallceremony. The newly-createdPanama Canal Zone Control cameunder the control of the IsthmianCanal Commission during canalconstruction.

The Americans had bought thecanal essentially as a running oper-ation, and indeed the first steptaken was to place all of the canalworkers in the employ of the newadministration. The Americanstherefore inherited a small work-force, but also a great jumble ofbuildings, infrastructure andequipment — much of which hadbeen the victim of fifteen years ofneglect in the harsh, humid jungleenvironment. There were virtuallyno facilities in place for a largeworkforce and the infrastructurewas crumbling. The task of cata-loguing the assets was a huge one;it took many weeks simply to card-index the available equipment.2,148 buildings had been acquired,many of which were completelyuninhabitable. Housing was at firsta significant problem. The PanamaRailway was in a severe state ofdecay.

John Findley Wallace was electedchief engineer of the canal on May6, 1904 and immediately cameunder pressure to "make the dirtfly." Wallace was replaced as chiefengineer by John Frank Stevens,who arrived on the isthmus on July26, 1905. Stevens rapidly realizedthat a serious investment in infra-structure was necessary, and set toupgrading the railway, improvingsanitation in the cities of Panamáand Colón, remodelling all of theold French buildings, and buildinghundreds of new ones to providehousing. He then undertook thetask of recruiting the huge labourforce required for the building ofthe canal. Given the unsavouryreputation of Panama at the time,this was a difficult task, butrecruiting agents were dispatched

to the West Indies, Italy and Spainand a supply of workers was soonarriving at the isthmus. Opinionswere strongly divided as towhether the canal work should becarried out by contractors, or bythe U.S. government itself.Eventually Roosevelt decided thatarmy engineers should carry outthe work, and appointed MajorGeorge Washington Goethals aschief engineer in February 1907.

The Canal Zone originally hadvery minimal facilities for enter-tainment and relaxation for the

canal workers, except the saloons;as a result, the men drank heavilylargely because there was nothingelse to do, and drunkenness was agreat problem. The generallyunfriendly conditions resulted inmany American workers returninghome each year. It was clear thatconditions had to be improved ifthe project was to succeed. A pro-gram of improvements was thusput in place.

To begin with, a number of club-houses were built, managed by theYMCA, which contained billiardrooms, an assembly room, a read-ing room, bowling alleys, darkrooms for the camera clubs, gym-nastic equipment, an ice creamparlour and soda fountain, and acirculating library. The members'dues were only ten dollars a year;the remaining deficit (of about$7,000, at the larger clubhouses)was paid by the Commission.Baseball grounds were built by thecommission, and special trainswere laid on to take people tomatches; a very competitive leaguesoon developed. FortnightlySaturday night dances were held atthe Hotel Tivoli, which had a spa-cious ballroom.

These measures had a markedinfluence on life in the Canal Zone;

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Workers at the Panama Canal

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HEMP CHRONICLES


drunkenness fell off sharply, andthe saloon trade dropped by sixtyper cent. Crucially, the number ofworkers leaving the project eachyear dropped significantly. OnOctober 10, 1913, the dike atGamboa, which had kept theCulebra Cut isolated from GatunLake, was demolished; the initialdetonation was set off telegraphi-cally by President WoodrowWilson in Washington. On January7, 1914, the Alexandre La Valley,an old French crane boat, becamethe first ship to make a completetransit of the Panama Canal underits own steam.

As construction tailed off, thecanal team began to disperse.Thousands of workers were laidoff; entire towns were either disas-sembled or demolished. More than75,000 men and women workedon the project in total; at the heightof construction, there were 40,000workers working on it. Accordingto hospital records, 5,609 workersdied from disease and accidentsduring the American constructionera.

On April 1, 1914, the IsthmianCanal Commission ceased to existand the zone came under a newCanal Zone Governor; the firstholder of this office was U.S. Armyofficer George WashingtonGoethals, who had been promotedto Colonel.

Panama Canal ZoneMilitary Investigations into Marijuana

Volume 73 of The MilitarySurgeon published in 1934 con-tained a report entitled MarijuanaSmoking in Panama, detailing howU.S. Military authorities becameaware of marijuana:

As far as can be ascertained maria-juana was not used for smoking bythe personnel engaged in the con-struction of the Panama Canal,and police records do not showany cases of mariajuana intoxica-tion during that time. In fact, thefirst information reaching policeheadquarters that mariajuana wasbeing used here was about 1916when the Chief of Police wasinformed that soldiers of the PortoRican Regiment were smoking a"weed" which caused unusualsymptoms. On investigation theofficers of the regiment stated thatthey knew nothing of this andexpressed surprise when the sub-ject was brought up. The next ref-erence to mariajuana was on May26, 1922, when the ProvostMarshal, Quarry Heights, CanalZone, inquired of the Chief ofBoard of Health .Laboratory,Ancon, concerning the nature ofmariajuana. Several months laterthe Chief of Police also made aninquiry concerning this drug anddesired to know whether it was anarcotic drug within the meaningof the Narcotic Drug Act. Fromthe correspondence it is evidentthat smoking mariajuana hadbecome prevalent among soldierson duty in the Zone and that therewere cases of delinquency attrib-uted to its use.

So it seems that in Panama theAmerican soldiers learnt the mari-juana smoking habit from the localPanamians, just as Pershing'sTroops were in Mexico around thesame time. The U.S. Military even-

tually acted to put in place legisla-tion to control marijuana use byU.S. personnel. Volume 73 of TheMilitary Surgeon details the reac-tion of the U.S. MilitaryAuthorities:

The first step on record to curb theuse of mariajuana by the militaryauthorities was in Circular No.5,Headquarters Panama CanalDepartment, dated January 20,1923, which prohibited the posses-sion of mariajuana.

There is no further reference tomariajuana until March 31, 1925,when the Department Commanderwrote to the Governor suggestingthat a conference of legal, medical,and police officers of the PanamaCanal and also of the militaryauthorities be arranged to considerthe matter of mariajuana traffic.

A committee was appointed by theGovernor on April 1, 1925, toinvestigate the use of mariajuana,and to make recommendations as

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The Committee recommended"that no steps be taken by theCanal Zone authorities to preventthe sale or use of mariahuana, andthat no special legislation be askedfor."

So after a detailed nine monthinvestigation, a committee of eightsenior Military officers concludedthat marijuana was not harmfuland did not represent any greatthreat to the U.S. Military! Thiswas a very serious study; manyopinions were sought fromMilitary commanders and theyeven had police officers smokemarijuana in front of doctors inorder to discern its effects! Volume73 of The Military Surgeon detailshow the committee carried out itsinvestigations:

The committee, in making itsinvestigation, held hearings whichwere attended by the PostCommanders of Fort Clayton andFort Davis. These officers wereinvited to give their opinions onthe subject and to cite instanceswhere mariajuana was the directcause of military delinquencyamong soldiers. Members of thecommittee also visited Fort Davisand the Corozal Hospital for theInsane where they observed sol-diers smoking mariajuana, and inaddition members of the commit-tee observed four physicians andtwo members of the Canal ZonePolice Department who smokedthe drug in their presence. Personswho smoked the drug at therequest of the committee renderedwritten reports on the effect.Numerous written and oral state-ments of opinion were submittedfor consideration. Military recordsof delinquency among the militarypersonnel were also available andthe committee found that in only avery small percentage of individu-als brought to trial before GeneralCourts Martial, in which there wasa record of violence or insubordi-nation, was it possible to attribute

the delinquency to mariajuana.

In December, 1928, the law forbid-ding the possession and use of mar-ijuana in the Republic of Panamawas repealed. The circular whichoutlawed the possession of mari-juana by U.S. personnel wasrescinded on January 29, 1926.However, U.S. Army Officers inthe Canal Zone were not happywith the outcome of theCommittee's study and a furtherstudy was therefore instated, asdetailed by Volume 73 of TheMilitary Surgeon:

The findings of the Board, howev-er, were not concurred in by mostArmy officers who exercised com-mand directly over troops. Theopinion among them was thatmariajuana was a habit-formingdrug and tended to undermine themorale of a military organizationwhen it was used to any extent bythe personnel. There is correspon-dence on me in the Panama Canalexpressing such an opinion andalso expressing surprise at the find-ings of the committee.

On June 23,1928, the DepartmentCommander directed that a furtherstudy be made of mariajuana. Thisstudy was to continue for one year.The circular letter directing thestudy reads in part as follows:

Par. 4. In pursuance of this studyall cases of suspected mariahuanaintoxication and all cases of sus-pected mariahuana addiction willbe sent to the Surgeon for investi-gation. The Surgeon will keep arecord of all cases sent, whether ornot the use of mariahuana is estab-lished. Accurate clinical records ofpositive cases will be kept.Violations of discipline incident tothe use of the drug will be notedand that coincident with the use ofalcohol or narcotics. Surgeons willsubmit monthly reports of all dataupon the subject to theDepartment Surgeon.

to steps that should be taken forprevention of its use, including, ifconsidered necessary, recommen-dations for special legislation. Thiscommittee consisted of the ChiefHealth Officer of the PanamaCanal, the District Attorney, theChief of the Division of CivilAffairs, and the Chief of theDivision of Police and Fire; also,the Department Judge Advocate,the Chief of the Board of HealthLaboratory, the Superintendent ofCorozal Hospital for the Insane,and a representative from theMedical Corps, U. S. Navy, actingin an advisory capacity.

Seven years had passed betweenthe first report of marijuana useamong the troops of the PuertoRico Regiment and the establishingof legislation to control marijuanause by U.S. troops, two years laterthe problem was deemed seriousenough to appoint a committee tothoroughly investigate marijuanaand its use by the U.S. personnel. Itwould seem to me that, in theseven years from the first report ofmarijuana use in 1916 to the firstanti-marijuana in legislation in1923, that the smoking of the weedhad become rather popular andwidespread. Quite clearly, the pro-hibition of the possession of mari-juana by U.S. personnel did little toreduce its popularity, making nec-essary an in-depth study of thematter.

Volume 73 of The MilitarySurgeon explains the outcome ofthe Committee's investigation:

After an investigation extendingfrom April to December, 1925, theCommittee reached the followingconclusion:

There is no evidence that mari-ahuana as grown here is a "habit-forming" drug in the sense in whichthe term is applied to alcohol,opium, cocaine, etc., or that it hasany appreciably deleterious influ-ence on the individuals using it.

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ing of mariajuana impairs the effi-ciency of the soldier and is forbid-den. Soldiers smoking mariahuanaor using it in any way will bebrought to trial for each and everyoffense."

There was still considerable trafficin the drug, and Company officersparticularly complained of thedeleterious effects on the men oftheir commands who used it.About six months after the publi-cation of the order mentioned inthe preceding paragraph (May22,1931), the DepartmentCommander write the Governorsuggesting that the matter be rein-vestigated with a view to securingadditional evidence which mightpossibly be used as a basis for theformulation of regulations forbid-ding the cultivation, possession, orsale of mariajuana on the CanalZone.

It had been reported that the use ofmariajuana was particularly preva-lent among soldiers at Fort Claytonand that it was easily obtained invarious places along the Chiva-Chiva trail. According to reports itwas also being smoked extensivelyby soldiers at Fort Davis.On June 30, 1931, the committeefirst mentioned was designated toinvestigate the use and effects ofmariajuana.

Three years after it's initial study,the Committee were again taskedwith investigating marijuana andit's effect on military operations.This time they took a more scien-tific approach and sought the helpof the medical branch of the U.S.military to carry out direct medicalstudy of marijuana smokers.Volume 73 of The MilitarySurgeon details the nature andobjectives of the Committee's sec-ond investigation into marijuana:

The committee at its preliminarymeeting decided that its principalobjective would be to hospitalizemariajuana smokers at Gorgas

Hospital and have them observedby a psychiatrist, a member of theBoard. It was considered that thisafforded the best and most practi-cable method of obtaining firsthand reliable information concern-ing the effects of the plant as usedin this region. Permission wastherefore obtained from theDepartment Commander to obtainmariajuana smokers from theenlisted personnel for hospitaliza-tion and study at Gorgas Hospital.

The committee also considered itdesirable to obtain as much infor-mation as was practicable as to theextent of mariajuana smoking inmilitary commands and theamount of delinquency caused byits use.

The study of the effects of maria-juana on the individual soldierincluded a complete neuropsychi-atric examination, a clinical-studyof the individual after smokingmariajuana, and a clinical study ofsigns and symptoms following itswithdrawal.

The statistical data relating to theextent of mariajuana smoking inmilitary commands and the delin-quency that might be consideredattributable to its use were securedfrom military sources by the Armymembers of the committee.

The problem of the Committeewas therefore:

1. Determination of the extent towhich mariajuana was being usedby military personnel.

2. The physiological effects thatresult from the smoking of maria-juana.3. Was military delinquency causedby mariajuana ?

The findings of the Committee'ssecond investigation were clearand detailed; the first task, todetermine the extent of marijuanause among military personnel pro-

Par. 5. It should be understoodthat only concrete facts are desired.Opinions or hearsay evidence arenot wanted. ...

A further year of study withdetailed medical reports kept ofany marijuana-related cases wouldseem to me to be intended to clearup the matter of marijuana havinga negative effect on U.S. Militarypersonnel once and for all. Whenthe findings of this second studywere published, they agreed withthe first study in finding that mari-juana did not pose any greatthreat. According to Volume 73 ofThe Military Surgeon, on June 17,1929, the Department Surgeonreported to the Chief of Staff that:

"the inquiry into the use of maria-juana by soldiers of theDepartment had been in effect afull year. The reports of the twelvemonths indicate that the use of thedrug is not widespread and that itseffects upon military efficiency andupon discipline are not great.There appears to be no reason forreviving the penalties formerlyexacted for the possession and theuse of the drug."

Two carefully detailed and soundstudies by senior U.S. Military andmedical professionals had foundthat marijuana was an innocuoussubstance and did not pose anygreat threat to U.S. Military per-sonnel in Panama. However, theissue of marijuana continued toconcern senior U.S. commandersand eighteen months after the sec-ond study concluded, marijuanawas again a subject of great con-cern among the senior figures ofthe U.S. Military. Volume 73 ofThe Military Surgeon details thenext step in the attempts to prohib-it marijuana in the Canal Zone:

There is no further reference to thesubject until December 1, 1930,when the present DepartmentCommander caused an order to beissued to the effect that "the smok-

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Panama is noted as 1 year and 6months, and the average length oftime using marijuana as 1 year and2 months. I find this a interestingstatistic, and probably indicatesthat most of the subjects begansmoking marijuana within 4months of arriving in Panama andhad continued to smoke duringtheir time in the country. I doubtthe men who smoking twenty mar-ijuana cigarettes were very effectivesoldiers; I wonder if the mendescribed as “morons” were theheaviest smokers?

B. Common effects of mariajuanadescribed by users:

1. Mild intoxication. (Smokers usedifferent terms to describe theirsensations, the most commonbeing "brushed up," "high,""happy," "peppy," "rosy,""dopy," "satisfied.")

2. Increased appetite.

3. Induction of sleep an hour ortwo after smoking.

4. Only five, or 15 per cent, statedthey missed mariajuana whendeprived of it.5. Twenty-four, or 71 per cent,stated they preferred tobacco tomariajuana.

6. These soldiers stated that maria-juana was cheap and easy to pro-cure in Panama and that they usedit for "a pleasant pastime," usuallyduring hours off duty when theyhad nothing else to do to amusethemselves. They stated that practi-cally all recruits tried mariajuanaand those who like it usually con-tinued its use. Their average esti-mate of the number of habitualmariajuana smokers in theirrespective organizations wasapproximately 10 per cent.

Nothing unusual in this part of thereport, the users got intoxicatedafter smoking, got hungry and feltsleepy; any marijuana smoker can

duced a detailed breakdown of thepercentages of military personnelthought to be habitual marijuanasmokers:

The following figures are estimatesonly and were obtained from PostSurgeons through DepartmentHeadquarters. They represent thepercentage of the command that ispresumed to be mariajuanahabitués :

Per centFort Amador 0.6France Field 2.0Fort Clayton 20.0Fort Randolph 3.0 Fort Davis 5.4Fort Sherman 2.6Post of Corozal 3.1Quarry Heights 3.0

It is clear from those figures thatmarijuana smoking was wide-spread throughout the Canal Zonebut was only smoked by a smallnumber of military personnel. FortClayton is the only place where theproportion of marijuana smoker isquite high, one in five of the menposted there were thought to behabitual smokers; perhaps duty atFort Clayton was particular bor-ing?

The second task, to determine thepsychological effects of smokingmarijuana, was carried out over aperiod of almost a year. Militarypersonnel were observed in hospi-tal, as detailed by Volume 73 ofThe Military Surgeon:

During the period from December,1931, to October, 1932, for inaverage of six days in each case,thirty-four soldiers, collected fromfour posts in the Panama CanalDepartment, were observed inGorgas Hospital for the effects ofsmoking mariajuana. These men,all known to be or suspected ofbeing mariajuana smokers, volun-teered to enter the hospital, tell allthey knew about the use of maria-juana among soldiers in Panamaand submit to any tests desired.

The findings of this psychological

study are worth detailing in full:

A. General facts:

1. The length of service in Panamaof these soldiers varied from twomonths to four and eight-twelfthsyears, the average being one yearand six months.

2. The chronological age variedfrom nineteen to thirty-three years,the average being 23 years.

3. Mental status : None exhibitedpsychotic symptoms. Sixty-two percent were constitutional psy-chopaths and 23 per cent weremorons, a total of 85 per cent men-tally abnormal.

4. The length of time mariajuanawas used by them varied from twomonths to four years, average peri-od being one year and two months.

5. The quantity of mariajuanasmoked daily varied from one totwenty cigarettes, average beingfive cigarettes.

So the study was of young men, ofwhom 85% were considered 'men-tally abnormal'. As the subjectswere chosen according to theirmarijuana use, it appears that mar-ijuana was popular among the menconsidered to be the least capable.I wonder if this was actually thecase, the phrase “constitutionalpsychopaths” is somewhatambiguous, and as two thirds ofthe men studied were thusdescribed, it is possible that theywere merely disaffected anddemoralised and quite normalmentally. A quarter of the subjectsare described as “morons.” Nodata is provided as to what per-centages of the U.S. personnel inPanama as a whole were “constitu-tional psychopaths” or “morons,”so I am not sure that the informa-tion on mental status should beregarded as significant.

The average length of service in

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had smoked mariajuana for anaverage of less than two years.

6. From a medical standpoint thehabitual use of mariajuana, as ofother stimulants and intoxicants,should be considered detrimentalto health.

7. Nothing was learned during theinvestigation to change our impres-sion that the use of mariajuana bycivilians on the Canal Zone is soslight as to be negligible.

8. The evidence obtained suggeststhat organization commanders inestimating the efficiency and sol-dierly qualities of delinquents intheir commands have undulyemphasized the effects of mariajua-na, disregarding the fact that alarge proportion of the delinquentsare morons or psychopaths, whichconditions of themselves wouldserve to account for delinquency.

A quite balanced set of conclusionI think; particularly that marijuanais not a habit forming narcotic.Interesting in a time when Hearstnewspapers back home in the U.S.were decrying marijuana as killerdrug, the U.S. military had a muchmore realistic view backed up bysolid medical research! The asser-tion that the majority of the mari-juana smokers were delinquentsand that marijuana was not theprime cause of their delinquency isperhaps not fully supported by evi-dence, but may indeed have beenthe case. The Panama Canal was avery quiet posting for a U.S. sol-dier; there were no maraudingnatives or guerrillas to fight, theyspent most of their time in com-fortable barracks and any soldierwill attest to the boredom of bar-rack room life.

It is interesting to note that theCommittee concluded that the useof marijuana by civilians was neg-ligible; whether this refers to U.S.civilians working in the CanalZone or the Panamanian local

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attest to this being accurate! If onlyfive of the men missed marijuana,it clearly can't be an addictive sub-stance, and probably the majorityof the men stating they preferredtobacco can be attributed to theaddictive nature of nicotine! Thecomments about all recruits havingtried marijuana and one in ten menbeing a habitual smoker is proba-bly a more accurate indicator ofthe level of marijuana use amongU.S. military personnel in Panamathan the much lower figures esti-mated by the medical branch inpart 1 of the Committee's findings.

C. Common effects of mariajuanaobserved in users:

1. No deprivation symptoms wereobserved even in those who admit-ted smoking eight to ten cigarettesthe day previous to admission tohospital.

2. With the exception of three, allafter smoking showed symptomsof mild intoxication. They lostreserve, became animated, laughedwithout adequate cause, andtalked foolishly. During this stage,which lasted for half an hour to anhour or so, neurological and men-tal tests were performed as well aspreviously. There was no tendencyto combativeness or destructive-ness.

3. All stated they were very hungryafter smoking and the quantity offood consumed at their subsequentmeal confirmed this statement.

4. Pulse rate was markedlyincreased from a few momentsafter smoking first cigarette to anhour or more. There was no appre-ciable variation in blood pressurebefore and after smoking. Therewere no other distinctive physio-logical changes observed, otherthan a tendency to sleep, in whichsome indulged for a short while anhour or two after smoking.

5. No ill effects from smoking

mariajuana for several days in suc-cession were observed even whenthe soldiers were given mariajuanaad libitum.

So they failed to note any ill effectsof smoking marijuana, just notedthat the subjects got high, had agood giggle, then a good munch,after which some had a nice littlenap. The phrase 'ad libitum' in thiscontext means "freely," or that asmuch as one desires one is given;so, they are saying that no matterhow much marijuana the mensmoked, and they smoked a lot,day after day, no ill effects werenoted! In 1931, the medical branchof the U.S. Military was unable tofind any harmful effects of smok-ing marijuana!

The conclusions drawn by theCommittee were in line with thoseof their original study:

Resume of Observed Cases

1. The smoking of mariajuana isquite common among soldiers inPanama.

2. Morons and psychopaths arebelieved to constitute the largemajority of habitual smokers.

3. Mariajuana as grown and usedon the Isthmus of Panama is a mildstimulant and intoxicant. It is not a"habit forming" drug in the sensethat the derivatives of opium andcocaine are such drugs, as there areno symptoms of deprivation fol-lowing its withdrawal.

4. Physiological effects observed inaddition to intoxication were amarked increase in pulse rate andin appetite and the induction ofsleep.

5. No mental or physical deteriora-tion effects of smoking mariajuanacould be demonstrated, but withthis statement should be consid-ered the fact that the soldiersobserved were all young men who

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population is unclear, though Iexpect it refers to U.S. civilians asvery few Panamanians lived withinthe Canal Zone. It is highly likelythat the soldiers bought their mar-ijuana outside the Zone fromPanamanian locals and had learntthe smoking habit from them, justas Pershing's troops had learntfrom the Mexicans a few years ear-lier. The first Committee studynoted that marijuana smoking washardly known during the construc-tion of the canal so I think it likelythat it was when the garrisons ofsoldiers moved in after the workersleft that marijuana smokingbecame common in the CanalZone. Bored soldiers in a foreignland where cannabis was widelygrown are bound to find relief insmoking it once they observe thelocals doing so.

The recommendations of theCommittee followed the same linesas their prior study:

RECOMMENDATIONS1. The present military regulationsprohibiting the introduction, sale,possession, or use of mariajuanaon military reservations shouldcontinue in force, as they arebelieved to restrict the use of mari-ajuana among soldiers.

2. With the evidence obtained andconsidered by the committee norecommendations for further leg-islative action to prevent the sale oruse of mariajuana in the CanalZone, Panama, are deemed advis-able under existing conditions.

While soldiers smoking mari-juana is not a great threat tomilitary discipline and oper-ations, its use should be keptto a minimum by keepingthe current military regula-tions in force. No restrictionsneeds to be placed on marijua-na outside the military bases isnecessary, however.

Sensible recommendations in myview, that allow the general popu-lation to smoke freely but restrictthe practice among soldiers whileon military service, who are yetable to join with the rest of thepopulation in enjoying a smokewhen off duty. It is telling that theU.S. military took this viewpointonly 6 years before marijuana wasoutlawed in the U.S.!

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ith the growing numberof States approving theuse of medical marijua-

na in the United States, many morepatients have been given the abilityto consume marijuana for relief.

Equally, with this increase in legaluse has come the possibilities ofincreased income for those want-ing to grow this marijuana for thepatients. Most Laws throughoutthe various states refer to theseindividuals as “caregivers” — yet,compassion and care-giving is notwhat a majority of these people areseeking to provide. They are in itfor the huge profits that can beobtained from this increase indemand. In my home state ofMichigan, we are just embarkingupon this process and the ratio ofpatients to caregivers seems to besix to one in favor of the care-givers. Seems that many view thisnew law as an opportunity tomake five and six figure incomes assuppliers of medical-grade mari-juana.

Our State law mandates “reason-able compensation” for the servic-es of a caregiver.This was intended to include themonthly expenses incurred in thegrowing process and a reasonableamount for the time involved in

performing this function on behalfof the patient(s).

Unfortunately, there is a concertedeffort afoot in setting a standardprice to be paid by the patient fortheir own Marijuana, beginning ataround $350 per ounce.

These pricing schemes are being seteven before any marijuana hasbeen grown, the results of the har-vest weighed, regardless that ourlaw states clearly the patient is thesole owner of their respectiveplants. I have asked many times ofthese so-called caregivers: how doyou expect a patient who subsistson a low income, derived fromSocial Security, to afford theseprices? When a chronically-illpatient, who’s income does notexceed $1000 per month needs aminimum of two and one-halfounces per month, that wouldmean they are expected to spend$700-800 per month from their$1000 check simply to acquiretheir needed medical marijuana.That doesn’t seem reasonable inany way, shape or form to me.

I have been told by these supposedcompassionate caregivers that itisn’t their problem if the patientcannot afford to buy their product.That there are plenty of other peo-

ple willing and able to pay thesehigh prices for their top-grade mar-ijuana.

Then there is the other matterwhereby each patient is allowed 12plants at any given time.If an individual patient subscribesto having a caregiver grow theirmarijuana for them yet, is unableto purchase more than one ounceof this medical marijuana, whathappens to all the rest of the har-vested plants? I have been told thatthey plan on diverting the excess tosupplement the caregivers’ income.So, if a caregiver grows 12 plantsfor an individual patient, sells oneounce to the patient per month yetharvests a minimum of 3 ouncesper plant, that would mean thesecaregivers would be selling 36ounces at $350 per ounce, usingthe patients legal registration ID,making $12,600 while the lowincome patient goes without theirnecessary medicine. And to top allthat, each caregiver is allowed toprovide services for up to fivepatients. This means that it is pos-sible for a “caregiver” to make$63,000 every 120 days.

That is $189,000 a year income forthe caregivers while the patientstruggles to house, feed, and clothethemselves on less than $700 or

The HIGH cost ofMedical Marijuanafor LOW Income PatientsBy Richard Owl Mirror

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less per month.Something just isn’t right aboutthis arrangement.

Now, I’m fairly certain this would-n’t include every person willing tobecome a caregiver, yet, in my deal-ings with the largest medical mari-juana association here inMichigan, it is precisely this notionthat is being promoted. Somehow,the patient and their needs havegotten lost in the rush for profitand, I find this appalling and repre-hensible.

This leaves low-income patientswith the only alternative, growingtheir own marijuana.The high cost of equipment, theadded expense for electricity, nutri-ents and the initial cost for seeds isequally daunting. Many patientswill need to save a few dollars hereand there, perhaps even scrimpingon their food supplies throughoutthe month simply to afford thisexpense in growing their own.Personally, I received a one-timestimulus check from the Federalgovernment in May, which I usedto purchase a small 400 watt lightsystem.

In the month of March, I wentwithout food for much of themonth simply to afford the $150fee for my visit to the THC-F clin-ic, so I could garner my doctor’s

recommendation letter.

I had spoke with my regular doctorfour times about using marijuanamedicinally. I explained the highcost of going to this clinic andasked him to please sign the need-ed documents so I wouldn’t needto spend this extra amount frommy check. At first he agreed, toldme I could pick up the documentsin a few days. When I arrived topick the documents up, instead Iwas handed a letter written by thedoctor stating that he is not knowl-edgeable enough to know whoshould or should not receive thisauthorization. So, I was left withno other choice but, to do withoutfood for almost one month.

I don’t have any easy answers ofhow to counter all these highexpenses but, I feel the medicalmarijuana community should atleast be made aware of the burdenbeing placed upon the low-incomechronically-ill or dying patientsaround the country.

One recommendation I have writ-ten to my state government is thatthe requirement of growing thismarijuana in an enclosed, lockedroom should be rescinded andpatients be allowed to grow theirmarijuana outdoors, under the sunas nature intended. This one actionwould greatly reduce the extra

expense of increased electrical bills.

An increase in my electric bill, evenmodest, places a greater burden onmy financial resources.

A second recommendation is thatthese lighting system manufactur-ers could offer medical patients adiscount on the equipment withappropriate documentation offinancial assistance.

Thirdly, I would like to request ofthe many marijuana breeders inour country to offer discounts orgifts of high quality seeds whichmany patients simply can notafford to purchase.

I come from the era of the 1960swhere Peace, Love andCompassion for one’s fellowwo/man was evident. I would liketo see a return to these simple prin-ciples of living and communitysharing. I do not want anythingfor FREE, I just want a helpinghand for the most needy among usduring distressing times.

Please consider all these pointswhen speaking with patientsregarding their healthcare.After all, the simple act of consum-ing marijuana shouldn’t be theoverriding factor in this movementbut, the quality of life afforded topeople going through hard times.

Cartoon

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ince the 1960s, two diametri-cally-opposed views of druguse have appeared.

The view represented by the gov-ernment and medical establishmenthas largely regarded all drug usageoutside the realm of the medicalactivity to be considered an abusewith a negative impact on society(Martel 59), while critical perspec-tives have argued that the rationalefor using drugs cannot be reducedto mere abuse or addiction (60).Instead, many have argued thatdrugs are an intrinsic part of spiri-tual experiences (i) or can be usedto expand and better understand-ing of the human condition (ii).Central to this discussion are con-cerns about the health of drug-using individuals, especially sincethe start of the modern War onDrugs in the 1970s.

Most notably with regards to thequestion of cannabis prohibi-tion, professional experts havethus been employed in varyingcapacities by both sides in anattempt to discredit the other.Looking through the lens ofthese differing professional opin-ions, we can begin to see manyof the socio-political factors con-tributing to a public “credibilitygap” in contemporary discus-sions on both the legalizationand medicinal use of cannabis.As a result of this “credibilitygap,” critical voices may emergefrom non-professional bodies(Epstein 411).

It is therefore in constructing abase of “lay-experts” willing to

debate the effects of cannabis onhealth while simultaneously usingthe language of expert and profes-sional bodies that medicinalcannabis advocacy groups areachieving a degree of credibility onan issue that in the past has largelybeen restricted to professional andgovernment discussions.

