A portable and inexpensive greenhouse can be built in a matter of hours with the right tools and a little elbow grease. You can learn how to build one in this video
How to Build a Greenhouse for $150
Raid on family farm reflects Sweden’s regressive approach to hemp
Stakeholders say the recent raid at a family hemp farm in Sweden reflects lingering ignorance among authorities that is holding back the sector in Scandinavia’s biggest market of 10 million consumers.
“The whole thing is probably about ignorance on the part of the police as they must have mistaken the industrial hemp for marijuana and therefore destroyed the cultivation,” Michael Henell said of law enforcement on the island of Öland, where Henell and his family operate Magic Herb, a boutique hemp company that grows and sells hemp buds and products based on extracts.
Henell said police raided his legal hemp business unannounced Aug. 13 while he and and his family were away on vacation, destroying his small hemp crop and, armed with a search warrant, seizing finished products that were stored in the family’s home.
‘No excuse’
It is legal to grow certified varieties of hemp in Sweden under permitting by the Swedish Board of Agriculture.
“I have triple checked that all papers are correct for the cultivation. We have had hemp for several years and it has never been a problem,” said Henell, who had approval of both local administrators and the national agriculture board for a hemp grow of about 1,000 plants that he was cultivating both outdoors and in a greenhouse.
Henell believes ignorance is no excuse. “It is utterly damning that the police can come and destroy our life’s work, for which we have shed blood, sweat and tears. Our entire annual harvest has now been destroyed by the police,” he said.
Prejudice lingers
Swedish authorities’ prejudice against hemp is rooted in aggressive national anti-cannabis campaigns carried out in the 1970s and ’80s, according to David Appelgren, Chairman of the Swedish Hemp Association, a 200-member strong group that advocates for the sector.
“Slowly, we’re turning. Most youth understand hemp is a regular thing, and even older people are using CBD,” said Appelgren, who tours Sweden educating about hemp. “But they’ve been pushing this agenda for 40 years,” he said of anti-cannabis elements in the country. “It’s still in the culture and hard to get rid of.”
Little grown
Hemp barely registers in Swedish agriculture. Modern-era records that date to 2004 show 150 hectares were under hemp that year. By 2007, hemp fields had grown to 829 hectares, but then started to decline. A total of 170 hectares were cultivated this year, according to government statistics. Appelgren estimates there are about 150 hemp operators in Sweden, most of which are small family businesses like Henell’s.
The sector has survived only because of court cases that went against the government, both Henell and Appelgren said. Most notable, hemp farmer Ulf Hammarsten received damages from the Swedish state after his hemp crop was repeatedly destroyed by authorities. EU officials found in Hammarsten’s favor in 2003, ruling that national legislation prohibiting the cultivation and possession of industrial hemp was incompatible with the “common organization of markets” under EU law.
Swedish hemp history
Hemp is in Sweden’s history, archeologists have found, with cultivation generally presumed to have begun in sometime in the second half of the first century AD, as indicated by pollen records. Finds of seeds demonstrate that the plant was locally cultivated and processed during that epoch.
Hemp fiber is also revealed in subfossil remains found at Lindängelund in the region of Malmö, signalling the earliest evidence of hemp retting in Scandinavia discovered so far. Experts also have said they found evidence of small scale fiber processing in settlements through 400 AD. Remains of hemp later found in lake sediments indicate that the retting of hemp eventually relocated from settlements to lakes shores, where processing became larger in scale and more integrated into the agricultural system of the time.
Originally published by Hemp Today at: https://hemptoday.net/raid-on-family-farm-reflects-swedens-regressive-approach-to-hemp/
The Injustice of Peggy & Glenn and How I Helped keep Them Free
Halloween night 2017, an act of compassion quickly turned into a 2 year and 9 month long living nightmare for one Ohio family. Glenn Keeling had a friend in need of cannabis, so he gifted his friend 2 grams of cannabis concentrate. Not too long after the friend drove away from the Kimmel-Keeling residence, he was pulled over by law enforcement. That’s when this good deed became a crime.
Despite the fact that Medical Cannabis was legal in Ohio, law enforcement set their sights on Glenn Keeling. He led the first ever Global Marijuana March in Ohio. Glenn also ran for political office in his town as an open medical cannabis patient. He and his wife Peggy, had began a NORML chapter in their area. Law Enforcement’s attention on this family was no doubt, politically motivated. They were seeking to make an example out of Glenn in corrupt Mercer county Ohio, and had long been doing surveillance on his family’s home.
“I smell marijuana”, the 3 words law enforcement officers often use as probable cause. Those 3 words were said to the friend, when he was pulled over after leaving Glenn and Peggy’s home. The friend fully cooperated with the officer, including naming Glenn as the source of where his cannabis concentrate came from. Later that night, police officers arrived at the Kimmel- Keeling residence. The husband and wife, both being legal patients with a doctors recommendation, thought the misunderstanding could be cleared up by cooperating with the officers. They quickly found out differently. The officers had no interest in seeing Glenn or Peggy’s doctor signed recommendations. Their home was immediately raided. What was discovered by officers, was a legal supply of cannabis for 2 patients, along with a teenage girls craft supplies, the officers assumed was for making cannabis edibles. The officers decided that despite medical cannabis being legal in Ohio, not yet having operating dispensaries, made patients criminals.
Glenn was arrested that night. His wife Peggy was charged at a later date. Their daughter had to get out of bed, to leave her home for the night, to stay with her adult brother. Multiple charges were brought against Peggy and Glenn. Each faced over 50 years in prison. Peggy and Glenn were both allowed to continue treating their health conditions with cannabis, per their bond conditions. That was a first in Ohio.
