Friday, June 20, 2014

My final Undergraduate Dissertation The Endocannabinoid System and Medical Marijuana by Vee Nohombile Bush 20 June 2014

this is what I have been busy with the past six months, 25 000 words, pictures excluded, published on completion and this paper is the forerunner to my book which will be titled Death by Babylon
 

PRIVATE RESEARCH STUDY

IN THE FIELD OF

PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY, HERBALISM AND NUTRITION

CAN CANNABIS CURE?


Is it possible that medical marijuana could be the single most useful herbal remedy in the treatment of the widest range of human dis-eases and medical disorders?

Could marijuana be the extremely vital element of preventative healthcare, and the natural source of an adaptive support and defence mechanism in our ever increasing toxic, carcinogenic environment in which, we now find ourselves?

Being a private study of the Endocannabinoid System for presentation to The House of Judah Masters, The ANC Minister of Health Hon Minister Aaron Motsoaledi, The Democratic Alliance’s Shadow Minister of Health Hon Patricia Kopane, Walter Sisulu University School of Allied Health Professionals and SA College of Herbalism

By Vee Roslyn Nohombile Bush

Master of Studies                                                      Brother Judah Duduzu

June 2014

 Abstract

Modern science will have us believe that a new physiological system was recently discovered and officially identified in the early 1990’s.  The Endocannabinoid System is named after the plant which led to its discovery, the Cannabis plant.

The medicinal benefits of cannabis have been known for over five thousand years, yet cannabis remains illegal in South Africa and many other parts of the world, and out of the general reach of the people.

Acknowledgements

All thanks and praises must go to the Most High JAH Rastafari, for without HIS supreme guidance and blessings it would not have been possible to complete this work according to HIS will.

Blessed thanks must also go to my beloved family and my children, for without their love, patience, tolerance, humbleness and mystical ability to overstand my quest to free medical marijuana; I would surely have never got to the point of printing this paper.

It is not an easy thing for young children to witness their mother ill with cancer, let alone having to deal with their sick mother being ill treated by the police because she is now a criminal of the legal system because the cure for cancer is illegal.

It is even more tragic to witness parents of young children being arrested for trying to get hold of the cure for not only cancer but so many medical disorders like epilepsy and diabetes.

A special thank you therefore goes out to everyone who has had to endure the pain and suffering of trying to obtain medical marijuana in times of intense prohibition.


 

1.     INTRODUCTION TO THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
The Endocannabinoid System (EC System) is the recently discovered physiological system, found in humans and many animals, including slugs.
The EC system is concerned with a wide range of biological processes and the main function of the EC System is Homeostasis.
The EC System is made up of a group of chemical molecules produced by the body and known as endocannabinoids (‘endo’ meaning made within the body) as well as the cannabinoid receptors to which the cannabinoids (found in the Cannabis plant) bind.
THC is the major active cannabinoid in marijuana, and was reportedly first isolated in 1964, by Dr Rahael Mechoulam, when studying the psychedelic properties of marijuana, and it is through his research that the EC system was officially  discovered in the late 1980’s and is named after the plant which led to its discovery, the Cannabis plant.
There are many reports of numerous doctors who had been studying cannabinoids since the 1800’s; for example the Irish doctor William Brooke O’ Shaughnessy who in 1841 published an influential article in the covert journal Transactions of the Medical and Physical Society of Bengal. And even though his choice of publication seemed to have limited his audience, his 49 page report eventually became an important point of reference for 19th centuary scientists interested in the effects of cannabinoids, and led to Dr O’Shaughnessy becoming known as the ‘Father of Medical Marijuana’.
The EC system is quite possibly the most important physiologic system ever discovered and which is ultimately involved in establishing and maintaining human and animal health.
The human body produces its own cannanbinoids and these are referred to as endocannabinoids.
Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found throughout the body:  in the brain and nervous system organs, connective tissues, glands and cells as well as in the immune system’s organs, tissues, glands and cells.
 
