Government Forcing Psychotropic Drugs On Children

Government Forcing Psychotropic Drugs On Children, posted with vodpod

 

The rule of law has undoubtedly gone viral, but what the f#%! does that mean?

Occupy Oakland Live Blog: Mayor’s legal adviser quits over police raid

“..Dan Siegel, Mayor Jean Quan’s legal adviser, posted on Facebook that he has resigned over raid of Occupy Oakland.

His Facebook post: “No longer Mayor Quan’s legal adviser. Resigned at 2 am. Support Occupy Oakland, not the 1% and its government facilitators.”

Siegel and Quan have been friends for decades, since they attended University of California, Berkeley together. Siegel was on Quan’s transition team before she took office in January and stayed on as an adviser after that, drawing controversy when he openly opposed a gang injunction policy sought by the city attorney…”

 

Stephen Pushed By A Cop

What a surprise — this ‘cop’ was working as a security guard for Bank of America at the time!

Stephen Pushed By A Cop, posted with vodpod

 

Organiganja is now seeking investors, suppliers and ideas

is this a federal offense, or the future of sustainable industry?

As part of their failed prohibition, our federal government has chosen to ignore the growing (and medically sound) use of cannabis as medicine in sixteen states and counting.  Going after medical providers like they are drug dealers instead of legitimate businesses providing a valuable service.

Meanwhile, the DEA continues threatening and often persecuting anyone who dares to grow industrial hemp even in states where it has been legalized.  Giving credibility to the long-argued theory about cannabis prohibition being a ploy to keep hemp from overtaking the timber, cotton, petroleum and chemical industries owned by very powerful people.

Conspiracy theory is probably what comes to mind for most people, which is understandable because this particular “theory” helped create the entire genre.  But, the funny thing is, it doesn’t require any sort of conspiracy at all for these people with mutual self-interests to follow one another’s lead in a shameless propaganda war.  Which brings us to Organiganja.

Put simply, Organiganja is an entire class of products made from the ‘waste’ of medical cannabis plants.  By treating the stalks and stems of these plants as hemp and using the ancient method of water-retting, it is possible to derive both long and short fibers indistinguishable from the legendary hemp fibers used by the likes of Levi Strauss and Henry Ford — who at one time planned to “grow our transportation” thanks to the incredible strength and versatility of hemp!

There are, quite literally, tons of stalks and stems being discarded as waste (or, hopefully, used in compost piles) in places like Colorado and California where the medical use of the herb is now pseudo-legal.  But, to the best of my own admittedly limited knowledge, businesses have not been focused on turning these fibers into usable products.  At least, not until Organiganja!

Initial products will likely include paper, textiles and fiber-boards; along with organic fertilizer — a bi-product of the water-retting process used to naturally clean and separate the fibers.  The process also has the advantage of creating very high quality fibers, which can now be used to create all sorts of top quality finished products.  The high strength-to-weight ratio of hemp composite materials make them ideal for a wide variety of highly demanding applications.  Eventually, we are hoping to become a supplier for construction companies and manufacturers including Local Motors.

A new American car company with an incredibly innovative and thus far successful business strategy, Local Motors already has a loyal contingent of fans and an all-terrain vehicle unlike anything the world has ever seen.  They are totally community-driven, meaning they use the power of social networking to host competitions for which designs get built in “micro-factories” throughout the country.

Organiganja seeks to eventually develop an online platform in order to facilitate a similar, community-driven atmosphere; with a few key differences, naturally.  But all of these things will cost large sums of money up front, money which banks are unlikely to loan given the pseudo-legal status of our required raw materials.

According to Montana law, where I live, the stalks and stems are simply dismissed as waste because there is not a usable amount of THC to worry about.  Once they are processed, there is no reason for them to be treated any differently than industrial hemp fibers; which do not require a permit to possess, only to grow.  So this is 100% legal in my mind, however it is also by its very existence an affront to federal law.

To this day, our federal government continues denying the existence of physician-prescribed cannabis in sixteen states plus the District of Columbia.  This ignorance is not only a job requirement of certain key positions in the administration, it is required in order to continue pretending the Controlled Substances Act offers some measure of protection for our government’s continued war against medical cannabis.  Which it clearly does not if anybody bothers to read it, although it is an understandably daunting task given how convoluted and at times incoherent our government’s drug policy can be.

My beef is specifically with the part listed as Section 812. Schedules of Controlled Substances, wherein it states the following:

“..Except where control is required by United States obligations under an international treaty, convention, or protocol, in effect on October 27, 1970, and except in the case of an immediate precursor, a drug or other substance may not be placed in any schedule unless the findings required for such schedule are made with respect to such drug or other substance. The findings required for each of the schedules are as follows:

(1) Schedule I.–

(A) The drug or other substance has a high potential for abuse.

