# Medical Marijuana



## DB008 (14 February 2012)

In the last 10 years or so, Medical Marijuana has taken off in California.
It's a billion dollar a year plus industry (~$1.3 Billion with $100 million in taxes collected). 
 Local communities, councils, state and federal levels collect tax on this product or get follow on benefits from sales tax.

To legally obtain marijuana in California, all that is needed is a script from a Doctor with a bogus ailment, i.e., anxiety, back paint, headaches, ADD/ADHD, IBS/Crohn's, alzheimer's, premenstrual syndrome (cramps and discomfort). You go with script in hand and ID to a dispensary and your good to go. Easy as pie.

I don't smoke or do drugs myself (did try pot about 10 years ago, I just fell asleep), but am intrigued at how the scene in the USA has changed over the years. And in a capitalist society, once the dollars start to pour in, why would you cut off a income stream. Coupled with the weak economic climate l don't see any change coming soon.


So, _should/could_ Australia adopt a similar approach and; 

Free up police resources
Collect income tax on sales as a new revenue stream 
Put some profits back into mental health
Education about marijuana
Fund scientific research into this plant for other benefits
Adopt a California type of system?

How do you feel about the current laws in Australia?


*Wiki* - Marijuana Australia



> After politicians in the Australian Capital Territory voted to allow doctors to determine when cannabis was appropriate for their patients, intense lobbying by the federal government resulted in the legislation being overturned. In May 2003 the then Premier of New South Wales, Mr Bob Carr, promised patients a four-year trial into the medical uses of cannabis - but little to no action was taken.
> 
> There is no current law allowing the medical use of cannabis in Australia, and the federal law regarding drug use places marijuana in Schedule I (the most restrictive category, which also includes heroin), meaning it has no legal medical use and cannot be prescribed by a doctor. Drugs in the other schedules are considered to have medical uses (for instance cocaine, morphine and methamphetamine) and can be prescribed. Cannabis users who claim to use the plant for medical purposes are treated the same as anyone else using non-industrial cannabis.







National Cancer Institue - USA

Science Daily - Marijuana Cuts Lung Cancer Tumor Growth In Half, Study Shows

American Cancer Society

Wiki - California Proposition 215 (1996)

Wiki - Cannabis in California 

Bloomberg - U.S. Takes Aim at California’s $1 Billion Marijuana Dispensaries

Bloomberg - Marijuana IPOs Provide Investors With Gateway to Cannabis Boom

Harbourside Heath Centre - biggest dispensary in the USA, turnover of ~$22 million per annum

National Geographic Channel - Marijuana Nation


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## prawn_86 (14 February 2012)

I think the entire "War On Drugs" is a load of total BS. The amount of lives lost, money spent, time wasted go against everything governments should be trying to do, especially when they are cash strapped.

The only financial benefit is that prices are higher in a black market, and it is a cash economy so that all gets back into the system somehow. But as it is usually across borders, Western countries tend to lose out anyway.

Legalise it all, tax it and then put a % of that income towards harm minimisation.


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## Gringotts Bank (14 February 2012)

Obviously it's a very useful drug for some medical complaints.  I don't see any difference at all between using marijuana and say a highish dose of codeine for the treatment of strong pain.  Both have real, measurable benefits.  Both have side effects.  Both will have long term ill-effects on the body if used excessively.  Both can be used recreationally. Both can lead to hard drug use and dependence.  A little bit on occasion is probably fine, just the same as with alcohol.

My understanding is that it's legal to own a single plant for your own use only.  I heard that from a lawyer but it could be wrong.  I don't use it myself.

Some interesting reading here:  http://www.oddee.com/item_97276.aspx
I don't agree entirely with this article.  But I do suspect that a lot of future (legal) medicines will be analogues of currently illegal street drugs.

Oh for the days of cocaine in your Coke!  Remember that?


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## sails (14 February 2012)

If people want it, they seem to be able to get it whether or not it is illegal.

My daughter came off pot last year and the withdrawal brought on terrible psychotic symptoms. I could never recommend it as I don't think it is as harmless as some believe it to be.

But then, compared to the horrific and sometimes permanent side effects of the prescription antipsychotics which are being used off label for sleep and anxiety, marijuana seems pretty tame.

https://www.achievesolutions.net/achievesolutions/en/Content.do?contentId=4100


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## prawn_86 (14 February 2012)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Some interesting reading here:  http://www.oddee.com/item_97276.aspx
> I don't agree entirely with this article.  But I do suspect that a lot of future (legal) medicines will be analogues of currently illegal street drugs.




I haven't read that article (am at work) but this would be hard to achieve in Aus. We currently have 'analogue' laws here meaning that anything which is a synthetic derivative is automatically banned, if it can be used do form another illegal drug. An example is how 4-mmc (Mephedrone with stupid media street name of 'meow meow') is automatically illegal here as it is a symthetic derivative of MDMA (ecstacy). Whereas in the UK they have to ban each drug individually.

If a medical analogue was allowed it would either require a change of law, or open up a flood of importing of research chemicals based on precedent set from a court ruling allowing the drug


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## DB008 (14 February 2012)

Interesting

Company is GW Pharmaceutical

Product is SATIVEX - to treat pain.




> GW’s lead product, Sativex is now approved in the UK, Canada, New Zealand and Spain as a prescription medicine. It is indicated as add-on treatment for symptom improvement in patients with moderate to severe spasticity due to multiple sclerosis (MS) who have not responded adequately to other anti-spasticity medication and who demonstrate clinically significant improvement in spasticity related symptoms during an initial trial of therapy.
> A further six European countries (Germany, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, Austria and Czech Republic) have determined that Sativex is to be approved and are expected to issue national licences in mid 2011.  Sativex is also in Phase III clinical development for the treatment of cancer pain.
> 
> GW has entered into three licensing agreements for Sativex – with Bayer HealthCare in the UK and Canada, with Almirall in Europe (excluding UK) and with Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd in the United States.






> SATIVEX ® is a cannabis based medicine containing Tetranabinex ® and Nabidiolex ® extracts of chemically and genetically characterised Cannabis sativa L. plants. The principal active components are delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD).




GW Pharmaceutical - Sativex


Fact Sheet - Sativex - Health Canada


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## Smurf1976 (14 February 2012)

Isn't Marijuana just a new approach to smoking?

The tobacco industry is slowly being killed off by governments, so the companies need something else to sell in order to keep the profits rolling in. Hence the increasing stream of pro-marijuana propaganda we're all being fed.

Maybe I'm getting too old, but I know quite a few who have smoked this stuff for years. With one exception all of then are ****** up in some way mentally. Enough said really. No doubt the other one will join the list at some point...

I'd much rather see someone smoking tobacco than smoking marijuana. Better still, don't smoke anything but at least with tobacco you've got 20+ years before any real harm is likely. I've seen people in their 20's screwed up due to marijuana...


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## Tink (15 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> Isn't Marijuana just a new approach to smoking?
> 
> The tobacco industry is slowly being killed off by governments, so the companies need something else to sell in order to keep the profits rolling in. Hence the increasing stream of pro-marijuana propaganda we're all being fed.
> 
> ...




Hear Hear Smurf

I get sick of hearing all this, just to push their own agenda of getting it through. 
Who picks up the pieces of all these kids?


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## todster (15 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> Isn't Marijuana just a new approach to smoking?
> 
> The tobacco industry is slowly being killed off by governments, so the companies need something else to sell in order to keep the profits rolling in. Hence the increasing stream of pro-marijuana propaganda we're all being fed.
> 
> ...




I agree but i could say the same with booze x10.


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## prawn_86 (15 February 2012)

todster said:


> I agree but i could say the same with booze x10.




Yep, either legalize everything or ban everything. Don't have a peice meal approach based on powerful lobbying 

Problem with banning everything is we know it doesnt work


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## Lantern (15 February 2012)

Both can lead to hard drug use and dependence

^^ Don't forget all alcoholics started off drinking milk.



Seriously though, prohibition has never worked for anything, anywhere or anybody.
Just why can't the powers that be see that.

Drug dependence is a health issue not a criminal one.


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## Smurf1976 (15 February 2012)

todster said:


> I agree but i could say the same with booze x10.



Agreed that booze also messes up a lot of people. But already having one problem drug that's legal doesn't justify encouraging another one. 

Sure, some people grow it illegally, but it's still a niche thing compared to the legal drugs of alcohol and tobacco. Prohibition could be said to be partially effective in this case - it doesn't stop access but it would seem to be deterring consumption at least to some extent.


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## todster (15 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> Agreed that booze also messes up a lot of people. But already having one problem drug that's legal doesn't justify encouraging another one.
> 
> Sure, some people grow it illegally, but it's still a niche thing compared to the legal drugs of alcohol and tobacco. Prohibition could be said to be partially effective in this case - it doesn't stop access but it would seem to be deterring consumption at least to some extent.




Yeah no one in mining does pot anymore because of the time it takes your system to rid itself of the thc.
Now coke,meth are the norm,personally i would perfer to work with the stoner.
I find them a bit more predictable,less moody.


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## moXJO (16 February 2012)

todster said:


> I find them a bit more predictable,less moody.




Yeah unless they haven't smoked, then they are moody angry little bastards. At least methheads just curl into a ball on withdrawal


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## DB008 (16 February 2012)

I suppose if we to get too liberal on weed, it could end up like this????





_(It's a random picture off the 'net)_


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## awg (19 February 2012)

Interestingly, until the 1930s and the invention of more modern medicine such as antibiotic, almost all prescriptions contained a mix of the following 4 ingredients:

Alcohol
Opium
Cocaine
Cannabis

The range of ailments this was used to treat was vast, including "Infant Teething" which was apparently quite addictive


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## medicowallet (19 February 2012)

awg said:


> Interestingly, until the 1930s and the invention of more modern medicine such as antibiotic, almost all prescriptions contained a mix of the following 4 ingredients:
> 
> Alcohol
> Opium
> ...




Can you please link some medicines used in Australia that used cannabis in them before 1930? I can't recall any from looking through an old drug register that a pharmacist I knew had from the late 1800s

Perhaps a quick look at the pharmacopeia may help.

MW


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## Smurf1976 (19 February 2012)

I've seen a picture of a bottle of name brand heroin (Bayer I think it was) from 100 or so years ago. It looked legit so I assume it was.


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## McLovin (19 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> I've seen a picture of a bottle of name brand heroin (Bayer I think it was) from 100 or so years ago. It looked legit so I assume it was.




Heroin is actually a brand name the compound is called diacetylmorphine. I'm fairly certain that Bayer won't be pursuing trademark infringement though if you're caught selling heroin. It was originally sold as a cure for morphine addiction.


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## sptrawler (20 February 2012)

todster said:


> Yeah no one in mining does pot anymore because of the time it takes your system to rid itself of the thc.
> Now coke,meth are the norm,personally i would perfer to work with the stoner.
> I find them a bit more predictable,less moody.




Believe it or not, it is best to take nothing and I can't preach on that.
But as you get older you really do realise it is a waste of money buying $hit your body has to break down.
They are all chemicals that have to go through the liver, kidneys and you don't realise untill it is too late that yours are just as easily damaged as anyone elses.
It doesn't matter how tough you are/were, damage happens. Ala Troy Mercanti.


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## Gringotts Bank (20 February 2012)

Here's an excerpt from one of my favourite books, Armando Torres 'Encounters with the Nagual'.  This chapter is on power plants, hallucinogenic plant extracts. It's a very balanced and mature view of mind altering drugs and their effects.  As you read, note that the word 'sorcerer' is synonymous with 'enlightened' or 'truth-realized' person, and has nothing to do with hocus pocus.  Similarly, the word 'stalker' = 'seeker after truth', and 'assemblage point' roughly translates as 'perceptual boundary'.

*Power Plants *

A man was sitting on a bench, almost hidden behind a newspaper stand. I noticed him, but in such a subconscious way that I had walked some twenty meters past him before it struck me. I turned; the man looked at me smiling. It was Carlos. 
He hugged me effusively and remarked that an encounter of that nature had to be taken as an omen. 
"Now, I am all yours," he exclaimed. "Ask!" 
I saw my opportunity. 
In various conversations, Carlos had categorically stated that hallucinogenic plants are not advisable for a seeker of knowledge. However, in his first books he had written exactly the opposite, and he even gave extensive exercises on their use, presenting himself as an example of the power of those plants. 
This was a matter that interested me intensely, I had never experienced in my own body the incredible forms of perception that he described and I felt a great curiosity. So, taking advantage of his good mood, I asked him to clear up the contradiction. 
When he heard my question, his enthusiasm cooled down. The topic seemed to affect him deeply. After a few seconds of reflection he told me that a sign from the spirit had determined the change in his perspective. 
"In 1971, after publishing my second book, I received an uncomfortable visit. United States government agents came to one of my presentations and they informed me that I was becoming an idol of juvenile drug addicts, and that they would expel me from the country unless I modified my attitude. 
"At first I didn't see any reason to concern myself with these threats. But later I investigated a little, and the situation made an impression on me. Many students were taking Don Juan's teachings as an academic permission to get high. My name was mentioned everywhere as an authority on drugs. But I didn't want to be the patron saint of anything! 
"I took my dilemma to Don Juan, who laughed at the whole thing and told me that a principle of stalkers is not to confront anybody, and certainly not people more powerful than themselves. 'You have blundered in among the hooves of horses, and you have to get yourself out of there. I suggest you take care of your learning; the rest, what does it matter?' That advice made me decide to have a more cautious-attitude in my next publications. 
"Personally, I neither approve nor disapprove of anything, since I am not one to judge in the matter and, also, my learning was a result of such techniques. However, in public I cannot encourage use of the plants, because my books are read by all kinds of people and everyone interprets them in their own way. 
"Without qualified supervision, power plants can produce regrettable results, since they move the assemblage point abruptly and erratically, and in the long term, they take their toll on a person's health and sanity, and sometimes they will take a practitioner's life. On one occasion, they warned me that the father of a student was looking for me with a gun to kill me, because he blamed me for his son's death after experimenting with drugs. 
"It is a very delicate matter, all this about power plants. Jf you want to understand it, you have to abandon the folkloric vision that almost everybody has of sorcerers. True Toltec warriors are not fanatical about dope or about anything else; their behavior is strictly dictated by impeccability. 
"I have already explained to you that Don Juan only used plants with me in the beginning of my apprenticeship, and only because I was exceptionally fixed in my routines. The more obstinate I got, the more plants he gave me. In that way he was able to loosen my assemblage point the minimum necessary for me to grasp the premises of his teachings. However, in spite of his careful conduct, it had a high cost for me and it's one of the main reasons why today my health is so deteriorated. 
"Power plants have a limit and a sorcerer finds it very soon. They are an initial stimulus, but they cannot become a base to work from, because they don't have the capacity to take us to complete worlds, which is what a seer looks for." 
"Do you mean that the movement they induce in the assemblage point is not sufficiently great?" 
"It's the opposite, they produce a deep and unpredictable shake. A real sorcerer can manage that, but not an apprentice. If he uses them to break his perceptual limits, the beginner will be tempted to classify everything he is witnessing as hallucinations; after all, everything started from a plant! In that way, he will never reach the degree of commitment needed to fix his assemblage point in a new position. Plants take you quickly and easily to another world, but they don't allow you to stalk it; that is their limitation. 
"The best way of deploying our perception is through dreaming. As a method, dreaming is just as simple but less risky, more comprehensive and, above all, much more natural. 
"The goal of an apprentice is to take the reins of his assemblage point. Once he is able to displace it, he has to repeat those movements without external help, by force of discipline and impeccability. Then we can say the warrior has found an ally."