Unfortunately, this family did not initially have local support outside of their family. I became aware of this injustice, while scrolling Facebook one day. Peggy had reached out for help in ‘The International Cannabis Patients Wall’ Facebook group. I reached out to Peggy to learn more about what was happening to her family. Not only did she tell her side of the story, but she also provided proof to back up everything she said. One of the charges that hit me right in the heart, was child endangerment. I read the letter Peggy provided from the CPS caseworker. In less than 1 month, CPS completed their investigation, with the determination that Peggy’s teenage daughter (Glenn’s stepdaughter) was safe in the family home and should remain in her parents care. Yet overzealous Mercer County Ohio Prosecutor Matt Fox, persisted with child endangerment charges, as well as many other bogus charges, in an attempt to prosecute and persecute this couple.
I personally believe that no one, anywhere, with any amount of a healing non-toxic plant should face criminal charges. No Victim, No Crime. The only victims I saw in all this, was a family at risk of being torn apart. I knew I had to do something to help.
I began a public awareness campaign via social media. Making many more aware of this injustice was step 1. A call to action to call the prosecutors office, to politely ask that all charges against Peggy and Glenn be dropped, was put out shortly after. Many people had made this phone call. Some had telephone conversations with Mr. Fox. The prosecutor told numerous people that the full story wasn’t being told. Sadly some believed that tax dollars wouldn’t be wasted if there was no serious crime, and refused to support this family. It felt like Matt Fox was playing a game, with the arrogance of assuming he’d win.
With all of the details of Peggy and Glenn’s cases being public, I printed up both dockets from the courts website, took to social media in a live video, read all of the charges, showed all of the proof Peggy had provided, compared Ohio law, and proved to many of the doubters, that at most the punishment should have been a small fine. That helped public support really pick up. Throughout this time, I was also collecting photos from all across the country, and the globe, of people holding a handwritten “Drop All Charges Against Peggy and Glenn” sign. I arranged these hundreds of photos into collages. Those photo collages were sent into the court, and added to both of their case files.
Unfortunately, all the stress that came with this long, drawn out legal nightmare, resulted in increased health issues for Peggy. The stress was literally killing her. Glenn came to the conclusion that he needed to take a plea deal, accept whatever consequences Judge Ingraham decided, so that his wife may live. I have much respect for Glenn for making such a loving decision. The stress had taken it’s toll on his health as well. He did what any honorable man would do, he put his wife above himself.
The day to sign the plea deal came. Glenn and Peggy both signed deals. They were instructed to check in with their probation officer before the court date for sentencing. I was very pleased to learn that at the meeting with their probation officer, Peggy and Glenn learned they had their probation officer’s support. I was later told that their probation officer was aware of the ‘Keep Peggy And Glenn Free’ photo collages, as well as a petition I wrote on their behalf. Officer Gross asked Peggy and Glenn to have me email him everything, so he could make sure Judge Ingraham sees them. One Monday morning, I sent the emails. Mr. Gross replied quickly, that he was already printing the photos up and thanked me. I thanked him for his help as well.
Although I have yet to meet Peggy and Glenn in person, nor ever stepped foot into Ohio, I have much love for them and their family. While working on behalf of ending their family’s injustice, I watched them still do all they could do to help others, despite their struggles. I got to know amazing people, who I now consider family.
After 2 years and 9 months this family’s nightmare came to an end. July 27, 2020 was sentencing day. Peggy was facing 84 months in prison, 10 years suspended drivers license, and $17,000 in fines. Glenn faced 90 months in prison, 15 years suspended drivers license, and $37,000 in fines. During the hearing, Judge Ingraham held up a binder of photo collages, mentioning I had sent them in to the court. Peggy and Glenn both escaped prison time. They were sentenced to 5 years probation each. Neither had their drivers licenses suspended, and the mandatory fines were waived. What a huge relief for their entire family. One of the great things that comes from the outcome of their cases, is the precedent now set. It can, and will help other medical cannabis patients in Ohio, that may find themselves in a similar situation.
Public support matters. We all have the power to make a difference. Together we have the power to make a greater difference and a real change. Be the change you wish to see. Stand against injustice. Even if we are not directly affected, we are all indirectly affected. My work made a difference, only because of each and every person who took action with me. I greatly appreciate all who did.
Written by: Kerry Cannon aka “KC Kush” exclusively for cannabisactivismnow.com
How The Cannabis Industry Actually Stifles Innovation And Causes Higher Prices For Patients
When many people hear the words ‘cannabis industry’ they often think of a utopian world where legalization in America applies to everyone and nobody will ever go to jail for growing, possessing, or selling cannabis.
While this may be true for the ultra rich capitalist class of people in America who can afford to pay over a million dollars for a legal cannabis license, it is not true for the majority of us hard working Americans who just want to put some food on our table and smoke a joint or take a dab after a long day of work.
As an activist in Colorado, I learned some interesting things that you won’t see in High Times, NowThis, or any other for-profit corporate media conglomerate. They are only interested in getting money from their rich sponsors, who are only interested in numbers of viewers. The more eyeballs, the more the media company can charge advertisers. This is why they publish sensationalist viral garbage over and over, they seek to appeal to the lowest common denominator and will promote any company who gives them money to do so.
