In 1970 the 91st US Congress enacted the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which President Nixon signed into law. The CSA established a federal policy to regulate the manufacturing, distributing, importing/exporting, and use of regulated substances. All previous federal drug laws were combined, and the CSA allowed for federal enforcement of all controlled substances. The war on drugs began.
“The war on drugs is a war on people… It’s a really sad state of affairs When a human being’s freedom is treated as Nothing more than an asset or liability. Prisons are big business in this country. The war on drugs is nothing more than a war on people …It’s a bullshit war, It’s a war over money!” – Corporate Avenger
On October 6, 2022 President Biden announced the first three steps he was taking to end the failed federal approach of dealing with the plant. First he ordered a pardon of all prior Federal offenses of simple possession of marijuana. That pardon didn’t free a single federal Plant Prisoner, and was a limited time offer. Biden’s second step was urging all governors to also order the same pardon for their state plant prisoners convicted of simple possession. Governors were split on Biden’s call to pardon. For step three Biden asked the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Attorney General to initiate the administrative process to review expeditiously how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.
Recently the Department of Health and Human Services recommended to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), to whom power is delegated under the CSA by the Attorney General, that cannabis be rescheduled to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. Apparently the recommendation was based on a scientific and medical review by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2016 the FDA denied a rescheduling petition and determined the medicinal plant was to remain schedule I on the CSA, as a highly addictive drug with no accepted medical use, despite in 2016 science and medical review didn’t support Cannabis’ continued schedule I placement. This all appears to be political theater to appease the now 59% of adults in the US who support legalization for medical and recreational use.
What would Cannabis rescheduled as schedule III look like? It would not federally legalize or decriminalize the plant. It would not set Jonathan Wall, Ismael Lira, Tameka Drummer, Frank Eppler, or any of the countless other federal and state Plant Prisoners free. It would not stop people from being arrested and prosecuted over the plant. Schedule III drugs are obtained through a prescription, and are generally not available over the counter.
Rescheduling would suddenly, magically make the plant considered by the eyes of the government to have low to moderate potential for abuse and/or addiction, while being less dangerous than the plant is considered now. Cannabis is currently schedule I, meaning it’s classified as having no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. A schedule III classification for Cannabis would give control over the manufacturing, distributing, importing/exporting, and use of Cannabis to the DEA.
The big question as of now seems to be will the Drug Enforcement Agency approve Cannabis as a schedule III substance? The Federal Code of Regulations has recently undergone some changes that signal the rescheduling of Cannabis to schedule III is the plan.
Title 21 Food and Drugs Part / Section Chapter II Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Justice 1300 – 1399 Part 1318 Controls to Satisfy the Requirements of the Act Applicable to the Manufacturing of Marihuana 1318.01 – 1318.07 § 1318.01 Scope of this part. § 1318.02 Definitions. § 1318.03 Implementation of statutory requirements. § 1318.04 Specific control measures applicable to the bulk manufacture of marihuana. § 1318.05 Application of the public interest factors. § 1318.06 Factors affecting prices for the purchase and sale by the Administration of cannabis. § 1318.07 Non-liability of Drug Enforcement Administration.
The stage appears to be set for the implementation of Big Cannabis. Marijuana is safer than alcohol, yet alcohol is not classified as a controlled substance on the CSA. Jared Allaway of safershirts.org , has been spreading the message of marijuana being safer than alcohol for years, by painting and mailing safer shirts around the world. When asked how he felt about the possibility of Cannabis becoming schedule III, Jared said “When trying to determine how to schedule Marijuana, one must consider that Marijuana is safer than alcohol.” For years many have been calling to treat Cannabis like alcohol in terms of legislation. While many activists disagreed with that call, in the case of the classification of Cannabis, the common ground now sure seems to be a call to completely remove Cannabis from the CSA, or descheduled. With alcohol not being a controlled substance, why should Cannabis be?
Cannabis prohibition has never been rooted in science, fact, nor the common good. The time is now to put a stop to this senseless prohibition of a medicinal plant that has helped countless lives. The fate of this plant is not solely in the hands of the DEA. There is something we can do. Call DEA headquarters 571-362-8487 and politely state “Cannabis should be completely removed from the CSA.” Getting those phones ringing off the hook to express the will of the people can and will make a difference. Use the hashtag #DescheduleCannabisNow on social media. Let’s get it trending and noticed. Never underestimate the power of a hashtag.
Cannabis Prohibition should not be an injustice passed down to yet another generation. Don’t give away your power by thinking you don’t have any. Stand in your power. Be courageous!
Idaho is among the last of the states still engaged in the racist policy of marijuana prohibition. All 6 states that border Idaho have some form of cannabis legalization or another. Idaho’s legislature is not representing the people on the issue of medical marijuana. Patients are left to suffer, or take serious risks by crossing state borders to obtain natural relief from various medical conditions.
The legislature is not on the same page as the people. More than two-thirds of adults in Idaho support medical marijuana legalization according to a recent poll commissioned by the Idaho Statesman. In 2021 Ilana Rubel, (D-Boise) along with Rep. Mike Kingsley, (R-Lewiston) had co-sponsored a bill to decriminalize medical cannabis, that failed to make it on the House floor for a vote.
In an interview with the Idaho Statesman, Ilana Rubel said she wouldn’t have been surprised if support for medical marijuana among the people (in Idaho) is actually higher. Rubel doesn’t think medical legalization is an Idaho problem, but rather a lawmaker problem. The legislators have shown their incompetence, so it’s going to take a citizens initiative to allow safe and legal access to a medicinal plant. Kind Idaho is on a mission to accomplish what the people’s representatives have failed to do. They aim to ensure Idahoan’s have safe and legal access to medical marijuana in their home state.
Kind Idaho has launched a citizens initiative titled The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act 2024. Signature collecting is well underway. To qualify this initiative for election, 74,000 signatures must be collected by April 14, 2024. Kind Idaho is a 501(c)(4) non profit organization leading this grassroots effort of Idaho natives and residents.
Kind Idaho
Qualifying conditions under The Idaho Medical Marijuana Act of 2024
Chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces cachexia or wasting syndrome, severe pain, chronic pain, severe nausea, seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy, or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis;
Any terminal illness with life expectancy of less than twelve (12) months as determined by a licensed medical physician; and any other serious medical condition or its treatment can be added at a later date.
The Kind Idaho team is Jackee Winters and Joseph Evans. Both are passionate about helping others while keeping in line with an honorable set of core values.
