Canvassing for Opinion - aka "Blairs Brain on Cannabis"

Maori Party no example for Fiji Youth.

2009-08-17T13:37:00.006+12:00

Having heard the Radio New Zealand coverage given this day to cannabis in Fiji, it is clear that the dysfunction, unintended consequences and alienation from rule of law is to be perpetuated in the name of a drug war long found wanting.

Cannabis ‘criminalisation’ demands law reform. It is perpetuating anti-youth prejudice (on a global scale) and a distraction from what is really broken. With many friends from Fiji informing me of the role ‘cannabis’ black markets have in elevating mistrust, creating intractable problems, feeding corruption, ingraining gangsta culture and pandering to ‘get tough’ enforcement suggests a much more informed dialog has to be held.

The United Nations has already indicated that the ‘user base’ must be consulted but this is an anathema to many, yet it is the path we must walk. Drug use, even under prohibition, must be acknowledged.

The idea that ‘if only we can teach how dangerous this is to (inoculate?) the kids before they are old enough to ask’ seems to be the only game in town. This however is counter intuitive. It only serves to teach them ‘all their peers are doing it’ and they cant bloody wait.
And we wonder why?

There are powerful forces merchandising fears about cannabis where there should be none. It is not a safe drug. But it is safer than alcohol and/or tobacco. That is indisputable. Lets not start teaching our drug safety by telling kids lies. To do so is to create impediments to credible ‘all health’ promotion. Our kids don't deserve this. Fijian families should regale at this kind of education. Adopt a *SAFETY FIRST approach. Accept nothing less.

*Google (”safety First” drug education rosenbaum ) OR (beyond zero tolerance)

also see : Fiji youth group says talk required to stem drug abuse

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/

Cannabis Science Moves on PTSD and H1N1/H1N5

2009-08-14T10:49:00.003+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

Cannabis Science Reports On Two Cannabis-Based Drug Release Programs
Thursday, 13 August 2009

Cannabis Science, Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS) an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company is pleased to announce that it has completed its review of the FDA licencing requirements and has made key progress with mapping out its initial cannabis drug medicines for FDA clinical trials. The Company has determined it will have more than one product in clinical testing and trials at the same time. This news comes following the identification of two distinct parallel paths in developing pharmaceutical products for FDA approval. The first being the highly publicized H1N1 Swine flu and the deadly H1N5 Avian flu, and the second being a newly formed initiative for Veterans who suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Together with these initiatives, Cannabis Science is laying a solid foundation for entrance into the FDA and other government regulatory agencies for developing medicines for Influenza, PTSD and other ailments.

The Company looks forward to announcing its continued progress with these initiatives through the development of an online progress chart that will become available at the http://www.cannabisscience.com/ website in the near future. This online tracking initiative will allow the general public immediate access to monitor each stage of development, submit questions, and request special circumstance information as we take our cannabis-based drugs to market.

Cannabis Science Inc., President & CEO, Dr. Robert Melamede Ph.D., stated, "Times are changing. There is an ever-increasing demand for our cannabis-based drugs, and this demand is growing exponentially throughout the United States and the rest of the world. Modern science supports the public demand for cannabis-based FDA approved drug products that reduce the impact of critical life altering illnesses. The public need for our products drives our efforts to rapidly move our drugs through all available regulatory channels. We believe this enormous public demand on a global scale is a major key to our success and we are very excited to be positioned to provide solutions. We are currently sourcing cGMP compliant facilities to produce our initial formulations for FDA compliant testing.

Veterans Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Program

We are rapidly moving forward with our program designed to test the efficacy of our cannabis extract-based oral medicine to provide immediate relief of the negative consequences of PTSD in our military veterans. A critical first step will be carried out by Dr. Mitch Earleywine (State University of New York (SUNY Albany, SAB) the first member of the Cannabis Science Scientific Advisory Board. He will conduct a Veterans survey regarding the use of medical marijuana for PTSD. The results of this survey will provide us with human data that we expect will assist in our efforts with the FDA and other governmental agencies to fast track our PTSD and our Flu project.

H1N1 Swine Flu & H1N5 Avian Flu

According to the CDC (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/), the Avian flu (H5N1) has a 63%

Image via Wikipedia

mortality rate. Unfortunately, the Swine flu, while causing death at a much lower rate than the Avian flu, also appears to result in death via a similar mechanism. The common cause of death with these strains is organ failure, especially as seen in the lungs with the development of Adult Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is caused by an excess immune-generated inflammatory response that leads to apoptosis (cell death) and subsequently to organ failure. The Company's approach will mimic how the human body uses endocannabinoids (cannabinoids that occur naturally in the body) to regulate immune activity and cell survival, by regulating inflammatory biochemistry. Excessive inflammatory responses are associated with numerous disease states including autoimmune diseases, neurological imbalances, and cardiovascular disease. Phytocannabinoids provide a natural means to supplement illness-specific endocannabinoid deficiencies.

http://biomedreports.com/articles/new-latest-news/5512-cannabis-science-reports-on-two-cannabis-based-drug-release-programs.html

__________________ hat tip to JCR ________________

Note: subsequent to Cannabis Science Inc 'lozenge' being contrued as targeted to children... (see ABC item discussed here)

Dr. Melamede notes, "psychoactive cannabinoids are in human mother's milk. If God thinks it's all right to use cannabinoids in an infant's first food, who am I to disagree? We believe one of our formulations will prevent many deaths caused by H1N1 Swine Flu and H5N1 Avian Flu. If our formulation becomes an FDA approved drug and works in adults, we believe that all parents and their physicians should have the right to choose the best treatment for a child with a
potentially deadly illness. Public health officials have warned that H1N1 may be
comparable to the 1918 Influenza Pandemic that killed tens of millions globally
and hit young people especially hard. We are optimistic that the FDA has not and
will not be distracted by non-science-based hysteria and will treat cannabis-based medicines based on documented science as evidenced by its advancement of other cannabis-based medicines going through the FDA approval process now."

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/

Sycophantic Politicians blocked Vote on MedPot

2009-08-08T16:31:00.003+12:00

February 2001: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services files a patent application for the medical use of cannabinoids, saying they are "useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases," and "are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and HIV dementia."

October 2003: The patent is granted

Courageously, your intrepid activist attended the Rt Hon Tony Ryall, Health Minister's 'mid-winter' speech at the Medical School in Christchurch on August 7th. While Ryall lied about having no opinion on tobacco, he mean while had recently blocked banning in-store advertising. (see SCOOP)

Professor Peter Joyce [Dean, University of Otago and Prof of Mental Health Research] avoided the med-pot criminality question in the full house Rolleston lecture theater. Bloody shame. Perhaps it would have been useful to hear the question in view of the legacy of Health Ministers with Justice/Police backgrounds and interests.

However, Tony Ryall, having been buttonholed post his speech, did accept and receive, placing it in his top pocket for later reading, the above Dept. of Health and Human Services summary of facts.

Legal Doesnt Equate to Laudable

2009-08-04T14:34:00.006+12:00

Image by Uncleweed via Flickr

Because something is legal does not automatically make it laudable.

Increase use doesn't necessarily equate to an increase in net harm either.

Set and Setting do define harm risk (a point that prohibitors prefer to overlook). Making cannabis [use] less stigmatized would enable quality epidemiological research.