In Colorado, We The People were able to pass a referendum that legalized cannabis for personal use and home growing. As soon as we voted on our own proposed amendment to the Colorado constitution and it passed, politicians in conjunction with cannabis business owners immediately began to roll back our progress and began stripping our newly appointed rights away with dozens of new laws, regulations, and restrictions which hurt patients and only benefited the big business cannabis companies who donated to those politicians to restrict our rights.
While a few of the more ‘daring’ or ‘independent’ media out there might slightly mention what I just described, they will NEVER talk about the main point of this article; how the cannabis industry actually stifles innovation and causes higher prices for patients.
In the capitalist world, everything hinges on one basic concept: ‘intellectual property’. Intellectual property refers to intangible property that is the result of creativity, such as patents, copyrights, etc. Capitalists use intellectual property to justify charging a higher price for their product. Typically this will be done through words and phrases along the lines of: ‘our product was created with a special formula by scientists using a very technical, very expensive machine’… When in reality this product, or one extremely similar, can be made yourself at home quite easily. The capitalist business man, who we will now refer to as the vulgar economist, does not want you to know that you can do this yourself at home because that would hurt his profits. If you can make this, he can’t make money off you buying that product or service from him. So he protects his ideas (which he learned from someone else) by strict intellectual property laws and by deceptively keeping that information from the public.
When we are talking about using cannabis for medical use, keeping vital information that can improve a patient’s outlook and life is not only immoral but is down right destructive. Let’s take the case of Charlotte’s Web, (although every company in the cannabis industry is guilty of this unless they are completely open, transparent, and show the entire process behind how and what is used to make their product).
When Charlotte’s Web came out, nearly every magazine and news station in America carried a story about it and it’s ‘miraculous health benefits’. The company did nothing special to make this product. They simply got a strain from another grower, or created their own which is not hard to do yourself. They then hid any information about what this strain was, so that patients could not grow this strain themselves. Their only option was being forced to purchase products from the vulgar economist made from the strain at the highest price the market allows. If the corporate board members instead would have released the information that ‘Charlotte’s Web’ is pretty much the same thing as the strain ‘R4’, then thousands of patients could have easily have grown this plant at home and maybe then because of the massive increase in moms and dads growing for their epileptic children maybe we could actually achieve a true legalization in America in which all prohibition laws are repealed and we can all grow, sell, and process cannabis instead of just the rich friends of politicians.
Check Out This Solar-Powered House Made With Hemp
And it’s surprisingly chic
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This zero-carbon house in Cambridgeshire, England, literally comes from the land. Built on the 53-acre Margent Farm, the Flat House takes advantage of the property’s biggest resource—hemp.
London studio Practice Architecture worked with the farm to design the house, which was constructed in two days using prefabricated panels made from hempcrete, a mixture of hemp and lime.
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The paneled facade of the house is clad in hemp-fiber tiles that are bound with a sugar-based resin made from agricultural waste. “The materials are breathable meaning they regulate the moisture in the air, resisting damp and mould and leading to a healthier environment and air quality,” the architects told Dezeen. The house also goes off-grid with a biomass boiler and solar panels on the roof.
Inside, the hemp panels are left bare, framed by a timber support system, which gives the walls a cool, neutral-toned texture. Though the house is made from humble materials, it still exudes an air of sophistication. The open-plan lower level has an atmospheric double-height ceiling and a wall of windows light up the dining area. Light timber stairs lead to a mezzanine and the bedrooms.
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Originally published By Liz Stinson on Jan 14, 2020 at: https://www.curbed.com/2020/1/14/21059197/solar-powered-home-zero-carbon-hemp-practice-architecture?fbclid=IwAR3sJly2pC2apWEC5pfV2EH9aLmRcLRMpyB3Bks7cgu6YKvxF6ySF4vV6Ok
Planes Can Plant 1 Billion Trees A Year With Seed Bombs
Can nature win the war on climate change? Maybe with a little help from humanity.
Using old reconditioned military planes, we can plant one billion trees a year. The planes will “tree bomb” deteriorated forests that have been devastated by commercial logging.
The proposed program uses some of that fastest growing trees in the world, which grow over 10 feet per year. These trees can fully counter the negative effects of de-forestation within a few years.
“A fleet of unused and decommissioned C-130 Hercules cargo planes, originally created to drop land mines, could be recommissioned as foresters,” the Guardian states.
“Lockheed Martin — the quintessential military innovation company — and Aerial Forestation Inc, of Newton took an old rusty idea from former UK RAF pilot Jack Walters and turned it into a reality. The planes will be outfitted to each drop up to 900,000 trees in one day and with 2,500 C-130’s sitting unused in 70 different countries, this idea could make for a lot of little saplings.”
The cargo planes will drop cones of seeds that bury themselves in the soil. The tree bombs don’t explode on impact but rather their casing dissolves over time and they contain a measure of fertilizer and enough moisture to ensure that the tree takes root.
“The possibilities are amazing,” says Peter Simmons, a Lockheed Martin representative. “We can fly at 1,000 ft at 130 knots planting more than 3,000 cones a minute in a pattern across the landscape – just as we did with landmines, but in this case each cone contains a sapling. That’s 125,000 trees for each sortie and 900,000 trees in a day.”
Watch the video below to see aerial reforestation and tree bombs in action: https://youtu.be/aForyreNuYU
Originally published at: https://www.sunnyskyz.com/blog/1467/Planes-Can-Plant-1-Billion-Trees-A-Year-With-Seed-Bombs?fbclid=IwAR2Q3VHgRCW0voLHDYoZ4r0VXVZN_IRLyzQ32cNZirYS9FDaQpDdtrA45YQ
How to Make Your Body More Alkaline [15 Tips to Raise Your pH Levels]
Are you looking for a few simple tips how to make your body more alkaline? Or do you want to raise your pH levels?