Prohibition beforethe ’70s — From Bootleggers toHippies

The 20th century is marked bymultiple failed attempts by NorthAmerican governments to controlthe use of psychotropic drugs. Thisis not a mere matter of opinion:from any objective perspective,

attempts to prohibit the use ofdrugs have failed miserably, both inachieving their original intent andexacerbating a host of social, polit-ical and culture problems.

Beginning with opium prohibitionin 1914 in the U.S., NorthAmerican governments have takenan essentially reactionary approachto drug use and abuse (Whitebread1995). Though a comprehensiveanalysis of all these policies andwhy they can be considered failuresis far beyond the scope of thispaper, two examples may perhapsserve to illustrate why this is so,and also to facilitate understandingof the public reaction to the Nixon-era Drug War. In this short histori-cal outline of alcohol and cannabisprohibition, I hope to demonstratethat the original decision to regu-late cannabis was based on racism

“For Patients, By Patients”:Med-Pot, Lay-Experts and the Construction of Cultural Credibility

Ændrew RininslandTY Copy EditorHotbox Magazine Managing [email protected]

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and public pressure — not profes-sional advice. With the advent ofthe War on Drugs and the changeof focus to the personal healtheffects of cannabis, the conflictingprofessional opinions allowedspace for critical discourses toappear and allowed the lay-expertadvancement of the medicinalcannabis movement.

According to Dills, Jacobson andMiron, “[Alcohol] prohibition hada substantial short-term effect butroughly a zero longer-term effect ondrunkenness arrests” (4). Theythen go on to compare cirrhosisrates (The other indicator oftenused to determine the effectivenessof alcohol prohibition) to find sim-ilar implied behaviours, leading theauthors to conclude that alcoholprohibition had a limited effect onnational consumption (4).However, along with having nolong-term effect on alcohol con-sumption, alcohol prohibition alsohad very negative social conse-quences as well. By putting distri-bution and sale of alcohol into thehands of organized crime, gangsterssuch as Al Capone and JohnnyTorrio were able to amass muchwealth and power, resulting in notonly empowering the Mafia butalso causing much unnecessary vio-

lence (Whitebread 1995). (iii)

By the 1930s, the social conse-quences of alcohol prohibitionwere becoming much too great andthe government ended it(Whitebread 1995). However, in anact of what can only be consideredincredible short-sightedness, thegovernment would embark upon anew and equally disastrous — butmuch more long-lived — attemptto control public use of psychotrop-ics, less than half a decade after thefall of alcohol prohibition. The1937 Marihuana Tax Act in theUnited States was passed largely asa result of racism towards Mexicanmigrant workers and black jazzmusicians — for an exampledemonstrating the validity of this,one only need to look at FederalBureau of Narcotics Chief HarryAnslinger’s testimony at a 1948Senate hearing where he wasrequesting more agents to pursuedrug law violations. When askedwho was violating marijuana laws,he told the committee that “musi-cians” were the culprit: “And Idon’t mean good musicians — Imean jazz musicians.” (1995)

My point in this is that the regula-tion of cannabis was never initiallyabout the effects of it on the health

of individuals. When the govern-ment first sought to regulatecannabis in 1937, Chief Counsel tothe American Medical AssociationDr. William C. Woodward testifiedby saying “The American MedicalAssociation knows of no evidencethat marijuana is a dangerousdrug” — however, his opinion waspromptly disregarded and cannabiswas prohibited anyway, with one ofthe bill’s proponents outright lyingabout Woodward’s position(Whitebread 1995). The only otherpiece of medical testimony wasgiven by a researcher now believedto have been falsifying his results(1995).

Cannabis prohibition in Canadafollowed a similar policy arc to thatof the United States, though it pre-ceded it by over a decade. There aretwo theories for why this is so.Many argue that the 1922 publica-tion of Emily Murphy’s The BlackCandle was one of the driving fac-tors for adding cannabis to theConfidential Restricted List(Canada’s precursor to the U.N.Single International Convention onNarcotic Drugs’ schedule system),while Carstairs argues thatCanada’s inclusion in severalLeague of Nations-sponsored nar-cotics conventions was more instru-

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mental in shaping this policy (31).Regardless, it took until the 1960sfor law enforcement to begin pay-ing any attention to cannabis—between 1946 and 1961, it wasinvolved in only two per cent of alldrug arrests (112).

By the mid-’60s, the legalization ofcannabis had become a much larg-er social issue than it had in thepast. The proliferation of cannabisin the U.S. and its migration northto Canada resulted in an increasedacceptance by youth (Leading onestudier of high school drug userates to dourly conclude that theentire continent would be smokingit within a decade given adoptionrates in the early ’70s.), and also anincreased crackdown by lawenforcement (Martel 30; Spicer2002). The debate was fully-formed in Canada by the 1970s, tosuch a point that the governmentquestioned legalizing it for the firsttime since its prohibition in 1923.

1970 to 2009 — The War On Drugs

The government’s constantlychanging rationale for criminaliz-ing cannabis users reached a headin 1972 when U.S. President Nixonlaunched the War On Drugs. Oncedemonized for allegedly causingviolence amongst minorities, thendemonized as a tool used byCommunist Russia to turn

American youths into pacifists atthe height of the Cold War, Nixon’slaunching of the War on Drugs thusaimed to end illicit drug use in theUnited States using methodologyfor once more dependent uponexpert opinion than the more racistand paranoid rhetoric of the early“Reefer Madness” years(Whitebread 1995). In 1972,Nixon created the ShaferCommission to investigate theharm of cannabis use, which con-cluded that marijuana should bedecriminalized (Shafer 1972). Itlargely argued that cannabis usewas no more a danger than alcoholuse and it was likely unconstitu-tional to enforce its ban federally(1972). Nixon rejected these find-ings and the trend for the next twodecades became that an incredibleamount of conflicting informationwas given to the media, forcing thepublic to come to their own conclu-sions regarding cannabis.

On one hand, a lot of very poorresearch was done. A good exam-ple of this is the 1977 study“Effects of Cannabis Sativa on

Ultrastructureof the Synapsein MonkeyBrain” by J.W.Harper andR.G. Heath,followed byHeath’s othertwo studies,“ C h r o n i cM a r i j u a n aSmoking: Itseffects onFunction andStructure of thePrimate Brain”(1979) and

“Cannabis Sativa Effects on BrainFunction and Ultrastructure inRhesus Monkeys” (1980). Theseechoed the now-familiar paranoiaabout the alleged brain damagepotential of cannabis, but also sup-posedly backed it up with medicalanalysis. The result was the widely-distributed government anti-

cannabis “This is your brain ondrugs” campaign, wherein thosewho frequently use the drug areengaging in an act compared by thecommercial to cracking their headsopen and frying their brains on askillet, and “any questions” had tobe deferred until these assertionswere refuted (often only in the sci-entific press) by other experts. Suchwas the case when 1970 NobelPrize Winner Julius Axelrod inves-tigated the study further, only torealize that the method used byHeath et al was essentially asphyx-iating the rhesus monkeys beingstudied. (iv) Other government-ini-tiated and independent multina-tional studies (Including the LeDain Commission, Canada’s ver-sion of the U.S. ShaferCommission) have indicated thatsmoking cannabis is no more harm-ful than drinking, and likely muchless harmful than smoking ciga-rettes (Le Dain 1972). For instance,at least one study discovered thatDelta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol(THC, the main psychoactive com-ponent in cannabis) potentiallyeven has retrocarcinogenic proper-ties, a finding that correlates to anearlier study in the ’80s that foundcannabis-smoking patrons of“compassion clubs” in SanFrancisco had no higher incidencerates of emphysema or lung cancerthan the non-smoking controlgroup (National ToxicologyProgram 1996; Vinciguerra 1988).This contradicts other work withrelation to the effects of cannabison the respiratory system, the mostrecent of which states the tar out-put of a single joint is about fivesthat of an equivalent-sized tobaccocigarette (Aldington 2007).

A few factors had an impact on theprofessional discussion. The U.S.Drug Enforcement Agency has theability to block research proposalsdealing with scheduled substances,causing a continued federalmonopoly on cannabis research(Canadian AIDS Society 43).Because of prohibition, the pres-

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ence of a law enforcement body inwhat should be essentially a med-ical discussion clouds mattersgreatly; how much research hasbeen adversely affected by theirinvolvement is anyone’s guess. Thesocial stigmatization of cannabisusers and their association withbohemian culture also likely hashad an effect with regards to doingserious research on the topic (41;45).

Meanwhile, to add further confu-sion, the 1980s brought forth themedicinal argument to the broaderdiscussion of cannabis prohibitionin North America. Not only wereexpert opinions about the healthimpacts of cannabis contradictory,but here we see also the emergenceof a group with the belief that thismuch-maligned drug can actuallybe therapeutic. It’s not really a newbelief; cannabis has been used byherbalists for millennia and hasbeen proscribed for everythingfrom failing eyesight to erectile dys-function (Spicer 2002). In fact,cannabis even existed in the phar-macopoeia of the U.S. from 1850until 1942. Statements by variousgovernment officials seem to backthis up: in 1988, U.S. DrugEnforcement Agency (DEA) admin-istrative law judge Francis L.Young noted that “in its naturalform, [cannabis] is one of the safesttherapeutically active substancesknown,” and the 1972 CanadianLe Dain commission reached simi-lar conclusions (Young 1988;LeDain 1972). Further, the 1978creation of the U.S. CompassionateInvestigational New Drug pro-gram, in which the governmentsupplied cannabis to a group ofpeople who exhibited clear medicalnecessity, seems to acknowledge itsmedicinal benefit (“U.S. v.Randall” 1976). Yet at the sametime, cannabis has always existedas a Schedule I drug in the UnitedStates, implying it has no medicinalbenefit whatsoever (DEA 2002). Tothis day, even though one in four

Americans now live in a statewhere medical marijuana initiativeshave been passed via referendum,this classification has allowed fed-eral police to invade otherwise law-abiding clinics in the same way theywould a drug kingpin’s house. Assuch, with such clear contradictionsbetween government policy andaction, citizens were forced to formtheir opinions about cannabis useoutside the confused opinions ofestablished science and medicine.

Suffice to say, by the mid-1990s,the public was in a state of confu-sion about not only the legal stateof cannabis, but also the effects ofsmoking it on the body. Furtherinternational medical research byindependent groups also con-tributed to arguments on both sidesof the discussion. In particular, theemergence of Californian medicinalmarijuana dispensaries(“Compassion Clubs”) initiallydesigned to care for AIDS patientsin the San Francisco area andextended via Proposition 215 con-tributed to public discussion on thistopic (“Proposition 215” 1996).The emergence of the AIDS epi-demic in the 1980s was a factoraiding the public discourse onmedicinal cannabis as the so-called“munchies”—the occasional crav-ings for food that are more oftenthan not a nuisance for cannabissmokers—were found to be in factquite an effective method for com-bating wasting syndrome inHIV/AIDS patients (Haney et al2005). The establishment of a fed-eral medicinal cannabis program inCanada in the late ’90s furtheredthe medicinal argument as well(Health Canada 2009).Meanwhile, cannabis remained anillegal drug with far harsher penal-ties for possession than prescriptiondrugs. Further, patients have had(and continue) to go through a longand difficult process in order to geta medical marijuana exemption,exasperated by differing regionalregulations towards medicinal

usage, cannabis’ continued statusas a Schedule 1 drug in the U.S. (Aswell as the closing of that’s coun-try’s federal medicinal program),and very limited and poor programimplementation in Canada. Intothis environment, the modern citi-zen-driven medicinal cannabismovement emerged.

Where we are now:the 21st century

Medicinal cannabis has alwaysbeen a citizen-driven movement.Both the creation of the incredibly-guarded and now-defunct U.S.Compassionate InvestigationalNew Drug program and the mod-ern Health Canada system resultedfrom medical necessity casesbrought before each country’srespective Supreme Courts bypatients (“Randall v. U.S.” 1975;“R. v. Parker” 2000). Above I haveoutlined some of the difficulties increating a scientific consensustowards the health effects ofcannabis use and the resulting leg-islative schizophrenia that ensued.The resulting loss in scientific cred-ibility thus has forced a uniquecooperation between activists, sci-entific experts and citizens at large.According to Starr in Epstein, “[sci-entific] authority ... includes notjust social authority rooted in adivision of labour or in organiza-tional hierarchies ... but also cultur-al authority, which rests on the

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tence by adopting the vocabularyof the professionals they are engag-ing with. New political representa-tion is forming, and the multifari-ous reach of the issue — into dis-courses as varied as environmental-ism (As Hemp, cannabis’ much-maligned and equally-contraindi-cated non-psychoactive relativewould be an ideal biofuel)(Reason2008) and criminal justice — notonly facilitates, but requires, side-taking in professional discussions.And, as an issue that crosses allgender, race and class lines, theopponents of the War on Drugsneed only point to the massivenumber of incarcerated non-violentdrug offenders to argue not onlythe importance of ethical and epis-temological claims-making, but themoral necessity of it.

The so-called “Cannabis Media”originates in some capacity with thefounding of High Times in 1974 byTom Forcade (Nocenti 2004).Originally started as a lifestylemagazine fashioned after Playboy,High Times quickly became one ofthe few periodicals printing a widerange of scientific opinion andcommentary on the topic ofcannabis. On one hand, by publish-ing the gamut of medical and gov-ernment literature on the topic ofcannabis to a broader audience,more obscure expert literatureignored by the mainstream presswas communicable to a non-expertmass. The success of High Timesspawned several competitors:Skunk Magazine and 420Magazine in the U.S.; CannabisCulture and Treating Yourself inCanada; Weed World in the UnitedKingdom, among others. Withoutdwelling on the particulars of anyof these periodicals, the mere pres-ence of a specific, distributed pub-lishing market relating to this topicis interesting in and of itself. Thefact many of these periodicals uti-lize decentralized Internet-basedproduction models reliant on heavycommunity involvement is even

actor’s capacity to offer what istaken to be truth” (Epstein 411).Scientific authority becomes ques-tioned with the creation of whatEpstein calls a “credibility gap,”wherein the failure of experts toquickly solve a problem not onlyincreases popular resentment ofexperts, but also diminishes thecredibility of the medical establish-ment while simultaneously creatingspace for critical opinions (411). Inthis the press played a fundamentalrole, in communicating both expertopinion and expanding the discus-sion to social and political contexts.However, it has been a combina-tion of specialty media, activistorganizations and increased com-munication technology that havecontributed the most interestingcritical discourses.

In his discussion of how theHIV/AIDS community contributedto the global discussion about clin-ical trials through the constructionof lay expertise, Steven Epstein ana-lyzes how AIDS activists haveestablished medical credibility andhow their particular knowledgeeffects the broader discourse. Usingthe tools of identity politics estab-lished by the gay rights and femalehealth movements, AIDS activistswere able to gain credibility to thescientific establishment and thusact as lay-experts (Epstein 415). Henotes four ways in which thesenon-expert groups were able togain credibility: through the acqui-sition of cultural competence,establishment of political represen-tation, the combination of episte-mological and ethical claims-mak-ing and taking sides in pre-existingmethodological disputes (410). Inmany ways, the modern medicinalcannabis movement is enormouslysimilar, both in its composition andexecution. It too is comprised ofmembers of the “new middle-class”with a lot of cultural capital (414;NORML, “Who Are You?” 2009);as well, it has begun an extensiveproject to create cultural compe-

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more so. In this way, by involvinglarger publics and civil societyorganizations such as activistgroups in this publishing process,non-expert and non-governmentalactors are allowed to contribute tothe dissemination of critiques of theexisting discussion relating to gov-ernment control of cannabis. As asocial movement, proponents ofcannabis legalization (whether gen-erally or for medicinal purposes)have been able to aid in the con-struction of social meanings andforms of knowledge like few othersin history and it is perhaps at leastpartially because of this that sup-port for cannabis legalization hassurged to 44 per cent nationally inthe U.S. in recent months(NORML 2009). (v)

In his discussion of HIV/AIDSactivists, Epstein notes “The mostcrucial avenue pursued by treat-ment activists in the construction oftheir scientific credibility has beenprecisely the acquisition of suchcompetence by learning the lan-guage and culture of medical sci-ence” (417). However, unlike theAIDS activists studied by Epstein,the cannabis legalization movementhas access to a resource quiteunique to its historical era — theInternet. As such, an incrediblywide range of resources is nowavailable to an independentresearcher wishing to pursue anexplorative literature analysis ofexisting medical sources. In the ’70sand ’80s, a comprehensive litera-ture review of a topic such as theeffects of cannabis on ADHDwould have been impossible due toan incredibly limited amount ofexisting research, but also due togreater constraints on access tophysical media. The ability of lay-experts to construct evidence totheir claims using the language anddata of the medical establishmentwas severely limited due to thearcane nature of medical journals— short of having access to a med-ical library or having a subscription

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to a host of medical journals, con-structing authoritative literaturereviews was next to impossible fornon-experts. With the advent ofonline journal databases and servic-es such as Google Scholar, however,a simple text query can be used tolocate an enormous wealth ofobscure and arcane academic infor-mation. The result of this is anintrinsic movement towards usingprofessional language — one mightbe quite surprised while lookingthrough the pages of TreatingYourself and find them devoid ofthe language “stoners” are usuallystereotyped with, largely as a resultof this emphasis on expert commu-nication. It is worth noting giventhat it indicates this shift in the dis-cussion surrounding cannabisusage. These aforementionedactivist efforts — groups such asthe U.S.-based NationalOrganization for the Reform ofMarijuana Laws (NORML) andLaw Enforcement AgainstProhibition (LEAP) — also play apart in communicating expert liter-ature to non-expert groups, who inturn adopt the language in commu-nicating movement ideas to thebroader public. Further, comparedto a few years ago, there are nowno less than four online cannabisnews aggregators (420.com,Stopthedrugwar.org, MapInc.organd Hotbox's project,Smokkr.com), allowing an editorialpiece about medicinal cannabis in asmall Australian newspaper to bepropagated to dozens of differentwebsites across the globe instanta-neously. This has the effect ofallowing members of the communi-ty to respond immediately to factu-ally-inaccurate articles (Thus simul-taneously reifying the epistemologi-cal basis of pro-cannabis argumentsand undermining the validity of dis-puted expert literature), while alsocreating an enormous wealth ofeasily searchable and very topicalinformation for those doingresearch. The result is that whilethe medicinal cannabis movementand the cannabis legalization move-

ment have different aims (The for-mer often being more conservativeand only wishing to legalize formedical reasons and the latteradvocating for legal sales and useby the general public, though thereis often overlap), their use of simi-lar expert literature in arguing sim-ilar points allows both movementsgreater cultural credibility throughshared professionalization of thelanguage of the discourse itself.

The second way in which lay-experts achieve cultural credibilityis through established representa-tion. Epstein refers to this as a“credibility achievement” inso-much that it shows activists havesufficiently organized themselves ina capacity where they can arguethat they are the voice of a specificgroup (Epstein 419). Medicinalcannabis patients have done thisthrough representative advocacygroups such as NORML, theMarijuana Policy Project (MPP)and LEAP, which have been instru-mental in current legislative chal-lenges with regards to medicinalcannabis. 13 U.S. states (Alaska,California, Colorado, Hawaii,Maine, Michigan, Montana,Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island,Vermont and Washing) have madesome kind of exemption for medic-inal cannabis, with Arizona andMaryland both having sympatheticlegislation (“Active State MedicalMarijuana Programs” 2009).These are all contemporary politi-cal events, with the first state topass pro-medicinal cannabis legis-lation being California in 1996.Further, it was NORML that pro-vided professional support topatients during the initial U.S. fed-eral cases arguing their necessity formedicinal cannabis. While patientstaking an intelligent and proactiverole in the decision making processwere crucial to this legislation beingpassed, the actions of advocacygroups such as NORML and LEAPhad effects as well. First, they gal-vanized the community throughproliferating related news and stud-

ies. While the cannabis media isbeginning to show signs of both anexternal and internal battle forcredibility, groups such as NORMLand LEAP were founded with theintent to promote alternatives toexisting drug policies, with anempirical edge from the outset. Inparticular, NORML has funded asignificant amount of cannabisresearch, with results supporting arange of arguments: from the moregeneral (Analyzing U.S. SubstanceAbuse and Mental Health DataArchive figures in order to ascertaincannabis user demographic data) tothe highly political (Measuring andcollecting drug-related sentences asdefined by racial demographics) toones focused more on the medicaldiscussion (Particulate analysis todetermine whether joints, pipes,bongs or vaporizers are the healthi-est smoking method). In doing so,members of advocacy groups suchas NORML straddle the linebetween lay-experts and profes-sional researchers while also pro-viding new data to lay-experts pur-suing the argument. Most impor-tantly, however, groups such asNORML (And MPP, which tendsto focus more on policy and keypolitical actors) indicate a growingpolitical representation on behalf ofcannabis users. After U.S. PresidentObama’s online “Town Hall”meeting — where Internet surferswere asked to submit personalquestions for Obama to beanswered, resulting in cannabis-related questions receiving enoughvotes to occupy 8 of the top 15questions and a snub from thePresident — groups such asNORML received a massive surgein funding, causing a chain reactionwherein many mainstream mediaoutlets began publishing OpEdpieces about the topic of generalcannabis legalization (“Fundraisingjump” 2009). The resultingresponse has since fueled even morediscussion — as an example, mySmokkr project has seen a 15-foldincrease in the number of linksrelating to OpEd pieces mentioning

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legalization when comparing theperiods from September 1 toDecember 31, 2008 and January 1to April 30, 2009. The result is thatthese advocacy bodies are able torelate their message to a far greaterpopulation and thus drive popularsupport, eventually leading to evengreater potential for political adop-tion by elected politicians. Becauseadvocacy groups such as NORMLand MPP are seen to be representa-tive, established politicians andmembers of civil society such as themedia often contact them. This inturn gives lay-experts more culturalcredibility, especially when present-ing findings under the aegis of anational organization. Naturally, italso increases the larger publicawareness of the issue (And thusfacilitating a need for experts todrive public understanding,whether lay- or not) when mediaconsults these organizations.

According to Epstein, “A thirdcredibility tactic employed by treat-ment activists consisted of yokingtogether methodological (or episte-mological) arguments and moral(or political) arguments so as tomonopolize different forms of cred-ibility in different domains”(Epstein 420). He gives the exam-ple of clinical trials with AIDSpatients, wherein the initial subjectpopulations consisted largely ofmiddle-class white men. Treatmentactivists thus argued trials shouldmore accurately reflect the demo-graphics afflicted by HIV/AIDS andthus all affected populations mustbe given access to the trials (420).“Activists therefore pushed simul-taneously for a morally crediblepolicy promoting fair access toexperimental drugs and for a scien-tifically credible policy for acquir-ing generalizable data,” in shortgiving this representative activistbody both the moral and scientifichigh-ground (421). In much thesame way, the medicinal cannabiscommunity uses two strains ofarguments. On the epistemological

end, it argues that cannabis has farfewer side effects than most of theprescription medications availableon the market, and is fundamental-ly harder to overdose on given theincredibly enormous LD-50 ofTHC. Many in the medicinal com-munity regard the scheduled natureof cannabis as ludicrous: inTreating Yourself issue 10, writerWendal Grant compares the enor-mous and incredibly daunting listof side-effects for the pharmaceuti-cals prescribed by doctors, with thecomparatively-harmless effects ofcannabis (Grant 2007). From thisemerges the moral claim medicinalcannabis users are able to make:given that the professional consen-sus is perceived to have a “credibil-ity gap” while simultaneouslyclaiming that a plant with no over-dose or physical addiction potentialand incredibly benign side-effects isan enormously harmful drug (evenwhile the patient is experiencingrelief from it), the patient is forcedinto a moral quandary. He or she isthus forced to either violate profes-sional opinion and the law itself inorder to obtain the relief sought, ortake a cocktail of potentially-harm-ful pharmaceuticals, with oftenadditional pharmaceuticals neededto counter the side-effects of thefirst, which may not even offer thesame relief as cannabis. Thus, asclaim-makers with regards to theirown personal health, medicinalcannabis patients are thus able tomorally argue that it should betheir decision as to how they med-icate — not the government’s.

Lastly, much like the AIDS treat-ment activists mentioned byEpstein, medicinal cannabispatients often take sides in pre-existing professional debates (421).This can be seen in communityresponse to findings — as an exam-ple, when a New Zealand researchlab released findings displaying lev-els of psychosis in cannabis users,Treating Yourself community mem-ber Ally (Or “pflover”) produced a

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massive literature review of variouspsychosis factors for publication inthe upcoming issue. At once,Ally/pflover sided with creators ofthe study in approving theirmethodology, while at the sametime expanding on their findingsand disagreeing with their conclu-sion (pflover 2007). While themedia was relaying the findings asindicating cannabis users weremore prone to psychosis, Ally’sanalysis demonstrated that, com-pared to many other common envi-ronmental factors, cannabis usagehad a comparatively minor effect(18). This at once validated one setof professional opinions (i.e., interms of methodology) and soughtto clarify public understanding offindings, while using languageunderstandable by both a publicand professional audience.Contributions on behalf of lay-experts in the medicinal cannabiscommunity give scope to profes-sional findings while contributingboth localized knowledge andstakeholder opinion to a broaderexpert discourse on the topic.

Conclusion: We only know what we know

In the preceding paper, I have doneessentially two things: first, I dis-cussed the socio-political eventswhich aided in the widespread pub-lic confusion with regards to thehealth effects of cannabis, beforethen beginning a discussion of how

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a combination of lay-experts, spe-cialty media and advocacy groupsinform North American percep-tions of medicinal cannabis usage.While the general discussion ofcannabis legalization inevitablyoverlaps with the medicinal at

points, I have endeavored to isolatethe elements specific to the medici-nal cannabis movement so as tobetter illustrate the large number oflay-experts involved with thatgroup. In doing so, I hope to havedemonstrated the enormous poten-

tial of both the general legalizationand medicinal cannabis communi-ties in both advancing discourseson drug policy and patient use ofdrugs, but also in finally ending theexpensive and ineffective prohibi-tion of cannabis for good.

Ændrew Rininsland is the Managing Editor of Hotbox Magazine (hotboxmagazine.com) and Copy Editor atTreating Yourself. This article is licensed using a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license with the mostrecent version always linked to at aendrew.com/forpatientsbypatients

Endnotes:i: In particular, see Timothy Leary’s The Politics of Ecstasy. Page 44: “If you are serious about your religion, if you really wishto commit yourself to the spiritual quest, you must learn how to use psychochemicals. Drugs are the religion of the twenty-firstcentury. Pursuing the religious life today without using psychedelic drugs is like studying astronomy with the naked eye becausethat's how they did it in the first century A.D., and besides, telescopes are unnatural.”

ii: Alexander Shulgin, the discoverer of MDMA, comments in PiHKAL - A Chemical Love Story: “I decided to devote whatev-er energies and skills I might possess to unraveling the nature of these tools for self-exposure. It has been said that wisdom isthe ability to understand others; it is the understanding of yourself that is enlightenment. I had just found my learning path.”(17)

iii: This section essentially summarizes Charles Whitebread’s “The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the UnitedStates.” Whitebread is one of the most authoritative scholars on cannabis prohibition in the U.S. and his telling of history onthe topic is amongst one of the most detailed and balanced I’ve read. Given that my thesis is more to demonstrate the effects ofthe medicinal cannabis movement in constructing regimes of lay-experts than to detail the intricacies of cannabis prohibition,Whitebread’s analysis will suffice.

iv: Axelrod testified to the 1974 Senate Subcommittee to Investigate the Administration of The Internal Security Act and OtherInternal Security Laws with regards to Heath’s study. He said: “I respect Dr. Heath; he is a fine neurologist, but the doses hehas given for the acute effect, for example, would be equivalent to smoking a hundred marihuana cigarettes, a very heavy doseof marihuana. And the amount he has given for the chronic effect represents smoking 30 marihuana cigarettes 3 times a dayfor a period of 6 months.” See: http://www.archive.org/stream/marihuanahashish00unit/marihuanahashish00unit_djvu.txt

v: This was written in April when support was at 44 per cent. A May Zogby poll now places it at 52 per cent nation-wide, lessthan half a year later. If we are not near a tipping point now, I do not know when we will be. See:http://www.salem-news.com/articles/may062009/mj_zogby_5-6-09.php

Works Cited:"Active State Medical Marijuana Programs." 01 Dec 2004.NORML. 4 May 2009 .

Aldington, S. "Effects of cannabis on pulmonary structure, functionand symptoms." Thorax 62(2007): 1058-63. Print.

Belville, Russ. "Who Are You? US Government Statistics on AdultMarijuana Users." 10 Apr 2009. NORML. 4 May 2009 .

"Cannabis as Therapy for People Living with HIV/AIDS: “OurRight, Our Choice”." 06 July 2006. Canadian AIDS Society. 4 May2009 .

Dills, Angela K. "The Effect of Alcohol Prohibition on AlcoholConsumption: Evidence from Drunkenness Arrests." Workingpaper. 4 May 2009 .

Epstein, Steven. "The Construction of Lay Expertise: AIDS Activismand the Forging of Credibility in the Reform of Clinical Trials."Science, Technology, & Human Values 20(1995): 408-437. Print.

"Frequently Asked Questions: Medical Marijuana." 13 July 2005.Health Canada. 4 May 2009 .

Grant, Wendal. "The Side Effects of Pharmaceutical Drugs."Treating Yourself 10(2007): 45-47. Print.

Hamby, Peter. "Fundraising jump for marijuana group after Obamasnub." CNN Political Ticker. 28 Mar 2009. CNN. 4 May 2009 .

Haney, M, Rabkin, J, Gunderson, E, and Foltin, RW. “Dronabinoland marijuana in HIV(+) marijuana smokers: acute effects on caloricintake and mood.” Psychopharmacology 1(2005): 170-8. Print.

Heath, R.G., A.T. Fitzjarrell, and C.J. Fontana. "Cannabis sativa:effects on brain function and ultrastructure in rhesus monkeys."Biological Psychiatry 15(1980): 657-90. Print.

Heath, R.G., Fitzjarrell, A.T., Garey, R.E., Myers, W.A. ChronicMarijuana Smoking: Its effects on Function and Structure of thePrimate Brain, Marijuana Biological Effects. Oxford, England,Plenum, 1979.

Heath, R.G., Harper, J.W. and Myers, W.A. "Effects of Cannabissativa on ultrastructure of the synapse in monkey brain." Journal ofNeuroscience Research 3(1977): 87-93. Print.

Le Dain, Gerald. "The Report of the Canadian GovernmentCommission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs."Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. 1972. DRCNet. 4 May 2009 .

Martel, Marcel. Not This Time. 4. Toronto: University of TorontoPress, 2006. Print.