A patient (or recreational user, practicing preventative early intervention) has a fundamental right to 'informed consent', where fully informed is fully armed and consent is 'self determination'.

I would expect a reported increase in use post ANY prohibitory regime. That should surprise no one.

But at least a little bit of pot sitting somewhere hurting no one will cease to lead to arrest and incarceration and the life long stigma of a conviction for what MOST thinking people believe to be 'of little matter'. (and courts should not deal with such trivialities)

see http://www.opposingviews.com/comments/legal-doesnt-equate-to-laudable

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

Drug bans are bad economics - Nick Smith

2009-08-02T16:31:00.002+12:00

By Nick Smith

(can be seen at http://www.whyprohibition.ca/blogs/ellis-worthington/drug-bans-are-bad-economics )

Originally published on Stuff, July 17, 2009

The most convincing evidence of the harm caused by the criminalisation of party pills in April last year comes from a recently convicted drug dealer. (actually it was quite the opposite, a four-fold increase in sales and no perceptable increase in harm, but then that's MDMA for you. Millions of 'E' experiences in the UK, every week, problems at best are 'associated with use' while no benefits of displacement of other drugs, like alcohol, are measured)

This man, whose name is suppressed, admitted smuggling 100,000 ecstasy tablets in just three months. He told media that his small operation became massive almost overnight after the government banned party pills, which contain the active ingredient benzylpiperazine (BZP).

The ban was instituted despite an investigation showing BZP caused little harm to users. BZP is not like methamphetamine, which in its crystalised form is called P, and ecstasy. The criminal acts and damage caused by P addicts have filled news pages for months. Ecstasy, while less harmful, has been implicated in several deaths.

When the ban became law, people switched from taking safer party pills to the much more dangerous methamphetamine and ecstasy.

"I went from selling 5000 pills a month to 5000 pills a week," the 52-year-old drug dealer explained to a weekend newspaper about the financial impact to his operation of the ban, which he estimated had generated up to $12 million in revenue.

Even the medical profession concedes the BZP ban is fanning greater recreational use of more dangerous drugs. There's an argument that all drugs should be decriminalised because criminalisation generates more harm than good by handing control of a desirable commodity to organised crime. When criminal elements are involved, it is argued, the damaging effects of drug use are amplified.

Think of the growth in popularity of bootleg liquor during prohibition in the United States.

A regulated and restricted system of laws surrounding drug use would remove violent criminal elements and allow better access to treatment, is how the argument goes.

This contention is particularly compelling in the case of BZP because it was a proven safe drug servicing a large market, as evidenced by its ubiquitous presence on shelves in corner dairies and liquor stores.

People desire intoxicants. The history of alcohol, cannabis and drugs extends three millennia. Drugs are a commodity and are traded the world over. Supply is meeting demand and economic theory holds that when that demand is denied by a ban, it creates unintended consequences; in this case, a massive source of income for transnational crime organisations and gangs.

Some of the most alarming reportage on this subject of late comes from economists such as Loretta Napolioni, who writes about the massive global reach of criminal empires trading in drugs and people, two of the most pernicious and lucrative trades.

Lev Timofeev, a Russian expert on drug economies, believes drug prohibition gives transnational operations not just market-moving power, but the ability to influence whole societies and nations.

In his view, it is prohibition that enables such far-reaching power. New Zealand doesn't suffer the predations of drugs, prostitution and people-smuggling to the same extent as eastern Europe, Russia and parts of the Middle East. Part of the reason is its geographical remoteness but also this country's relative liberality to restrictive social legislation. (except for cannabis, which is all out war but mostly on unemployed, maori, and males)

But, as the BZP ban shows, authorities can and do make the same policy mistakes as their international equivalents. The Law Commission will soon deliver a report recommending a raft of changes to the sale of liquor. On the table are restrictions on age and even the number of outlets in any given area. If they follow through on the latter, you can bet shops will be restricted in poorer districts and not in more affluent suburbs. (as it is policed! 300 more cops for South Auckland will be doing what? We have already heard that 'drug dealing' will be a focus.)

Damning evidence from the US shows the prohibitive legislative hammer falls hardest on the poor and vulnerable. Leaving aside the interesting issue of why drug and alcohol use is higher in this socio-economic sector, the American experience suggests enforcement of bans cause greater social damage than the drugs themselves.

It was pleasing to see Roger Kerr, the Business Roundtable's executive director, wade into the liquor debate recently, particularly his evisceration of the self-serving economic analysis of the economic cost from alcohol use. The commission will rely on a Business and Economic Research Ltd (Berl) report showing the net external cost to the country from drinking booze is $4.8 billion, a ludicrous sum. An independent university study reviewing Berl's work puts it at $146.3 million, less than 5 per cent of the initial estimate.

Kerr also put in a word for the social benefit of drinking, a rarely heard view in these censorious times. He emphasises enforcement of existing regulation as a better mechanism for dealing with unwelcome social outcomes from boozing rather than more restrictive laws or a ban.

Banning drugs, whether BZP or alcohol, is bad economics; economists of the Right and Left agree a rare consensus. Hopefully, the Law Commission will see it the same way when it publishes its liquor law recommendations. (and deliberates on cannabis)

- ends -

(highlighting responsiblity of BJA)

Stephen Anderson Released (and about time)

2009-07-26T23:51:00.007+12:00

The current media coverage given to Stephen Anderson's community release (and the "Insanity" that that lead to the 1998 Health Select Committee Inquiry into Cannabis and Mental Health Report) needs to be seen in a much bigger picture... " ill-treatment under criminal stigmatisation, labelling and duress "

Check out the context (and reference to Anderson) in a 2002 media release on Scoop.

Mark Burton killing: Govt let it happen (again)

Thursday, 7 November 2002, 10:10 am
Press Release: Mild Greens

"A worst case mental health scenario for at least half New Zealand's cannabis using teenagers would have to be their father working as a Cop", says Mild Greens consumer advocate, Blair Anderson.

The Mild Greens say government Ministers must ultimately be held to account for maintaining and promoting a "toxic environment" which appears to have critically influenced Mark Burton's decline into mental health/drug and alcohol "dual diagnosis".

Inappropriate management of Burton’s well-being culminated in the killing of his mother in her Queenstown home, within hours of Burton’s release from Southland Hospital last year.

In a case with disturbing parallels to the Stephen Anderson Raurimu killings in February 1997, Burton was found not guilty of murder on the grounds of insanity, and subsequent inquiries have identified critical "shortfalls in the mental health system" leading to the family tragedy.

However, the Mild Greens say the real criminal in both instances is successive NZ Governments, for maintaining an unwarranted and corrupt discrimination regime - the state sanctioned "war on cannabis". (c/f HSC 1998 Inquiry into the Mental Health Effects of Cannabis recommending "review of the appropriateness of existing policy on cannabis and its use".)

Image via Wikipedia

Blair Anderson is speaking out in the lead up to this weekend’s cannabis law reform conference in Wellington at the Tapu Te Ranga Marae (Island Bay), in the hope that New Zealanders will recognise that the reform imperative extends beyond simply "keeping drugs out of the hands of teenagers".

"Prohibition, while absolutely hopeless in terms of restricting general access to marijuana, has a matrix of detrimental side effects in a community where people are alienated from each other because of the law", said Mr Anderson.

