The American Cultivator Michigan Edition Winter Issue 2015

News For PeoPle oN the Grow

Winter 2015 theamericancultivator.com

What’s next for mj after fall electionsspotlight neWs p4

continued, PG. 6 see CANCER

SucceSS StorieS of cancer treated with marijuana, or concentrates of the plant, are becoming commonplace in mainstream media. Americans have heard the arguments, they’ve seen the videotaped testimony of the ill, and polling says they overwhelmingly believe marijuana is medicine.

Those tales of healing are just not enough for many others. “Cannabis beats cancer” is a tough mantra for many who have heard negative propaganda against it all their lives. Worldwide, 7.6 million people die each year die from cancer. That’s a pretty tough scourge to fight, but the science is coming in with some hope for patients and their families. Here are seven scientific reports that may be more believable:

1. A Study PubliShed in 2011 by

the British Journal of Pharmacology titled “The Endocannabinoid System and Cancer: Therapeutic Implications” looked at three cancers: breast, prostate and bone. It concluded that cannabis has “therapeutic value” in treating those cancers. THC and “the endocannabinoid system play a role in inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and angiogenesis, reducing tumor growth and metastases and inducing apoptosis (self-destruction for cancer cells) in all three types of cancer.” The researchers went on to say, “activation of the endocannabinoid signaling system produces anti-cancer effects in other types of cancer including skin, brain gliomas and lung.”

2. SPAniSh reSeArcherS, in 2006, observed that same apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells when exposed to cannabinoids. “In conclusion, results presented here show that cannabinoids lead to apoptosis of pancreatic tumor

cells via a CB2 receptor,” the researchers declared. Scientists wrote: “Cannabinoids also reduced the growth of tumor cells in two animal models. … [It] inhibited the spreading of pancreatic tumor cells … [and] selectively increased apoptosis and TRB3 expression in pancreatic tumor cells.”

3. APoPtoSiS APPeArS in Italian scientific literature regarding CBD and brain tumors. Researchers from the University of Insubria observed “the antiproliferative effect of CBD was correlated to induction of apoptosis” in brain cancer. “The nonpsychoactive CBD was able to produce a significant antitumor activity both in vitro and in vivo,” the study summarized.

4. A 2007 hArvArd univerSity Study said that THC shrinks lung cancer tumors. “The active ingredient in marijuana cuts tumor growth in common lung cancer in half and significantly reduces the ability of the cancer to spread,” the

researchers discovered. Exposure to THC led to a 60% reduction in lung lesions, arrested development of tumors and reduced mobility of tumor tissues–even shrinking existing tumors by 50%.” THC may also interfere with angiogenesis and vascularization, which promotes cancer growth.”

5. cbd iS linked to “turning off” the genetic signal that tells cancer to spread. Researchers at the California Pacific Medical Center reported in 2012 that the ID-1 gene, which is responsible for telling tumors to grow, can be put in check with high-dose applications of CBD. Although their original findings were limited to breast cancer, the scientists are now saying every tumor with the ID-1 gene can experience the same effect from CBD.

6. leukemiA cellS exposed to six different types of cannabinoids saw their

By Rick Thompson

enterprises forge poWer in marijuana marketcannabusiness p14

the american cultivator Word searchhemp culture p18

American Cultivator

it wAS four years ago, in January 2011 that debilitating headaches began to plague then 14-year-old Alysa Erwin. A few months later the Erwin family’s lives were upended when she was diagnosed with grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma – brain cancer – at the Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan Medical Center. The prognosis was grim; Alysa might live 18 to 24 months with the help of chemotherapy. The tumor was one of the spider web types; it was spread through her brain with no centralized mass that could be targeted with radiation.

It was shortly after they began the

treatment that the Erwins became familiar with medical marijuana and Rick Simpson Hemp Oil, a cannabis extract that some people use to treat cancer, and began traveling an up and down trail that they’re still on. Unfortunately they are foundering their way through the process with little guidance from the medical establishment as they try to save Alysa’s life.

After Alysa was first diagnosed she was given a course of chemo, a pill form drug called Temedor and sent back to their northern Michigan home. The chemo treatment had her bedridden.

“She was deathly sick,” says her mother Carly Erwin.

The teenager’s headaches were worse and she couldn’t keep food down. Her parents worried that the treatment was as bad as the disease. Then they heard from Carly’s father who lived downstate. He’d heard about the Simpson oil and thought that might hold some hope for his granddaughter. The family began researching and watched the videos What If Cannabis Cured Cancer and Run from the Cure. Those and numerous others on the subject are available on YouTube.

“This is the end, we thought,” says Carly. “If this is all that chemo can do, at least we can make her comfortable for the months that she had left with us.”

After some family discussion, including Alysa, they decided to stop the chemo and try the Simpson oil. The next step was to actually get some, which they did with the help of Gersh Avery in the Ann Arbor area. She took her first dose of the oil in early August. Carly mixed some with peanut butter and fed her daughter a teaspoon full. After the very first dose there was a miraculous transformation in the sick girl.

“About 30 minutes after taking cannabis oil she was out of her room eating and smiling,” says Carly. “We knew what we wanted after seeing her but we wanted to see what she wanted because it was her body. The light was back in her eyes again. She was back to herself. She said she wasn’t doing chemo anymore; she was only doing cannabis oil.”

The Erwins were unsure of the legal territory they were in and feared telling the doctor what they were doing. The next MRI was taken about three months after the initial chemo treatment. That

Thanks to hemp oil teenager Alysa Erwin has beat the odds

7 scientific reports on cannabis and cancer

cannabis oil helps Wellness p10

By Larry Gabriel - Editor

continued, PG. 8 see REPORTS

Alysa began gaining weight and they were back

home by the time her 18th birthday rolled

around in early October.

CanCer&Cannabis

| The American Cultivator | Winter 20152

The American Cultivator | Winter 2015 | 3

on dec. 6 My Compassion held its 5th Annual Holiday Gala and Fundraiser, hosted by the Om of Medicine in Ann Arbor with a delicious

assortment of delicious treats provided by the Ann Arbor Wellness Collective. There were more than 100 guests including cannabis advocates, charter members of the organization, politicians and business owners enjoying the food, music and companionship. Some guests traveled from as far away as California.

My Compassion charter members provided beautiful gift baskets for the silent auction that included more than 50 items to bid on. These funds from the auction are necessary for outreach programs that provide the information and tools necessary to educate the public

about medical cannabis and its uses. The work done by My Compassion, a

501(c) (3) charitable non-profit, is important in paving the way for this new industry, especially since it’s cloaked in fear from generations of misinformation, political ideologies and fear. Business owners who are looking to unlock and develop a sustainable cannabis industry understand that the more lives we change and the more patients we help, the more the industry blossoms! I would like to personally thank everyone who donated to My Compassion and for understanding the importance of educating patients, medical professionals and the public in general.

Over the past three years we have witnessed children cured of cancer, seizures reduced from 300 a week to three, positive effects on those suffering

from post traumatic stress disorder and alcoholism. It’s not just one person or child who shows signs of improvement with cannabis, its thousands of people across the country who are clearly gaining benefit from using medical cannabis. This is nothing to keep quiet about; with more than 25 states passing medical marijuana laws everyone has the right to learn, especially those that are suffering and have no hope from current treatments.

You can become part of the solution by making it your New Year’s resolution to help support My Compassion’s mission in 2015. By making a generous tax deductible gift of $15, $25, $50 or more, you will help us continue important programs such as our Fighting Fear with Facts Campaign that makes an absolute difference in increasing awareness and positively impacting people’s lives.

When correct information about cannabis is disseminated we all win. Part of winning is when people who support its use can openly gather and socialize together without fear. Now that’s a happy New Year.

You can contact My Compassion at www.mycompassion.org.

P.O. Box 1701 Taylor, MI 48180844-226-6200

editorialMy Compassion - Publisher

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Donald Mongrain - [email protected] ext 483

Content ProvidersRick Thompson

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The American Cultivator retains full editorial

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American Cultivator are not necessarily the

opinion of My Compassion.