"Proposition 215: Text of Proposed Law." California Secretary ofState. 4 May 2009 .

National Toxicology Program, "NTP Technical Report on theToxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies of 1-Trans-Delta9-Tetrahyrdocannabinol (CAS No. 1972-08-3) in F344/N Rats andB6C3F1 Mice (Gavage Studies)." Schaffer Library of Drug Policy.Nov 1996. DRCNet. 4 May 2009 .

Nocenti, Annie. The High Times Reader. New York: Nation Books,2004. Print.

pflover, "Insane in the Hemp-Brain?." Treating Yourself 10(2007):18-29. Print.

"R. v. Parker." 08 Oct 1999. Ontario Courts. 4 May 2009 .

Shafer, R.P. "Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding." SchafferLibrary of Drug Policy. Mar 1972. DRCNet. 4 May 2009 .

Smith-Heisters, Skaidra. "Illegally Green: Environmental Costs ofHemp Prohibition." 13 Mar 2008. Reason Foundation. 4 May 2009.

Spicer, Leah. "Historical and Cultural Uses of Cannabis and theCanadian 'Marijuana Clash'." Library of Parliament. 12 Apr 2002.Senate Special Committee On Illegal Drugs. 4 May 2009 .

U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, "DEA, Title 21, Section 812." 01Feb 2002. U.S. Department of Justice. 4 May 2009 .

"U.S. v. Randall." 24 Nov 1976. Drug Law Reporter. 4 May 2009 .

Vinciguerra, T. "The use of inhalation marijuana as an antiemetic forcancer chemotherapy." New York State Journal of Medicine Oct1988 525-527. Web. 4 May 2009.

Whitebread, Charles. "The History of the Non-Medical Use ofDrugs in the United States." Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. 1995.DRCNet. 1 May 2009 .

Young, Francis. "Marijuana Medical Rescheduling Petition." 06 Sep1988. Family Council on Drug Awareness. 4 May 2009 .

"Zogby Poll: Nearly Six Out Of Ten West Coast Voters SupportTaxing And Regulating Marijuana Like Alcohol National SupportFor Pot Legalization Grows To 44 Percent." 19 Feb 2009. NORML.

4 May 2009 .

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JustThinkingJef Tek

This just in: the last episode ofJay Leno hosting the TonightShow signals the end of an era,and as spring usually brings newawakenings. This year brings usan awful lot of closures, frommassive job losses happening tothe Michigan auto sector toCalifornia’s Eddie Lepp and PhilSpector going down for thecount, I sense an end of an eraupon us. Even Canada’s ownPrince of Pot, Marc Emery isgoing to have to face the musicthis year or perhaps risk a harsh-er penalty.

Don’t get the wrong idea andthink that I think it’s alright tooff your assistant, even if she wasjust a “B” movie star; what I’mtalking about here is the obviousflaunting of this penal systemthat captures the weak, stupid oraccident prone with no distinc-tion between hardened criminalor social pariah. The ReverendEddy Lepp was just growingmarijuana for the sick and dying,as was his now-deceased wifeand long-time companion LindaSenti. She succumbed to the can-cer that he was trying to combatwith medicinal marijuana lastyear.

Way-the-hell back in 1978, StacyKeach’s character, Sgt. Stedankofrom Cheech and Chong’s Up inSmoke movie, said it best,“Marijuana is the last bastion offree enterprise left in America.”The more the world changes, themore is stays the same (in manyways). 30 hellish years later andpeople still don’t comprehendthat cannabis has been used med-icinally for centuries — for eons— with dramatic success. Wehave CB-1 receptors in ourbrains and nervous systems andCB-2 receptors in our immunesystems and these receptors read-ily bind with THC, or Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannibinol, the pri-mary chemical found incannabis.

The “union” of THC bindingwith the two types of cannabi-noid receptors can produceeverything from euphoria to painrelief. Cannabis has proven itselfeffective at managing the painfrom new nerve growth, whichisn’t manageable even withstrong and addictive opiates.Opiates depress the central nerv-ous system to the point of death(in the case of overdose), butmarijuana/cannabis is easilytitrated/regulated, giving the userfinite control of dosage and effi-cacy depending on their circum-stances and situation.

Jay Leno will return squeakyclean to prime-time in Septemberand by then old Phil will haveslipped on a bar of soap or someother heinous accidental retribu-tion. Maybe he will die from awall of soap. Okay, bad joke.The spiritualist Reverend Lepp ofNorthern California's LakeCounty has until July 6 to righthis affairs before doing ten. Eventhe judge agreed the sentence wasunusually harsh, considering theevidence, but the real deal is that

the Cannabis Crusader Lepp has-n’t cooperated with authorities,at all, effectively tying theirhands. District Court JudgeMarilyn Patel just went with pro-tocol, two ten-year sentences torun concurrently (not sequential-ly as the judge could have done),to begin on July 6, 2009. Afterprison, he will have five years ofprobation, if he lives that long.

Recently, in Abbottsford BC,medicinal marijuana patientand grower Jason Wilcox was avictim of police harassment.While away from his residence,Abbottsford Police broke-in andarbitrarily chopped down morethan half of his legal cannabisplants, some of which were mere-ly weeks from fruition. They thenleft him a card and skedaddled,with no case number and nocharges. Jason, who just movedto the area, was not unknown toAbbottsford police or their CityCounsel — he had gone to thecity with his action plan for amedicinal marijuana dispensaryjust a week prior, which theyoverwhelmingly supported andwhere he was hailed as an assetto the community — but theAbbottsford PD had a hiddenagenda.

Arriving on scene, just a daylater, Jason and his wife are visi-bly shaken — I’ve seen that lookin the Army before. Both thefront and back doors of his rentalhome are off their foundationsand will cost hundreds of dollarsto just secure the home again.The visqueen fabric separatinghis vegetative room was slashedin multiple places, even thoughthere were two obvious zippersfor entering. Irretrievable genet-ics were decapitated and laying ina dried-out pile of unnecessarybrown death. Some of thesestrains were nurtured for over a

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decade, only to be killed in theirprime for no apparent reason.

Jason called the number on thecard when he got home. He firstimagined that the police inter-rupted “rippers” or burglars andthis was the result. The Policeclaimed that his alarm companyhad notice of a “panic” buttonbeing pressed within the resi-dence, which gives them a 30minute window to “look” for aperson. No panic button wasactually pushed and why theysearched Wilcox’s 8 year-old-daughter’s doll house remains alegal question. Apparently ADT,and I’m sure all monitored alarmcompanies, have a deal with localpolice; after all, they are just aprivate company, with no alle-giance to their customers whoactually generate their payroll inthe first place. Nazis, I say! Thepolice representative simply apol-ogized. Lawyers were called. Itook photos documenting thetragedy. We mourned. Fire it up!

Jason Wilcox’s Health Canadapaperwork was correctly andprominently displayed with thelimit of 96 plants, which he had,in various stages throughout thetwo rooms. Coppers randomlycut, or should I say ergonomical-ly cut, because the cops justhacked down the biggest andhealthiest plants within easyreach. Over half his plants, for noreason! What burns me up per-sonally is the arrogant way copslove to pop the electrical panelcover, to look for who-knows-what. Are cops now certifiedelectricians? No – I think not; dothey hope to catch Wile E.Coyote “stealing” amps, in theflesh? It is like a dog who chasescars — if he caught one, hecouldn’t drive it. This is a clearcut case of cannabis discrimina-tion in my eyes and in the eyes of

the lawyers Jason has retained tofully investigate this matter. So,boys and girls, for better orworse, this crooked cannabiscase is just starting to unfold.

Tim Felger, also of Abbottsford,B.C., a long time activist andmarijuana instigator, was arrest-ed late May and spent the weekin jail for allegedly selling pot tominors. His prominent store,“Da Kine,” is now closed whilehe awaits bail. The future doesn’tlook good to be an activist inCanada — just ask Marc Emery,who has been wanted by the U.S.government since July 29, 2005,when an indictment from SeattleWashington’s federal court wasserved on Canadian soil by theDEA and Vancouver PD, accus-ing Emery, Greg Williams andMichelle Rainey of seed selling,money laundering and conspira-cy charges. Seeds are still avail-able worldwide.

Are you fired up, yet?

As one door closes anotheropens. Michelle Rainey and GregWilliams recently accepted a pleaagreement wherein they admitguilt but receive two years proba-tion instead of the life sentencesthese crimes originally called for.Life, man! They are scheduled toreceive sentencing in July. Now,the U.S. wants five to ten yearsfor Marc in a federal gulag. TheDude’s cameo drinking partner inThe Big Lebowski, The Strangerplayed by the one-and-only SamElliot, said it better than I evercould: “Sometimes you get thebear and sometimes the bear getsyou!” That’s how I feel now as Ihelplessly report from this stink-ing laptop and watch heroes andchampions of compassion, careand circumstance now flailing forthe right to walk the streets withyou and me. My back aches!

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Not now, not with ChocolateJesus sitting in the White Houseand Arnie the Governator almostready to open a dialog withmedicinal growers about payingtaxes and delivering Californiafrom certain bankruptcy!Everything seems to be going sowell... Not now, not just as thesummer is ramping up and every-thing wants to grow; not now,don’t put my friends into a grey10 by 10 hole! Without sunshine,nutrients and a community, noth-ing blooms. Draconian, paranoidfear-mongering laws that bindthe Judge presiding over a case to“mandatory minimums” werethe worst practical joke everplayed on the justice system. Noshoes, no shirt, no justice — nokidding?

Everything I was about to say hasalready been said before, manytimes and many ways, more elo-quently and by far greater menthan me. But please hear my pri-mal scream; I’m just speaking upnow, for my brethren, so if thetime ever comes there just mightbe someone left to speak out forme.

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his last April a mixed mar-tial arts (MMA) fighter bythe name of Nick Diaz was

asked about his use of cannabis in aprefight interview. The Times quot-ed him as replying “I'm more con-sistent about everything being acannabis user.” This was followedup by “And I have an easy way todeal with [being tested]. I can passa drug test in eight days with herbalcleansers. I drink 10 pounds ofwater and sweat out 10 pounds ofwater every day. I'll be fine (1).”Sure enough he passed the post-game drug test later that month (2).

Nick has not always passed in thepast however. At least two differentstate commissions have caught himtesting positive for cannabis whenhe did not expect to be tested. First,in 2007, while fighting for theUltimate Fighting Championship(UFC) Mr. Diaz had a win overJapan's Takanori Gomi revokedafter testing positive for THCbecause it was claimed his levelswere so high he must be numbed tothe pain. This effect is consideredergogenic, something whichimproves performance as it relatesto sports or physical activity. Hetested positive again in his firstpost-UFC fight (2).

Preferring Nick keep his private lifeprivate, neither his coach nor hisopponent approved of Diaz’s can-dor about his “lifestyle choices,”

but for different reasons. Whenasked about his opponent’s com-ments, Frank Shamrock, a veteranMMA fighter, said: “He definitelysmokes marijuana. That's his ownbusiness, but it's not the greatestthing for the sport. We're fighting astigma. Still, there's somethingrefreshing about his honesty… Irespect his talent, he brings it (1).”“But I certainly don’t agree with hislifestyle and his marketing of thatlifestyle as a part of mixed martialarts, because I don’t think that’s apart of the sport. I think he’s some-what of a freak in that way (2).” Although not appearing to careabout the use of cannabis itself,Cesar Gracie, Nick’s coach andlong time mentor, has repeatedlyasked Nick to stop being so openabout his cannabis use, saying“Smoke weed all you want —legal-ly in California, you're allowed to.

Just stop talking about it.” Graciewishes he could get it throughNick’s head. “I want him to beknown for his skills, not his drugs.He doesn't need to be thespokesperson for cannabis (3).” (Ifor one commend Mr. Diaz for hisintegrity.)

Nick Diaz is not just a recreationalcannabis user. The Stockton resi-dent is prescribed cannabis underCalifornia’s Prop 215 to help man-age the symptoms of his ADHD(1). As he says, it makes him moreconsistent. Apparently Nick hastried to oblige his coach’s request inthe past, but one characteristic ofthose with ADHD like Nick andmyself is that we tend to be openbooks — ask us anything and wespill it, so to speak. It tends to makefor a very poor poker face (3).You might be wondering at this

The Dope on CannabisDoping in Sports:

Can low-Dose Cannabis Induce Ergogenesis in HighlySkilled Athletes Evidencing Signs of Tolerance to theEffects of Regular Cannabis Use?By Ally (aka pflover)“Preserve Neuroplasticity!”

T

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point, “Why is cannabis a prohibit-ed substance by the California StateAthletes Commission, consideringProp 215?” The answer is not clear,but it seems likely they agree withthe Nevada SAC when they revokedhis win over Takanori Gomi, in stat-ing that “the drug is bannedbecause of the damage it does to theperson taking it. It could make youlethargic, slow your reflexes, andthose are dangerous things in acombat sport (1).” This, of course,leads to another question: whatdoes Mr Diaz’s record look like?The 26 year old is in fact a champi-on fighter, having held multipletitles in his weight class. Technicallyhe has won 75% of his 28 profes-sional fights, however, officially it is71% because of the No Contest rul-ing in the fight against TakanoriGomi (4). For comparison, TheShamrock, Diaz’s most recent oppo-nent and another multi-titleChampion, has only won 66% ofhis 35 professional fights (5) andRandy Couture, also a multiple title

holding UFC Champion, has onlywon 64% of is 25 professionalfights (6). Clearly, Mr. Diaz is doingsomething right, but maybe he isjust a fluke in the system and of noreal significance to the bigger pic-ture.

I had my suspicions, however, thathe was not just a fluke and decide toinvestigate the effects of cannabisuse on performance. I focused myresearch in six different areas: theofficial word on cannabis as a dop-ing agent in sports, performance indriving, performance in general innovice vs. regular users on severalmeasures, performance in other ath-letes known to use cannabis andhow they feel about it, how thisrelates to the psychological state offlow known colloquially as being“in the zone” or “in the groove,”and finally, the evidence the statethat regular cannabis use producesshould facilitate getting into thiszone and what this should mean tothe novice versus skilled athlete.

Cannabis Doping:The official WordIn 1998, Ewing published an inves-tigation into differential use ofcannabis in athlete vs. non-athletehigh school students. Interestingly,he found that cannabis use washigher among the male athlete pop-ulation than in the non-athletemales. The reverse was true forfemale athletes. Ewing suggestedthat this might be due to a delayedfirst exposure effect in this groupwho were more likely than theirnon-athlete counterparts to forgotrying cannabis until after highschool (7). In 2005, a similar studywas published on French SportsScience University students whichsuggested both what might be pos-sibly motivating this use andwhether or not it had an enhancingor deleterious effect on the athletes.The authors suggested thatcannabis was used to enhance per-formance via the relaxing qualities

Frank Shamrock and Cung Le after Cung Le's win at San JoseHP Pavilion 03-29-08. Photo by Michael Sierra.

Randy Couture at the premiere of Redbelt at the 2008 Tribeca Film Festival by David Shankbone.

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List of athletes caught "doping" with cannabinoids.Distilled from Wikipedia:List of Doping Cases in Sport (Accessed 5/25/2009).

Name Country Sport Banned substanceChris Armstrong England Football (soccer) CannabisMichael Arroyo Ecuador Football (soccer) Cannabis

Lee Bowyer England Football (soccer) CannabisJohn Capel United States Athletics CannabisArnaud Casquette Mauritius Athletics CannabisRupeni Caucaunibuca Fiji Rugby union CannabisVilimoni Delasau Fiji Rugby union CannabisMark Dickel New Zealand Basketball CannabisPaul Edwards Wales Athletics TetrahydrocannabinolTomáš Enge Czech Republic Auto racing CannabisSebastien Enjolras France Auto racing CannabisAnthony Gobert Australia Motorcycle racing CannabisShane Hmiel United States Auto racing CannabisGary Hunt England Diving TetrahydrocannabinolCordera Jenkins United States Athletics CannabisHéni Kechi France Athletics CannabisNabil Kirame Morocco Athletics CannabisFrancis Kombe Zambia Football (soccer) CannabisBernard Lama France Football (soccer) CannabisYann Lejuste France Water polo TetrahydrocannabinolMikotaj Lewan'ski Poland Athletics CannabisMark Lewis-Francis England Athletics CannabisRomain Locher France Water polo TetrahydrocannabinolMbulelo Mabizela South Africa Football (soccer) CannabisHarry Milanzi Zambia Football (soccer) CannabisJosh Moreau United States Weightlifting CannabinoidsSireli Naqelevuki Fiji Rugby union CannabisAndrey Oleynik Ukraine Swimming CannabisRonnie O'Sullivan England Snooker CannabisEmilio Pagani Italy Swimming TetrahydrocannabinolMichael Phelps United States Swimming Cannabis (self-admitted)

Ross Rebagliati Canada Snowboarding CannabisAndrey Rudnitskiy Russia Athletics CannabisTimothy Rusan United States Athletics TetrahydrocannabinolDorian Scott Jamaica Athletics CannabisEuzebiusz Smolarek Poland Football CannabisJamie Stuart England Football (soccer) CannabisIbrahim Tanko Ghana Football (soccer) TetrahydrocannabinolAlexander Urinov Uzbekistan Weightlifting CannabisAlexander Walke Germany Football (soccer) TetrahydrocannabinolJoe Warren United States Wrestling CannabisBernard Williams United States Athletics CannabisRicky Williams United States American football CannabisKindel Woods United States Basketball Indian CannabisTara Zwink United States Snowboarding Cannabis

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it produces. Furthermore, reportedcannabis use for this reason waspositively correlated to the compet-itive intensity of the sport in ques-tion (8). This is the closest contem-porary science appears to havecome to observing or recognizingthis potential for cannabis to play abeneficial roll in an athlete’s overallplan or, depending on one’s per-spective, to act as an effective dop-ing agent.

Most available attempts in the liter-ature to address the topic ofcannabis use by athletes have beenquite firmly against it. Althoughmost acknowledge that cannabis isused by athletes for its relaxingeffects they claim this is not enoughto account for a performanceenhancing effect considering all theother effects of cannabis. Oftenthese studies focus on the immedi-ate effects of acute cannabis intoxi-cation such as impaired explicit andspatial memory functions, impairedfocused attention on complextasks, impaired sustained attention,impaired balance, reduced psy-chomotor activity, reductions intotal cardio output and resultingreduced stamina for sustainedactivity (9, 10, 11). Indeed, thisappears to be the end of the main-stream scientific party line with noattempt to dig deeper to elucidatewhy so many athletes choose to usecannabis (see Table 1) or what itmight be doing for some of themore skilled individuals amongthem.

Cannabis andDriving:Performance in aComplex BehaviorPerformance of skilled athletes,who regularly use cannabis, espe-cially at various times followingadministration, has not particularlybeen studied yet. That said, manyresearchers use the evidence provid-ed by studies on the effects of

cannabis intoxication on drivingperformance for an example of areasonably well-learned complexbehavior requiring many functionsrequired by sports minus the physi-cal exertion (I suggest this simpledifference matters, more on thislater). I shall do the same whileattempting to point out some of theissues with this analogy as it per-tains to skilled athletes.

In drivers apparently novice to, orat least not significantly familiarwith, the effects of cannabis, THCwas orally administered via either20mg Marinol or 16.5mg /45.7mgTHC hemp milk drinks. Bloodsamples were taken at variousintervals following administrationto track serum levels of THC, itsactive metabolite 11-HO-THC,and their inactive carboxylatedmetabolite 11-nor-9-COOH-THC.This was accompanied by tests ofskills necessary for safe driving.Subjects were also asked how will-ing they were to drive in several sit-uations of varying degrees of per-ceived importance. Peak serum lev-els of THC were reached within anhour but peak intoxication corre-lated better with the peak in theratio of (THC + 11-HO-THC):11-nor-9-COOH-THC. This is alsowhen the strongest impairments onthe tests of driving related skills,such as tracking, were observedand when subjects were least will-ing to drive, reporting the effects ofintoxication to be unpleasant at thehighest dose. Even so, many sub-jects were still willing to drive in thesituations with the highest per-ceived importance (12).

The subjects in this study do notappear to be regular users ofcannabis or may even be novice toits effects. I think it goes withoutsaying that in this population, THCintoxication can be quite intenseand overwhelming. There is also noevidence that these drivers hadmuch — if any — familiarity withperforming the skills asked of themwhile under the influence of

cannabis. Finally, these subjectswere average drivers and not high-ly skilled/trained athletes such asracecar drivers. These issues areimportant when trying to relate theeffects on performance observedhere to that which might be seen intrained athletes attempting to usecannabis as an ergogenic agent.Most athletes attempting to usecannabis in this fashion are likely tobe regular or at least semi-regularusers and as such are already famil-iar with its effects and, if attempt-ing to use it ergogenically, wouldquickly become familiar with per-forming under these effects.Trained athletes, especiallyOlympic or professional level ath-letes, are by definition highly skilledand not just the average Jane whoknows the rules of the game andplays with her friends. As such,when they compare to the popula-tion of drivers, they are the equiva-lent of a competitive race car driv-er.

An attempt was made to address atleast one of these issues when thestudy was replicated. This time theresearchers used participants whowere all at least “occasionalcannabis smokers” (13). It couldtherefore be argued that the sub-jects were reasonably familiar withthe effects of cannabis and mayhave even driven under its influencein the past. This, however, onlyhelps address some of the issueswith the first study and does notresolve even those as signs of toler-ance do not usually express in occa-sional smokers, which more oftenexpress signs of sensitization to theeffects of cannabis especially innovel environments like the labora-tory. Furthermore, both studies useoral and not intrapulmonaryadministration of THC. Most usersof cannabis who have tried bothroutes of administration wouldagree that they produce discerniblydifferent effects, one of which is amore prolonged and steady intoxi-cation with the oral route whilesmoking peaks quickly and begin-

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ning to drop off within two hours.All these factors make it hard toequate such studies to the perform-ance of highly skilled athletes evi-dencing signs of tolerance to theeffects of cannabis, who are used tosmoking small quantities beforeengaging in their chosen specialty. A pilot study has attempted toaddress the issue of regular vs.novice or irregular use of cannabisbut because of a sample size of two,it is of limited value at this time.However, the fact it utilized PETscans as part of the measure of per-formance both when the partici-pants where sober and under theinfluence of THC makes the resultsinteresting. When under the influ-ence, the participants appeared tohave higher metabolism comparedto when sober in areas related toattention and motor coordination,and less activation in the motiontraction parts of the visual cortex.These findings suggest that even inregular users, cannabis intoxicationmay negatively impact tasks thatrequire coordinated movement,such as driving or sports (14). Thatsaid, the task was not one the sub-jects were highly experienced withor had experience with under theinfluence of cannabis.

Most of the previous issues, exceptfor the high performance sportsdriver comparison, were reason-ably effectively address finally byRonen, et al. 2008. Ronen and col-leagues mainly found that soonafter smoking, cannabis appearedto impair driving abilities andincrease the physical effort and dis-comfort involved in driving. Thiswas accompanied by a tendency tocompensate by slowing down com-pared to baseline scores. Comparethis to a blood level of 0.05% alco-hol, which was found to increasesleepiness while increasing speedover baseline scores. The subjects inthis study smoked either 13mg or17mg THC, were familiar withdriving and the effects of cannabis,and they still showed signs ofimpairment (which they correctly

adjusted for) in this complexbehavior. That said, no impact ondriving was observed 24 hoursafter the 17mg dose (15). So, basedon these findings, our analogy canat least say that it is likely that foraverage, non-professional athleteswho use cannabis on a semi regularto regular basis outside of doingtheir chosen sport, getting highshortly before participating wouldprobably impair their performance.That said, give even one day sincetheir last use and there should be noimpact.

This still however leaves the ques-tion of the high performance driv-ers (no pun intended) experiencedwith the use of cannabis of whichthere are several (see Table 1). Howwould this group perform if theywere given time to adjust to thetesting environment (i.e. the drivingsimulator) and to the effects ofcannabis in this environment? Iwould not be satisfied with thisanalogy for sports until about 15sports drivers familiar with theeffects of cannabis were given atleast ten 30 to 60 minute trainingsessions on the simulator, five testssober and five after smokingcannabis, followed by two testingdays both sober and after smoking.It is suggested that only under theseconditions would it be most likelyto observe the ability of cannabis tofacilitate getting “in the zone” dur-ing a measure of driving perform-ance and that only this would makethe analogy complete since facilitat-ing psychological flow is the pri-mary reason athletes would usecannabis ergogenically.

Another implication of this analogyis that perhaps Nick Diaz is specialin the way he responds to cannabisbecause of his ADHD. This woulddefinitely appear to be a possibilitywhen one considers the case reportof the young German man withADHD who in the process of reap-plying for his driver’s license wastested under the influence of ratherhigh serum levels of cannabinoids

and was found to be better thanaveragely fit to drive on several ofthe measures of performance takenand at least passing on all the oth-ers. It was suggested that cannabi-noids were producing a beneficialeffect on this individual’s ADHDsymptoms and may actually beimproving his performance overbaseline (which was not takenbecause the subject was clearly inno state to drive) (16). If we applythis to our driving/sports analogy,we see that it is possible the samecould be happening for Nick Diaz,even though it has been demon-strated he can win just fine whiletesting negative for cannabinoids. Ifthis were the case, then he would beoutside the norm and not be repre-sentative of the impact of cannabisuse on athletes.

ChronicIntoxication inExperimentalAnimalsSome of the effects of cannabisintoxication believed to be impor-tant to performance in sports havebeen studies in rats, so it would bereasonable to ask for which effectsare tolerance observed and forwhich is it absent. One effect ofCB1 agonists, like THC, whichrepeatedly apparently fails toinduce the development of toler-ance is the acquisition and retrievalof spatial memory. Even afterrepeated daily exposure for twoweeks, rats and mice both appearto express spatial memory deficitswhen tested under the influence ofthe drug (17, 18).

That said, other findings havecalled these findings into question.One measure of a drug’s rewardingproperties is whether or not, and towhat degree, it can produce prefer-ence for a drug-linked environmentgiven a choice when sober. This iscalled the conditioned place prefer-ence paradigm. Most drugs of seri-

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ous abuse (nicotine, caffeine, alco-hol, cocaine and other stimulants,opiates, benzodiazepines and barbi-turates) readily induce place prefer-ence in lab animals. The cannabi-noids, on the other hand, appear toonly do so when very specific con-ditions are met. Otherwise, THCand synthetic cannabinoids havebeen repeatedly shown to produceplace aversion (19, 20).Furthermore, cannabinoid antago-nism appears to induce place pref-erence in these animals (19). Thisfinding has implications for per-formance of spatial memory tasksin rodents suggesting that “dis-taste” for cannabinoid intoxicationcould be inhibiting performance asmuch as or more so than impair-ment of spatial memory as such(20). Even worse, such effects asplace preference or aversion onlygrow stronger with repeat expo-sure, which would indeed give theimpression of lack of tolerance tothe supposed spatial memoryimpairment. Another study of espe-cially long-term exposure (13weeks) to high doses in rats, fol-lowed by seven weeks abstinencefrom the drug, found that not onlydid the THC-treated animals showno impairments compared to theiruntreated counterparts, but thatthose who had received the twohighest doses exhibited less signs ofanxiety and better complex mazeperformance (21). It appears if any-thing that long term exposure toTHC improved sober spatial func-tioning in these animals.

Even though spatial memory issuesobserved in animals followingcannabinoid intoxication are usedto strengthen the arguments againstthe use of cannabinoids by athletes,the full picture makes it hard to tellwhat if any relevance these obser-vations have to human athletes.Furthermore, tolerance is indeedobserved to many of the adverseacute effects of cannabinoid intoxi-cation in animals. For example,although acute intoxication inhibits

both acquisition of new tasks andperformance on acquired tasks, tol-erance to these effects developedafter chronic administration.Interestingly, if a low-dose cannabi-noid antagonist was substituted forTHC following repeat exposure toTHC, the ability to acquire a newtask was impaired (22). This sug-gests that the brain learns to com-pensate for the disruptive effects ofcannabinoids on learning, possiblythrough adjustments in the tone ofthe endocannabinoid system, andthat learning can be impaired byany change significantly deviatingfrom that which this system is cur-rently set to.

Stoned juggler performing Mel's Mess, from youtube video Stoned Juggling by Isakthor.

Another potentially beneficial effecthas been observed in animals fol-lowing administration of low-dosecannabinoid agonists. Moderate tohigh doses of cannabinoids werefound to inhibit stimulus detectionprocesses. However, low dosesappear to facilitate stimulus detec-tion (23). This suggests that notonly can athletes develop toleranceto many of the adverse effects ofacute cannabinoid intoxication butthat a hit or two of cannabis mightactually improve some parts of theathlete’s game, such as “keepingtheir eye on the ball.” It might beparticularly interesting to study thisquestion in cannabis smoking jug-glers, of which there are many.

Measures ofPerformance inRegular UsersAlthough a consensus has not beenreached, many studies have pre-sented evidence suggesting intoxi-cation-induced impairment even inlong-term regular cannabis users.There is, however, general consen-sus on the acute effects. Duringacute intoxication, cannabis dis-rupts vigilance, ability to performmental tasks, explicit and workingmemory, and one’s ability to cor-rectly estimate intervals of eithertime or space. Negative reactionssuch as panic, random disconnect-ed thoughts, hallucinations, delu-sions and other disturbing percep-tual changes can also occur in someindividuals (24). Although occa-sionally appearing at typical recre-ational doses, such responses occurmore frequently with does signifi-cantly larger than typical for theindividual in question (Interestingly,the WHO has suggested that at leastsynthetic THC be placed onSchedule IV of the United NationsConvention on Psychotropic Drugs,the lowest and least restrictive ofthis scheduling system (24).). Itseems that, with rare exception,acute cannabis intoxication willresult in impaired performance insports.

So how does frequent intoxicationcompare to the acute intoxication?One of the first studies to reallyeffectively address this questionfound that while mental processingspeed was slower, accuracy in taskperformance was unaffected by theintoxication produced by smokingTHC in regular users of cannabis(average: 24 joints a week) (25).This suggests that while processingspeed for explicit tasks requiringexecutive functions may be some-what impaired in regular cannabissmokers, they have found ways ofcompensating for many of theother effects, possibly at the cost of

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this reduction in processing speed.Another study found that in regularusers smoking 13mg, THC pro-duces no significant cognitive-motor skill or coordination impair-ment, and only a slight impairmentto processing speed. On the otherhand, the same users were signifi-cantly impaired by 17mg THC onmeasures taken. This is despite thefact that both doses were rated aspleasurable, with good drug effectand high (26). A year later, anotherstudy essentially confirmed thisfinding. Here it was demonstratedthat even at the peak of effect, fre-quent uses showed no significantimpairments other than a slightreduction in processing speed asevidenced by a slight increase inreaction time in the stop signaltask. In contrast, the same dose sig-nificantly impaired performance ofoccasional users on all measurestaken. This suggests that the per-formance of athletes who frequent-ly use cannabis would not be par-ticularly impaired by low doses ofcannabis.