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## Julia (20 February 2012)

McLovin said:


> It was originally sold as a cure for morphine addiction.



Just as the benzodiazepines were heralded as non-addictive replacements for the barbiturates.


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## prawn_86 (20 February 2012)

Slightly off topic but did anyone watch 'Cocaine Cowboys' on ABC2 last night. Interesting example of how drug money virtually built an entire city


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## McLovin (20 February 2012)

prawn_86 said:


> Slightly off topic but did anyone watch 'Cocaine Cowboys' on ABC2 last night. Interesting example of how drug money virtually built an entire city




Is that the one where the guy tells the story about how he was carrying a couple of tonnes of Colombian nose candy in his boat and he saw that the Coast Guard was broken down so he offered to tow them back into port?


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## prawn_86 (20 February 2012)

McLovin said:


> Is that the one where the guy tells the story about how he was carrying a couple of tonnes of Colombian nose candy in his boat and he saw that the Coast Guard was broken down so he offered to tow them back into port?




Yeh that's the one. Quality story


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## DB008 (20 February 2012)

There is also a sequel, Cocaine Cowboys 2 (not nearly as good as the first one). Plus on Nat Geo, there are some spectacular doco's like Cocaine Submarines, mind boggling stuff.


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## awg (21 February 2012)

medicowallet said:


> Can you please link some medicines used in Australia that used cannabis in them before 1930? I can't recall any from looking through an old drug register that a pharmacist I knew had from the late 1800s
> 
> Perhaps a quick look at the pharmacopeia may help.
> 
> MW




Hi MW

The information I quoted was from an article I read regarding the USA.

Cant seem to find my Oz pre 1930s copy of pharmacopeia, must be somewhere with the Renolds chain tension manual I misplaced in the 70s, or my "50yrs of Fender"

however, stuff like this
http://www.pharmacytechs.net/blog/old-school-medicine-ads

something a little more scientific
http://www.druglibrary.org/schaffer/hemp/medical/meduse.htm

talking of pharmacopeia...cannabis was in the US version till 1941
http://www.pharmacytechs.net/blog/a-timeline-history-of-medical-marijuana


With regard to the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia, I am unsure when smoking/non hemp-fibre varieties were established as they are not native, but I believe that the Chinese used it medicinally in the same way as they traditionally have, opium as well.

My personal view, is anything more than a very small amount is bad for you, although I think that it can be beneficial to treat certain symptoms in some conditions.

I recently read that their is a belief amongst some bi-polar sufferers that cannabis can be used effectivly to moderate the manic phase of their condition, although this is very much a minority view I would expect.

Various preparations of cannabis are widely used in Indian traditional medicine.

It makes sense that the ingredients that I mentioned were commom in medicine, as they are all variously the most EFFECTIVE remedies for pain, anxiety, fatigue etc etc, prior to modern medicine invention


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## AbrasiveCamel (21 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> Agreed that booze also messes up a lot of people. But already having one problem drug that's legal doesn't justify encouraging another one.
> 
> Sure, some people grow it illegally, but it's still a niche thing compared to the legal drugs of alcohol and tobacco. Prohibition could be said to be partially effective in this case - it doesn't stop access but it would seem to be deterring consumption at least to some extent.




Its not a niche thing - There was a study recently that said Australia and New Zealand when combined are the world's top smokers of cannabis.



Smurf1976 said:


> Isn't Marijuana just a new approach to smoking?
> 
> The tobacco industry is slowly being killed off by governments, so the companies need something else to sell in order to keep the profits rolling in. Hence the increasing stream of pro-marijuana propaganda we're all being fed.
> 
> ...




Do you have a single piece of evidence linking the tobacco industry to cannabis propaganda? I highly doubt it. Putting the conspiracy aside...

Cannabis doesn't **** you up mentally. People who are already stupid tend to gravitate towards it - amongst other things.

You'd rather see someone smoking tobacco than cannabis? One kills millions of people every year and the other kills nobody - seems like you need to do some soul searching.


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## AbrasiveCamel (21 February 2012)

As far as our laws go.

We live in a relatively conservative society - and complete BS misconceptions are common, see the 'pot makes you stupid' rubbish in this thread.

I suspect given our trend to mimic America and their pension for setting the policy of other countries that once it happens over there (the cat is already half way out the bag) we will likely follow suit. 

The humane and logical thing would be this...



prawn_86 said:


> I think the entire "War On Drugs" is a load of total BS. The amount of lives lost, money spent, time wasted go against everything governments should be trying to do, especially when they are cash strapped.
> 
> The only financial benefit is that prices are higher in a black market, and it is a cash economy so that all gets back into the system somehow. But as it is usually across borders, Western countries tend to lose out anyway.
> 
> Legalise it all, tax it and then put a % of that income towards harm minimisation.




...but I don't see that happening in Australia for at least a few decades. Other parts of the world look much more promising.


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## Smurf1976 (21 February 2012)

AbrasiveCamel said:


> ICannabis doesn't **** you up mentally. People who are already stupid tend to gravitate towards it - amongst other things.
> 
> You'd rather see someone smoking tobacco than cannabis? One kills millions of people every year and the other kills nobody - seems like you need to do some soul searching.



Denial is the hard way to learn.

Cannabis doesn't kill people or screw them up mentally? That sounds a bit like the old argument that tobacco doesn't cause cancer - it's just that people predisposed to cancer are also predisposed to take up smoking. Yeah right....

I've seen enough people wrecked by this stuff to know it's not good. Most of them were in denial until the inevitable happened. Just like tobacco smokers and heavy drinkers deny what it's doing to them until the damage is done.


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## AbrasiveCamel (22 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> Cannabis doesn't kill people




No, it doesn't. This is a fairly rudimentary fact. 



> or screw them up mentally?




There are some studies which link heavy use beginning at the teenage years with triggering schizophrenia - and that is about it. It doesn't make people stupider, kill brain cells, etc. There are also studies which show it may help with mental illness.

Its a drug - all drugs have negatives - it just happens that the negatives of this drug are so ridiculously miniscule compared to everything else in the world that can harm you that it almost doesn't bare discussion. It certainly isn't a valid argument to maintain prohibition. 



> That sounds a bit like the old argument that tobacco doesn't cause cancer - it's just that people predisposed to cancer are also predisposed to take up smoking. Yeah right....




I've never heard this argument and it doesn't sound like that at all. 



> I've seen enough people wrecked by this stuff to know it's not good.




So in other words you would take your own anecdotal evidence over what people in the medical and scientific community have discovered? Cool. 



> Most of them were in denial until the inevitable happened. Just like tobacco smokers and heavy drinkers deny what it's doing to them until the damage is done.




There is nothing to deny - cannabis is a relatively harmless drug for the majority of its users. The same cannot be said for the two drugs you mention.


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## DB008 (22 February 2012)

Smurf1976 said:


> Denial is the hard way to learn.
> 
> Cannabis doesn't kill people or screw them up mentally? That sounds a bit like the old argument that tobacco doesn't cause cancer - it's just that people predisposed to cancer are also predisposed to take up smoking. Yeah right....
> 
> I've seen enough people wrecked by this stuff to know it's not good. Most of them were in denial until the inevitable happened. Just like tobacco smokers and heavy drinkers deny what it's doing to them until the damage is done.




Smurf, if you had undergone successful treatment of cancer but still had daily pain (discomfort) and the doctor recommended 'sativex' (oral spray), would you be willing to take it or seek an alternative?
Me, l don't know to be honest.


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## Tink (22 February 2012)

Good post Smurf

Its even more real when you hear it from the users themselves how it has affected them. 

A while ago I had an electrician at my home and he was telling me how he was a heavy user, and how it had affected his memory, his family and his business - he gave it away quite a few years ago and has never looked back.

Mental Health is full of these smokers.


We have already had this discussion about legalising marijuana

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17724


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## Calliope (22 February 2012)

Tink said:


> We have already had this discussion about legalising marijuana
> 
> https://www.aussiestockforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17724




Yes. This posting guideline is often ignored. I suppose the argument is that if you change the title slightly, it is not a "duplicate," just a rehash.



> 1. Before starting a new thread on a particular stock or topic, please use the search feature to see if there is an active thread on the same stock or topic. This will help prevent unneccesary duplicate threads and will make Aussie Stock Forums a more effective resource. Duplicate threads will be merged or deleted by moderators.


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## AbrasiveCamel (22 February 2012)

Tink said:


> Good post Smurf




Actually it was complete rubbish (especially even making reference to tobacco and alcohol) but now there are seemingly two of you who think your own anecdotal experiences somehow trump the medical community.



> Its even more real when you hear it from the users themselves how it has affected them.
> 
> A while ago I had an electrician at my home and he was telling me how he was a heavy user, and how it had affected his memory, his family and his business - he gave it away quite a few years ago and has never looked back.




If you are capable of becoming a qualified tradesman and starting your own company and then you begin to have problems with family and work you aren't using cannabis - you are abusing it - they are two diferent things.

Again here is the thesis in its simplest form: Smoking cannabis is relatively harmless for those past their early 20s with no predisposition to mental illness.


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## Smurf1976 (22 February 2012)

AbrasiveCamel said:


> ASmoking cannabis is relatively harmless for those past their early 20s with no predisposition to mental illness.



Carbon monoxide causes all sorts of damage to the body whether you're 15 or 50. Filling the lungs with tar isn't the greatest idea either. 

Smoking cannabis does both of the above. That's a fact not simply my opinion.


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## Smurf1976 (22 February 2012)

AbrasiveCamel said:


> I've never heard this argument and it doesn't sound like that at all.



That tobacco does not cause cancer, it's just that people who are predisposed to get cancer also take up smoking, is an argument that was pushed very heavily by the tobacco industry for years and many believed it.

It sounds awfully like this "those who get mental illness were going to get it anyway" argument in relation to cannabis. Actually, it's the exact same argument except that "cancer" is replaced with "mental illness".

The body simply isn't designed to be sucking in combustion by-products no matter what the source and that is especially true when we're talking about incomplete combustion and inhaling a concentrated dose.


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## Smurf1976 (22 February 2012)

AbrasiveCamel said:


> Actually it was complete rubbish (especially even making reference to tobacco and alcohol) but now there are seemingly two of you who think your own anecdotal experiences somehow trump the medical community.



Find me a properly qualified and experienced doctor who recommends that as a normal, healthy person I could improve my health by taking up the regular smoking of cannabis.


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## nioka (23 February 2012)

I'm all for people being given a licence to use marijuana. One precondition is that they give up the right to hold a drivers licence.


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## Tink (23 February 2012)

Well I am happy to see that cigarette smoking has been pushed to the minority.
Best thing they did : )

Marijuana will never be legalised.


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## DB008 (24 February 2012)

Interesting.
It was written in 2009 though....



> *Scientists study possible health benefits of LSD and ecstasy*
> 
> 
> 
> ...




More on link above...


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## spooly74 (24 February 2012)

nioka said:


> I'm all for people being given a licence to use marijuana. One precondition is that they give up the right to hold a drivers licence.




Evidence to the contrary, perhaps?
Not sure on this one. Statistics like bikinis etc.

http://healthland.time.com/2011/12/02/why-medical-marijuana-laws-reduce-traffic-deaths/


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## DB008 (20 February 2016)

*Painkiller deaths drop by 25% in states with legalized medical marijuana​*



> A study put out by the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2014 made an interesting discovery.  In every state that had legalized medical marijuana between 1999 and 2010 (13 states in all), there was a 25% reduction in deaths related to the overdose of legally prescribed opioids.
> 
> “The difference is quite striking,” said study co-author Colleen Barry, a health policy researcher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore.  She notes that the trend became visible in every state a year after the pot was legalized.
> 
> ...




https://www.minds.com/blog/view/547170043763372032​


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## DB008 (24 February 2016)

*Medical marijuana gets the green light in Australia​*
*The Australian parliament has just passed laws legalising medical marijuana -
but recreational use is still a long way off​*



> Earlier today, the Australian parliament passed a bill that will make it legal for marijuana to be grown for medical and scientific purposes. The bill will also make it easier for people suffering from serious illnesses like multiple sclerosis and epilepsy to access the drug to relieve their symptoms. The scheme will allow anyone with a valid prescription to possess and use medical cannabis that's been grown in Australia.
> 
> In a statement on her website, Health Minister Sussan Ley said that it was "an historic day for Australia and the many advocates who have fought long and hard to challenge the stigma around medical cannabis products so genuine patients are no longer treated as criminals...this is the missing piece in a patient's treatment journey and will now see seamless access to locally-produced cannabis products from farm to pharmacy."
> 
> ...





https://www.the-newshub.com/science/medical-marijuana-gets-the-green-light-in-australia​


----------



## DB008 (16 March 2016)

If you don't ask, you never get an answer.

Got this reply from the health Minister



​


----------



## DB008 (13 April 2016)

Go Victoria!