“People suffer in Idaho. That’s not a good thing. It’s time for Idaho to grow up. It’s not about getting high, it’s about giving grandma better quality of life.” Jackee Winters
“Patient advocacy is first and foremost in everything we do as Kind Idaho. Our focus is life, healing and kindness for those we care about.” Joseph Evans
How you can help Kind Idaho
• Idaho residents volunteer to collect signatures, share the message, and make your voice heard at events.
• Make a tax deductible monetary donation to Kind Idaho. Donations contribute to the cost of printing petitions, gathering signatures, and raising awareness at events.
It is kind to help others. Cannabis Community, let’s come together and do what we can to help Kind Idaho help everyone in the state that would benefit from compassionate use of medical marijuana.
Early afternoon October 6, 2022 my usually quiet phone suddenly became very noisy. First came the news that President Biden is going to pardon all federal offenses of simple Marijuana possession. After the news spread a bit, I was asked over and over if Washington state Federal Plant Prisoner Lance Gloor was being freed. It didn’t feel good to have to deliver the news that neither Lance Gloor nor anyone else who is currently federally imprisoned for Cannabis would not be freed by Biden’s proclamation. The headlines that came out that day weren’t always clear, in fact they were really misleading! Many people are confused and do not understand what the Presidential proclamation really means, myself included. So as soon as I was able, I sought to find answers.
The US Department of Justice quickly had a page up on their website going over the proclamation Biden delivered to the country that day. On October 6, 2022, President Biden issued a presidential proclamation that pardons federal convictions for simple marijuana possession offenses. The proclamation applies only to federal convictions, including D.C. Code offenses, and does not apply to convictions under state or local law.
Biden’s proclamation will positively affect more than 6,500 people who were convicted on a federal misdemeanor ‘simple possession’ of marijuana charge, as well as those charged and convicted under Washington D.C. law. Amazingly, the proclamation has no effect on those convicted under state or local laws! Biden has encouraged state governors to follow his lead, but we will see if any actually do. Those who will receive a presidential pardon will have their social disabilities removed. They’ll be able to vote again, hold public office, sit on a jury, have an easier time obtaining licenses, bonding and gaining employment. A pardon signifies the president’s forgiveness. It is not an indication of innocence, and will not expunge the conviction. Eligible persons for a pardon should check the DOJ website for the pardon application.
It is important to note that anyone charged and convicted for federal simple possession of the plant after October 6, 2022 will not be eligible for a pardon, would face up to 1 year of incarceration, and a fine of up to $1000 on a first offense. The President’s proclamation does nothing to help free Federal Plant Prisoners Lance Gloor, Donald Fuggitt, Luke Scarmazzo, Raquel Esquivel, Parker Coleman, Ferrell Scott, Pedro Moreno, Ismael Moreno, Daniel Longoria, Travis Longoria, Jose Cervantes, Gabriel Daniel Gomez, and countless others. The proclamation does nothing for Jonathan Wall and others currently awaiting sentencing on the federal level. Those who are not citizens or lawful permanent residents who were convicted of federal simple possession of Marijuana aren’t eligible for a pardon either.
While I am happy to see this positive step and for those who will receive a pardon, I don’t feel that this is nearly enough. I have come under fire for expressing my views, and for pointing out facts that I’ve written about here. I don’t say these things to attack Biden, I say them because we need to demand more. After years of advocating for Lance Gloor and other Plant Prisoners, I realize that I have different experiences from most other people. It is heartbreaking when I hear from families of prisoners about how their loved ones’ injustice has torn their family apart, as well as causing unnecessary hardship and tremendous stress. I feel deeply for these prisoners and their families. I want their living nightmares to end, and I don’t want this to happen to anyone else!
The truth is that prohibition was created from lies in order to generate obscene profits for corporations. Biden has done much damage during his time serving in government in the past. His 1994 crime bill imposed tougher prison sentences at the federal level and encouraged states to do the same. That bill provided funds for states to build more prisons, and backed grant programs for law enforcement to carry out more drug related arrests. The crime bill also banned incarcerated people from receiving Pell grants for education, which caused hundreds of academic and vocational programs for prisoners to be shut down across the nation. Thank goodness Congress reversed the Pell Grant ban for prisoners in 2021! The Department of Education has until July 2023 to restore the grant for incarcerated students.
On the campaign trail Biden made promise after promise to decriminalize cannabis and automatically expunge marijuana conventions. Time to really walk your talk Joe!
With Biden holding the office of President of the United States of America, he could do a lot more to end federal prohibition on a global scale. I think he should do more! While addressing the nation, Biden stated that he was calling for a review to either deschedule or reschedule. I am skeptical about any government that has kept a non-toxic, medicinal plant as a schedule one drug (ignoring the science and facts for decades) will suddenly deschedule the plant. There are synthetic cannabinoids that are FDA approved for medicinal use, while the organic plant remains defined as a drug with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse as defined in the United States drug scheduling laws.
Will the government suddenly right the wrongs of the past? I’m doubtful. Afterall prohibition began as a conspiracy to protect business interests with no regard for the people. Even today, cannabis prohibition is maintained to a degree even where the plant has some form of legalization.
I urge everyone who feels it’s beyond time that prohibition ends, to take action now. How many more generations are we willing to pass down the multiple injustices prohibition causes? How many more lives are we willing to allow to be lost, destroyed, or needlessly suffer due to prohibition?
Please contact the White House and your representatives and politely urge them to completely remove Marijuana as a controlled substance, set all nonviolent marijuana offenders free, and to repeal all marijuana criminal laws. I know it’s easy for many to think their voice doesn’t matter, but I have seen and even participated in many calls to action that have been successful. If the people who represent you don’t hear from you, it’s easy for them to assume you are in agreement with what they are or aren’t doing.
The Cannabis Awards are for us, and by us. The Mike Wise Show brings us this annual community awards, without any corporate financing or donors. The Cannabis Awards gives the people a voice, to not only nominate those deserving of recognition for their contributions within the community, and beyond, but to select the winners in a totally transparent poll. By us, for us. Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, and to all of our winners. Thank you for all you do!
There are many categories for awards in this Inaugural Edition of The Cannabis Awards. The Cannabis Community voted for the nominees, and winners, of Best Event, Activist of the Year, Advocate of the Year, Outstanding Patient , and Community Superstar.
The nominees for Activist of the Year:
Simpa Carter
Phil Monk
Rick Simpson
Madeline Martinez
Callie Blackwell
Corrie Yelland
JJ Clements
Congratulations to our 2 winners for Activist of the Year!