(B) The drug or other substance has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.

(C) There is a lack of accepted safety for use of the drug or other substance under medical supervision…”

Given the remarkable, long-documented safety of cannabis its original inclusion as a schedule I substance seems terribly ignorant at best.  In light of its growing use as beneficial medicine for a wide variety of ailments, the continued inclusion of cannabis as a schedule I substance is an unquestionable nod to the corrupt state of our current government.  Why the obvious illegality of our current cannabis prohibition is not exposed by the media or widely embraced by defendants in a court of law is beyond me.

Originally, the plan was for Organiganja to file suit against the federal government on behalf of its would-be providers.  Then I read this morning about how NORML attorneys “..have filed suit (read here) in the four federal districts in California to challenge the Obama Administration’s recent crackdown on medical marijuana operations in the Golden State…”  Their lawsuit may very well signal an end to our federal government’s war against medical cannabis, but only if it is brought to the forefront of public discussion like the Occupy Wall Street protests have been lately.  After all, ending our failed cannabis prohibition is all about creating sustainable industries and protecting the basic rights of human beings.

So, instead of filing our own lawsuit; Organiganja is planning to become an outspoken advocate and financial contributor to these lawsuits, in addition to a similar lawsuit filed earlier this year by the Montana Cannabis Industry Association.  Not only do we feel an obligation to help fight for those providers who will be supplying us with raw materials, I feel it is also important for us to help display just how many jobs and sustainable resources are at stake in this epic battle against corruption.  But first, we need to see what its going to take to get this thing up and running.

Developing a plan of action

With the legal battle over cannabis finally taking a huge turn for the better, this is a perfect time to develop a sustainable business centered around the world’s most famous sustainable resource.  All we need are investors, providers and lots of great ideas from our potential customers.  Which sounds like a mighty tall order, sitting here thinking about how many small businesses fail every year.  But, then again, how many of those businesses were designed to capitalize on a plentiful and useful raw material currently treated as waste?

The reality is we have only a narrow window of opportunity before other hemp processing facilities open up around the country and start processing medical cannabis stalks as well.  Although, exactly how narrow this window is remains to be seen.  Plus the goal behind Organiganja is not just to develop another profit-driven business that just happens to be centered around cannabis.  The intention is to develop a new type of business model which both embraces capitalism and puts community values above profit.  Although, if you want to get technical about it, this business model has been around for decades (and is largely what inspired the development of this ongoing project.)

Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream has become world-famous for a number of reasons, not the least of which is their wide selection of inventive and delicious flavors.  In their book, “Ben & Jerry’s Double-Dip:  How to Run a Values-led Business and Make Money, Too” the highly-respected entrepreneurs offer a great deal of insight as to why they have been so successful over the years.  They also offer some good advice on developing a solid plan of action, although there is little doubt the rise of social networking and other various technologies have changed the playing field considerably.  Which allows us to develop a completely open-source and 100% transparent business, focused on producing the exact goods our customers want.

Perhaps the most important advice offered by Ben and Jerry is to keep things as simple as possible, with regards to all aspects of business.  An echo of the Keep It Simple, Stupid (KISS) mantra I had learned many years ago as an engineering student.  Organiganja will do just that, by focusing our attention initially on creating a few select products which both fill a market gap and require only modest investments in equipment.  Luckily, our initial costs for raw materials should be very minimal until the true worth of the cannabis plant is much more widely accepted.

Thanks to the enormous potential of hemp, there are already a number of organizations right here in western Montana working hard to further the development of cannabis-related industries.  If it is at all possible, we intend to work with these groups rather than against them; to create new standards of manufacturing excellence and prosperity.  We are also open to developing strategic partnerships with anyone else who is interested, regardless of physical location.  Franchising opportunities will be available soon.

For now, my goal is to find out what people think about this business venture and if they are interested in being a part of it.  Do high-quality, ecologically responsible products and sound business practices appeal to you?  What specific products would you like to see produced by Organiganja?  And what do you suppose the odds are our federal government will somehow try to construe this as criminal behavior?

Thanks for reading, any questions or comments are most appreciated.

 

Oops!!!

 

Calling out the prohibitionists — medical freedom trumps failed law

As the federal government is reportedly stepping up efforts to impede the use of cannabis for medical purposes, Montanans have already been organizing and fighting back for months.  Thanks to the completely unannounced raids earlier this year, timed to coincide with important legislative hearings on the matter.  All done in total ignorance of state law.