Where do theAthletes Stand? There is little question where NickDiaz stands. Cannabis helps himapproach life more consistently,possibly even including his training,though this is not so clear. In thepast, smoking the night before afight has not appeared to affect hisperformance. However, Nick Diazis just one of millions of athletes theworld over. He is also not the firstto come out publicly in support ofcannabis. For example, MarkStepnoski, five-time All-Pro centerand member of two winning DallasCowboy Super Bowl championshipteams, is a long time cannabissmoker who went on from footballto take over as president of theTexas chapter of NORML.Although admitting to sociallyusing cannabis periodically fromhigh school through his career,Mark claims to have done his bestto have kept his cannabis use and

his athletic life separate. Althoughnot providing much input on theeffects of cannabis on performance,Mark is clearly no slouch and hisstory does not suggest that hiscannabis use hurt his career in anydiscernable fashion (27).

On an administrative level, theUK’s Sports Minister, RichardCaborn, stated in 2006 that he feltthe ban on cannabis should be lift-ed for the 2012 London OlympicGames, suggesting the real threatlay in the realm of ever evolvingserious doping agents. Let thepolice focus on policing society andsocial drugs. He suggests, “[TheWorld Anti-doping Authority is]not in the business of policing soci-ety. We are in the business of root-ing out cheats in sports. That'swhat WADA's core function isabout (28)." However this is of lit-tle consolation for those, likeCanadian Olympic SnowboarderRoss Rebagliati, have already hadtheir gold medals revoked due totesting positive for cannabis.Clearly Ross was not impaired by

the significant level of cannabinoidsin his bloodstream when he wonthat good medal. However, younever know, this might be just whatmulti-record breaking multi-goldmedalist, Michael Phelps, was hop-ing to hear. Perhaps then he mightgrow some integrity, instead of cav-ing and apologizing for somethingreasonably benign at the first signof corporate sponsor pressure. Letyour record speak for itself,Michael, it demands no apology.

In most cases, the portion ofcannabis users inside any givensport is often significant and may insome cases even be a majority.Those cannabis users inside prosports have often reported thatcannabis use amongst their peers iscommon if not rampant. During aninterview with the New York Postin 2001, basketball player CharlesOakley claimed that about 60% ofhis fellow NBA players usecannabis, which agrees with thefindings of a 1997 poll whichfound between 60% and 70% ofplayers at the time consumedcannabis. Indeed, NBA and NFLplayers get busted for cannabis pos-session or for testing positive for iton a regular basis and many of thehighest performing NBA playersare rumored to be regular users(29). One NFL player, RickyWilliams, has even retired ratherthan unnecessarily change hislifestyle for the game (30).

In a truly inspirational piece ofwork on the subject, semi-retiredpro-wrestler and avid cannabisactivist Rob Van Dam, not onlysuggested cannabis was quite com-mon in his sport, telling stories ofpersonal use with other wrestlersand pointing to numerouscannabis-related busts of pro-wrestlers, but suggested that itcould provide performance enhanc-ing effects “in athletic and contactsports (such as wrestling, power-lifting, football), co-ordinationsports (snowboarding, surfing, bas-ketball), and finesse sports (golf,bowling) (30).” His observations

Michael Phelps poses for a photo with then-US President George W. Bush after Phelpswon his first Olympic gold medal at the 2008Summer Olympicsby Shealah Criaghead.)

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appear to be confirmed by Table 1,which lists a diverse variety of ath-letes caught “doping” withcannabinoids. Rob Van Dam is per-haps the most extreme pro-wrestlerto date. Starting out at ExtremeChampionship Wrestling (ECW)and eventually moving to WorldWrestling Entertainment (WWE)when the original ECW went underin 2001, Rob Van Dam has partici-pated in over 1000 events. He is theonly wrestler to have held both theECW and the WWE champi-onships at the same time (31). Alltogether, he held 19 Championshipbelts, some multiple times, andreceived numerous other commen-dations throughout his primarywrestling career.

For those stuck on the fact that pro-wresting is a semi-scripted sport, toput it bluntly — some of that shitsimply can’t be faked! He has alsoreceived numerous injuries over hiscareer, ranging from concussions tobroken limbs and eventually sur-gery on one of his knees (30). As hesaid in a 1999 interview with HighTimes when asked what it’s like toland on a concrete floor, “It feelsexactly like what it looks like.When I jump over the top rope andland ten feet down on my head onthe cement, it feels like I just landedon my head on cement (32).” Notwanting to impede his dream of

pro-wresting, Rob did not even trycannabis until his 21st birthday, ayear after he became a professionalwrestler. He was at an event inJamaica with other pro-wrestlers hehad always looked up to and it wasthese fellow athletes who intro-duced him to cannabis. He has usedcannabis regularly ever since,claiming to have frequently usedcannabis at events, even oncealmost missing his cue while pass-ing a joint with his peers. In otherwords, he performed his extremedeath-defying feats exceptionallywell, even when technically high(30). When asked what it was liketo perform after smoking a joint

Charles Oakley in 2007by shgmom56

RVD performing his signature move, theRolling Thunder, on Marcus Cor Von,February 4, 2007 Champaign, Illinois.

Rob Van Dam, during his tenure as bothWWE Champion and ECW World Champion,poses on the ropes before a title defenseagainst The Big Show, Photographed by FPAtl.

Rob Van Damn performing a 5-Star Frog Splash.

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Distorted sense of time, one's sub-jective experience of time is altered.Direct and immediate feedback(successes and failures in the courseof the activity are apparent, so thatbehavior can be adjusted as need-ed).Balance between ability level andchallenge (the activity is neither tooeasy nor too difficult).A sense of personal control over thesituation or activity.The activity is intrinsically reward-ing, so there is an effortlessness ofaction.People become absorbed in theiractivity, and focus of awareness isnarrowed down to the activity itself,action awareness merging (33).”

There are several situations inwhich flow is commonly experi-enced. Musicians often experienceit, especially when performingimprovisational solos. It may alsobe experienced during some formsof meditation. Modern videogames are often designed aroundthe concept so as to make for a fullemersion experience; when playing,you lose awareness of time and to agreat extent the rest of your innerand outer environment. It has alsobeen suggested that runners in thedepths of a “runner’s high” experi-ence this state. The ability to enterand utilize this state is necessary forthe mastery of such sports as tennisand golf. Professional racers haveeven described the experience offlow during particularly good races(33).

“When challenges and skills aresimultaneously above average, abroadly positive experienceemerges. Also vital to the flow stateis a sense of control, which never-theless seems simultaneously effort-less and masterful. Control andconcentration manifest with a tran-scendence of normal awareness;one aspect of this transcendence isthe loss of self-consciousness (33).”

In some people, cannabis can pro-duce flow-features 3, 4, 9 and pos-

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and if he had ever experiencedwhat he felt were negative effectson his performance, Rob had thisto share this with me:“The effects of cannabis blockstresses of the mind and body, andalso seem to bring out a happy, pos-itive emotion that can be referred toas ‘comfortable.’ Finding comfortwhile performing high pressure sit-uations is extremely helpful. Thepressures applied by the circum-stances as well as by oneself to be atone's very best in front of a livecrowd of screaming fans makesmost performers visibly nervous,often for hours before the event,gaining momentum as the momentapproaches. To be able to walkthrough the curtains feeling fineand even looking forward to ‘doingyour thing’ can turn an intenseexperience into a pleasurable one attimes, and it shows in the perform-ance.I've found that agility and graceful-ness are not affected, only attitudein a positive way. On the otherhand, I do believe that a slightmeasure of respiratory stamina issacrificed, meaning the performermay breath just a little bit harderwhen intoxicated — which is offsetby being in great condition. If thecompetition is a breath holdingcontest or maybe even a long dis-tance run, it is possible that a lot oftoking could work against you, butI also believe that the amount ofconsumption is a huge factor atthat point, meaning one or twotokes (prospectively) may benefitthat same runner.”

In his article, Rob goes on to dis-cuss how cannabis might facilitateperformance in different sports. Byfar the most insightful of his obser-vations, and one crucial to thedevelopment of the central thesis ofthis article, is that cannabis appearsto facilitate the change in mentaland physical state required to “getinto the zone” (30). This observa-tion is important because in it is thekey to unlocking how cannabis canbe ergogenic under the right cir-

cumstances. It is also one veryfamiliar to the cannabis using pop-ulation of jugglers such as myselfbut one which I had not personallyput much thought into before.

Flow into the ZoneAfter reading Rob Van Dam’s com-ments on “the zone,” or psycholog-ical Flow as it is officially called, Iwas able to build a picture of whatis going on in the brain during thisprocess on a variety of measuresand related these to how cannabiseffects the same measures. In sodoing, I came up with a testabletheory for the most likely condi-tions under which ergogenic effectsfrom cannabis might be observedexperimentally, thereby provingwhat many athletes have been say-ing all along. I propose a theory oflow-dose cannabis-induced ergoge-nesis, in the form of improvedaccess to the state of flow, in highlyskilled athletes evidencing signs oftolerance to the effects of regularcannabis use.

Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályiproposed the concept of “Flow,”deriving the name from the phrase“going with the flow.” Although headmits he is not the first to docu-ment this state, he may be the firstto describe it in Western psycholo-gy. There are several features whichcommonly occur during the state offlow, not all of which need be pres-ent for the state to qualify.Wikipedia lists the nine features as(33): “Clear goals (expectations and rulesare discernible and goals are attain-able and align appropriately withone's skill set and abilities).

Concentrating and focusing, a highdegree of concentration on a limitedfield of attention (a person engagedin the activity will have the opportu-nity to focus and to delve deeplyinto it).A loss of the feeling of self-con-sciousness, the merging of actionand awareness.

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sibly 8. This is the second sugges-tion that cannabis might facilitateentering the state of flow, the firstcoming from athletes stating so.Besides these psychological featuresof flow, there are also brainwavesand neural features which accom-pany it. Decreases in beta andincreases in alpha, theta and some-times even delta brainwaves arebelieved to be associated with thesame situations as flow is associat-ed with. This includes meditation(34), the runner’s high (35), golf(36) and group drumming (37).The use of cannabis also increasestheta and alpha waves at theexpense of beta waves. Even the rel-atively non-psychoactive cannabi-noid, cannabidiol (CBD), on itsown is capable of producing thiseffect (38). Acute administration ofTHC produces this effect on thebrainwaves transiently (39) where-as heavy use for 15-24 years con-secutively produces a constantincrease in theta and alpha waves(40). This change in brain activityhas been dubbed “transienthypofrontality” because of decreas-es on frontal lobe activity observedduring activities such as endurancerunning, daydreaming, meditationand many forms of drug intoxica-tion (41).

The neurocognitive basis for thetransient hypofrontality observedduring the experience of flow hasbeen elucidated by Dietrich in 2004(42). Cognitive theory has pro-posed separate but equal forms ofmemory/processes in the braincalled the implicit or proceduralmemory and explicit or declarativememory. Explicit memory involvesdeliberate, conscious retrieval oflearned information or previousexperiences. The definition ofimplicit is a bit more elusive forsome. Implicit memory involvesthings exemplified by the phrase“you never forget how to ride abike.” The use of the implicitlylearned memory “how to ride abike” gets automatically accessedand utilized with no conscious

effort on your part. An explicitprocess would be consciouslyworking out how to read a newword whereas an implicit processwould be the typical effortless read-ing you are non-consciously doingnow (43). Not only do these twotypes of memory differ in functionbut also differ in which brainregions they utilize. Dietrich, 2004,used this framework to analyzeflow and develop a very enlighten-ing picture of the phenomenon.First he discussed neural structuresassociated with the two types ofmemory. Implicit memory is mostlysupported by the basil gangliawhereas the frontal lobe and medi-al temporal structures underlieexplicit memory. Where skill-basedimplicit memory is more efficient,explicit processes involve the exec-utive functions associated withgreater flexibility and gone awryallow us to over-think things.Usually explicit functions dominateconscious awareness and neurocog-nitive resources, however, duringflow, these functions are suppressedand resources are diverted to themore efficient implicit processesthat come to the forefront ofawareness. This allows the mostpracticed skills to be put to usewithout any interference from the“over-thinking” explicit processes(42). The experience of flow thusby definition requires a state oftransient hypofrontality very simi-lar to that produced by cannabis.In diverting resources away fromthe forebrain and its related execu-tive processes to the areas of thebrain associated with coordinatedmovement such as the visual cortexand motor cortex, this transienthypofrontality is produced by exer-cise and is likely responsible formuch of the cognitive and emotion-al benefits observed after exercise(44). Similar changes in neuralactivity have also been observed injazz improvisation using functionalmagnetic resonance imaging (45,46, 47). Some athletes have sug-gested that the easier it is to reachthis state and the faster one reaches

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it, the more benefit one gains fromthe exercise and that cannabis pro-vides just such facilitation. As RobVan Dam might say, if you are notcomfortable, you are just not goingto get in the zone. Cannabis pro-vides a comfortable state of mind.Considering the historically highfrequency of cannabis use amongjazz musicians, one must wonder ifthey feel similarly. As it turns out, cannabis too pro-duces this state of hypofrontality(48), transiently at first (39) andthen pervasively with heavy dailyuse over a period of decades (40).Cannabis suppresses the explicitmemory and related functionswhile leaving implicit memory andworking memory functionsuntouched. Indicative of the implic-it/explicit efficiency/flexibility tradeoff, THC can produce aspeed/accuracy trade off (48).

ConclusionThese findings help elucidate theeffects of cannabis and THC whichcould prove useful in inducing flowand thereby improve performance.The use of low doses of cannabis inregular users may improve stimulusdetection and visual tracking (23),suppress the executive functions inthe forebrain, and allow well-learned skills in the implicit memo-ry to readily come to the forefront.This facilitation of flow would bemost likely to occur in regular usersof cannabis and when the difficultyof the activity at hand was well-matched to the skill level of the per-son performing it. In the case oflow-dose cannabis combined withexercise and sports, there may evenbe a degree of hypofrontality syner-gism produced. It is likely that thesebenefits would be lost after admin-istration of moderate and strongdoses and therefore should beavoided in combination with suchactivities. It is suggested that theless of a skill base an athlete alreadypossessed, the less benefit cannabiscould provide. For some activities,cannabis could even be an impedi-

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ment until the skill as been mas-tered.

The theory I have proposed here isbased on anecdotal and experimen-tal evidence. The theory itself hasnot been directly tested to date inthe laboratory but is clearly worthinvestigating. Future researchshould focus on the highly skilled“artisans” of any field, in particularthe regular cannabis users amongthem, while they are under theinfluence of small doses of THC orcannabis. It may also be useful torule out the amplified effects ofcannabis intoxication in a novel

environment by providing at leasttwo training sessions in the experi-mental environment under theinfluence of cannabinoids. A couplefields which might be particularlyworth investigating are high per-formance drivers, skilled jugglerscapable of improvisational juggling(i.e., not following a single patternor routine), and video gamesavants.

Would this potentially ergogeniceffect from cannabis facilitatedflow be considered cheating by thevarious sports authorities? Orwould UK’s Sports Minister,

Richard Caborn, withdraw hisrequest that cannabis be removedfrom the list of substances bannedfrom 2012 Olympics if he suspect-ed it? Perhaps yes, but it is also pos-sible that such an effect would bedetermined to be inconsequential ashints to its existence have oftenbeen scientifically dismissed in thepast. In the meantime, it is likelythat those athletes in the know likeRon Van Dam and Nick Diaz willsimply continue to do what theyknow works while outperformingtheir peers, setting records, winningchampionships and earning goldmedals.

ReferencesPugmire, L. MMA fighter Nick Diaz says smoking marijuana is part of his plan. Los Angeles Times, 2009 Apr 9. Vandermeer, J. Pot Smoking Athlete's Comments Cause Controversy. Cannabis Culture, 2009 Apr 24. HYPERLINK "http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/pot-smoking-athletes-comments-cause-controver-sy"www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/pot-smoking-athletes-comments-cause-controversy (Accessed 5/20/2009). Hockensmith, R. MMA Submission: Nick Diaz's Life Choices. Yea. That stuff. But is it a distraction? ESPN: The Magazine, 2009 Apr 10.Nick Diaz. Wikipedia. HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Diaz"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_Diaz (Accessed 5/20/2009).Frank Shamrock: MMA Record. Wikipedia HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Shamrock" \l "MMA_record"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Shamrock#MMA_record (Accessed 5/20/2009).Randy Couture: Mixed Martial Arts Record. Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randy_Couture#Mixed_Martial_Arts_record (Accessed 5/20/2009).Ewing, BT. High school athletes and marijuana use. Journal of Drug Education, 1998; 28 (2): 147-57.Lorente, FO, Peretti-Watel, P and Grelot, L. Cannabis use to enhance sportive and non-sportive performances among French sport students. Addict Behaviors, 2005 Aug; 30 (7): 1382-91.Bahrke, MS and Yesalis, C. Performance-enhancing substances in sport and exercise. Human Kinetics Publishers; 1 ed, 2002.Campos, DR, Yonamine, M and de Moraes Moreau, RL. Marijuana as doping in sports. Sports Medicine, 2003; 33 (6): 395-9.Saugy, M, Avois, L, Saudan, C, Robinson, N, Giroud, C, Mangin, P, and Dvorak, J. Cannabis and sport. British Journal Sports Medicine, 2006 Jul; 40 Suppl 1: i13-5.Ménétrey, A, Augsburger, M, Favrat, B, Pin, MA, Rothuizen, LE, Appenzeller, M, Buclin, T, Mangin, P, and Giroud, C. Assessment of driving capability through the use of clinical and psychomotor tests in relationto blood cannabinoids levels following oral administration of 20 mg dronabinol or of a cannabis decoction made with 20 or 60 mg Delta9-THC. Journal of Analytical Toxicology, 2005 Jul-Aug; 29 (5): 327-38.Giroud, C, Augsburger, M, Favrat, B, Menetrey, A, Pin, MA, Rothuizen, LE, Appenzeller, M, Buclin, T, Mathieu, S, Castella, V, Hazekamp, A, and Mangin, P. [Effects of oral cannabis and dronabinol on drivingcapacity]. Annales Pharmaceutiques Françaises, 2006 May; 64 (3): 161-72.Weinstein, A, Brickner, O, Lerman, H, Greemland, M, Bloch, M, Lester, H, Chisin, R, Mechoulam, R, Bar-Hamburger, R, Freedman, N, and Even-Sapir, E. Brain imaging study of the acute effects of Delta9-tetrahy-drocannabinol (THC) on attention and motor coordination in regular users of marijuana. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2008 Jan; 196 (1): 119-31.Ronen, A, Gershon, P, Drobiner, H, Rabinovich, A, Bar-Hamburger, R, Mechoulam, R, Cassuto, Y, and Shinar, D. Effects of THC on driving performance, physiological state and subjective feelings relative to alco-hol. Accident; Analysis and Prevention, 2008 May; 40 (3): 926-34.Strohbeck-Kühner, P, Skopp, G and Mattern, R. [Fitness to drive in spite (because) of THC]. Archiv für Kriminologie, 2007 Jul-Aug; 220 (1-2): 11-9.Nava, F, Carta, G, Colombo, G, and Gessa, GL. Effects of chronic Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol treatment on hippocampal extracellular acetylcholine concentration and alternation performance in the T-maze.Neuropharmacology, 2001 Sep; 41 (3): 392-9.Boucher, AA, Vivier, L, Metna-Laurent, M, Brayda-Bruno, L, Mons, N, Arnold, JC, and Micheau, J. Chronic treatment with Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol impairs spatial memory and reduces zif268 expressionin the mouse forebrain. Behavioral Pharmacology, 2009 Feb; 20 (1): 45-55.Cheer, JF, Kendall, DA, and Marsden, CA. Cannabinoid receptors and reward in the rat: a conditioned place preference study. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2000 Jul; 151 (1): 25-30. Robinson, L, Hinder, L, Pertwee, RG, and Riedel, G. Effects of delta9-THC and WIN-55,212-2 on place preference in the water maze in rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 2003 Feb; 166 (1): 40-50.Holson, RR, Ali, SF, Scallet, AC, Slikker, W Jr, and Paule, MG. Benzodiazepine-like behavioral effects following withdrawal from chronic delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol administration in rats. Neurotoxicology, 1989Fall; 10 (3): 605-19.Delatte, MS, Winsauer, PJ, and Moerschbaecher, JM. Tolerance to the disruptive effects of Delta(9)-THC on learning in rats. Pharmacology, Biochemistry, and Behavior. 2002 Dec; 74 (1): 129-40.McLaughlin, PJ, Brown, CM, Winston, KM, Thakur, G, Lu, D, Makriyannis, A, and Salamone, JD. The novel cannabinoid agonist AM 411 produces a biphasic effect on accuracy in a visual target detection taskin rats. Behavioral Pharmacology, 2005 Sep; 16 (5-6): 477-86.Carlini, EA. The good and the bad effects of (-) trans-delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Delta 9-THC) on humans. Toxicon., 2004 Sep 15; 44 (4): 461-7.Vadhan, NP, Hart, CL, van Gorp, WG, Gunderson, EW, Haney, M, and Foltin, RW. Acute effects of smoked marijuana on decision making, as assessed by a modified gambling task, in experienced marijuana users.Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2007 May; 29 (4): 357-64.Weinstein, A, Brickner O, Lerman, H, Greemland, M, Bloch, M, Lester, H, Chisin, R, Sarne, Y, Mechoulam, R, Bar-Hamburger, R, Freedman, N, and Even-Sapir, E. A study investigating the acute dose-responseeffects of 13 mg and 17 mg Delta 9- tetrahydrocannabinol on cognitive-motor skills, subjective and autonomic measures in regular users of marijuana. Journal of Psychopharmacology, 2008 Jun; 22 (4): 441-51.Gorman, P. HIGH TIMES INTERVIEW: Mark Stepnoski. High Times, 2009 Apr. HYPERLINK "http://hightimes.com/news/ht_admin/231"http://hightimes.com/news/ht_admin/231 (Accessed 5/23/2009).Allow Athletes to use Cannabis, Says Sports Minister. London Evening Standard, 2006 Dec 12. HYPERLINK "http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23378010-details/Allow+athletes+to+use+cannabis,+says+sports+minister/article.do"http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23378010-details/Allow+athletes+to+use+cannabis,+says+sports+minister/article.do (Accessed5/23/2009).Sind, B. Stoned Sportsmen. Cannabis Culture Magazine, 2001 June. HYPERLINK "http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1951.html"http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1951.html (Accessed 5/23/2009).Van Dam, R. Weed, Wrestling, and Athletic Enhancement. Cannabis Culture Magazine, 2008 Sep. HYPERLINK "http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/weed-wrestling-and-athletic-enhancement"http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/content/weed-wrestling-and-athletic-enhancement (Accessed 5/23/2009).Rob Van Dam. Wikipedia. HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Van_Dam"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Van_Dam (Accessed 5/23/2009). Holmstrom, J. Rob Van Dam ‘420’: I Am The Fucking Show. High Times Archive, 1999 March. HYPERLINK "http://hightimes.com/entertainment/agrossmann/2690"http://hightimes.com/entertainment/agross-mann/2690 (Accessed 5/23/2009). Flow (psychology). Wikipedia. HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)" \l "cite_note-0"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)#cite_note-0 (Accessed 5/24/2009). Brainwaves: Normal Activity: Wave Patterns. Wikipedia. HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwaves" \l "Wave_patterns"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwaves#Wave_patterns (Accessed 5/24/2009).Brain Wave States & How To Access Them. Synthesis Learning 2005-2008. HYPERLINK "http://synthesislearning.com/article/brwav.htm"http://synthesislearning.com/article/brwav.htm (Accessed 5/24/2009). Baumeister, J, Reinecke, K, Liesen, H, and Weiss, M. Cortical activity of skilled performance in a complex sports related motor task. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 2008 Nov; 104 (4): 625-31.Winkelman, M. Complementary therapy for addiction: "drumming out drugs". American Journal of Public Health, 2003 Apr; 93 (4): 647-51.Murillo-Rodríguez, E, Millán-Aldaco, D, Palomero-Rivero, M, Mechoulam, R, and Drucker-Colín, R. The nonpsychoactive Cannabis constituent cannabidiol is a wake-inducing agent. Behavioral Neuroscience,2008 Dec; 122 (6): 1378-82.Struve, FA, Manno, BR, Kemp, P, Patrick, G, and Manno, JE. Acute marihuana (THC) exposure produces a "transient" topographic quantitative EEG profile identical to the "persistent" profile seen in chronicheavy users. Clinical Electroencephalography, 2003 Apr; 34 (2): 75-83.Struve, FA, Patrick, G, Straumanis, JJ, Fitz-Gerald, MJ, and Manno, J. Possible EEG sequelae of very long duration marihuana use: pilot findings from topographic quantitative EEG analyses of subjects with 15 to24 years of cumulative daily exposure to THC. Clinical Electroencephalography, 1998 Jan; 29 (1): 31-6.Dietrich, A. Functional neuroanatomy of altered states of consciousness: the transient hypofrontality hypothesis. Consciousness and Cognition, 2003 Jun; 12 (2): 231-56.Dietrich, A. Neurocognitive mechanisms underlying the experience of flow. Consciousness and Cognition, 2004 Dec; 13 (4): 746-61. Explicit Memory. Wikipedia. HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explicit_memory"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Explicit_memory (Accessed 5/24/2009).Dietrich, A. Transient hypofrontality as a mechanism for the psychological effects of exercise. Psychiatry Research, 2006 Nov 29; 145 (1): 79-83.Limb, CJ and Braun, AR. Neural substrates of spontaneous musical performance: an FMRI study of jazz improvisation. PLoS ONE, 2008 Feb 27; 3 (2): e1679.Bengtsson, SL, Csíkszentmihályi, M and Ullén, F. Cortical regions involved in the generation of musical structures during improvisation in pianists. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 2007 May; 19 (5): 830-42.Berkowitz, AL and Ansari, D. Generation of novel motor sequences: the neural correlates of musical improvisation. NeuroImage, 2008 Jun; 41 (2): 535-43.Curran, HV, Brignell, C, Fletcher, S, Middleton, P, and Henry, J. Cognitive and subjective dose-response effects of acute oral Delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in infrequent cannabis users. Psychopharmacology(Berl), 2002 Oct; 164 (1): 61-70.

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llergic responses often occurspontaneously, and can causea reaction in any part of the

body. The reaction can manifest itselfon the surface of the skin or internal-ly, affecting an organ or many organsystems.

Allergic responses can range from aninsect bite causing swelling and itchi-ness in the local area of the bite, assevere as an itchy palate or throatconstriction after eating peanuts, or arunny nose, watery eyes with sneez-ing or wheezing after coming in con-tact with furry animals. This canoccur even in their mere vicinity forvery sensitive people.

The most common allergy-related ill-nesses are hay fever, asthma attacks,skin issues like rashes, eczema andhives. Food allergies can often remainunrecognized because the discom-forts can be subtle and not alwaysimmediate. Bloating, diarrhea, indi-gestion, headaches and joint pain aresome of the symptoms that comefrom allergies. Heart palpitations andmood swings can be alleviated byremoving the causative factor or fac-tors.

People with allergies may have otherconditions such as hypoglycemia,candidiasis and chronic fatigue andare more susceptible to fungal andparasitic infections. Allergies are dueto a hyper reaction of the immunesystem to a particular normally-innocuous substance, but in sensitivepeople, can become life-threatening.When an allergen comes into contactwith any mucous membrane, the skinor bronchioles, the immune systemperceives it as an enemy and triggersa series of reactions set up to fight thisthreat.

Allergens can be found outdoors andin the home and business. Some dili-

gent work needs to be done to scopeout and eliminate the culprits. Weeds,trees, flowers, insecticide, pesticides,fungicides — many of these agentsare found outdoors. Carpets and dustmites and some of the main indoorallergens; cleaners and detergents aresome chemical agents that people canbe allergic to as well.

The pantry and refrigerators also

hold items that can trigger an allergicreaction: white flour, milk products,moldy nuts of varying variety (espe-cially peanuts); the mold may not bevisible, but never the less present.Others include the dyes used in foodcolouring, MSG (MonosodiumGlutamate) used for flavour enhance-ment, food additives, artificial colour,artificial taste, the list goes on and on.Some people may have just a sensitiv-

AllergiesSalvatore Messina HD.Homeopathic doctor, certified Iridologist.

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ity to the same allergens, but thesymptoms are much milder than afull-blown allergic reaction.

Homeopathy has a wonderful andgentle approach in helping people andanimals build up their immune sys-tems to help minimize the effects ofallergies, or eliminate them altogether.Please seek emergency response ormedical attention if an allergic reac-tion is severe. A homeopath orhealthcare practitioner can help youminimize future flare-ups or allergicreactions afterwards.

If allergies prevent you from effective-ly working or enjoying your life, lookinto all the possible causes that maymake you sick, including cigarettesmoke, alcohol or prescription med-ication. These can have a profoundeffects on the body as a whole andlower the resistance of the immunesystem. Many homeopathic remediestreat acute allergic flare-ups. For last-

ing relief, constitutional homeopathiccare is needed. When all else fails,homeopathy offers acute remedies totreat the symptoms of hay fever andallergies.

Some of the common homeopathicremedies for an acute allergic reac-tions are: Allium cepa, Arsenicum,Dulcamara, Euphrasia, Nux vomica,Pulsatilla and Sabadilla.

Homeopathic eye drops are alsoavailable for red, tired, itchy andwatering eyes.

The potency for the selected remediescan be a 6 CH, 12 CH, 30 CH.Higher potencies should be used withcaution.

For more information:Salvatore Messina HD.Homeopathic doctor, certified Iridologist.

www.thehomeopathicdoctor.com • [email protected]: 416-910-1555

Nutritional advice for allergy relief:

Nutritionally, Pantothenic acid,vitamin B5, is thought to helpreduce allergy reactions, alongwith any other anti-inflammato-ries, such as quercetin or L-gluta-mine. Pantothenic acid stimulatesproduction of antibodies. Fruitshigh in citric acid, like lemons andoranges, can break up mucus.Omega-3 fatty acids also help byreducing inflammation in the body.Vitamin C helps your body to pro-duce adrenal hormones to fightstress and reduce the histamineresponse that causes allergy flare-ups.

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y name is Tish, and I livein the mid-south, wherethere is NO available

help for people in need of medicalgrade marijuana, and the optionsfor acquiring any decent marijuanaare very slim. I was raised in akind, open minded, and peace lov-ing environment, where marijuanawas always present for familyunity, quality of life, and spiritualpurposes. My father was bustedfor a large marijuana crop when Iwas younger, a Reagan POW untila few years ago. This had a terribleeffect on my family, and being soyoung and naive, gave me a lastingwrong impression of marijuana.He was a long-time hippie-believerin the positive effects of marijuana,and had always stated it could beimproved to really help those inneed. “Have some faith Tisha,” hewould say, “the universe takes careof its children.”