If so, then it’s not too hard to achieve these outcomes!
In this article, you will get a comprehensive guide on how to alkalize your body. First, you’ll learn about the difference between your various pH levels. Then you will discover a simple strategy to test if your body is alkaline or acidic. Finally you can check out the 15 tips on how to make your body more alkaline.
Why Does Your Body Become Alkaline or Acidic?
Before we get into all the tips on how to make your body alkaline, let’s discuss the reasons why you might have an in-balance in your pH levels.
There are two main factors that contribute making your body too acidic.
- The foods we eat. (soda, meats, coffee, chocolate, flour sugar)
- The amount of stress in our bodies and how we deal with it.
So you might wonder: “If I changed the foods that I ate and reduced my stress, would that make my body more alkaline?”
The simple answer is it depends.
Let’s talk about the pH levels in your body work…
Can you remember the pH scale? This scale measures how acidic or basic a substance is. If a substance is neither acidic nor basic, it is neutral. The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14.
Understanding the pH Level in Your Body
Most people don’t stop to consider the acid/alkaline balance in their blood, but an optimal pH is actually crucial to one’s health. Human blood is a solution, meaning that it is made up of a uniform distribution inside a liquid.
Having a balanced pH protects our bodies from the inside out. Some even say that diseases and disorders cannot grow in a body whose pH is in balance. An imbalanced pH allows unhealthy organisms to grow, damages tissues and organs, and hurts the immune system.
The body’s optimal pH is 7.36, which is just barely alkaline.
Because most people are too acidic, it is best to focus on alkalizing the body to maintain proper health. To measure your pH, you can dip a piece of litmus paper in your saliva or urine as soon as you wake up, before eating or drinking anything.
An acidic environment in one’s body will decrease its ability to repair damaged cells and detoxify heavy metals. It also creates an environment for tumor cells to thrive, and it makes the body more susceptible to fatigue and illness.
Acidosis is more common in today’s society than it was in centuries past due to the drastic changes in our eating patterns as compared to those who came before us.
Choosing to eat more alkaline foods can help to change your pH balance. This allows your body to function at its best.
However, many of the foods that people love are very acidic. Eating too many acidic foods over time stresses the body’s natural functions and can leave you feeling tired and sluggish.
So, which foods are alkalizing and which are acidic? As stated, the scale goes from 0 to 14, and you want to shoot for a balanced pH of 7. Our food today is far too high in acid-producing animal products such as meat, eggs, and dairy.
Alkaline-producing foods:
- spinach
- broccoli
- carrots
- cauliflower
- collard greens
- strawberries
- wild rice
Acid-producing processed food & drinks:
- white flour
- meat & eggs
- sugar
- chocolate
- cream cheese
- coffee
- soft drinks
- fruit juices
Neutral foods (slightly acidic):
- cooked beans
- coconut
- salmon
Neutral foods (slightly basic):
- apples
- olives
- bananas
It is far too low in alkaline-producing foods such as fresh vegetables like spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, collard greens, strawberries, and wild rice.
Additionally, we eat acid-producing processed foods such as white flour and sugar, and drink acid-producing beverages like coffee and soft drinks. Popcorn, cream cheese, chocolate, fruit juices, and nuts are all acidic foods that harm our overall health.
Some more neutral foods that are only slightly acidic include cooked beans, coconut, and salmon. On the other hand, some foods that are only slightly basic are apples, olives, and bananas.
Further, all grains, whether they are whole or not, increase acidity in the body. Many people eat most of their quota of plant food in the form of processed wheat or corn. The problem is, if you do not consume enough alkaline-promoting foods to counteract this, the body can become prone to disease.
Calcium-rich dairy products actually lead to osteoporosis because they create acidity in the body. When your bloodstream acquires too much acid, it will take calcium out of the bones because calcium is an alkaline substance.
This will then help the body balance the pH level. So while many people think that eating calcium is the key to strong bones, the best way to prevent osteoporosis is actually to eat a lot of alkaline green leafy vegetables.
How to Tell If Your Body Is Alkaline or Acidic
The big question here is, “How can you tell if your body is too alkaline or acidic?”
The quickest way to get this information is to measure your body’s pH level by using pH level strips that you can purchase at your local pharmacy or online. However, if you don’t have these handy and you want to know where you stand now, here are some symptoms of being too alkaline or too acidic.
Symptoms of Being Too Acidic
If your body is too acidic, you are likely to experience a lot of fatigue, even if you feel as if you are getting enough sleep at night. You may also have joint pain, headaches, chronic pain, or a stiff neck.
You are likely to feel an overall sense of sluggishness, and even depression at times. Many people whose bodies are too acidic also suffer from irritability and brain fog.
Symptoms of Being Too Alkaline
This is much less common than being too acidic, but can come with equally as disturbing symptoms. People who are too alkaline may suffer from hand tremors, nausea, vomiting, confusion, lightheadedness, and muscle twitching.
If you are still not sure after looking through these symptoms, here’s a great video from Dr. Eric Berg. https://youtu.be/m_AKdZ2E1oo
15 Ways to Make Your Body More Alkaline
As you can see, there can be a lot of negative consequences if your body is too acidic. An alkaline body is hard work, but worthwhile. If you’d like to balance it by becoming more alkaline, then here are 15 tips on how to make your body more alkaline.