What’s even more impressive is the federal government’s case doesn’t hold water anymore — according to the statutes of the Controlled Substances Act itself, which clearly says that no substance currently being prescribed as medicine in the U.S. is fit for classification as a “schedule I narcotic.”  Furthermore, there is not one shred of evidence to indicate cannabis is particularly dangerous (another requirement of the CSA); and absolutely no evidence that prohibition has ever been anything but viciously counter-productive.

Even the U.N. has recently condemned our drug war as an abject failure, suggesting regulation instead of violence and incarceration.  Here is a brief clip from the full report, which represents a much appreciated evolution of social understanding and government priorities.

“..Encourage experimentation by governments with models of legal regulation of drugs to undermine the power of organized crime and safeguard the health and security of their citizens. This recommendation applies especially to cannabis, but we also encourage other experiments in decriminalization and legal regulation that can accomplish these objectives and provide models for others…”

Somehow, this monumental report received very little attention from the press.  Perhaps, in part, due to the overwhelming number of other respected world leaders and international committees which have condemned the drug war as well in recent months.  Or, maybe the mainstream journalists were too befuddled by the White House’s incoherent response, quoted below, to make any sense of the situation.  Yet another gem straight out of 1984, claiming their failed policies:

“are not born out out of a culture war or drug war mentality, but out of the recognition that drug use strains our economy, health, and public safety.”

Never mind that cannabis is far safer than alcohol, tobacco or any of the pills so many people are now addicted to; our government seems oddly immune to the notion that cannabis cures cancer.  It has been proven numerous times in a variety of ways, many of which you can learn about simply by watching a youtube video; yet our own public servants try to play off the vast medical utility of this plant as a scam or “backdoor” for full legalization.  But science and common sense are in stark contrast to this sadly paranoid way of thinking.  No matter how many pensions are at stake, bad policy is bad policy.  And my medicine cabinet is beyond the jurisdiction of our federal government, whether they like it or not.

The reality of the situation is we have a government going directly against the will of the people and obvious intent of the law in order to selectively enforce a (failed) prohibition against the oldest and most versatile medicine known to man.  This may not be common knowledge yet in the United States, but it is well on its way to getting there.  Despite the millions of taxpayer dollars our government spends on spreading lies about the legendary cannabis plant and its myriad of uses. Someday very soon, this fundamental truth of our existence may finally be acknowledged in a U.S. court of law.  Triggering much-needed revolutions across the entire spectrum of our ailing society.

Although there are numerous efforts well under way to legalize cannabis in various states, embracing strict adherence to federal law and educating judges about the proven efficacy of cannabis as medicine may prove to be a far more expedient and less expensive means toward ending cannabis prohibition once and for all.  The law is our friend, albeit for now.  Which brings me to a question, in the form of my very first poll –

 

Steve Jobs and drug policy

here’s a brief clip from this great article by Glenn Greenwald at Salon.com:

“..Unlike many people who have enjoyed success, Jobs is not saying that he was able to succeed despite his illegal drug use; he’s saying his success is in part — in substantial part — because of those illegal drugs (he added that Bill Gates would “be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once”).  These quotes (first published by aNew York Times reporter) have been around for some time but have been only rarely discussed in the recent hagiographies of Jobs: a notable omission given that he himself praised those experiences as an integral part of his identity and one of the most important things he ever did.  A surprisingly good Time Magazine article elaborates on this Jobs-LSD connection further…”

Click here for the full article, which also includes a discussion about our government’s insane position on the medical use of cannabis.

 

Synchronicity, Myth, and the New World Order | Reality Sandwich

 

Here’s a great essay I just found on RealitySandwich.com:

Synchronicity, Myth, and the New World Order | Reality Sandwich.

“..Are there really ultra-intelligent, ultra-competent people on top whose plans actually work and whose technologies actually succeed in molding the world to their plans? Or are the elites of our civilization as confused and scared as the rest of us, responding to events that, at every turn, take on a life of their own? The futility of control is written into the fabric of reality. Complex non-linear systems such as a body or a society are inherently unpredictable. Of course, those in power try to maintain control and often wreak awful damage in so doing, but generally speaking it is events that control them, and not the other way around…”

 

Support for transparency from Super Committee increases, drug policy reform chorus keeps growing exponentially; and, Gov. Schweitzer’s nephew gets busted for WEED!

Support Continues to Mount for Super Committee Transparency

“Yesterday, Representatives Loebsack, Quigley and Renacci sent a Dear Colleague to their colleagues asking them to cosponsor HR 2860, the bipartisan Deficit Committee Transparency Act, an important bill that would ensure special influence efforts to influence the vital work of the Super Committee is transparent.