1.     THE FUNCTIONS OF THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM
1.1  HOMEOSTASIS/ADAPTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES
Homeostasis is the number one factor in the biology of all living things and is best described as the ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite constant fluctuations in the external environment and the ability to maintain homeostasis is necessary for survival and medical disorders result from the failure of the body to maintain homeostasis, also known as homeostatic imbalance.
Cannabinoids are responsible for promoting homestasis at every level of biological life, right from the sub-cellur, to the organism, and perhaps even to the community and beyond.
1.2  AUTOPHAGY
The EC system controls the process of autophagy which is a process involving cellular destruction of unnecessary or dysfunctional cellur components.
The process of autophagy breaks down damaged organelles, cell membranes and proteins, but does not damage or alter healthy cells at all, unlike the majority of so called cancer fighting drugs which kill off healthy cells as well as damaged cells.
The failure of autophagy is believed to be the main reason for ongoing cell damage and the aging process.
It seems obvious therefore that we need to boost our EC systems in order to maintain our good health and indeed our longevity and failure to do so will result in a number of medical disorders.

The death of cancer cells, in turn, promotes homeostasis and survival at the level of the entire organism.
1.3  ANALGESIA AND ANTI-IMFLAMMATORY
Cannabinoids are also found at the intersection of the body's various systems, allowing communication and coordination between different cell types.
For example, at the site of an injury, cannanbinoids can be found decreasing the release of activators and sensitizers from the injured tissue, thus stabilizing the nerve cells to prevent excessive firing, and calming nearby immune cells to prevent release of pro-inflammatory substances.
1.4  NEUROGENESIS
Neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons in the brain (new brain cells). Contrary to popular belief, research continues to show that cannabis does not kill brain cells and in fact a recent study published in The International Journal of Neurophamacology points to cannabinoids as a cause of neurogensis in the brain and it was shown that Cannabidiol (CBD) increases adult neurogenesis while having no effect on learning.
“Most ‘drugs of abuse’ suppress neurogenesis.  Only marijuana promotes neurogenesis” – Dr Xia Zhang (Canadian researcher)
1.5 REGULATION OF METABOLISM
Researchers have recently discovered that two of the six known cannabinoids can actually increase the amount of energy and fat which the body burns.
THCV and CBD are discussed in more detail under the heading The Big Six in a later chapter.
Although cannabis is better known for inducing hunger in those who consume it, scientists have found that cannabis also has an appetite suppressing effect.
It has been clinically proven that cannabis boosts metabolism, leading to lower levels of fat in the liver and reduced cholesterol in the blood stream.
THCV was also found to increase sensitivy to insulin while also protecting the cells that produce insulin, allowing them to work more effectively, and this has certainly raised hopes that cannabis can be developed into treatments for obesity related diseases as well as diabetes.
There is a definite link between marijuana use, glucose, insulin and insulin resistance.
Scientists now know that cannabis activates adiponectin, a protein involved in regulating glucose and lipid metabolism, proving that there is a strong relationship between cannabinoids and peripheral metabolic processes.
 
