SAFETY OF GENETICALLY MODIFIED FOODS

International Journal of Biological Sciences, Abstract, 2009 – We present for the first time a comparative analysis of blood and organ system data from trials with rats fed three main commercialized genetically modified maize, which are present in food and feed in the world. . . Approximately 60 different biochemical parameters were classified per organ and measured in serum and urine after 5 and 14 weeks of feeding. GM maize-fed rats were compared first to their respective isogenic or parental non-GM equivalent control groups. This was followed by comparison to six reference groups, which had consumed various other non-GM maize varieties. . . Our analysis clearly reveals for the 3 GMOs new side effects linked with GM maize consumption, which were sex- and often dose-dependent. Effects were mostly associated with the kidney and liver, the dietary detoxifying organs, although different between the 3 GMOs. Other effects were also noticed in the heart, adrenal glands, spleen and haematopoietic system. We conclude that these data highlight signs of hepatorenal toxicity, possibly due to the new pesticides specific to each GM corn. In addition, unintended direct or indirect metabolic consequences of the genetic modification cannot be excluded.

Wikipedia – A 2008 review published by the Royal Society of Medicine noted that GM foods have been eaten by millions of people worldwide for over 15 years, with no reports of ill effects. Similarly a 2004 report from the US National Academies of Sciences stated: “To date, no adverse health effects attributed to genetic engineering have been documented in the human population.” A 2004 review of feeding trials in the Italian Journal of Animal Science found no differences among animals eating genetically modified plants. A 2005 review in Archives of Animal Nutrition concluded that first-generation genetically modified foods had been found to be similar in nutrition and safety to non-GM foods, but noted that second-generation foods with “significant changes in constituents” would be more difficult to test, and would require further animal studies. However, a 2009 review in Nutrition Reviews found that although most studies concluded that GM foods do not differ in nutrition or cause any detectable toxic effects in animals, some studies did report adverse changes at a cellular level caused by some GM foods, concluding that “More scientific effort and investigation is needed to ensure that consumption of GM foods is not likely to provoke any form of health problem”.

Physorg, 2005 – A recent Russian study says 55.6 percent of the offspring of female rats fed genetically engineered soy flour died within three weeks. The female rats reportedly received 5-7 grams of the Roundup Ready variety of soybeans, beginning two weeks before conception and continuing through nursing. By comparison, scientists said only 9 percent of the offspring of rats fed non-GM soy died.

Furthermore, Russian researchers said offspring from the GM-fed group were significantly stunted — 36 percent weighed less than 20 grams after two weeks, compared with only 6.7 percent from the control group.

The study was conducted by Dr. Irina Ermakova of the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology in Moscow, a part of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
The study was presented during the recent conference of the American Academy of Environmental Medicine in Tucson, Ariz.

The AAEM board issued a statement saying: “We recognize this study is preliminary in nature. It hasn’t yet been peer reviewed and the methodology has not been spelled out in detail. But given the magnitude of the findings and the implications for human health, we urge the National Institutes of Health to immediately replicate the research.”

More Older Americans Using Drugs Illicitly

Report says marijuana is used by nearly half of older drug users
An estimated 4.3 million Americans age 50 and older‹roughly one out of every 20 in that age group‹have used at least one drug illicitly within the past year, according to a government report released today that offers an intriguing snapshot of aging Americans and drugs.

Those who admitted to illicit drug use included nearly one in 10 boomers between ages 50 and 54, and one in 14 of those between 55 and 59, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which included a sample of nearly 20,000 older Americans.

Of the group that said they used drugs, marijuana was the drug of choice for nearly half of those 50 and older (44.9 percent). One-third (33.4 percent) admitted to taking prescription drugs for purposes other than their intended use. The survey was sponsored by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The findings follow previous research from the agency, released last summer, noting that marijuana use among those in their 50s increased by 84 percent since 2002. ³For the most part, this is a group of people that, as they age, never gave it up,² Peter Delany, who directs the agency¹s research, tells Bulletin Today.
Marijuana use was more prevalent among those in their 50s than in other age groups, the new report finds, while nonmedical use of prescription drugs was more common in men and women 65 and older. ³We can¹t explain why more older adults are misusing prescription drugs,² Delany says, ³but we can say that those medications are more available than they used to be.² It may be, he says, that people with valid prescriptions are disposing of their medication improperly, or that some are sharing their medication with others.

The survey did not track the reasons for taking the drugs‹whether they were for pain or for pleasure. But, Delany adds, ³If this trend continues‹and we expect it will‹the number of those in this age group who need treatment may double this decade.²

He sees the findings as a wake-up call for health professionals to do a better job of screening older patients for signs of drug abuse or misuse. ³When I go to my physician,² Delany says, ³I¹m asked about my tobacco and alcohol use, but I¹m not asked if I¹m using drugs. Also, I¹m not asked if I¹m feeling sad or want to hurt myself.²

Looking at all age groups, researchers find that men have higher rates of all types of illicit drug use, with one exception: women between ages 60 and 64. They are nearly twice as likely as men in their age group to take prescription drugs for nonprescription purposes.

The potential for prescription misuse‹and abuse‹in older Americans is nothing new. In a 2007 study published in the American Journal of Geriatric Pharmacotherapy, researchers from the University of Maryland¹s School of Pharmacy in Baltimore found that one in four older adults had exposure to prescription medications with ³abuse potential.²

³Most are painkillers,² says Linda Simoni-Wastila, a professor and lead author of that research. ³And a lot of it starts out as appropriate. Older folks don¹t usually run out and say, ŒI¹m going to be a recreational user.¹ But they have lower back pain, they can¹t sleep, so their doctor continues to prescribe the drugs‹and they get hooked.²

She adds that she¹s not surprised by the new SAMHSA research. She theorizes that in addition to old habits‹the Woodstock generation holding on to its pot-smoking habit of yesteryear‹there is also new, growing acceptance and use of medical marijuana.

Although alcohol use was not included in the national survey, Simoni-Wastila says it should be. ³When psychoactive drugs are [used or] abused in combination with alcohol, it can cause a lot of problems. These drugs should not be used in combination with each other‹or with alcohol.²

Sid Kirchheimer writes about consumer and health issues.

I almost got into a debate with an Immunology Academic Type, but he wouldn’t go there…

CHECK THIS HILARIOUS THREAD OUT, IT COMES FROM FACEBOOK.

Source: www.federaljack.com
(FOXNEWS) President Obama’s school age daughters have not been vaccinated against the H1N1 flu virus. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says the vaccine is not available to them based on their risk.

Wed at 23:09 · · · Share · Report

Daniel James

Daniel James

People need to stop getting vaccinated for every silly little thing it is only making the human immune system weaker in long run
Wed at 23:30
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

The vaccine is currently scarce and is being rationed. Obama’s kids weren’t vaccinated because their risk group isn’t high enough to warrant it, NOT because it’s in any way dangerous.

Vaccination against H1N1 is more a public health matter than a personal health matter. The chance of any given person who catches H1N1 developing a serious condition is quite small – less than 1%. However the virus is extremely contagious, due to a low “herd immunity” against this particular strain.

That means that without widespread vaccination, a very large number of people will come down with it – CDC estimates as many as 1/3 of all Americans could end up catching this disease. That’s 100 million people. Even with a mortality rate of about 0.7%, that’s 700,000 dead – 20 times the number of deaths from a normal seasonal flu. H1N1 could easily kill more people in the next 12 months than tobacco will.Read more

This can be prevented only by boosting the resistance of the entire population. The only way to do that is to get vaccinated.