The American Cultivator Fighting fear with facts…a message from Director Heidi Parikh

InsIdeThIs Issue

cancer & cannabis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 scientific reports on cannabis and cancer . . . . . . . 1What’s next for mj after fall elections . . . . . . . . . . . . 4medical marijuana for va? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 cannabis news briefs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5editorial: schedule 1 stupidity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6flying high on hemp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8federal hemp laws easing up . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8cannabis oil helps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10pesto verde recipe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10What about the children? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11families torn apart . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11growing legitimacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14bring me some canna-wine . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16know Your support organizations . . . . . . . . . . 18tac Word search . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Cannabis Oil Helps:some claim to have cured cancer, it certainly aids treatment page 10

Guests enjoy themselves at My Compassion’s 5th Annual Holiday Gala and Fundraiser.


localNatioNal

worldwidespotlight news

Demonstrations such as this one have moved marijuana issues toward change. Photo Credit: riCk thomPson

the fAll electionS made 2014 a big year for easing up on cannabis prohibition. The number of states that legalized recreational use of the plant doubled – the total is four but that’s four more than a decade ago. Washington D.C. did the same thing although there seems to be some congressional opposition to in the federal district.

Guam, a U.S. territory, voted to legalize medical marijuana. And while Florida fell short of the 60 percent of the vote to amend the state constitution and allow medical marijuana, the 58 percent of voters who supported it showed a healthy majority for possible future endeavors. It also reflected that the American public is solidly in favor of parsing the potential for medical use. Polls actually show as many as eight in 10 voters support it nationally.

In Michigan eight cities voted to legalize possession and use of small amounts by adults on private property. A total of 17 Michigan cities have voted for reversing cannabis prohibition. Portland, Maine, did the same thing in November. There were no related issues on the ballot in Illinois, but 2014 marked enactment of the medical marijuana pilot program.

On the anti-marijuana side, Kevin Sabet, president of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, pointed to five cities in Colorado that banned dispensaries and Florida as evidence that “we’ve slowed the marijuana train.” If that’s what it was, it was a minor slowdown, nearly every pundit commenting on the subject saw it as a big win for reformers.

“The two most important meter movers were Alaska and Oregon,” says Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the

National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. “The average vote total for those states along with Washington and Colorado is around 54-½ percent, a number most politicians would be envious of in an election.”

So what’s the future of all this? Plenty of prognosticators are counting the states and their expanding medical marijuana laws. But that is no longer the cutting edge. Now folks are wondering which state might be the next to legalize recreational use of the substance. From coast to coast there are rumblings of activity regarding marijuana – wallstreetcheatsheet.com lists California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Maine Missouri, Arizona and Hawaii as “primed” for legalization. USA Today listed those states and added Delaware, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Some of the efforts are voter initiatives and some are based on possible legislative action in those states. Michigan activists have commissioned a poll to parse the public sentiment for a 2016 recreational initiative.

“We suspect that a state legislature in 2015 will pass a legalization bill, probably in New England, Maine or Vermont or Rhode Island,” says St. Pierre. “We have to work hard to get a bill with a governor who is willing to sign it. In 2008 only the Massachusetts Legislature entertained a bill. In 2014, 14 different states debated the topic. At some point in a state the debate will prevail. Michigan can always be in that mix. If resources can be raised in the state one could easily envision Michigan as the Midwest state with a voter initiative. We’d love to see those resources come locally. Illinois is an example of another market that’s just going to boom in the Midwest.”

The next presidential election would be the one where a major candidate will just say no to prohibition. Libertarian Rand Paul has included a blistering attack against the failed War on Drugs in what seems to be a 2016 presidential campaign.

But it’s not just politics and law where

the boundaries have been pushed on marijuana. There is news breaking on the medical uses and effects of marijuana consistently grabbing headlines. Most people think of medical marijuana to help with things like with easing the pain and nausea of cancer treatments. Now we’re starting to suspect that it will become part of the treatment for cancer and other diseases. The range of conditions that it shows promise for treating is startling – cancer, epilepsy, PTSD, multiple sclerosis and more. More widespread recognition and knowledge of the human endocannabinoid system is leading to a next generation approach in healing.

People are changing their minds about marijuana. Every time a patient is helped by it family members take note.

“Once somebody very close to them sees some good benefit from this, not surprisingly their world view changes,” says St. Pierre. “I’m here in D.C., where politicians and law enforcement rail against it until they need medical marijuana, or their wife needs medical marijuana or their kid needs medical marijuana. That’s not how the law should perform.”

Last fall the professional journal Molecular Cancer Therapies published the results of a study from St. George’s University in London that shows marijuana helpful in treating malignant brain tumors. Researchers concluded that cannabinoids (chemicals in marijuana such as THC and CBD) inhibit tumor growth and neutralizes tumor creation.

In December, the journal Epilepsia published the results of a survey of 776 general physicians, basic researchers, nurses, and allied health professionals in the United States and Europe. Results showed 83 percent of them would recommend cannabis therapy, although only 48 percent of epileptologists and general neurologists support the option.

The big need as far as medical


By Rick Thompson

legal, medical and economic impacts are here to stay

medical marijuanafor va?u.S. leGiSlAtorS are trying to push the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) into adopting a pro-medical marijuana policy for the second time this year.

In April Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Earl Blumenauer and Sam Farr introduced an amendment to the budget for the VA that would have allowed its doctors who write recommendations for cannabis in states where medicinal marijuana is legal. It was a rider attached to HR 4438.

That rider was defeated, but Rohrabacher and Blumenauer were not done fighting for veterans. On Nov. 20, 2014, they introduced HR 5762, the Veterans Equal Access Act, to accomplish the same thing.

They have many reasons to feel confident they’ll get good response from their fellow legislators — and the nation — this time around.

The first vote was historic: The amendment offered to HR 4438 received more yes votes in Congress than any previous medical marijuana bill ever had, as 195 representatives voted to support veterans’ access to medical marijuana. A crucial segment of the legislators — freshmen House Representatives — favored the measure, voting 44-35. That indicates that long-term support for medical marijuana bills may finally have arrived in Washington, D.C.

It’s more than just bullet wounds: The definition of what a treatable injury is has evolved. In past years, veterans with psychological issues were told to seek treatment outside the VA’s network of hospitals and doctors. Now there are classes and support groups for those suffering from the mental damage soldiers, sailors and airmen experience. Many of those classes are coordinated by VA hospitals. Medical marijuana can help ease the aches, pains and insomnia associated with physical war wounds, but perhaps the greatest assistance cannabis offers can be found in treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an illness that can drive veterans to take their own lives.

More states are recognizing marijuana and PTSD: In 2014, Michigan added one illness to their list of ailments which qualify a patient to use medical marijuana — PTSD. It was the first illness added in the six-year history of the program. Nevada followed suit shortly after. The count currently stands at nine states where medical marijuana programs specifically list PTSD. The others are Connecticut, California, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Oregon.

More veterans are admitting they have PTSD: A recent article in the Washington Post featured veteran Amy Rising and her use of medical marijuana for PTSD. She spent four years at the military’s global command center in Illinois and never saw combat, but her anxiety and her disorder symptoms are all too real. More non-combat veterans are coming out of the closet with their stories of PTSD

whAt’S next for mj After fAll electionS

continued, PG. 5 see VA MARijuANAcontinued, PG. 5 see NExT

The American Cultivator | Winter 2015 | 5spotlight news

and scientific research is for the U.S. government to reschedule marijuana on the list of controlled substances. Until the federal government acts on that point U.S. research is hobbled next to what is going on in several other countries.

“We’ve got to legalize marijuana and reschedule it to open up the unknown scientific qualities of the plant,” says St. Pierre. “Once the shackles of prohibition are taken away we can answer definitively through science what marijuana can do. It may even possibly cure your cancer.”

The third area where marijuana will be felt is as an economic force. Taxes are generally the area that governments look at first, and the reported millions of dollars being collected in Colorado and Washington. A Washington Post article showed that in June 2014 Colorado

collected more than $7 million in taxes, licenses and fees.

Even the federal government is eyeing the prize. The Congressional Research Service recently released a report estimating the government could raise $7 billion annually in excise taxes on cannabis-related products. It also calculated the “external costs” of marijuana use – abuse, health and social harms – at about $1 billion. The external costs of alcohol are about $30 billion each year.

A closer look at the June 2014 numbers in Colorado reveals something else; the taxes were collected on more than $58 million in sales. The vast majority of the money did not go to taxes. It went to workers’ pay, medical treatment, rents, production costs, transportation, packaging, technology, security, research, and construction costs – all the things that keep money circulating in society.