“Hogwash!” I said, “It was an easyway out to easy money at OURexpense!”

Oh, the convictions of a pre-teenknow-it-all — until now.

Several years ago, I was diagnosedwith SLE (systemic lupus). This hasbeen a struggle for me, but I havemanaged with very little medicaltreatment, relying mostly on home-opathic care. The medications theyuse to treat SLE are awful, only

treating certain symptoms, not thedisease, and inevitably causing theneed for more medication to treatthe side effects that those medica-tions cause. My husband has beena great rock for me, always offer-ing care that not all men mayextend, and always greeting myneeds with a smile and understand-ing. It will all be okay, I can do thisas long as he is by my side…Right…?

And then came August of 2007.We had just moved to Texas as myhusband was getting ready to starta new job that we were both excit-ed about. We had a brief windowof “time” before he started work,and after taking our own beachtrollop, he decides to take a fishingtrip to San Francisco with “theguys.” I waved him off about mid-day, wishing him good fortune andlecturing him about not drivingstraight through. He was so happy,life seemed to be finally comingtogether for us…

8:00 a.m. the next morning, I get“the call.”

Imagine heading out on a once-a-year road trip with your friends tosee San Francisco for the first time.Excited about the cultural options(and maybe even some bay fish-ing), you are laughing and jokingwhile each of you take your turndriving throughout the night. It is

dawn, and after finishing youreight hours of driving, you stop forsome breakfast, gas, and to take afew beautiful desert pics on I-10 inArizona. Everyone gets back in thecar, your driving duties are done,and you go to sleep in the backseat... To then awaken in the hospi-tal in Tuscan.

Not knowing where you are orwhat has happened, you are hur-riedly being told you are beingwhisked into surgery from the acci-dent you don't remember being in.“Surgery! For what? Can I call mywife?”

You are missing your right handand part of your forearm (but theywon’t let you see it before theamputation), your ribs are broken,one of your lungs is punctured, youhave a hemorraging brain injury(that they want to operate on) androad rash from the very top of yourhead to the bottoms of your feet.“Tisha, baby, they are going totake my hand! They want to cutmy head open Tisha, where areyou? Please don’t let them cut intomy head! I’ve never been so scared,and they won’t give me any water.What happened to me?” Speaking via my cell phone at theairport: “I am already on my waymy love! You are the strongest manI know; you are going to be okay!”

After surgery and a quick 72 hour

My Story: Faith vs. Belief! By: "Suggarpaws" @ greenpassion.org

Dictionary definitions:

Faith: noun 1. belief that is not based on proof

Belief: −noun 1. confidence in the truth or facts fcof

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stay in the trauma ward, you are"kicked out" for lack of insurance,and told to resume care at home(more than 1000 miles away). Thisis the very thing that happened tomy husband.

Though I have tried, I know that Ican't really imagine what he mustfeel. This has been the hardestthing either of us has ever dealtwith, and for the most part, havehad no help in doing so. Garrettnow suffers from PTSD as well,due to the fact he was sleepingwhen the event occurred, which iscoupled with the minor traumaticbrain injury, both aggravating eachother. He is in constant pain.Phantom pains in his arm, wherehe feels he has electricity runningthrough it or says he feels as if hishand is still there and constantlyopening and closing. Constantheadaches. Pain in his back, hisside, and legs. Terrible troublesleeping and reoccurring night ter-rors when he does sleep.Depression. Anxiety. Yet...Somehow... he goes on each day,and tries to hold onto the hope ofone day things getting better. I amhumbled by his perseverance in thedarkest of hours, and the absolutelove of life that he so terribly wantsto be able to act on once again.After the first year, having noinsurance, we had used all of oursavings and extended ourselvesfinancially to try to get him the

minimum medical care needed. Wewere exasperated from beingdenied all help from Medicaid,Social Security Disability, and gov-ernment programs. To our dismay,we had to make the difficult choiceto move away from our home andcloser to his family for help. Sincethat point, the only medical treat-ment my husband has gotten hasbeen for his blood pressure. Noprosthetic. No therapy. No painmanagement. No neurologist. Dueto our financial devastation result-ing from the thousands of dollarsspent medically, we had to makedue.

Thankfully, one of my familyfriends got back in touch with meby chance. They told me they weregrowing medical-grade hydro, astrain called Dr. Atomic, andoffered to sell to us at a low cost. Idunno, but really, what could ithurt for Garrett to get high andforget about things for a while,right? Yet, this was a godsend!Amazingly, his panic attacksalmost completely ceased. Hecould sleep again. His headachesdiminished. His pain was muchmore manageable, especially thephantom pains, which were a con-stant reminder that he no longerhad a hand. In some miraculousway, within having this relief, hemade leaps and bound with accept-ing what had happened to him and"moving on." I finally felt as if I

could leave him home alone on adaily basis to work again. For thefive months we had this option, lifewas just better. Both our attitudesand ability to maintain hope weregreatly improved, even under ourcurrent circumstances. I participat-ed with him, and found that notonly did it relieve my stress anddepression, but it also helped theintense joint pain I have sufferedunder for so long! Wow! My stu-pid conclusions as a child couldn’thave been more inaccurate.

Then came the DEA. Off went ourfriend, and with him all options wehad for what I consider to be ourmedicine.

I so wish we had the means tomove to a medical-marijuanafriendly state, and be able to sus-tain ourselves, but at the momentwe don't. I am keeping the hopethat soon that will change, butright now life is kind of difficultagain. It is astounding the impactthat the lack of marijuana has onour everyday life.

Regardless, I no longer need to relyon the “faith” my father suggest-ed… I am a believer. So much so,that I am a willing to risk a person-al medicinal garden until we canmove — and hopefully grow intohelping others!

Cartoon

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Lemon Skunk (Reg/Fem)

by DNA Genetics

GeneticsSkunk60% Sativa : 40% Indica

Flowering 8-9 weeks

Yield400-500g/m2

Awards1st Indoor Hydro Spannabis 20081st Outdoor Highlife Cup 20072nd IC420 Breederscup 2008

This strain is a cross between two Skunks, thechosen phenotype selected for its lemon char-acteristics. The Lemon mother has been keptfor over 20 years in Las Vegas and the fatherwas chosen here in Holland. The male wasdonated by Eddie, formally the owner of oneof the oldest and most prestigious seed banksin the Netherlands. This original prize malewas selected and used in many breeding proj-ects throughout the years. The Lemon Skunkwill grow tall and is a good yielder. She hasgreat smelling buds. Her buds are light greenwith thick orange hairs. She has a high calyx toleaf ratio. This strain is the tastiest and sweet-est if she is cut down between 50 and 56 days.We would like to thank the Lemon Man andEddie for making this possible!

Train Wreckby Greenhouse Seeds

GeneticsOriginal clone from Arcata, USAReversed 100% feminized

Flowering indoorReady in 8 weeks, expect a lot of resin andtower-like calyx formation deforming thebuds in the final stages of ripening.

Flowering outdoorReady beginning October, with stretchybranches and long shaped colas.

Yield500 grams per m2 indoors. Outdoors approx. 700 grams per plant

Effect:Like the name suggests, a real blast. It hitsfast, and it hits hard. Stoney on the body, con-fusing and trippy on the brain. A truly power-ful smoke.

THC19.34%

CBD0.94%

CBG1.01%

CENTERFOLD STRAIN DETAILS

66 - Treating Yourself, Issue 18 - 2009

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G13by Finest Medicinal Seeds

GeneticsUS government secret labs

Flowering indoor11 weeks

Yield indoorup to 2 oz per square foot

Flowering outdoorharvest end October-mid November

Yield outdoorup to 2.5 pounds per plant, depending on size

Smell/Tastemint, fresh smell. Strong forest and musk fla-vor, spicy background

Effectvery high, creeps up fast and lasts long

Medicinal propertiesdepression, appetite stimulation

White Rhinoby Finest Medicinal Seeds

GeneticsAfghanistan, Brazil, India

Flowering indoor8 weeks

Yield indoorup to 2.5 oz per square foot

Flowering outdoorharvest end September-begin October

Yield outdoorup to 1.8 pounds per plant, depending on size

Smell/Tastesweet, fruity smell. Taste is very intense, sweet and floral

Effectnarcotic, very stoned

Medicinal propertiesused with great success as pain relief, against ms, and as a sleeping aid

CENTERFOLD STRAIN DETAILS


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edical Marijuana is aloose term convenientlyover used by many grow-

ers nowadays to camouflagepredominantly recreational use.Considering there is no real def-inition or set of regulatory stan-dards to work from, just callingit medical is not enough!

Cannabis does truly help a lot ofpeople where traditional medi-cines seem limited or not worththe side effects. But due to thelack of authorized regulationsplaced on this industry it wouldseem that those who grow forsincere and possibly medical ail-ments will be a minority. Weare here to investigate this a lit-tle closer and try to define, setsome standards and try to helpthose suffering from medical

conditions find a strain appro-priate for their illness. We arenot doctors nor do we try to be,we are just breeders doing workfor decades on the plants welove. We know about the strainswe developed and have a lot ofyears experience with these par-ticular strains. We have thou-sands of grower’s worlds widewho follow us and have grownour hybrids. If time and experi-ence count for anything thenwe feel our work can help manypeople find alleviation to theirailments in some way.

I tend to think of this inexact sci-ence as a Pain Management aidand a way to use nature’s giftsinstead of blindly believing intraditional medicines and the bigdrug company’s propaganda.

Since the advent of proposition215 in 1996 in the USA; a defin-ing moment for the new push ofcompassionate use of Cannabisfor the terminally ill, rather a lotof previously dubious or unde-cided people are now tryingtheir hands at cultivating theirown medicinal marijuana. Themere fact that people with ter-minal illnesses are prepared tocultivate a plant that takes atbest 2-3 months to produce isproof that alternative medicineshave a lot of merit in treatingthe sick. Most of these self pro-duced plant products do not domore than help the quality oflife for those who use them, andcure is not really a word used byany of them. However a betterquality of life for the sick isalready a big step up from the

M

State of Affairs and the real deal with

Medical Cannabis today

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side effects of prescribed medi-cines.

According to old literature andrecipes documenting ancientChinese life, Cannabis was a use-ful plant for so many illnesses. Itis from information like this wecan state with confidence thatCannabis has a long and success-ful history as a remedial plant.Not many compounds or plantshave such longevity in medicineor human application as theCannabis plant. This factor isvery important and hard foranyone to deny, that Cannabishas a place in modern medicaltimes.

As the owner/ breeder of MrNice Seedbank and moderatorof the www.mrnice.nl infor-mation site, I daily receiveenquiries as to which strain isrecommended for certain med-ical conditions. People who havenever cultivated Cannabis intheir entire lives and who noware confronted with finding analternative to care for a sickfamily member, contact me toask my opinion about theeffects of certain strains on cer-tain sicknesses. This is a phe-nomenon that has recentlygained momentum and shiftedthe question of legality of theCannabis plant to the fore frontof debate, since it was outlawedin the 1930s.

I treat questions from sufferingindividuals with more sobernessthan anything else in my life. Infact it is the most serious thing Ihave willingly put my time intofor many years without reallythinking about. I feel it is thereason why my life’s work hasleads me to this self chosenvocation. As a child I would nothave ever thought about doinga job like this. Therefore when Iam asked to give advice on anissue of health from a sick per-son I treat it with the utmostimportance. This all stemmed

from recreational use ofcannabis if I was to be totallyhonest. However the alcoholindustry and the tobacco indus-try also came into being due torecreational use and now flour-ish as the foundations for gov-ernments to tax and regulate. Infact the alcohol industry and thetobacco industry knowinglycause health risks but are stillallowed to contribute to a gov-ernment’s treasury. Thereforethe governments and big busi-ness are making it clear that peo-ple must be trusted to maketheir own choice to do to them-selves as they wish. How elsewould alcohol move from prohi-bition less than 80 years ago tonowadays being readily avail-able in service stations? You canrefuel, buy a bottle of wine orsome beers and driveaway…trusting people do theright and responsible thing…anddo not drink and drive.Governments are taxing everyalcohol purchase knowing peo-ple can also do the wrong andirresponsible thing? So is it nottime to trust a plant, which doesnot need to be processed nor haskilled a single person in its 1000sof year existence?

When an individual confrontsme and explains their particularproblem and concerns, I alwaystry to ask as much as possible toget a fuller understand of theperson and their condition.Without prying into the personaldetails of the individual I do mybest to analysis the character ofthe person and the needs andgoals best suited to that individ-ual. I can only help with thestrains I am familiar with andnever masquerade the truth as Isee it. The only real element ofCannabis that a lot of peopleseem to agree upon is that Indicadominant plants seem to aidwith muscle relaxing, appetitestimulation and pain manage-ment while Sativa dominantplants seem to be more suited

2700 BC, Cannabis listed in ChineseEmperor Shen Nung's pharmacopoeia

Cannabis Sativa Koehler Scientific drawing

Glandular trichomes contain most of thecannabinoids and essential oils responsi-ble for therapeutic effect, aroma & flavor.

cann

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-sci

ence

.com

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for those with anxiety relatedproblems, mental fatigue orstress related disorders. I tend tothink of indica as a body aidwhile sativas are more con-ducive to cerebral conditions.Due to the poly-hybrids we nowbreed we see we can combineeffective blends that satisfy a lotof symptoms. However it is anindividual and personal quest tofind the plant best suited to theindividual.

Cannabis contains more than 60different cannabinoids and a lotof terpenes (aromas) that areunique to this plant. Finding theplant is the difficult part andtakes trial and error to achieve.With persistence and a lot ofhelp from online users/growerswe are finding great results formany sick people.

Two examples are theAfghan/Skunk x Afghan/Hazeplant we nickname ASH andN.H.S (National Health Service-Northern lights 5 /Haze x Skunk)at MNS. For some time now wehave been trying to blend intosingle plants genetics that satis-fy certain criterion and getresults. Other blends such asNeville Haze x Skunk, EarlyQueen x Afghan Haze, MasterKush x Afghan Haze, MangoHaze x Afghan Skunk, Mango

Haze x Widow, Critical Haze,Super Silver Haze and G13 xWidow all seems to be excellentmedical blends that bring acombination of pain manage-ment with cerebral clarity. Ofcourse due to the inexact sci-ence; more trial and error meth-ods, and lack of true controlledand standardised research intopoly hybridization, it seems thata community of persistent med-ical growers will be the backbone of the medical plantresearch. In a way it is no differ-ent to all agricultural productswe now use for food, medicineand decorative aesthetics in agarden. These all came fromselective breeding from genera-tion to generation, nothing sim-ple or quick. So why or howwould we expect it to be differ-ent for Medical cannabis?

To avoid a lengthy explanation Iwill paste a link of several areasto go visit if you wish to see howvarious growers/care giversexchange information on partic-ular strains. Documented withphotos, the grow reports act asthe most independently servicedand unbiased controls from theactual seed purchased from apacket of MNS. So to help stan-dardize growing for medical useand since we do not yet have aset standard of rules to grow by

for medicinal use, it will be nec-essary to allow these sort ofindependently controlled growsbe the medical guide points forthe meantime.

http://www.mrnice.nl/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=6http://www.mrnice.nl/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=52http://www.mrnice.nl/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=56http://www.mrnice.nl/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=61

The particular elements of theplant that concerns the medicalcommunity are the cannabi-noids and terpenes containedon the plant itself. Our knowl-edge is increasing with the sci-entific research put into thisfield of study. So far we havefound that the combination ofhigh CBD and THC at a ratio of1:1, seem to achieve excellentresults for the general problemsof disease. Once it was only pos-sible to find such a ratio in Hash.With a lot of independent labo-ratory testing and access to pre-cise methods of extraction weare now gaining a lot of knowl-edge in the plight of the sickand those plant breeds that areused to aid these people suffer-ing. MNS is engaged in researchwith other breeders to try andobtain a plant that can offer an

Pure Haze, 8 weeks Mango, 16 weeks Super Silve Haze

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all-round beneficial medicaleffect based on the cannabinoidcontent and proportions. Timeand testing will tell, but due tothe lack of funding or recogni-tion our main research comesfrom dedicated hobby breedersand growers, and seems toremain so for the near future.

Medicinal users world wide aregiving the push towards a clear-er and compassionate use forthe cannabis plant. Most recre-ational growers are benefitting.As more and more genuinepatients achieve a better qualityof life from the use of cannabisthe story will unfold. I only hopethat the elements of greed,power, and self importanceremain far enough away to notlet this industry go the normalways. Medical use has been forthousands of years already, it isa resilient plant and a friend forall who use her…not to thosewho abuse her.

Left column:- Sativa leaf- Indica leaf

Right column:- Nevilles Haze clone 6 weeks- Sativa female flower cluster- Indica female flower cluster

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t was springtime in ’73. I wasdriving a Chevy Nova 68.“New Mother Nature” by the

Guess Who was playing on thecassette as I cruised the country-side.

The houses were from turn of thecentury rural New England. Eachand every one of them has charac-ter. Red scarlet flowers bloomedalongside the buildings, contrast-ing the sun-bleached wood.

Along the road are fields of winterrye. The rye was green and Iwanted to park the car and watchit move with the wind, but wastoo busy for an extended moment.

Late summer, I went back tocheck on the fields of rye. Therewere black erect phallics of ergot(Claviceps purpurea) standingfrom the seed heads of rye. Ipulled over the car and went for acloser look. There were severaldozen of them. Some of themwere large and many small ones. Isnipped off one large one withsome scissors and placed it in a ziplock bag, being careful not con-taminate the ergot by touching it.I collected a few more little guysdoing the same thing. Tossedthem into a cooler, to keep refrig-erated but not frozen.

I leave most of the ergots alone. Itkeeps the gene pool high, they fall

I

TheEleusinian

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to the ground, sleep over the win-ter, awaken and fruit in the spring,spreading spores back to the rye.I can come back next year. I trynot disturb mother nature.

When I got home, I placed them inthe in another larger ziplock andtoss it in the fridge for laterinspection.

Typed them on my list of botani-cals for trade or sale.

I placed a few under a crab appletree in the yard to winter over. Inthe spring, I checked it every day.The ergots fruited over a fewdays. It was really cool. Therewere these tiny little mushroomsthat fruited from the ergot body,releasing its spores.

Fruiting ergot is a wonderfulclassroom demonstration and canbe easily done.

Ergots are available on the net,but when they have not beenstored properly or are old anddried up, they will not fruit.

Cultures for Claviceps are avail-able on the net, but are ratherexpensive. One culture I saw wasover a hundred dollars. Manyhave been patented because theycan produce large amounts ofergot alkaloids (eg. ergotamine) insubmerged cultures.

Epidemics of ergot have beennoted throughout history. It wasreported as a culprit in the SalemMass Witch Trials, but I speculatethat it was caused from B-vitamindepletion (eg. pellagra) like withmany psychiatric conditionstoday.

Ergot was also reported in thebook, St. Anthony’s Fire, as thecause of an epidemic of hallucina-tions in the town. It was laterfound to be insecticide poisoningin the flour.

Another ergot made famous inAlbert Hofmann’s book, TheRoad to Eleusis, proposes that thepsychedelic sacrament of Eleusis isthe ergot called (Claviceps pas-pali) which is parasitic onPaspalum (wild grasses). Theyare very small ergots, approxi-mately a quarter of inch in diame-ter. Claviceps paspali alkaloids(eg. paspalic acid, lysergic acidhydroxylamide) differ form thosein Claviceps purpurea alkaloids(eg. ergotamine).

Claviceps paspali was cultured inItaly in the 1960s. The cultureproduced 1 to 4 grams per liter ina sugar solution. Today there is aculture that was developed in theCzech Republic that producesover 8 grams of ergot alkaloidsper liter of culture (sugar water) intwo months.

Claviceps paspali grows most pro-lifically on Dallisgrass (Paspalumdilatatum). It is a beautiful peren-nial ornamental clump grass thatgrows to height of 3 to 6 feet. Theseeds and plant attract wildlifeand birds. When planted in amoist area or where it rains a lot,ergots develop profusely.

Ergots can be controlled by turn-ing the soil prior to replanting.Bails of Paspalum can be shakento drop ergots on the ground sothat critters (eg. horses, cattle) donot eat them. Dallisgrass ergotscause staggers in farm animals.Animals can injure themselveswhen they hallucinate from eatingthem.

Dallisgrass seed is loved by wildbirds. When planted in a waste-land, the grass turns the place intoan apiary oasis, attracting manyspecies of birds. They are alsoperennial and don’t need tending.

Thoth Press, PO Box 6081, SpringHill, Fl 34611 (see ad) has madeavailable Dallisgrass seeds for 2009.Seeds are fresh, fertile and readyfor planting. One ounce (12,000 to20,000 seeds) for $15 postagepaid, check or money order. Comescomplete with history and plantinginstructions. Makes a wonderful gift and neces-sity for the new age scientist.

Sacrament USA

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recently conducted an experiment lasting over fourseparate crops of Afghani Bullrider Sweet 16 thatconsisted of simply FIM-ing two of the four batch-es and not FIM-ing the other two. The crops were

staggered a week apart and fed the exact same Botanicarenutrients and RO water, each in 4-foot square grow bedsand under a 1000-watt HPS light. The acronym “FIM”stands for Fuck, I Missed. When a grower was attemptingto top his plants, he inadvertently pinched too little plantmaterial from the top then subsequently coined the termwhen he found accelerated growth in the remainingbranches. FIM-ing is subtler than topping and redistributeshormones throughout the plant without stressing thewhole plant too much, as can happen when fully toppingthem. FIM technically consists of simply trimming orpinching approximately 75% of the top-most growing tip.See picture for better view and you’ll get the idea.

When a plant is intended to be a mother plant, topping isthe most popular choice. Topping will produce many,many individual branches that will make dozens of excel-lent clone-stock. If plants are just too darn tall to fit intothe bud room (over 16” tall for an indica or over 12” tallfor a sativa indoor crop), then topping is a good choice foryou. Obviously, outdoor crop heights don’t matter asmuch unless you want your outdoor crop to finish belowthe level of your fence, for example. I discovered toppingby accident when I dropped a wall on some plants — onewas totally crushed, but one was only decapitated twoinches and was left with a hollow stem. I thought it wasdone-for because of the gaping hole you could slide a pen-cil into, but in a few days, the remainder of the plant sur-vived and produced just as much buds as the unbrokenplants did. It had two main colas the size of my forearm;the rest all had one main cola. Topping works but growthis slightly delayed while the plant recovers, try it — you’lllike it. Dropping a wall on your plants is entirely optional!

To FIM or not to FIM and when to Top, Lollypop or Supercrop Jef TekTY Cultivation Specialist

I

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Lollypopping is the technique of trimming-up the lowest branches togive yourself good access for watering and to keep a nice air-gapbetween the soil and your lowest leaves. These lower branches neverget enough light to fully bud and deplete the rest of your plant’sresources if not removed. These lower branches, when removed whilestill in the vegetative state, make excellent clone donors. They are theoldest part of the plant and have the most hormone buildup and willroot quickly. Check them over well and make sure they aren’t infectedwith thrips or spider mites by giving the fresh cuttings a quick neem oildip, or H2O2 and water. If every plant lollypopped yields just oneclone, you will have a perpetual crop with no need for mothers. Thiswill free up space and prevent bug problems that come whenever any-thing sits in the same room for more than a month (like mother plants).Lollypopping ultimately gives the remaining buds more girth and fuller“lollypop” appearance when finished flowering. Lollypopping is amust, this you can trust, much better than having your buds in the dust.

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Extreme twisting of plant main stems results in the inner hurd ormembrane breaking but without damaging the outer skin. In aweek, these twisted areas of the stem will be almost twice as thickand woody. When gently twisted between nodes, you can hear acelery-like snap within the stem; it even works on side brancheswhen they are big enough. These tougher limbs will carry morewater and nutrients, which will in-turn create and support heav-ier buds. This technique is known as supercropping and it toowas discovered by accident. When you really want to maximizea crop but are willing to gently “break” each plant and then waitfor growth to catch up, this could be just the ticket for you. It isremarkably easy once you get the feel of it. I once had a crop of32 assorted plants, seven of them were Jack Herrer and in weekthree of budding, they shot-up nine inches taller than the rest ofthe room. I didn’t want to just top them nine inches because therewere buds already forming on the top colas, but I didn’t wantthem touching the lights and burning either. My solution was toactually “break” each Jack Herrer plant about 12 inches from thetop, then “break” the main stem back up 6 to 8 inches from thefirst break and tie the two 180-degree bends with a few twist ties.The very next day, the branches that were pointing down in thecenter section were now facing the light and without carefulexamination it was hard to even notice. The two 180-degreeturns on all seven plants fattened up and delivered all the nutri-ents necessary to finish the top buds perfectly. The Jack Herrerfinished in nine weeks and was the same height as the rest of theroom. This is supercropping and it works; that crop will be talkedabout forever, it was legendary! My four FIM test crops in thisstory were Lollypopped but not Supercropped.

Back to the FIM technique. When you remove the required 60 to80 per cent of the top sprout, this will cause the rest of the plant’slimbs to firm-up. The top bud will still fill out, but without grow-ing upwards too much. Afghani Bullrider is a mostly-Indica strainthat finishes in eight weeks regularly. The FIM-ed crops still fin-ished in eight weeks but some of the main buds were double-wide. You can see some disfiguration of leaves at the FIM level inthese photos, but clearly the main bud kept growing. I like the

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FIM colas because they are flatter andwider, as opposed to the standardpointy colas the non-FIM-ed crop pro-duces. There are still variations fromcrop to crop because of root develop-ment and age of plant when it went intomy perpetual bud room, so averageweight per plant won’t be a true gaugeof performance. My AB plants alwaysaverage one to two ounces apiece, butthe FIM-ed plants are fuller and havemore pronounced lateral branches thatare fully developed. A theory is if youhave the kind of plant that maturesfrom the top down, like BlueberrySkunk does, and you know you can har-vest the top cola at eight weeks and thelower buds will keep growing andgrowing for four or more weeks beforefinishing, you might try FIM to equalizethe harvest time. I like to harvest wholeplants and keep the show moving andFIM doesn’t slow anything down. If youpinch off too little there will be no dif-ference whatsoever but when you clipjust enough you will wind-up with twin-towering colas on one plant every time,and who out there doesn’t like doublecolas? I didn’t think so. So the 64 mil-lion dollar question, “To FIM or Not toFIM”? The answer is, yes, FIM! Youhave nothing to lose, they require a littlemore trimming because they are stocki-er and bushier, but that trim makesmore hash anyway, so why not? FIMstands for “Fuck, I Missed,” but youreally can’t miss with this technique. It’sa Win/Win-FIM situation, for sure.

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here is an easy way to deliversubstances to your plantleaves by capillary action.

This can be done by bypassing theplants roots.

Much like a rose or other flower in avase of water, cannabis can uptakefluids and actually remain “alive” ifthe freshly-cut stem is placed in anaqueous solution. The plant root sys-tem filters out large molecules, espe-cially if the molecule is highlycharged. If a flavoring-agent isplaced in the soil, it will remainthere, and not be taken up by theplant roots. This is because flavoringagents (flavanoids) are large, highlycharged molecules. This results in theflavanoid remaining in the soil. Theend result is that the flavoring agentsact like a salt in the soil, and thushaving osmotic properties, actuallydraws water from the plant back intothe soil. This is a simplification butthe end result is to dehydrate theplant and result in its death. I firstrealized this by killing a finecannabis plant through placing rootbeer in the soil. It killed the plant anddidn’t flavor it (foiled by the rootmembranes). I next reasoned that if aChristmas tree can be kept alive (fora while anyway) if placed in a solu-tion of salts and sugars, then similarthings should apply to cannabisplants.

I took a mature, ready–to-harvestplant and cut it off with sharp prun-ing shears, and immediately placedthe cut stem in a jar of MexicanVanilla extract. I left the plant’s stem

in the solution for about a week.After about 24 hours you could smellthe vanilla in the colas, without thevanilla ever coming in contact withthe bud. It took a while to dry outthe cannabis after the RTM proce-dure was performed. When smoked,everyone loved the flavor and smelland it didn’t make anyone cough.The flavor is hard to describe andthus hard for people to identify, buteveryone loved it.

The RTM procedure can be used in anumber of different ways.Experimentation must be done todetermine the optimum time theplant should be exposed to this pro-cedure with different flavanoids.Possibilities are endless; you candream up anything you like(Strawberry, Bubblegum, Beer,Maple, mint, or combinations of twoor more substances.). No healthstudies have been done on addingany of these or other substances to aproduct that is to be smoked andconsumed by humans. Flavoringagents do exist in tobacco products,however. Some may be proven safe inthe future while others most certain-ly will have negative health conse-quences. This procedure may alreadybe in use in some areas of the world,but to my knowledge has not beenprinted prior to this article.Additionally, this mechanism may bedone to flush plants with plain waterif needed, to diminish nitrogenharshness on the smoke.

Other important application of theRTM procedure would be to present

to the plants THC PRECURSORS.By placing the live plant, almostready to harvest, in a solution ofTerpenes or Phenols, it would haveready-formed THC precursors forthe marvelous metabolic machineryof the cannabis plant to work on.The end result could be that anystrain of cannabis could be madesuper concentrated with THC in thismanner.

This technique could also holdpromise in the future by allowingresearchers to combine known med-ications with the cannabis plant.Steroids, Bronchodilators,Antibiotics and other medical sub-stances could be delivered to the liveplant.

Obviously, while no real research hasbeen done towards the safety ofdoing alterations to the cannabisplants, and I suspect most consum-able organic substances would poselittle risk, this remains to be proven.

This could be applied to other plantsas well. The possibilities are endless.

We need to end the virtual ban oncannabis research. If a qualified per-son can obtain a license to handleautomatic weapons, explosives orother dangerous substances, then aproperly-credentialed person shouldbe able to do handle and study thisso-called “dangerous drug “ calledcannabis.

Rootless Transport Mechanism(The RTM or Dr. Allen’s Procedure)David B. Allen [email protected]

T

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For over a decade of intensivebreeding, I’ve grown hundreds ofdifferent clone-only strains andmany seed varieties. And, of course,the many hybrids between the two.These four hybrids from the GoldSeal Collection are some of the best

I’ve seen. All are very consistentand stable, and, most importantly,potent and flavourful. They havebeen selected for easy, stronggrowth with big yields, so theythrive even in the gardens of novicegrowers.

The medical potency of thesehybrids is very apparent. TheGrapefruit Diesel and the RomulanDiesel have a more stimulatingeffect on the mind. The Grapegodand Grapefruit Kush have a moresedative effect that works great fornerve pain. All grow great in mostgrowing techniques — outdoor,indoor with hydro or soil, big orsmall plants.