Callie Blackwell:
Callie Blackwell
After illegally curing her son Deryn’s 2 different types of cancer with Cannabis, Callie Blackwell has dedicated her life to helping others to do the same. She continues to make a huge impact and difference in our world, working closely with many organizations, to ensure the terminally ill have access to Cannabis to greatly improve or prolong their lives.
Corrie Yelland:
Corrie Yelland
After saving her own life with the help of Cannabis Oil, and curing her cancer, Corrie Yelland has been on a mission to help many others do the same. She has helped thousands of people, and changed many lives in all she does. Corrie dedicates 12-14 hours per day to helping cancer patients survive with the help of the plant, and co-hosts a radio show, Cannabis Health Radio, interviewing patients from around the world who have had success with using Cannabis medicinally.
The nominees for Advocate of the Year:
Vera Twomey
Rev Brandon Baker
April Weaver
Gino Kenny
Louis “Bubba” Zerobnick
Sean Kiernan
Kamani D Jefferson
Shona Banda
Chay Godfrey
Trev Coleman
Lisa Quarrell
Tanine Montgomery
Linda Sinclair
Deb Brown
Lee Harris
Karen Gray
Hannah Deacon
Congratulations to our 4 winners for Advocate of the Year!
April Weaver:
April Weaver
After having her family directly affected by Cannabis prohibition, April Weaver became a grassroots Activist in Indiana. She is passionate about Cannabis reform, and safer options than pharmaceuticals.
Tannine Montgomery:
Tannine Montgomery
Tannine Montgomery dedicates her life to campaigning for fair access of medical Cannabis for not only her daughter Indie-Rose (who lives with Dravet Syndrome), but for all children who would benefit from medicinal use of Cannabis. Tannine has gone to great lengths to give her daughter the best quality of life, while helping many other families to do the same.
Lisa Quarrell:
Lisa Quarrell
Former Police officer, Lisa Quarrell, admits to illegally smuggling Cannabis into Scotland, to save her son’s life who suffered from epilepsy. This brave mum chose to risk her freedom, to save her son from partial brain removal, and have a better quality of life with the help of Cannabis. Lisa fights daily so others can access the plant without fear of conviction.
Hannah Deacon:
Hannah Deacon
Working alongside End Our Pain, on her quest to provide a safer alternative treatment for her son Alfie (who lives with PCDH19), Hannah Deacon helped change medical Cannabis laws in The UK. Hannah continues to advocate for fair access of medical Cannabis for all patients in The UK.
The nominees for Outstanding Patient:
Deryn Blackwell
Tonya Sanders
Jenni Christmas
Shane Cognevich
Huanito Luksetic
Alicia Maher
Phillip Anthony Bebington
George Gannon
Congratulations to our 2 winners!
Alicia Maher:
Alicia Maher
Alicia Maher replaced opioids with Cannabis. She is undertaking a PhD in the regulation of Cannabis for medical purposes, and organized a conference at the University of Limerick to highlight limited access to Cannabis in Ireland. She continues to advocate for wider access for all.
Tonya Sanders:
Tonya Sanders
After the US healthcare system failed Tonya Sanders, she gave Cannabis a try for the first time in her life. Her life was transformed. Tonya is dedicated to sharing her story and helping others to not suffer the way she did. Cannabis has helped her be the RN she set out to be.
The nominees for Community Superstar
Kerry Cannon
Gary Weevil Youds
Sister Sophia Costaras
Angie Valdez
Deanna Jean (DJ)
Melanie Rodgers
Stephanie Landa
Kayla Farris
Drew & Christina Hausfeld
Congratulations to our winner Gary Weevil Youds!
Gary Weevil Youds
Gary Weevil Youds has been standing against tyranny in the plant war for many years. In the Chillin’ Rooms, he continues to provide a space of music, and great weed, that brings people from all walks of life together in a safe, peaceful space. Despite the many attempts by the botanical terrorists to stop him, up to and including incarceration, Gary persists. He and the Chillin’ Rooms are here to stay.
The nominees for Event of the Year
DCCC Autumn Expo
Seattle Hempfest
Know Your Roots
Durham 420
Colorado Invitational-Bong-A-Thon
No Co Hemp Expo
710 Art Fair (Amsterdam)
Cannafest (Prague)
Dab-A-Doo
Marihuana Mars (Ljubljana)
Marsz Wyzwolenia- Konopie (Warsaw)
Congratulations to our two winners!
Durham 420:
Durham 420
Durham 420 is a unique celebration of 420 culture, that takes place across 5 acres of picturesque gardens in Durham. The event is limited capacity, giving attendees the opportunity to relax while learning about Industrial Hemp, Cannabinoids, and the medical benefits of Cannabis, in a county that is infamous for it’s unique approach to judicial leniency toward consumers of Cannabis.
Know Your Roots:
Know Your Roots
Know Your Roots eco fest tribal gathering, is a true rebel festival. With over 100 workshops, talks, guest movers within the Cannabis Community, and shamanic drums playing, friendships were strengthened, and/or formed. It’s all about the togetherness in the aid of the now rising new Earth, where together we will achieve freedom, love and equity for us all.
Wendy Love Edge is a mother, wife, artist, author, TV show host, journalist, activist and a survivor. Against the odds of modern medicine, Wendy took back her health, and life, while helping others to do the same.
Pictured: Wendy on the left, Topher Kogen on the right
In 2013, Wendy Love Edge was totally disabled. She was diagnosed with several autoimmune diseases. At that point, Wendy was unable to drive, suffered from double vision, and wasn’t able to take care of herself. Wendy faced sickness after sickness, with a destroyed immune system, and experiencing adverse effects from the massive amount of pharmaceutical drugs her MD had prescribed. Modern medicine couldn’t save Wendy. She was told by her Doctor that early death was certain, by either the autoimmune diseases, or caused by the pharmaceuticals prescribed to treat her conditions. At that time, Wendy believed her Doctor, and accepted that her fate was sealed.
That same year, Wendy’s wife decided a separation was necessary. Before she left, she told Wendy that she knew if she left, she’d find her strength. Not too long after, Wendy’s inner voice told her that her body knows how to heal itself. She began to research ways to do just that. Still unable to do many things for herself, Wendy reached out to a friend to do a grocery run for her. The friend was unable to help, but did recruit the help of a mutual acquaintance.
Wendy was in the process of weaning herself off of the prescribed pharmaceuticals, and experiencing opioid withdrawal. When the acquaintance arrived at Wendy’s home with groceries, she asked Wendy if she had considered using Cannabis as a treatment. Wendy was hesitant, concerned about adding a new drug into her life, while she was in the difficult process of weaning off of morphine, but decided to give it a try right then and there. Much to her surprise, Wendy experienced immediate relief from body pain and withdrawal symptoms.