Yesterday at 00:11
Jason Correia

Jason Correia

Personally I’ve gotten almost every vaccine available. Chicken pox, Hep A & B are experiences I will never wonder what I’d be missing. I plan to take the H1N1 vaccine when its more available. So I’ll be a guinea pig by taking a small risk rather than be sick with a nasty flu.
Yesterday at 00:33
Steven Honeycombe

Steven Honeycombe

Im pretty sure Ive had The Bug already, myself and a few people I know. I was real sick, Ive never been that sick before and my friends say the same. Youll need the injection for the young and elderly for sure. Only a handful of people I know got it, all around my age. I was the only one infected in my house hold – go figure
Yesterday at 00:48
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

I’m afraid that link is highly speculative. It makes a number of unsubstantiated claims, and jumbles terminology together more or less randomly.

For example it claims that pretty much anything that protects you against disease in any way at all is “part of your immune system.” Apparently then your house is part of your immune system, since it protects you from weather and so helps keep you from getting sick. But talking about a 3BR/2Bath immune system with central heat is fairly silly.

The linked article also claims that anything that alters or goes around the body’s natural systems in any way thereby “damages” those systems. Vaccines are “bad” in part because they bypass the skin and stimulate the immune system artificially. I can’t help noticing that, for example, marijuana also stimulates the body’s systems artificially, and so should be bad for you as well, according to that way of thinking.Read more

By the way, my graduate degree is in medicinal chemistry, so I know a bit about how the body works and about how vaccines and drugs affect it.

Yesterday at 01:18
Keirie Christensen

Keirie Christensen

I think if people base their health beliefs off the internet and (for example) chose not to vaccinate their children could be guilty of some degree of child neglect/abuse….
Yesterday at 06:12
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

Keirie, what an ignorant statement.
I think if people DO NOT step up and educate themselves with the internet and books (remember those?) and EVERYTHING they can find for information in order to EMPOWER THEMSELVES AND THEIR CHILDREN WITH KNOWLEDGE AND THEN TAKE ACTION TO PROTECT THEIR OWN HEALTH, stupid people would cease to exist, and then the Read moregovernment would not keep creating POPULATION CONTROL PROGRAMS, Like this vaccination and a whole legion other vaccination programs, that have been foistered upon a mass of people who are stupid enough to think a SHOT IN THE ARM will relieve them of the responsibility of looking after their own CONSTITUTION, while they continue selfishly and shortsightedly abuse their bodies by sticking trash (100% cornsyrup added for your distraction) in their face and calling it food, abusing neglecting AND THEN EATING animals, on and on.
If you are so ignorant that you think the government knows what is best for your children better than you, then please run off and get those shots. Do us all a favor….
Yesterday at 10:51 · Delete
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

Unfortunately, Stephen, relatively few people have the training to properly evaluate medical advice gained from the Internet. So they believe a whole lot of poorly-supported scare stories, or they misinterpret what they find.

What it really comes down to is believing that a whole lot of doctors might know what’s best for your kids – medically Read morespeaking – better than you do. And that’s not such a stretch of the imagination: it’s the sort of thing you pick up here and there in medical school.

If you don’t believe that, then by all means don’t take them to a doctor when they get sick, and don’t get them vaccinated. But in that case you should expect reasonable questions about your judgment.

Yesterday at 11:06
Holy Hemptress

Holy Hemptress

Gosh– all I brought to light was the fact that this shot might not be a good idea–I would NEVER say do not go to the doctor when you are sick–in fact– I say the complete opposite.

Thanks Paul for your two cents–I value you my friend and brother–93!

Yesterday at 11:33
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

I think I believe in Humanity alot more than that, and have alot more information about what is culturally playing out in this country.
ALL OR NOTHING IS NOT THE BEST YOU CAN DO PEOPLE.
Yesterday at 11:39 · Delete
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

DON’T GET THE VACCINE!!! SEE YOUR DOCTOR BUT GET MORE INFORMATIONONGOINGLY ALWAYS AND TAKE MORE PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR PREVENTATIVE HEALTH CARE LIKE DIET AND EXERCISE.
‘You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t wanna know.’
Yesterday at 11:42 · Delete
Holy Hemptress

Holy Hemptress

‘You ain’t gonna learn what you don’t wanna know.’

Now that’s telling it like it is!

Yesterday at 12:18
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

Yes it is. And if it means “You aren’t going to learn that vaccines are basically safe if you don’t wish to believe that,” then it even applies here.
Yesterday at 12:23
Holy Hemptress

Holy Hemptress

Yep it sure does!
Yesterday at 12:38
Holy Hemptress

Holy Hemptress

I however will learn more before I do anything–
Yesterday at 12:39
Holy Hemptress

Holy Hemptress

But if it is true about how bad this is suppose to be? I will not be doing it!
Yesterday at 12:40
Holy Hemptress

Holy Hemptress

Vaccines–I did vaccinate both of my children–but I have heard of parents being afraid to do so–my what a tangled weave is webbed! Staying clear–from here on out!
Yesterday at 13:22
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

Paul-
You are under the hypnosis of the media.
You will go in life whichever direction the crowd goes.
Always, even if it is required that you close your eyes to empirical data…. Do your homework, but prepared to have to own up the fact that ‘the Flock’ is not going to take care of you, that in fact the opposite is true. You are the shepard dude, and wolves are in your sheep.
Quit acting like a sheep, it isn’t fooling anyone, nor is it a ‘safe strategy for survival…Read more
Its costing you sheep(le).
Yesterday at 13:37 · Delete
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

No, Stephen. I have a Master’s Degree in Medicinal Chemistry. I’ve worked for Genentech, Roche, and the Department of Pharmacology at UCLA, among others. I “did my homework” for 4 years at the College of Pharmacy at the University of Illinois Health Sciences Center in Chicago.

I am not “under the hypnosis of the media.” I am not “acting like aRead more sheep.” I am saying what I’m saying here because I actually know what the hell I’m talking about, and because I’ve been trained to tell the difference between “empirical evidence” and urban legend.

If you could say the same, we wouldn’t be having this discussion.

Yesterday at 13:55
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

Easy there Mr. Defensive……NOW I believe you are under the hypnosis of your own ego and the entrenched Academia that ‘lives’ in the educational system. You are starting to realize that you were duped by the very system you dumped the responsibility for spiritual awareness and discernment upon, and it is ontologically scary for you. Don’t worry Read moreyou don’t have to shoulder the burden on your own. There are many of us who went beyond the ‘accepted bounds’ of Information and have brought to light alot of truth. As for my education, and the notion of how to solve the challenge of building and keeping a strong constitution (good health and no need for vaccinations) start with the paper that I wrote:
http://www.majik.org/cruxenrose/?p=21
Don’t see it as an Academic pissing contest, believe me, that holds zero interest for me, I don’t give a fuck how smart or educated ANY OF YOU think I am. I am a champion of the Empirical and correspondingly Quantum truth, it is not about me and how educated i am or am not. That’s EGO BULLSHIT.
Use this information to further the enlightenment and education of all, and Don’t let population control get you.
Yesterday at 23:16 · Delete
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

Riiiiight. I won’t even go into my “spiritual awareness” cred with you. Ask our hostess. Meanwhile, if you want to talk about “empirical evidence” come up with some peer-reviewed papers. That’s the sort of empirical evidence that those of us who know what the term actually means respect.

I suspect that we mean very different things by “Academia.” However if your meaning is anything close to “Those who study this stuff for a living” then yeah, that’d be me all right.

Stephen, you’ve demonstrated repeatedly in this discussion that you don’t know what you’re talking about. You don’t understand immunology. You let your preconceived notions about my own qualifications lead you off into harebrained nonsense about being “hypnotized by the media” when in fact I’ve been studying things like this professionally (as in, people actually pay me for my knowledge) for over 25 years now. Read more

It’s good that you don’t care about how educated you appear. That undoubtedly saves you a lot of personal grief, and certainly makes it easier to believe that education and hands-on experience in the field don’t actually matter. For now, though, if your best “empirical evidence” is simply your own uninformed speculation, then I think we’ve taken this about as far as we usefully can. When you have real, verifiable, reproducible and statistically valid information, we’ll talk.