Common Sense Prevails


*Medicinal cannabis legalised in Victoria, child epilepsy patients to be given access from 2017​*


> Victoria has become the first state in Australia to legalise the use of medicinal cannabis.
> 
> Children with severe epilepsy will be the first to access to the drug in 2017, Victoria's Health Minister Jill Hennessy said, after the Access to Medicinal Cannabis Bill passed Parliament.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-12/victoria-becomes-first-state-to-legalise-medicinal-cannabis/7321152​


----------



## sptrawler (13 April 2016)

DB008 said:


> Go Victoria!
> 
> Common Sense Prevails
> 
> ...




How much are you charging for a bag, lol, only joking.


----------



## basilio (13 April 2016)

It's fascinating isn't it.. For a long, long time there have been numerous independent analysis which highlight the medicinal use of cannabis. In many instances they can alleviate problems with more efficacy and less side effects than the scores of legal drugs currently used.

But because Cannabis is a "drug" .. well can't be touched can it ?

Crackers of course. We use medical morphine, medical heroin  don't we ?  Also nitrous oxide. Problem is always the abuse or misuse.


----------



## sptrawler (13 April 2016)

basilio said:


> It's fascinating isn't it.. For a long, long time there have been numerous independent analysis which highlight the medicinal use of cannabis. In many instances they can alleviate problems with more efficacy and less side effects than the scores of legal drugs currently used.
> 
> But because Cannabis is a "drug" .. well can't be touched can it ?
> 
> Crackers of course. We use medical morphine, medical heroin  don't we ?  Also nitrous oxide. Problem is always the abuse or misuse.




I suppose that might be because, most drugs like morphine, medical heroin, nitrous oxide, take some degree of skill to produce.
Where'as cannabis, just has to be grown, then sold. 
That also seems to be the problem with methamphetamine's, then the problem becomes, how do you regulate who gets it?

How do you know who the hell is , pushing it? 

I know that might seem out there, but if it is easy to produce in the boot of a car, who says where it is being infused?


----------



## DB008 (17 April 2016)

​

If you want to see the difference, watch the first 30 seconds and then skip to 4:40 seconds.


----------



## Value Collector (18 April 2016)

Tink said:


> Marijuana will never be legalised.




Hahahaha.


----------



## pixel (18 April 2016)

Value Collector said:


> Hahahaha.




MXC start selling product online. And the Market gets high


----------



## SirRumpole (18 April 2016)

Value Collector said:


> Hahahaha.




It's the commos what done it.


----------



## Tink (19 April 2016)

Agree with your posts, sptrawler.

----------------------------

With their knee jerk reactions (Labor/Greens), they have now caused more problems in society.

Crime and drugs are up.

As I said in another post

https://www.aussiestockforums.com/f...t=2942&page=24&p=862613&viewfull=1#post862613


----------



## DB008 (21 April 2016)

With other countries legalizing, I say 5 - 10 years before it starts here....

*Canada to introduce pot legalization legislation in 2017​*


> The Liberal government announced Tuesday that it plans to introduce legislation legalizing marijuana in the spring of next year.
> 
> Health Minister Jane Philpott made the announcement during a special session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York regarding drug use and drug-related crime.
> 
> ...





http://globalnews.ca/news/2650706/canada-to-introduce-pot-legalization-legislation-in-2017/​


----------



## DB008 (24 April 2016)

*DEA Approves First-Ever Trial of Medical Marijuana for PTSD in Veterans​*


> Non-profit MAPS receives $2.156 million grant from State of Colorado for first clinical trial of whole plant marijuana for PTSD treatment
> 
> SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has formally approved the first-ever randomized controlled trial of whole plant medical marijuana (cannabis) as a treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in U.S. veterans. The DEA’s approval marks the first time a clinical trial intended to develop smoked botanical marijuana into a legal prescription drug has received full approval from U.S. regulatory agencies, including the DEA and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
> 
> ...




http://www.maps.org/news/media/6141-press-release-dea-approves-first-ever-trial-of-medical-marijuana-for-ptsd-in-veterans​


----------



## DB008 (24 April 2016)

*Medicinal cannabis: Growing Australia's next big export​*



> While federal regulations governing the cultivation and manufacture of medicinal cannabis are still months away, a farm in north west New South Wales is ready and waiting to become the first to grow Australia's first crop.
> 
> Nestled in the Peel Valley, near Tamworth, DanEden is 47 hectares of fertile river-front country.
> 
> ...





http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-18/medicinal-cannabis-production/7333762​


----------



## DB008 (8 May 2016)

As someone who moved to Brisbane a few years ago (I hang my head in shame), do we really have man-children in parliament?

ALP = for the common man...(yeah right)

Crazy


*Queensland Is Introducing New Anti-Drug Laws That Reclassify Weed the Same as Heroin​*


> In the eyes of the Queensland government, there isn't a whole lot of difference between a recreational pothead and a Trainspotting-style junkie. This is thanks to an amendment put forth by the state's Attorney-General Yvette D'ath. If passed, the new laws will ditch the current drug scheduling system, which recognises that different narcotics pose different risks, and will simply lump all illegal drugs together under the same blanket legislation. This could potentially happen as soon as August.
> 
> Although sentences will still vary according to the quantities involved, the new laws will mean the type of drug will have no bearing on the legal outcome for someone accused of purchasing, selling, or trafficking. The changes are based on the findings of the independent Queensland Commission of Inquiry into Organised Crime, chaired by Michael Byrne QC, which notes that Australian use of cannabis is higher than the global average.





http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/queenslands-new-anti-drug-laws-will-put-cannabis-in-the-same-class-as-heroin-and-cocaine​


----------



## DB008 (15 May 2016)

Better doing this than the black market money going to the drug cartels.

Australia still has head in sand. Changing, but very slowly...


*Colorado city will use $1.5 million cannabis tax revenues to help the homeless​*


> One of the largest cities in Colorado is donating millions of dollars raised by taxes on marijuana sales to local non-profit organisations which help the homeless.
> 
> Aurora will use a significant portion of the $4.5 million revenue from recreational cannabis to fund the Colfax Community Network, which helps low-income families to live in motels, apartments and provides food, clothing, hygiene products and nappies, as well as other local programmes.
> 
> ...




http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/colorado-city-will-use-15-million-cannabis-tax-revenues-to-help-the-homeless-a7027236.html​


----------



## DB008 (16 May 2016)

*Cannabis oil: Queensland to introduce legislation on medicinal cannabis​*


> HEALTH Minister Cameron Dick will today introduce legislation to pave the way for the use of medicinal cannabis in Queensland.
> 
> Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the new laws Tuesday morning.
> 
> ...





http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/cannabis-oil-queensland-to-introduce-legislation-on-medicinal-cannabis/news-story/a1e3634e300fa5850d544bd8d4face34?nk=18872c2f54e99acbb1000e4e8c46ea9c-1463353005#load-story-comments​


----------



## moXJO (16 May 2016)

DB008 said:


> *Cannabis oil: Queensland to introduce legislation on medicinal cannabis​*
> 
> 
> 
> http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/cannabis-oil-queensland-to-introduce-legislation-on-medicinal-cannabis/news-story/a1e3634e300fa5850d544bd8d4face34?nk=18872c2f54e99acbb1000e4e8c46ea9c-1463353005#load-story-comments​




QLD actually have classed marijuana the same as herion the last few months if you are caught with it. So no favors there.


----------



## DB008 (20 May 2016)

*Governor who called legalization 'reckless' now says Colorado's pot industry is working​*


> When Colorado voted to legalize recreational marijuana four years ago, one of the move's chief critics was Gov. John Hickenlooper.
> 
> The moderate Democrat said that if he could "wave a magic wand" to reverse the decision, he would. Then he called voters "reckless" for approving it in the first place, a remark he later downgraded to "risky."
> 
> ...





http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-hickenlooper-marijuana-20160516-20160516-snap-story.html​


----------



## DB008 (26 May 2016)

*High Dive : Are we creating "Big Marijuana" | Hilary Bricken | TEDxOrcasIsland​*

​


----------



## Logique (26 May 2016)

Medical marijuana? These Welsh sheep say ..Yes!







> *Sheep scoff marijuana dumped by road and go on a ’psychotic’ rampage through village* - 25 May 2016
> http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...-by-roadside-and-go-on-psychotic-rampage.html
> SPACED-out sheep went on a “psychotic” ram-page after munching on a heap of cannabis plants dumped in a quiet village.
> 
> ...


----------



## DB008 (1 June 2016)

*No, legalised marijuana is not 'dumbing down' teenagers in the US​*



> The marijuana policy landscape in the US changed rapidly between 2002 and 2013. During that time, 13 states passed medical-marijuana laws, 10 states relaxed penalties for marijuana use, and Colorado and Washington became the first states to fully legalise recreational pot use.
> 
> Opponents of marijuana liberalisation warned that these changes would bring devastating consequences, particularly for kids: "But what about the children?" was the common refrain. The president of National Families in Action, an anti-drug group, warned that commercial marijuana would "literally dumb down the precious minds of generations of children". Psychiatrist Christian Thurstone, an outspoken opponent of Colorado's marijuana legalisation, argued in 2010 that "the state's relaxed laws have made the drug widely available - and irresistible - to too many adolescents".
> 
> ...




More on link below...

http://www.smh.com.au/world/no-legalised-marijuana-is-not-dumbing-down-teenagers-in-the-us-20160531-gp8kth.html#ixzz4AHsl5zBG​


----------



## DB008 (5 June 2016)

​


----------



## DB008 (10 June 2016)

Yay or Nay people ... ? ? ?

*Hickenlooper signs off on school medical marijuana law​*


> Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill Monday that will expand access to cannabis products for students who use medical marijuana for health conditions.
> 
> The new law requires that school districts allow primary caregivers to administer medical marijuana to their children in a non-smokable form during school, on school buses and at school-sponsored events. Commonly used non-smokable forms of medical marijuana include edible products, lotions, oils, patches and tinctures.
> 
> Falcon School District 49 was the first in the state to adopt policy allowing medical marijuana use on school property in May. The district's new rule has been coined "Jax's Policy" in honor of a disabled D-49 student, Jackson "Jax" Stormes, who takes cannabis oil pills to relieve severe epilepsy symptoms. Jax was suspended last year when his mother accidentally left the pills her son's school lunch box.




http://m.gazette.com/hickenlooper-signs-off-on-school-medical-marijuana-law/article/1577759​


----------



## DB008 (22 July 2016)

*One striking chart shows why pharma companies are fighting legal marijuana​*


> There's a body of research showing that painkiller abuse and overdose are lower in states with medical marijuana laws. These studies have generally assumed that when medical marijuana is available, pain patients are increasingly choosing pot over powerful and deadly prescription narcotics. But that's always been just an assumption.
> 
> Now a new study, released in the journal Health Affairs, validates these findings by providing clear evidence of a missing link in the causal chain running from medical marijuana to falling overdoses. Ashley and W. David Bradford, a daughter-father pair of researchers at the University of Georgia, scoured the database of all prescription drugs paid for under Medicare Part D from 2010 to 2013.
> 
> ...







https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/13/one-striking-chart-shows-why-pharma-companies-are-fighting-legal-marijuana/​


----------



## superbatman (22 July 2016)

Smurf1976 said:


> Isn't Marijuana just a new approach to smoking?
> 
> The tobacco industry is slowly being killed off by governments, so the companies need something else to sell in order to keep the profits rolling in. Hence the increasing stream of pro-marijuana propaganda we're all being fed.
> 
> ...



 yes... yes... you got it. Most of the smokers are trying to get a medical card so that they can smoke it legally..


----------



## DB008 (10 August 2016)

*WIKILEAKS: ALCOHOL INDUSTRY ENCOURAGES CONGRESSIONAL CONCERN ABOUT CANNABIS​*


> Is the alcohol industry is spending money to get members of Congress to pay attention to the problem of “marijuana-impaired driving”? That’s the case being made on cannabis industry website Marijuana.com, where a blogger seems to have assiduously searched the famous WikiLeaks dump of DNC e-mails for any reference to our favorite herb.
> 
> What the blogger found was in the May 24, 2016 edition of Huddle, a daily e-newsletter for Capitol Hill insiders produced by the Politico website. That issue included a paid advertisement from the Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America (WSWA), which reads in part:
> 
> ...





http://hightimes.com/news/wikileaks-alcohol-industry-encourages-congressional-concern-about-cannabis/​


----------



## DB008 (20 August 2016)

*Smoking marijuana provides more pain relief for men than women*

*Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that men had greater pain relief than women after smoking marijuana.​*

*Sex-dependent effects of cannabis-induced analgesia​*
*Highlights*
•Sex-dependent analgesic and subjective effects of cannabis were assessed.
•Men and women were matched according to current cannabis us.
•Cannabis significantly decreased pain sensitivity in men but not women.
•Subjective effects of cannabis did not differ between men and women.
•Sex is an important variable to address when investigating cannabis analgesia.

*Background*
Preclinical studies demonstrate that cannabinoid-mediated antinociceptive effects vary according to sex; it is unknown if these findings extend to humans.

*Methods*
This retrospective analysis compared the analgesic, subjective and physiological effects of active cannabis (3.56–5.60% THC) and inactive cannabis (0.00% THC) in male (N = 21) and female (N = 21) cannabis smokers under double-blind, placebo-controlled conditions. Pain response was measured using the Cold-Pressor Test (CPT). Participants immersed their hand in cold water (4  °C); times to report pain (pain sensitivity) and withdraw the hand (pain tolerance) were recorded. Subjective drug ratings were also measured.

*Results*
Among men, active cannabis significantly decreased pain sensitivity relative to inactive cannabis (p < 0.01). In women, active cannabis failed to decrease pain sensitivity relative to inactive. Active cannabis increased pain tolerance in both men women immediately after smoking (p < 0.001); a trend was observed for differences between men and women (p < 0.10). Active cannabis also increased subjective ratings of cannabis associated with abuse liability (‘Take again,’ ‘Liking,’ ‘Good drug effect’), drug strength, and ‘High’ relative to inactive in both men and women (p < 0.01).


*Conclusions*
These results indicate that in cannabis smokers, men exhibit greater cannabis-induced analgesia relative to women. These sex-dependent differences are independent of cannabis-elicited subjective effects associated with abuse-liability, which were consistent between men and women. As such, sex-dependent differences in cannabis’s analgesic effects are an important consideration that warrants further investigation when considering the potential therapeutic effects of cannabinoids for pain relief.




http://www.drugandalcoholdependence.com/article/S0376-8716(16)30223-X/abstract?cc=y=​


----------



## Gringotts Bank (20 August 2016)

*Re: Smoking marijuana provides more pain relief for men than women*



DB008 said:


> *Researchers from Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) found that men had greater pain relief than women after smoking marijuana.​*




The sex differences are unusual findings.