The following are some basic char-acteristics I’ve noticed in my experi-ence with them.

The Gold Seal Collection An Inside Look

Jay Generation

Purple Diesel

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The Parents:

Purple Diesel: The Diesel motherused as my breeding parent isknown as “Purple Diesel” for itsobvious purple colors. It is very dif-ferent than the typical NYCD andother Diesel selections. The biggestdifference is the faster floweringtime — 50 days and you’re ready toharvest. Its mid-size stature andbranchy growth pattern make it agreat yielding plant in any growmethod; hydro or soil, big or small,indoor or outdoor. The buds shinewith trichomes and have purplehues, making it one of the mostbeautiful and photogenic plantsI’ve every seen. And when it comesto mould and pest resistance, thePurple Diesel is way above averagefor resilience.

Perhaps the most important thing isthe quality, that same great flavourthat the Diesel family is known foris as strong as ever. It has a complexpotent high with positive aspectsfrom both indica and sativa sides ofthe genus. Enjoyable high, good fordaytime use as it doesn’t leave yousleepy. The taste is smooth and fullbodied, very deep flavour all theway through.

Over the past few years we’ve mademany different hybrids with thisclone, and I’m currently workingon an early-flowering outdoor ver-sion that will finish outdoors in thefirst week of September. Currentlyavailable in seed form are two dif-ferent F1 hybrids: Romulan Diesel,and Grapefruit Diesel. Both ofthese vigorous hybrids have veryunique characteristics that mademe select them to be in the GoldSeal Collection.

The Grapefruit Diesel is very spe-cial for its deep and rich flavour.The yields are very large and it’sgreat for large production gardens,with the quick flowering time mak-ing it an easy favourite. This varietythrives both indoors and outdoors.

No more than 50 days is neededindoors and it grows great in a SeaOf Green or as larger plants.Outdoors, the finishing is fast:

September 30 at the 49th parallel(Canadian/US border), andSeptember 20 at the 35th parallel(California/Spain).

Grapefruit Diesel

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The Romulan Diesel hybrid has adifferent effect that is not for every-one. Some people, including myself,have had chest pains and anxietyright after smoking it. This has hap-pened to me many times, and nowI don’t smoke it any more. Otherpeople have reported no such nega-tive effects and even told me ofvery, very positive experiences withit. It has an active “up” high, apowerful hit to the mind but easyon the body. This hybrid seems tohave expressed Sativa traits of boththe Romulan and the Diesel. Theycombine in a unique way, very use-ful for some medical conditions,but could be bad for others. Notrecommended for treating anxietyor calming the nerves. Very easy togrow, and very vigorous andstrong, more resilient against peststhan most other strains.

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Grapefruit Kush (B.C. Kush) is aclassic Kush who’s mother has beenaround British Columbia for over15 years. Selected as a large produc-tion clone, perfect for Sea Of Greengrow methods, the clone motherproduces big round buds, and withthis hybrid we’ve added a fruitiertaste while keeping with these largeyields. The result is the perfect indi-ca plant, ideal for all Kush lovers.

One thing I really like about thishybrid, other than thecalming/stress relief effect, is that itdoesn’t leave you as sleepy as most

strains. Perfect for a daytime smoke,as it doesn’t impede higher brainfunction and lets you get on with apleasant daytime buzz.

The Grapefruit father is resin-cov-ered and sweet to smell. Whenselecting the Grapefruit father forboth the Grapefruit Diesel andGrapefruit Kush cross, we selectedfrom a 4th generation Grapefruitbackcross from the Dynamite linethat we’ve worked on for over tenyears now. About 25 per cent of themales are resin-coated and havethat special grapefruit smell.

GrapeGod is a pure indicathat’s a resin collector’sdream. I’ve been workingon selections in this seed-line for over ten years now.It all started before therewas ever a strain known asGodbud, the “God” line ofgenetics originally startedas an off-shoot of a VISC(Vancouver Island SeedCompany) strain. Manycompanies started sellingcopies and crosses of thisline under several differentnames, the most popularbeing Godbud. Years later,after a lot of work, I decid-ed to release my version.My out-crossing of theseedline was with theGrapefruit strain; thisadded a little speed andfruitier taste.

For many generations, I’vebeen selecting new parentsand constantly working onimproving/stabilizing themany way I can. This is oneof my best overall strainsand it will amaze anyonewho tries it. It’s fast flow-ering and harvests between7 to 8 weeks indoors,depending on nutrient lev-els. It’s a large-yieldingstrain that grows very wellin small cabinets and Seaof Green methods. The

quality is always top-notch,whether it’s grown indoors oroutdoors.

GrapeGod was named as medicalstrain of the month by “HighTimes Magazine” in June, 2009.The medical benefits from theGrapeGod are mostly in the wayof a sedative or a suppressant ofnerve pain. Also good for appetitestimulation, it’s an extremelypotent indica, with the highestresin production from all thestrains I have ever seen. Perfectfor making medical tinctures andoils.

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ello to all people interestedin obtaining high-gradeextractions from marijua-

na product using butane. That’s thetopic I am going to cover as thor-oughly as I can, in order to allownewcomers a guide to follow, andalso I will give tips and tricks I havemanaged to glean over the last fewyears.

Firstly, and very important to con-sider, is the nature of butane gas andliquid. It doesn’t take a very largeconcentration of butane gas in anarea before it can be ignited byflame, sparks, or anything else ofthat nature (lawnmower exhausteven, perhaps), so it’s wisest to dooutdoors. There is no way I wouldrecommend anything but that.Butane gas sinks, so in a roominside, it will pool on the floor,unless it is ventilated out of the area.Better to just avoid invisible poolsof explosive gas, and do it outsideonly, eh?

What one does is to acquire a quan-tity of marijuana product. Stems arenot really any good, as well asleaves devoid of trichomes; butanemainly dissolves trichomes, it seemsfrom observation, so in order to geta good yield/quality, it’s nice to usegood material. I often use pure bud.Bud gives the tastiest and nicest-col-ored oil, although close trim leavesyield a product very similar inpotency. It is also possible to screenor otherwisecollect kief in large quantities, andextract from it.

In one quick blurb, here is thewhole shebang: you take a tubemade of glass or preferably stainlesssteel, stuff it full of weed, then runclean butane through with a paperfilter on the exit end to keep theweed in. It will drip into a glass col-lection dish; evaporate it by sittingthe dish in a shall plate of hot water.Then you will have a film of oil onthe glass. You purge the butane outand scrape it up with a razor blade.You are now done. The particularmethod I use for purging gives me awhole extraction time of about halfan hour, although there are othermethods and beliefs.

Okay now; step by step, no rushing.It’s nice like that, though, all in oneparagraph. It can be referred to if

MakingBHOHashmasta-KutTHCFarmer.com

you get confused as to the overallprocedure at any time.

First off, you need a tube. There areabout 4 regularily used versions: astainless turkey baster, a glass tubemade by glass blowers, the OKiefstainless tube purchasable online,and lastly any homemade tube youmay devise. Smaller diameter is bet-ter, so a tube with a half-inch diam-eter is more efficient than a tubewith an inch diameter. I use glasstubes that have a small lip on theexit end to allow you to make agood seal easily. Smaller than 3/4inch is hard to empty afterwords. Asmaller tube diameter allows morecomplete saturation of the medium,as well as greater flow rate ofbutane through the medium — ben-

H

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eficial for effective extracting. Thetricky part of getting a good tube ishaving a good entrance hole for thebutane nozzle. Butane gas alwayscomes in a can with a tip that is acertain size (for lighters), so makingan end cap that a butane nozzle canbe inserted into is the key. Severalsolutions have been used, rangingfrom copper tubes with an end capattached that you can drill a propersize hole into, to glass turkey bastersthat have a nice size end naturally,to stainless turkey basters now,which are quite easy to rig up I hear.Even stainless mountain bike partshave been used very effectively.Here is a glass tube like I use thesedays:>

PVC tubing has been said to be bad,and I would shy away from it, but Ihave seen evidence from someonethat rigid PVC is perfectly accept-able. Do your own research if youdon’t use glass or steel. >

Ok lets suppose you have a tubethat you can insert a butane nozzleinto one end of. You want it to beleakproof around the edge of yourtube at the top if it has an end cap.Don’t use tape to seal leaks! Youmay leech tape glue into your oil!

So now that you have a tube, fill itwith your extractables. I have atube which holds 8 to 16 grams,and another that holds about 25 to40 grams. You don’t need to fill thetube completely, but it seems bestfor efficient extractions to put theproduct in there a bit snugly. I don’trecommend grinding up yourextracting medium too fine, as youwill get a greener, less-tasty oilalmost for sure. Sometimes I usewhole buds, then I re-extract aftercrushing them up in order to get allthe goodness (especially if it cost memoney). Other times I cut them upcoarsely, or just break them up byhand into little pea-sized chunks.Some bud is so dense it seemsmaybe breaking it into chunks mayincrease yield slightly. Leaf is likewhatever — just cram it in. >

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So now that you have a tube withcannabis in it, you will want to capthe exit end. At the exit end of yourtube, you want to attach a mini-mum of one coffee filter circle. I cutthem from white coffee filter papers(brown would be better probably,no dioxins). I make it about an inchin diameter larger than the tube. Iuse two, actually, and there areoccasions where the filter paperscan rip. Uneven packing is the mainculprit; don’t pack tightly at theentrance end, then loosely down thetube — the extracting medium canshift suddenly and blow out. If oneis worried about this, use a steelmesh safety screen, such as teastrainer material. I have hadblowouts more times than I canremember, and one time I got twoeyefuls of oil-laden butane. Notpleasant, I must say. Also, inspect afilter after attaching to see it hasgood integrity, no rips or tear marksforming.

Next, either get a steel hose clamp,for many tube types, and fold thefilters over the exit end and use thehose clamp to hold them on. A ziptie works well too, especially onglass tubes to prevent overtighten-ing andbreakage concerns. I am not sure allthe methods used to hold the filteron for different tube types, justremember you don’t want to extractany glues from tape and the like.

I use one can of Colibri (300 ml)butane for about 20 grams of bud.After doing tests, it has beenshown that about 95% of the oilfrom 20 grams will be extractedwith a can. A second can will pro-duce maybe 5% more oil, for awhole can of butane used. On asmaller amount such as 10 grams,half a can is fairly thorough. Thereis a list at Keen Marketing (keen-new-

port.com/ourBenchmark.htm) which liststypes manufactured to a certainpurity standard. Most butane oilmakers recommend using onlyquality butane, as additives andimpurities in low quality butane

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may be inhaled. A few others rec-ommended brands are Vector,Lucienne and King (Though I’veheard one bad report on King).

Now is the dangerous part ofextracting, first running the butanethrough the marijuana, and thenevaporating it off secondly. It’s easyto put the butane through, just holdthe tube vertical with one hand,with a protective mitt usually (Thetube freezes). Insert the butane tipand depress, letting the whole cango through without stopping.Hopefully you have no leakagefrom the top, or weird sprays frombad sealing at the bottom. You maylose a small amount of oil if so. Youcan go slower, and stop and start, totry and slow down the butane’sprogress through the weed, but itmakes little difference.

Put a glass dish under to catch it.You can also have a second dishunderneath (I use a fry pan) at thispoint as well, filled with tap hotwater to make a bath underneath. Iuse a pyrex pie plate and a fryingpan for the hot water bath.

Now you have a dish of liquidbutane, and this is the most danger-ous moment, for if this were toignite, the fast and furious fireballwould probably burn off all yourexposed body hair. Let’s just not gothere….! You need to evaporate offthe liquid butane, and the easiestway is to get a frying pan or what-ever fits well to go under your dishof butane, in order to double boiler-style remove the butane. I use hotwater from the tap as I think boilingwater is detrimental somehow tothe easy removal of all the butane,but its open for debate. It seems hotwater is better than boiling. Doyour own tests if you want.

Keep this dish outside, and evapo-rate it off. This means leaving it out-side in the hot water bath for ashort period of time with NOOPEN FLAME WHATSOEVERnearby – a barbecue would be bad.

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It only takes a minute to evaporatea can; it’s then safe to take the dish-es inside, only when there is no liq-uid butane left in the dish!

As mentioned, I do a hot water bath(tap hot) to get rid of the liquidbutane. Then I take it inside and putit on the stove to keep it hot forabout a half hour or a bit more.Turn the element on a couple times,just to maintain the heat of the hotwater bath (Not too close to boil-ing, but fairly hot). Also, I havefound very helpful for effectivepurging is to cover the pyrex pieplate with a lid. I have a glass dishwhich fits well, and then the oil getsand remains much hotter on its sur-face, as well as underneath. Seemsmuch more effective with a lid.Then I open the lid a few times(Every 5 to 10 minutes), and heattreat from above with a butanetorch to pop any butane bubbles,and generally just overall lightlywarm the whole surface too.Depending on amount it may takejust one time with the torch, or pos-sibly a few times may be neededwith a thicker mass of oil. Moreoil has more flaming bubbles. 10minutes a gram of extract producedseems adequate for a few grams. Ifyou do lots of oil I would recom-mend only about 7 grams maxi-mum per plate for full purgesachieved with this method. You cancook bubbles off the top and out ofthe butane for hours, but you don’thave to, and actually those bubblesarent butane when removed at thisstage, but actually thc volatilesgassing out of the hot oil mix. It isnecessary to heat it to a certaindegree to remove the last trappedbutane but careful heating is the keyto achieving rock hard oil and sacri-ficing the least amount of goodTHC volatiles. If bubbles don’tflame, they aren’t butane. Youknow you are done purging if youtry to light small bubbles and theywon’t flame. A whole extraction isdo-able in less than an hour. Then Iscrape it up and it’s good to vape!

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To get the oil out, it’s best to scrapeit out warm, and it’s pretty easyusing one or two razor blades. Iscrape my middle out first, then theedges after...

One tip I would like to mention isthat the temperature I recommendfor purging can be a bit too hot forsome strains, most notably verylemony-smelling ones. Their ter-penes evaporate off at a lower tem-perature than some, so it’s best tokeep the water just very warm, asopposed to hot in these cases. Alsoa bit longer, more careful purgemust be done in order to achieve athorough purge, and yet alsoretain the maximum quantity ofterpenophenolic compounds.

Happy oiling!

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have a lot of e-mail comingto me these days asking meadvice on when to harvest.

I tell people things like “ Don’tfollow your calendar too closely”.

“When it looks like itsready wait a week”.“Don’t pick it early”.

One of the downfalls of manygrowers out there is, not know-ing the correct time to cut theirplants down.

Nothing in the cannabis world is

more unsatisfying than a beauti-ful plant picked early. Anyoneout there who has tried a greenbanana, knows that they don’ttaste very good, especially whenit is compared to a nice yellowone with some brown spots.With cannabis it is even moredrastic. Buds that are not ripeare not fun to smoke, providingyou with burning celluloseinstead of THC. Only ripe budshave the right kind of THC thatcarries the medicinal effect.

Cannabis that is picked earlyhas the chlorophyll smell of

fresh cut grass from your frontlawn. When it is picked on timeit has a strong perfume thatsmells like the finest hash.Many new growers get someseeds, read the flowering timefor the strain, and proceed topick their plants on an exact cal-endar date. What they forget isthat many factors can stunt aplants growth, making it takemuch longer to mature.

Another factor is not havinganything good to smoke. Yourplants get close to finishing andnot having anything good to

Knowing When To

Harvestby Soma

Buddha's Sister new harvest

I

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GROW


smoke you cut them downbefore they are finished, missingthe best part. Most people don’trealize what they have doneuntil the weed has dried andthey taste it.

Paranoia is another cause ofpicking plants too soon. Troublewith neighbors because of smelloften makes people harvestearly.

I always tell people to use agood charcoal air filter to elimi-nate the odor. Not just whenyou are growing, but when you

are drying also.Having a small microscope forchecking out the trichomes onyour live plant is a handy tool tohave in your gardening room.What you are looking for isslightly amber colored liquidfilled balls on top of a stalk. Ifall the trichomes are clear it istoo early to pick. When theystart to look a little milky theyare getting close. One-thirdamber colored trichomes is whatyou are seeking in ripe marijuana.

In the Amsterdam coffeeshops,the buyers of the shops continu-

ally turn down marijuana that ispicked too early. Growers thatcount on their crop to feed theirfamilies would have to changejobs if they picked their cropearly.

Knowing how to dry cannabis isan art in itself. What you don’twant is quick drying. First selectan environment that is not toodry or hot. About 55% humidi-ty is good and a temperature of22 C. What you want is a slowcure that gently let’s the chloro-phyll escape from the cells of theplant. If it is dried quickly it will

Green Goddess Bud

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GROW


get locked inside the herb, mak-ing it harsh and giving it a badtaste.

When I first cut the plants downI only remove the large fanleaves. I then hang them upsidedown for about 10 days lettingthem slowly dry into sort ofteardrop shaped buds. Next stepis manicuring which I like to dowith mostly my fingers, usingthe scissors for cutting the stems.After all the fine leaf has beenremoved, I place the buds inside

a glass jar to re-hydrate forabout 8 hours. I save the fineleaf for making water hash,which is one of my favoritemedicinal products.

In my 42 years of cannabis culti-vation and research, I againpoint out that the most commonproblem growers have is pickingtheir plants too early.

Knowing how to judge ripenessin fruits, plants and people is anart worth cultivating.

When cannabis is grown formedicine, when it is grown andcured as the sacred herb that ittruly is, every way that it isworked with becomes sacred.

It is easy for this sacredness tospread to other areas of yourlife.

Keep it GREEN and Loving

Soma www.somaseeds.nl

Another Buddha's Sister

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Genetic CollectionsRegular packs of 10 prices in Euros

Warlock/Twotone ® $120,00Exile/Twotone® $160,00Double Dutch/Twotone® $160,00Biddy Early/Twotone® $80,00Motavation/Twotone® $160,00Biddy's Sister/Twotone® $80,00Masibindi/Twotone® $160,00Mosaic/Twotone® $60,00

Feminised packs of 5

Warlock/Monotone® $120,00Exile/Monotone® $160,00Double Dutch/Monotone® $160,00Biddy Early/Monotone® $80,00Motavation/Monotone® $160,00Biddy's Sister/Monotone® $80,00Masibindi/Monotone® $160,00Mosaic/Monotone® $60,00

Mr NiceRegular packs of 18

Devil $120Dreamtime $80Walkabout $60Neville’s Skunk $145NL5x Afghan $125NL5x Skunk $125Mango Haze $240Early Skunk Haze $170Critical Haze $170Afghan SKunk x Afghan Haze $120Master Kush Skunk x Afghan Haze $145

Next GenerationRegular packs of 10

Avalon $80Blue Dynamite $80Bonkers $80Brain Warp $80Dynamite $80Grape God $80Grapefruit Haze $80Grapefruit Kush $80Jamaican Grape $80Northern Flame $80Romulan Hash Plant $80Romulan Island Sweet Skunk $80Romulan Time Warp $80

Delta 9 Labs5 pack / 10 pack

White Widow $45/$65Mekong Haze $40/$60Aiea $75/$130Super Star $75/$130Canna Sutra $75/$130 Stargazer $75/$130Southern Lights $80/$140 Brainstorm Haze $80/$140Brainstorm Haze x G13 $80/$140F.O.G (Fruit of the Gods) $80/$140 Double Kush $80/$140

DNA Genetics AmsterdamRegular packs of 10, Feminised packs of 6

Purple Wreck $110Sour Cream $150Kushberry $150Lemon Skunk $150Cannalope Haze $170Connie Chung $170ReCon $170Chocolope, Feminized $180LA Confidential $190

Dutch Passion Seed CompanyFeminised packs of 10

Skunk #11 100% $100Brainstorm 100% $100Passion #1 R 100% $130Orange Bud R 100% $140Durban Poison 100% $150Frisian Dew R 100% $150Euforia R 100% $170Power Plant R 100% $170Jorge's Diamonds #1 100% $180Mazar R 100% $180White Widow 100% $210Blueberry 100% $230

Finest Medicinal Seeds

List of Feminized Indica StrainsFeminised packs of 5

White Widow $75White Rhino $75Skunk NL $75MediFem SS $75Medi Kush $75Citrus Skunk $75Peace Maker $75

List of Feminized Sativa Strains Feminised packs of 5

G13 $95Amnesia Haze $95Northern Lights 5 Haze $95

GreenhouseFeminised packs of 5

The Doctor $70 Big Bang $70 The Church $75 A.M.S. $75 Lemon skunk $85 Cheese $90 Trainwreck $95 NL5H $95 Alaskan ice $95 Kings kush $95 Chemdog $95 Jack herer $95 Sat/ind mix A $95 Sat/ind mix B $95 Sat/ind mix C $95 Sat/ind mix D $95 Indica mix E $95 Indica mix F $95 Indica mix G $95 Indica mix H $95 Indica mix I $95 Black & white J $95 Rasta K $95 Himalayan Gold $95 K-train $100 Bubba kush $100 Kaia kush $100 Sativa mix $100 El Nino $105White Widow $105 White Rhino $105 Great White Shark $105 Arjan's Haze #3 $107Arjan's haze #1 $110 Arjan's Haze #2 $110Arjan's Ultra haze #1 $112 Arjan's Ultra Haze #2 $112 Arjan's Srawberry haze $112 Super Silver Haze $115 Nevill's haze $120 Hawaiian Snow $120

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Photo courtesy of Sonic

Nirvana Growth SolutionsRegular packs of 10

IndoorB-52 $80Big Bud $80Blue Mystic $80Bubblelicious $80Chrystal $80Citral $80Haze $80Haze 19 x Skunk $80Hindu Kush $80Ice $80K2 $80Maroc x Afgaan $80Misty $80Nirvana Special $80Papaya $80PPP $80Snow White $80

OutdoorDurban Poison $80Early Bud $80Early Girl $80Early Misty $80Hawaii Maui Waui $80Hawaii x Skunk 1 $80Hollands Hope $80Kc33 x Master Kush $80

FeminisedKaya $140Medusa $140Northern Bright $140Super Girl $140

Paradise SeedsFeminised packs of 5

Magic Bud $75Bella Donna $75Delahaze Feminised $100Dutch Dragon Feminised $100Ice Cream Feminised $100Jacky White Feminised $100Spoetnik #1 Feminised $100Nebula

$120Nebula Feminised $120Opium Feminised $120Sensi Star $140

Pyramid Feminised packs of 6

Galaxy $90 Tutankhamon $95 Pipi $120 Tiburón (Shark) $120Wembley $120 Northern Light $130 White Widow $130 Nefertiti $140 New York City $140Lennon $140

Feminised packs of 12

Galaxy $160 Tutankhamon $165Tiburón (Shark) $215 Pipi $215 Wembley $215 White Widow $230 Northern Light $230 Nefertiti $245 New York City $245 Lennon $245

Sativa Seed Bank

IndoorIndigo $80Mixed Sativa $80Paia Hawaiiana $80

OutdoorMSRPCannabis Sativa Slang $80Pakalolo $80

FeminisedDaydream $140Eldorado $140

Serious SeedsRegular packs of 11

Bubblegum $140Chronic $140White Russian $140AK-47 $160Kali Mist $160

Soma SeedsRegular packs of 10

Lavender $180Buddha’s Sister $180Kushadellic $220Sogouda $220NYC Diesel $285Amnesia Haze $285Hash Heaven $285

World of Seeds

Landrace CollectionSeed packs of 7 Regular/ Feminised

Afghan Kush $50 / $115Ketama $50 / $115Colombian Gold $50 / $115Wild Thailand $50 / $115South African Kwuazulu $50 / $115

Diamond Collection Feminised Seed packs of 7

Stoned INmaculate $135AMnesia $135

Legend Collection FeminisedSeed packs of 7

Mazar Kush $80Strawberry Blue $80Cronic Haze $85Domina Star $90Star 47 $95Yumbolt 47 $95New York Special $135Afgan Kush Special $135

Wholesale & retail enquiries [email protected]

Catering to the needs of licensed growers across Canada.

Photos courtesy of Gregorio Fernandez “Goyo”

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Quebec

Duc of Amsterdam2080 B St-DenisMontreal, QuebecH2X 3K7T: (514)842-9562

High Times1044 Blvd. Deslaurntides Laval, QuebecH7G 2W1T: (450)975-2666

High Times1387 St-Catherine WestMontreal, QuebecH3G 1R1T: (514)849-4446

Saskatchewan

Vintage Vinyl 2335 11th AvenueRegina , SaskatchewanS4P 0 K2T: 306 347 3111

Head to Head Novelties2923 Dewdney AvenueRegina , SaskatchewanS4T 0Y1T:(306)525-6937Toll Free: 1-877-H2H-4646 /(424-4646)

Photo courtesy of Gregorio Fernandez “GOYO”

Alberta

Hemp Roots2827 14 Street S.W.Calgary , AlbertaT2T 3V3T: 403 889 0792

Ontario

Crosstown Traffic593 C Bank StOttawa, OntarioK1S 3T4T: (613) 234-1210

Crosstown Traffic396 Athlone Ave.Ottawa, OntarioK1Z 5M5T: (613) 728-4800

Hemp Country 475 Dundas StreetWoodstock , OntarioN4S 1C2 T: 519 913 1152

Niagara Seed Bank 6065 Main StreetNiagara FallsOntarioL2G 6A1T: 905 394 9181

Planetary Pride372 Queen Street EastSault Ste. Marie , OntarioP6A 1Z1T: 888 215 8970

Sacred Seed2A Dundonald StreetToronto, Ontario M4Y1K2T: (416) 928-6811

Want to have your store listed here contact us at:[email protected]

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Physical Examination


Strain: Nepalese Temple BallBreeder: Don't Know. Never been to Kathmandu

Grower: Some Sherpa “high” in the mountain

Judge: John (Shiva)

Date: March 22 09

1. Visual Appeal: 7 Visual appeal of the buds from 1-10 unappealing-excellent.

2. Visible Trichomes: − Visible trichome content from 1-10 none-totally covered.

3. Colors that are present in the trichome heads under magnification:

Clear − Cloudy − Amber − Dark −

4. Colors present in the buds and/or on a scale 1-9 light-dark:

5. Bud density: − Bud density from 1-10 airy-dense.

6. Aroma descriptors: scale from 1-9 upon freshly broken bud where a one indicates a subtle presence and 9 indicates a pronounced presence.

7. Aroma: − Aroma from 1-10 repulsive-delightful.

8. Seed content: − Seed content from 0-10 none-fully seeded.

9. Weeks cured: − If know the number of weeks your sample has been cured.

Nepalese Temple Ball

Nepalese Temple Ball

patient’s

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Patients Test

Smoke Test


1. Utensils: My Buzzz Bucket2. Taste descriptors: Use numbers 1-9 that apply to the taste where 1 indicates a subtle presence and 9 indicates a very pronounced presenceEarthy 7, Hash 5, Petroleum 3 3. Taste: 8 Impression of the taste from 1-10 unpleasant-delicious.

4. State of dryness: − 1-10 wet-dry where 5 is ideal.

5. Smoke ability: 8 smoke ability of the sample from 1-10 harsh-smooth.

6. Smoke expansion: 6 smoke expantion in the lungs from 1-10 stable-explodes.Smoke Test Comments:

FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS1. Dosage: 6 buzzz buckets to reach desired effects.

2. Effect onset: 2 Rate of how quickly the effect hit from 1-10 immediate-major creeper.

3. Sativa influence: 3 Sativa influence (best described as a clear and energetic mental effect) detected from 0-10 none-extreme.

4. Indica influence: 8 indica influence (best described as a sedative, lethargic or numbing effect) detected from 0-10 none-extreme.

5. Potency: 9 Rate the potency of the sample from 0-10 none-devastating.

6. Duration of effect: 1 − 1.5 hours 7. Tolerance build up: 9 Rate of how quickly tolerance builds from 0-10 none-rapid.

8. Usability: − from 1-9, a one indicates the worst time of day to consume this strain and a nine represents the ideal time of day.

Morning/wake up − Day/work 3 Evening/relax 7 Night/sleep 99. Overall satisfaction: 7 Rate your overall satisfaction from 1-10 poor-Holy Grail.

10. Ability and conditions: 9.5 Rate your overall ability to judge from 1-10 low-high.

11. Do you personally consider this strain a keeper for long term use? Yes12. Effect: What effect did the strain have check + off if the you got a POSITIVE effect and check - if you had a NEGATIVE effect

P Ability to rest or sit still -P Anxiety relief− Appetite− Audio perception− Humor perception− Imagination/creativityP Pain relief

Extended Medical Survey:

FINAL COMMENTS: Not the best tasting, but definitely on the top of my list of Hashes. I have been looking fora nice hash for sleeping, and I have found it with this one. I have been saving it mostly forbedtime and I am usually am asleep before it wears off. I hope to find this one again!

− Paranoia relief− Sex driveP Sleep− Speech process− Taste perception − Thought process− Visual perception

− ADD/ADHD − Allergic rhinitis − Amphetamine Dependence− Anorexia P Arthritis/Musculoskeletar pain − Asthma/Cough − Bipolar disorder − Cancer/Chemotherapy− Chronic fatigue − Crohn's/IBS

− Depression− Diarrhea − Epilepsy − GlaucomaP Hepatitis− High blood pressure/RacingpulseP Insomnia − Itching− Migraine/vascular headache P Muscle Spasm

− Muscular movement disorders − Nausea − Panic Attack − Peripheral nerve pain− Post traumatic Stress Disorder − Sedative/Opiate Dependence − Schizophrenia − Spasticity in Multiple Sclerosis

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A Visit To

Bedrocan BVHarry ResinDelta9labs.com

TRAVEL


What I intend with this article and some futurepieces I’m working on is to give the readers achance to get an overview of the medical cannabis

policies in the Netherlands and in Europe, through the eyesof the various people and organizations involved.

This is the follow up to the article in TY16 about the DutchMedical Company Bedrocan BV. In the first article I hadn’tyet had the pleasure of interviewing the two owners of thecompany and was forced to research the article throughother sources. The owners of the company contactedMarco in order to meet me; this was great, as I really want-ed to complete the article with an interview and to includesome photos.

After being contacted by Marco, I called the company,spoke with one of the directors named T (Names are abbre-viated to protect the owners), and arranged to take the trainto their location, which is outside the city of Groningen inthe north of The Netherlands. I had gotten some informa-tion about the company through their website as well asthrough some fellow journalist colleagues of mine.Therefore, I had some background on the company. All thisinformation can be found in my article in TY16.