1. Check your pH levels regularly.
pH Strips are relatively easy to purchase online. They give a fast and accurate reading of your body’s acidity and alkaline levels. The results of these test strips will help guide you in keeping your pH levels balanced so your body can properly process essential nutrients.
These strips give you a convenient method to monitor your pH levels in the privacy of your home. You can use either saliva or urine to test your pH. Results appear 15 seconds after your test is administered, and the strips come with an easy-to-read chart to see what range you are in.
2. Start your day with a tall glass of water with a hint of lemon.
Lemon might seem too acidic, but it actually has the reverse effect because it helps boost your metabolism. Clean water and a slice of freshly squeezed lemon is one of the most highly rated energy boosters of all time.
Water with lemon gives the body clean energy through both hydration and oxygenation that provide extraordinary energy and mental clarity.
When added to your water, fresh lemon helps oxygenate the body and optimize enzyme function. This fruit is known to stimulate the liver’s natural enzymes and assist the liver in the process of getting rid of toxins such as uric acid.
3. Eat more dark and green vegetables.
When we think of healthy foods, we usually think about the color green. Similarly, when we think about nature, we think about the color green. Green is a color that is associated with all of the good aspects of life, but when it comes to choosing what is for lunch, we typically have a reluctance towards green foods.
Unfortunately, our taste buds have been conditioned to love artificial flavors and sugars. Food manufacturers have made us crave intense flavors that can only be found in packaged products.
So, how can you get yourself to eat more dark and green vegetables? Start by exposing yourself to new vegetables and experimenting with them in the kitchen. You likely don’t know that you will like some of these foods until you try them.
Also, make them easily available. When you reach for a snack, make sure that you already have cut-up vegetables in the fridge rather than a bag of potato chips.
4. Get more exercise.
Exercise helps your body sustain and restore its neutral pH balance of tissues, as well as blood and cellular fluids. Doing aerobic exercise is the best way to maintain the acid-alkaline equilibrium in your body because it works your muscles and can help reduce the accumulation of acid in your system.
When it comes to exercising, make sure to do at least one form of activity each day, whether that is walking, dancing, gardening, swimming, etc. Also, the more you exercise, the better off your overall health will be.
5. Limit your alcohol intake.
Alcohol changes your pH by altering your kidneys’ ability to maintain substances such as phosphate in your blood. Imbalances of substances in the blood can significantly decrease the effectiveness of your body’s metabolism.
When you drink a light form of alcohol, like a beer, you are drinking a significant amount of water while also reducing your kidneys’ ability to get rid of that water. This results in a fluid overload and a change in phosphate levels that then decreases the acidity of your blood, making your pH level rise.
In fact, a single drink of alcohol can begin to change your normal kidney function. If your liver is already damaged from previous alcohol consumption, alcohol’s effects on your kidneys will only become more harmful.
6. Add a teaspoon of natural baking soda to water and drink it first thing in the morning.
Sure, this doesn’t taste so great, but is a quick way to alkalize your body. It is an easy method, and you can feel the effects of it right away. To do this, mix a teaspoon of natural baking soda in a cup of water and drink it as soon as you wake up.
Among other health benefits, drinking baking soda dissolved in a bit of water helps balance the body’s pH and promotes overall well-being while increasing energy.
7. Reduce your intake of acidic foods.
Limiting your intake of acidic foods can help manage your pH levels, help preserve bone density, prevent kidney stones, and eliminate symptoms of acid reflux.
Foods that are acid-forming in the body should be eaten in strict moderation. Some of these foods include processed cakes and breads, processed cereals, eggs, peanuts, walnuts, pasta, rice, oats, and cold cuts.
When it comes to beverages, limit your intake of alcohol, milk, caffeinated drinks, and drinks that contain artificial sweeteners.
8. Drink more alkaline water.
You have probably heard some of the health claims that are out there about alkaline water. While a few say that it can help slow the aging process, prevent chronic disease, and regulate your body’s pH level, what exactly is the hype around alkaline water?
Alkaline water has a higher pH level than normal drinking water. Because of this, alkaline water can help neutralize the acid in your body. While normal drinking water typically has a neutral pH of 7, alkaline water has a pH of about 8 or 9.
9. Take multivitamins to supplement your diet.
Many of the vitamins included in a multivitamin will help you alkalize your body. For example, vitamins A and C boost the immune system and strengthen the body’s cells while also making the body more alkaline.
Vitamin D also helps the body maintain an alkaline state while also improving calcium absorption and helping the body maintain healthy mineral levels.
While you may not get enough of these important vitamins and minerals in your diet, taking a multivitamin every day can help your body maintain a healthy pH level.
10. Go for a brisk walk.
Exercise helps move any acidic waste products that are stuck in your body so your organs can eliminate them more effectively.
Each day, go for a brisk walk or incorporate another form of cardio into your day somehow. Grab a friend and start a walking routine together, and stick with it.
11. Eat raw, unsalted almonds.
Snack on raw, unsalted almonds throughout the day to help combat acidity in your body. Almonds are rich in natural alkaline minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which help balance out the acidity in your body while also balancing your blood sugar.
If you feel the need to reach for some chips or cake, opt for raw, unsalted almonds instead. They will keep you fuller longer, and have a better effect on the pH of your blood.
12. Reduce your intake of sugar.
The most acidic things you can put into your body are foods that are full of sugar, such as sodas, candy, and cakes. Sugar is actually everywhere you look, in plain sight, as well as being hidden in common food items.
Products like ketchup, yogurt, and even pasta sauce are full of sugar. Sugar comes in many forms, such as high fructose corn syrup, artificial sugar, corn syrup solids, fructose, sucrose, and dextrose, just to name a few.