I'd be very surprised if they were corroborated in other studies.  Had a look but couldn't find any.  

Big Pharma and medicine are very threatened by developments in this field.  They stand to lose squillions $$$$.

[B]http://thefreethoughtproject.com...nabis-users-give-prescriptions-pills-pot/[/B]


----------



## DB008 (12 September 2016)

60 minutes had a story on MM last night.

Outcome, as usual, Australian politicians will over regulate this industry and wrap it up in a giant ball of red tape.....


----------



## moXJO (13 September 2016)

DB008 said:


> 60 minutes had a story on MM last night.
> 
> Outcome, as usual, Australian politicians will over regulate this industry and wrap it up in a giant ball of red tape.....




Big pharma will be looking to lock out people from cheap access.


----------



## DB008 (20 September 2016)

*Confirming Big Pharma Fears, Study Suggests Medical Marijuana Laws Decrease Opioid Use​*


> Study comes after reporting revealed fentanyl-maker pouring money into Arizona's anti-legalization effort
> 
> It is of little wonder that Big Pharma has been exposed actively undermining efforts to legalize marijuana, after new research on Thursday found a drop in the use of opioid painkillers in that states that allow people to treat pain with good, ol' Mary Jane.
> 
> ...





http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/09/16/confirming-big-pharma-fears-study-suggests-medical-marijuana-laws-decrease-opioid​


----------



## DB008 (20 September 2016)

*Landmark medicinal cannabis legislation to be further strengthened​*



> The Turnbull Government has today introduced important legislation to ensure security and law and order is maintained, as the Coalition leads the way in allowing for the cultivation of a safe, legal and reliable local supply of cannabis for medicinal products.
> 
> Minister Sussan Ley said the amendments to the Narcotic Drugs Act would enable the safe and legal distribution of cannabis products for medicinal use for painful and chronic conditions, by giving law enforcement agencies the confidence to provide sensitive information to the Commonwealth to assess the suitability of applicants to cultivate cannabis for medicinal purposes.
> 
> ...





http://www.health.gov.au/internet/ministers/publishing.nsf/Content/health-mediarel-yr2016-ley063.htm​


----------



## DB008 (12 October 2016)

UK government finally concedes cannabis has a medicinal effect

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...arijuana-has-a-medicinal-effect-a7355941.html


----------



## DB008 (26 October 2016)

Meanwhile in Canada...

*Shoppers Drug Mart formally applies to distribute medical marijuana*​


> Canada's largest pharmacy chain has formally applied to be a distributor of medical marijuana.
> 
> "We have applied to be a licensed producer strictly for the purposes of distributing medical marijuana," Shoppers Drug Mart spokeswoman Tammy Smitham told CBC News in an email Tuesday.
> 
> ...




http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/shoppers-drug-mart-medical-marijuana-1.3820131​


----------



## DB008 (30 October 2016)

*Medicinal marijuana to become legal to grow in Australia ”” but how will it work?​*


> It is about to become legal to cultivate and manufacture medicinal cannabis in Australia, which means people will be able to apply for a licence to grow their own cannabis crop.
> 
> Another change coming into effect in early November through the Therapeutic Goods Administration will mean medicinal cannabis will no longer fall under Australia's most stringent of schedules, reserved for dangerous drugs.
> 
> ...




http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-29/medicinal-marijuana-to-become-legal-explainer/7975194?pfmredir=sm​
I like this bit -_ "And this is where things get murky, because each state is now trying to form or introduce its own legislation, while also considering an international law known as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961.

The law is set in place by the United Nations, and outlines how medicinal cannabis should be approached."_

Bugger the UN to be honest. Is the USA a part (signatory) of this UN Law?


----------



## DB008 (30 October 2016)

Crazy.

Churches get tax exemptions, then uses tax free dollars to voice their opinion (via donations) and influence ballots. This is in Boston, USA.




> *Archdiocese gives $850,000 to fight marijuana bid​*
> The Boston Archdiocese is pouring $850,000 into a last-minute effort to defeat a state ballot measure to legalize marijuana, calling increased drug use a threat to the Catholic Church’s health and social-service programs.
> 
> The church’s contribution represents about a 50 percent increase over what the antimarijuana Campaign for a Safe and Healthy Massachusetts has collected so far. The total, however, is still less than half of what has been raised by the referendum’s proponents.
> ...


----------



## Tisme (30 October 2016)

DB008 said:


> Crazy.
> 
> Churches get tax exemptions, then uses tax free dollars to voice their opinion (via donations) and influence ballots. This is in Boston, USA.




The church does tend to offer families and addicts help from addiction. 

Of course casual users think they are the benchmark of human behaviour when it comes to drugs, but  that is Caesar judging Caesar and have no idea how sober people view them and can be bothered to say so. Drug users always like to socialise their addiction amongst similar addicts to legitimise their delusion.


----------



## Tisme (3 November 2016)

I'm guessing 'one mans meate, is another mans poyson' when it comes to drugs.

This couple obviously see the medicinal value in their choice of chalice:

https://au.news.yahoo.com/a/3307984...njected-children-with-feel-good-heroin/#page1


----------



## DB008 (29 November 2016)

Australian Politicians. Keep head in sand...


*Health care refugees: Medical marijuana and new hope​*



> Rich and Kim Muszynski know when their 5-year-old daughter, Abby, is about to have a grand mal seizure because her pupils enlarge, and she'll seem to fixate at something in the distance that only she can see.
> 
> Then it starts. Abby's extremities shake. She gasps for air.
> 
> ...




More on link below. CNN did a great video on it too....

http://edition.cnn.com/2016/11/28/health/health-care-refugees-part-2/index.html​


----------



## DB008 (5 January 2017)

​


----------



## Knobby22 (8 January 2017)

Amazing


----------



## macca (8 January 2017)

DB008 said:


> ​




Please watch it folks !


----------



## Gringotts Bank (8 January 2017)

DB008 said:


> ​





It is amazing, but it might be more placebo than active ingredients of marijuana.  Parkinsons has a huge placebo response.  http://www.webmd.com/parkinsons-disease/news/20040414/strong-placebo-strong-parkinsons-effect

Good that pot now legal in California.  Hopefully chronic pain sufferers will make the switch away from opiates.  Much safer.


----------



## DB008 (9 January 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Good that pot now legal in California. Hopefully chronic pain sufferers will make the switch away from opiates. Much safer.




So far, from what l've seen on the net, this seems to be the case.



> *Legal Marijuana Linked to Fewer Opioid Prescriptions*
> 
> *States that implemented medical marijuana laws experienced an especially notable drop in painkiller prescriptions*
> 
> ...





> *IN STATES WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA, PAINKILLER DEATHS DROP BY 25 PERCENT*​*
> Researchers suggest that substituting pot for pills could be saving lives.
> ​*America has a major problem with prescription pain medications like Vicodin and OxyContin. Overdose deaths from these pharmaceutical opioids have approximately tripled since 1991, and every day 46 people die of such overdoses in the United States.
> 
> ...


----------



## DB008 (9 January 2017)

> *Pauline Hanson's marijuana plea to Malcolm Turnbull*​PAULINE Hanson has directly lobbied Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to provide an amnesty to suppliers and users of medicinal cannabis.
> 
> Her appeal to Mr Turnbull follows the raid on the house of an Adelaide woman who produces and supplies medicinal cannabis oil for free to terminally ill patients around Australia.
> 
> ...





http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/pauline-hansons-marijuana-plea-malcolm-turnbull/3129578/​


----------



## DB008 (9 January 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Good that pot now legal in California. Hopefully chronic pain sufferers will make the switch away from opiates. Much safer.






*Drug Overdose Deaths*


The marijuana market was nearly as large as the opiate market in 2016 and resulted in 0 overdose deaths.  By the end of 2017, 29 states and the District of Columbia will allow legal sales of marijuana, 8 of these states allow recreational marijuana sales.  In 2016, the national market for marijuana was nearly $7 billion, according to Arcview Market Research Group.   The opioid market was slightly larger at $10 billion in the US last year.  In 2016, marijuana was responsible for 0 overdose deaths while opioids killed more than 20,000 Americans.​
The 1960s drug culture is largely thought to have spawned legislation aimed at reducing American Drug Use. Created in 1970, the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act created 5 schedules for drugs. These schedules ranked drugs based on their potential for abuse, accepted medical uses and perceived safety under medical care.  Marijuana was scheduled alongside heroin and other drugs on Schedule 1,  the most dangerous drugs.  According to the legislation, Schedule I drugs have a high potential for abuse, no or few medical uses and a lack of _*safety*_.  Below, you will see the the overdose related deaths of three drugs, heroin, marijuana both schedule 1 drugs and prescription opioids, schedule II drugs that include oxycontin and the like. 












As can be seen in the figure, heroin and opioid drugs are not safe, killing 10,000s of American each year. According to the DEA, Marijuana use has resulted in *0 overdose deaths,* see data here.  Since 2000, heroin deaths are up 600% and prescription opioid deaths are up more than 300%.


http://www.newsindata.com/drug-overdose-deaths/​


----------



## Gringotts Bank (9 January 2017)

DB008 said:


> http://www.newsindata.com/drug-overdose-deaths/



Like turning the Queen Mary.  And it's all about power and profits for Big Pharma who resist every step, despite such studies.  In other words, money ahead of public health.

Not that pot is a cure for anything, but its safe and effective in small doses.


----------



## Tisme (11 January 2017)

DB008 said:


> *Drug Overdose Deaths*
> 
> 
> The marijuana market was nearly as large as the opiate market in 2016 and resulted in 0 overdose deaths.  By the end of 2017, 29 states and the District of Columbia will allow legal sales of marijuana, 8 of these states allow recreational marijuana sales.  In 2016, the national market for marijuana was nearly $7 billion, according to Arcview Market Research Group.   The opioid market was slightly larger at $10 billion in the US last year.  In 2016, marijuana was responsible for 0 overdose deaths while opioids killed more than 20,000 Americans.​
> ...





I'm not convinced there is a realistic dataset on the destruction of families, the early deaths of fretting parents having to put up with the rage sessions, the people who are robbed and battered, the cost to society for the social security for spaced out itinerant indolents,  the industrial accidents caused, the associated deaths on roads , etc.  

A drug user/addict never sees how sober people see him, he only judges his behaviours from his own perspective, which is always a righteous psychosis.


----------



## orr (16 January 2017)

The only reason I've had to buy this drivel of a news paper for years;

"My email is lucy.haslam@uic.org.au
Buy the Sunday Telegraph on the 22nd (next weekend) and find the full-page letter from 5year old Katelyn Lambert. A link to a microsite be included on the page. This URL will link you to a template to complete and send to your MP.
This will take you just a few minutes but it will get your voice to where it can be heard. In addition to this *get educated*, spread the word and be a voice for the sick! Thank you in advance. Lucy"


'Get Educated' my bolds... Now there's some sound advice.

The full lenght letter is also worth a read;

https://www.change.org/p/malcolm-tu...I&utm_source=petition_update&utm_medium=email


----------



## DB008 (16 January 2017)

*Study Links Medical Marijuana to Fewer Traffic Fatalities*

The health and public safety concerns that kept marijuana illegal for generations are proving unfounded where it is now legal.​
A new study from Columbia University found that traffic fatalities have fallen in seven states where medicinal cannabis is legal and that, overall, states where medical marijuana is legal have lower traffic fatality rates than states were medical marijuana remains illegal.

The study found that “medical marijuana laws were associated with immediate reductions in traffic fatalities in those aged 15 to 24 and 25 to 44 years, and with additional yearly gradual reductions in those aged 25 to 44 years.” Medical marijuana is now legal in 28 states.

*Study details*
Seven researchers from Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health worked on the study, with two more researchers from the University of California at Davis and Boston University. They published the study in the American Journal of Public Health.​
The researchers used traffic accident data from 1985 to 2014, about 1.2 million accidents. They focused on the relationship between medical marijuana laws and the number of fatal traffic accidents, examining each state with legalized medical marijuana separately.

They also looked at the relationship between the existence of medical marijuana dispensaries and traffic accidents, finding a reduction in the number of fatal accidents among those ages 25 to 44 in areas where dispensaries were open.

*Report conclusions*
The researchers concluded that both medical marijuana legalization and dispensaries were, on average, associated with a reduction in traffic fatalities, particularly among drivers 25 to 44-years-old.

They suggested a few possibilities for this conclusion.


Those under the influence of marijuana are more aware of their impaired condition than those under the influence of alcohol and may more often make the choice not to drive.
More people have replaced going out to drink in bars with partaking of marijuana at home, reducing the number of impaired drivers on the road.
An increased police presence in areas where medical marijuana is legal could have led to fewer people attempting to drive while under the influence of marijuana.
“Instead of seeing an increase in fatalities, we saw a reduction, which was totally unexpected,” Julian Santaella-Tenorio, the lead researcher on the study, told Reuters.

Findings varied by state. Rhode Island and Connecticut saw increases in traffic fatalities after medical marijuana became legal. California and New Mexico saw double-digit drops immediately after legalization, followed by increases.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/287489​


----------



## DB008 (20 January 2017)

*Why Germany just legalized medical marijuana*

https://www.thelocal.de/20170119/german-parliament-set-to-pass-medical-marijuana-bill


----------



## So_Cynical (17 March 2017)

Cannabis stocks going crazy over the last 3 or 4 weeks, THC float closed after just 3 days, some POT stocks up over 25% just yesterday...i have missed out once again.


----------



## moXJO (17 March 2017)

So_Cynical said:


> Cannabis stocks going crazy over the last 3 or 4 weeks, THC float closed after just 3 days, some POT stocks up over 25% just yesterday...i have missed out once again.



Missed this cycle, but the same thing happened a few years ago. Hopefully another opportunity will come around again. I swear trading these micro stocks is just reading whats getting ramped on hc


----------



## pixel (17 March 2017)

in case anybody is interested: this is my "Pot" watchlist





If I missed a stock, or another wannabe comes along, please let me know.


----------



## DB008 (27 March 2017)

*Liberals to announce marijuana will be legal by July 1, 2018*​*Provinces will have right to decide how marijuana is distributed and sold, CBC News has learned​
*
The Liberal government will announce legislation next month that will legalize marijuana in Canada by July 1, 2018.