 1.6  HORMONE ABSORPTION
Studies have already shown that cannabinoids have a regulatory effect on the Endocrine System which controls hormone release as well as homeostasis in our bodies, indicating that cannabinoids can control the production and release of hormones.
The EC System is linked to the Endocrine system as it has been proven to play an important role in the secretion of hormones related to reproductive functions and response to stress, and therefore controls the functions of the endocrine system.
Tests involving the production and release of oxytocin have given scientists hope to pursue studies of the role of cannabinoids in hormone release in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, as well as symptoms of autism.
1.     CANNABINOID RECEPTORS
The EC system is a complex system and so much more quality research is required before we can come closer to developing a complete overstanding of this advanced and possibly evolved physiological system within the human body.
Scientists now estimate that the EC System evolved in primitive animals more than 600 million years ago, and it is now largely accepted that all living creatures including all vertebrates, sea squirts, slugs and even tiny nematodes have an EC system which has been identified as being vital to sustain life and most importantly for adaptation to environmental changes.
So far, since 1988 researchers have identified two cannabinoid receptors within the human body and there is speculation of a third and possibly more being identified in the near future. Many researchers are publishing reports of the discovery of new cannabinoid receptors in other systems such as the cardiovascular, reproductive, digestive system and beyond, so it seems fair to say that our entire body contains cannabinoid receptors and the EC system needs cannabinoids to stimulate its receptors when the body is under attack from an external environmental source.
Receptor named CB1 is mainly found in the nervous system, connective tissues, gonads, glands, and organs with the highest concentration found in the cortex, hippocampus, basal ganglia, amygdale, hypothalalmus and cerebellum, so basically the whole brain; while receptor named CB2, is mainly found in the immune system and its cells, tisues, systems and organs (particularly the spleen).
The complexity of the interactions between various cannabinoids, cell types, systems and individual organisms continues to challenge scientists and scholars alike, pushing researchers to meditate pon new ways to study health and how the body works.
Endocannabinoids and their receptors are found everywhere in the body, deep rooted within the cell membranes, and are now believed to be more numerous than any other receptor system in the body.
2.     ENDOCANNABINOIDS
Endocannabinoids are the chemical substances which our bodies naturally produce to stimulate the identified CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors, and, just as we need to boost our nervous and immune systems by consuming the required chemical components our body’s need, so too must we boost our EC System by consuming cannanbinoids which in the required quantities, are unique to the Cannabis plant.
Two endocannabinoids have been identified and although science has already reported that they are investigating other endocannabinoids at this time, these are the two that we know the most about:
1.      ANANDAMIDE
Anandamide is a chemical molecule produced by the body and shares most but not all of the pharmacological properties of THC, and mimics the properties of THC in the body.
Anandamide’s actions at CB1 receptors are imitated by herbal and synthetic THC.
Anandamide plays an important role in appetite control, pain and depression as well as memory and fertility, and is also associated with feelings of euphoria in the same way as THC is.
2.     2-ARACHIDONOYLGLYCEROL (2-AG)
2-AG is the most common and widespread endocannabinoid in the brain, working mostly with CB1 receptors in the nervous system.
Neuroprotection, cognitive flexibility performance and metabolic regulation are amoungst the properties of 2-AG.
An interesting observation is that it has been noted in numerous studies that the expression of endocannabinoids does not relate to the distribution of cannabinoid receptors in the brain, suggesting that our endocannabinoids could also be interacting with other receptors or be involved with other cell processes.
Considering that the EC System is responsible for the well being of the nervous, immune and endocrine systems, perhaps in lay man’s terms this indicates that both the EC system and cannabis indeed have a most profound effect on the human body.
1.     HOW THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM WORKS
When cannabinoid receptors are stimulated by the consumption of cannabinoids, a number of physiologic processes start to take place.
When cannabinoids bind to CB1 or CB2 receptors, they proceed to modify the way the body functions, especially when there is a threat to homeostasis at any level of the body.
We already know that most of our tissues contain both CB1 and CB2 receptors, and each receptor is associated with a specific function which is to assist and protect the nervous system (CB1receptors) and to assist and protect the immune system (CB2 receptors), by maintaining homeostasis throughout the nervous and immune system as well as the endocrine system.
The Endocrine system is part of the body’s main control mechanism and controls our hormone system, and the main function of the endocrine system is also homeostasis and thus these two systems work alongside each other in defending the body from unnatural imbalance from external environmental sources.
It is also interesting to note that the Endocrine glands are directly aligned to the spiritual chakras, which is not a physical system but rather a system made up of aspects of consciousness. Reiki healers and other new age ‘light healers’ would focus on the chakras when carrying out their healing methods, and always with great success, which is proof that the connection between mind and body healing are essential to overall health.
The position of each of the seven chakras directly corresponds to the position of the particular endocrine gland which it affects.
The position of the EC system as being an important regulatory system in the function of brain, endocrine and immune tissues, quite literally makes the EC System a bridge between body and mind and by gaining an understanding of the Endocannabinoid System, we are beginning to see a physiological engine which can go a long way to explaining how our state of consciousness can promote our health.
 
1.     HOW CANNABINOIDS WORK DIFFERENTLY TO OTHER NEUROTRANSMITTERS

Brain cells are called neurons and they communicate with each other and with all the other cells in the body by sending chemical messages along the nervous system. These messages coordinate and regulate all which we think, feel and do in life.
The chemicals which are released from neurons (brain cells) are called neurotransmitters.  They travel across a small “gap” between cells known as a synapse.
They then attach themselves to specific receptors found on a nearby neuron and this automatically stimulates the receiving neuron into action, setting about a chain of events which allows the messages to be passed along.
When a neuron or cell is under attack, the cell in front of it is activated and is known as the pre-synaptic neuron, and the neuron behind the stressed cell is known as the post-synaptic neuron.
The EC system communicates its messages in a unique way because it essentially works in reverse, where other neurostransmitters are released and attach themselves to receptors on the post synaptic neuron forward to the presynaptic neuron.  Cannabinoids are now deemed to be among the most common and the most important of all neurotransmitters.
When a neuron is activated, the chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) of the EC System, cannabinoids, are produced on demand from the fat cells already present in the neuron.
Cannabinoids are then released from that cell and travel in reverse to the presynaptic neuron and attach to the cannanbinoid receptors of that cell.
The importance of this is that cannabinoids can actually act on presynatic cells and therefore they can control what happens next when these cells are activated. Indeed a superior and brilliant defence system.
So cannabinoids work like a “dimmer switch” for presynaptic neurons by limiting the amount of various different neurotransmitters that gets released and this affects how messages and hormones are sent and received and processed by the cell.
The sole purpose of this function is to protect the cells from homeostatic imbalances which, is essential to sustaining life and optimum health as well as adjusting to enviromnmental changes which are constantly changing and sadly not positively.
 