Sugar (in all of its forms) is very acidic. When you stop to think about how prevalent sugar is in foods (and often in high amounts), it is easy to see its influence in contributing to an imbalanced pH in the blood.
13. Reduce your caffeine intake.
Caffeine is often found in coffee and other drinks that are meant to provide you with a pick-me-up. You may be used to reaching for a soda in the mid-afternoon to help get you through the day, or even an after-dinner cup of coffee to help you finish up some work at the end of the night.
However, caffeine is an acidic factor that can damage the pH of your body. Instead of drinking caffeinated drinks, replace them with either water or tea.
14. Reduce the amount of stress in your life.
Studies have shown that your emotional state affects the pH levels in your body. Stress affects the neuron-endocrine system, which leads to higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone. As is the truth with any form of stress, half of the battle is realizing that the stress is happening.
Practicing mindfulness and recognizing what is challenging you, and whether you are having a helpful or hindering response is an important part of making sure your negative thoughts don’t have a lasting effect on your body.
Building a mindfulness practice will help you become aware of your emotions and allow them to pass without judgment. Once you are aware of your stress, take some steps to find inner peace to help you cope, which will also help keep your pH balanced and avoid harming your bones.
15. Focus on consuming lots of high-alkaline foods.
While you are avoiding foods that make your body produce more acidic, make sure to also add in foods that help your body come to a more alkaline state.
Eat a diet rich in fruits, nuts, legumes, and vegetables. Think about raw Brussels sprouts, raw Swiss chard, raw mustard greens, raw eggplant, sweet potatoes, and yams.
If you get stuck, Ross Bridgeford has a list of seven of the most alkaline foods:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Cucumber
- Broccoli
- Avocado
- Celery
- Bell pepper
The Dangers of a Body that is Too Acidic
Think about some of the dangers of having a body that is too acidic. It can lead to fatigue, headaches, chronic pain, lack of appetite, increased heart rate, depression, and more.
Without quick treatment, acidosis can lead to several more serious health problems, such as kidney stones, chronic kidney problems, kidney failure, bone disease, and delayed growth.
Found this alkaline body post helpful?
I hope you enjoyed this post on how to make your body more alkaline. If your body is too acidic it can actually be life threatening unless you change your pH balance. So I hope you take it seriously!
Cops Jail Men for 8 Days over Legal Hemp Despite Documents Proving Legality
The Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona arrested the two men on drug trafficking charges for the legal hemp.
By the time they got to Arizona, Christopher Tinsley and Gordon Peppers had been on the road for a day, transporting a load of legal CBD-rich hemp from Oregon to Texas, planning on reaching their destination by nightfall before heading back home to Oregon the following morning.
The entire trip was supposed to take three days with the two longtime friends taking turns driving.
But they had the misfortune of driving through Yavapai County just north of Phoenix where the county attorney is still living in Nancy Reagan’s “just say no” America, a prohibitionist of a prosecutor who has a reputation of sending licensed medical marijuana patients to prison.
Yavapai County Attorney Sheila Polk also has enforcers on the payroll, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office, which has seized millions of dollars in civil asset forfeitures over the years with the money going straight into a fund she manages. Polk once penned an editorial claiming “marijuana use was associated with the tragic and needless deaths of 62 children in Arizona.”
But Tinsley and Peppers knew none of this when they drove into Arizona on March 25 after spending the night in Nevada.
The fact they had all the paperwork proving the load was legal was beside the point, according to Yavapai County sheriff’s deputy Trevor Hearl, who claimed in his report that his “training and experience” left no doubt in his mind that they had been transporting “high-grade marijuana” instead of CBD-rich hemp.
As a result, the two men spent eight days in jail at a time when the coronavirus was running rampant in jails and prisons across the country. They were charged with several drug trafficking felonies which were all dismissed after an independent lab test confirmed the shipment was, indeed, legal hemp. Now the two friends are preparing to file a lawsuit.
“All they had to do was call the Oregon Department of Agriculture with the (certificate of analysis) and give them the badge number from each container and the department of agriculture would have told them where it was grown, when it was harvested, when it was sold and all of that stuff,” Tinsley said in a telephone interview with Photography is Not a Crime.
Instead, the deputies claimed the documents were fake without making any effort to prove it.
One supervisor even lied to them by claiming he had called the Oregon company they were working for and was informed the company only sold marijuana, not hemp.
“I said that’s kind of funny because it was 8 a.m. and I happen to know the company does not open until 9:30 or 10 so unless you had a nice conversation with the automated system, I highly doubt you spoke to them,” Tinsley said.
The men were also informed they fit the profile of drug traffickers because they were driving a car with out-of-state plates on a known drug corridor.
“I kept waiting for him to say it was because we were black,” Tinsley said.
Even before pulling him over, Hearl claimed in his report he was able to determine that Tinsley “appeared to be extremely nervous” as he was driving because “he was pushed back in his seat, with both hands on the steering wheel and both arms locked out.”
Tinsley said the bulk of the arrest report is nothing but lies and exaggerations. This is how Hearl justified the traffic stop.
While driving east on I-40 east bount near mm 140, I observed a Nissan work style van traveling in the right (slow) lane. As I got closer to the vehicle, I noticed the vehicle drift from centered in its lane toward the shoulder, hugging the fog line. In my experience, this shift in lane position is a subconscious behavior associated with creating distance from a threat. In this scenario, my approaching patrol vehicle is a threat to people involved in criminal activity.