Although Burton’s father and former Policeman Trevor Burton has sought accountability for his son’s slack treatment and inappropriate release from Southland Hospital, the Mild Greens say the Health and Disability Commission should actually be inquiring into the broader social context of Mark’s ill-treatment under criminal stigmatisation, labelling and duress, on account of his cannabis use and cultural identification.

Discrimination is a crucial factor in Mental Health. A massive television campaign tells ordinary Kiwis that their attitude to the mentally ill makes all the difference.

But you’re allowed to discriminate against cannabis users in New Zealand: the weed is against the law because its use is "immoral". Why is it immoral to use cannabis? – well, because it’s against the law…

What was on Mark Burton's mind, ask the Mild Greens – and what circumstances precipitated his mental illness? Or perhaps more to the point, what was on the once happy, cherubic 17 year-old’s blue baseball cap? (for all who missed the repeated national television news coverage, or have suppressed the imagery, Mark’s baseball cap featured "the ubiquitous dope leaf" …)

Did overwhelming peer group pressure and the psychological conflict inherent in his father's "police officer" status perhaps all too unjustly require Mark to prove himself in a terrible psychological conflict - as a staunch young dude, or as a narc? What is criminalisation policy, if not a terrible way to treat people?

Reform groups believe there is more than ample evidence that the Police are wrongly "at war" against the cannabis community. Evidence including reports such as the recent Canadian Senate Committee Inquiry strongly suggests that criminalisation policy is costly, ineffective, racially biased and unjust.

But with a 26-year precedent for (de-facto) legal cannabis in Holland, the law as it stands in Aotearoa appears moreover to be outrageously outmoded, idiotic and/or rotten to the core.

While it is generally acknowledged that marijuana (like alcohol) may have some detrimental effects on some people, drug law reformers say detrimental effects of prohibition have to be acknowledged once and for all by health professionals, crime prevention, social policy administrators and law makers.

The Mark Burton case, amongst many, exposes a terrible flaw in community mental health management, and the danger of right wing "family values" – much as it reveals that Labour, with its suppressed and stalled cannabis health promotion inquiry, does not understand the meaning of good governance.

The Mild Greens say that Ministers of Health have been further remiss in ignoring coroner Tim Scott's concerns following Steven Anderson's rampage at Raurimu in February 1997 where 6 were gunned down by a "patient obsessed with cannabis". Mr Scott's final recommendation in relation to preventing such outcomes in future was that "health professionals must find away to overcome a patients obsession with cannabis [prohibition], such as Stephen Anderson had.".

Youth Affairs Minister Tamaheri has recently repeated the mantra that NZ has unacceptably high rates of suicide, teen pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse and accidental deaths- and (doh) that a co-ordinated strategy is need.

The Mild Greens remind the concerned minister that on all accounts the Netherlands has better youth outcomes by an order of magnitude. Stony silence and delay in adjudication on Parliaments cannabis law review is cultural insensitivity, irresponsible leadership and abuse of due process on a scale which defies comprehension.

"Until NZ’s toxic cannabis law changes equitably and community bigotry is severely restrained, dual diagnosis killings will happen again and again" say the Mild Greens.

Ministers, and protectors of prohibition one and all, you have blood on your hands.

Mild Green Initiatives,

========= ends ==========

Some serious questions need to be asked, but they are not the ones you will see on dumbed down TV, NZHerald/Stuff or a Trademe Community Thread!

Someone please notice... Anderson and Burton are by 'justice' definition "health" consumers not criminals.

Get a life... its your prohibition, so live with it and stop complaining about or revisiting the unintended consequences! These patients are not yours, they do not belong to you. They are a product of 'that what prohibitors do'.

When the day for true restorative justice comes, prohibitors will be asked to say Sorry, and Pay your Community Reparations. Then our Social Ecology can be restored.

Only when we learn to ring fence 'any' drug related difficulties under harm minimisation principles, can we say we are 'safety first.'

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

Cannabis Science Patient Focused

2009-07-24T12:18:00.002+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — (Marketwire) — 07/23/09 — Cannabis Science Inc. (OTCBB: CBIS), an emerging pharmaceutical cannabis company, is pleased that today’s Wall Street Journal article on the booming medical cannabis industry in California notes the role of Cannabis Science Inc.

Commenting on why Cannabis Science was mentioned in the article, Richard Cowan, chief financial officer of Cannabis Science Inc., said, “Although the company is beginning the FDA approval process for its products, we believe that the inclusion of Cannabis Science Inc. in an article about the struggle to get medical cannabis to patients is further evidence that we are a patient oriented company, whose business strategy does not depend on a continuation of marijuana prohibition.”

Although the company is not involved in the state’s gray market, the article notes, “A pot activist named Richard Cowan has opened what he envisions as an investment bank for pot-related businesses, called General Marijuana (General Marijuana.com). Mr. Cowan is also chief financial officer of Cannabis Science Inc., which is trying to market a pot lozenge for nonsmokers.” Please click http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124829403893673335.html to read the article in full.

Image via Wikipedia

Cannabis Science CEO, Dr. Robert J. Melamede, observed, “This article is further demonstration of the huge need for FDA approved medical cannabis products.”

Earlier this week, Cannabis Science reported that Dr. Melamede had spoken at a hearing in Denver in opposition to an attempt to undermine a voter-approved constitutional amendment that would have made it much more difficult for patients to get affordable medical marijuana.

Cannabis Science Inc. is at the forefront of medical marijuana research and development. The company works with world authorities on phytocannabinoid science targeting critical illnesses, and adheres to scientific methodologies to develop, produce, and commercialize phytocannabinoid-based pharmaceutical products. It is dedicated to the creation of cannabis-based medicines, both with and without psychoactive properties, to treat disease and the symptoms of disease, as well as for general health maintenance.

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

As Seen On TRADEME

2009-07-24T09:13:00.005+12:00

(A question) As Seen On TradeMe regarding

a "Moral Test" on Brain Function for the price of a Beer.

[http://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=231993787&permanent=0]

"This product is designed to test for the presence of THC (Cannabis) in someones system. It couldnt be easier to use as can be seen in the instructions shown in the image."

Could you please clarify if this product tests for metabolites of THC or THC as claimed? Is this important? What range is the visual pass/fail threshold (in ng/mg) and what science endorses the accuracy paying particular attention to false positive confidence? What correspondent research to impairment and/or harm has been reasonably been shown to be causative at these levels? What if any instructions as to what to do in the event of positive metabolite result are given? Thank You.
--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com/
http://blair4mayor.com/
http://efsdp.org/

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

The seller has posted a response to your question about 'Drug Tests for THC'.

The test says your testing for cannabis where THC metabolites are assumed to be 'somehow' the equivalent. They are not. Metabolites are are the ashes of the fire when the heat has long gone. There is no correlation to either current or prior impairment nor do they indicate any predictable short or longterm behavioral characteristics. They are eliminated at highly variable rates depending on metabolic/hormonal patterns of individuals as well menstruation, stress, & other drugs including alcohol.

Thanks for the information Blair. We just sell test kits for anyone who would like to buy them. Whether it should be legal or not is for an entirely different platform or forum in my opinion - not Trade Me! You take care.