All evidence indicates that cannabinoids can act as both stimulants and inhibitors of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, and this is particularly evident in the research we have already seen on how cannabinoids affect appetite control, metabolic regulation as well as auto immune functions, its seems clear that whatever stress the body is under from external sources, where there are cannabinoids present they will rectify the situation and avoid a medical disorder.
 
 
 
1.     THE BIG SIX - THE SIX MOST RESEARCHED CANNABINOIDS
There are over 460 known chemical constituents of the Cannabis plant and over 80 of these are cannabinoids, with new ones being discovered almost daily; so much more research is required to secure an overstanding of the full mechanisms of the EC system and all of the cannabinoids present in the cannabis plant, and how they work together to produce medical marijuana.
The following list represents a summary of the six most well researched cannabinoids to date:
1.      THC – Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol - psychoactive
THC is the most well known of all the cannabinoids and is the most psychoactive component of the cannabis plant.
THC is the most active ingredient of cannabis, and more than any other cannabinoid is associated with the majority of the pharmacologic effects of cannabis, in order words, without THC most of the other cannabinoids would not occur or function in its abscence.
THC imitates the actions of anandamide (a cannabinoid produced naturally by the body) by binding with cannabinoid receptors and activating neurons, which can cause intricate effects on the mind and body.
It is critical to have an overstanding of the effects of psychedelic substances and in this respect we must strive to gain the responsibility to respect our dosage as only tiny amounts of cannabinoids is required to sustain optimum health.
THC has the ability to alter behavior, mood perception and consciousness and often promotes the meditation of sharing, humor and creativity, and feelings of euphoria.
There are many case studies and reports of people claiming to be able to enhance their natural abilities after consuming cannabis including artists, students and athletes alike.
Healing properties of THC include anti-cancer, anti nausea, pain killer, appetite and metabolic regulation, anti spasm, anti imflammatory, muscle relaxant, antimicrobial, neuro protection (assists the brain from degenerating over time), anti oxidant and many more.
2.     CBD – Cannabidiol – Non psychoactive
CBD is a major constituent of medical cannabis and does not posses psychoactive properties.
The presence of CBD can reduce some of the psychoactive effects of THC
CBD has shown potential to relieve convulsion, inflammation, cough, congestion, nausea and most importantly the ability to reduce and in many reported cases of different types of cancers, to actually eliminate cancer cell growth.
CBD has also been shown to have anti anxiety properties and is proving to bring great relief to people suffering with multiple sclerosis and frequent anxiety attacks.
Other healing abilities of CBD which have been researched include neuro protection, regulation of blood pressure and pain killing properties amonst others.
It has also been revealed that CBD has an affect on the genes which affect cholesterol metabolism and also has an appetite suppressing effect.
CBD also promotes uninterrupted sleep patterns which is essential to overall health and well being.
There is not much you can do to increase CBD levels other than to choose strains with a known high CBD content.  CBD is naturally found in higher amounts in low THC varieties such as Cannabis ruderalis and some hemp species.
3.      CBN – Cannabinol – Slightly psychoactive
CBN is only somewhat psychoactive at approximately ten percent of the activity of THC.
CBN is a breakdown product of THC which takes place when THC is exposed to light or heat.
CBN levels in buds can be influenced by harvest, drying and curing processes and by waiting a little bit longer to harvest, until the trichomes are amber in color, often results in higher levels of CBN. Higher exposure to air during the drying and curing stage and a longer curing phase also results in higher levels of CBN.
CBN in the presence of THC presents anti-anxiety properties, but does not in the abscence of THC.
CBN has sedative properties and has shown very promising antispasm properties, which is helping many children and adults who suffer from epilepsy. CBN also promotes uninterrupted sleep patterns.
CBN cannot exist without the presence of THC, and this is the main reason why synthetic cannnabinoids are not as successful as herbal cannabis.  CBN is the primary product of THC degradation, and there is usually very little CBN in the fresh plant.  CBN content increases as THC degrades in storage, and with exposure to light and air. 
4.      CBG – Cannabigerols – Non psychoactive
CBG has shown signifcant ability to counteract and terminate tumor formation.
CBG has also been shown to provide relief for intraocular pressure which has proven to be helpful in the treatment for glaucoma.
CBG has been identified as a primary cannabinoid because the ability of the cannabis plant to produce Cannabigerolic Acid (CBGA) is exactly what makes the cannabis plant so unique.
CBG is the forerunner to the three major branches of cannabinoids:  tetrahydrocannabinolic acide (THCA), cannabidiolic acid (CBDA) and cannabichromenic acid (CBCA).
Cannabis has natural enzymes called synthases (a chemical enzyme which is the catalyst in a synthetic process), which break the CBGA down to produce the various cannanbinoids.
The cannabis plant has three synthases which have been identified (THC –synthase, CBD synthase, CBC –synthase) and are so named after the cannabinoid which they create.
CBG is found in higher concentrations in hemp than in varieties of cannabis usually cultivated for a high THC content.
 