18 hours ago
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

DUDE.
You don’t even see how you have spun this conversation around to toot your own horn, and can’t get off of it.
An institution pays you to enrich your own ego dude.
So last Century……
You are posturing for the Facebook Crew.Read more
If you really cared about debating the subject here, you’ll take this to email. majik@majik.org.
Let’s go private and talk about how much more smart and educated you are than I, shall we?
8 hours ago · Delete
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

“Meddle Ye Not in the Afffairs of Wizards for thou art CRUNCHY, and good with Ketchup…..”
8 hours ago · Delete
Paul Suliin

Paul Suliin

You think that companies pay consultants out of an altruistic desire to stroke the consultants’ egos? Where do you come up with this stuff?

No, Stephen. Institutions pay me to enrich themselves. My clients pay me because I know enough to help them improve what they do, and that makes them money, so they give me some of it in exchange.

I’m “tooting my own horn” simply because you started brandishing your ignorance about my motivations and knowledge – you’re still doing it, still just as ignorantly. The subject hasn’t changed because you’ve had nothing to contribute since I pointed out that everything you’ve offered so far is unsubstantiated nonsense.Read more

I’ve no interest in discussing anything privately with you, Stephen. If you had anything worthwhile in this area you’d have brought it forth publicly by now. And I can’t imagine establishing your educational credentials any more firmly than you already have. As I said, if you come up with real evidence – peer-reviewed research – let me know. Otherwise you’re just repeating yourself.

2 hours ago
Stephen Saunders

Stephen Saunders

Yep that’s what I thought, Paul, for all of your education and investment in such, you are IGNORANT.

You IGNORE and you RANT.

Just because you won’t look at information, just because you AVOID THE TRUTH, does not make it unsubstantiated.Read more

You are attempting to protect your (tenuous) position with insults and attacks against me personally in order to avoid the debate, and then take your ego and run and hide.

You can’t help it, you are afraid.
Take a number and get in line behind all of the other fearlings, but rest assured there are plenty of us out here tackling reality while you hide under skirt of your self-inflated puffery and selective perception and retention.

Of all the running on you have done attacking me in this thread instead of debating the sanity of accepting an untested vaccine that is KILLING PEOPLE
(you’ll justify THAT grim fact with some statistic designed to justify the cost of human lives) You have not offered one shred of your research up for us, nor one example of where you have clearly used your god given gift of intellect to improve the quality of human life or relieve any suffering whatsoever.

Best of success on your path Paul, I am certain you are on the way to your wake up call just like all of the rest of us.

I am little disappointed that you didn’t have more balls than this… I might have learned something, as I know that the more I know the less I know! I don’t think you hold the same view, you are only interested in polluting your friends FB threads with ego-posturing but when the gloves come off, you jam your fingers in your ears and close your eyes and start yammering insults…. just like a good little robot.

YOU ALREADY “KNOW IT ALL”….

*****************************************************

MESSAGE TO THE PUBLIC!!!!!

DON’T ACCEPT THE N1N9 OR ANY OTHER UNTESTED VACCINATION!!!!!!!

THIS GUY IS THE KIND OF GUY THAT WORKS FOR THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THESE “VACCINATIONS AND ‘IMMUNE SYSTEM TWEAKING’ TECHNOLOGIES!!
TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE DESIGNED TO CARRY OUT A EUGENICS -BASED AGENDA OF POPULATION CONTROL!!!!!

POP-CON ALERT!!!!!

POP-CON POPCON POPCON

POPULATION CONTROL= POPCON

ARE YOU A PART OF THE POP-CON INDUSTRY?

MORGELLONS… A Natural Medicine Approach

Posted by C.E. Carnicom on Behalf of the Author:
Gwen Scott, N.D.
Jan 27 2008

Timing is everything, we are told, and now seems to be the time for some revelations.

Those of you who have watched Clifford Carnicom’s documentary on the aerosol operations (Chemtrails) will know me. We have worked together for many years now, trying very hard to unravel the purpose, content, and impact of what is being dumped into our air supply every day. It should be realized that because these are very small particles, they are systemic to your entire body in less than a minute. Think about that, seriously.

My interest is, primarily, finding natural medicines that can help ALL people mitigate the devastating effects of a multi-leveled assault on human health. Mr.Carnicom has provided immeasurable help in identifying contents so that I may design some natural medicine protocols around them. And make no mistake, the contents can be changed at any time without our knowledge or consent. In fact, I believe it has happened and will continue to happen without accountability.

Before I continue a few legal issues need to be addressed. New Mexico and most other states do not license Naturopathic Doctors. The law says I may educate you, but I cannot diagnose illness, or prescribe any medications. With that in mind, I am going to recount my own personal journey with Chemtrail implications as well as “Morgellons.” If any of the information I present has meaning to you, please find an enlightened and competent health care practitioner to work directly with you. Many natural medicines and drugs (prescription and over the counter) do not interact very well, and in some cases, can cause dangerous contraindications. It is imperative that you work closely with a professional you trust and not try to “cowboy” your health circumstances. I give you permission to share any and all information presented here with your health care practitioner so that he/she may evaluate it in light of your own regimen and symptoms.

Also, it is important that you understand one of the founding principles of natural medicine…Herring’s Law of Cure. This law presents that your body will rid itself of anything unwanted (diseases, etc.) from top to bottom, from the inside to the outside, and in the reverse order in which it entered your system. As you will see, much of the work on my own body follows this law exactly.

I am presenting both empirical (personal observation) with scientific information. Many thanks to Clifford Carnicom (hundreds of unpaid hours on his side), a research doctor, a surgeon, a chemist, and many publications for the scientific information. Although I do not have formal scientific training, I have read many books on human anatomy and physiology (structure and function of the systems) as well as herbal remedies, and all other natural modalities. I have also spent lots of hours looking into a microscope. I have a degree as a Naturopathic Doctor from an accredited college. But again, this is a journal of my personal experiences and not in any way to be understood as a “how to” remedy for the Chemtrail maladies, including “Morgellons.”

I spoke of timing at the beginning. It is time to say I am the “Morgellons” person that Mr. Carnicom used for many of his blood, skin, lung, and mouth samples. At the beginning of this work, I was the only provider. Now with so many people willing to give him samples, I know his work will continue. It is time for me to step forward.

I will get to what is being called “Morgellons” disease in just a minute. I must say, in my opinion, it’s not really a disease in the traditional sense. It is not measles or mumps. It doesn’t run a finite course nor is it exclusive to contact with other humans. What we are looking at here is an inorganic fiber and other components delivered through the air supply. In my opinion, what we are really looking at is a progressive “system” or “syndrome” in which “Morgellons” is just the latest and most visible aspect.

My journey into this “syndrome” began over ten years ago. I felt “something” was in me that didn’t belong…a gut feeling. I also noticed that my joints were aching more than they should, I got tired easily, I was getting skins breakouts, and my digestion was “off.” I was eating well (organics, free range meats, etc.) and exercising, yet I felt my vitality slipping. I decided to begin a program of “wellness” without any idea where it would lead me.

I began by introducing herbs and herbal combinations that would address the full range of pathogens that might be causing me problems…bacteria, virus, fungus, and parasite. I was able to eliminate organic parasites at the beginning. That still left me with the other three. So, I searched for and found one herbal combination that addressed all three. It is called Deep Health by Herbs, Etc. I also made some bad or aggressive choices that were really quite dangerous which I will not share. With this herbal extract I began to get sores all over my head, but, mindful of Herring’s Law, I saw this as a good thing (top to bottom, in to out) They were painful, numerous, volcano like, and produced scabs that were very itchy and would not heal for weeks, months, and, in one case, two years. Of course, at the time, it was before Chemtrail awareness, so I assumed something from earlier years was coming out or some new disease I didn’t know was presenting (later I was to look at photos and see the lines in the sky that I was unaware of at the time.)Those sores were exactly like the ones I have today on my back, but I cannot tell you if there were fibers in the scabs. I strongly suspect there were.