(Stevexyz's reply mistakes, as do many who profit from prohibition principles, the legal status and any argument that reflects badly on on the ruling paradigm, with the simplistic rule, if anyone questions the science or evidence they must be a legaliser therefore can be ignored. Yet stupidly, even in a post prohibition environment the 'tool' of drug tests remain valid in some circumstances. The question of HOW that tool works, and a fully informed purchaser likewise still remains fundamental to how a product is presented. Claiming that this tests for THC (cannabis) is in the view of this writer... a breach of the fair trade 'advertising must be true'' principles. Further I submit that asserting that this 'test' does so with any accuracy is deceptive and can have 'deleterious' outcomes that potentially far outweigh the harm from cannabis per se. /Blair)

Parker Goes UnderGround

2009-07-22T14:16:00.007+12:00

Oops, formating issues!  consider this a work in progress while I correct!

 Parker plans urban study tour

(http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/2661170/Parker-plans-urban-study-tour / By CHARLIE GATES - The Press) > Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker plans to visit North American cities to study urban regeneration, public transport and heritage protection. While "OverSeas" he should ask if any of the cities are building any bus depot's or other critical infrastructure below sea level. He might need some advice on where to get 'insurance' against IPPC forecasts and risk of hydrostatic displacement. Seeing as your looking at the Seattle Public Library, the Presidio park overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and a light-rail system in Vancouver - Imagine an aboveground 'green building' including library and other civic networking facilities (rail/bus/road) if the Heritage of Hagley Park and the Addington sale yards had been used. Goodness, we don't even know where the Tram is going to go? We make it up as we go. It links what with what network? How does that service inner city residential commuting? Why does 'the tram' get such priority and expense yet is nothing more than a 'cute' tourism train-set "getting in the way of what is needed." Usefully, while in Seattle, he may learn something of the enlighted urban design drivers to safer communities. (as presented to the LT plan Bob, you know, you were there. Remember, you said I was disrespectful. Its on the record.) In the spirit of "Time to Talk" Bob, I would be happy to arrange for you and the CCC officials to meet with Executive Director of the Volunteer Committee of Lawyers, King County Bar Association and Washington State Senator, Roger Goodman. Some of his connections include: King County Bar Association Church Council of Greater Seattle King County Medical Society League of Women Voters of Washington Loren Miller Bar Association Municipal League of King County National Alliance on Mental Illness of Washington Seattle League of Women Voters Washington Academy of Family Physicians Washington Osteopathic Medical Association Washington Physicians for Social Responsibility Washington Society of Addiction Medicine Washington State Bar Association Washington State Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Washington State Medical Association Washington State Pharmacy Association Washington State Psychiatric Association Washington State Psychological Association Washington State Public Health Association And he can offer some insight into what they think works.... If your going to be in Seattle - The next Seattle Hempfest is August 15-16, The event spans three Seattle waterfront parks: Elliott Bay Park, Myrtle Edwards Park, and Olympic Sculpture Park. You can get there... by car, bicycle, train, bus, boat and plane. Walking is good! http://www.hempfest.org/drupal/node/68 More people than an Ellerslie Flower Show! And it's FREE! Won't cost us rate-payers a cent. Perhaps Roger will host you there, if you ask nicely.

sig: Blair Anderson

 ph (643) 389 4065   cell 027 265 7219

(PS: note the drop in price of NZ coastal properties Bob!, how long will South Spit 'housing' be insurable? The life of a mortgage?)

Prison debate?

2009-07-17T15:31:00.003+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

To: Editorial/ RadioNews mailto:ninetonoon@radionz.co.nz

Lets all avoid discussing the engine that drives the unintended consequences, dysfunction and misplaced expenditure.... fatally flawed drug policy!

Until we confront that Moloch everything else will just confuse us.

(Despite Stephen Franks having written intelligently on this subject - his political/professional career and aspirations require him and Hon Simon Power, the Minister of Justice to pretend only their political views are legitimate and worthy. It would have to be notable that Franks said he was a liberal 30-40 years ago... and the Drug War started when Stephen - Ya sycophantic plonker! Meanwhile, Sensible Sentence's McVicars arcane views sails close to hate speech. )

Hanson's Marijuana Addiction/Cessation Research

2009-07-10T17:49:00.003+12:00

The plural of anecdote is data.

Image via Wikipedia

There is anecdote that shows some folk have difficulty they attribute to giving up pot. There is data evidencing folk do not have a difficulty 'in times of no pot'. Most of the symptoms in the case of the former are consistent with destabilised endocannabinoid homeostasis. Indeed if they didn't happen in some people I would be surprised. Cardio/Vascular/Neuro/temp all consistent. They inform us of how important a biological source of exo-cannabinoids may be to ameliorating/alleviating other conditions. As to describing these as withdrawal caused by cannabis that is another matter. It may be, and i speculate, that some or all of these conditions pre-existed the cessation and are now revealed, and that the cannabis users 'acuity, insight and sensitivity' to altered stated of conscience also colours the research. I have no doubt that these experiences are real and described accurately. That is a far call from understanding what is actually happening.

see
http://brainblogger.com/2009/06/15/marijuana-withdrawal-syndrome/#comment-551844

However, given the replies to others by D. Hanson, I suspect he already knows this. He may well, I suspect fully understand that valid epidemiological research is impossible under the 'set' of a prohibition paradigm. But one has to begin somewhere. I applaude Dirk's work but also understand why others would label it BS.

Cannabis: Your Milage May Vary

Perhaps Warning - Cannabis: Your Milage May Vary should be the label on legal pot.

NZ has introduced and passed the legislative model for (sale of) recreational psychoactive substances that includes accurate labeling. I might argue the above harm reduction label is consistent with known risk profiles.
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›
Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com/
http://blair4mayor.com/
http://efsdp.org/

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

On Drugs, Medicine and Some Harms

2009-07-07T12:17:00.002+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

Part of the problem with Met's Bill (and Nandor's earlier) is that it occurred at all.
(comment as posted to the Daktory Forum)

While med pot is an important issue, the diamonds in the sky is D'classification of cannabis. It would matter diddly what med pot provisions were made (as per Sativex) there would still be injustice. The argument for med pot (even as a wedge issue towards full Class D implementation, the rules are all ready there ) fails to do justice to the issue. AND THAT IS WHY WE HAVE TO RAISE THE ROOF before the Law Commission (LC).

The LC is doing some very creative stuff around 'privacy' and the internet... using the internet to both air the issue contructively and gain insight into public concerns, suggestions and fulfill the responsibility of 'consultation being seen to be done'.

This is the stuff of social capital. The 'drug debate' will be the better for it. One can (will be able to) even send a comment in via ones cellphone. Suddenly the debate (has the POTential to) become relevant to young people.

So donut worry to much about the vote in Parl. There was NO drug debate in the run up to the election, but the day after John Key was elected PrimeMonster we legally regulated psychoactive recreational drugs (it got Royal assent two days before the election, became law on the Sunday). Much more has been accomplished than either media or MP's are prepared to

Image via Wikipedia

concede. We are the first country in the world to take a ground up approach to analyzing drug policy - including adherence to and relevance of the International Covenants and Conventions.