As I got closer, I noticed the vehicle did not have a permanent license plate displayed in the license plate bracket. I then saw the shape of the temporary license plate tag in the rear window, but could not make out the numbers because the rear window tint was too dark. Due to the slow speed the vehicle was traveling and other traffic moving at the posted speed limit, I passed the vehicle in order to prevent the disturbance of the normal flow of traffic. As I passed the vehicle, I noticed the driver appeared to be extremely nervous. He was pushed back in his seat, with both hands on the steering wheel and both arms locked out. This type of driving position appeared to be uncomfortable and is not typical behavior displayed by the innocent motoring public while traveling long distances on the high way.
I noticed the vehicle drift from centered in its lane toward the shoulder, hugging the fog line. In my experience, this shift in lane position is a subconscious behavior associated with creating distance from a threat. In this scenario, my approaching patrol vehicle is a threat to people involved in criminal activity.
The deputies were so convinced they had make a huge drug bust that they separated the two men, trying to get them to rat each out for crimes they did not commit. The two men ended up spending six hours in handcuffs in the back of separate patrol cars as the deputies searched their van before they were driven to jail.
The deputies weighed the hemp twice; once while it was inside the totes it was being transported in, then again without the totes; the true weight; a difference of 131 pounds.
“Instead of us having 286 pounds of hemp, they were saying we now had 417 pounds with the hemp inside the totes themselves,” Tinsley said.
The deputies then informed the owner of the hemp company who had been trying to secure their release that they had been caught with 417 pounds of marijuana, making the owner believe they had picked up an additional 131 pounds of actual marijuana to transport with the hemp. That made him hesitant to hire an attorney for the men. It was not until he read the police report that included both weights that he realized what they had done.
During the entire traffic stop as well as in his report, Hearl kept referring to his “training and experience” as to how he knew the men were lying which he admitted did not go beyond a simple smell test.
“He kept say, ‘well, it smells like marijuana,'” Tinsey said.
But had he received proper training, he would have known that hemp and marijuana are identical because they are both cannabis plants so yes, they both smell alike. The only difference is that hemp contains less than .3 percent of THC which is the cannabinoid that gets people high.
In other words, no matter how much training and experience a cop may have, the only way to determine whether a plant is hemp or marijuana is through an independent lab test which had already been done and was included in the certificate of analysis accompanying the load.
Nevertheless, cops across the country keep making these arrests with very little repercussions as we’ve reported in the past.
It’s been almost two years since the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill which legalized hemp at the federal level but local and states cops have evidently not made any effort to train their cops on the issue.
According to the Miami New Times, the following arrests took place in 2019:
- The New York City Police Department seized 106 pounds of legal hemp in November after a FedEx driver chose to deliver the shipment to an NYPD precinct instead of its destination, a CBD business. The NYPD congratulated itself on Twitter about how it intercepted “marijuana that was destined for our city streets” — only to have to return it several weeks later when it was proven to be legal hemp. The FedEx driver had picked up the hemp from a farm in Vermont and took it to a police station in that state, which determined it to be legal hemp. The driver then took it to the NYPD for a second opinion. The NYPD invited the owner to pick up his legal product and then arrested the owner’s brother when he attempted to retrieve it. The owner and his brother are preparing to sue.
- The Pawhuska Police Department in Oklahoma that January seized 18,000 pounds of legal hemp that was being transported from Kansas to Colorado, where CBD would be extracted from it. Four men were arrested for marijuana trafficking before all charges were dismissed in July.
- Idaho State Police seized 6,700 pounds of legal hemp that January and are refusing to return it to its owner despite lab reports having long proven the hemp to be legal. A truck driver arrested on felony trafficking charges ended up sentenced to 180 days in jail after accepting a plea deal for failing to provide proper trucking documentation. Shortly after the seizure, state police issued a media release saying “the trooper’s training and experience made him suspicious that the cargo was, in fact, marijuana, not industrial hemp.”
- The South Dakota Highway Patrol seized 292 pounds of legal hemp in July and arrested a man who was driving the hemp from Colorado to Minnesota, where CBD would be extracted from it for use in the commercial market. The hemp has been tested and shows only traces of THC, but prosecutors are proceeding with the case against the man because South Dakota is one of three states that have not legalized hemp. The seized hemp was valued at $36,000, but the CBD extracted from it would have been valued at $100,000. The driver’s next hearing is set for February. He remains out on bond.
- The Colorado State Patrol seized 162 pounds of legal hemp in May and arrested the woman who had been hired to drive it to Las Vegas. They slapped her with trafficking charges punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The charges were dismissed, and the hemp was returned in August after it was tested in a laboratory and proven to be legal.
In all these cases, the arrests are made after the cops refuse to do their due diligence.
“All they had to do was take five to ten minutes to call the Department of Agriculture in Oregon and they could have verified every one of those papers we had,” said Gordon Peppers. “But they told us the entire time we were lying.”
Read the Yavapai County sheriff’s arrest report here.
Originally pubblished by: Carlos Miller on May 28, 2020 at https://newsmaven.io/pinacnews/cops-gone-rogue/cops-jail-men-for-8-days-over-legal-hemp-despite-documents-proving-legality-GvgkYDv3S0yae9M92-O9LA?fbclid=IwAR1UOTrSw_xZW8VV4lhsyo_mVtlf0SEU3OaAZUhUFs3LdypgtAGLHJDVYJo
“Unnecessary and cruel” – how MS victim described cannabis prosecution
A married couple accused of illegally possessing and producing cannabis have walked free from a court after the prosecution accepted there was no public interest in continuing with the case.