The economic impact of lowering

the cost of law enforcement, the cost of housing prisoners for low level nonviolent crimes, and the social cost of saddling young people with convictions that limit their chance to be productive citizens will be removed.

The economic impact of marijuana grows every time a state legalizes marijuana for medical or recreational use. If California legalizes recreational use, and it looks like activists there have taken their lessons from how other states have done it, every state on the west coast will have a significant green rush economy. There are now business publications focused on the marijuana business and there are marijuana stocks.

What’s next for marijuana isn’t a simple look at politics and legalization. The implications in medicine and the economy are showing potential that was unheard of 20 years ago. It may well be that what’s next for marijuana is what’s next for our country.

Opioid abuse among veterans is rising: Marijuana can help that, too. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association last August reported that “people already taking opioids for pain may supplement with medical marijuana and be able to lower their painkiller dose, thus lowering their risk of overdose,” and that opioid overdose deaths dropped by about 25 percent in medical marijuana states.

next continued from page 4

va marijuana continued from page 4

michigan legislature drops hbs 4271 & 5104

Two bills that would have changed the landscape of medical marijuana in Michigan were left to languish in no man’s land during the lame duck session of 2014.

HB 4271 would have allowed local municipalities to decide whether to allow medical marijuana provisioning centers or not. HB 5104 would have created legal protections for patients who use non-smoked forms of marijuana. Neither bill was allowed to come up for a vote, disappointing activists who worked with the representatives over the past year on the legislation.

A new legislature was seated in January and any new legislation has to start from square one.

certification rules changeAs of Jan. 15 the rules for medical

marijuana certification in Michigan changed. The new rules do the following:• Establish a $60 application fee for all

qualifying patients (reduced from $100).• Eliminate the reduced $25 application fee.• Require that caregivers pay a $25

processing fee for each required criminal background check.

indians can cultivate cannabisThe Department of Justice has

released a memo saying it’s OK for Native American tribes to cultivate, process and sell marijuana on their land in states where recreational marijuana is legal. They must comply with a list of rules regarding no distribution to minors, criminal enterprises, keeping the product in-state, are not involved in other illegal drugs and a few more provisions. The fact that tribes may not be subject to local and state taxes could make their marijuana cheaper than off-reservation sales. Many tribes are wary of the prospect because drug use and alcoholism have been problems on reservations.

illinois State bar says marijuana counseling ok

When a state says yes to medical marijuana there are issues far removed from taking your medicine that have to be ironed out. Among those things are landlord-tenant relations, security issues and more. Apparently attorneys have to think about more than just boning up on the Illinois Medical Marijuana Pilot Program.

The Illinois State Bar Association (ISBA) has issued a Professional Advisory Opinion saying that lawyers may counsel medical

cannabis industry businesses without breaking ethics rules. Generally lawyers are not allowed to advise clients about how to engage in criminal or fraudulent conduct. Since marijuana is still illegal at the federal level the ISBA considered whether it was ethical to counsel a client on an issue that is state legal but not federally legal. It found that medical marijuana counseling is an exception to the rule and lawyers may advise medical marijuana clients in the same way as any other business

The opinion is only advisory and doesn’t protect attorneys from discipline from other state legal entities.

michigan activists consider initiative

Marijuana activists in Michigan have commissioned a poll to gauge Michigan voter’s attitude for recreational legalization of marijuana. Activist organizations will meet this winter to look at the numbers and decide if a 2016 initiative is feasible. The decision will also be based on whether enough money can be raised to run such a campaign. National resources are focused in other states that already have campaigns in place.

no deliverySince marijuana was legalized

in Washington State home delivery services have become popular in Seattle. But city officials say the services are illegal and have decided to shut them down. A spokesman for the Seattle legal department says those delivering marijuana will be arrested and charged. It’s not clear what the charge would be. A spokesman for the mayor said that the measures are to ensure that minors cannot access marijuana and that medical marijuana goes only to medical patients.

This delivery thing is getting opposition further south. The Los Angeles city attorney has filed suit in an effort to shut down Nestdrop, a Smartphone application that customers can use to order medical marijuana for delivery. It looks like this one’s going to court; Nestdrop’s spokesman says the business is a technology platform, not an illegal marijuana business

Sunshine state in playFlorida voters may have fallen short of

the 60 percent necessary for a constitutional amendment for medical marijuana, but the 58 percent voter support means there is still majority support for it in the state. The state legislature may address the issue this

year. Democratic state Sen. Darren Soto told a Florida radio audience that, “It’s better that we get ahead of this thing, and from the standpoint that it takes away a political issue for the 2016 election, there will be some pressure on the Legislature to act.”

Business people in the Florida Cannabis Coalition have also expressed their intention to push for some type of legislation to clear the way. Florida already has a restrictive CBD-only medical marijuana law but patients and entrepreneurs want to expand access.

doctors on board, sort ofSurvey data published in the

journal Epilepsia shows that most general physicians and nurses support the option of using cannabis therapy for patients with severe refractory epilepsy, Among the 776 general physicians, basic researchers, nurses, and allied health professionals surveyed by the University of California Los Angeles, 83 percent reported they would recommend cannabis therapy; however only 48 percent of neurologists and epilepsy specialists agree.

Pot candidate?A lot of folks are wondering if a 2016

presidential candidate from a major party might be pro-pot. Nobody knows yet but Hillary Clinton, while campaigning with Sen. Mark Udall in Colorado last fall, showed how a candidate can encounter the issue with some humor. Clinton and Udall stopped in for coffee at Denver’s Union Station and were treated to foam art in their drinks. Clinton had a pig and Udall had a leaf. "Look at you, you got like a plant," Clinton told Udall. "Is that a marijuana plant?"

A shop employee verified that it was indeed a marijuana leaf as laughter rippled across the room.

cop says drug war a failureA lot of people consider the War on

Drugs a failure and a waste of lives and money to pursue, but you don’t often hear that from an active police officer. Houston Police Chief Charles McLelland said during a December radio interview. "Most of us understand, we do believe, those of us that are law enforcement executives, that the war on drugs, the 1980 drug policies, was a miserable failure, there's no doubt about that," McLelland said.

He later added, "We have to think differently about crime, crime prevention, drug rehabilitation, substance abuse, mental illness — there's a whole host of things that we need to treat differently

than we did 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 15 years ago."

McLelland believes the federal government should take the lead in reforming policies.

cash depositOne of the issues clouding marijuana

businesses is problems with financial services. Banks are fearful of running afoul of federal money laundering laws or other charges when it comes to potentially servicing clients who work with marijuana. The out for some businesses has been to work with credit unions, which operate under different rules although they are generally not as large as banks and don’t offer as many services.

As of December it looked like the first credit union focused specifically on the cannabis industry would be opening soon in Denver. The Fourth Corner Credit Union offers to accept cash deposits and allow members to make electronic transfers to pay bills.

colorado researchState public health officials in

Colorado have recommended some $7 million in grant funding for eight proposed clinical trials on the usefulness of cannabinoids treating some diseases. The studies include investigating their use treating inflammatory bowel disease in adolescents and young adults, tremor in Parkinson’s disease, pediatric epilepsy, pediatric brain tumors and PTSD. Grant funding depends on final approval by the state Board of Health.

A literary review published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology says that cannabis holds promise as a safe and effective treatment for digestive disorders.

Also, researchers at the University of Colorado, Aurora, and at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical University in New Hampshire reported: “It is increasingly clear that the endocannabinoid system plays a role in diverse biological pathways that affect gastrointestinal and hepatic physiology and pathology. … Although there are no studies proving the long-term safety of marijuana use, its safety profile compares favorably to other illicit substances, to legal intoxicants like alcohol, possibly to opioids, and to some existing therapies for digestive disorders.”

They concluded: “[M]arijuana … appears to hold promise as a modifier of gastrointestinal symptoms.”

www.theamericancultivator.com

Cannabis news briefs

| The American Cultivator | Winter 20156 spotlight news

one showed no growth in the cancer. The next one showed similar results, but the doctor had some questions. Alysa’s blood work was not showing indications of her chemo. The Erwins admitted they were using hemp oil instead of the chemo. The doctor’s response was, “whatever you are doing, keep doing it.”

Unfortunately, like so many other cancer patients using hemp oil treatments, that’s the extent of advice they got from the medical establishment regarding marijuana. However, cobbling together information and strategies from a number of different sources – Carly talks to others using the treatment from as far away as Australia – and using trial and error the Erwins have developed a protocol and drastically changed the way that all of them eat. They stopped drinking tap water.