It really doesn't get better than this. Although the anticipated in april/may 'issues paper' is yet to be released (so that the framework for the debate is clear - and thats a head start) it has been delayed somewhat due to [political] prioritisation of the Alcohol issue. The drug we drink, Alcohol (legal) and Drugs (illegal) will according to the Law Commission(er) 'inform each other'. Again, no country has (IMHO) realy taken this holistic evaluation of 'all drug policy'.

Consider fmr PrimeMunster Palmer on Drugs we Drink, "The exclusion of these substances from the terms of reference does not preclude the Commission from taking into account the relative harms of these and other substances." and "Lessons learnt from the regulation of alcohol and tobacco will be taken on board in the course of this review." (media release 2008[url]

We are turning full circle back to where our National Drug Policy (framework) pre 1996 HIGHLY reco

Image via Wikipedia

mmended an 'all drugs' framework rather than a drug by drug approach.
This serves reform VERY WELL.

Like Alcohol and the recent academically critiqued BERL report on Alcohol harms - the area of cost/benefit need to be explored thoroughly. Daktavists MUST ask for this, 'where's the the baseline?' - and the more we do this, the greater weighting will be given to getting the likes of Prof Jeffery Miron (or the like) out here from Harvard to give this international credibility.

Be Empowered, Submit Unconditionaly.
/Blair Anderson,
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

How Swift Is Too Swift For Justice?.

2009-07-02T11:50:00.004+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

"How swift is too swift for justice?":

The easiest and most expedient way to deal with court workload (and attendent injustice) is to resolve the tensions underpining 'drug law' and the plethora of unintended consequences. In answer to the naysayers to this suggestion, either drugs are a problem or they are not. One cannot back both horses and win.

Posted by Blair Anderson to TUMEKE! at 2/7/09 9:58 AM

note:

COHA Responds to the UN World Drug Report

As pointed out in the report, the right answer is not to regulate and heavily tax drug sales; government profiteering from citizen addiction would be neither ethical nor helpful for eliminating black markets. Allowing marginalized addicts back into society and providing medical treatment to them are large benefits of decriminalization, in addition to reducing unnecessarily costly and high incarceration rates.

Yet, despite unflagging optimism, any strategy short of legalization has proven statistically impotent and historically futile in promoting peace, democratic institutions, freedom from oppression, and strengthening the rule of law. By providing billions of dollars for the purchase of weapons and the corruption of civil institutions, prohibition has infected and destroyed not only whole families and communities but entire countries, including the lives of those who made no conscious decision to participate in drug related activities.

Medicinal Cannabis Bill

2009-06-28T15:02:00.003+12:00

Medicinal Cannabis Bill

The Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party are calling on all MPs to support an extremely important piece of legislation that will be before the house on Wednesday 1st of July. Metiria Turei's Medicinal Cannabis Bill will make it legal for patients with severe or life threatening illnesses and injuries to access the medicine they need. For many patients, the only medicine that works to relieve their suffering is Cannabis.

Image via Wikipedia

Cannabis is already legally available in New Zealand on prescription from a doctor. The pharmaceutical cannabis preparation Sativex has been approved for a number of patients. However many people in need cannot afford Sativex or they prefer to source there essential medicine elsewhere. Metia Turei's Bill will increase access to this important medicine by allowing patients or their caregivers to grow their own cannabis. By allowing those patients most in need to grow their own medicine, they will no longer have to risk buying from the black market and will no longer have to fear arrest and imprisonment.

Image via Wikipedia

Emeritus Professor Lester Grinspoon from Harvard Medical School, believes that Cannabis will be the world's most important medical drug in the 21st century.

The reason cannabis is such an effective medicine, with thousands of years of use, is because it contains over 60 active therapeutic compounds. The cannabis plant can be breed for different levels of these cannabinoids, and specific strains have been developed to treat specific ailments, such as ADHD. Scientists can also isolate specific compounds in cannabis to create unique new medicines.

At present Sativex is the sole cannabis product on the market. While it is effective for many conditions including MS, others conditions such as chronic pain require an Indica rather than Sativa based preparation.

Metiria's Bill will allow for a more diverse range of cannabis products to be made available, to better suit the needs of patients. Concerns about the smoking of cannabis medicine, can be addressed by the use of a number of alternative delivery methods, including vaporisation, oral ingestion, ointment or spray. While cannabis has a bad reputation due to its illegal status, all of the uses of this medicine can be referenced to scientific studies. Cannabis has been scientifically shown to be 100% non toxic, non addictive and has never caused a single death from overdose.

The scientific and lay literature of the medical effectiveness of cannabis is extensive. There are

Image via Wikipedia

numerous conclusive studies which show that cannabis reduces the growth of cancer tumors, including studies conducted at the University of Otago. Some conditions like Glaucoma, can only be effectively treated with cannabis. When made into a skin balm, cannabis is an effective remedy for both Arthritis and Melanoma.

Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders are in desperate need of this medicine. Only the most heartless and uncaring members of parliament could vote against the compassionate use of cannabis. Already the hard-line USA has approved medical marijuana in many states. Not to follow suit here would cause outrage throughout the New Zealand medical marijuana community, not to mention years of needless suffering for thousands of people.

Below are some of that conditions that cannabis is effective treatment for:

Appetite Loss Arthritis Asthma Addiction Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Anxiety Disorders AIDS Wasting Syndrome Attention Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Autism Aversive Memories Bipolar Affective Disorder Brain Injury/Stroke Cancer (including Breast cancer, Cervical cancer, Lung cancer, Skin cancer) Depression Dystonia Epilepsy Fibromyalgia Glaucoma Migraine Nausea Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Chemo Related Nausea Chronic Pain Diabetes Hepatitis C High Blood Pressure/Hypertension Lymphoma Migraine Mental Illness Multiple Sclerosis Movement Disorders Musculoskeletal Disorders Neuroprotection Nail Patella Syndrome Parkinson's disease Pancreatitis Rheumatoid Arthritis Sickle Cell Disease Schizophrenia Skin allergies Sleep Apnea Tourette-Syndrome Ulcerative Depression, Violent, uncontrollable outbursts in children

ENDS

Support Global Drug Policy Reform: World Drug Day, 26 June

2009-06-26T20:25:00.003+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

Call to Action: Support Global Drug Policy Reform
World Drug Day, 26 June 2009

I. The War on Drugs has become a War on People.

As the United Nations brings worldwide attention to problems related to illicit drugs, we call for a new approach. In too many countries, the “war on drugs” has become a war on people. Millions of non-violent drug users face abuse and imprisonment, while they have no access to proper healthcare or effective treatment. Lowlevel traders and producers receive sentences disproportionate to their crimes and languish in prisons around the globe. Millions more face crop destruction and police harassment as they struggle to make ends meet, with few alternatives as the global economy falters. Meanwhile, the HIV epidemic gains pace.

II. Five Actions Today

After decades of policies that have failed to make our societies safer or healthier, and given overwhelming evidence which shows that criminalizing drugs is both counterproductive and highly destructive, we call on governments to:

Focus on reducing the harms related to drug trade and use, such as making needle and syringe exchange programs widely available (NZ as worldwide AIDS/HEPC initiative).
Decriminalize the possession of drugs for personal use. (NZ as worldwide "D" Classification)
Ensure that evidence-based treatments for pain and addiction are widely available, including methadone and buprenorphine. (& Cannabis)
Treat supporting farmers in moving away from coca or poppy cultivation as a development issue. (remove the subsidy of prohibition!)
Comply fully with human rights obligations in any drug control measure, ensuring proportionality of penalties, abolishing the death penalty, and avoiding non-evidence-based forms of treatment.