Supporters of transparency should call their members of Congress and ask them to support the bill. The twelve members of the Super Committee members have super powers to decide how to cut $1.5 trillion from the federal budget. They are already under tremendous pressure from lobbyists and big donors who are asking them to sparetheir own special interest from the chopping block.

But, while the work and the pressure is going on, the public is left in the dark. Campaign finance and lobbying disclosure reports won’t be made public until after the super committee has completed its work, too late for the rest of us to know who is putting the pressure on super committee members.

That’s why the Deficit Committee Transparency Act is so important. It would mandate disclosure of meetings with lobbyists and special interests between committee members and staff 48 hours after the meeting; require the disclosure in advance of any meetings that occur within 48 hours of the Committee’s November 23rd vote on its recommendations; and require disclosure of lobbyist and special interest contributions within 48 hours. All disclosures would be made on the committee’s website, so the public would have easy access to efforts to influence committee members.

Transparency is critical to counteract the tools special interests will use to get their way from the Super Committee, and The Deficit Committee Transparency Act is the best way to ensure transparency.”

click here to contact your representative about the urgent need for transparency from the Super Committee

While our federal government struggles to deal with our flailing economy and massive debt problems, it’s hard to imagine why anyone with access to the facts surrounding our failed drug war would continue to support this trainwreck in any way, shape or form.  Unless they could do so behind closed doors, away from the scrutiny of their employers…

The following are a couple recent examples of powerful people explaining why they support ending our failed drug war:

Billionaire Peter Lewis: My War On Drug Laws

“..My story is fairly simple. I grew up after college in a world where social drinking was the norm but marijuana was hidden. When I was 39 I tried marijuana for the first time. I found it to be better than scotch. But it wasn’t until I had serious medical problems that I realized how important marijuana could be.

When I was 64 my left leg was amputated below the knee because there was an infection that couldn’t be cured. I spent a year after the amputation in excruciating pain and a year in a wheelchair. So during that period I was very glad I had marijuana. It didn’t exactly eliminate the pain, but it made the pain tolerable—and it let me avoid those heavy-duty narcotic pain relievers that leave you incapacitated…

..When you think about all the people who have used marijuana—from political leaders to sports stars to corporate executives to people from every walk of life—one way to win this battle is for people to just be honest. If everyone who used marijuana stood up and said, “I use this; it’s pretty good,” the argument would be over…”

MEXICO:  Calderon urges drug-using nations to seek new path

“..Three times this week, Calderon urged nations that are the biggest buyers of illegal drugs — tops is the United States — to consider “market alternatives” if they can’t find ways to reduce consumption.

Before the U.N. General Assembly on Wednesday, Calderon said the best way to hit drug cartels that are wreaking violent havoc in Mexico is to cut demand. But if the governments can’t do so, Calderon said, they are “obligated to look for other ways, including market alternatives that prevent narco-traffickers from continuing to be the origin of violence and death.”

A growing list of world leaders has called for decriminalizing or legalizing the use of drugs, especially marijuana, as an alternative to an enforcement-based global strategy that critics say has failed to curb consumption despite billions of dollars spent.

Calderon, a conservative who launched his own war on Mexican cartels in 2006, has not been among that crowd. He previously has spoken out against legalization, at least in Mexico, though he is saying he is open to debate…”

And, last but certainly not least, we have the nephew of Montana’s Gov. Schweitzer being brought up on federal charges for having over two pounds of cannabis sent to his Billings home.  He legally owned and operated a medical cannabis dispensary in Billings before the law was changed and the city decided to ban all legitimate businesses in favor of prohibition, while his uncle sat gleefully on his hands and pushed, instead, to sell what’s left of Montana’s pristine landscape to China for a price that’s apparently cheaper (somehow) than mining their own vast reserves of coal which wouldn’t need to be shipped halfway around the world or come with stipulations that they must somehow restore the ecosystem after they are done.  Something which mining companies have been promising Montanans for well over one hundred years, but have never made good on even once…

Perhaps at least for now, his nephew can educate our Gov. about the benefits of cannabis and sane drug policy in general?

Gov. Schweitzer’s nephew facing felony drug charge

“..Court records say FedEx set aside a suspicious package Tuesday, and officers arranged to monitor the delivery later that afternoon. Authorities say Friedrick Schweitzer retrieved the package shortly after it was left at the mailing address, and a search turned up 2.3 pounds of marijuana.

Friedrick Schweitzer says he owns a medical marijuana business, but prosecutors say he is not a licensed provider…”

 

What kind of crazy drug is THIS guy on?

This ought to do wonders for the image that Americans only think about themselves.