CBC News has learned that the legislation will be announced during the week of April 10 and will broadly follow the recommendation of a federally appointed task force that was chaired by former liberal Justice Minister Anne McLellan.

Bill Blair, the former Toronto police chief who has been stickhandling the marijuana file for the government, briefed the Liberal caucus on the roll-out plan and the legislation during caucus meetings this weekend.

*http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/politics/liberal-legal-marijuana-pot-1.4041902*​


----------



## DB008 (19 April 2017)

Family friend has cancer. From what l found out, he had throat cancer, got it treated, it came back as bone cancer a few months later. He's got 6 months tops...what a **** situation to be in....

Hi wife has purchased some medicinal pot oil from Nimbin to try to stimulate his appetite, it's $600 a vial, old mate won't last 6 months.....

Meanwhile the Gov puts up road blocks...


----------



## basilio (20 April 2017)

It's crazy isn't it ? Marijuana has been used for a range of healing purposes for thousands of years. Realistically was that all a hoax or just placebo effect?
In the 20th Century it was demonised because of it made people high - just like alcohol or tobacco  only much safer.  And most importantly the first 2 drugs had powerful commercial interests behind them.

Finally it is become clearer just how widely useful the variations of cannabis can be in health.  Good analysis in The Conversation.

*  Old dope, new tricks: the new science of medical cannabis  *
August 27, 2014 6.48am AEST
*Authors*

 David J. Allsop 
Research Fellow in Psychopharmacology and Addiction Medicine at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney


 Iain S McGregor 
Professor of Psychopharmacology at the School of Psychology, University of Sydney

*Disclosure statement*
David J. Allsop receives funding from NHMRC. GW Pharmaceutical provided Sativex for our study.

Iain S. McGregor receives funding from NHMRC and ARC. GW Pharmaceutical provided Sativex for our study.

*Partners*






University of Sydney provides funding as a member of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

Republish this article




	

		
			
		

		
	
 Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under Creative Commons licence.





Somewhere in this much-incinerated plant lies valuable medicine: perhaps a treatment for cancer or an antidote to obesity. Prensa 420/Flickr, CC BY-NC

Medicinal cannabis is back in the news again after a planned trial to grow it in Norfolk Island was blocked by the federal government last week. The media is ablaze with political rumblings and tales of public woe, but what does science have to say on the subject?

*Well, an article just published in the prestigious journal JAMA Internal Medicine provocatively suggests that US states with medical cannabis laws have dramatically reduced opioid mortality rates.*

So the science is clearly every bit as alive and kicking as the political bluster, but rests on firmer, less emotive grounds. This is what we know: somewhere in that much-incinerated plant lies valuable medicine – perhaps a treatment for cancer or an antidote to obesity.

In fact, cannabis science is one of the fastest moving frontiers in pharmacology and has accelerated by the realisation that we’re all already marinated in cannabis-like molecules (endocannabinoids) and their receptors. Endocannabinoids help regulate many physiological processes: mood, memory, appetite, pain, immune function, metabolism and bone growth to name a few (there are even cannabinoid receptors in sperm).

Consuming cannabis modulates this endocannabinoid system in many ways. And the effects can be benevolent, although sometimes problematic.

*Cannabis’ changing fortunes*
Humanity has used cannabis as medicine for thousands of years; the current era of prohibition is a historical aberration. But murky politics has seen a plant that has been widely utilised for clothing, fuel, food, fibre and medication ostracised – from nautical rope to killer dope.


----------



## basilio (20 April 2017)

This is not quite Medical Marijuana but it would certainly offer a new perspective on getting married.

*Weed Weddings Are The Latest Trend, And They Are Every Stoner’s Dream*

Erica Gordon
on Marijuana
Apr 19, 2017 11:00pm
Like Us On Facebook
Some singles survive wedding season better than others, but one thing is for sure: It’s a lot easier to attend a wedding dateless with marijuana involved. In fact, it’s a lot more fun for all wedding guests if marijuana is involved.

That’s why weed weddings are becoming the latest trend in states where marijuana is legal. This means you can experience the beauty that is a weed wedding in Colorado, California, Washington and Oregon to name a few.

Last year, the very first Cannabis Wedding Expo took place in Denver, Colorado. Cannabis-loving couples were invited to learn how to safely and creatively incorporate marijuana at their wedding in a classy way.

The expo gives couples various cannabis-themed wedding ideas to run with. Inspiration includes types of marijuana-infused edibles to serve, examples of hemp-themed decor, ideas for cannabis wedding favors and so much more. If you’re newly engaged or know someone who is, you should know there’s another Cannabis Wedding Expo coming up on April 30 in San Francisco.

If you’re invited to a weed wedding, you’ll definitely want to RSVP because they’re pretty amazing. And although smoking weed at a wedding is no foreign concept for many of you, a weed wedding allows the indulgence to be public, glamorized and enjoyed by all.
http://elitedaily.com/life/weed-weddings-trend-stoners/1859395/


----------



## Gringotts Bank (5 May 2017)

Strong prescription opiates are causing absolute havoc in the US.  I'm not saying marijuana is completely safe (certainly not safe in big doses), but as a comparison, the latter wins clearly for the treatment of pain.  Big Pharma stand to lose an enormous amount of money if current opiate users switch to pot.

Maybe I'm a bit suspicious, but consider both Brad Pitt and Miley Cyrus have publicly declared they are now clean of marijuana.  What??  Both within days of each other.  Coincidence?  I'd bet there's big, BIG money behind this.  Things that make you go ...'hmmm'.

From the JAMA article posted above:  "Medical cannabis laws are associated with significantly lower state-level opioid overdose mortality rates".  *Lower overdose incidence* *means lower usage, *and that's a huge threat to Big Pharma.  They won't like that.


----------



## Gringotts Bank (5 May 2017)

Tink said:


> Hear Hear Smurf
> 
> I get sick of hearing all this, just to push their own agenda of getting it through.
> Who picks up the pieces of all these kids?




You've missed the point, and Smurf too.

Cannabidiol has significant pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.  A preparation which is free of THC means there's no psychoactive effects.  It's not smoked either.

What you need to understand is that there is an enormous population of chronic pain sufferers - about 1-in-5 in Australia.  The risks associated with strong opiate use for this population are high.  CBD oil is a much safer option if it works for them.  Big Pharma knows this, and they hate it.  They will do anything in their power to prevent its use.


----------



## DB008 (29 May 2017)

*Drug Overdose Deaths*​

The marijuana market was nearly as large as the opiate market in 2016 and resulted in 0 overdose deaths.  By the end of 2017, 29 states and the District of Columbia will allow legal sales of marijuana, 8 of these states allow recreational marijuana sales.  In 2016, the national market for marijuana was nearly $7 billion, according to Arcview Market Research Group.   The opioid market was slightly larger at $10 billion in the US last year.  In 2016, marijuana was responsible for 0 overdose deaths while opioids killed more than 20,000 Americans.

http://www.newsindata.com/drug-overdose-deaths​


----------



## moXJO (29 May 2017)

I've known a lot of stoners. 90's was pretty chronic in my area.  Marijuana does have many benefits but I watched a lot of smokers develop schizophrenia, depression and other mental disorders that led to suicide. The numbers were above normal rates to just pass off.

From what I understand it will bring out the condition if you are already prone to develop it. I'm not 100% convinced thats the case.
It has benefits. But shouldn't be touted as a miracle cure.


----------



## Boggo (29 May 2017)

Gringotts Bank said:


> You've missed the point, and Smurf too.
> 
> Cannabidiol has significant pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory effects.  A preparation which is free of THC means there's no psychoactive effects.  It's not smoked either.




And I can vouch for that. My wife has had an inoperable brain tumour for over 12 years (Anaplasticastrocytoma grade 3). Through radiation and chemo back then it was reduced to ~40% of its original size.
It appeared in a new area in Feb and is now being treated with heavy doses of chemo as the amount of radiation they could give her is small and would be ineffective due to previous treatment.

Anyway, getting to the point, we have been "importing" Cannabidiol from the USA at significant cost and risk as she is convinced (and I agree) that it helps her with the sickness and general discomfort so we will continue to do so.
We may have an Aust. supplier now but as law abiding citizens this is just lunacy. In countries like Ireland for example it is legal.



Gringotts Bank said:


> What you need to understand is that there is an enormous population of chronic pain sufferers - about 1-in-5 in Australia.  The risks associated with strong opiate use for this population are high.  CBD oil is a much safer option if it works for them.  *Big Pharma knows this, and they hate it.  They will do anything in their power to prevent its use.*




One of the upper echelon medical professionals in SA compared it to Coca Cola when bottled water took off, "until they were producing it they were objecting to it being competition for their products".
Unfortunately they seem to have too much influence on policy coming out of Canberra and patients are just the pawns in the process.

If some of the 'party funding influenced' pollies had to spend 24/7 with a member of their family being treated for a terminal illness they would change their attitude, trust me.

Rant over !


----------



## DB008 (28 June 2017)

*Patients Use Cannabis Instead of Opioids to Treat Pain,
Anxiety and Depression, Study Finds*​Published in the _Journal of Pain Research_, the results show that 46  percent of people who used cannabis at least once within the previous 90 days used it as a substitute for prescription drugs that treat pain, anxiety, and depression. The investigators surveyed nearly 3,000 respondents from all over the United States (as well as participants from Canada and Europe). The findings serve as the latest bit of news demonstrating a growing trend of medical cannabis use for conditions traditionally treated with prescription medications.

Survey participants responded to the following question: “Have you ever used cannabis as a substitute for prescription drugs (yes/no)?” Upon answering “yes,” respondents listed the medications that they replaced with cannabis in additional space provided.  The results? The most commonly replaced drugs were painkillers (narcotics and opioids) at a nearly 36 percent substitution rate, while anxiety medications (anxiolytics and benzodiazepines) and antidepressants each were replaced with cannabis approximately 13 percent of the time.

Although there has yet to be any definitive medical consensus regarding the effectiveness of cannabis to treat pain, anxiety, and depression, it seems to function as an adequate replacement for prescription medications among medical cannabis users with these conditions.


https://www.dovepress.com/cannabis-...sh-a-cross-sectiona-peer-reviewed-article-JPR​


----------



## DB008 (3 July 2017)

*Long lines in Nevada as recreational marijuana goes on sale*​
(CNN)Fireworks, long lines and even a wedding marked the start of recreational marijuana sales in Nevada.

At midnight Saturday, legal pot went on sale -- making Nevada the eighth state to allow the purchase of marijuana in dispensaries.
Nevada's law lets adults 21 and older to possess up to an ounce of marijuana. The law was approved by voters in November 2016.
But due to federal marijuana laws and state casino laws, dispensaries cannot be located on the famous Las Vegas Strip.


http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/02/us/nevada-recreational-marijuana-goes-on-sale/index.html​


Individual state laws do not always conform to the federal standard. State-level proposals for the rescheduling of cannabis have met with mixed success. As of November 9, 2016, the use of both recreational and medicinal marijuana has been legalized in the states of Alaska, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.[2] The District of Columbia has fully legalized recreational and medical marijuana, but recreational commercial sale is currently blocked by Congress. Twelve states have both medical marijuana and decriminalization laws (three of them being CBD only[_clarification needed_]). Thirteen states, Guam, and Puerto Rico have legalized psychoactive medical marijuana, while another thirteen have only legalized non-psychoactive medical marijuana. One state and the U.S. Virgin Islands have only decriminalized possession laws. In the remaining three states and two inhabited territories, marijuana possession and sales for any use are illegal and prohibited entirely.

+ Nevada


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_U.S._jurisdiction​

​

Huge industry. I heard that MM in Nevada is also the highest taxed in the USA, at 33% sales tax. The cash coming into the Government coffers must be music to their ears. In Colorado they had to vote on where to spend the money (as required by law), because there was so much coming in and the schools were all fixed up. Here? Crickets......


----------



## DB008 (3 July 2017)

Watch the money train roll in....


​*Marijuana tax revenue hit $200 million in Colorado as*
*sales pass $1 billion*


*Marijuana sales grew 30% in 2016 and are expected to reach $20.2 billion*
*by 2021 according to market research*​

The state of Colorado pulled in nearly $200 million in tax revenue last year thanks to its $1.3 billion in marijuana revenue.

The Colorado Department of Revenue announced Thursday the state’s revenue had pushed past $1 billion. Colorado legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, along with Washington state, and this was its third year of regulated sales. In its first year revenue hit $699.2 million, followed by $996.2 million the second year.

“This money is just the tip of the iceberg. Hopefully this will be a wake-up call for the 42 states that still choose to force marijuana sales into the criminal market and forego millions of dollars in tax revenue,” said Mason Tvert, the Marijuana Policy Project’s Denver-based communications director, in a statement. “The state received nearly $200 million in marijuana tax revenue, whereas just a decade ago it was receiving zero.”

Overall, U.S. marijuana sales grew 30% in 2016, according to data from Arcview Market Research. And using research from cannabis business intelligence and market research firm BDS Analytics, Arcview forecasts cannabis sales will grow at a compound rate of 25%, from $6.7 billion in 2016 to $20.2 billion by 2021.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/ma...n-colorado-as-sales-pass-1-billion-2017-02-10​


----------



## DB008 (4 July 2017)

Saw this one the other day. Interesting. New industry created. Jobs. Research. Innovation. Cash. Taxes.

​


----------



## DB008 (2 August 2017)

** Top Secret MM Farm in QLD**

The Red Tape Police (aka - The Government)



*Medicinal cannabis farm allows rare glimpse into construction at secret Queensland location*​
A medicinal cannabis farm under construction in Queensland has opened its doors for the first time to offer an exclusive glimpse of its top-secret operation.

Medifarm, based on the state's Sunshine Coast, has a rare licence granted by the Federal Government to cultivate, produce and manufacture medicinal cannabis.

When the farm is up and running, it will produce cannabis oil for Australians with medical conditions.

Strict security arrangements are in place to make sure the location of the farm is not compromised.

Founder Adam Benjamin said security was paramount when growing such a controversial crop.

"We offered our security solutions which really focused on no diversions — which means if there was a potential threat out there, or even product that moves from the farm into distribution, it needs to at all times be tracked and accounted for," he said.