Let me begin by saying that the general impression we’vehad about Bedrocan BV was that it was the “Monsanto” ofCannabis here in the Netherlands. This couldn’t be morefalse. T and his partner F are amongst two of the nicest,most canna-friendly guys I have had the pleasure of meet-ing in this industry. The first thing you initially get is justhow much they truly love this plant. Their background, asI mentioned in my last article, is in farming white endives— a process that I learned is done completely in the dark,keeping the endives naturally white. The facilities that theyused for the endives have now been converted for thecannabis. We walked into the location, which at first looksas though you have just walked into a regular office build-ing. I was also surprised by the lack of heavy odours; we

later learned that they don’t use any type of filters, onlyexhaust fans. The beautiful aromatic canna air just getsblown out into the world.

The first thing you notice is how clean and orderly every-thing was; it was incredible. Upon walking in, we met T’spartner and brother in law, F. It’s a real family run business.After a brief introduction, we were led to a holding space.This was an entry area to a massive garage space that hadhigh ceilings, concrete floors and an incredibly huge air-conditioning unit hung from the ceiling. On the left weretwo rooms and on the right there were also two rooms. Therooms had metal walls and massive fans, with filtrationunits attached to the outside wall. In addition to the fansthere were huge water tanks that lined the outside wall ofthe room. The first garage space was really cool, you couldreally feel the air-conditioning. It was this cool air thatwould be run through filters to take out any bugs or mouldspores before being blasted into the flowering space.

We all put on white smocks and blue socks that covered ourstreet shoes and entered the first room on the left, theirmother room. What a site to behold; the plants were all in3.5 litre pots, which is the largest size they use. When askedif the plants get root bound, the reply was no. The plantsmaintain a healthy and fresh root system even in such smallpots. All the plants were on about 1-meter high tables thatlined the edges of the space, as well as forming an island inthe centre of the room. Along the edges were the motherplants, which consisted of plants between one and twometers tall, ranging from some dense-leaved Afghans tosome amazingly tall long-bladed sativas. In the middle ofthe room were the pre-vegging clones that would be nextup for their flowering room. I walked around the spacewith F while Ed took pictures and walked around with T.The whole time F had the biggest grin on his face; he couldobviously see my wide-eyed stares as I looked through oneof the finest mother rooms I had ever seen. He was sohappy to see our appreciation of the space. You could seethat amongst the visitors they got it was rare to also havepeople who grew and knew exactly what they were look-ing at. I could really see their sense of pride; it was awe-some. The plants were so loved you could absolutely seehow happy they were.

They watered the plants with huge hoses attached to mas-sive wands that they could water everything down with.These were fed from the tanks we had seen outside therooms. The food they used both for vegging and for flow-

T

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TRAVEL


ering was a combination of minerals created themselves.The plants were indeed in small 3.5 litre pots filled with arockwool that was different from any I had seen. Fexplained that it was made from ground lava rocks; it actu-ally felt spongy, almost like a natural sponge or coral. Therewas algae covering the rockwool and I did mention mybuddy’s cubecaps to them. But they explained that theynever had any bugs, they use exclusively different types ofpredator mites, never any pesticides. There was this powderthat looked like silver in all the pots. F told me it was a typeof predator mite that eats the eggs normally found in thealgae. It was really amazing that in such a massive spacethere were no bugs. Each of the pre-vegging plants in themother room also had a bag of predator mites aroundthem. These clones were their specially formulated strainBediol, which is unique because it is only 6 per cent THCand 7 per cent CBD. It actually looked like a 50/50 hybridbased on its leaves, which were really half way between asativa and an indica. I was told that in the special crossthere was also some ruderalis. This was what allowed themto keep the THC levels low while maintaining a highamount of CBDs. It took them a selection process of over250 plants to find the right one for the Bediol. They told usthey had also just finished developing another strain with10 per cent CBD and 0.5 per cent THC. These mostly fallinto the pain relief categories and are great for patientsafraid of getting too high.

Once we finished seeing the mother room, we were led to adoor just across from it to the flowering room. In thischamber stood their flagship medical strain, Bedrocan. As Imentioned in the previous article, this was an old selectionfrom Sensi’s Jack Herrer that was worked on and crossedwith some other secret ingredients. T told me that theBedrocan strain had been developed in the late ’90s as amedical strain and was already slightly in use in those days.One could equate it a bit to the famed U.S. medical strainG-13. You could immediately tell that these were sativas, asthey were all over two meters tall. The first thing you noticeis how high the lights are. The ceilings are probably aboutten meters high and the lights are placed against the ceilingand are never lowered. They use a combination of 400- and600-watt lights. There are three circulation fans on the ceil-ing and a massive system for air intake at the front of theroom; these were the end points of the huge fans we sawoutside the space. At the back were the extraction fans,which were hung against the corner of the room. Again,they blew the air straight out without any carbon filters. The plants were all on drip systems, two per pot with lines

specially constructed using pressure knobs on all the hosesleading to the drippers. All the lines are regularly checkedand the drippers are replaced after every crop (all the drip-pers and pots that they have used are sent to be recycled).With the pressure knobs, they literally knew exactly howmuch water each pot got every, time they got watered.Everything was standardized and exact. The pots rested onthese metal plates attached to long poles that the plantswere staked to. They explained to us that once the plantsare in and staked, they never go into the flower room.There is never a need during the whole cycle to go into theirflower room, which I thought was amazing. The neverneeded to spray, as they used predator mites, the drips wereregularly changed so they never had a dripper fail, andbecause they have really got it down to a science, nothingever goes wrong. The amazing thing I realized in my discus-sion with them was that by being able to do things legally,you could refine things to such a point that it is absoluteperfection. They have literally tried everything, every foodcombination, every type of drip system, and every type ofmedium, literally everything. That’s why any time we gaveour “expert” opinion they just humbly smiled and said wetried that already, really this way works the best. Let me tellyou, after witnessing their facility, I can honestly agree withthat statement. Everything is so meticulously carried outthat it’s amazing to see the way a room can be built whenyou can legally grow.

Usually, the home-grower is forced to contend with thelaws of physics based on the apartment or other space thatthey have converted. This, as we all know, sometimes leadsto problems with finding the right intake windows, becausemaybe the windows are all on the street side. This space,because it was done in a previous agricultural space, had allof the freedoms needed to build an ideal grow room. The plants looked really healthy and lush and were in theirlast week of flowering. There were about 140 plants in totalin this flowering room. They cut the Bedrocan at 54 days,a little early for a sativa. They did say that they could cut ita week later, but they need to maintain a high percentage ofTHC and the plant tends to shift into more CBNs as it goeslonger.

It’s important to bear in mind that the government, insur-ance companies, and various other inspection agenciescheck in on them regularly. This is why everything is so sci-entific. They have maps and directions on the wall of everyroom explaining the layout of the plants. They have lists ofeverything, down to each clone and which mother it came

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off of. They explained, that in the seven years of doing this,that they may have had 5 clones fail on them and that wasbecause they were trying something new or different.Really, this was scientific growing at its best. At any givenmoment, they know exactly what they have, where they areand how many there are. Because they are growing officialgovernment medicine, everything needs to be standardized.They need to know exactly what goes into every bud andalso that every bud is uniform and has the exact same levelof THC. They even go so far as to elevate a few plants inthe flowering room to test the PH and EC of the runoffwater everyday — just to maintain that the levels are accu-rate.

After the flowering room, we were led out of the massivegarage space to a door just across from the garage. This wastheir hermetically-sealed drying room. They use these mas-sive metal racks that are wheeled into the room with theplants hanging upside down. The racks are rotated everyday according to a chart that hangs on the wall. This roomuses recycled air and is completely sterile, with a tempera-ture of exactly 15 degrees. The plants are dried out for aweek and are manicured by several local ladies in an adja-cent room. They had a picture on the wall of a manicuringsession; it was amazing to see all these older ladies in whitelab coats and white hats, hand trimming the bud (must besome amazing finger hash). Attached to the drying roomwas another room, which was slightly cooled. This wastheir temporary storage unit. It had two racks on it filledwith silver bags each containing 251.5 grams of Bedrocan.Each bag had a batch number and a bag number on it.They could literally trace each bud down to which motherit came from and which cycle it was flowered out in. Thenext phase was the cold storage unit. Here they keep thebags in a cooling unit like a big refrigerator at minus 18degrees. This preserves the cannabis for up to one year, witha further one year of shelf life once the cannabis is pack-aged. The amazing thing is that, because they are workingfor the government, everything is tested by some of the bestuniversities in Europe, including the University of Leiden,University of Groningen, Wageningen and Berlin. It wasthrough one of these studies that they found cannabis keptat this temperature and stored in this way would not loseany of its potency for as long as two years. Also, all of theirstrains are tested regularly using gas chromatographs, giv-ing them an exact idea of how much THC, CBN and CBDare present in their strains.

After inspecting the drying room, we went into the officeagain to continue our interview and discussion. One of thefirst things we discussed was the BMC (the office for medic-

TRAVEL


inal cannabis). They are the office that monitors and con-trol medicinal cannabis in the Netherlands. They receive themedicine, package it, irradiate it and send it off to the drug-stores. One of the first issues is that the cannabis is irradiat-ed. I wanted to know if there was a big difference betweenthe cannabis that is irradiated that which isn’t. F explainedto me that the same university that does all of their testingalso tested the cannabis both pre- and post-irradiation andfound that there were no differences. Also, the radiationused is in such a small dose that it really is only meant tokill potential mould spores. They work with Dr. ArnoHazekamp, from the university of Leiden, who is a leadingexpert on cannabis here in the Netherlands. They them-selves are against the radiation, but explained why it occurs.Even under their exacting growing process, there are stillsmall traces of mould. With pharmaceutical medicines, it iscrucial that there are no traces of mould spores. This can bevery harmful to certain patients with various lung ailments.Within the pharmaceutical world, there are two categoriesthat medicine can fall under. One includes up to 50 sporesper million, while the other classification is 100. Cannabishas been okayed at the second category of 50 spores permillion, but the BMC insists that they comply with the first,which is why the BMC irradiates the cannabis.

Another issue discussed was the price and the lack of cov-erage with regards to the insurance companies. T explainedthat when the BMC was set up, it had one worker and allthe costs of the organization would come from the extrafees that are added to the price of the cannabis. There is apharmacy in Groningen that is supplied by the BMC, butthey don’t use the same packaging, which saves the cus-tomer about 15% of the costs.

T also said that the watchdog agency overseeing the policyfor Dutch insurance companies had agreed they shouldcover the medical cannabis, but then most of the individualcompanies went against that ruling and won’t cover it. Thathas now changed, as there are now several companies thatcover medicinal cannabis.

Another issue facing some people is that the three strainsavailable don’t help. This is also another constraint that isimposed by the situation rather than the desire of BedrocanBV. T and F would like to see between five and seven strainsavailable to patients, but are severely limited by their situa-tion. After all, they only produce at forty per cent of theircapabilities. If they were able to produce their maximum,the price would drop considerably. What prevents this is thatthey are stuck in a Catch 22. The government has a contractwith them to produce only what is currently needed.

TY18:Layout 1 17/08/09 16:07 Pagina 106

This is an amazing thing to read when you see what lengthsthe BMC and Bedrocan BV have gone to in order to ensurethat the quality of the cannabis sold in the pharmacies is upto the highest standard. The Canadian government, as partof a trial, bought a kilo of Bedrocan to test, but T hadn’theard back from them in several years. Perhaps the officialsgot too baked sampling the Bedrocan — since their inferiorPPS product had no THC in it, it’s no wonder. All kiddingaside, T and F are really doing their best to also help educateother governments as to the benefits of cannabis as a medi-cine. T even thinks that, eventually, cannabis will be openlyavailable as a form of medicine. He even pointed out that200 years ago, coffee was illegal in Europe. Now, look athow much is consumed.

Here in Holland, policy has begun to shift away from themore tolerant practices of the past to a more restrictive pol-icy today. The current government is against the coffeeshopsand, as I learnt from the cannabis tribunal, they would shutthem all down if they could. When asked about this shift inpolicy, T replied that they have to remain outside the realmof politics when it comes to the coffeeshops and the softdrug policy in Holland. As they pointed out, for them, it isa question of medicine rather than recreational drug use. Itis important for them to make that distinction; they are,after all, a medicine company. I agree that it is an importantdistinction to be made, between the medical patient and therecreational user. Cannabis needs to be elevated to a higherstatus than just a recreational drug. It is only by shining anew light onto it as a reliable and suitable medicine that itwill be totally accepted.

T explained, “Dutch policy with regards to medicinalcannabis is different from that of their policy towards cof-feeshops. Bedrocan BV is contracted by the Dutch govern-ment to provide high quality (pharmaceutical grade)cannabis to be used as a raw material for pharmaceuticalindustries and to provide medicine for patients with a pre-scription, through the Dutch pharmacies. I believe that thissystem could also be of benefit to America and Canada.Bedrocan BV is capable of supplying a reliable product thathas stable cannabinoid levels, is free of pesticides, fungicidesand heavy metals. It also kept at a constant temperature,there are several strains on offer and they are available allyear round. Therefore, patients in those countries, if theywere buying their medicine from us, would always have aguaranteed quality of pharmaceutical-grade medicalcannabis.” T informed me that they also supply raw cannabis to acompany called Echo pharmaceuticals. They have devel-oped a pill for sublingual (under-the-tongue) administra-

Because the price is so high, not all the medicinal patientsbuy their cannabis at the pharmacy. This means that they arenot supplying all the people they could be. In addition tothis, it makes it hard to add more strains when they areforced to balance the government’s need against what theyare actually producing. I really felt that even though theywere in a remarkable position by being legal growers, theywere really two guys stranded on an island by themselves.They are often very hindered by the position that they are in.

One subject I was curious about was whether they smoked.Here they were, in the midst of so much cannabis; did theyget to enjoy any of the fruits of their labour? They had, asadolescents growing up in Holland, smoked a little, but itwas only once they had started the company that theyexplored the plant some more. They only use a Volcanovaporizer and have tested all the strains they work with. Ttold us he just came back from a visit to America where hegot to visit some compassion clubs in San Francisco, evenmaking his way to Oaksterdam. He was also invited tospeak before the state congress of Oregon. T advocates adual strategy when it comes to medical cannabis, saying thatyou must also allow people to grow their own medicines ifthat is what they desire. There is room to have state-growncannabis side by side with home-grown medicine. T alsoexplained how other countries in Europe have contacted theDutch government. Currently they supply Italy, Germanyand Finland with medical cannabis.

I wondered what they thought about the Canadian govern-ment grow facility, Prairie Plant System (PPS). T said that hehas seen pictures and was consulted. He heard from patientswho had received the medicine, that it was full of sticks andthey had to almost manicure it themselves. Sounds prettyshwagy. I found this online to back that up.“In light of evidence that the cannabis produced by PrairiePlant Systems and supplied by Health Canada to legalexemptees is unsatisfactory and originally much lower inTHC than was either claimed by Health Canada or indicatedon the packaging supplied by PPS, I request that my outstand-ing debt from ordering this product be annulled, and thatmoneys paid so far be refunded in full. On April 13th, 2004Canadians for Safe Access (Canada's largest medicinalcannabis patients rights organization) received informationfrom Health Canada indicating that out of the 93 people whohad ordered cannabis from the government, 29 had physical-ly returned it due to dissatisfaction with the product, yetHealth Canada never made this information public, choosinginstead to continue sending out this inadequate product topatients registered with the OCMA ( http://www.medicalmar-ihuana.ca/pdfiles/HC_PPS_refundltr.pdf).

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tion. They havebegun clinical trialswith their pill, whichis called Namisol.

I think it would beamazing to seeBedrocan availablein certain pharma-cies in Canada andAmerica. As T hadsaid, there is definite-ly room to have ahome-grown cultureso that patientscould have thechoice of going to

the pharmacy or of producing their own medicine. I thinkit’s handy for people that are either too old or infirmed andare unable to grow themselves or find a care giver. Whenasked about Canadian medical pioneer Rick Simpson(www.phoenixtears.ca) and his oil extraction, T respondedby saying that, “We are not familiar with these techniques.As a matter of fact, we don’t perform any forms of extrac-tion within our company. Because growing is our core busi-ness, we are first and foremost interested in growing theplant.”

I wondered about whether they got feedback from patientsso that they could have an idea as to which strains are bestwith regards to different medical ailments and how they goabout testing new strains. They explained that:

“Next to our three standard strains, Bedrocan, Bedrobinoland Bediol, we are currently working on several more. Eachone is unique as we’re interested in each strain having verydifferent levels of cannabinoids and terpenoids. At thismoment, we are working on standardizing three new vari-eties. One of these has more Indica genetics in it (our currentstrains are mostly sativa) and has a low THC content(approx. 3.5 per cent). The third strain is completely newand contains less then 1 per cent THC but has 10 per centCBD. Once these strains are standardized, then they willalso be available from the BMC. We are also very interestedin the medicinal qualities found in the terpenoids. Since lastyear, we’ve started a research program in co-operation withthe university of Leiden on the specific terpenoid contentand levels within our strains. Unfortunately, clinical testingis incredibly expensive and outside the realm of our financiallimits, but this is something we would love to do in thefuture.” I mentioned that I would get them a blank ofMarco’s smoke report so that they could start to give it outto patients to get some feedback.

As far as compassion clubs go, T said, “from the perspectiveof medicinal cannabis, we believe that patients with a doc-tor’s prescription should be able to get their medicine. Withregards to the compassion clubs, we feel that they also serveanother important purpose, which is to bring patientstogether. We know that groups of people sharing experi-ences or otherwise can have a very positive influence on the

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TRAVEL


mental and physical conditions of people suffering from dif-ferent ailments. In this perspective, we think there is certain-ly a role for compassion clubs.”

Lastly, I was curious about their views on the global War onDrugs. They feel that the war is grounded in a global fear ofCannabis. “The fear is built upon ignorance; in our world,people believe in science to expose what is really true or not.Therefore, if you bring more science into the realm of medic-inal cannabis, then you’ll find the route to end this war.” T added: “Barack Obama is not a supporter of medicalmarijuana, he is a supporter of more research to determineif it helps reduce pain. When a voter asked Obama if he wasfor the legalization of medical marijuana, he replied that heis in favour of the legalization of medical marijuana whenit was backed by scientific evidence and tight controls; if itcan relieve pain and suffering then I’m open to it.”

Since these tests exist and prove over and over again that itworks, it’s finally time to legalize it across the board. AsRick Simpson has shown with his evidence and his filmRun from the Cure, Cannabis is helping cure cancerpatients. There are new studies coming out everyday show-ing that it is a great source of medicine. If it were up to me,I’d legalize it everywhere; it is, after all, just a plant we’retalking about. T summed it up best when he responded tothe War on Drugs by saying that he is against any kind ofwar.

For me, the bottom line was seeing a garden run by twoprofessionals that want the plant to be taken seriously as aform of medicine and are doing all they can to ensure thatthis happens. This is why I believe that they are indeed med-ical cannabis pioneers.

I must say I left the meeting simply beaming. What a won-derful afternoon we had! I must add, that the facility is alsocertified ISO9001 and uses green energy as demonstratedby a certificate on the wall from the energy company. T and F were amongst some of the most knowledgeablecannabis people that I have had the pleasure of meeting.They really know their medicinal strains and how cannabisas a medicine works. I believe that they are really on theforefront of medicinal cannabis. I also believe that they arein many ways limited by the situation they are in. Youalways think the grass is greener on the other side, butsometimes the other side has just as many problems. Theyare in some ways limited by the powers that be, constantlybeing monitored and inspected.

I definitely believe that T and F are major friends ofcannabis; their love of the plant is so evident as they showpeople around their gorgeous facility. It is my pleasure tobring more of their story to light as they continue to fightfor the cause and push cannabis as the medicine it shouldbe accepted as. Big respect to the boys of Bedrocan BV. Peace and Love Harry Resin

Delta9labs.comBreedbay.co.uk/forumsThcfarmer.com

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mucus membranes of themouth, the preferred route ofadministration. This is goodnews for those interested ineither sceletium or mesem-brine products, as the priceshould be going down soon.

In a hit to anti-addictionresearch, shortly afterEthnogarden Botanicals madetheir contract with the Bwitiof Gabon to supply ibogaroot bark from the Bwiti’smassive farm, the Gabon gov-ernment passed a ban on theexport of iboga products. Theprimary supplier ofEthnogarden Botanical’ssceletium products inCameroon has offered to takeup the slack and if all goeswell, this should allowEthnogarden Botanicals toonce again provide an ade-quate supply of ibogaine toresearchers and cliniciansworking to break the cycle ofaddiction.

I had previously reported thatthe whole kratom leaf avail-able at EthnogardenBotanicals may be a reason-ably affordable choice for

those looking to investigate herbalalternatives for analgesic painrelief. Although this is probablytrue, there has been significant neg-ative feedback concerning adverseeffects on mood (irritability andgrumpiness) following regularadministration; however, investiga-tions into kratom alkaloid andkratom alkaloid derivative tinc-tures have not reliably observedthis effect on mood. As a result, thetinctures and combination tincturesmight be the best way to go.However, having no experience

recently had the oppor-tunity to sample severalherbal and aroma ther-

apy products available inCanada from EthnogardenBotanicals and NaturalUniverse, Inc. and thought Iwould share my experience.

Many sources online claimthat Sceletium tortousumand its active constituentmesembrine are effectiveSSRIs. These claims appearmostly to be based off of USpatent 6,288,104 whichstates that mesembrine is anSSRI and describes axiolyticeffects following ingesting it(1). Based on these findings Idecided to try both wholeSceletium tortousum plantmatter and mesembrine tinc-ture. I personally did notfind standardized mesem-brine tincture to be effectivewhen compared to Sceletiumtortousum powder in gum. Idid notice some effects fromit but overall less distinctthan the combination ofgum and whole herb. Thismight be due to the wholeherb containing as many asnine more alkaloids whichhave similar structures and effectsto mesembrine. The alcohol con-tent in the original formula of thetincture was rather high and itburned a bit, making me wonder ifa glycerin tincture might work. As aresult, a glycerin version shouldnow be available. As an SSRI,mesembrine is fast acting. I wasable to use gum plus the whole herbto help ease my recent withdrawalfrom Celexa, a pharmaceuticalSSRI, starting at about half a gramof herb in gum down to about0.05g - 0.1g over about two and a

half weeks. I cannot comment onwhether or not the tincture wouldwork the same, but it appears tohave a slightly less complex effectand at higher doses is more edgythan the whole herb. Onset of fulleffect is also slower. Although pro-ducing a more edgy effect at first,3ml of tincture appeared to pro-duce effects similar to that of 0.5gwhole herb in gum, which becamemore tranquillizing with time. Thismay in part be due to a reducedamount of time in contact with the

Product ReviewEthnogarden Botanicals and Natural Universe, Inc.

Herbal and aroma therapy products

I By Ally (aka pflover)

PRODUCT REVIEW


Sceletium tortousum plant

Iboga seedling

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with regular administration ofwhole kratom leaf, I cannot com-ment on this phenomenon directly.The tinctures available atEthnogarden botanicals are veryeffective as analgesics, however,with the Kratom Combo #4 produc-ing the most benefit. Preliminaryfindings suggest that at a dosage of10 ml per 24 hours, this combina-tion may have the same analgesicpotential as four 80 mg OxyContinover the same time period with lessintoxication and runny nose theonly observed side effect thus far.Lower dosages seem to be effectivefor weaning subjects offmethadone. It should be noted,however, that these findings are stillawaiting official replication. Forthose wishing to fine-tune theirresearch, there are also fourEssence of Kratom tinctures pro-viding a great deal of control overexact effect achieved.

I also got to try the Diviner’s Elixirfrom Natural Universe, Inc. recent-ly. It has a minty quality that is real-ly pleasant and a pleasant light tomoderate effect, able to satisfy theneeds of most customers. Reallygreat job on that one, I have to say.Aminex is another new productfrom Natural Universe. This pun-gent aroma therapy blend stimu-lates the imagination and creativitywhile helping provide a relaxingenvironment in which to meditateand/or create.

Finally, soon NaturalUniverse should also bereleasing ololliuhqui riveacorymbosa in three grampacks. On average, thisamounts to 2.4mg LSA perpack. This is approximatelytwo starter doses for making LSAtea or wine in order to abort a clus-ter headache period, or extend theremission period in order to skipthe next expected cluster headacheattack. Sufferers of clusterheadaches, aka suicide headaches,know that while even the mosteffective available prescription drugfor migraine, ImitrexTM, may helpabort an acute attack, for some itusually does not abort the currentperiod nor offer any prophylacticeffect against future periods.Interestingly, under the ControlledSubstances Act, possession ofImitrexTM could be prosecutableas the 5-methanesulfonamide ana-logue of the Schedule I controlledsubstance dimethyltryptamine, akaDMT. It should be made clear thatcluster headaches are not migrainesand vice-versa. Unlike a migraine,

which is a more generalized braindisorder involving such regions asthe brain stem, the occipital lobe(where the visual processing centeris found accounting for the auras)and the cortex, cluster headache byand large only effect very specificregions deep in the brain, namelythe hypothalamus, which, amongother things, regulates the biologi-cal clock accounting for the perio-dicity of this disorder. Furthermore,the two conditions are epidemio-logically different, as well withapproximately twice as manywomen developing migraines than

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gests soaking the ground seeds inred wine for 12-24 hours, strainingand drinking, which is interesting,since alcohol is a known trigger forcluster headaches. Red wineappears to be preferred, as theincreased tannins seem to aid inextraction of the LSA.

For more information on theseproducts and more please visitEthnogarden.com andNaturalUniverseInc.com.

"We regretfully announce that a USfederal agency has specifically askedthat these companies no longer shipto the US and they are complying."

Reference1. http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO1&Sect2=HITOFF&d=PALL&p=1&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsrchnum.htm&r=1&f=G&l=50&s1=6,288,104.PN.&OS=PN/6,288,104&RS=PN/6,288,104 (Accessed5/31/2009).

2. Sewell, RA, Reed, K and Cunningham, M. RESPONSE OFCLUSTER HEADACHE TO SELF-ADMINISTRATION OFSEEDS CONTAINING LYSERGIC ACID AMIDE (LSA). 2008.HYPERLINK"http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsa/lsa_article2.pdf"www.erowid.org/chemicals/lsa/lsa_article2.pdf (Accessed 5/18/2009).

PRODUCT REVIEW


men, and four to seven times asmany men developing clusterheadaches as women. Therefore, itwould not be reasonable to expectthem to be effectively treated by thesame medicines. For example,chemical relatives methysergideand LSD are inversely effectiveagainst migraine and clusterheadache respectively. In general,the more potently psychoactiveindolamines appear to be moreeffective against cluster headache,but less so against migraine. Theseinclude LSD and psilocybin, how-ever both these two substances areSchedule I substances in the US andin most other countries are alsostrictly illegal. In comparison, LSAis listed as Schedule III in the USand is therefore not covered underthe auspices of the Analog Act. Asa result, prosecution for possessingLSA, especially small amounts, isessentially unheard of. Anotheradvantage of LSA over other ergo-

line derivatives such as methy-sergide is that, for cluster headache,significantly less LSA is required toobtain the desired result and as aresult, the risk of treatment inducedergotism, a toxic response to largeor frequent doses of ergoline deriv-atives, is substantially reduced. In apreliminary study, Dr. AndrewSewell has determined the effectivedose of LSA for periodic clusterheadache to be between 0.5 mg and3 mg, and 1.25 mg and 3 mg forchronic cluster headache (1).Erowid.org indicates that AlbertHofmann determined the effectiveoral psychoactive dose of LSA to be2 mg to 5 mg suggesting that theaverage cluster headache suffer isable to obtain significant relieffrom psychoactively sub-thresholddoses of LSA. Dr. Sewell suggestsgrinding the seeds with lemon juice,letting this dry, placing it in a teabag and making tea (2).Clusterbusters.com, however, sug-

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Product Review

What they have done is to take their award win-ning Trimpro design and make it portable andcord-free by adding a small gasoline engine.

Using the same design as their regular electricaltrimmer, they have mounted a lawnmower-sizedmotor to the bottom. One quick and easy pull isenough to get this trimmer up and running. Speedof the trim blades can be controlled via themotor’s throttle, and is fairly easy to adjust.

The attatched 11 HP engine provides planty ofspin and torque. You will not be able to bogdown this engine, unlike what happens to mylawnmower! It is well attatched to teh Trimpro,and that well prevent any uneeded noise or vibra-tion.

This unit does not include a catch bag, as that iswhere the motor is located, but a sheet of plastic

The creative folks at Trimpro have your solution...

underneath the entire unit will catch most of theprecious trim.

A more detailed review is provided with the elec-trical unit, as this unit is almost identical in oper-ation to the electrical model.

I have one located outside in a field of "mydreams." I leave it there, and just cover it with agreen tarp and bungee cords. So it is always there,and always ready, a lot easier to clean up theplants there, as opposed to carting the plantsback into civilization. Less eyes, less of a securi-ty risk!!

If you are miles away from anything electricaland have no problem transporting a 200 kg shinyaluminum trimmer out to your crops and havealot of trimming to do, this product is made foryou.

TrimPro Gas

Have a lotof trimmingto do? Love your Trimpro,but have no electricaloutlets nearby?

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PRODUCT REVIEW


Product Review

When I heard I would be getting a Trimpro to test out to see how it looks andworks, I have to admit. I felt a bit excited and uneasy at the same time.I have always been a scissor in hand kind of guy, that loves to have perfectlymanicured buds, that have great bag appeal. To use a rather large machineto do the same thing, seemed a bit much.. but I still was very interested in howit would perform.

The unit I got to try was the XL model. I can only assume XL, stands forextra large, which it is. Weighing over 200 lbs and standing just shy of 4.5feet assembled, there is nothing inconspicuous about this unit. It does comewell packed from the factory. In a large unmarked box, sits an essentially pre-assembled unit. There is minimal construction needed to assemble, but theenclosed directions and a touch of common sense would get you up and trim-ing within 30 minutes.

I had a small issue with the control board for operation, as my unit arrived with a loose wire. I do have an electrical/elec-tronics background, so it took me about a minute to troubleshoot the problem and get the unit powered up.

The Trimpro xl is held together basically by rubber seize downs. kind of like the hood of a Jeep YJ, so assembly is prettyeasy. Only 4 screws are needed, ( and they supplied a screwdriver), and that is to mount the control unit.

I talked with Andre from Trimpro a couple days before I got delivery, and he gave me a few tips on its operation. Ofcourse, being all excited to try it out, I did not really try those at first. Full steam ahead, and lets see what happens…

TrimPro XL

Basically, it looks like a big residential AC unit, with spinning blades anda screen over top of them. The blades are adjustable, to allow for pre-ferred trim height. I left mine at the factory default. When you fire theunit up, it is recommended to keep it high speed for a minute or so, tobuild up the suction within. You then open the top “hopper” and loadyour cut buds into it. You have to get rid of as much as you can in theway of stems as they tend to get jammed in the little nooks and cranniesof the inside. So, once you get the buds into the machine, turn the speeddown till about 50 %.