It had been quite some time since she had consumed Cannabis. Wendy had toked with friends in high school, and a couple more times in college. She had a career in healthcare, where consuming Cannabis came with the risk of job loss, so she had abstained for years. In hindsight Wendy knows that her high school Cannabis use, helped her then deal with PTSD, anxiety, and depression that was a result of childhood sexual abuse. While in bed, convinced she was dying, Wendy had written a book about her childhood experiences, under a penname.
With her eyes being reopened to the miraculous plant, Wendy began using Cannabis on her journey back to health. Following her intuition, and trusting her research, Wendy also started eating right, stretching, meditating, exercising, and using herbs. Within 2 weeks of consuming Cannabis, her double vision was gone. Wendy found that by making these changes in her life, the autoimmune diseases became manageable. Her wife was right, Wendy did find her strength.
Wendy before on pharmaceuticals and after using cannabis
The couple remained separated during a time of healing and personal growth for them both. The wives allowed each other the time, and space, to work on themselves, while still having occasional contact. Life had not been easy for them together, during Wendy’s total disability. With the outrageous cost of healthcare in The United States, the couple had often visited food banks, and sold belongings, in order to eat.
Wendy was nearly bankrupted while just trying to survive the multiple medical conditions, and also had a desire to help others with similar struggles. She started making plans to start a nonprofit organization. After 6 weeks of no contact, Wendy’s wife sent her some music she had been working on. An original song titled: ‘Bulldozer’. During meditation, Wendy would often visualize a yellow bulldozer pushing a pile of prescription bottles away from her. This synchronicity, made it official, the name of her non profit would be: Bulldozer Health.
Bulldozer Health became a non profit organization in 2014 to help low income patients have access to medical Cannabis. This was done so on a free basis, by donations from medical providers to patients. No money was exchanged. Bulldozer Health used a grassroots fundraising approach, holding concerts to raise funds. The non-profit helped income challenged patients obtain medical Cannabis recommendations from a doctor, as well as helping with other alternative health visits, such as chiropractic, and acupuncture.
For 6 years, Bulldozer Health helped many patients with financial difficulties take back their health, while reminding them that they have the power to do so. Unfortunately 2020 has brought new changes to our world due to Covid-19. Fundraising events are no longer possible. After a great 6 year run helping so many, Bulldozer Health will sadly be no more. All remaining funds from Bulldozer Health will be donated to the Matt Adams Foundation, a non profit that aids others on the road to opiate recovery. It’s a bittersweet ending of a great thing for Wendy. She’s looking forward to what will come, as well as putting some focus onto the lack of patient homegrow rights in Arkansas, as well as a government imposed medical Cannabis shortage across the state, with only 5 cultivators to supply patients.
After 3 years of separation, Wendy and her wife got back together. They found themselves and what they wanted. Their love continues to endure, and shows the world what true love is all about. Wendy continues to educate and entertain others through The Wendy Love Edge Show With Topher Kogen, The CBD Gameshow, and articles she writes for Cannabis Chronicles of Oklahoma. Her wife recently launched a radio station, WJAE420, focused on music and Cannabis. Keep an eye on Wendy’s current and future projects. She is a light of hope for self empowerment, showing others it’s possible to take control of your life and health.
Originally written by: Kerry Cannon for cannabisactivismnow.com
High THC Cannabis Oil has been used by numerous people for centuries, but it was banned in the second half of the 20th century, as a result of the rise of the billion-dollar pharmaceutical industry.
Mike with a batch of 60 gram syringes
Mike Wise is a skateboarder and national champion wakeskater with The University of Texas where he graduated with a degree in Radio-Television-Film in 2009. He has never been a fan of doctors, so when he got diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in 2014 he decided to take his health into his own hands.
Nowadays, he is one of the most well known activists in the world fighting for the legalization of cannabis oil. Using this treatment, he has cured over 3,500 people from a variety of diseases including extremely terminal ones such as Cancer and Glioblastoma (brain tumors).
Since moving to Europe in 2017, he has spoken at over 30 different countries all over the world on this topic. He is also currently filming a documentary with Rick Simpson to tell his story and help to get this information out to the public.
He states that cannabis oil can cure a vast variety of serious health issues, like diabetes, arteriosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, asthma, psoriasis, as well as some of the deadliest forms of cancer.
Mike recently recounted his story to a magazine in the Czech Republic: “I always tell people – Cannabis will cure you, and you will see that at present, it is the best cure there is in the world!”
He began his story: “It was 2014. I had been dealing with symptoms related to Crohn’s disease since 2000. As an athlete, I was always busy traveling and competing. Doing so caused much damage to build up in my body after years of this abuse. The symptoms got worse and worse until I began vomiting blood every morning at 4am when I would wake up, and several times throughout the day; every day.
I had been studying plants as a hobby for years, and had been growing cannabis illegally since 2005 to smoke and occasionally make into edibles. After moving to Colorado in 2014, I began to learn a lot more about growing from other local growers and about cannabis as a medication from other local activists, caregivers, and enlightened doctors. I was filming a movie about families who had to move and relocate from another state to access medical cannabis in Colorado for their children entitled: ‘Illegally Alive’, which you can watch for free with this link. www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOn142GAjsU
During the production of the film, I got in touch with Rick Simpson and flew out to Zagreb, Croatia to interview with him in person. While I was out there, we attended a conference in Ljubljana, Slovenia where Rick was speaking. I had to run outside in the middle of the conference to vomit. Rick saw me and said: ‘Mike, you really need to get on this oil brother’.
After getting the kick in the butt I needed from the godfather of cannabis oil himself, I ingested 90 grams in 120 days of high THC oil and cured all my symptoms relating to Crohn’s disease. This first 45 grams I ingested orally, the second 45 grams I took via suppository. Now I only take 1 gram per month as a maintenance dose.
It’s important to note that I never elected to undergo any surgeries. I did not let the doctors mutilate me and remove any organs or other body parts. I also completely changed my diet eliminating all processed foods, sugars, and carbohydrates. If I ingest any of these substances, I will need to take oil to prevent any new symptoms from showing up. I also eliminated as many sources of stress from my life I possibly could.
After curing myself, I decided to share my story publicly on social media. I immediately began to receive hundreds of messages a week from friends and acquaintances of friends. Everybody needed cannabis oil for their brother, mother, sister, daughter, father, grandmother, grandfather, etc…
I decided to get my Caregiver License in Colorado and immediately planted 500 seeds in my basement and began to supply the oil to anyone who asked. I have never turned anyone away since I started making the oil for myself and others started asking for it. I even used to make it for free. I would tell patients if they could bring me the materials and solvent needed to make the oil, then I would make it for them for free and would not charge them for my time or labor.