One thing that is very interesting. After my scalp finally healed my hair got thicker, the few gray hairs I had fell out, replaced by much darker hair. Also, the texture of my hair changed. Instead of straight, fine hair it became more coarse and wavy. I don’t know why to this day, but I took it as a good sign. I have a client in Los Angeles who I began working with about 8-months ago and he reports that his once gray eyebrows are now brown again. He also says his once brown hair is growing in again…that he has brown roots in his white hair. Again, I take this as a sign of renewed health.

I began to look at what was happening very carefully. Surely this was not a “normal” or known situation (ten years ago.) I started to see a “network” under my skin that looked like it might be fungal in nature. I contacted a good friend who is a research doctor to get his opinion. Strangely enough, he and his research partner had been looking at live blood samples under an atomic microscope and observed a fungus in EVERYBODY’S blood sample, including his own (note: Mr. Carnicom is finding fibers and an unknown, perhaps bacterial, form in everyone’s blood as well.) He was very upset because he said it looked “altered” and was using very fine particulate metals as weapons against the immune system. He said the fungus actually collected heavy metals and “stabbed” all immune responders. It sounded so science fiction to me at the time. He told me that he had found a great metal detoxification method using food grade diatomaceous earth that he took everyday in distilled water (perma-guard.com.) He said about one tablespoon would work for most adults. The FDA doesn’t give approval for taking diatomaceous earth internally in humans, but we can give it to our cats, dogs, cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, etc. Most feed stores carry it. The only known contraindication is if it is taken with food. It will not recognize what metals are good for you (iron, trace copper, etc) and what ones are harmful. My research doctor friend says it will bind up metals and carry them out of your body. I do know this therapy is widely used in India (white earth,) especially by pregnant women. I met the head medicine man of the Shoshone Indian People and he told me they have historically used it to detoxify people. I also met an African American healer in Georgia last year and he told me they’d been using it in his community for years, all the way back to the days of slavery.

At this point in my journey I realized that I not only needed to get rid of any metals in my system, but I needed to go on an aggressive anti-fungal diet with supporting herbs. I made sure to eat LOTS of garlic, onions, etc. and I avoided ALL sugars. I drank Pau D’ Arco tea daily and began to see some important results. I also found a wonderful anti-fungal herbal combination that is no longer available, but Herbs, Etc. has a similar one called Yeast ReLeaf. It should be said, I have no financial ties with any of the companies I mention in this journal.

I continued to eat organics, drink distilled water, and eat, moderately, only free range meats. And I began to notice some vitality returning with the anti-fungal focus. But, I also knew that I was far from “clean.”

About eight years ago I became sadly aware of the Chemtrails. I was blessed to be introduced to Clifford Carnicom, who at that time was a voice in the wilderness. He began to share with me all of the data he was gathering and I began to see why it was so important to get those metals out of the system. Recently, the National Institute for Health in Washington, D.C. released a report on barium. The report linked barium “intoxication” to M.S., ALS, and other diseases of “unknown” origins. The report also said that the military sprayed barium in the air! That was certainly interesting to me. A good deal of research is available linking aluminum to Alzheimer’s disease, especially when the aluminum is combined with fluoride.

Also recently, an oncologist in Italy, Dr. Tullio Simoncini, says he believes cancer is really a fungus. Many other doctors came out in support when he was attacked for presenting his work. He is currently treating people with cancer with enormous success (www.cancerfungus.com). I personally think he is on the right track and so does my surgeon friend who tells me they are opening people up and finding them full of fungus.

He told me there are times they can’t even find the organs because they are “covered” with fungus. I personally have not seen this, but this surgeon has years of experience and no reason to mislead me. I think a strong anti-fungal diet is a great idea. There are many books at the health store outlining them. I should say, most of the books are focused on Candida Albicans, a common fungus and we may be looking at a different “breed” here, but it’s a good start.

I have also found anti-fungal soaps of great help. The brand called Miracle II and its companion Neutralizer have been invaluable in my healing process (www.miracle2.net). Most health stores carry anti-fungal soaps, usually with Tea Tree Oil.

About three years ago, I began to get open, painful sores on my back…they remain to this day. Old ones, in time, will close up and I will think I am finished, but new ones will appear, sometimes overnight. This is the “Morgellons” aspect of my journey. It wasn’t until Mr. Carnicom put the scar tissue under high magnification that the true nature of these sores came to light. In every scar tissue they was at least one and sometimes many fibers. Now I began to understand why the process was ongoing. I breathe…fibers are in the air supply…body wants them out. So, I stand alone, at this time, with the following theory…Morgellons is NOT a disease in the conventional sense. It is the body’s HEALTHY response to an invader, or foreign matter, that does not belong. It seeks to push it out.

About one month ago my teeth started aching. It was slight at first and I really didn’t pay attention. About 4am one morning I awoke with the most painful “tooth ache” I could imagine. I tried every remedy I knew to no avail. I “talked to the kingdom” and got the answer to rinse the tooth vigorously with red wine. I certainly wouldn’t have thought of that. The results are on Mr. Carnicom’s web site. I continue to “pull” them out everyday with the red wine therapy and, although not as many are coming out, I am still producing. It would be an interesting test to run for yourself to see if you have fibers in your gums. Many of my friends who do not have a single “Morgellons” symptom have done it and in all cases fibers can be seen in the sink. Another interesting test is to take your temperature (digital is the fastest) everyday. Everyone seems to be running lower than the 98.6 average. Some of my clients are down in the 94-95 range.

We now know that combined with these fibers are a pathogen that has yet to be identified. It appears to cause damage to the blood, consequently all body systems. I keep hoping that someone with some expertise in this field will step up to the plate and help Mr. Carnicom with his efforts. You know, if you breathe…or your children breathe…or your mother breathes…time to understand that ALL humans are involved.

Another component that is also part of the “Morgellons syndrome” is a luminescent material that some call plastic, others silicone. It comes out of the lungs, eyes, skin, and mouth. My tears are very sticky, a recent development. The material “glows” under a black light and is unknown in its properties. Also, its purpose is unknown as well. I do know that it has somehow incorporated into what is leaving my body. It also contains the unknown pathogen seen in the fibers.

I was interested to note that as I drove across the country recently, in three different states a large “glob” of perfectly clear material hit my windshield (not a gift from the birds.) When I tried to clean it off with my wipers it smeared and took many passes to finally clear. I didn’t collect any samples, but it wouldn’t be surprising if this material coming out of my body is one and the same.

Also of interest to me, on CNN Anderson Cooper presented a series called Planet In Peril and one of the segments contained the results of a blood test he had taken. It was reported that he had an unusually high amount of “plastic” in his blood…wonder if we all do.

I do know that a scientist named Marcel Vogel was experimenting with luminescent materials and their uses in the 70’s (Secret Life of Plants.) He later went to work for IBM and there are many patents with his name involving luminescent material. I was particularly interested in the one involving Electro-luminescent materials, but couldn’t get into the data.

Another curious phenomenon…EVERYBODY’S eyes I have examined under a black light reveal that their pupils “glow” or are luminescent. Is this normal? Perhaps an expert can tell me, as I remember black light parties in the 60’s and I personally don’t remember pupils glowing.

Another interesting observation…after the sores finishing expelling blood with fibers, the scar tissue becomes “plastic” which also contains the fibers.

One final note. There is a huge assault on all life forms taking place electro-magnetically. The planet and all life on it evolved, together, with a common electro-magnetic field. We know from Mr. Carnicom’s work that new frequencies of many levels are being introduced into the atmosphere. How can this not affect us? We are electro-magnetic beings. Could these new “waves” be causing the epidemics I see in depression (NBC reported that nearly ONE-HALF of all Americans are taking anti-depressants,) sleep depravation, tinnitis (ear ringing,) and memory loss? A physicist told me that some of these new frequencies correspond to the same frequencies in the brain that control sleep, mood, and memory. What “materials” are in our body that might respond to these frequencies as well? I certainly don’t know, but it is worth considering when taking a holistic approach to wellness.