“Natural meat, organic fruits and vegetables, we’re staying away from all the processed foods,” says Carly. “We used to eat frozen food, canned food like a lot of other people out here. We haven’t eaten fast food in I don’t know how long. There are just so many people getting cancer out there. It’s just in our food; I really believe that.”

In the summer of 2012 the cancer evolved into five solid tumors at the back of Alyssa’s head. One was near her brain stem and threatened her ability to breathe and walk. The Erwins agreed to have radiation treatment then, although they continued the hemp oil. In January 2013, two years after the onset of her headaches, and about the time Alysa was originally expected to die, her MRI showed no cancer.

“The doctor looked at the MRI and she just smiled,” says Carly.

Cancer patients have to take drugs to keep their cancer away even after they are declared cancer free. Simpson oil patients generally take a maintenance dose in order to keep their cancer at bay after the intense treatment. Alysa took a maintenance dose for a while, but circumstances and the cost led to her not being able to get a steady supply. Financially the Erwins live from check to check and don’t have a lot of money. Also the teenager had wearied of taking the oil which sometimes upset her stomach.

"Once you have brain cancer like that, you always have to be on the oil," says Carly. "What's the maintenance dose? We don't know. Wish we had doctors

on board because there're so many questions. It's awful."

In summer 2014 Alysa got sick and started losing weight. In mid July she weighed 88 pounds. A July 24 examination revealed that after about 18-cancer free months it was back. The tumor was more like putty surrounding her brain, but it had also spread to her ventricles, her brain stem, and spinal fluids. Her pain was off the charts. Carly says doctors told her that Alysa had a couple of weeks to live. The family agreed to radiation therapy in order to buy time to get hemp oil into Alysa’s body.

She responded quickly to the hemp oil. It allowed Alysa to forgo pain medications such as morphine, dilaudid, and oxycontin. However, regarding the cannabis treatments, all the doctors said was, "Keep doing what you're doing."

The financial strain is tremendous. While Alysa went through radiation treatments she and her parents spent a month living in a hotel. Unable to work, they collected donations at meetings of medical marijuana activists. They were separated from their two sons who stayed up north preparing for a new school year.

Alysa began gaining weight and they were back home by the time her 18th birthday rolled around in early October. She had again beaten the odds. A November 24 MRI showed improvement.

“The tumor has shrunk a lot,” says Carly. “The doctor said that it looks really, really good, we’ll see you back in three months.”

Carly says the doctors still won’t talk publically about it. They declined an opportunity to allow a news team that wanted to cover the story in September.

Things are still tough for Alysa and her family. Most of her father’s work is during the summer, which he missed much of this year. Alysa spends much of her time in bed as she weathers the cancer fight. They have little money for recreation or things the three teenage kids would like to have. There is social stress as some friends don’t approve of the hemp oil treatments. Carly and her husband David wonder if they are doing the right thing as they struggle through this.

Alysa’s weight is up to 110 pounds. Her tumors are receding. She is alive and there is hope she will have a future.

“Her scans look amazing, they really look amazing,” says Carly

When there was no other hope, like thousands of others, they turned to hemp oil. That’s the bottom line.

You can follow Alyssa Erwin’s blog at http://mycompassion.org/AlysaErwin.

cancer continued from Front Page

the federAl classification of marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug that “has no currently accepted medical use in treatment

in the United States,” needs to end soon. Now that marijuana has come out of the closet and the facts are becoming clear the Schedule 1 rank is irrational, a policy contrary to the evidence.

Marijuana policy has been contrary to the evidence ever since the Marijuana Tax Act effectively prohibited marijuana in 1937. This prohibition was part of a campaign against Mexican immigrants and black hipsters. Never mind that the American Medical Association opposed prohibiting it and that many tinctures and medicines available at the time contained it. Cannabis, the scientific name for marijuana, had been a part of the medical pharmacopeia for thousands of years. A campaign of lies and disinformation, such as the movie Reefer Madness, was used to discredit marijuana (a Mexican word) to discredit the plant and anyone who used it. That campaign was so successful that even today just the mention that someone used marijuana destroys their legal credibility on all subjects.

President Nixon pumped up this campaign when he introduced drug-scheduling with the 1970 Controlled Substances Act. Marijuana was temporarily classified a Schedule 1 drug – the worst of all categories where heroin and LSD dwelt. Then in 1972, in defiance of the recommendation of his own National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse to end prohibition, he made the Schedule 1 classification for marijuana permanent and declared his War on Drugs.

It was a political move, partly to damage the opposition. John Erlichman, White House Counsel to Nixon said during a 1995 interview, “Look, we understood we couldn’t make it illegal to by young or poor or black in the United States, but we could criminalize their common pleasure. We understood that drugs were not the health problem we were making them out to be, but it was such a perfect issue … that we couldn’t resist it.”

A policy to hurt political enemies has cost us hundreds of thousands of deaths, tens of millions of arrests for a nonviolent offense, more than a trillion tax dollars and warped the course of our nation.

Not only did the federal government fight recreational use of marijuana, it has tried to ensure that we would never accepted medical use by blocking anyone who sought to do research on positive effects of marijuana. The only research allowed for decades were studies aimed at finding negative effects of the plant. At the same time research in other nations such as Israel, Italy, Great Britain and elsewhere has left the United States behind when it comes to medical uses for marijuana. Israel is a leader in research for cancer treatment, PTSD, Crohn’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s to name a few. The British company G.W. Pharmaceuticals is a world leader in deriving therapeutic products from marijuana – the whole plant not synthetic drugs. At the same time the U.S. government is quibbling about even trying to find out if it’s useful.

Whenever testimony about foreign studies is introduced in legal proceedings the studies are deemed “not good enough” for U.S standards.

But here is how deeply irrational this policy is: In 2003 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services was granted a patent (#6630507) titled “Cannabinoids as antioxidants and neuroprotectants.” Cannabinoids are the chemicals in marijuana such as THC and CBD that have been effective in treating many different diseases. It doesn’t make sense that a department of the federal government holds a patent for the medical use of a substance the federal government says has not medical use.

That same contradiction is evident in state laws too. As of December the law in Iowa classified marijuana as a Schedule 1 drug, with no use, and as a Schedule 2 drug, for closely controlled medical purposes.

The contradictions just go on and on. Despite prohibition, the federal government has been running its own medical marijuana program. The Compassionate Investigational New Drug program started after glaucoma patient Robert Randall won a 1976 federal lawsuit based on medical necessity. The Compassionate IND had as many as 30 active patients, some with HIV and Multiple Sclerosis, before it was shut down in 1992 because it never conducted any studies. The active patients continued receiving 300 joints per month from the government marijuana farm at the University of Mississippi but it was closed to new registrants. Today the four still-living patients still get their monthly delivery of government pot.

Regardless of this little-known program, until recently there has been little public discussion of any positive aspect of marijuana. This even extends to hemp, one of the hardiest of natural fibers, which is used to make rope, textiles and thousands of other products. The official excuse has been that it’s too hard to tell the difference between hemp, which cannot get you high, and marijuana, which can. Even if that were ever true, the technology available today makes that a moot point.

Today’s U.S. hemp industry runs on fibers imported from countries such as Canada, China and eastern European nations, while most American farmers who want to grow hemp are given the cold shoulder. This is a product that could be helping the U.S. economy but we are so afraid of the plant that we’d rather give the money to Chinese farmers just like we prefer other countries to lap us in the science of medical marijuana.

Medical marijuana is real. The palliative effects of marijuana are well known. It relieves nausea and pain, particularly neuropathic pain. It stimulates the appetites of sick people so they don’t waste away. These uses alone should allow more research.

However the emerging science about cannabis is showing potential far beyond palliative uses. There is solid evidence that it can relieve the seizures of patients with rare forms of epilepsy that don’t respond to any known drugs. That is the CBD effect that has been so popular recently.

And it seems to be useful in treatment of cancer, one of the most nefarious diseases of the modern world. The National Institute of Health’s National Cancer Institute, on a web page titled Questions and Answers about Cannabis,” reports:

“Studies in mice and rats have shown that cannabinoids may inhibit tumor growth by causing cell death, blocking cell growth, and blocking the development of blood vessels needed by tumors to

grow. Laboratory and animal studies have shown that cannabinoids may be able to kill cancer cells while protecting normal cells.”