Mike with his plants in Colorado
To take my activism a step further, I created an activist run and oriented company called: ‘OG Labs’. On my website (www.oglabsgenetics.com) anybody in the world can now reach me and have the oil made and sent discreetly to their doorstep to any state or country in the world. I believe, as the great Thomas Jefferson did, that ‘if a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so.’ I am hoping that by openly offering the oil for sale publicly, that other activists around the world will see what I am doing and feel empowered to stand up and make the oil for patients in need as well.”
Cannabis oil therapy is equally effective in all cases, for it knows no age limit. It can even be given to babies. People who publicly claim to cure cancer are threatened with 5 – 40 years imprisonment, according to laws in North America. Mike says the preparation of this miraculous oil is extremely easy. The standard protocol starts with several drops of cannabis oil three times a day.
“The usual dose I start cancer patients on is 60 grams within 90 days. If the patient has undergone any chemotherapy or radiation they will need much more than 60 grams”, he explains.
“Cannabis is not a miracle drug in the sense that most people think. The cannabis itself doesn’t necessarily cure you; your body heals and cures itself. Cannabis simply triggers this reaction to occur. You see, cannabis works like a key inserted into a lock. Your bodies contain what is known scientifically as CB1 and CB2 receptors spread throughout it’s entire system and on every organ. When cannabis gets into the body and into these CB1 and CB2 receptors it works like a key opening a lock, the receptors then began firing correctly and any imperfections or illnesses which are contained within your body will immediately begin to get healed because these receptors are literally located everywhere within your body.”
“This is significant for 2 reasons,” he continues “cannabis can help to heal or cure nearly any illness or disease because these receptors send signs to your body and organs to begin functioning correctly and to stop misfiring. In the case of cancer, these receptors will tell the body how to identify cancer cells and can help to specifically target and kill them without the use of any harmful or invasive treatments.
The second reason this is important is regarding chemotherapy and radiation specifically. I personally believe that these treatments do more harm than good. There are numerous studies out there stating that more people die from cancer treatments than from the cancer itself. To put it plainly, chemotherapy kills more people than it heals. After treating so many patients with cannabis oil, I began to notice a pattern. Patients who have taken chemotherapy or radiation always require more oil than the standard 60 grams in 90 days.
I know some patients who have taken dozens of chemo sessions, and have now consumed over 350+ grams of oil. They have consumed a lot of oil, and continue to take it today; but they are still alive. They often come to me after the doctors have given up on them, with only weeks to live. Their bodies are extremely frail and damaged. I believe that this is from the chemotherapy.
It is not a targeted treatment. It kills all cells in your body, unlike THC cannabis oil which helps to identify and kill only the cancer cells. This is why patients who are diagnosed with cancer and have not done any chemotherapy or radiation typically need 60 grams in 90 days before switching to a maintenance dose, as opposed to those who have done chemotherapy or radiation. They need more oil because their bodies are far more damaged from both the cancer, and the chemotherapy; as opposed to being damaged by just the cancer itself. Your body needs more oil, and more time to rest and heal from all the damage incurred.”
And, it is never too late for the patient to start cannabis oil therapy. Mike believes that every country in the world should allow their citizens to cultivate and use cannabis for medical purposes. He also points out that pharmacies should be opened for those who can’t cultivate it if they can supply it at fair rate for all people, not just the rich.
“Little is known that cannabis has been used as one of the most healing remedies for hundreds of years before Christ.
In the ancient Persian religious scripts, which among other things describe the most healing herbs, cannabis takes the first place,” concludes Mike.
His biggest wish and goal is to live in a world without cancer where every person can legally cultivate as many cannabis plants as they would like on their property or in their home, and where every person in the world can legally and openly consume cannabis in every place where you can legally smoke tobacco or cigarettes. Until that day comes he tells us that he will continue fighting for our rights to do so.
If you have access to materials and would like to watch his detailed video on how to make it yourself, you can do so here: https://fb.watch/pauNSt-HqK/
He also hosts a page completely dedicated to cannabis patients on Facebook which can be found here: www.facebook.com/MikeWiseShow
You can watch Mike’s latest documentary ‘Rick and Me’, which details his healing journey with cannabis oil, for free using the following link:
Will County Deputies say they observed a speeding vehicle with an obstructed license plate near Joliet’s Houbolt Road.
(Image via Will County Sheriff )
JOLIET, IL — The Will County Sheriff’s Office is looking to arrest people who are transporting illegal drugs into their community. On Monday, the sheriff’s office publicized one weekend arrest near Joliet that resulted in the seizure of 48,732 grams of THC oil from a car near Houbolt Road.
Sheriff’s deputies say they stopped the car because its license plate was obstructed. The driver, Ali Alkhreisha, age 21, was from Bellflower, California. “Sheriff’s deputies, along with K-9 partner, Malice, conducted a search. Malice positively alerted to the vehicle where cardboard boxes containing 31 mason jars with 48,732 grams of THC Oil was found,” police said.
In addition, 47 grams of cannabis and a THC vape pen was also located, authorities said.Patch
The California man was put in handcuffs and hauled off to the Will County Jail on charges of driving while license suspended, delivery/manufacture of cannabis over 30 grams, possession of cannabis over 5,000 grams.
Ali Alkhreisha, Will County Jail mugshot
The day before, on Friday, Dec. 20, Will County police say they stopped a Michigan speeder who kept changing lanes without signaling on I-80 near Joliet’s Chicago Street. After searching the car belonging to Aubrey Honeycutt, 32, authorities say they confiscated nine vacuum-sealed bags containing 20,989.4 grams of THC wax and one vacuum-sealed bag containing 10 cannabis joints in a duffel bag.
Honeycutt was taken to the Will County Jail and charged with delivery/manufacture of cannabis over 10 grams and possession of cannabis over 100 grams, improper lane usage, speeding, and improper passing.
Cannabis is the one of the oldest known substances consistently utilized by humans. We have been consuming it for its medicinal properties, as a rather safe intoxicant, and industrializing the fiber, roots, hurd, and seeds of this amazing renewable resource into literally thousands of everyday uses.
In the 20th century as Cannabis prohibition really began to take effect – cultures and communities around the world that consumed or utilized cannabis as a cornerstone of their daily lives had their traditions, practices, and the ancient knowledge that connected them together over the commonality of cannabis criminalized.