FINAL OBSERVATIONS

So, as far as I can observe, we are dealing with a highly integrated “system,” not one disease called “Morgellons.”

And, as I have indicated, it needs to be addressed on a number of levels…heavy metals, fungus, diet, etc. I know you cannot hope to heal eating processed, denatured, chemically rich foods. It has been suggested that perhaps some of what we are looking at here actually comes into us through our food supply. I don’t know. Consider what you put in your mouth very carefully…does it heal or harm? If you are serious about being well during these times, you really have to look at your diet. “Food is your remedy, your remedy is food” Hippocrates.

Fungus is a major player…so are fibers, a bacterial form (mycoplasma, etc) and luminescent materials. There might be others as yet unseen. A research doctor is sure we also have nano-technology in there as well. Although I haven’t observed any in the blood samples, I wouldn’t be surprised. Many of the national labs are spending a lot of money and research on nano-tecnology. Some of the titles of the studies are very unnerving.

I have another observation based purely on my own physical experience. The more I rid my body of these unwanted materials, the more people tell me that I am looking younger. My hair is thick…I have lost about 10-pounds that I simply couldn’t get rid of…they just feel off and I am returned to my “normal” weight. My eyesight has improved dramatically…20-250 to 20-150 in a year and the process continues. Many of the “age” lines on my face have disappeared and my previously achy joints don’t bother me at all. Could it be that these materials are designed to age us rapidly? I have heard lots of people talking lately about how their friends and family members are getting old quickly. I have noticed it myself. Could the agenda presented years ago to thin the population be in full swing (read “….and the truth shall set you free by David Icke.) It seems like it to me.

A final word to anyone involved in spraying our skies…even if you think you are doing something good for the citizens of the world…you are not. And if you and those you love breathe…well then, someone has mislead you. I believe in time we will find that EVERYONE has “Morgellons” syndrome. That EVERYONE, whether they are presenting sores or not, is carrying fibers, fungus, luminescent material, etc. Mr. Carnicom’s most recent work would certainly lead us in that direction.

Again, work with a professional who understands and has the expertise to help you towards wellness.

I will update this journal with new information as it appears.

Stand in The Light

Blessings and Good Health

Gwen Scott, N.D.”

ALERT OF THE WEEK- Stop Monsanto’s Genetically Engineered Wheat

wheatMonsanto and the biotech bullies are once again moving to tighten their grip on the world’s food supply. Genetically engineered (GE) varieties now account for 70-90% of all conventional (non-organic) corn, soybeans, cotton, and canola grown in the U.S. Joining the growing menu of unlabeled and untested gene-spliced Frankenfoods, genetically engineered sugar (derived from GE sugar beets) hit store shelves in 2008. Now it appears that the most controversial crop of them all, Monsanto’s GE wheat, is not far behind, at least if industry gets its way. Given that wheat is such a major global crop and essential ingredient in bread, breakfast cereals, pasta and other everyday foods, the force-feeding of unlabeled GE wheat on the public would represent a major conquest for Monsanto and the biotech industry.

Although Monsanto withdrew their applications to the U.S. and Canadian governments for approval of genetically engineered wheat in 2004 because of tremendous pressure from the OCA and hundreds of our allied public interest groups and farmers (as well as pressure from large food companies such as General Mills), it looks like we’re in for another round of battle.

Wheat industry groups in the United States, Canada and Australia announced on May 14, 2009, they would work toward the objective of “synchronized commercialization of biotech traits in the wheat crop.” For the sake of the Earth and public health, we must stop them.

LEARN MORE AND TAKE ACTION

U.S. Physicians Announce Founding Of American Academy Of Cannabinoid Medicine

Santa Barbara, CA: A coalition of US physicians and researchers has founded a new organization dedicated to promoting ethical standards in therapeutic cannabis treatment.

“The American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine … is a professional medical organization dedicated to the clinical and scientific understanding of the endoccannabinoid system and the therapeutic application of cannabis and cannabinoids,” the group states in a press release.

It continues: “The Academy serves as an authoritative information source for doctors, state medical boards and the media on the medical application and research related to the clinical use of cannabis and cannabinoids. We are dedicated to educating physicians about the clinical therapeutic usefulness of cannabis to relieve symptoms of the myriad of diseases that respond to this class of medications.”

Members of the organization “will promote high medical ethical and practice standards in the approval and recommendation of cannabis for medicinal purposes.” According to the organization’s website, the AACM has “developed certifying practice standards and guidelines for practicing physicians who recommend and approve the medicinal use of cannabis acting within state law.”

“Our mission is to foster the highest standards in the practice of cannabinoid medicine,” the website states.

For more information about the American Academy of Cannabinoid Medicine, please visit: http://aacmsite.org.

Food Can Kill

eagbmeywexjlhii-58x43-croppedIf you’re looking for reasons why modern agriculture is bad for you, look no further than Sustainable Food blogger Natasha Chart’s post this week examining the negative effects of industrial agriculture on our health. From herbicides linked to cancer to industrial pesticides that cause sexual abnormalities, Natasha asks: Is modern day food going to kill us?

(Read more)

COULD IT BE FACTORY FARM FLU?

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F. William Engdahl, Global Research – What are the symptoms of this purported Swine Flu? That’s not at all clear according to virologists and public health experts. They say Swine Flu symptoms are relatively general and nonspecific. ‘So many different things can cause these symptoms. it is a dilemma,’ says one doctor interviewed by CNN. ‘There is not a perfect test right now to let a doctor know that a person has the Swine Flu.’ It has been noted that most individuals with Swine Flu had an early on set of fever. Also it was common to see dizziness, body aches and vomiting in addition to the common sneezing, headache and other cold symptoms. These are symptoms so general as to say nothing.

The US Government’s Center for Disease Control in Atlanta states on its official website, ‘Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.’ Nonetheless they add, ‘CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

How many media that have grabbed on the headline ‘suspected case of Swine Flu’ in recent days bother to double check with the local health authorities to ask some basic questions? For example, the number of confirmed cases of H1N1 and their location? The number of deaths confirmed to have resulted from H1N1? Dates of both? Number of suspected cases and of suspected deaths related to the Swine Flu disease?

According to Biosurveillance, itself part of Veratect, a US Pentagon and Government-linked epidemic reporting center, on April 6, 2009 local health officials declared a health alert due to a respiratory disease outbreak in La Gloria, Perote Municipality, Veracruz State, Mexico.

They reported, ‘Sources characterized the event as a ‘strange’ outbreak of acute respiratory infection, which led to bronchial pneumonia in some pediatric cases. According to a local resident, symptoms included fever, severe cough, and large amounts of phlegm. Health officials recorded 400 cases that sought medical treatment in the last week in La Gloria, which has a population of 3,000; officials indicated that 60% of the town’s population (approximately 1,800 cases) has been affected. No precise timeframe was provided, but sources reported that a local official had been seeking health assistance for the town since February.’ What they later say is ‘strange’ is not the form of the illness but the time of year as most flu cases occur in Mexico in the period October to February. . .

Then, most revealingly, the aspect of the story which has been largely ignored by major media, they reported, ‘Residents believed the outbreak had been caused by contamination from pig breeding farms located in the area. They believed that the farms, operated by Granjas Carroll, polluted the atmosphere and local water bodies, which in turn led to the disease outbreak. According to residents, the company denied responsibility for the outbreak and attributed the cases to “flu.” However, a municipal health official stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the disease vector was a type of fly that reproduces in pig waste and that the outbreak was linked to the pig farms.’