III. Driving Away Drug Users Creates Public Health Disasters

Image by John Gevers via Flickr

Nearly three decades into the global HIV epidemic, we reiterate that driving people who use drugs underground only makes the transmission of HIV and hepatitis more likely. The number of HIV infections due to injecting drug use is rising steadily. In parts of Eastern Europe and South-East Asia, this figure reaches 80%. As the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has said, “Forcing drug users to hide and denying them access to life-saving treatment and prevention services is creating a public health disaster. This happens even though the evidence from scientific and medical research on best practices and cost benefit analyses is overwhelmingly in favour of harm reduction programming....

The message is clear. It is time to be guided by light of science, not by the darkness of ignorance and fear.” Indeed, rather than a security-focused approach that costs roughly $100 billion per year worldwide, we need to look at this first and foremost through the lens of public health. In the blind effort to rid the world of drugs, 80% of cancer patients worldwide are denied access to opiate-based pain relief.

IV. Adopt a Humane Approach

A humane, compassionate approach to drug use based on harm reduction principles and respect for human rights is the most effective way to limit the negative impact of drug use, trade, and production. Scientific and medical research on best practices and cost benefit analyses overwhelmingly favors harm reduction programs, including needle exchange, drug substitution therapy, and condom distribution. We applaud countries who have already taken steps in this direction. Recently, both Germany and Switzerland have voted to make medical heroin available for chronically dependent opiate users and the new U.S. administration has come out in support of needle exchange. Ecuador pardoned thousands of drug ‘mules’

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

imprisoned with disproportionate sentences and 80 Argentinean judges made a public call to reform their country’s drug laws. In order to stop the spiral of drug-related violence and disease intensifying across the globe, more countries must follow suit.

[See comments for the list of signatories)

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

Froggie Lie, caused by Drug We Drink.

2009-06-26T17:53:00.003+12:00

Image by Frederic Humbert (www.rugby-pioneers.com) via Flickr

Outrage as French rugby player admits assault lie

WELLINGTON (AFP) — New Zealand officials reacted with outrage and called for an inquiry after French rugby player Mathieu Bastareaud admitted his claim of being attacked by thugs in Wellington was a lie.
The 20-year-old said Thursday in a statement on the website of his French club Stade Francais that a cut and bruising on his face was caused by a fall in his room after drinking with team-mates early on Sunday.

Image via Wikipedia

This is drug policy, and the duress of shaming. Why is it that after I heard the story the first time round, it smacked of exactly the outcome absent 'all the facts'. What is there to figure?

--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›
Social Ecologist 'at large'
ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Some Drugs Driving

2009-06-23T15:43:00.002+12:00

It doesnt mean it makes a difference to fatalities or accidents however.
Image via Wikipedia

One of the problems with current drug policy (and is clearly evident in the drugged driving debate) is that drug substitution occurs. This is a two way street. (ask an economist!) Just as one can drive people to more harmful options, so too can we promote less harmful options by simply removing the impediments.

Cannabis is a least harmful option. As much as some folk will gnash their teeth and say, no drugs are good... (and they may even be right) from a social policy perspective, enforcement is a least efficient way to manage the problem and may, as in the case with cannabis, be an impediment to 'credible education messages'.

This is highly evident when one 'models' what would happen if we could eliminate alcohol on the road by substituting with cannabis. Road deaths (and other harms) would plummet. This is not to argue that cannabis should be compulsory, rather it helps us understand that, if a less harmful option is better than a more harmful option, and that leads to less deaths/accidents IT MAY WELL BE that the death that it saved was the very death that some individuals for whom the harm has been acute (and I share their heartache) would not have experienced that grief.

We have an obligation to solve problems with the least amount of invasive procedures as we can. It doesnt stack up, that just because we can (use Police) we must.

Look at how much we have changed societal response to drink driving through social mores around Sober Drivers etc.

Policing/Enforcement doesn't deserve all the credit (as much as they may wish to take that credit to justify continuation of policy enforcement).

Accidents occur without cannabis, there mere presence (in a zero tolerance model) does not make it 'responsible'.

Cannabis consumers (who drive, but not necessarily are stoned) do not make the unwise choices to drive that alcohol drivers make at relative degrees of intoxication. And that is a massive head start in harm limitation.

But that requires a society that has moved beyond intolerance. Regretably our drug laws are structured to enable the very worst in people. Even the ones who make moral (or otherwise) choice not to use cannabis... tiredness, distraction, stress and use of 'legal drugs, prescribed or otherwise' are NO LESS RESPONSIBLE for the outcomes of their behaviors.

It is wrong that we should hide behind our foibles and responsibilities while casting dispersions upon that of which they know little.

A more informed debate, founded in good social science should have been held. It is regrettable that our Expert Advisory Committee (on Drugs) has been expediently weighted by 'enforcement' over health.

No good will come of this.

Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com
http://blair4mayor.com
http://efsdp.org

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

The Unknowns of Napier Hill

2009-06-22T00:00:00.004+12:00

I agree with Adam that there are ‘factors’ that are unaccounted for in the current societal response to drug(s) that are evident in the Napier incident – if one wants to examine it.

The problem with ‘drug related’ incidences is that Police and Media have no truck with

Alcohol via Wikipedia

‘discovery’ and there are lot of people for whom ‘drugs are evil and a scourge’ that keep them, and us, boxed into the paradigm.

What Adam has described is a function of the ‘deviancy amplification’ that creates a matrix of dysfunctional ’set’ and ’setting’. Prohibition of alcohol trade, [possession and consumption was never illegal] created the dangerous ’set’ of violence, protection and corruption, none of which could be attributable to the pharmacology of ethyl alcohol.
(see Science of Intoxication: "pharmacological hand grenade" )

Napier is an example of such a set.

combusting alcohol ~ Wikipedia

Politicians see no votes in such ‘understandings’ thus rendering us all stupid!

No drug is as dangerous as its ’set’ created by bad policy, bigotry and double standards.

Show me a drug that can kill a Policeman at 100yds!

37. adam June 21, 2009 at 8:24 pm

hey there. i agree that jan was most certainly another victim,but for somewhat different reasons. napier is a prodomonantly mongrel mob town, so likewise with all the local jails. as the newspapers said, jan was a vocal anti P crusader, and shared no love with the local mob. we must ask: was the reason that this man was so heavily armed -for an expected search warrant, or just maybe it was to protect himself and loved ones from the mob??? this theory carries on to his reaction to the search warrant. if he was in fact a mongrel mob target, then the only thing keeping him safe on the outside are his collegues and his awesome arsenal. he must have been somewhat of a stalemate for a target..until the day he goes to jail. where there are no guns, and the odds arent great to say the least. this fear/reaction may have been what it took to send him over the edge. thinking that if he goes inside for the dope stuff he was a dead man. not an excuse, rather a feasable insight into the mind of a ??????? RIP Jan Molenaar

/Blair

Handle on Non-Lethal Force For Change

2009-06-20T13:04:00.006+12:00

Following the recent Queensland multi-tased death arrest I have noticed a consistent representation of views on blogs and media comment pages that validates my concerns that the general populace would go along with this fear of crime thing. (manufactured consent?)