*"So senior police, senior military personnel were brought in to advise, and we think we got it right."*


http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-31/medifarm-medicinal-marijuana-farm-qld-sunshine-coast/8759502​



In all honesty, if you it can be done - you're better off moving to the USA doing growing there (Nevada licensing is particularly good). Way less red tape + much less restrictions. Australia is anti-business...


----------



## DB008 (8 September 2017)

*Boy who suffered up to 100 seizures a day has none in 300 days after being prescribed cannabis oil*​
An 11-year-old boy who was dying from severe epilepsy has not had any seizures for 300 days since being prescribed a medical marijuana product.

Billy Caldwell, whose intractable epilepsy means he cannot get help through medication or diet, began treatment with cannabis oil in the US, where medical marijuana is legal, in 2016. 

His prescription was transferred to his local GP, Brendan O’Hare, in Northern Ireland, and Billy became the first person to receive a prescription for medical marijuana in the UK.

The medicine, which contains a compound found in cannabis plants called CBD, does not contain any synthetics or chemicals. The company, Billy’s Bud, was named after Billy in July.

His mother, Charlotte Caldwell, said Billy used to suffer up to 100 seizures per day, has now not had a single seizure for 300 days. Ms Caldwell said the cannabis oil has also improved his autism, for example, better eye contact and engagement with books and toys.

“To me, that’s incredible, because one seizure can kill him,” she told ITV News after 90 days of no seizures.


https://www.independent.co.uk/news/...-prescription-medical-marijuana-a7933066.html (Soft Paywall)​


----------



## DB008 (19 September 2017)

*CALIFORNIA OFFICIALLY CALLS ON*
*THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO RECLASSIFY MARIJUANA*​
Last November, California voters approved a ballot measure to legalize marijuana. Now, the state’s lawmakers are formally calling on the federal government to reclassify cannabis.

“The Legislature urges the Congress of the United States to pass a law to reschedule marijuana or cannabis and its derivatives from a Schedule I drug to an alternative schedule, therefore allowing the legal research and development of marijuana or cannabis for medical use,” reads a joint resolution approved by the California assembly on Thursday.

The Controlled Substance Act’s Schedule I is supposed to be reserved for drugs with no medical value and a high potential of abuse. Alongside Cannabis, Heroin and LSD are also classified under schedule 1, yet cocaine and methamphetamine are classified in the less restrictive schedule II category.

Because of ongoing federal prohibition, many banks do not provide financial services to marijuana businesses. That means most operate on a cash-only basis, which makes them targets for robberies and presents difficulties in the collection of tax revenue on their sales.

http://clapsnews.com/2017/09/18/cal...e-federal-government-to-reclassify-marijuana/​


----------



## DB008 (12 October 2017)

Australian politicians - keep head in sand...

*Colorado’s 2017 marijuana sales reach $1 billion in just eight months*
​Legal marijuana is a bona fide billion-dollar industry in Colorado. And it’s hitting the mark faster than ever.

In 2017, Colorado eclipsed $1 billion in marijuana sales in eight months; in 2016, it took 10 months.

Colorado’s marijuana retailers logged upward of $1.02 billion in collective medical and recreational sales through August, according to The Cannabist’s extrapolations of state tax data released Wednesday. Year-to-date sales are up 21 percent from the first eight months of 2016, when recreational and medical marijuana sales totaled $846.5 million.

This year’s cumulative sales equate to more than $162 million in taxes and fees for Colorado coffers.


http://www.thecannabist.co/2017/10/11/colorado-marijuana-sales-august-2017-tax-data/89751/​


----------



## DB008 (18 October 2017)

*Recreational Cannabis Legalization and Opioid-Related Deaths in Colorado, 2000–2015*​*Abstract*

_*Objectives*._ To examine the association between Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis use and opioid-related deaths.

_*Methods*._ We used an interrupted time-series design (2000–2015) to compare changes in level and slope of monthly opioid-related deaths before and after Colorado stores began selling recreational cannabis. We also describe the percent change in opioid-related deaths by comparing the unadjusted model-smoothed number of deaths at the end of follow-up with the number of deaths just prior to legalization.

_*Results*._ Colorado’s legalization of recreational cannabis sales and use resulted in a 0.7 deaths per month (b = −0.68; 95% confidence interval = −1.34, −0.03) reduction in opioid-related deaths. This reduction represents a reversal of the upward trend in opioid-related deaths in Colorado.

_*Conclusions*._ Legalization of cannabis in Colorado was associated with short-term reductions in opioid-related deaths. As additional data become available, research should replicate these analyses in other states with legal recreational cannabis.

http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304059​


----------



## DB008 (22 October 2017)

*Another country is getting ready to vote on legalizing cannabis*​The newly-elected prime minister of New Zealand has said she wants a national discussion on legalizing cannabis.

Jacinda Ardern told reporters Friday that she will work with her Cabinet and take advice before deciding on any referendum date.

"During the campaign I've always been very vocal about the fact that I do not believe people should be imprisoned for the personal use of cannabis. On the flip-side, I also have concerns around young people accessing a product which can clearly do harm and damage to them," she said.


The Labour Party leader is set to govern New Zealand with a coalition government, made up of her own party, the Green Party of New Zealand and the populist party, NZ First.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2017/10/20...ew-zealand-government-open-to-referendum.html​


----------



## DB008 (14 December 2017)

Sorry for the crap source.....



*Medical marijuana has NO public health risks and should not be withheld from patients, WHO declares after months of deliberation*​The World Health Organization has declared that CBD - the relaxant property of cannabis used in medical marijuana - should not be a scheduled drug.

Had the WHO chosen to schedule the drug, it could have hamstrung physicians from prescribing medical marijuana globally.

Speaking last month about his family's experience venturing into the world of medical marijuana, Elizalde admitted he had never considered the medical benefits of a drug which has caused mayhem and agony in his country.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/a...arijuana-NO-public-health-risks-declares.html​


----------



## DB008 (23 January 2018)

*Vermont Governor Signs Marijuana Legalization Into Law*​

Vermont is officially the ninth state to legalize marijuana, and the first to end cannabis prohibition through an act of lawmakers.

*"I personally believe that what adults do behind closed doors and on private property is their choice, so long as it does not negatively impact the health and safety of others, especially children," Gov. Phil Scott (R) said in a statement accompanying a legalization bill he signed into law on Monday.*

Under the legislation's provisions, people over 21 years of age will be allowed to to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow as many as two mature and four immature cannabis plants.

Commercial marijuana sales will not be allowed under the new law, which is set to take effect on July 1.

All eight other states that had previously legalized marijuana did so via voter-approved ballot initiatives.

Vermont’s legislative move signals a milestone in the evolving politics of marijuana. Polls consistently show majority voter support for legalization, and more politicians are beginning to see the issue as a winning one they should embrace rather than run away from.

State lawmakers approved the legislation earlier this month, just days after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions moved to rescind Obama-era guidance that has generally allowed states to implement their own marijuana laws without federal interference.


https://www.forbes.com/sites/tomang...marijuana-legalization-into-law/#38bd650e526a​


----------



## DB008 (6 February 2018)

*Medical marijuana bill passes Virginia Senate 40-0*​
RICHMOND – Today the Virginia Senate voted unanimously to pass the Joint Commission on Health Care bill SB 726, which will let Virginia doctors recommend the use of cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for the treatment of any diagnosed condition or disease.

This comes on the heels of Friday’s unanimous passing of the companion bill, HB 1251, in the Virginia House of Delegates.

“I finally decided that I needed to advocate for the physicians being the decision makers,” said Senator Siobhan Dunnavant, the chief patron of the Senate bill. “We, physicians, are the ones that follow the literature and know which treatments are best for different conditions. The literature on medical cannabis is going to be evolving rapidly now, and because of this, it is not a decision that should be in the hands of the legislature. Instead, it should be with physicians.”

Regular Virginians suffering from a variety of conditions — including cancer, Crohn's disease, and PTSD – have lobbied passionately for this reform.


*CBD/THC-A oil*
“CBD/THC-A oil has been proven to effectively and safely help patients address symptoms of intractable epilepsy and manage pain,” said Delegate Cline. “By expanding the ability to recommend CBD/THC-A oil, we are giving doctors the freedom to make a recommendation based on the most up to date research and data, just as they do for any other medication they prescribe."

Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML and a two-time cancer survivor herself, believes these bills will give countless suffering Virginians a chance to safely heal – right here in their home Commonwealth.

http://www.newsleader.com/story/new...nate-40-0-legal-let-doctors-decide/308363002/
http://www.newsleader.com/story/new...nate-40-0-legal-let-doctors-decide/308363002/


----------



## SirRumpole (7 March 2018)

Should we be sending these people to gaol ?

I don't think so.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-...icating-daughters-with-cannabis-juice/9523898


----------



## DB008 (7 March 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> Should we be sending these people to gaol ?
> 
> I don't think so.
> 
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-03-...icating-daughters-with-cannabis-juice/9523898




Another case of someone doing something as a last resort and getting a pineapple for it because our politicians are too gutless to make the right decisions.

What a joke our Government is. They are more concerned about winning votes than doing the right thing. I can bet you that big pharma is also in their pockets too.


----------



## Tisme (8 March 2018)

If maryjane is the miracle rediscovery of the century, how come Willie Nelson has extensive cancer and looking to stem cell therapy for relief?


----------



## SirRumpole (8 March 2018)

Tisme said:


> If maryjane is the miracle rediscovery of the century, how come Willie Nelson has extensive cancer and looking to stem cell therapy for relief?




It seems to work for some people, not saying all.

It probably doesn't cure cancer , but may help relieve the side effects of chemo/radiation therapy.


----------



## Tisme (8 March 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> It seems to work for some people, not saying all.
> 
> It probably doesn't cure cancer , but may help relieve the side effects of chemo/radiation therapy.




Well killing/halting cancer was one of those reasons it was considered as a wonder cure. The mriad of unproven CBD cures was wrapped around the THC to legitimise getting high. Certainly didn't cure Steve Jobs.

Cannabis was banned in the military by the Brits in 1916 to stop the troops getting high; for some reason the thought soldiers with their wits about them was a good thing (just like construction and mining do these days). It seems they didn't see any healing benefit of it back then, but that was the old days when people ran around in bear skins and clubbed women into submission.


----------



## SirRumpole (8 March 2018)

Tisme said:


> Cannabis was banned in the military by the Brits in 1916 to stop the troops getting high; for some reason the thought soldiers with their wits about them was a good thing (just like construction and mining do these days). It seems they didn't see any healing benefit of it back then, but that was the old days when people ran around in bear skins and clubbed women into submission.




I don't think people get high when they drink M.J. juice do they ?


----------



## Tisme (8 March 2018)

SirRumpole said:


> I don't think people get high when they drink M.J. juice do they ?





Well people swear they get a kick out the brownies. I went to party 2 years ago and they were all over themselves waiting for me to go gagga on the laced food they served naive unknowing me, but nothing happened which kind suggests placebo highs. Sufficed to say those people no longer share my circle of trust.


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## DB008 (9 March 2018)

Time - you are confusing THC and CBD. Look it up and also Charlotte's Web CBD.


----------



## Tisme (9 March 2018)

DB008 said:


> Time - you are confusing THC and CBD. Look it up and also Charlotte's Web CBD.





Thanks DB008, the unfortunate experiences and the many dealings with psychiatrists, mental hospitals, etc mean I'm pretty full bottle about weed, it's components and the effects. Sufficed to say I'm not a fan, but I'm not a crusader either.


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## DB008 (9 March 2018)

Tisme said:


> Thanks DB008, the unfortunate experiences and the many dealings with psychiatrists, mental hospitals, etc mean I'm pretty full bottle about weed, it's components and the effects. Sufficed to say I'm not a fan, but I'm not a crusader either.




Yep, and like l said - look up the differences between THC and CBD

I have seen many car accidents and have had friends pass away due to accidents - doesn't mean l won't drive a car


----------



## Tisme (10 March 2018)

DB008 said:


> Yep, and like l said - look up the differences between THC and CBD
> 
> I have seen many car accidents and have had friends pass away due to accidents - doesn't mean l won't drive a car




I'm out.


----------



## DB008 (10 March 2018)

Tisme said:


> I'm out.




Just shows doesn't it.

Lets keep the bikies and black market going
Kids with epilepsy drugged up
Big pharma is also putting patents on MM unfairly
Not taxing MM and missing out on revenue
Head in the sand approach like you....

Like l said, there have been vast improvements in MM and technology over the years/decades. Not embracing it and taking advantage of it is stupid.


----------



## PZ99 (10 March 2018)

I'm in 

"99" suffers pain every day and often it's PZ that has to wear it despite his own ailments.

Pain relief is a basic right in my view *( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)*


----------



## DB008 (22 March 2018)

*Colorado is using $3 million from marijuana tax to provide food and*
*housing for the homeless*​The debate about the legalization of marijuana has been prevalent in North American culture for over 50 years. The decision by the state of Colorado in October 2014 to legalize marijuana for recreational use was seen a revolutionary by those on both sides of the divide.

Since that decision was made nearly four years ago, the state of Colorado has seen an increase year on year in tax revenue gained from cannabis sales. In the most recent financial year, ending in June 2016, the state made nearly $70 million. Revenue gained through taxation was one of the key arguments for legalizing weed. Now that this argument has been clearly validated many taxpayers have been wondering what the state will do with the additional money.

The answer in one city is almost as revolutionary as the passing of the law itself. Aurora, the third largest city in Colorado, will be using over a third of the $4.5 million gained through the ‘weed tax’ to support local not-for-profit homeless organizations.

https://theheartysoul.com/colorado-marijuana-tax-homeless/?utm_source=HCVBZX​


----------



## DB008 (1 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Thanks DB008, the unfortunate experiences and the many dealings with psychiatrists, mental hospitals, etc mean I'm pretty full bottle about weed, it's components and the effects. Sufficed to say I'm not a fan, but I'm not a crusader either.





​


----------



## Humid (2 April 2018)

Unfortunately it’s the”full bottles” that need educating


----------



## Tink (4 April 2018)

Educating for '*taking responsibility*'?


----------



## SirRumpole (4 April 2018)

Tink said:


> Educating for '*taking responsibility*'?




There is a difference between "recreational" and medicinal MJ use. I don't do either, but if it helps people with medical problems, then why not ?