The page also cites evidence from preclinical studies that marijuana may have antitumor effects in lung, colon and breast cancers.

That evidence alone should be enough for the government to stop balking and at least allow some investigation into the prospects. The anecdotal evidence

is overwhelming. Marijuana refugees, people who have left their homes states in order to move where they or a loved one can use medical marijuana, are a new cultural phenomenon.

The stigma of marijuana use is silly and against conventional reason. Even government policies regarding it contradict each other. It’s time to stop the Schedule 1 stupidity and openly examine the evidence.

schedule 1 stupiditYBy Larry Gabriel - Editor

E d i t o r i a l

The Erwin family shortly after Alsya was diagnosed in 2011.



hemP enthuSiAStS are fond of telling us that Henry Ford built a car made mostly of hemp. Actually it’s more probable that Ford used hemp as a component in the plastic side panels.

If you’re looking to get excited about a hemp vehicle, pay attention to the Canadian company Hempearth, which is building a four-seat personal jet 75 percent of which is projected to be made of hemp and it will be built to run on hemp biofuel. Hempearth Founder, Derek Kesek, a former organic restaurant owner, announced the project on Facebook. The Hempearth team has constructed hemp planks that are as durable or moreso than fiberflass.

True to his organic restaurant roots,

Kesek has said he is most excited about the potential environmental impact the jet will make in being made and fueled by a renewable source.

This project has historic potential and, with that in mind, Kesek intends to launch the jet’s first flight from the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

Although industrial hemp has only trace amounts of the cannabinoid THC, the hemp jet could give a whole new meaning to getting high on cannabis.

induStriAl hemP may begin to take strides in 2015. The 2014 Farm Bill contains provisions that open up the possibility. The federal legislation would allow institutions of higher education and state departments of agriculture to grow or cultivate industrial hemp.

This will allow research on hemp for potential future use as an industrial product. That’s kind of a head scratcher. Hemp is grown in many countries around the world. The United States imports hemp seed, hemp oil and hemp fiber for thousands of retail products with sales of $500 milion. Most of the imported hemp comes from eastern Europe, China and Canada. While there may be new product developments, we already know what hemp can do. It’s used to make everything from paper and plastics, to fuel, to food products, textiles, medicine, building materials and more.

Hemp, defined as cannabis with a THC content of less than 0.3 percent, has been cultivated for thousands of years as a useful fiber. When marijuana was made illegal,

hemp was tossed out with it. Lawmakers claimed that law enforcement could not tell the difference between industrial hemp and recreational marijuana.

In recent years California, Colorado, Maine, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, Vermont and West Virginia have passed laws that would allow industrial hemp farming but the federal government has not been allowing permits for widespread cultivation. However the new law would allow limited amounts of hemp to be cultivated under state laws. A small amount of hemp is grown in Colorado under the state’s legal marijuana law.

Late in 2014 the Michigan Senate Agriculture Committee passed two bills aimed at developing hemp production. HB 5439 would set the rules for universities, and agencies to participate in the federal hemp program. HB 5440 separates industrial hemp from marijuana in the criminal code.

For industrial hemp to flourish, an infrastructure must be developed to process any hemp that is grown. That means removing fibers, oils and seed for commercial use.

Flying high on hemp federal hemp laws easing up

By TAC Staff


Kesek with a fiberglass model of the jet he intends to build.

development arrested at all phases of cell growth, reported a 2013 study from St. George University of London. Cells that were treated with the cannabinoids and then replaced into a new environment stopped growing, which implies the deadening action of the cannabinoids is durable. “Furthermore, combining cannabinoids was not antagonistic,” the report’s authors wrote, meaning

cannabinoids play well together in the human body.

7. PAtient SurveyS indicate people with a long-term use of smoked marijuana have about one-third the likelihood of developing head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). The report read that “10 to 20 years of marijuana use was associated with a significantly reduced risk of HNSCC,” a Brown University research paper reported in 2009. Those that started smoking after age 20 seem to be the group that benefits the most.

reports continued from Front Page



health mediciNe

scieNceWellness

Pesto Verdi IngredIents:1/2 cup basil leaves1/2oz/15g cannabis buds.1 cup olive oil 8 cloves garlic2 tsp sea salt1/2 cup almonds or cashews1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Directions:Activate the cannabis by crumbling it into a small skillet and stirring it over medium heat for a minute or two until the vapor begins to rise.

Place the basil, cannabis, nuts, garlic, parmesan and salt in the blender. Blend it to a coarse puree while adding the oil.

Enjoy tossed with pastas and salads, as a sauce for meat, fish or tofu, as a tasty sandwich spread, or on pizza. Store in the refrigerator in a glass jar. For longer storage fill an ice cube tray with the pesto, cover it with plastic wrap, and freeze.

Cannaoil substitute

This can be made using cannaoil instead of cannabis buds.

Replace the olive oil with cannaoil.

Replace the cannabis buds with one cup of parsley leaves

This recipe came from www.thecannabischef.com/. Numerous other recipes and preparations can be found at the site.

Cannabis oil helPs

in the mid-1970S the National Institutes of Health funded a study at the Medical College of Virginia to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system. Instead, researchers found that it slowed the growth of tumors in mice implanted with brain cancer. The Drug Enforcement Administration shut down the study and all research regarding cannabis and tumors, although a few news reports slipped through the net.

Researchers in Madrid came to the same conclusion in 2000 after destroying “incurable” brain tumors in rats by injecting them with THC. No major newspaper ran the story circulated on AP and UPI news services.

Canadian Rick Simpson was experimenting with cannabis oil to treat his high blood pressure, ringing in the ears and a nervous system disorder. When he began treatments for skin cancer in 2003 he recalled hearing about the Virginia study. After having a melanoma surgically removed he tried putting some oil he’d made on a couple of others. They disappeared after several days. When the bump returned at the site where it had been removed, Simpson put oil on that one and it disappeared.

Simpson began treating others’ various skin conditions with the oil. Then one patient started eating it for his glaucoma and it also eased his arthritis. Cancer patients began eating the concoction and reporting amazing results although the medical establishment has not accepted the treatment.

Simpson freely distributed his recipe for Rick Simpson Hemp Oil and recommendations on how to use it. The cancer treatment involves taking a pound of high grade marijuana, removing the cannabinoid-rich oil with a solvent, and cooking off the solvent as much as

possible. It is a sometimes dangerous process that should be undertaken with care because the solvents are flammable. It’s also costly — a pound of high-grade marijuana costs about $3,000 in Michigan. And there are legal questions about the limit of how much medical marijuana one can have at one time, and the legalities of marijuana extracts are being worked out in the state legislature.

But it seems to be effective. Simpson claims that it works on about 70 percent of terminal cancer patients who have tried it. One problem is that many people don’t try Simpson Oil, or any other cannabis therapy, until they have no other hope and they are close to death. However there is no independent verification of that figure.

People around the world have adapted the recipe, using different solvents and methodologies. They are working with whatever quality of marijuana they can

get their hands on. More recently some extracts of hemp oil have come on the market claiming to be CBD rich extracts from industrial hemp plants that are legal in all 50 states. They are being marketed with spotty success. One of them is called Real Scientific Hemp Oil – giving it the same RSHO acronym as Simpon’s.

Project CBD, a medical marijuana organization focused on the currently

popular cannabinoid, published a cautionary report titled “Hemp Oil Hustlers” on its website. The report details the business practices of the company that produces RSHO. It also points out that some people have been helped by their oil, but that some patients have become ill after taking it.

“We believe that industrial hemp is not an optimal source of CBD, but it can be a viable source of CBD if certain hemp cultivars are grown organically in good soil and safe extraction and refinement methods are employed,” wrote Project CBD Director Martin Lee in an introduction to the report.

CBD is finding quick acceptance because it doesn’t get you high, and because of success in treating children with epilepsy. The Charlotte’s Web strain of cannabis developed by the Stanley brothers in Colorado is the most well known source of

some claim to have cured cancer, it certainly aids treatmentBy Larry Gabriel - Editor

By the Cannabis Chef

continued, PG. 16 see CANNAbiS Oil

More recently some extracts of hemp oil have come on the market claiming to be CBD rich extracts from

industrial hemp plants that are legal in all 50 states.

