Weekly 420: Will The U.S. "Bern" Cannabis?
By far the biggest non story in cannabis this week is Bernie Sanders announcement that he is seeking to end marijuana prohibition. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but even if Bernie was to be elected President he will have very little power to end federal prohibition. The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act introduced Wednesday by Senator Sanders would end the long-time federal prohibition on cannabis. This is the first Senate bill to propose legalizing recreational pot. It is pretty unlikely that Senator Sanders will be able to get a bill House of Representatives , especially now that Paul Ryan is the new Speaker of the House. Paul Ryan has consistently voted against federal legalization even for medicinal use in every budget vote since 2012. More than 20 marijuana related bills are sitting in legislative limbo. Sander’s knows this, as well as the opposition he faces both as a Senator and President, it seems this is little more than lip service similar to what we heard from candidate Obama, we saw how that turned into President Obama raiding more state legalized dispensaries than his predecessor George W. Bush. Presidential hopeful Hillary Clinton isn't supporting legalization, but she does support rescheduling cannabis as a schedule 2 drug which would loosen restrictions of studying the drug. So much for a free country... The US Government could learn a thing or two from the Mexico about freedom, in other unexpected news the Supreme Court of Mexico has ruled that it is a human right to possess and Consume marijuana. The decision is based on the concept of "the right to self determination" which is enshrined in Mexico's constitution. It is the concept we used to value in the U.S. That As long as you're not harming other people, you have the right to autonomy. the Supreme Court ruled that possessing and consuming marijuana falls under this category. This doesn't automatically legalize cannabis in Mexico but it sets a very important precedent that can pave the way to full legalization. With the new Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau also vowing to legalize it looks like the U.S. Won't be the shining beacon of freedom for Cannabis users. Acting head of the Drug Enforcement Agency Chuck Rosenberg says medical marijuana is a joke and should it should not be called medicine. "What really bothers me is the notion that marijuana is also medicinal—because it's not," said Rosenberg. As an afterthought he admits that components of the marijuana plant have "great promise" as medicine. This is the same man who admitted he is no expert on marijuana last summer. My question is, why are you the head of the DEA if you aren't an expert on drugs? Since I'm on a government bashing roll I'll finish this weeks video with A Brookings Institute report published in October condemning the federal government for holding back research by classifying marijuana as a Schedule I drug. Schedule 1 drugs allegedly have no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration's ranking system. Only researchers with a Schedule I license can use the marijuana grown under contract by the federal government at University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy. “It's time to stop letting outdated policy prevent the scientific community from advancing knowledge and ensuring that patients and practitioners understand the benefits and risks of medical marijuana,” the Brookings report concluded. Now for some good news! When Landon Riddle was two years old he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of leukemia and given just a 10% chance of survival. Landon was put on chemo and radiation treatments. He was put on 5 different narcotics for pain relief. Landon couldn't sleep and would sometimes vomit 50 times a day. His body was covered in bruises from being forcefully held down to receive treatment. Landon had stopped eating. Landon's family realized that the chemo was killing him and desperately began researching alternative treatments. A friend suggested to Landon's grandmother Wendy that they try cannabis. When Wendy saw the well documented research on cannabis and cancer they decided to take a trip to Colorado to try cannabis oil. When Landon arrived in Colorado he had not eaten in 6 weeks, he was on a 24 hour IV drip. He had lost half his body weight and couldn't walk. Within 2 hours of his first dose of cannabis oil Landon was finally able to relax. He slept through most of his first 5 days of cannabis treatment. When he woke up on the fifth day he asked to eat and smiled for the first time in a long time. Landon continued cannabis along side his chemotherapy for another five months. He was able to wean off narcotics, needed less blood and platelet transfusions and he spent less time in the hospital, Landon was getting better. Today Landon is a healthy five year old but that doesn't mean his struggle is over, his medicine is still illegal. Landon can't go home to Utah to visit his family. There are thousands of medical refugee families who have found refuge in Colorado and Washington, but can't go home because their medicine is illegal. Its about time for that to change. The good news is that the tide is turning. Please share this video on your social media networks and Remember to subscribe to our youtube channel doespotcurecancer. 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