Fortunately, there has been in recent years a reemergence in awareness of our rich history and deep connection to Cannabis Sativa L. This has driven and motivated like-minded individuals around the world to seek each-other out to share this sacred knowledge and celebrate Cannabis in all her multifaceted glory.
This community building has brought together incredible people from all across the world who are choosing to stand up against oppression and persecution to defy the stigma and risk prosecution to be honest about their cannabis consumption and to protect the peoples right to utilize all the plants of the Earth.
From the partially decriminalized Dutch coffeeshops that were formed in the late-1960’s in Amsterdam to provide any customer over the age of 18 with much more than just fresh coffee and delicious decadent dutch delights. To another slightly newer quasi-legal system that comes out of Europe that seeks to give autonomy and power back to the cannabis consumer – Cannabis Social Clubs.
What is a Cannabis Social Club and how is it different from a Dutch-style coffeeshop – I hear you asking? Well, Cannabis Social Clubs, or ‘CSC’s‘ for short, are non-profit private member associations – These non- governmental organizations are made up of like-minded individuals coming together to obtain cannabis through the creation of buyers networks and collective cultivation to ensure that all members have consistent, safe and fair access to quality cannabis and cannabis-derived products. Unlike Cannabis buyers clubs CSC’s do not limit themselves to just medicinal consumers as they believe all cannabis should be freely accessible for their membership to decide how to utilize and consume.
These organizations self regulate the cultivation, production, transportation, supply and distribution of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to its members. This is done while employing strict self-imposed rules, regulations and operating procedures to ensure that the safety, hygiene and efficacy of the products that they are providing is of the highest standard possible. They also seek to provide the most up to date and accurate information and educational resources to its membership.
These associations have in my opinion grown from several root sources. Firstly, a ruling by the Spanish supreme court in the 1970’s that small scale personal possession wasn’t to be criminalized, the signing of the 1978 constitution protecting Spanish citizens right to privacy, the acceptance of coffeeshop culture else where in Europe and the gradual reduction in the social stigma around the sharing and consumption of cannabis in mainland Europe.
These were the primary catalysts that allowed activists to produce what later became the first CSC model back in the 1990’s. It was these first attempts that gave birth to what is now currently considered the best operating model for CSC’s to adhere to – the ENCOD Model.
The European Coalition for Just and Effective Drug Policies (ENCOD) was founded in 1994 when 14 drug organisations combined resources to create the drug law reform body on the recommendation of a European commission. ENCOD has since been fighting for rational, sensible and fair drug policies throughout a lot of the countries of Europe by taking on the well-established monolith of draconian prohibitive drug policies on the international stage. Today they are a 150+ strong network of committed organisations and advocates.
The Coffeeshops and clubs are both currently illegal as the law stands in their individual countries. But just as the coffeeshops have been tolerated in the Netherlands for many decades leading to a gradual tolerance and acceptance of their existence by local authorities and now even to the eventual trialing of regulated legal models. The same is gradually happening in Spain as with a few other European countries with CSC’s. However, not without moderate to severe blow-back from certain prohibitionists and misguided or frankly corrupt policy makers.
So, although this and other perfectly functional models are out there and operating right now – These Cannabis clubs are still forced in most countries to function outside the protective sphere of legality to provide the vitally needed services and supportive safe spaces for their members to congregate, socialize, and consume cannabis, however they deem appropriate.
The clubs that have been emerging slowly here in the UK have been slowly gained respectability in their communities by fulfilling the shortfall created by the corrupt cannibalistic British “medical Cannabis” industry – Who are actively seeking to put profit and the interests of its share holders above the peoples basic right to access and use cannabis for its plethora of medicinal benefits it can provide.
Cannabis Social Clubs in the UK are generally less governed than their European counterparts and often regulated by several different ever-changing models and ideologies. They are, however typically a private member clubs for consenting adults to access Cannabis for therapeutic, recreational, and social consumption. They act as a first port of call for connecting with other cannabis consumers, a space to seek advice and general cannabis information, harm reduction and up to date educational materials.
There are a number of various clubs operating under different models and serving different clientele and their needs. There are active clubs across the UK from Dover to Aberdeen that operate under various models from non-profit to coffeeshop style cafes.
There are 43 different police forces in the UK – some support clubs and some do not, however the revolving door nature of public office and the fragility of policy to the scrutiny of public pressure means that this support varies greatly and cannot be assumed to be long term.
This uncertainty has created a rather large gray area were in the UK as where there was once support and approval for a CSC as a vital tool to reduce crime and help rebuild communities they now risk being targeted as they’ve once again been deemed “Unhelpful in fight against crime”
Many of the UK based clubs are associated to the UKCSC but not all follow the same model or operate physical premises like they do in say Spain, Belgium or Switzerland to name a few.
“[The] UKCSC is the UK cannabis consumer voice, offering practical and legal advice and guidance to Cannabis Social Clubs, politicians and police forces in order to provide a self regulatory frame work to reduce risks. UKCSC are a not for profit Non Government Organisation founded in 2011 by concerned citizens comprised of experienced healthcare professionals, industry experts, horticulturists, clinical researchers, patients, entrepreneurs and activists from across the UK, United States, Europe and the rest of the world”
“UK Cannabis Social Clubs are Private Membership Clubs for adult medical and social use acting as a first point of contact for cannabis consumers, patients, advice, general cannabis information, harm reduction and education”
The UKCSC is currently the largest association of clubs in the UK that function under the same operating manual we discussed above. To learn more about the UKCSC and how to register and create a UK Cannabis social club click here. There are also plenty of resources online to help you find the information you need to form an independent club too.
There is a long history of independent and UKCSC affiliated clubs putting on spectacular public and private events for its membership and the local community. From Brighton Cannabis club’s yearly Green Pride protestival which takes place each July in Preston park – attracting several thousand guests to Hampshire Canna’s annual protestival on Eastney beach each August.
The independent club events such as DCCC’s Autumn Expo in Durham to MKCSC’s monthly drop-in which provides a free monthly drop-in for the public to come and ask questions and cultivate community connections at a independent cooperative coffeeshop for the last two years.
There is a long rich tradition of clubs organizing public events and protestivals to bring the community together and to protest the unjust laws that seek to deny people their basic right to a plant that is as equally connected to our past as it is our future.
So what does the future look like for Cannabis clubs in the UK and the wider world? Well, regardless of the various legislative proposals and so-called reforms due to be put forth to governments around the world in the coming months.It is the tireless efforts of committed activists that makes me confident that CSC’s will continue to gain respectability and acceptability until the day they eventually become as legally welcomed and protected as Workingmen clubs or public houses.