The American Cultivator | Winter 2015 | 11Wellness

children And mArijuAnA are proving to be a sticky point as marijuana laws change. Opponents of legalization say that it will make it easier for young people to get their hands on it. In medical marijuana states they say that the packaging of edibles as chocolates, candies, beverages and baked goods make it too easy for children to mistake it for their usual treats. And when it comes to kids actually using medical marijuana, well there’s plenty of controversy in that.

The concern over edibles reached a peak last year when Children’s Hospital Colorado released information showing that nine children had been brought into the hospital for accidental marijuana ingestion over the first four months of legalization. The hospital’s medical director said children suffered from lethargy, agitation and one of them had breathing problems and required a respirator. The nine children in that time frame was a big spike; in 2013 the hospital saw eight cases the entire year, and there were only eight total cases from 2005 to 2013. Some people blame the higher number on the availability of marijuana in general.

The Rocky Mountain Poison Center reports that calls to their poison-control hotline spiked in about 2009. They had about 70 calls in 2013 from parents reporting that their children had consumed marijuana. One result is a push for tougher edible packaging laws in Colorado.

That is a significant rise and it is a cause for concern. Legalization can mean more marijuana in different forms around. You don’t want kids accidentally eating an infused piece of chocolate or anything else. However, these accidental marijuana “poisonings” can be taken with a grain of salt. First of all marijuana is not lethal and other than some possible disorientation for a while, an accidental ingestion does not have tragic consequences.

While there is a lot of fuss about cannabis, there is little concern about the availability of alcohol, which parents do leave lying around the house and children do get their hands on it. And when you compare it to many of the things most

people have around the house, marijuana is rather benign.

According to the National Poison Data System you better keep a close eye on your toothpaste and diaper cream. National statistics released for 2012 show that an under 13 years old child is 136 times more likely to be “poisoned” by diaper cream than by marijuana. There were about 34,000 calls to poison centers for ingesting diaper cream as compared to 254 for marijuana. There were 1,600 calls for kids drinking contact lens fluid. Toilet bowl cleaner, tobacco and glue were all higher on the list than marijuana. The bottom line is that while

marijuana is a concern, there are much more concerning substances at hand.

Parents shouldn’t leave any of that stuff lying around where kids can get their hands on it. When it comes to alcohol, many parents lock the stuff up in a liquor cabinet. Parents with marijuana around the house are well advised to keep the stuff put away or locked up. It’s not an unusual concern, and problem-solving entrepreneurs have served up several kinds of child proof or child resistant containers aimed at the marijuana market.

the brAin thinGAccidental marijuana exposure is not

a major issue in regard to the numbers of children, but some people are concerned that any exposure can have detrimental effects on young people. That is particularly true in light of the findings of a study reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences last year. The study found that regular marijuana use causes changes in the brain. Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas found that adults who smoked marijuana as early as age 14 have less brain volume in the orbitofrontal cortex at the front of the brain where decision making is focused.

This same study found that the 48 marijuana users’ studied IQs averaged five points lower than the 62 nonusers they were compared to. However, they also found increased brain connectivity in the marijuana users – which is important for adaptive learning abilities and making associations.

"While our study does not conclusively address whether any or all of the brain changes are a direct consequence of marijuana use, these effects do suggest that these changes are related to age of onset and duration of use," Dr. Francesca Filbey, the study's main investigator, said.

Other than that there are changes, the study does not address if the changes are good, bad or neutral. While the idea of doing anything that changes the brain can be a frightening prospect changes are not equivalent to brain damage.

Taking music lessons as a child changes the brain. Meditation and physical exercise are known to cause changes in the brain. These are all activities that are thought of as positive and one might assume that these changes are positive. Caffeine consumption slows down brain development. Smoking cigarettes is linked to brain changes. Alcohol use causes profound changes to the brain that are known to be negative.

This is an area where everyone needs to tread carefully, though changes may not be bad at all. And the assumption that legal cannabis will make its way to young people could be wrong. For one thing legal marijuana is less likely to be sold to youths than on the black market. Business owners have to mind their licenses. An operation run

By TAC Staff

What about the children?

AlexAndriA hill is dead at age two because of discrimination against parents who use marijuana.

In early 2013 Alex’s father admitted to using marijuana. The 2-year-old girl was removed from her parents’ home

by Texas authorities and placed in foster care. The foster mother she was placed with has been found guilty of murder in Alex’s death.

The child’s parents had visitation rights and reported seeing bruises on the child’s body but Texas authorities left her in foster care. The child’s beating culminated in her

death a few months after she was taken from her parents when she was slammed to the floor by her foster mother. A medical examiner testified in court that the slam was so violent that the child suffered "subdural hemorrhaging, subarachnoid hemorrhaging, and retinal hemorrhaging in both eyes." An autopsy revealed several bruises over the child's body and the foster mother has been found guilty of murder.

Protecting a child from marijuana should not include getting killed.

This is part of the remaining stigma of marijuana use. Somehow a parent using marijuana is unfit and held to a different standard than parents who don’t use marijuana.

In September 11-month-old Angel Place was killed by her 20-year-old foster mother, in Grand Junction, Colorado. Angel had been taken from her parents after her father admitted to using marijuana.

When Angel died the foster mother told police that the child was screaming and she couldn’t get her to stop. She told police she held the baby “by the neck with both hands and shook her multiple times.” However the coroner ruled the cause of death as “blunt force trauma to the head.” That foster mother has been charged with murder.

In Michigan the issue was spotlighted

in 2013 when then-six-month-old Bree Green was removed from the home of her parents. Her father, Steve, uses medical marijuana to control his epilepsy and is certified by the state. Her mother, Maria, is a certified caregiver and used marijuana to ease symptoms of her multiple sclerosis. They were legally growing medical marijuana in their home.

Maria’s ex-husband, with whom she is in a custody battle over an older child, reported them to state Child Protection Services. According to the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act patients can’t be denied custody of their children “unless the person’s behavior is such that it creates an unreasonable danger to the minor that can be clearly articulated and substantiated.”

Rather than engage with the Greens CPS took Bree away. It took six weeks of fighting, including public demonstrations with supporters, for them to get their daughter back.

families torn apart

Steve Green holds his daughter bree aloft at a rally after she was returned to her parents.

continued, PG. 13 see FAMiliES

continued, PG. 13 see CHilDREN

Protecting a child from marijuana should not include getting killed.

Photo Credit: riCk thomPson

By Larry Gabriel



by the Colorado Department of Revenue last year found no stores were selling to minors.

In addition, the results of a national survey released by the University of Michigan in December titled “Monitoring the Future” shows marijuana and overall drug use down among middle school and high school students. Marijuana use dropped from 26 percent to 24 percent in 2014, and students reported it is less available than it used to be.

medicAl SideThere is one effect marijuana has on a

child’s brain that a lot of people are interested in. It seems to dramatically slow down epileptic seizures in some children who have not responded to other medications. The dramatic story of Charlotte Fiji a three-year-old who suffered 300 seizures each week was put in the spotlight by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Medical marijuana in a highly concentrated oil form reduced her seizures to two or three a month.

The concentrate was made from a high-CBD strain of cannabis and helped usher in the current CBD craze. CBD is a cannabinoid, substances in marijuana, just like THC. Unlike THC there is no high associated with CBD. Some states went so far as to enact medical marijuana laws

allowing CBD-only preparations.There has to be some concern about

the long term effects of high-dosages of cannabinoids, CBD or otherwise, on a child’s brain. On the other hand, reducing a child’s 1,200 debilitating seizures each month to two or three has to be compelling to any parent who is otherwise helpless in stopping them.

The implications of most of today’s science is very promising avenue for medical treatment. Part of its attractiveness is that it seems to not have nasty side effects. In the case of cancer it can drastically reduce, if not replace, agents such as chemotherapy and radiation which have devastating effects on the body.

No one is advocating allowing anyone under 21 accesses to recreational marijuana. Indeed the hallmark of the legalization movement is to tax and regulate it like alcohol. On the medical side there is a lot of interest for pediatric treatments.

Families have become advocates for children’s medical marijuana. Organizations such as Cannamoms and Parents Coalition for Rescheduling Medical Cannabis have created a “mommy lobby” for medical marijuana use in pediatric cases. This is a fight within the medical marijuana movement that will continue. Parents will always stand up for their children’s medical needs.

This happens to hundreds of parents each year, many of them legal medical marijuana patients. In light of these actions Moms for Marijuana International held a series of rallies last year to increase awareness and support for parents who are cannabis consumers, parents who want to treat their child’s medical condition with medical marijuana, and to encourage Child Protective Services

(CPS) to adjust their policies regarding parents who use marijuana.