Image via Wikipedia

Much of it is predicated on drug myths. (much the same as crack, crank and meth led to up scaling from .38's to .45 and to automatics).

1:1 meetings this week with local [National] MP's only trot out more tough on behaviour, crime, tough on alcohol.... and meth. Despite all evidence to the contrary.

The BERL report(s) on drug harms released prior to the Law Commission discussion documents is a failure in due process as well as 'failure in reason' misstating the problem by orders of magnitude.

When can we expect someone factor in the benefits of 'common civility'.

No Media in New Zealand has written critically of the implication of applied, and now law, Class D drug policy. No Member of the House has regaled.

Yet, like BERL's reports, it's a MoH issue. Drugs=Minister's Warrant, Alcohol=Ministry's Brief.

Public perception... Taser'd means drugged.
Where is the 'legal' sector on this.?
http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/lawsuit-filed-by-mother-of-man-who-died-after-being-tasered/113391/http://www.wkrg.com/crime/article/children_zapped_by_stun_gun/25801/

Today's Police arbitrary 'handle on gun' ownership issue even cites Napier's 'Molenaar' incident while pot smoking was likely the very effective, safe and economic anti-anxiolotic scientific research shows it to be and, was by the perpetrators community actions, 'mediating meth in the community' no good story can be told.

More guns will be found to be 'semi-automatic' and the cycle begins again. Any gun elevates drug [prohibition] harm. Feeds fear. Allocates more Money for Failure.

Professor of Law, Jock Young had it right back in the seventies. "deviancy amplifying" all right! BERL's economists wouldn't know a benefit or a behavior if they fell over them and RH. John Key wouldn't know a science adviser if one fell over him.

I recall a certain Minister of Health back in 1975 who, on enactment of the Misuse of Drugs Act, said that it 'would give the Police powers to which they were not entitled', how prophetic.

-- Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Dew Point and Pot: H1N1 virus spread by respiratory droplets and stopped by cannabis..

2009-06-19T13:48:00.003+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

Dew Point and Pot: H1N1 virus spread by respiratory droplets and stopped by cannabis..

We all know influenza is more common in winter. But researchers have not known why. Virologist doctor Peter Palese has been studying the effects of heat and cold on the flu virus. He found that at higher temperatures, the flu virus didn't spread, but at colder temperature it did.

"The virus is probably more stable in cold temperature, so it hangs in the air much longer," Dr. Palese told Ivanhoe.

Allowing it to spread easier. Here's how -- when we cough or sneeze, microscopic droplets of water and the virus enter the air. Dry, cold conditions dry out the droplets, helping the virus linger in the air. The dry air also dries out nasal passages, which helps the virus stick.

"Cold dry air going over your nasal mucosa gets cracks in our airways and that allows virus to get in more easily," Anice Lowen, researcher at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine told Ivanhoe.

Influenza has long been considered a seasonal virus. Factors including indoor crowding during cold weather, seasonal fluctuations in host immune responses, relative humidity, temperature, and UV radiation have all been suggested to account for this phenomenon, but none of these hypotheses had previously been tested directly.

The researchers tested the effects of temperature and relative humidity on infected and naive guinea pigs. The study found that low relative humidities of 20%-30% induced the rapid spread of the virus, with the opposite effect at 80% or above. Also, results showed that the virus spread more easily at 5 °C than at 20 °C, with no transmission at 30 °C.
The data implicates that low relative humidities produced by indoor heating and winter temperatures favor the spread of influenza. This study should serve as the basis for understanding the seasonality of other viral infections. / Citation: Lowen AC, Mubareka S, Steel J, Palese P (2007) Influenza virus transmission is dependent on relative humidity and temperature. PLoS Pathog 3(10): e151. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.0030151

Its the Dew Point! (or open a window!)

(either cumulus cloud height, or calculate from coldwater* / temperature relationship [good ed idea] or use 200 dollar weather tool )

Putting this to use, it's easy to figure out the dew point, and thus the expected comfort level, directly from the relative humidity and the temperature: for instance, if it is 30 °C outside, and the relative humidity is 75%, then the dew point temperature will be about 25 °C. It's also easy to see how much could be gained from evaporative cooling - in this case, at most 5 degrees. "Further, by adjusting the relationship a little to account for the effects of temperature, it is also simple to use the relative humidity to compute the altitude of cumulus cloud bases without a calculator to a good approximation, usually within about 10%", says Lawrence

BUT CONSIDER this from my colleague Bob Melamede

Chief Science Officer for CSI Dr. Melamede believes the potential for cannabinoids that naturally prevent excessive inflammatory immune responses is enormous.

He stated, "Based upon recent discoveries regarding the role that endocannabinoid system plays in maintaining human health, we may have a unique solution to the looming threat posed by deadly influenza strains that we believe, if implemented, could save millions of lives."

World Health Organization has just declared a swine flu pandemic - raising its pandemic warning from phase 5 to 6.

This is the first global flu epidemic in 41 years. There have been outbreaks in Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Dr. Robert J. Melamede, Director and Chief Science Officer for Cannibis Science Inc. reports, "Research into use of whole cannabis extracts and multi-cannabinoid compounds has provided the scientific rationale for medical marijuana's efficacy in treating some of the most troubling diseases mankind now faces, including infectious diseases such as the flu and HIV, autoimmune diseases such as ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), multiple sclerosis, arthritis, and diabetes, neurological conditions such as Alzheimer's, stroke and brain injury, as well as numerous forms of cancer."
Dr. Melamede went on to say, "The high lethality of some strains of flu can be attributed to the excessive inflammatory response driven by Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF). Endocannabinoids are nature's way of controlling TNF activity. Phytocannabinoids can mimic the natural endocannabinoids to prevent excessive inflammatory immune responses."
Cannabis Science Inc., President & CEO, Steven W. Kubby sent a letter to Homeland Security Administration Secretary Janet Napolitano. "We have the science and preliminary anecdotal results confirming the anti-inflammatory properties of our new lozenges and indicating they may present an effective and non-toxic treatment for minimizing the symptoms and harm from influenza infections. Our lozenges appear to down-regulate the body's excessive inflammatory response to the influenza virus, which could reduce the deadly consequences of an infection into something that is more like a common cold. Because of my cancer and diminished auto-immune functions, even common influenza is a deadly threat, and I've had incredible symptomatic relief with the lozenge."
Chief Science Officer for CSI Dr. Melamede believes the potential for cannabinoids that naturally prevent excessive inflammatory immune responses is enormous. He stated, "Based upon recent discoveries regarding the role that endocannabinoid system plays in maintaining human health, we may have a unique solution to the looming threat posed by deadly influenza strains that we believe, if implemented, could save millions of lives."
Dr. Robert J. Melamede, Director and Chief Science Officer, stated, "The influenza virus has a unique genetic make up that, in combination with its replicative machinery, has an extraordinary capacity to mutate. As a result, the high lethality of some strains can be
Image via Wikipedia
attributed to the resulting adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). ARDS is caused by an excessive immune inflammatory response driven by Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) that leads to the death of respiratory epithelial cells and resulting organ failure. Endocannabinoids are nature's way of controlling TNF activity. Existing peer reviewed publications have shown that phytocannabinoids can prevent this cell death by mimicking the endocannabinoids that nature has selected to prevent excessive inflammatory immune responses."