Written for CannabisActivismNow.com By Simpa Carter
While there are resources to make cannabis companies more sustainable, there’s little incentive to utilize them. So how can we motivate the legal industry to embrace eco-friendly practices?
The cannabis industry has a major plastic problem.
According to the non-profit Plastic Oceans International, the world produces 300 million tons of plastic every year. Half of that — 150 million tons — is for single-use purposes. While these issues clearly extend far beyond the reaches of the cannabis industry, state packaging regulations have forced many business owners to seek out the cheapest options in order to keep the lights on.
Take, for instance, a standard disposable vaporizer pen. Beyond the materials of the pen itself, California state law requires that the product arrive to the dispensary in child-proof packaging. At that point, it is then purchased, where it is placed into another child-proof bag. That’s a whole lot of plastic for 200 puffs. According to the firm BDS Analytics, sales in California for disposable vape pens nearly doubled from $3.4 million to $6.42 million between January and March of 2018.
That’s a huge amount of plastic being discarded every day in the weed world — and it’s only getting worse.
“It’s disturbing,” says Steve D’Angelo, founder of the famed dispensary Harborside and a major figure in the industry. “It’s repugnant to the values that cannabis teaches us.”
The crux of the issue lies with the law.
California’s regulations regarding packaging stipulate that “all cannabis and cannabis products be sold in child-resistant packaging.” That means plastic tubes for pre-rolls and additional protective packaging for items like edibles, vape cartridges, and flower.
Anyone who has visited a dispensary in a legal market has likely engaged in the depressing process of digging their way through multiple levels of petroleum-based, non-recyclable plastic to get to the cannabis product within. These rules requiring child-resistant packaging are not endemic to the country’s largest cannabis market, either — nearly every state with a regulated marijuana industry has adopted similar laws. The result is lots and lots of single-use plastic being thrown away every time a customer arrives home from a dispensary.
For D’Angelo, the current situation is the antithesis of what cannabis is supposed to be about.
“One of the things that cannabis teaches us is to respect Mother Nature and to treasure her gifts,” he noted in a phone interview with MERRY JANE. “These regulations don’t do that. Frankly, it’s disgusting to see the amount of waste that goes on. I get disgusted every time I buy a cannabis product and, in order to get to the cannabis, I have to work my way through three or four levels of completely unnecessary packaging.”
While the sustainable options available to cannabis manufacturers — who represent the stage in the process where packaging first comes into play —may be limited, there are a few companies that have made it their mission to offer environmentally-friendly alternatives to the glut of plastic pre-roll tubes and flower jars that are pervasive throughout the market. But these companies are few and far between. At present, while there are resources to make cannabis companies more sustainable, it’s ultimately the lack of incentive to utilize them that prevents any change. So then, how can we motivate the legal industry to embrace eco-friendly practices?
As writer Whitney Mallett noted in a 2017 feature for MERRY JANE, there are many packaging companies that define their products as sustainable without actually making good on the promise. One especially egregious example is ABC Packaging Direct, which bafflingly suggests that its line of disposable plastic bags offer “a positive impact on the environment.” Mallett also points out that terms like “green” and “eco” are often employed as eye-catching buzz words — a tactic commonly known as “greenwashing.”
Fortunately, not every company has let its moral compass go up in smoke.
Take Denver’s Sana Packaging, for example. The business was created after Ron Basak-Smith and James Eichne, two University of Colorado Boulder graduate students, realized that few (if any) packaging companies targeting the cannabis industry had embraced sustainability as their guiding principle. Launched in 2016, Sana Packaging makes its packaging from biodegradable materials like hemp biocomposite and recycled ocean plastics.
“Our basic thing is that we no longer want to create single-use petroleum plastic packaging for the cannabis industry,” said Basak-Smith, Sana’s co-founder. “When we looked at the regulations in place, we saw that it was very difficult for anything to be made out of sustainable materials with the child-resistance [packaging requirements]. That really took out all of the current options.”
In order to offer a sustainable alternative, Basak-Smith and Eichner had to develop their own material sources. While Basak-Smith is fiercely proud of the work he and his partner have done, he conceded that in order for Sana Packaging to stay afloat, their prices are two to three times what other, non-environmentally focused packaging companies charge.
“That’s really what we’re trying to work through right now,” Basak-Smith said. “What is the willingness to pay for sustainable materials? I think we’ve got into a situation where [people] value the price — whatever that means — over the environment.”
With sustainable packaging coming in at a substantially higher price point, Basak-Smith acknowledged that many cannabis manufacturers simply employ a cost-benefit analysis and decide that saving money is their top priority.
“Companies have to make a profit,” he said. “We’re trying to get people to pay more for packaging, which is obviously not the easiest sell. At the same time, the industry does want to do what’s right with packaging. People don’t want to be wasteful.”
One such person is Kial Long, Vice President of Marketing for CannaCraft in Northern California.
CannaCraft is one of the more popular cannabis manufacturers in the state, having partnered with absoluteXtracts, Care By Design, and Satori. The company is eager to embrace sustainability when it comes to packaging. The issue, according to Long, partially stems from concerns that cannabis regulations may change yet again — a worry that leaves her uneasy about ordering packaging in the quantities required for the choice to make fiscal sense.
“Last year, we didn’t really have any insight into what [California’s] permanent regulations would be in six months,” Long explained by phone. “To make the investment at that point, we would’ve needed to buy packaging in really small increments, which would not have been a good business decision. We are a little bit more comfortable buying our packaging in bulk these days, but there’s still some hesitation about how things might pan out.”
Long estimates that child-resistant packaging adds about 10 percent to CannaCraft’s total packaging expenses each month, equating to roughly $20,000. California law currently offers no incentives or subsidies to companies for embracing sustainable packaging. In a statement provided to MERRY JANE, a representative for the California Department of Public Health confirmed the state’s current regulations do not explicitly address this subject:
“The Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) mandates that all cannabis and cannabis products be sold in child-resistant packaging,” a California Department of Health official stated by email. “Many packaging options exist that are compliant with this standard, including environmentally-friendly ones.”
Despite being one of the most progressive states when it comes to combating climate change, California apparently isn’t concerned with translating its green-friendly attitude to its cannabis industry. At least not yet.
One company that has reportedly taken initiative to become more sustainable is Dosist, makers of disposable vaporizer pens tailored to trigger specific effects. Dosist’s recycling program involves collection bins at various dispensaries where their products are sold. Customers who return a used pen receive a $5 discount on their next Dosist purchase. Working in partnership with the waste hauler company GAIACA, recycled pens are then sorted at a facility in Del Rey Oaks, CA. While Dosist was unable to provide any data on the number of pens recycled to date, the program serves as evidence that such efforts are possible if the necessary interest and resources are available.