The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws website states that it “receives dozens of calls and emails every month from devastated parents who have lost custody of their children to state agencies.”

Protecting children from marijuana shouldn’t involve getting them killed. Nor should parents who use marijuana be automatically considered unfit.

children continued from page 11

families continued from page 11

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The American Cultivator newspaper and its companion website www.americancultivator.com are communication media of My Compassion, a federally registered 501(c)3 that seeks to understand, educate, connect, and energize the millions of people living with medical conditions that are losing hope with current synthetic medicines who are looking for Natural Healing thru the properties of Medical Cannabis.

The American Cultivator newspaper is currently distributed in Michigan and Illinois. There are expansion plans to states that have legalized medical cannabis.

Do you have the skills and ambition to penetrate this fast growing new market? If so please send an email detailing your qualifications to: [email protected].


The American Cultivator


eNterPrisetechNoloGy

commoditiesCannabusiness

meet the 2014 MJINews Power Companies.MJINews believes these are 11

companies that will be dictating the shape and the direction of marijuana-based industries in the coming years.

Some are distinctly pure plays into the production and distribution of cannabis. Others have a broader focus into multiple industries, but could see huge new sources of revenue as legal marijuana markets grow and continue to build on a steady wave of mainstream acceptance by investors, physicians and consumers.

These companies have a distinct advantage of being first-movers at an intersection of industries that could see explosive growth in the next decade if the march towards broad-scale legalization continues. This list is alphabetical.

Operating out of Arizona, 4Front Advisors is a first mover in the area of consulting for cannabis business owners like dispensaries and other

front-facing businesses. Its procedures are customized to suit the unique needs of companies in the area of medicinal and recreational cannabis products.

While the company can step in to provide temporary staffing services for functions like inventory management and operational best practices, its real competitive advantage is in the compliance business. The cumulative experience will have immense value if the industry expands as quickly as we believe it will. 4Front’s recent success in getting Las Vegas dispensaries approved for retail operations is a big nod to their expertise in navigating the regulatory gauntlet.

Apeks Supercritical builds fully automated s u b c r i t i c a l a n d supercritical botanical oil extraction systems that use liquid CO2 as

a solvent. CO2 is a clean, inert, nontoxic solvent and it is nonflammable. Systems are built to extract any botanical material, but 90 percent of Apeks’ business comes from the cannabis industry.

Apeks has successfully harnessed the explosive growth in the cannabis industry and has grown 150 percent every year for the past two years. Its recent revenue history: $700,000 in 2012, $3.2 million in 2013 and $8 million projected in 2014. These numbers speak to the superior quality Apeks has established and the company is poised to continue its impressive growth.

After a public divorce of former subsidiary Red Dice Holdings with Medical Marijuana, Inc., last year, Dixie Elixirs & Edibles gave up control

of some product lines while choosing to retain and build what it hopes will be the

first ubiquitous brand for THC-infused edibles, elixirs and other non-combustion marijuana delivery systems.

CEO Tripp Keber, to his credit, is an evangelist for both the brand and the industry, but it remains to be seen whether Dixie can navigate through some recent bad press about the nature and consistency of company controls around its products and packaging. Creating a brand in marijuana is dually challenging; you have to fight against public perception every step of the way, and also conform to the most stringent application of FDA requirements. Dixie will have to do both to reach its goal of mass retail distribution in the not-so-distant future.

Regardless of what you think about its stances and methods, there is no denying High Times’s place as the standard-bearer

of the decriminalization and legalization movements. What started as an exercise in satire by a noted drug trafficker, Thomas Forcade, has contributed more net marijuana-based content to U.S. eyeballs than anyone else and by a ridiculous margin. As such, the High Times brand has both enormous opportunities and substantial responsibilities in the years ahead.

High Times’s contributions to the advancement of grow techniques, strain origins and consumer advocacy are undeniable. Whether they can parlay that into being the leading voice in the future—and continue reaping impressive rewards from it—remains to be seen.

Can a startup become the face of cannabis social media for the millennial set? MassRoots is out to answer the question, and so far it is saying

“yes”; user growth has grown ten-fold in the past year. There is no revenue model in place currently, but if MassRoots continues to hold the keys to the audience that marijuana advertisers want to reach, the revenue will certainly come — just ask Facebook.

MassRoots has moved to Denver to stay plugged into the most progressive cannabis scene on the planet. Its users are engaged and ready to spend thousands of dollars per year on cannabis products, extending out from the base product to delivery systems, fashion and general lifestyle merchandise. But the face of its competition is the Mount Rushmore of social media, so CEO Isaac Dietrich and company know they will have to run fast and hard to maintain their lead.

MJ Freeway offers an exceptional business software platform specifically built for the complicated marijuana industry. Its business

solutions provide seed-to-sale tracking

modules for cultivators, manufacturers and retailers. The company also offers cultivation management for plants, yield tracking and processing management for infused-product manufacturers, as well as inventory control and point-of-sale at the retail side.

In an exclusive interview with MJINews, Jessica Billingsley, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of MJ Freeway, said the company has “more than doubled our top-line revenue growth year-over-year and year-to-date.”

Billingsley and co-founder Amy Poinsett have created a company that not only turned profitable in 2012, but also embodies sincere corporate values that enhance the identity and reputation of their company. MJ Freeway’s software platform and guiding philosophy are setting industry standards worth tracking.

O.penVAPE’s roduct line – centered around a discrete, compact vaporizing device – could signal a seismic shift in the way the

majority of marijuana is consumed. So far, the Colorado-based company is doing a whole lot of things right: it offers lifetime guarantees and has deeply penetrated the discerning scene in Colorado for both medicinal patients and recreational users. The company’s cartridge/refill model is a time-tested route to financial success.

But looming on the horizon is the competitive threat from companies like Lorillard and Altria, who could stomp on the scene with impunity, should federal regulations become looser.

Steep Hill Halent broke ground — and barriers — in 2007 with the first commercial marijuana analytics lab in the United States. Operating out of

Oakland, CA, and co-founded by Stephen DeAngelo of the famous Harborside Health Center, Steep Hill Halent has taken its expertise to the forefront of analytics in the highly regulated markets in Colorado and Washington, and created on-site potency test equipment for consumers.

Steep Hill, and Harborside for that matter, has done as much as any firm in the country to advance the cause of legalization by treating medical marijuana distribution as an honest, serious business — one that needs standardization and a focus on safety before it will ever be truly accepted by mainstream society, the federal government, the medical community and investors.

To that end, Steep Hill Halent is building a treasure trove of valuable data based on close ties with longstanding dispensaries in northern California, dispensaries that count tens of thousands of registered patients as clients. Its dominant position in analytics lends weight to calls for increased medical research and a true knowledge base, two things that can only come with

huge, consolidated sample sizes—territory where Steep Hill Halent has firmly planted its flag.

Surna may be a short-lived company, but it is long on both vision and confidence. CEO Tom Bollich, a co-founder of gamemaker Zynga,

wants to bring “disruptive technology” to the business of growing marijuana. While the company seeks to be the “GE of cannabis” via in-house R&D and strategic acquisition, in the meantime it has made just one acquisition (in the field of climate-controlled growing environments) and seen a 90 percent drop in their stock price this year.

Surna claims big-time savings in total energy costs for commercial growers, while also focusing on conservationist issues within the grow ecosystem. New product launches come out early next year; because we predict a rapid expansion of nationwide growing capacity in the coming years, the potential for Surna to be a disruptive force is strong — provided its products and management can deliver on energy-efficient claims.

Tweed wants to become the dominant brand for marijuana users in Canada, which has a national policy in place for approved medical

patients. Between Canada Health estimates and MJINews research, the addressable market for Tweed starts at nearly $200 million, and it could cross a billion dollars annually within a few years.

There are already 13 licensed producers, and plenty more expected; Canada wants to see costs come down per gram, and having a multitude of competitors will do the trick. Tweed is out to show investors that a true brand can differentiate a product that may otherwise become commoditized. If it succeeds, Tweed should see success where others will certainly see struggles.

Based in the U.K., this GW Pharmaceuticals holds a few distinct honors, such as having the largest market cap (currently $1.5 billion) of any company with a cannabis-based product, and bringing Sativex, the first cannabinoid product, to market for the treatment of multiple sclerosis. Sativex is for sale in 26 countries outside the U.S., and combined with Epidiolex (for treatment of epilepsy) GW has two potential blockbuster drugs in a loaded pipeline.