5.     THCV – Tetrahydrocannabivarin -  Psychoactive
THCV has shown massive potential to treat diabetis and is being investigated as an anti-obesity drug because of its ability to regulate metabolism and suppress appetite.
THCV is almost identical in chemical structure to THC, but slightly different in that unlike THC, CBD and CBC, THCV does not start out as a cannabigerolic acid (CBGA).
Instead of combining with olivetolic acid to create CBGA, the geranyl phosphate joins forces with divarinolic acid, which has two less carbon molecules. 
The result is cannabigerovarin acid (CBGVA).  Once CBGVA is created, the process continues exactly the same as it does for THC.  CBGVA is broken down to tetrahydrocannabivarin carboxylic acide (THCVA) by the THCV synthase.  At that point, THCVA can be decarboxylated with heat or UV light to create THCV.
The effect of THCV on the CB1 and CB2 receptors is different to the effects of THC.
THCV is in reality an antagonist (inhibitor) of the CB1 and CB2 receptors, so in other words instead of stimulating these receptors THCV actually blocks them from being activated which is what makes THCV so important in the study of obesity and appetite control and metabolic regulation which it is showing signs of being able to control, as an appetite suppressant.
THCV is also showing great potential to be able to lower the seizure and convulsion threshold for people suffering from epilepsy.
Some of the best loved sativa strains are known to be high in THCV for example Durban poison and many of the Haze and Cheese strains as well as their hybrids.
6.      CBC – Cannabichromenes – non psychoactive
6.1  NEUROGENESIS
The Endocannabinoid Research Group stated that their results suggest that CBC can help the growth and survival of NPSCs. 
Neural Progenitor Stem Cell (NPSCs), are the stem cells of the brain and are vital to brain functioning.  NPSCs are the precursors to the three types of brain cells, being neurons, oligondendrocytes and astrocytes, and because they are able to create any of these cells, they are now being investigated to help regenerate brain cells. One can only begin to imagine how valuable this therapy would be in the treatment of Parkinsons, Alzheimers and Multiple Sclerosis.
Astrocytes are the most prevalent cells in the brain and their role is to support and protect the neurons. At the site of injury, astrocytes repair a damaged area and replace any area that cannot be repaired.
The scientists at The Endocannabinoid Research Group have found that CBC is related to higher concentrations of NPSCs.  CBC also seems to inhibit the creation of proteins that cause the NPSCs to convert to other brain cells and this suggests that CBC may interact with this process and also take on the characteristics of being able to decide what brain cells are being developed and when they are being developed at cellular level.
CBC’s ability to promote neurogenisis is a fairly recent finding but previous studies suggest that THC and CBD can do the same, which again illustrates the train of thought which implies that isolated cannabinoids simply do not work as well as when working with whole cannabis.
6.2  ANTI -TUMORAL PROPERTIES
CBC has shown to have anti-proliferative effects, which means it inhibits the growth of cancerous tumors.  This has been found to be as a result of its interaction with anandamide (a natural endocannabinoid) which has been found to aid the fight against human breast cancer.  CBC inhibits the uptake of anandamide, which allows it to stay in the blood stream longer.
6.3 OTHER BENEFITS
CBC has analgesic, anti-imflammatory and very promising anti-biotic properties.
In addition CBC is also believed to stimulate bone growth, which is a profound discovery in researching osteoporosis.
     WHY IS CANNABIS ILLEGAL?