For Nick Kovacevich — CEO of KushCo Holdings, one of the industry’s premier vendors for cannabis packaging — biding his time in hopes that the industry eventually mandates sustainable practices simply wasn’t an option.
“While a state government subsidy would be incredible and the industry would embrace that,” Kovacevich explained, “we think if history is any bearer of the future, we cannot rely on the state for guidance. We need to take the proactive step, and that is what we feel we are doing.”
To that end, KushCo Holdings has joined with the Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a “membership-based collaborative that believes in the power of industry to make packaging more sustainable,” whose members include corporate heavyweights like Verizon Wireless, McDonald’s, and Procter & Gamble. Despite Kovacevich’s enthusiasm for adopting the eco-friendly practices encouraged by the SPC — the organization’s stated goal is to ensure all packaging across industries is sourced responsibly, optimized for efficiency, effectively recovered, non-toxic, and low impact — he suggested that a big picture outlook, one that prioritizes sustainability for the cannabis industry, is also warranted.
“If we step back, we see the quantity of plastics our industry produces and wastes,” he said. “We also think it’s important to keep context, meaning, Amazon, Walmart and other major global realtors send thousands of boxes every day. Pinpointing the cannabis industry, as some outlets have, is a small waste target when compared to the larger retailers. Sustainability is a priority for us because it’s the right thing to do. We see our ourselves as industry change agents, and we want others to follow our lead in this effort.”
While CannaCraft’s Long said she’d be in favor of the state taking a more active interest in encouraging environmental practices, she’s also not planning to wait around.
Instead, CannaCraft developed a native 510 thread cartridge — the units that are filled with cannabis oil for vape pens — which were recently certified as child-resident under the requirements of the Poison Prevention Packaging Act.
“Prior to getting certified,” Long said, “we were adding over 100,000 plastic tubes into the market each month to make sure our vape cartridges were child-resistant. Now, with this new manufacturing process — and with the way that we’re able to seal the cartridges — we have received certification which means they are child-resistant on their own now.”
In essence, CannaCraft has removed one level of plastic from the equation by making the cartridges themselves child-resistant and thus eliminating the need to encase them in an additional layer of child-resistant packaging.
Unfortunately, many companies are unable to invest the resources necessary to develop similar, sustainable packaging. Instead, they’re hoping that the industry will pool its resources and share its innovations to ensure environmentally-sound packaging is available to all. Long said that CannaCraft is all in favor of this approach.
“I think this is bigger than our margins,” she explained. “I think the fight against the overuse of plastic is something that our company holds in higher regard than the small savings on our packaging. We’d be very interested in helping other companies get there.”
For Steve D’Angelo of Harborside, the concept of the government subsidizing sustainable packaging appeals to his nature as an environmentalist. But it doesn’t address what he believes is the root of the problem.
“I think it would be counterproductive unless the state coupled it with rather dramatic tax decreases and made the packaging regulations more reasonable,” he said. “With the imposition of taxes and the added cost of compliance — and given how easy it is to obtain cannabis in California in an unregulated way — something like 50 percent of the people in the regulated market outflow to the unregulated market. Doing anything that increases the price of cannabis in regulated dispensaries right now will threaten the very existence of a legal market.”
In other words, if companies that use eco-friendly packaging are not incentivized, they won’t embrace sustainability at a time when the black market is cutting into their profit margins at all ends.
D’Angelo also questions the logic of child-resistant packaging in the first place. He notes that other products — ones that, unlike cannabis, have a proven track record of doing serious harm — are not subject to the same level of regulation.
“I see aspirin and other over-the-counter drugs being sold in containers that are not childproof. I see tobacco being sold in containers that are not childproof. I see alcohol being sold in containers that are not childproof. Then I see cannabis — which is safer than any of those substances — being wrapped in these completely superfluous and unnecessary layers of packaging. It’s appalling.”
With morealarmingnews about the current climate crisis arriving each day, the cannabis industry is uniquely situated to lead the charge on a pivot away from petroleum-based products. And, rather ironically, it was the petroleum and plastics industries that helped make cannabis illegal in the first place. So it would only be fitting if the newly-legal cannabis industry were to push back against the corporations that are creating waste and packing landfills to the brim by making it standard to abandon plastic packaging.
How can cannabis blaze an eco-friendly path? That may mean revisiting current packaging requirements and questioning the validity of their stringency. It may also mean developing a less punitive tax structure that allows smaller businesses to use their subsequent savings or profit from increased sales on sustainable packaging. It’s possible that companies will need to consider making their proprietary environmentally-beneficial packaging designs open source for all to use, too. There will almost certainly need to be a lot more companies like Sana Packaging if the entire industry is to ultimately embrace a sustainable approach. Most likely, a combination of all of the above will be required.
Weaning an industry off non-recyclable single-use plastic is no easy task. It will take participation from every facet of the industry in order to succeed. But if the fight for access to regulated cannabis has proven anything thus far, it’s that precedent is no match for perseverance.
Hungary has taken a bold stand against biotech giant Monsanto and genetic modification by destroying 1000 acres of maize found to have been grown with genetically modified seeds, according to Hungary deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar.
Unlike many European Union countries, Hungary is a nation where genetically modified (GM) seeds are banned. In a similar stance against GM ingredients, Peru has also passed a 10 year ban on GM foods.
Almost 1000 acres of maize found to have been ground with genetically modified seeds have been destroyed throughout Hungary, deputy state secretary of the Ministry of Rural Development Lajos Bognar said. The GMO maize has been ploughed under, said Lajos Bognar, but pollen has not spread from the maize, he added.
Unlike several EU members, GMO seeds are banned in Hungary. The checks will continue despite the fact that seek traders are obliged to make sure that their products are GMO free, Bognar said. During the investigation, controllers have found Pioneer Monsanto products among the seeds planted.
The free movement of goods within the EU means that authorities will not investigate how the seeds arrived in Hungary, but they will check where the goods can be found, Bognar said. Regional public radio reported that the two biggest international seed producing companies are affected in the matter and GMO seeds could have been sown on up to the thousands of hectares in the country. Most of the local farmers have complained since they just discovered they were using GMO seeds.
With season already under way, it is too late to sow new seeds, so this year’s harvest has been lost.
And to make things even worse for the farmers, the company that distributed the seeds in Baranya county is under liquidation. Therefore, if any compensation is paid by the international seed producers, the money will be paid primarily to that company’s creditors, rather than the farmers.
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