Since the dawn of American ‘agribusiness,’ a project initiated with funding by the Rockefeller Foundation in the 1950’s to turn farming into a pure profit maximization business, US pig or hog production has been transformed into a highly efficient, mass production industrialized enterprise from birth to slaughter. Pigs are caged in what are called factory farms, industrial concentrations which are run with the efficiency of a Dachau or Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. They are all conceived by artificial insemination and once born, are regularly injected with antibiotics, not because of illnesses which abound in the hyper-crowded growing pens, but in order to make them grow and add weight faster. Turn around time to slaughter is a profit factor of highest priority. The entire operation is vertically integrated from conception to slaughter to transport distribution to supermarket.

Granjas Carroll de Mexico (happens to be such a factory farm concentration facility for hogs. In 2008 they produced almost one million factory hogs, 950,000 according to their own statistics. GCM is a joint venture operation owned 50% by the world’s largest pig producing industrial company, Smithfield Foods of Virginia. The pigs are grown in a tiny rural area of Mexico, a member of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and primarily trucked across the border to supermarkets in the USA, under the Smithfields’ family of labels. Most American consumers have no idea where the meat was raised.

Now the story becomes interesting.

The Times of London interviewed the mother of 4-year-old Edgar Hernandez of La Gloria in Veracruz, the location of the giant Smithfield Foods hog production facility. Their local reporter notes, ‘Edgar Hernández plays among the dogs and goats that roam through the streets, seemingly unaware that the swine flu he contracted a few weeks ago – the first known case – has almost brought his country to a standstill and put the rest of the world on alert. ‘I feel great,’ the five-year-old boy said. ‘But I had a headache and a sore throat and a fever for a while. I had to lay down in bed.”

The reporters add, ‘It was confirmed on Monday (April 27 2009-w.e.) that Edgar was the first known sufferer of swine flu, a revelation that has put La Gloria and its surrounding factory pig farms and ‘manure lagoons’ at the centre of a global race to find how this new and deadly strain of swine flu emerged.’

That’s quite interesting. They speak of ‘La Gloria and its surrounding factory pig farms and ‘manure lagoons.” Presumably the manure lagoons around the LaGloria factory pig farm of Smithfield Foods are the waste dumping place for the feces and urine waste from at least 950,000 pigs a year that pass through the facility. The Smithfield’s Mexico joint venture, Norson, states that alone they slaughter 2,300 pigs daily. That’s a lot. It gives an idea of the volumes of pig waste involved in the concentration facility at La Gloria.

Significantly, according to the Times reporters, ‘residents of La Gloria have been complaining since March that the odor from Granjas Carroll’s pig waste was causing severe respiratory infections. They held a demonstration this month at which they carried signs of pigs crossed with an X and marked with the word peligro (danger).’ There have been calls to exhume the bodies of the children who died of pneumonia so that they could be tested. The state legislature of Veracruz has demanded that Smithfield’s Granjas Carroll release documents about its waste-handling practices. Smithfield Foods reportedly declined to comment on the request, saying that it would ‘not respond to rumours.’

ALOT of back story on POT

Ganja from my garden

There is ample proof that indicates that man has been using marijuana since the pre-historic times. Normally, the use of marijuana by man is estimated to date back to about 10,000 years ago, but findings at a pre-historic village unearthed in Taiwan in 1972 indicates that the herb has been in use since time immemorial. Ruins of earthenware found in this pre-historic Taiwanese village sustained marks of hemp (a narcotic drug made from plant found in Asia that is smoked, chewed, eaten or drunk to produce a mild euphoric reaction) twines providing proof that marijuana has been used by men in this part of the world since the Stone Age.

According to the Chinese language, marijuana is known as ‘Ma’. It is an enduring aromatic plant that grows once a year and perhaps known to be the ‘mother’ of all civilizations depending on agriculture. For the ancient man, ‘Ma’ was not only a never ending source of food, but the herb also provided sturdy fiber for producing long-lasting ropes and cloth. In fact, while the pre-historic man in most other civilizations continued to hunt and collect food for survival, these two virtues of ‘Ma’ put China at the forefront by establishing an advanced agriculture-based industry. In addition to its medicinal, textile and other uses, marijuana seeds offer high quantities of protein, B vitamins and essential amino acids. Thus, it is little surprising that these marijuana seeds have served as the second or third most essential resource of foodstuff in China for thousands of years.

It is interesting to note that excavations in the ruins of the Nile civilization in Egypt have revealed that the people there used marijuana for its medicinal properties since as early as the 16th century. Similarly, diggings at the primeval Hebrew civilization sites also prove that they used marijuana as a therapy during childbirth since long before the birth of Jesus Christ. Therefore, there is little doubt that the multifaceted properties and uses of marijuana have demonstrated to be a priceless reserve for the continued existence of the Chinese culture since days immemorial to the present.

Significantly, the most primitive substance that was recognized as fabric from the hemp was discovered in a primeval burial site said to belong to the Chou Dynasty (1122-1249 B.C.) in China. This discovery of this hemp fabric corroborated the numerous mentions in history regarding the significance of help in ancient China. According to the instructions in the Book of Rites (compiled in 200 B.C.), the mourners in China were required to wear clothes made from hemp fabric as this was considered to be a way to show respect to the departed soul. Incidentally, this ancient tradition is still followed in several parts of China even today.

However, what is of greater significance is the innovation of the hemp paper by the Chinese as early as 200 B.C. This invention not only helped the early Chinese to maintain all their records, but also enabled them to perform an elementary task – run the government in a methodical manner. The Chinese were successful in keeping in secret the invention as well as the process of making paper from hemp fiber for as long as 900 years, eventually paper manufactured from hemp became crucial for the speedy progress of all the civilizations across the world. Significantly, several thousand years before paper made from hemp became a crucial aspect of the European civilizations, China – a nation historically known to the world as the land of hemp and mulberry – had advanced by leaps and bounds in utilizing the therapeutic and industrialized use of ‘Ma’ or the marijuana.

Medicine practitioners in early China carved the hemp stems into decorative snake-like figures and believed that they acted as good luck charm and helped in getting rid of devils or evil spirits which were considered to be the basis of all corporal ailments. The healing process of these medicine men too was peculiar. They tried to cure all types of diseases by thumping the headboards of the patients’ beds with the flamboyant mysterious hemp stalks while narrating magic charms and invocations to drive away the demons. In Japan, the Shinto priests also performed a comparable ritual by using a small baton conjoined with hemp fibers that are not dyed. This was done with the belief that the serenity of the white hemp stalks would be more effectual in getting rid of the evil spirits and hence the diseases. While modern day science as well as progressive-thinking masses may reject these rituals as mere superstitions, considering the origins of such
ceremonies, there may still be reasons for some observers to give such long-standing traditions a thought.

According to myth as well as history, Chinese emperor Shen-Nung, who ruled the Himalayan nation around 2800 B.C. is said to have introduced different medicines to his people. His name is often mentioned in myths as well as in historical references. According to a myth, emperor Shen-Nung reportedly had a transparent abdomen and he deliberately consumed at least 70 special herbs and plants daily. He practiced this to observe the consequences of these herbs and identify their different properties and usefulness. This way, Shen-Nung is believed to have discovered hundreds of various kinds of medicines for different ailments. His findings are recorded in the world’s oldest manuscript on medicines – ‘Pen Ts’ao’. For his unique efforts, people considered emperor Shen-Nung as sacred and till date the Chinese consider him as the father of their traditional medicine.

