by John Maguire
On November 6th, 2012 two pieces of landmark legislation passed in the United States: Amendment 64 in Colorado State, and Initiative 502 in Washington State. These measures are historic in that they mark the beginning of the end of nonsensical marijuana prohibition in the U.S. Cannabis use has become a widespread phenomenon, and is losing more of its stigma every day. When this reality is combined with the fact that governments are desperately searching for new tax revenues, it seems rather likely that these types of initiatives will spill over and take hold in most states sooner than later. Alcohol followed a similar trajectory in the 1930s, where the annulment of prohibition began at the state level and then snowballed.
A pertinent question to ask ourselves is this: how much does marijuana legalization really matter? Obviously people will now be able to legally smoke cannabis on a recreational basis, just as alcohol enthusiasts are permitted to enjoy their drug of choice. This can be a relaxing and socially-rewarding activity in and of itself when partaken of responsibly. But are there any deeper implications for the future? I believe so. Although not well publicized or understood by the general public, revolutionary prospects exist on the level of medical application.
The benefits of smoking cannabis are for the most part well known and acknowledged outside the realm of corporate media. People can treat migraines, depression, anxiety, glaucoma, seizures, ADD, ADHD, multiple sclerosis, PMS, Tourettes, OCD, take the edge off symptoms of other chronic diseases, and it may help prevent Alzheimer’s. This however, is only the tip of the iceberg.
Smoking marijuana is not the only method of intake. If processed correctly, the marijuana bud containing the THC molecule can be transformed into a potent medicine known as Cannabis Oil. Cannabis Oil can either be ingested or applied topically. Pioneered by a courageous and compassionate Canadian named Rick Simpson, this is not the same thing as humdrum Hemp Oil already available on the market. Most traditional Hemp Oil is processed from hemp seeds alone. This means it does not contain any THC, and therefore possesses limited medical utility. Only after Hemp Oil is infused with high concentrations of THC do the miraculous healing effects of the Oil reveal themselves.
Unbeknownst to many, human-beings posses what is known as the Endocannabinoid-System within their bodies. It is part of our immune system, and produces THC-like cannabinoids within the human body. This system modulates energy intake, nutrient transport/storage, metabolism, as well as cellular functioning and inflammatory response. Cells in our brains and throughout the body contain a plethora of cannabinoid receptors that, similar to a lock and key, fit together with their matching cannibinoids to initiate tasks critical to the well being of the organism. If the organism becomes overly stressed, toxic, or lacks in essential nutrition, the Endocannabinoid-System begins to falter and health problems ensue.
Cancer is one such example. Surprisingly enough, our body actually produces cancerous growths on a daily basis, but our Immune and Endocannabinoid-System when healthy are able to destroy these unwanted anomalies before they become hazardous. However when our systems are not functioning properly, and do not identify or eliminate these cellular irregularities effectively, we develop terminal cancers that are life threatening.
This is where Cannabis Oil enters the picture. When you ingest Cannabis Oil containing high concentrations of THC, it essentially jumpstarts your system back into action. The new surge of cannabinoids latches onto unhealthy cells’ receptors, and basically informs them to commit suicide. Healthy/functional cells are not targeted by this seek-and-destroy process. When applied topically to skin cancers, it basically works the same way. If you desire a more technical explanation of how this whole process works, there are many peer-reviewed papers/articles and documentaries published online available for public consumption.
Beside most varieties of cancer, Cannabis Oil has been demonstrated to cure many other ailments including: Diabetes, Bacterial Infections, Arthritis, Chronic Pain, Burns, Ulcers, Asthma, Weight Gain, Weight Loss, Anxiety, Depression, Scar Tissue, and Organ Damage.
In case you still have doubts, let me point out some real life success stories. Shona Banda, a Chrons disease sufferer and author of the book Live Free or Die, was on deaths door before discovering Cannabis Oil by accident. After years of excruciating treatment and multiple surgeries, the medical establishment had told her there was nothing else they could do for her; she was sent home to die. Similarly Linzy Miggantz a young woman also battling Chrons has kept a YouTube diary documenting her success with Cannabis Oil.
Dennis Hill a biochemist and cancer researcher was diagnosed with advanced Stage 4 Prostate Cancer. It was both highly aggressive and metastasizing. With the assistance of Cannabis Oil, he eliminated his illness within six months. A survivor named Michael McShane rid himself of skin cancer after a 20-year battle that had cost him over a million dollars in medical costs. An AIDS-sufferer by the name of Shawn who is still alive today began tempering his chronic AIDS-related symptoms with Cannabis Oil in 2009. His personal account/diary can be found on YouTube as well. For the sake of brevity I cannot list every person who has benefited from this medicine, so I encourage you to do a bit of searching for yourself if you require further proof.
With legalization now becoming a reality in Colorado and Washington, I believe a large cross-section of the U.S. citizenry will have the opportunity to obtain this medicine in the foreseeable future. The only question that remains is whether we are bold and adaptive enough to seize the opportunity. When enough people gain legal access to cannabis, learn to process Rick Simpson Oil for themselves, and choose to distribute it to others responsibly, we can collectively liberate ourselves from corporatized medicine and the often-times duplicitous medical establishment.
While I am certainly in favor of universal healthcare, the healthcare legislation passed in this country was a total betrayal of the public trust. It simply funnels more taxpayer dollars into an already bloated and predatory private-insurance oligopoly. As thoughtful citizens we need to devise creative ways of completely bypassing this broken system. With Cannabis Oil in hand we can begin to initiate this process. We can make the financial oppression brought about by over-inflated medical bills vanish from peoples’ lives forever.
As Open Source Ecology founder Marcin Jakubowski puts it, “Instead of our lives being more based on leisure time and actually doing things that are most meaningful, so we can improve ourselves as people and learn to get along, we are struggling with basic resource scarcities”. In my opinion, Cannabis Oil can and will alter the course of human development. When people are healthy, happy, and not financially gouged they can begin to lead more authentic, meaningful, and purpose driven lives. As General Systems Theory teaches us it only takes one small fluctuation within a far-from-equilibrium system to initiate widespread change; this may be the fluctuation we’ve been waiting for.
Author's bio - "John Maguire was born in 1985 and raised in Upstate New York. He attained his undergraduate degree in History Education from the State University of Brockport in 2007. Disillusioned, he successfully dropped out of graduate school in 2009 to pursue a happier and more authentic life. Slowly at first, he initiated a program of autodidactic learning and self-exploration that has been ongoing since. Believing truth and authenticity are the only things worth pursuing, most of his days revolve around such aims. When necessary, he pays for the ego-driven demands of life by way of substitute teaching and coaching poker. He currently lives in North Carolina with his ever-patient girlfriend Nikohl."
John can be reached at foks0904@gmail.com
Editor's note: There was a very good radio show on Talk of The Nation on Tuesday, March 12, 2013 about the clinical dilemna of doctors recommending pot to their patients. To access it click here.
Would you like to see pot legalized in New York State so people could legally use it in Brockport?
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