GW Pharma is far and away the leader in cannabidiol-based medical research, and has received Fast Track designations in the U.S. for Sativex for late-stage cancer pain, and Epidiolex for pediatric epilepsy patients.

The surface has barely been scratched on CBD research and efficacy studies, and right now it is GW Pharma’s lead to lose.

This article was originally published on MJINews.com, a publication dedicated to providing comprehensive investment information on the legal marijuana industry.

groWing legitimacYFrom MJINews.com

diverse enterprises forge power in marijuana market


| The American Cultivator | Winter 201516 Cannabusiness

rocker meliSSA etheridGe may need to adapt her popular song “Bring Me Some Water.”

The singer-songwriter has long been a proponent of medical marijuana. She has been very open about using the drug while she was battling breast cancer, stating that it has helped her deal with the side effects of chemotherapy. Etheridge is now cancer-free, but her experience with medical cannabis has inspired her to help develop and market a cannabis-infused wine.

The Grammy and Academy Award winner says that she believes her new business venture is “a huge opportunity” to break into a relatively new market now that attitudes toward cannabis have been changing throughout the United States. Now that marijuana is becoming socially acceptable and has been legalized for recreational use in four states, there is a market of clever marijuana-based products.

Details regarding Etheridge’s product have not been disclosed, but she has said that there will be many such products “with my name” on them. It is not hard to imagine that the celebrity would be backed

by major investors from the entertainment world. This would give her a first-to-market position and advertising dollars to back up any product line or launch.

She and her unnamed business partners will face the same hurdles that all participants in this green gold rush face. Despite the growing acceptance of marijuana throughout the United States, it is still illegal according to federal laws, with harsh penalties for the possession, use and sale of the herb. However, products such as Etheridge’s wine and other cannabis-infused foods and beverages represent an interesting

and more accessible alternative for those looking to try marijuana.

Using marijuana is not just about getting high. Many people use the drug for medicinal purposes. Etheridge first used marijuana to aid in her recovery from breast cancer, but she continues to use it to combat long-term damage to her gastrointestinal system. She says that marijuana helps to settle her frequently upset stomach.

Etheridge’s new product will not be the first cannabis-infused wine on the market. California winemakers have been making “canna-wine” on the sly for years. The wine is traditionally made by placing a pound of marijuana in a cask of wine, resulting in an alcoholic beverage that also contains 1.5 grams of marijuana in each bottle.

Experts have said that these products are dangerous since they combine the effects of marijuana with the equally-intoxicating effects of the wine. However, we will be waiting for upcoming news and a release date for Etheridge’s cannabis-infused wine and a widening list of categories with marijuana as an ingredient.

This article was originally published on MJINews.com, a publication dedicated to providing comprehensive investment information on the legal marijuana industry.

By Content Carnivores

Bring me some Canna-wine

The wine is traditionally made by placing a pound of marijuana in a cask of wine, resulting in an alcoholic beverage that

also contains 1.5 grams of marijuana in each bottle.

bob marleY

marijuanalAte reGGAe artist Bob Marley was pictured smoking a big spliff on the cover of his Catch A Fire album, and was closely identified with ganja use throughout his career. Reggae music and Marley’s international superstar status helped lure many a tourist to the white sands of Jamaica. So it didn’t take a marketing genius to figure out that attaching his name to something in the growing worldwide emergence of marijuana was a good move.

The Marley family has entered an agreement with Privateer Holdings, a private equity firm in the marijuana market, to develop Marley Natural. The brand will market heirloom Jamaican strains such as the legendary Lambs Bread, as well as lotions, creams and other accessories.

“My husband believed ‘the herb’ was a natural and positive part of life,” said Rita Marley, Bob’s wife and I-Threes singer, in a press release announcing the agreement.

According to Forbes magazine, the Marley estate earns about $20,000 million each year. This agreement has the potential to markedly enhance those earnings.

While the move has been hailed by many some folks have found it cynical that his name is attached to these products. Bunny Wailer, the sole survivor of the original Wailers vocal trio, told newspapers that the family was selfish not to include the Wailers as part of the deal. Others have bemoaned the fact that this deal might preclude Jamaican interests won’t be able to capitalize on the Marley name in possible future enterprises as the nation moves to legalize medical marijuana.

high CBD oils. Several states that don’t allow medical marijuana in general have passed legislation for CBD-only hemp oil use. But emerging evidence shows that CBD and THC work well together.

“CBD alone has limited therapeutic value,” says Lee. “It’s a very limited slice of what’s possible of the whole plant with significant amounts of CBD, THC and other things. … We’re finding that about 10 percent of kids with seizure disorders have miraculous results, others improve and 10 to 20 percent don’t respond. The vast majority of families using CBD-only find they have to augment it with THC. CBD combined with a little THC is more effective.”

Another thing that seems clear is that whole plant medications are more effective than synthetic concoctions. The British Company G.W. Pharmaceuticals has found that its synthetic THC drug Marinol is less effective than its Sativex which is made from the whole plant and contains an array of cannabinoids.

That is underscored by research from St. George’s University of London which found that a combination of THC and CBD to be more effective in fighting cancer than either one of them alone. It also found that cannabinoids not only inhibited tumor growth, it made the cancer cells respond better to chemotherapy.

However the vast amount of information circulating about cannabis and cancer is anecdotal. One thing about that many patients who claim cancer cures is that they went on strict healthy

diets and stopped eating sugar.“We do hear of really remarkable

turnarounds,” says Lee. “They’re following strict regimens and know how much they’re taking. What is the best ratio of CBD to THC? There is no one answer. Some benefit with an eight to one ratio, others use a four to one ratio. More CBD is not necessarily more effective. … There are many other conditions that this helps, not just cancer and seizure disorders. We refer people who are in these situations; unfortunately most doctors are not up on this. They don’t know what is up with cannabis therapeutics. That is one of the enduring terrible adverse effects of prohibition. Doctors are still stumbling in the dark about this. That is criminal. “

cannabis oil continued from page 10

By TAC Staff




arts eNtertaiNmeNt

liFestylehemp CultureknoW Your support organizationsmAny nAtionAl organizations, old and new, are working on various aspects of marijuana issues. Sometimes it can be a bit confusing, so here is a little primer to help you keep up with who is who and what they are doing.

norml: The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws is probably the best-known group advocating for the repeal of marijuana prohibition. It has chapters in every state. NORML was founded in 1970, and its mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality marijuana that is safe, convenient and affordable.

ASA: Americans for Safe Access, founded in 2002 in response to federal raids on dispensaries, is the oldest national organization focused solely on supporting medical marijuana. It has chapters in most states and its mission is to ensure safe and legal access to cannabis (marijuana) for therapeutic uses and research.

leAP: Law Enforcement Against Prohibition is a group of police officers and former police officers who have seen the drug war up close and don't like it. Its mission is to reduce the multitude of

harmful consequences resulting from fighting the war on drugs and to lessen the incidence of death, disease, crime, and addiction by ending drug prohibition.

mPP: The Marijuana Policy Project has been instrumental in most of the marijuana law changes since 2000, and was intimately involved in the Colorado legalization campaign. Its mission is to change federal law to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference, as well as to regulate marijuana like alcohol in all 50 states.

dPA: The sister organizations Drug Policy Alliance and Drug Policy Action has an international focus on campaigns to reform marijuana laws and criminal justices issues around marijuana. The DPAs were strong supporters of the Oregon, Alaska and Washington D.C. legalization campaigns. It also worked in Uruguay’s legalization effort.

mArijuAnA mAjority: This group works to help people understand that supporting commonsense marijuana reform are mainstream positions in today’s culture. It encourages supportive celebrities, elected officials and opinion leaders to speak out on the public debate.

Project cbd: This nonprofit is an educational service dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into

the medical utility of cannabidiol (CBD) and other components of the cannabis plant.

SSdP: Students for a Sensible Drug Policy is an international organization working to end the war on drugs. SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process.

vote hemP: This is a national,

single-issue, non-profit advocacy group founded in 2000 by members of the hemp industry to remove barriers to industrial hemp farming in the U.S. through education, legislation and advocacy. We work to build grassroots support for hemp through voter education, registration and mobilization.

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