Unlike many other countries abroad, South Africans do not have the power to decide on law at a provincial or national level through policies which have been petitioned and qualified for a public vote.

Instead South Africans have their freedom and liberty defined by politicians who consistently display how out of touch they are and indeed how little they seem to really care about their citizens.

We can debate on and on as to the reasons why cannabis is illegal and the same old reasons will keep arising. 
The main reason why cannabis is illegal across the world is that the authorities feel that they have the obligation to protect the public from harmful drugs and cannabis is classified as a very dangerous drug and has been the centre of mass media anti cannabis campaigns since prohibition began in the 1930’s.
It is the psychoactive ingredients and in particular THC which was first isolated in 1964 that are of primary concern to the authorities, and which led to cannabis being described as a “gateway drug”. 
Scientists and researchers are frantically working to produce the perfect synthetic cannabinoid medication minus the psychoactive components.  In cannabis culture we believe that to this day no one has been able to replicate the purity and potency of herbal marijuana and it seems clearer by the day that cannabinoids simply do not work the same when isolated from each other and are in fact less effective.
Mandatory studies are often considered to be uneconomical, since the profits in the pharmaceutical industry are generated from patents, and since cannabis is a plant in the public domain, it cannot be patented, although in 2003 US patent number 6630507 was issued to the United States government which is a direct contradiction to their claim that cannabis is a dangerous drug with no medical benefits.
The patent claims that:

“Cannabinoids have been found to have antioxidant properties unrelated to NMDA receptor antagosnism. This new found property makes cannabinoids useful in the treatment and prophylaxis of a wide variety of oxidation associated diseases, such as ischemic, age-related, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.  The cannabinoids are found to have particular application as neuroprotectants, for example in limiting neurological damage following ischemic insults, such as stroke and trauma, or in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons, HIV and dementia”.
Big pharma quite literally would have to invent and manufacture a cannabis product which is firstly non psychoactive and secondly chemically superior to herbal marijuana, and failure to achieve this would effectively mean that the pharmaceutical industry would be forced to compete financially with street marijuana and clearly this scenario would not be financially viable in business.
The application of smoking is another major deterrent for the authorities as no medicine has ever been prescribed through this type of delivery system, and it seems pretty obvious from the mounting reports from studies all over the world, that cancer patients and even patients with other different medical conditions, mostly all report achieving better results from the smoke inhalation process than through ingestion and they also mostly report that it is easier to control the individual dosage through smoking because the effects are instant, whereas with ingestion the effects can take hours to ‘kick in’.
Besides the illicit recreational uses (psychoactive properties) and the seemingly lack of potential future profits, there is another aspect to cannabis prohibition and this involves a large degree of racialism, and in particular the uprising of the socio-political spiritual movement of the Rastafari following, and the crowning of their deity Emperor of Ethiopia Haile Sellasi I on 2 November 1930.  No less than 82 countries paid homage at the coronation of His Imperial Majesty where he was amongst other occolades, crowned “King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Elect of God and light of the world, Rightful Ruler of the Earth, Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah…”
It is also interesting to note that to this day Ethiopia remains the only African country never to be colonized. In the times of radical racialism in the 19th centuary and early 20th centuary white leaders from across the world, including the Pope at that time and the representative from the Royal House of England, accepted His Imperial Majesty’s claim to being of the bloodline of King Solomon and bowed down to this little black man in a massive ceremony that people are still talking about to this day.
Another interesting fact is that in the 1960’s Nelson Mandela went to Ethiopia to consult with His Majestiy Haile Selassi I about the problems with white domination rule in South Africa, and it seems clear that the guidance he received from His Majesty is what led to such peaceful resolutions in South Africa, failing which the apartheid struggle would surely have led to war in South Africa as the white minority fought to hold on to their minority rule. Mr Mandela described His Majesty as a “very humble and very impressive man”.
Both Haile Selassi I and the Honorable Nelson Mandela are from the Rastafari Tribe of Judah (being born under between 21 June and 24 July) in the context of the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
The Rastafari movement claimed the Cannabis plant as their “holy herb” to be consumed in Thanks and Praise as a sacrament to worship JAH (GOD). Today there are almost a million Rastafari followers around the world, sadly too many of them are in prison.  Rastafarism is ranked at number 21 on the list of Major Religions of the World, behind Scientology.
Many people around the world follow the story that the authorities made the “holy herb” illegal for the purpose to control the Rastaman as the “ganga cause the people to rebel”.
International Reggae superstar Bob Marley was once interviewed by a journalist about this matter and when asked by the journalist “they say that the ganja is cause the people to rebel…How you feel about this?”