----------



## Tisme (4 April 2018)

Humid said:


> Unfortunately it’s the”full bottles” that need educating




Baiting doesn't make it right. 

You do understand pro hooch donkeys are arguing from a standpoint of arrested development, a bit like taking advice from a drunk who espouses the benefits of alcohol and hemochromatosis. You take in that **** and your brain gets altered irreversibly, the phantom pains become real, the placebo effect real, the lies real, the deceit real, the don't give a fu#kitis real, the family misery real, the drug based tribal uptick real, 

the real unreal is that it has any medicinal value at all ... it's an hallucinogenic that alters emotion, consciousness, intelligence, motivation, reality and thinking....an emotional roller coaster that will come and get you sooner or later.

You people do whatever you want with your brains, once you start abusing it people will just agree with your mental weakness just to see the back end of you and you'll think they are cool with it ...everyone wins.


----------



## DB008 (4 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> the real unreal is that it has any medicinal value at all




Stop.

Please, just stop with that propaganda!



This young child must also be acting hey?

​


Old mate here with parksinsons must also be acting?

​


----------



## Gringotts Bank (4 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> ... the phantom pains become real, the placebo effect real




Please explain.  

Afaik, both are as real as this keyboard I'm typing on.


----------



## Humid (4 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Baiting doesn't make it right.
> 
> You do understand pro hooch donkeys are arguing from a standpoint of arrested development, a bit like taking advice from a drunk who espouses the benefits of alcohol and hemochromatosis. You take in that **** and your brain gets altered irreversibly, the phantom pains become real, the placebo effect real, the lies real, the deceit real, the don't give a fu#kitis real, the family misery real, the drug based tribal uptick real,
> 
> ...




Baiting....seriously?
Claims to be full bottle on weed
Doesn’t know the difference between THC and CBD
Ee aw ee aw


----------



## Tisme (4 April 2018)

DB008 said:


> Stop.
> 
> Please, just stop
> ​




Well no I won't...but it's people's choice to believe in witch doctors and bu11shit panaceas in the absence of self control, good diet, etc...makes me look good in comparison


----------



## Tisme (4 April 2018)

Humid said:


> Baiting....seriously?
> Claims to be full bottle on weed
> Doesn’t know the difference between THC and CBD
> Ee aw ee aw




You sound like a donkey with kind of baiting. Trying to form a pot gang to support you?


----------



## Tisme (4 April 2018)

Gringotts Bank said:


> Please explain.
> 
> Afaik, both are as real as this keyboard I'm typing on.




That what hallucinogens do to people


----------



## Tisme (4 April 2018)

DB008 said:


> ​




​
Govt commissioned study based on Medline, Embase and PsycINFO, and the clinical trials registries: clinicaltrials.gov, the EU clinical trials registe and the Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) were searched in October 2017

There is considerable concern about bias samples and subjects, but.......

"Few high-quality RCTs have been conducted to date, and those that currently exist have tested CBD in paediatric samples with rare and serious forms of drug-resistant epilepsy. Of these existing studies, a reasonable proportion of patients experienced a decrease in seizure frequency when using pharmaceutical grade *CBD products in addition to AEDs; however, minor AEs were likely and complete seizure freedom was unlikely*. The timely completion and publication of RCTs will provide a better basis for assessing the benefits and risks of cannabinoid products to control epilepsy. These results will also provide a better basis for a more rational and informed clinical use of cannabis-based products and cannabinoids to treat drug-resistant epilepsy."


----------



## Humid (4 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> You sound like a donkey with kind of baiting. Trying to form a pot gang to support you?



Ok Ok
I was baiting....
I was trying to get you to share some more of them wild party stories.
The ones that you draw your opinion from
With the cookies

What sort of parties do you go to?
Tea parties

You and your ilks war on drugs has failed in every possible way.
If people had more access to regulated pot and xtc
You wouldn’t have half the problem with ice
You ain’t gunna stop drugs....ever

I’m out
Until baited


----------



## Tisme (4 April 2018)

Humid said:


> Ok Ok
> I was baiting....
> I was trying to get you to share some more of them wild party stories.
> The ones that you draw your opinion from
> ...




Sufficed to say I have had to learn all about this stuff for personal reasons over two decades. It has cost me an enormous amount of money in process and exposed me personally to the front line of the consequences and many victims. Mental wards and psychs have to deal with the glaring menagerie of the victims and none of them have had anything good to say about the hooch itself or the extracts

I can't in good conscience endorse it and its derivatives given the things I've seen. Of course some people might benefit (e.g. synthetic derivatives for cancer patients), but many more don't and it's devastating for those and their loved ones.

We could debate at length on anecdotal and colloquial evidences, but at the end of the day we will make our own appraisal. I can't in good conscience endorse something that patently ruins brains, but I don't deny people having a contrary view and will revise my position if it gets FDA accreditation as a legitimate medicine and actually does work without the downsides.

It would be interesting to know how many "patients" previously partook of weed that has caused the various ailments needing treatment.  

And yes I do understand the more than 2 extracts and the various compositions of chemicals,


----------



## Gringotts Bank (4 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Sufficed to say I have had to learn all about this stuff for personal reasons over two decades. It has cost me an enormous amount of money in process and exposed me personally to the front line of the consequences and many victims. Mental wards and psychs have to deal with the glaring menagerie of the victims and none of them have had anything good to say about the hooch itself or the extracts
> 
> I can't in good conscience endorse it and its derivatives given the things I've seen. Of course some people might benefit (e.g. synthetic derivatives for cancer patients), but many more don't and it's devastating for those and their loved ones.
> 
> ...




All medicines (synthetic & naturally occuring) are poisons.  The key is in getting the dose high enough to have some desired effect, but low enough not to cause damage to the body.  So my view is that pot is a useful drug for some people if taken in the right dose.  It appears to have less potential for harm than many synthetic drugs which aim to treat the same conditions when taken responsibly.  There should be a fair bit of research over the next few years.  Hopefully it's good quality research.

Getting health right is about lifestyle, and that's very easy for some and extremely hard for others.  Suppressed emotions appear to be at cause in almost all illness and disease.


----------



## Tisme (5 April 2018)

Gringotts Bank said:


> All medicines (synthetic & naturally occuring) are poisons.  The key is in getting the dose high enough to have some desired effect, but low enough not to cause damage to the body.  So my view is that pot is a useful drug for some people if taken in the right dose.  It appears to have less potential for harm than many synthetic drugs which aim to treat the same conditions when taken responsibly.  There should be a fair bit of research over the next few years.  Hopefully it's good quality research.
> 
> Getting health right is about lifestyle, and that's very easy for some and extremely hard for others.  Suppressed emotions appear to be at cause in almost all illness and disease.




Thanks for that quality response. I think I've become conditioned to expecting insult replies, admittedly from a select shoutdown minor few, so that mature reply is welcomed.

Emotions do play an important role in seeking comfort, camaraderie, identity, etc via drugs. And I guess we all hope for the legendary magic bullet that doesn't seem to be getting found in the deep forests of the Amazon.


----------



## Humid (5 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> Sufficed to say I have had to learn all about this stuff for personal reasons over two decades. It has cost me an enormous amount of money in process and exposed me personally to the front line of the consequences and many victims. Mental wards and psychs have to deal with the glaring menagerie of the victims and none of them have had anything good to say about the hooch itself or the extracts
> 
> I can't in good conscience endorse it and its derivatives given the things I've seen. Of course some people might benefit (e.g. synthetic derivatives for cancer patients), but many more don't and it's devastating for those and their loved ones.
> 
> ...




And all this happened while it was and still is illegal 
From your own experience banning has failed.
So your way of fixing the problem is ban it some more.
Seems logical


----------



## Tisme (5 April 2018)

Humid said:


> And all this happened while it was and still is illegal
> From your own experience banning has failed.
> So your way of fixing the problem is ban it some more.
> Seems logical




I'm not aware I even used the word ban and long bowing for an argument ain't clever.

Just because you drive a car doesn't make you an automotive engineer.

 Can I suggest your use of weed has already started to induce fantasy and paranoia .... fortunately you make sense to yourself and that is all that matters.... peace brother and durry.


----------



## Humid (5 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> I'm not aware I even used the word ban and long bowing for an argument ain't clever.
> 
> Just because you drive a car doesn't make you an automotive engineer.
> 
> Can I suggest your use of weed has already started to induce fantasy and paranoia .... fortunately you make sense to yourself and that is all that matters.... peace brother and durry.




Working offshore puts a bit of a damper on drug use.
Can’t I suggest dexies to control your highs and lows....
Easier to get than pot thanks to people like you and your opinions.


----------



## Tisme (5 April 2018)

Humid said:


> Working offshore puts a bit of a damper on drug use.
> Can’t I suggest dexies to control your highs and lows....
> Easier to get than pot thanks to people like you and your opinions.




So now you are entering the blame people phase of the paranoia. Next phase is to get passively annoyed with me, graduating to irritability, eventually into aggressive vitriol. Seen it so many times I can read you like a book.

And it's a gift that just keeps on giving because the frontal lobe barrier responsible for self control just disappears with continued use of pufferbilly.

Pot is such a wonderful drug I don't know why it isn't mandatory.

Dexies are what doctors prescribe for  the ADHD symptoms of pot use.


----------



## Tisme (5 April 2018)

http://nationalpost.com/news/canada...warning-about-the-adverse-effects-of-cannabis


----------



## Humid (5 April 2018)

Tisme said:


> So now you are entering the blame people phase of the paranoia. Next phase is to get passively annoyed with me, graduating to irritability, eventually into aggressive vitriol. Seen it so many times I can read you like a book.
> 
> And it's a gift that just keeps on giving because the frontal lobe barrier responsible for self control just disappears with continued use of pufferbilly.
> 
> ...




I was going to reply but your so clever you already know what I was going to say.


----------



## Tisme (5 April 2018)

Humid said:


> I was going to reply but your so clever you already know what I was going to say.




on cue .... tick


----------



## Humid (5 April 2018)

Ditto...


----------



## Tisme (5 April 2018)

https://cloudfront.escholarship.org/dist/prd/content/qt1n10w5pc/qt1n10w5pc.pdf?t=p3ua2o&v=lg



> Since marijuana legalization, pediatric exposures to cannabis have increased, resulting in increased pediatric emergency department (ED) visits.1 Neurologic toxicity is most common after pediatric exposure; however, gastrointestinal and cardiopulmonary toxicity are reported.1 According to a retrospective review of 986 pediatric cannabis ingestions from 2005 to 2011, pediatric exposure has been specifically linked to a multitude of symptoms including, but not limited to, drowsiness, lethargy, irritability, seizures, nausea and vomiting, respiratory depression, bradycardia and hypotension.1 Prognosis is often reassuring.1 Specific myocardial complications related to cannabis toxicity that are well documented in adolescence through older adulthood include acute coronary syndrome, cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, pericarditis, dysrhythmias and cardiac arrest.2-4 To date, there are no reported pediatric deaths from myocarditis after confirmed, recent cannabis exposure. The authors report an 11-month-old male who, following cannabis exposure, presented in cardiac arrest after seizure and died. Myocarditis was diagnosed post-mortem and cannabis exposure was confirmed. Analyses of serum cannabis metabolites, postDenver Health and Hospital Authority, Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver, Colorado University of Colorodo School of Medicine at Anschutz Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, Aurora, Colorado mortem infectious testing, cardiac histopathology, as well as clinical course, support a potential link between the cannabis exposure and myocarditis that would justify preventive parental counseling and consideration of urine drug screening in this reported setting. CASE REPORT An 11-month-old male with no known past medical history presented to the ED with central nervous system (CNS) depression and then went into cardiac arrest. The patient was lethargic for two hours after awakening that morning and then had a seizure. During the prior 24-48 hours, he was irritable with decreased activity and was later retching. He was noted to be healthy before developing these symptoms. Upon arrival in the ED, he was unresponsive with no gag reflex. Vital signs were temperature 36.1o Celsius, heart rate 156 beats per minute, respiratory rate 8 breaths per minute, oxygen saturation 80% on room air. Physical exam revealed a well-nourished, 20.5 lb., 11-month-old male, with normal development, no trauma, normal oropharynx, normal tympanic membranes, no lymphadenopathy, tachycardia, clear lungs, normal abdomen and Glasgow Coma Scale....... read on


----------



## DB008 (14 April 2018)

*People prescribed medicinal cannabis will have now access to it within two days under streamlined process*
​Australians prescribed medicinal cannabis will now have access to the drug within two days, after a meeting of state and territory health ministers in Sydney.

Patients have been waiting months for access to the drug, under current legislation which sees a double-approval process from both state and federal regulators.

On Friday, all state and territories signed up to the national scheme, which allows the approvals process to be streamlined through one national body.

"Faster access, better access … there will be a one-stop shop for accessing medicinal cannabis," Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said.

"The decision as to whether or not to prescribe is rightly in the hands of medical professionals, but once that decision is made, access will then be provided within what we expect to be a 48-hour period.
"In many cases, as low as 24 hours."

The single approvals process, through the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), started operating in New South Wales last month.

Mr Hunt argued it had been a very successful trial.

"We've already seen, in New South Wales, the time for prescriptions drop dramatically from two months to two days im that system," he said.

"This is an important day for patient access.

"Now time should not be a matter of concern once a doctor has made his or her prescription."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-...e-shashed-for-patients-australia-wide/9656624​


----------



## Tisme (14 April 2018)

Not hard to see why Greg is pushing the button=  money . money, money

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-01-...domination-of-medical-cannabis-market/9302524


----------



## DB008 (23 April 2018)

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/green-rush/9688790


----------



## Toyota Lexcen (24 April 2018)

For something that’s not supposed to be used in public, bugger me, smell it all day long in Cali


----------



## Tisme (24 April 2018)

Toyota Lexcen said:


> For something that’s not supposed to be used in public, bugger me, smell it all day long in Cali




You noticed that too...there's a shed at the back of the local here that has a similar situation.


----------



## DB008 (27 April 2018)




----------



## DB008 (18 May 2018)

*Cannabidiol significantly reduces seizures in patients with severe form of epilepsy*​
*Study looked at two doses of cannabis-derived medication's effectiveness in Lennox-Gastaut syndrome*​Date: May 16, 2018

Source: NYU Langone Health / NYU School of Medicine

Summary: Cannabidiol (CBD), a compound derived from the cannabis plant that does not produce a 'high,' was shown in a new large-scale, randomized, controlled trial to significantly reduce the number of dangerous seizures in patients with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. This study also is the first to offer information on cannabidiol dosing for patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy.