"This sounds very promising, but, of course the political hurdles are daunting." / Rose Field, Pittsburgh Gardening Scene Examiner

Arising from both of these concepts, Dew Point and Pot, there is the benefit of internalising the commercial potential of fostering the epidemiological research (under NZ's Class D legal regulation, already in place.) at the same time teaching through schools the health promotion / prevention strategy (and optimal home and commercial heating model for swine flu mitigation) around dew point.

Note: Auckland humid, Christchurch dry validated by current infection levels. Worth exploring?

*Max Planc Society 010405

--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com/
http://blair4mayor.com/
http://efsdp.org/

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

DeClassifying the Popular ALCP Vote.

2009-06-12T01:56:00.002+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

Perhaps Tumeke should consider a more expansive acknowledgement of extra-participatory parliamentary election candidates and parties.
(see Tim Selwyn's Unite's candidate's debate on the Tumeke Blog)

The inclusion of the Libertarians as 'extra-parliamentary' discounts the fact that Aotearoa Legalise (ALCP) has consistently and influentially polled since 1996 MMP and it has two of those candidates complete some thirteen years of participatory democracy.

Should we be surprised then that New Zealand is the first country in the world to go beyond the primary UN obligations to the founding covenants and override its obligations to the Single Conventions on Narcotics by legally regulating (R18) recreational (use, sale, storage, exchange, labeling, etc.) soft drugs under the aegis and management of the Ministry of Health.

If nothing else, those candidates at the Mt Albert by-election tables 'because they are more serious' and thus deserving of media space thus mind share should be asked to explain and be tested against this crucial law and order issue. An issue that has seen honourable men killed on service to a mission impossible and civilians as collateral damage in our driveways, streets and motorways.

Yet "Class D" has escaped media or political attention, despite the first job of the PM's science adviser to take the P out of cough mixture (loud applause in CHCH town hall when RH J Key mentioned it...) and alcohol, and hoons, get the money - libraries, pools and culture are someone else responsibility. [What ever happened to 'for the people'.]

600 Cops is a sign of failure, whereas 600 less would be 'best practice' measure of social policy success. Purposeful implementation of Class D is the ticket to that success. Mt Albert voters have been deprived of an opportunity to send an important 'law and order' signal to RH Key and Co. One that would better inform the alcohol debate.
--
Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com/
http://blair4mayor.com/
http://efsdp.org/

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

On Stupidity, Ignorance, Greed and Love of Power.

2009-06-11T18:23:00.005+12:00

Image via Wikipedia

I thoroughly enjoyed the April Centre for Independent Studies 2009 John Bonython lecture by PJ O'Rourke (video online. http://vimeo.com/channels/cis#4435734 )

O'Rourke is well known for his combination of conservative economic views and libertarian views on vice such as sex and drugs.^[3]

O'Rourke's views on Individual Rights is a clue to lifting the dialog on drug policy.

I am keen to see Maxim Institute advance its position and acknowledge 'free will' market based policy for its 'Adam Smith' efficiency, efficacy and equitably. (law=fist, reason=hand)

Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we're looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn't test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power. P. J. O'Rourke

Drugs have taught an entire generation of American kids the metric system. -- P.J. O'Rourke

Blair Anderson ‹(•¿•)›

Social Ecologist 'at large'
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/
http://blairformayor.blogspot.com/
http://blair4mayor.com/
http://efsdp.org/

ph (643) 389 4065 cell 027 265 7219

Outrageous Suggestion

2009-06-10T13:23:00.008+12:00

New Zealand's favourite family entertainment and cultural advisors....

And if you happen to point out that there must be something good about drugs otherwise people wouldn’t keep doing them, everyone jumps up and down and has a fit about it, because you can’t point out the obvious when it comes to drugs because that might make people do them more. More hypocrisy!

(snip)

My family are total drug hypocrites. For years various members of my family have smoked and drunk themselves senseless, while all the time Mum and Dad were mouthing off about how we’d never sell drugs because that is bad. As opposed to steal shit which is somehow good? How does that work? / Loretta West - "Outrageous Fortune"

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com

Prison Staff, Prison Inmates, Prison Gardens

2009-06-09T00:26:00.004+12:00

If evidence informed social policy, pot would be compulsory in prisons.

They should grow their own and enough for everybody else who needs it.

NZ Prison Service shouldnt have much difficulty in finding the expertise. Such policy;

(a) will reduce prison muster.
(b) displace P.
(c) meet demand for medpot.
(d) keep it away from kids.
(e) ameliorate inmate violence.
(f) make National Drug Intelligence redundant.
(g) make Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party redundant.
(h) and give 600 Police nothing to do.

While these corrections folk were ostensibly getting away with 'drug dealing' under the most enforced prohibition environment in NZ (and thus deserve a freaken medal) no one notices that the same draconian policy targeting consenting adults is somehow expected to bear fruit in civvy street.

The alcoholic finds a sanction from a total change of mind, so too for the drug dependant,
Open your eyes, the Saviour you can find, and the peace of mind you'll be given,
And discover the you, let your soul shine through, and get high on the love you can inspire,
'Cause you're a lamb worth saving, from immoral recruitment,
Break the link to the chain.

:from Rumataka Prison Blues, Set the Captives Free

Blair Anderson
http://mildgreens.blogspot.com/

Cancer Cannabis Connection

2009-06-08T14:57:00.005+12:00

Image by hoodiefanatic via Flickr

Cannabinoids inhibit cancer cell survival and "could be useful in the treatment of cancer," according to a forthcoming review to be published in the journal Cancer Letters. June 3, 2009 - Dunedin, New Zealand:

Investigators at the University of Otago (New Zealand), Department of Pharmacology, reported, "[C]annabinoids have been shown to have anti-proliferative, anti-mestatic, anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic effects in various cancer types (lung, glioma, thyroid, lymphoma, skin, pancreas, uterus, breast, and prostate carcinoma) using both in vitroand in vivo models.

Previous trials have reported that cannabinoids can selectively target and kill malignant cancer cells while ignoring healthy cells, as well as reduce the growth of new blood vessels to cancerous tumors.

Alexander A, Smith PF, Rosengren RJ.
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand.

Cannabinoids, the active components of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa, along with their endogenous counterparts and synthetic derivatives, have
Image via Wikipedia
elicited anti-cancer effects in many different in vitro and in vivo models of cancer. While the various cannabinoids have been examined in a variety of cancer models, recent studies have focused on the role of cannabinoid receptor agonists (both CB(1) and CB(2)) in the treatment of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. This review will summarize the anti-cancer properties of the cannabinoids, discuss their potential mechanisms of action, as well as explore controversies surrounding the results. [Cancer Letters]

A 2008 review by investigators at the University of Wisconsin concluded, "[T]here is overwhelming evidence to suggest that cannabinoids can be explored as chemotherapeutic agents for the treatment of cancer."

Commenting on the forthcoming review, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "Cannabinoids may one day represent a new class of non-toxic anti-cancer drugs that can halt the spread of the disease without inducing the painful and life-threatening side effects of chemotherapy. It is shameful that politics and US government propaganda have halted the research and exploration of these compounds as anti-cancer agents."