Pen Ts’ao says that ‘ma-fen’ or the flowers of the female marijuana plant comprise maximum amount of yin (the principle of darkness, negativity, and femininity in Chinese philosophy that is the counterpart of yang) force. According to the Chinese philosophy, yin is the accessible female trait and in their traditional philosophy and medicine it is vigorously related to yang – the ingenious male constituent. In ancient China, medicine men recommended the use of ma-fen to reinstate the loss of yin in people. For instance, the herbal element is administered to women suffering from exhaustion during menstruation, to cure rheumatism (firmness in joints and muscles), malaria, beri-beri (a degenerative disease of the nerves caused by vitamin deficiency), constipation and even absent-mindedness or forgetfulness. However, it has been warned in Pen Ts’ao that consuming marijuana seeds in excess and over a long period may lead an individual to see the
demons. It also says that ingesting the Ma seeds for prolonged periods may also help one to communicate with the spirits. Apart from telling his people about the different therapeutic uses of the marijuana or Ma, the Chinese emperor Shen-Nung also offered advice and lessons on cultivating hemp for clothing and other textile utilities. Incidentally, in many rural regions of China, people still follow his training in cultivating the hemp.

Bizarrely enough, alchemists (early chemists who sought to transform base metals into gold and discover a life-prolonging elixir) of the Tao era in the first century A.D. breathed in smokes of the burning hemp seeds with a view to get visions that were treasured as an approach to achieve immortality. In fact, in ancient China people believed that marijuana was a better quality elixir (a substance which was once thought to extend life indefinitely) that could refresh the mind as well as the body. Conventional Chinese medical practitioners have used Ma or marijuana pragmatically to cure different kinds of ailments. In the second century A.D., a famous Chinese surgeon called Hua T’o undertook difficult operations using ma-yo, an anesthetic prepared by blending marijuana resin and wine. It has been stated that when application of acupuncture and medications failed to cure certain problems, Ho performed complicated surgeries like amputation and even organ
grafting fastened with sutures (a thread or wire used to close a wound or connect tissues). It is reported that the use of ma-yo as an anesthesia made even such crucial and difficult operations painless for the patients. In the 10 the century A.D., a group of Chinese medical practitioners found that ma-yo proved to be effectual in healing waste diseases and injuries. On the other hand, physicians used Ma to absolve the blood of impurities and bring down temperatures during fevers. Medicines prepared from the herb were also said to be effective in healing rheumatism and for trouble-free childbirths.

Like in China, right through history, long-lasting textile manufactured from sturdy hemp stems have been of incalculable importance in the Western civilizations too. Hemp was known as kannabis in Greece and ancient records on kannabis trade show that as early as the sixth century B.C., the Greek sailors did brisk business in the herb across the Aegean Sea. During the 20th century, archeologists discovered hemp fiber in the cargo space of a Carthaginian cargo vessel that had gone down near Sicily approximately 300 B.C. Mention of use of hemp fiber by the Greek is also found in the writings of the great Greek historian Herodotus. In 450 B.C., Herodotus wrote about the superior value of hemp textile produced by the Greek-speaking Thracians.

Another Greek historian Plutarch wrote that the Thracians followed a custom of throwing the apex of the kannabis plants into fire in order to get intoxicated by the smoke billowing out of the flames. Incidentally, this custom was unknown to the Greeks, who loved wine a lot. A piece of Greek literature from approximately 400 B.C. gives some hint about the usefulness of kannabis as a remedy for backache and this, incidentally, is the only known reference of medical use of the herb in ancient Greece. On the other hand, the Hebrew as well as the Arabic medical practitioners were aware of the different therapeutic advantages of kannabis during the same period and used it to cure various disorders.

Incidentally, in 70 A.D. a Greek medical practitioner called Dioscorides utilized the opportunity of the victory over the Roman masses by pulling together valuable information on different medicinal plants. In his book titled ‘Materia Medica’, Dioscorides poured out his experiences during his journeys with the Roman army and has described various herbs and their usefulness in healing different diseases. In all, Dioscorides has recorded 600 different medicinal plants and provided detailed descriptions, local names, normal habitations as well as their uses in treating different symptoms or ailments. Cannabis sativa L. that has been derived from the Greek work kannabis also finds mention among the 600 different varieties of herbs listed by Dioscorides. In his book, the physician wrote that the herb was valuable for rope manufacture as well as generation of seeds whose juicy extract was effectual in healing earaches as well as withdrawing sexual urge.
‘Materia Medica’ written by Dioscorides proved to be a huge success and was translated into several languages around the globe. Most importantly, the book remained an important medical manual and essential reference text of the Western medical world for over 1500 years.

It is interesting to note that the English term ‘canvas’ has derived its name from the Greek word cannabis. This is ample evidence of the utmost importance accorded to the hemp textile by the European maritime technology. There is a firm belief among a section of historians that it would have been impossible for the different European empires to extend their territories across the seas without the advancement of the technologies involving the cannabis fiber. For instance, in 1492, during one of his trans-Atlantic missions, a vessel of Columbus carried over 80 tons of hemp rigging (ropes) and sails that were manufactured by people over hundreds of thousand hours. Significantly, history suggests that numerous imperial riches were a result of the hard work of the peasants in the fields cultivating hemp. It may be mentioned here that in those days, hemp had emerged as the most vital industrial crop in many developing countries across the world. It would
be noteworthy that while hemp was the most important industrial crop, during the same period the European physicians’ knowledge about the medicinal benefits of cannabis was only restricted to the references made by Dioscorides in his prized text ‘Materia Medica’ and some folk references that were handed over from the medieval period.

Medical science developed in the Western civilization as the Dark Ages gave into the Renaissance period. It was then that the scientists and physicians of the Western civilization discovered several crucial facts regarding the herbal medicines, including the various noteworthy therapeutic values of the marijuana. In his book titled ‘The Anatomy of Melancholy’ published in 1621, Robert Burton recommended that cannabis may be useful in curing depression. Several years later, in 1682, The New London Dispensatory wrote in a few words the usefulness of cannabis seeds in healing coughs and jaundice and much later, in 1764, The New English Dispensatory suggested that poultices prepared by boiling hemp roots was helpful in healing irritations and swellings. Yet again in 1794, the Edinburgh New Dispensary wrote about the growing perception of the therapeutic advantages of the cannabis herb. The report suggested that cannabis was effectual in curing coughs,
venereal or sexually transmitted diseases and urinary incontinence. In his book titled ‘Complete Herbal’ published by Nicholas Culpepper in 1814, the writer took care to list all the known curative uses of the cannabis plant and incorporated all the earlier published applications of the herb to heal different disorders. In addition, Culpepper also published a few new remedial applications of the plant like alleviating colic (sudden attack of pain in the abdomen over and over again, which causes spasm, inflammation or impediment), assuaging problems associated with bowels, stopping worrying bleeding, and lessening swelling of the head as well as easing pains of the hips and joints. He also suggested the use of cannabis as a preservative for ointments and creams for the healing of burns. Incidentally, till the discovery as well as exploration of the Indian sub-continent expanded the perceptions of the Europeans, they had no idea of any psychoactive
consequences related with the use of cannabis.

Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish botanist, compiled the all inclusive reference handbook of the botanical categorization titled ‘Species Planetarium’ in 1753 and this is still regarded as the best work on this subject. In his manual, Linnaeus had included all the classifications on Cannabis sativa done by the Greek physician Dioscorides. However, soon after Linnaeus published ‘Species Planetarium’, a group of botanists from Europe came forward with the argument that the newly researched Indian variety of the cannabis plant was markedly different from the better known European Cannabis sativa that was widely cultivated for both industrial as well as therapeutic use. Few years later, in 1783, a French botanist called Jean Lamarck scrutinized both the varieties of cannabis in his compendium (a comprehensive but brief account of a subject, especially in book form) titled ‘Encyclopedia’ and observed that the Cannabis sativa variety normally cultivated for
its fiber used by the textile industry was distinguished by its height (usually 12 to 16 feet), long stems, meager undergrowth and lean leaves. In contrast, the cannabis that was indigenous to India normally grew up to a height of four to five feet when mature and had intense foliage in unkempt clusters and bore relatively expansive leaves. Lamarck named the new variety or the species found in India as Cannabis indica keeping in view the country of the plant’s origin.

All said and done, factually there are numerous sub-species of cannabis and the botanists still persist on disagreeing over their precise as well as systematic categorization. Meanwhile, most experts have agreed that broadly there are two discrete varieties of cannabis that encompass all the properties existing in the current sub-species of the plant.