In the new study comparing two doses of CBD to a placebo, the researchers reported a 41.9 percent reduction in "drop seizures" -- a type of seizure that results in severe loss of muscle control and balance -- in patients taking a 20 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, a 37.2 percent reduction in those on a 10 mg/kg/d CBD regimen, and a 17.2 percent reduction in a group given a placebo.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/05/180516172255.htm​


----------



## HelloU (19 May 2018)

Botanix (BOT) does synthetic for epidermis/dermis applications with encouraging results. Advantage of synthetic is ease of approval by health organisations due to control over product consistency. Other advantage is that sections of existing (successful) products in targeted sectors have bad side effects - but nil alternatives until now.


----------



## DB008 (3 July 2018)

*Luxembourg Legalizes Medical Cannabis*

*Luxembourg’s Parliament has unanimously passed legislation to legalize medical cannabis.*​Under the approved law, those with chronic pain, chemotherapy-related nausea and muscle spasm as a result of multiple sclerosis will be authorised to possess and use cannabis medicines if they receive a prescription from a physician.

The law allows pharmacies located in four hospitals within the 98.6-square-mile European nation to dispense the medicine to qualified patients. The medicine will be imported from Canada in the form of oils and capsules.

“I am pleased that the House has agreed with the bill to legalize access to cannabis for medical purposes,” Health Minister Lydia Mutsch told the Luxembourg Times. “The medical use of cannabis is an important step in our efforts to reduce the pain and suffering of some patients, where usual treatments do not allow it”.


https://themarijuanaherald.com/news/luxembourg-legalizes-medical-cannabis/​


----------



## DB008 (3 July 2018)

I think the oldies and skeptics should have a quick look at this TEDx segment. It's a short one, but well worth it.

​


----------



## DB008 (6 July 2018)

WOW

South Australia is turning into a real police state

Instead of helping, they are turning the other way....

The Liberal Party has really lost it's way.


*Marshall's "war on drugs" will harm children, not help them: experts*
​The Liberal Party’s new policy to send sniffer dogs into schools and increase fines for cannabis possession will likely push vulnerable children into more harmful drug use, public health and criminology experts have warned.

https://indaily.com.au/news/2017/08/14/marshalls-war-drugs-will-harm-children-not-help-experts/​


----------



## DB008 (19 July 2018)

​


----------



## DB008 (24 July 2018)

Anyone surprised?

Do the words Government and red tape go together?

We have a bunch of idiots running this country and make decisions that effect all of us. Both sides are as guilty as each other.


*Medical cannabis in Australia 'pretty much inaccessible', leaving patients looking to US*​​
A father who escaped jail time for juicing cannabis to treat his two daughters is now considering sending one of them overseas for treatment.

Stephen Taylor's daughter's, Morgan, 21, and Ariel, 25, suffer from Crohn's disease, a debilitating bowel disease.

"We've been thinking about me going to America for a while," Morgan told 7.30.

"We may have to do that," Mr Taylor said.

Mr Taylor began to grow and juice his own cannabis after struggling to find a doctor who would help him through the Therapeutic Goods Administration's (TGA) lengthy application process to legally access medical marijuana.

Last week, after pleading guilty to cultivation, Mr Taylor was given a six-month good behaviour bond but no conviction was recorded.

Morgan Taylor has been in and out of hospital several times this year with her condition.

She now has access to medicinal cannabis oil under the Federal Government's scheme because of her chronic pain, but not because of her Crohn's disease.

Her sister Ariel missed out.

If the oil does not work for Morgan she is considering going to the US.

Bastian Seidel, president of the Royal College of GPs, is frustrated that so few patients are being given the option to access medicinal cannabis and so few doctors are being allowed to prescribe it.

*"There are 38,000 GPs in the country — only one of them is an authorised prescriber for medicinal cannabis," he told 7.30.*

He said medical marijuana was still "pretty much inaccessible" for those who need it.

"The hurdles are still in place," Dr Seidel said.

"It is frustrating for us because medicinal cannabis might be an option of last resort for patients where we've tried absolutely everything in the book.

"Certainly this is not what patients expect. That's not what should be in place when it comes to medicinal cannabis.

Professor McGregor said juicing cannabis "gives a very different cannabinoid profile than smoking cannabis".

"In many ways, juicing is a positive thing to do because you don't get nearly as much of the intoxicating element, which is THC [tetrahyrdocannabinol], and you get another component of cannabinoid, which is THCA [tetrahydocannabinolic acid], which has very strong anti-inflammatory properties in the gut," he said.​
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-07-...s-in-australia-look-to-united-states/10026308​


----------



## DB008 (9 August 2018)

*Cannabis drug compound points to better treatment*
*for epileptic kids: Aussie research *​SYDNEY, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- The cannabidol non-psychoactive compound found in marijuana drugs may have positive effects for children with severe epilepsy where other medications for the major neurological disorder are not effective, according to the latest Australian research.

The latest successful trials of cannabidol that point to the potential of cannabis or marijuana for medical purposes is "good news for some desperate families of children with severe epilepsy", Dr. John Anthony Lawson of Sydney Children's Hospital said in a statement on Wednesday.

Lawson co-authored the latest findings reported in the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology medical publication.

Epilepsy is a chronic disorder of the brain characterized by seizures and more than 250,000 Australians have the condition, with children representing about 40 percent of the patients, according to the Epilepsy Action Australia charity organization.

The researchers analyzed the potential of the compound for helping patients with intractable epilepsy, in which seizures fail to come under control with standard anti-seizure treatment. They reported that cannabidol "may have modest efficacy and be appropriate for children with severe epilepsy, but attention must be paid to potential side effects and drug interactions".

There is still no evidence to guide physicians in ranking cannabidiol among current antiepileptic drugs and it will be important to continue studying its potential through rigorous clinical trials, they added.

The compound "is a medicine, not a miracle and should be managed as such", and further investment in clinical trials and high-level research is needed, said the researchers.

http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-08/08/c_137375855.htm​


----------



## Tisme (9 August 2018)

Has there been a Randomised Control Trial yet or is it still just wonder drug hysteria and money making?


----------



## DB008 (10 August 2018)

Tisme said:


> Has there been a Randomised Control Trial yet or is it still just wonder drug hysteria and money making?




In which way?

If you are taking the piss and saying that a young 5 year old with epilepsy is faking it, that is a very sick statement.


----------



## Humid (10 August 2018)

Tisme said:


> Has there been a Randomised Control Trial yet or is it still just wonder drug hysteria and money making?




I would lean towards anti drug hysteria more than anything


----------



## Tisme (10 August 2018)

So no RCT yet.


----------



## DB008 (9 January 2019)

Got the local newspaper and a lady (Deb Lynch) who had to get part of her leg amputated just before X-Mas.

Deb Lynch from Cornubia (Logan Shire) and has been denied MM for the pain since the surgery.

Deb will be running for senate as an independant come next election.

If you have a paid subscription to Courier Mail, you can read more...



> *AMPUTEE TO PUSH CANNABIS PAIN RELIEF AS SENATE CANDIDATE*





> A Logan woman, who had her gangrenous leg amputated days before Christmas, says she plans to run for the Senate at the next federal election on a medicinal cannabis ticket.




https://myaccount.news.com.au/sites...368e70358374803901f9aa3e016&memtype=anonymous​


----------



## DB008 (2 February 2019)

*World Health Organization recommends rescheduling cannabis, provides clarity on CBD*​
Member states of the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) received the World Health Organization Expert Committee on Drug Dependence’s (ECDD) cannabis recommendations, which had been expected in December, _Marijuana Business Daily _has learned.

The CND had been expected to consider rescheduling cannabis in March 2019 at its annual meeting, but the delay in receiving the ECDD recommendations may push that consideration into 2020 to provide additional time for member states to review them.

The report recommends several changes to how cannabis is scheduled, which could have significant implications for the cannabis industry:

The scheduling of cannabis in the international drug control conventions wouldn’t be as restrictive as it is now, because it would be removed from Schedule IV of the 1961 Convention, the category reserved for the most dangerous substances.
THC in all forms would be removed from the 1971 Convention and placed with cannabis in Schedule I of the 1961 Convention, significantly simplifying cannabis classification.
Pure CBD and CBD preparations containing no more than 0.2% THC would not be included in any way in the international drug control conventions.
Pharmaceutical preparations containing 9-THC, if they follow certain criteria, would be added to Schedule III of the 1961 Convention, recognizing the unlikelihood of abuse.
https://mjbizdaily.com/world-health-organization-rescheduling-cannabis-clarity-cbd/​


----------



## DB008 (19 February 2019)

*These people face excruciating pain daily, but medicinal cannabis makes life bearable*​Christian Read has taken everything from period pain pills to heavy opioid-based medication to manage the severe pain he suffers from multiple sclerosis (MS).

"I have actually sat there and watched as my foot completely deformed in shape," he said.

Mr Read has pain "quite literally from head to toe".

As well as spasms that contort different parts of his body, he experiences vision problems when his optic nerve swells, he is constantly battling exhaustion and is forced to deal with the side effects of being on the "opioid treadmill".

"When you are dealing with chronic pain, when it's every day for years and it's not going to get better, you begin to develop particularly dark and unpleasant moods," he said.

After years of unrelenting pain, Mr Read approached a local GP about possible treatment with medicinal cannabis and was offered a low dose.

He said "within a week" he realised it was making a difference.

"It's been remarkable how quickly it transformed my day-to-day living," Mr Read said.

For patients like Mr Read, accessing alternatives such as medicinal cannabis had been difficult until the Federal Government relaxed restrictions in March 2018.

New data obtained by the ABC revealed just how popular the controversial treatment had become, with more than 3,100 medicinal cannabis scripts approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) from March to January 2019.

Those patients had a range of conditions, including nerve pain, anorexia, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting and palliative care.

Health authorities said, so far, no requests had been rejected.

Mr Read said he was not totally off his traditional medication, but instead of a daily dose he was now more likely to be reaching for them once a month.

He said the medicinal cannabis had helped him "reset to normal".

"My body itself stops becoming a locus of malfunction and I feel like I did before the symptoms became particularly damaging and painful," Mr Read said.

"It helps my brain deal with the pain as it exists, rather than treatment for the pain itself."​
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-19/australians-taking-medicinal-cannabis-find-relief/10806696​


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## DB008 (10 July 2019)

*New research indicates that cannabinoids could be*
*efficacious pain management options*​
Cannabis and similar substances that interact with the body’s natural cannabinoid receptors could be viable candidates for pain management and treatment, according to new research published in the journal _Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology_.

“Currently, more than 30 states have policies in place that permit medicinal cannabis use; many of these cite pain conditions as inclusionary criteria. However, despite expanding use, what we know about ‘how’ and ‘why’ cannabinoids alleviate pain remains poorly understood,” said study author Julio A. Yanes, a graduate research assistant and National Research Service Award Fellow at Auburn University.

The researchers conducted a meta-analysis of previous research that had examined cannabinoid-induced alterations in pain ratings. They identified 25 peer-reviewed studies that met their criteria, which included 2,248 participants in total.

All of the studies compared either whole-plant cannabis, cannabis extracts, or synthetic cannabinoids to a placebo.

The meta-analysis found that cannabinoid administration was associated with greater pain reduction than placebo administration.

“Although our meta-analysis results suggest that cannabinoids are efficacious pain management options, more research is needed,” Yanes told PsyPost.

“For example, our follow-up meta-regression results revealed that study sample size was associated with observed pain reduction, such that smaller samples were associated with bigger effects. Thus, large (i.e., sufficiently powered) studies are warranted.”

Scientists are learning more about how cannabis interacts with the brain and the body’s endogenous cannabinoid system. But the mechanisms behind cannabis-induced pain reduction are still unclear.

“Our meta-analysis doesn’t address ‘how’ or ‘why’ cannabinoids were more effective than placebos. One important challenge facing the field is to determine the neurobiological mechanisms that may support cannabis-related pain reduction,” Yanes said.

The study, “Effects of Cannabinoid Administration for Pain: A Meta-Analysis and Meta-Regression“, was authored by Julio A. Yanes, Zach E. McKinnell, Meredith A. Reid, Jessica N. Busler, Jesse S. Michel, Melissa M. Pangelinan, Matthew T. Sutherland, Jared W. Younger, Raul Gonzalez, and Jennifer L. Robinson.​
https://www.psypost.org/2019/07/new...-be-efficacious-pain-management-options-54008​


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## DB008 (10 July 2019)

*Recreational marijuana legalization tied to decline*
*in teens using pot, study says*​(CNN)Marijuana use among young people in the United States overall has climbed in recent years, but a new paper suggests that in states where recreational marijuana has been legalized, marijuana use among youth may actually be falling.​
Laws that legalized recreational marijuana were associated with an 8% drop in the number of high schoolers who said they used marijuana in the last 30 days, and a 9% drop in the number who said they'd used at least 10 times in the last 30 days, according to the paper published in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics on Monday.

"Just to be clear we found no effect on teen use following legalization for medical purposes, but evidence of a possible reduction in use following legalization for recreational purposes," said Mark Anderson, an associate professor at Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, who was first author of the paper.

"Because our study is based on more policy variation than prior work, we view our estimates as the most credible to date in the literature," he said.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/08/...-laws-teens-study/index.html?no-st=1562756306​


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## DB008 (9 August 2019)

*Luxembourg to be first European country to legalise cannabis*​Luxembourg has called on its EU neighbours to relax their drug laws as its health minister confirmed plans to become the first European country to legalise cannabis production and consumption.

“This drug policy we had over the last 50 years did not work,” Etienne Schneider told Politico. “Forbidding everything made it just more interesting to young people … I’m hoping all of us will get a more open-minded attitude toward drugs.”

Residents over the age of 18 are expected to be able to buy the drug for recreational use legally within two years. The state will regulate production and distribution through a cannabis agency.

Draft legislation is expected to be unveiled later this year providing further detail on the types of cannabis that will be on sale and the level of tax that will be imposed.

Schneider said the legislation was likely to include a ban on non-residents buying cannabis in order to dissuade drug-tourism. Home-growing is also likely to be prohibited.​
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...e-first-european-country-to-legalise-cannabis​


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