Mark and Lesley Gibson, both 55, had faced three charges.
They included an allegation that they had in their possession illegal cannabis-laced chocolate bars.
Mrs Gibson, who has multiple sclerosis, said that she was forced to find an alternative source of the drug after the NHS withdrew the cannabis based medicinal spray she had depended on for more than a decade.
Without it, she said, she suffers from a range of distressing symptoms, including intense pain, body spasms, and sight loss.
At Carlisle Crown Court today, there was a spontaneous round of applause from the couple’s supporters in the public gallery as Judge Michael Duck announced that the case was now over.
Throughout the case, the Gibson’s have said that their actions were purely down to medical necessity – the need to treat Mrs Gibson’s MS.
The prosecution today outlined how for more than a decade Mrs Gibson had been able to get her medication through a doctor’s prescription, but then in 2017 the local NHS withdrew it.
Prosecuting attorney Brendan Burke outlined how the Gibsons had illegally produced at their Yewdale Road home in Carlisle only after her Sativex medication was withdrawn.
Speaking outside court, Mr Gibson said: “These prosecutions are unnecessary and very, very cruel. Today was a good result – and the law is listening – at last!”
Prosecuting attorney Brendan Burke insisted that the couple had broken the law and warned that they would be prosecuted if they did so again.
Originally published By Phil Coleman at https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/18140039.carlisle-couple-cannabis-charges-declared-not-guilty/
Build a $300 Underground Greenhouse for Year-round Fresh Food
Gardening and people who love to put their hands into soil and tend to growing plants know no boundaries — certainly there’s no less of them in the cold climates — but you can’t just go outside and garden all year round once you get away from the hot equator.
One thing some people do, though, is extend their growing seasons with greenhouses, indoor and outdoor. And another way to do it is to build an underground pit greenhouse, which is better in the way that it costs less to heat than a standing greenhouse. These originated in South America about 20 years ago.
How does year-round gardening at a price of a few hundred dollars sound to you? So that you can just go out and get some lettuce, tomatoes, or any other produce at any time – no trip to the grocery store, and you know your food is fresh. People are doing this in these underground gardens. How are they set up?
It’s basically a pit dug in the dirt near your house. The best style is probably the room-shaped rectangle pit. It’s easier to put a roof on. They dig a few feed down , then lay out their garden paths and the areas of soil for their crops.
Some people also put in a fireplace. This has two functions. One is that if they ever need to heat up their greenhouse, they can burn wood in it. But another use is in the summer when it gets really hot – over 100 degrees, the fireplace acts as a vent, letting the hot air out through the chimney.
On top of the recessed room, people dig a small staircase and door for entry (or more than one door, which also can allow air flow). Then they set up a simple a-frame roof frame and staple clear poly sheets on it to let light in and keep heat in. They set up a plastic (or other) barrel as a water reservoir. A hose comes through the wall to fill it. Another hose comes out and waters the greenhouse beds.
The total cost of this, depending on what you already have around and what you can get a deal on, is estimated to be between $100 and $300.
Now, a lot of you already are thinking, probably, about the vegetables and fruits you can grow in here, whether for yourself or to sell at a local produce market, but you can also grow flowers in a greenhouse – and if you have a big greenhouse, why not? Here’s a list of plants that can be grown in greenhouses:
Achimenes ,Agapanthus, Ageratum, Alonsoa (Mask Flower), Anthericum (St Bernard Lily), Antirrhinum (Snapdragon), Aristolochia (Dutchman’s Pipe), Arum Lily, Azalea ,Babiana ,Begonia, Beloperone (The Shrimp Plant), Bougainviilea, Browallia, Brunfelsia, Calceolaria (Slipper Flower), Calendula (Pot Marigold), Camellia, Campanula (Bell-flower), Canna (Indian Shot), Carnations, Celosia, Celsia, Chorizema, Chrysanthemum, Cineraria, Clarkia, Ciivia, Cobaea (Cups and Saucers), Coleus, Columnea, Cornflower, Crocus, Cyclamen, Cytisus, Daphne, Deutzia, Dicentra (Bleeding Heart), Echium, Erica (Heath), Erythrina, Eucomis (Pineapple Flower), Exacum, Forsythia, Francoa (Bridal Wreath), Freesia, Fremontia, Fuchsia, Gerbera (Barberton Daisy), Gloriosa, Gloxinia, Godetia, Heliotrope (Cherry Pie), Hippeastrum, Hoya, Hyacinth, Hydrangea, Impatiens (Balsam), Ipomoea, Iris, Kalanchoe, Laburnum, Lachenalia, Lantana, Lapageria, Lilium, Mignonette, Narcissus, Naegelia, Nemesia, Nerine, Nerium (Oleander), Pelargonium, Petunia, Phlox, Plumbago, Primula, Rehmannia, Rhododendron, Saintpaulia (The African Violet), Salpiglossis, Salvia, Schizanthus (The Butterfly Flower), Scilla, Solanum (Winter Cherry), Sparmannia, Statice, Stephanotis, Streptocarpus, Streptosolen, Thunbergia, Torenia, Trachelium, Trachymene, Tritonia, Tuberose, Tulip, Vallota, Verbena, Viscaria, Zinnia
Some people also keep animals in the greenhouse! Chickens and even herds like goats (during the coldest times of year mostly). These are cheap livestock because chickens can live freely and just come in to the greenhouse to lay eggs and get warm, while they can just find their own food outside. So they cost nothing or close to it.