The buds will bounce around on the screen for a while, I was recom-mended a minute or so, but that really depends on how much you trimat a time. When you are done, you pull a handle and the freshlytrimmed buds end up evacuating the machine and land in a bucket orbox. Whatever you decide to put there. the trim ends up below theblades, collected in the rather large enclosed screen.I did notice a drawback with the screen, that its too big, and the small-er trim and crystals tend to get blown through the screen holes, but thatshould be remedied soon, as I have been in contact with Trimpro anddiscussed this with them.

The finished product of course is not hand trimmed quality, but it ispretty good. It far exceeded my expectations of what I thought it wouldlook like.

So overall, it is an impressive piece of machinery, only two major draw-backs.. The removal of stems, makes drying of the meds different forme, as I usually use a stem or two to allow it to hang, and the blowingout of the precious trim. But if you have a lot of product to trim, andno one to help you do it.. This machine is for you

Thanks Trimpro for letting me try this out.www.trimpro.ca

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Product Review

PRODUCT REVIEW


Now that you have all your trim from your Trimproand have made your bubble or kief, what do you dowith it?

Well, the best thing to do for storage and to properlyfinish your hash making is to compress it hard. In theold school days, you would use a modified set ofvisegrips, or a similar tool. In today’s great modernage, we have very smart innovative people to makeour lives better, one weed at a time.

The best way to make quality burning tasty hash, iswith supreme pressure, kind of like coal to a dia-mond. The Jack Puck are revolutionary presses creat-ed to transform extracts into a compact paste. Theirmould is dismountable, allowing it to be warmed upin the oven to improve its effectiveness. The cylindri-cal shape of the mould helps the removal of theextracts and facilitates the cleaning.Equipped with a 2 or 6 ton load capacity hydraulicjack, the Jack Puck are light and compact presses thatare easy to carry.

When I was told I was getting one to try, I wasexpecting this huge thing to show up. I was shockedwhen this little box showed up, but man, it workslike a charm. You get some really nice hash discs thatstack perfectly.

Review by Chris Thompson

From the opening statement, “None of this hap-pened, you saw nothing, you heard nothing,” youget the idea that this is a stealthy movie. A movieabout something so highly illegal that this guerillagrower had to create his gardens in the remotewilderness just to get a decent crop outdoors.

The crop?...Cannabis.

The “Devil’s Weed,” as Brown Dirt himself says atthe beginning of the film when explaining why hedoesn’t just grow it out back in his own garden.

Follow along as Brown Dirt Warrior creates fourdifferent garden patches, far from home. See how hesets up the entire grow-op, from digging holes, tofertilizing, getting the water needed, and watchingover the plots until the end. Share the excitementand fear as harvest season approaches, and everyonefrom the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to curi-ous hikers try to find, and steal, Brown Dirt’s cashcrop.

There are other surprises in store for you on thisvideo too. An amazing interview with TommyChong wherein he waxes profoundly spiritual aboutlife, the universe and everything is also part of thestory. As a result of his experiences, Brown DirtWarrior has now become an activist for the legaliza-tion of cannabis. In fact, Tommy has the last wordon this video. You have to see it to believe it.

This movie is so well-produced you can really fol-low the story, and believe it to be reality, as it isindeed. Brown Dirt Warrior is a man of many tal-ents, from grower to videographer and producer,and my hat is off to this professional. I am lookingforward to the day when we can meet and sharesome more stories.

Hopefully BDW’s gardens are flourishing!

Visit browndirtwarrior.comto order your copy online.

Brown Dirt Warrior’s

Prohibition(2008)Guerillamode EntertainmentApprox. 1 hour – on DVD with the Master Grow Guide

Jack Puck

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CHAPTER


Brown Dirt Warrior’sMaster Grow Guide(2008)Guerillamode EntertainmentApprox. 1 hour – on DVD with the Prohibition Movie


Hmmm, a grow video.

After spending the last decade designing and produc-ing some of the world’s top selling grow books (i.e.Marijuana Horticulture), I thought it would be inter-esting to see an alternative to cutting down all thosetrees to get some information across to a reader/view-er.

Grow videos are the future, and it is here now. BrownDirt Warrior has set the standard for a whole newgame in teaching folks how to grow cannabis.

This isn’t a video for indoor growers as much as it isfor guerilla types, and for that I am thankful. Some ofthe best weed I’ve ever had was grown outdoorsunder Mother Nature’s sunshine, and this is the wayit should be. It’s good for the planet! I do wish for aworld wherein I could just dig up my backyard andplant a few rows of cannabis – without fear of beingripped off by the cops or kids.Brown Dirt Warrior carefully explains just abouteverything you need to grow cannabis, and shows

you also, in-depth in front of your eyes. This clarityis not something you can get in a book.

Chapters include: Genetics, Scouting, Planting, WaterSetups, Feeding, Plant Care, Tools of the Trade,Repellants, Flowering, Harvesting, Never Get Busted,and Relationships.

However, a good book would be valuable with thisvideo as a good reference for all the problems onemight encounter while growing your favourite plant.This video covers the basics of how to do it right inthe first place.

Brown Dirt Warrior has provided a greatly educa-tional instructional video for us all to enjoy, withgreat background music and excellent video produc-tion values.

Visit www.browndirtwarrior.comto order your copy online.

Cartoon

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Eddy and Linda Present Music from

The Healing Fields (2009)Hello Jazz Productions


PRODUCT REVIEW


Jason, Craig, and Jason from Hello Jazz Productionshave lovingly created a film that you are going toenjoy, and while watching it you may learn a bit aboutEddy Lepp and Linda Senti. You may wonder why Ikeep writing about these two people after all theseyears, so perhaps watching this will convince you ithas been worth my time.

Featuring over two hours of live music performed atEddy’s farm, the DVD disk also features a slideshowof images from along the way, as Eddy and Lindalived their lives, and celebrated the good times beforethe fall — you know the story, where Linda dies ofcancer and Eddy is convicted and sentenced to tenyears in jail for letting his church members grow mar-ijuana for the sick and dying. It’s the stuff of legends,and now the United States Government seems hell-bent on creating medical marijuana martyrs, with lit-erally hundreds of thousands of them locked up annu-ally, over 900,000 in 2007 alone.

Eddy Lepp’s Medicinal Gardens became the Multi-Denominational Ministry of Cannabis and Rastafarialong the way also, and this is some of the story thatunfolded over the years. These parties you see in thevideo were fundraisers for the cause, or to celebratevarious events from birthdays to hemp festivals.

Performers include: Pony Boy, Los Marijuanos, FCMClick, Rocker-T, Excuses for Skipping, Jordan Loder,The Snakelady, Ralph Woodson, Vegitation, RhymeRelated, Stone Soup, Circle Drum, Buddha Bomb,Hurricane Gilbert, Amha Baraka, Asha, StandingBear, and the Lynette Shaw Band

This is an amazing compilation. From RalphWoodson’s stunning intro, to his smoking rendition of“All Along the Watchtower” for the ending credits, Iwas amazed; particularly so, because I have enjoyedso many of these events myself.

Some highlights to look for are Eddy dressed forHalloween, the car burning up at the Harvest Partyone fall, sneaks into the greenhouses and grow roomsto see what’s been happening there, and a whole lotmore. The music just keeps pumping all the waythrough this video. This is the ultimate party DVD forstoners and cannabis celebrants, a must for your col-lection.

Visit eddyandlinda.com for information on ordering.The DVD is also available in select dispensariesthroughout California.

The cover touts that this DVD will “Uplift your spirit…”and I have to agree.

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PRODUCT REVIEW


I was lucky enough to get to try avaporizer I have been interested infor a while now. I have been insearch of a good portable vaporizerand finally I have found one thatseems to be a good tool.

The Vapolution Vaporizer was cre-ated a few years ago, and has beenaround for a while, but I first got totry one only last month. It is smalland boasts glass-on-glass pieces andpotential portability. I contactedthe good people at Vapolution andthey were more than happy to havetheir tool featured in the magazine,as they are both fans of the maga-zine and proud of their product.Without much trouble, we had theunit shipped and I found myself theproud owner of a portableVapolution Vaporizer. I’ve beenusing it ever since, and I really likeit.

The unit is only about the size of ared plastic cup. It fits in a cup hold-er, and it has attachments for wallplug in, battery plug in, and a caradaptor. It seems to take a few min-utes or so to heat up, but then theunit works essentially the same as aVapor Bros. or a Vapor Doc. It hasa extra-long glass straw piece thatfits into the unit and also holds yourherb, but no screen, making itauthentically all glass-on-glass.There is also a different glass strawthat works with a medical grade

whip to cool the vapor; also, thereare a couple other attachments. Theunit works very well and deliversoptimum control over heat so youcan obtain the vapor you reallydesire. It’s also portable!

The battery pack is a great accesso-ry that you can buy additionallywith the unit, but the car adaptorcomes included. Both offer a muchmore portable option to owners,and they both work very well. Thecar adaptor is essentially just as effi-cient as the wall plug. Everythingworks the same, except that the unitruns off the cigarette lighter in yourcar. You can also use the batterypack. It is fairly large and remindsme of the battery packs I used tohave in my RC cars and trucks as akid. There are about 8 batteriespackaged together with a handycord that plugs into the wall forcharging, and into the unit for use.The battery works also very well,but can only be used for a couplehours or so on one charge. This is agreat addition, but it leads me to afew questions.

Lucky for us, the folks atVapolution were happy to answer afew questions for the TY readers.

TY: Thanks for taking the time tosit down and answer these ques-tions for us.

Vapolution: No problem, we arehappy to help out the magazine andyour readers.

TY: First off, let me ask you aboutthe way the tool works. It is veryefficient and delivers a tastyvapor. Can you tell us a bit moreabout the unit’s features, likewhat kind of heating elementand whip material are used?

Vapolution: The unit operates at12VDC, which means it is very safeand efficient. The heater is madehere at our factory and is madeentirely of glass. We are the onlycompany to offer a completely glassheater. We are also the only compa-ny to make our own heaters. Everyother vaporizer company buys theirheaters from third party. There is noexposure to metal or ceramic withour vaporizer. Since the heater onlyoperates at 12VDC, it will last a lotlonger than 120V models that usemore power. Our unit only con-sumes 12 Watts of power on itshighest setting compared to othervaporizers that consume 60 to 200Watts. The tubing is a food/medicalgrade tubing that does not releaseany toxins or bad taste when in use.

TY: The unit uses a dial instead of adigital setting for heat. Do youknow the scale of temperatures thatthe dial can be set at, or any otherdetails of the heating features?

Product Review

Here, There, and Everywhere

The Vapolution Vaporizer

Jeremy Norrie

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PRODUCT REVIEW


Vapolution: The dial correspondsto the following temperatures — 10o’clock is 300ºF, 12 o’clock is 350ºFand the 2 o’clock setting is 400ºF.10 o’clock to 2 o’clock is the vapor-izing range on our vaporizer. If yougo above 2, you will be real close tosmoking. If you go below 10, youwill not get much vapor. The set-tings above 2 O’clock are there toget you a quicker start up timewhen the unit is cold.

TY: The unit is also portable withthe addition of a battery pack.What is the best way to use thisfunction over the long term? Doyou have to use the battery rightaway after charging, or can it beused days later with the sameefficiency? How do you knowwhen the battery is getting lowin power when you are using theunit? Does it help to set theheating temperature lower tomake the battery last longer?

Vapolution: The battery pack is bestif left on the charger until it is readyto use. This way, it will have the bestcharge. The battery pack shouldhold a charge for about 1 month.The light on the vaporizer willbecome dim, as the battery gets low.The lower the temp setting, thelonger the battery will last. The twohours of “on” time is with the unit inthe 12 O’clock position. A lower set-ting will give you more time and a

higher setting will give you lesstime.TY: The unit is very small andyet very fast and easy to use.How do you keep it so cool tothe touch when the unit is sosmall?

Vapolution: The vaporizer is verywell insulated and only consumes10 watts of power. These two fac-tors are what make it so cool tothe touch, even after hours of use.The unit also has 2 firewalls (layers ofinsulation). The first is a plaster thekeeps the outside cool. The secondis a granular material that keeps theinside hot.

TY: What are some of the reasonsa person should get your vaporiz-er over other vaporizers?

Vapolution: We feel our vaporizeroffers very good vapor quality for anaffordable price. We feel the vaporour device produces is just as good ifnot better than the Volcano, but costshundreds less. The portability isanother big plus. Every vaporizer wesell comes with the car adapter tomake it portable. The unit is alwayscool to the touch, which makes itsafe. It can be left on all day withoutworrying about the unit overheatingor burning out, which is a commonproblem with other vaporizers. Weoffer great customer service andstand behind our product. If you ever

have a problem, Vapolution willmake it right.

Well, that says it all. I want to thankall the people at VapolutionVaporizers — hopefully the article inthis issue will help more people getthe vaporizer they have been lookingfor. If you are a medical patient andyou have been in search of a goodportable vaporizer, we really encour-age you to go and try this unit. In thefuture, I can only see these things get-ting better and better, the time whenyou can only vaporize at home isover. Try the Vapolution and youwill see how great a quality vaporizercan be. Stay with us for the nextissue, we may feature some new dis-pensaries or some new interviews.Also, keep your eye out for my DVDat www.RLDDVD.com and checkout my website atwww.FutureofFighting.com. Take iteasy, have fun, don’t believe the hypeand find what works for you. Goodluck.

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6th AnnualToronto Cannabis CupKeith FaginAlberta and Calgary 420 Cannabis Community founder

EVENTS


fter arriving at the Toronto Pearson Airport onJune 11, we picked up the rental van and aportable GPS unit quickly dubbed “Kelly'sbitch.” As long as Kelly had his “bitch” on his

lap, she would direct us just fine. When anyone elsetouched “Kelly's bitch,” she refused to work properly —telling us to stay left and then telling us to turn right andthen change her mind and telling us to turn left.

Bud, Debbie, Keith and Kelly drove to theHotbox/Roach-O-Rama in the Kensington Market tomeet Marge Groenendyk, Grama Dee, Kass Grant, JohnSnow, Rich Hewitt and Bill — members of a TreatingYourself medical cannabis activist group, some of whommaintained the TY Home Expo booth thus educating amuch different group of people than those attending ahemp / cannabis related event. It came as no surprise toany of us the response they received was highly positive.The four of us were treated like old friends by this supergroup of people. After munching on some Grama Deebrownies and smoking a cone joint supplied by Rich, wewere feeling great and ready to continue our excellentcannabis adventures.

Next stop was the Best Western Hotel to check in anddrop off our luggage. When Debbie and I stepped off theelevator, we knew we were in the right place as the strongsmell of sweet cannabis freedom flooded the 18th floor.Next was to find some good food and a trip to NiagaraFalls. Kelly spotted a buffet style restaurant where wefilled up on Chinese food. By the time we got close toNiagara Falls, the rain was coming down hard. Debbiehopped out of the rental van and took some quick pic-tures. It was getting late and we were all tired from theday’s activities. We arrived back to the hotel just before11:00 pm for some much needed rest. The 18th floor wasstill going strong thanks to the likes of Ron, Robert andthe future Toronto Cannabis Cup winner Red Devilbreeder.June 12 we headed to the Kindred Cafe to hook up withMarco Renda, Michelle Rainey, Fred, Kevin and manyothers. Kindred Cafe staff commented they had not hadthat many people in the cafe in some time. MeetingMarco and seeing Michelle again was the high-light ofthe day for us. A number of high quality cannabis strainsflowed freely amongst us all.

Next stop was some good food and then off to theevening’s 3 hour boat tour, where samples were handedout to all attending the 6th Annual Toronto CannabisCup. There was lots of cannabis, good food, drinks, liveentertainment, and lots of good fun with many good peo-ple. After the evening boat tour, the party continued at ahall on College Street. It was really great to see 14Calgarians attending this year’s event.

June 13 we were off to Clandestiny - Puff MammaBakery, at which point we soon found out that we hadgotten the old address. This resulted in a reroute toVapor Central to hook up with the Bongs and Such crewand a local Toronto activist named Hudsonrulez. VaporCentral was very modern with very knowledgeable andfriendly staff. Hudsonrulez was kind enough to allow meto try his portable vaporizer and offered to be our tourguide to get us to Clandestiny - Puff Mamma Bakery’snew location and introduce us to the people there.

After many more joints were consumed in the companyof good people, we were ready for some good food again.When we saw it, we just had to lunch at a restaurantcalled Prohibition. Our server was a native of BritishColumbia that had lived in Calgary and was in Torontofor a few months before going back to London, England,where he had moved after Calgary.

We arrived at the hall around 6:00 PM and the smokyparty was well under way — lots of joints, demonstra-tions, live entertainment, prize giveaways and a whole lotmore. Ron and Robin know how to put on a super goodtime for a large crowd. We also had the pleasure of meet-ing and enjoying some time with Matt Beren (VICS B.C.Supreme Court Feb. 2009 fame). The hall was packedwith so many great people with whom we had the pleas-ure of meeting and partying with. Some we had knownbefore, but everyone made many new friends. I was luckyenough to scoop a rare Willy Jack cannabis strain, whichwe brought home with us to continue to enjoy (Under amicroscope, the buds looked like a glob of trichome goo.)

On June 14, Debbie, Keith, Nick and Bill (Bongs andSuch) started the day in Ron's room, who was the event’sorganizer. Keith, Nick and Ron consumed some stronghash and enjoyed like-minded conversation. The previ-

A

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EVENTS


ous night’s strain entries dominated the conversation. It was thentime to check out and head off to Toronto Pearson Internationalfor our flight back to Calgary. We had the pleasure of having acomedian flight attendant on the flight home to put a prefect endto a excellent adventure in Toronto.

Picture Galleryhttp://calgary420.ca/gallery.html?func=viewcategory&catid=77

Marco Renda Treating Yourself YouTube video cliphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6Y4-gEEU5E

Michelle Rainey, Debbie Fagin, Marco Renda and Kelly ChristieYouTube video cliphttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2PwH980-4I

Clockwise- A happy Marco, - Marco with Mick and Cliff from KDK Distributors,- Michell handing the RooR bong to Josh the winner, - The Medicinal Gang, - Jeff Tek, Marco, Michelle and supporters- Ron, Michelle, Marco and Josh the Winner of the TY RooR bong- Steve from Cube Cap, Marco, Debbie and supporter from Calgary- Chills Bongs

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EVENTS


his spring was a very busyone for the folks of MedicinalAwareness (MA), especiallyfrom April 18 to May 21, as

we embarked upon the new year. Thenew year? Yes, like most cultures thathave their own new year, we in thecannabis community also have ourown new year, but you may neverhave really noticed. So, how does thisnew year for the cannabis culturework? Just like our regular ChristmasNew Year celebrations that most ofthe world celebrates, but our TwelveDays of Cannabis are a bit different.You see, ours starts on April 20 andruns to the first Saturday in May.Depending on which date thatSaturday falls on it, runs for approxi-mately 12 days — just like Christmas!

This would start things off with the420 celebrations and conclude on thesame day as the Global MarijuanaMarch. Both events draw largecrowds all over the world. The days inbetween could be filled with medici-nal and educational movies, docu-mentaries and celebrations. Once thatis over, it’s time to get to back towork. Read on and see how the folksat MA have done just that.

Niagara 420Our cannabis season started offwith a trip to the Niagara 420 rally.The group members made theirown way to Niagara before meetingup at the Victoria Park Ave Hwy420 junction. Things started offslow, but as the time got closer tomarch, things started to build.Marco Ivancicevic got things rollingas he addressed the crowd with hisportable microphone and amplifier.

As more people gathered, the crowdstood along the edge of the sidewalkand the side of the road way. They didthis to make sure that everyone couldread the signs being held out for all tosee. Probably one of the largest signspresent was the one that spelt out“legalize.” It took many people tohold this sign, as each individual letterin the word had its own board. Whensomeone got tired of holding a letter,another volunteer would step in andtake over. It was large enough that itcouldn’t be missed as people drove by.When the time came to march, thecrowd took their marching orders.With the police right beside us, tomake sure the crowd stayed out ofharm’s way, we all started to makeour way along Victoria Ave towardsClifton Hill. The police were so politethat they even blocked off the mainroads — not once, but a few times —as we made our way to the falls.Many of the tourists along the waywatched and took pictures as wepassed by. Our signs told them whatwe were there for.

Once everyone had gathered near thefalls, the music was plugged in and thesounds of today could be heard with-in our area. The police watched overus for a little while and then they were

on their way to fight serious crime.

One by one, the three speakers tooktheir turns talking about marijuana.Alison Myrden talked to people aboutthe effect of Bill C-15 and compared itto the American system. She toldeveryone how full the prison system isin the U.S. and that many law abidingcitizens would become criminals afterspending time for growing marijuanaplants. I followed Alison and I spokehow I got my part on Rock 107 to domy reefer radio reports before talkingabout the effects Bill C-15 would haveon the medicinal marijuana commu-nity. I told people about a lady in theNorth West Territories would couldpossible face two years of mandatorytime if this law was passed. This finelady works for the territorial govern-ment and suffers from a severe backinjury. She asked her doctor aboutsigning the Canadian Governmentpapers, but, like so many, she wasturned down by him. With a legal rea-son to use marijuana but still unableto do so legally, she opted to grow herown without permission. Sometimeafterwards, the police showed up andripped her house apart, removing hertwo kids from her care. They then hadthe fire department condemn herhome because of the small closetgrow. If Bill C-15 was passed beforeshe got raided, she would get sixmonths plus extra time for havingchildren in the house, plus extra timefor many other “aggravated factors”that they have written into the bill.When I was done, Marc-Boris St-Maurice of NORML Canada tookover. Marc-Boris touched on manyaspects of his Resolving MarijuanaProhibition Tour, as well as the manynegative effects of Bill C-15. It wasgreat to see him there as he is one verybusy guy as he tours across the coun-try, talking to everyone about legaliza-tion

Of course, this trip would not be com-plete without a visit to the TreatingYourself hospitality suite. While there,we were able to meet many of thepeople we would only know by nameon the forums. It was great to meet allof you that attended and we look for-

ward to seeing you in the future.

The ContinuingAdventures of MAA very busy Cannabis New YearWendal GrantTY Columnist

T

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EVENTS


Global MarijuanaMarchUp next for the group wasa visit to the largest GlobalMarijuana March held inthe world in Toronto,Ontario, Canada. This alltakes place on the groundsat Queens Park in theheart of the city, and hasbeen happening for 11 years now.Something tells me that by year 15,the organizers may need to find a newlocation, as this one may be too small.This year’s event was set up like lastyear’s. The vendors were placedaround the outside, with the bigsound stage set up at one end. Thisstage pounded out live reggae musicthat everyone could enjoy. There werethree other, smaller stages set up aswell, which allowed for a speaker sec-tion where you could hear manyactivists speak. As well, other musicwould be played from these locations.

When we arrived at the site, we quick-ly found Mamahawk, as she had setup at the usual TY location. The lawnchairs were set up and the TreatingYourself banner was put into place.Throughout the day, many of theonline members made their way toour area. Hashimotto, Pothead Pete,Pipes, Mz Nice and others stopped infor a visit, or spent the day with us.When the march was getting set up,we all gathered near the front. Asmore people joined in, the front of theparade would have to move forward.This allowed others to gather inbehind as the line got longer every sec-ond. When it was time, we were readyand away we went, as the marchmade its way around the downtowncore of the city. Many people wouldblast their horns in approval whilemany others watched us from thesidewalks and waved in appreciationto what we were doing. The march tosome can seem long and I’m sure toothers it could be thought of as beingshort. No matter how you look at it, Ido know when the front of themarchers came around its final corner,you could spot the end of the paradestill leaving the park.

Once we got back to the park, itappeared like the crowd had swollen.The park seemed to be full. I found asI walked around it was getting hardnot to bump into someone or have tomove around people, as the groundswere packed. It was so busy and loudthat I had to take my reefer report offof the grounds to avoid the noise andthe music. There was no way that Icould have done it while in there.

The Wholistic Day

With the parades and the publicspeaking over, our group then focusedon educating the grassroots people.These are the people who don’t par-ticipate in the rallies or parades, nevermind even understanding the medici-nal value of cannabis and marijuana.The group found out about theWholestic Day event being held inAlderville, Ontario. This event is heldby a magazine called The Link(www.the-link.ca), which featuresmany articles on alternative methodsof healing. When we saw the posterfor the show, it stated “all things100% natural,” so we couldn’t resist.We wrote the people hosting the showand talked to them about participat-ing in it. Once we were done goingover things, our booth was approved.

The day came for the event and wegot set up quickly. The table was

draped in a big fuzzy black blanketwith a huge green marijuana leafemblazoned in the middle of it. Onone side of the table we had a displayset up with alternative methods ofconsuming cannabis. On the otherside, we had Treating Yourself maga-zines and our group’s medicinal mari-juana brochure, providing peoplewith medicinal links for them toreview. With no walls around us, wehad no real spot to hang the TreatingYourself banner high in the air, but wewere near the stage and we were ableto hang it from there. It was a low butit was hung, and could be seen as peo-ple made their way towards ourbooth.

The most common question wereceived throughout the day was“how does cannabis/marijuana helpwith ADHD?” and the most-heardcomment was “I don’t know whythey don’t just legalize it.” With theADHD question, we were able topoint the people to an article that waswithin the magazine, which we wouldthen offer to them and they would gladly take.

The many that did stop by told usthey were involved in the health fieldand had heard of the medicinal valueof the herb through their patients.One lady told us that she was againstpeople smoking marijuana but wasinterested in knowing what her youngadult children were getting into.When she left, she gave us a big smile,shook our hands and thanked us foreverything. We thanked her back forreaching out and researching thetruth, unlike the many who justbelieve those in authority.

When the day wrapped up, we werevery happy how this had all unfolded.With this being our first time doing itoutside of Toronto and the first timeever at this fair, I’m sure that bothsides would agree that it was good forevery one. We can hardly wait untilnext year.

Resolving MarijuanaProhibitionWith the fair completed, we had toquickly turn our sights towards the

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EVENTS


next event in our very busy first monthof the new cannabis year. If you’re unaware of this tour, it hasMarc-Boris St-Maurice, founder of theMarijuana Party of Canada, touring ourcountry and talking to people aboutresolving marijuana prohibition. Hedoes this through video interviews withmany experts in economics, health andmedicine, policy implementation andsocial justice relating to cannabis. Along

with these videos, each stop provides a panel of people to assisthim in discussing these four pillars of policy with the audience.You can read more about Marc-Boris and his tour athttp://www.norml.ca

Our members attending the tours stopped at the OrganicUnderground on Front Street in Belleville Ontario. The placeserves speciality coffees, organic foods and organic meals, to awide range of organic health care products. The building is veryold, with much of its original brick exposed to those on theinside. In other spots, you could see old timber ends and fullbeams that were used to build the place. Out front, as we walkedin, there was a gentleman sitting on a stool busking to those whowalked by and a chalkboard sign telling people what is happen-ing on the inside. On this night, it told everyone that legalizingcannabis/marijuana was being discussed inside.Just before and just after the show got going, the place started toget crowded. From up front it appeared there was little room leftfor people to sit. The place was not filled with a young, youth-ful crowd as some would imagine. Instead, it was filled withmany that were over 40 and many that were over 65. A quickshow of hands told us that there wasn’t really as many smokersin the crowd as one would think. When it was asked who inattendance was a federal medical marijuana exemptee, it lookedlike at least 10 to 12 hands remained high in the air.

The panel for this night featured Dr. Craig Jones, the NationalDirector of the John Howard Society, Lynne Belle-Isle, aPrograms Consultant with the Canadian Aids Society, AlGraham of MA and a contributing writer for Treating Yourself,as well as Gary Magwood, the coordinator of public and mediarelations for the Green Party of Canada PE-H federal riding. Allof the panelists had different ideas and thoughts on the four pil-lars. Dr. Jones and Ms. Belle-Isle are two very well-respectedpeople in their fields. Dr. Jones has done many research studieson cannabis and its effects. Ms. Belle-Isle researches in themedicinal field with regards to cannabis’ effects with HIV andAIDS patients, and is instrumental in helping those peopletowards an improved quality of life, something all sick peoplereach for. A special thank you goes out to Mike, a friend of MAand the man behind the scenes getting this thing organized.

The night was educational to many. For others, it may have beenpreaching to the choir, but all and any information that can getout to a large gathering is great to see. Now that the seeds havebeen planted, let’s hope that they bear the fruit of knowledge sothat those who receive can spread it onto others.

MA can be reached at [email protected]

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Name:

Address:

City: Province / State :

Postal / Zip Code: Country:

Home Phone # : Best time to call?

Email Address : Please mail completed entry form to: Treating Yourself, Attn: RooR contest, 250 The East Mall, P.O. Box 36531, Etobicoke, Ontario. M9B 3Y8 Canada

Readers Survey

Just answer the question and complete the following entry form and send it off to TY! One lucky winner will be chosen for each prize. GOOD LUCK!!! Deadline for contest entry is October 1/09

2nd prize Volcano Digital Vaporizer

Contest

Only 1 entry per person. If more than 1 entry is received then you will be disqualified from the contest.

Deadline for contest entry is October 1/09 Winners name will be announced in Treating Yourself issue # 19

Winner will be contacted by phone / mail / email so please be sure to provide your contact information in full.

ALL INFORMATION WILL BE DISTROYED IMMEDIATELY AFTER A WINNER HAS BEEN PICKED AND CONTACTED

Deadline for contest entry is October 1/09

Answer the following TY ATTENTION AWARENESS QUESTION :

complete with carrying case!

1st

PRIZE Win a complete custom package!

When visiting Amsterdam or Frankenthal can you rent a RooR bong?

Answer yes or no

CONTEST


Contest WINNERS

Issue 15

Please keep those entries coming. We know there are many more lucky winners.

Roor package winner:

R.A. Nanaimo, B.C

Volcano winner

R.Y. Australia

KDK DISTRIBUTORS & HERBLALAIRE

2 more Vaporizers Given Away!Our latest 2 winners are Sylvia and Shawn.

Yes, we are still giving away herbalAire Vaporizors!Each and every issue of TY Magazine, HerbalAire and KDK Distributorswill each donate a HerbalAire Vaporizer to deserving med patients.Thanks to all those who have responded to our contest. We have receivedmany letters from eligible people around the world..Judging the entries is never easy, but we believe we have chosen twomore winners who are truly deserving of a HerbalAire.

Sylvia Taft Michigin, USASylvia is a med patient and isthrilled at the benefits shereceives through vaporization.

Shawn DulongKentucky, USA

Shawn was recently diagnosedwith lung cancer and is grateful

to have the use of vaporization asa clean method of medicating

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TY18:Layout 1 17/08/09 16:06 Pagina 1 - Treating Yourself

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