Cannabis seems to have originated in China and then it seemingly spread westward across Asia, Minor Asia and the Mediterranean. As it spread over various regions, over the years different ancient cultures adopted the plant. The theory propagated by historians in the West, cannabis spread all over the world and was ultimately accepted by all civilizations across the globe. However, the conventional Hindu scriptures have a completely different story to tell. In fact, the origins of Cannabis indica, according to the Western historians and botanists, are recorded in the Vedas – the four ancient sacred books dating back to the Aryan-dominated Hindu India. The Vedas were written about 4000 years ago and cover almost all aspects of conventional Hindu life, including great myths or legends of invasions, conquests, fight back and religious as well as spiritual advancement. Among several other legends and vibrant myths, the Vedas narrate the story of how Lord
Shiva, one of the three main Hindu Gods, reinvigorated himself in the heat of the sunlight by consuming leaves of the marijuana plants. As Lord Shiva is said to have adapted leaves of the marijuana plant as his favorite diet, he is aptly known as the ‘Lord of Bhang’.

For the uninitiated, ‘bhang’ is a conventional and popular Indian beverage prepared by blending cannabis with different herbs and spices. Liked by people over the ages, ‘bhang’ is reported to be less potent than ‘ganja’ – a substance prepared from the flowering marijuana plants and used for smoking as well as eating. On the other hand, ‘charas’ comparatively more powerful than both ‘bhang’ and ‘ganja’ is prepared from the apex of the cannabis flowers while they are in full blossom. Incidentally, ‘charas’ – thick with muggy resin (a semi-solid substance secreted in the juice of some plants) – is as powerful an intoxicant as the intense or concentrated cannabis resin product called ‘hashish’. For several thousand years such invigorating marijuana products have been a part of many important facets of conventional Indian or Hindu life. They are a part of many rituals as well as plain survival issues. Interestingly, soldiers
gearing up for a battle, couples who are to wed and even devout Hindus worshipping Lord Shiva have invoked their Lord with the holy herb on almost every important occasion.

Athavaveda – the fourth book of the Vedas that has been translated into English and titled ‘The Science of Charms’ – says that ‘bhang’ is one of the ‘five kingdoms of herbs, which relieves anxiety’. Notably, this Western logic or perception does not entirely tally with the South Asian astuteness which is not restricted by Newtonian judgment. According to a Hindu myth or allegory, long before the creation of the universe the Gods had churned a cosmic mountain with a view to obtain nectar for an eternal life. It is said that marijuana plants germinated at all places where the nectar dropped on or touched the earth.

If one takes a close look at the conventional Indian medicine, he or she will find that numerous preparations of cannabis have been used to cure dissimilar disorders such as fever, dysentery, sunstroke as well as leprosy. According to traditional Indian medicine, cannabis is effectively used to absolve phlegm (thick mucus secreted by the walls of the respiratory tract, especially during a cold), speed up the digestion process, hone up the intellect, enhance the body’s preparedness as well as function as elixir vitae (a vital magic potion or a quick cure). Unlike the Western medical science, the Hindu medical practice also deals with the spiritual consciousness of a person while healing his ailments. According to the Hindu mythology, whenever any devotee offers ‘ganja’ to Lord Shiva, the ‘king of Gods’, it pleases Him. Interestingly, this relation between Lord Shiva and ‘ganja’ is believed to be precious while upholding an individual’s
physical health and emotional or psychological balance. A Hindu text titled ‘Rajvallabha’ written in the 17th century states that this wish-gratifying drug was believed to have been acquired by men on earth for the welfare of all people. It further says that those who use it regularly are full of joy and without any distress.

In the early days when the Europeans were setting up colonies in America, cultivation of hemp for industrial use had become essential for world trade. Significantly, though the government’s authorization was required to cultivate hemp, both the Old and the New World were still ignorant of the various medicinal benefits of the marijuana plant. It was only after the Europeans explored India and discovered the advantages of Cannabis indica that the Western physicians sat up and took note of it. When they learnt about the benefits of the cannabis remedies that were found in the conventional Indian medicine, medical practitioners in Europe as well as in America acted swiftly. Even the influence of the traditional medicinal values of Cannabis indica, as found in the conventional Indian herbal medicine, was too strong on them to ignore the herb anymore.

The personal physician to Queen Victoria, Sir John Russell Reynolds asserted in 1890 that cannabis was beneficial for curing dysmenorrhea or painful menstruation, migraine, neuralgia (an intermittent and often severe pain in a part of the body along the path of a nerve, especially when there is no physical change in the nerve itself), convulsions and even insomnia. Reynolds described cannabis as undoubtedly the most useful medication to cure all painful problems or disorders. However, it is yet unknown whether Reynolds or any other Western physician of the period knew about the medicinal benefits of ‘Ma’ or marijuana as was recorded by the naturalist Chinese emperor Shen-Nung over two thousand years before them.

It is interesting to note that more than 100 medical papers relating to the usefulness of cannabis for curing loss of appetite, insomnia, migraine, headache, involuntary twitching, pain, excessive coughing and withdrawal symptoms in conditions like opiate or alcohol addiction were published between 1840 and 1890. According to Sir William Osler, who is known as the ‘father of modern medicine’, cannabis was the best medicine to cure migraines. Osler wrote about this quality of cannabis in his dependable medical manual published in 1915. Although hypodermic (using needles) injection of morphine as well as the use of aspirin and other chemically prepared medicines had begun to replace the conventional herbal remedies in America at that time, still there were at least 30 different medicines prepared from cannabis available with the leading pharmaceutical firms in the country.

Presently, researchers and scientists are examining the usefulness of marijuana in curing ailments like asthma and specific types of glaucoma (an eye disorder marked by unusually high pressure within the eyeball that leads to damage of the optic disk). Researches are also being conducted to find if marijuana can control and cure epileptic seizures and the nausea or vomiting tendency caused by the radiation therapy as well as cancer chemotherapy. On the other hand, despite the fact that the use of marijuana as an intoxicant or for recreation is socially widely accepted in many parts of Asia and Africa, such usage of the plant has serious side-effects or downsides. While experts are still debating on the issue of the degree to which marijuana can be physically as well as psychologically detrimental, there is no argument on the fact that such usage of marijuana is harmful beyond doubt. According to experts and scientists, the real danger is not that much on
the physical aspect, but more on the psychological dependence on the drug. In most countries, possessing marijuana plant is considered to be illegal and is punishable by the law.

PARTS USED
Flowers, leaves, seeds.

USES
As far as medicinal treatment is concerned, marijuana has an incredibly long history dating back to thousands of years and hence it should not be amazing to know that at some point or the other marijuana has been recommended for curing almost all the prevalent diseases. It is beneficial as an analgesic as it provides relief from pain with minimum or insignificant side affects. In fact, marijuana is especially beneficial for cancer and AIDS patients who are enduring chemotherapy. Significantly enough, marijuana can also diminish neurological over activity as well as muscle contraction and hence it is very useful for people suffering from multiple sclerosis (hardening and thickening of body tissue as a result of unwarranted growth or degeneration of nerve fibers), cerebral palsy and other muscular disorders.

By lowering the blood pressure, marijuana provides effectual cure for glaucoma. Normally, glaucoma is a condition where the pressure inside the eyeball is unusually high and is also hypertensive affecting the eye disc. Marijuana is also an effectual remedy in curing asthma, menstrual pains, pain associated with childbirth and arthritis as well as rheumatism. It may also be effective in treating depressions as the herb has anti-depressant properties. At the same time, marijuana encourages as well as stimulates sleep helping patients suffering from insomnia. Even the seeds of the marijuana plant are medicinally useful and according to the Chinese medicine, they have strong and effective laxative qualities and are used to provide relief to the elderly people from constipation.

From herbs2000.com