The King of Reggae humbly responded “Rebel? Rebel against what…?.”
The main controlling body responsible for drug policy in South Africa is the Central Drug Authority (CDA), which is greatly opposed to decriminalizing cannabis. In 2009, the online Wikileaks released the CDA report titled The South African Position on Cannabis, which until then had been kept hidden from the South African public by the authorities.
The paper highlighted the official government standpoint that prohibition of cannabis is necessary to preserve public health.  The paper was also subject to a lot of criticism because its content lacked solid scientific facts.
According to current South African Legislation, cannabis is a Schedule 1 narcotic making it illegal to posess, purchase, cultivate or prescribe any amount of cannabis. Cultivation is punishable by up to 25 years imprisonment.

Hemp, like marijuana is of the genus Cannabis, and is also illegal by law.  The Advocate General of the Department of Health has the power to issue cultivation licences for hemp production.  The only valid licence known by the public is that held by Mr Tony Budden of Hemporium who is busy building quite an empire from the cannabis plant, no doubt creating many new jobs along the way.
On 11 June 11, 2014 Hemporium issued the following statement via email:
“Our farming partners have harvested the second year of the Commercial Incubation Research Trial and the seed and stalks have been sent for decortication (analysis) and processing.
We are grateful to be part of this process as we are seeing how important research and experience is when it comes to farming on a commercial level and have learned a lot over the past two years.
We are now entering the third and final year of this trial, and we look forward to being able to apply our knowledge to grow hemp commercially in South Africa.”

10.1 THE MEDICAL INNOVATION BILL
There was mixed reaction in Parliament on Tuesday 18 February 2014 in Cape Town when The Medical Innovation Bill was introduced by Inkatha Freedom Party Member of Parliament Dr Mario GR Oriani-Ambrosini.
The Medical Innovation Bill is a plea to government for alternative cancer treatments, including medical marijuana and to legalize Cannabis in South Africa for medical, economic and industrial purposes.
In 2013 Dr Mario Oriani-Ambrosini was diagnosed with stage four, inoperable lung cancer.
He publically stated that he was using an “alternative treatment” for his lung cancer, as he had been doing for some time before being diagnosed.  He also said:  “At this point, I shall not speak or vouch for such a treatment, nor discredit it.  My death or survival will do so”.
The introduction of the Medical Innovation Bill sparked a debate in the National Assembly on the effects of cancer on society and governments response to this disease.
"We cannot have a government response, a health response which is based exclusively on the trinity of surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. People are dying of cancer, but they are also dying because they are not allowed to have equally effective treatments," Ambrosini told the house.


"We need to create centres where these treatments can be administered under controlled conditions because they are now administered to thousands of people under conditions which are not controlled...We are now facing a situation of thousands of people self-medicating because doctors cannot prescribe these treatments and cannot monitor their effectiveness." he said.

ANC MP Bevan Goqwana said that he believes that cannabis alleviates the nausea associated with chemotherapy.

"No-one is sure which of the active ingredients does what. What we know the plant can be used orally, rectally or you can smoke it," Goqwana said.

Democratic Alliance MP
Sandy Kalyan argued against this by saying there was actually a wealth of knowledge on the cannabis plant and the active ingredients in it.

"Medical marijuana is not new and the medical community has been writing about it for ages," Kalyan told the house.

"Colleagues, instead of emphasising the side-effects and the abuse of cannabis, we should be engaging on the beneficial effects of medical marijuana and I hope this debate is the start of that conversation." said Dr Ambrosini.

Freedom Front Plus, MP
Pieter Groenewald said his party was not opposed to "strictly controlled" research being conducted. But he emphasised that government would have to ensure that the research procedures count not be abused.

African Christian Democratic Party MP Cheryllyn Dudley said the decriminalisation of dagga for medicinal purposes was a controversial and complex issue.

"We do not and will not endorse the recreational use of cannabis or any attempt to move in this direction," Dudley said.

"However, we are mindful that presently morphine - a form of heroine used for pain control for terminally ill cancer patients - is toxic and lethal as it actively speeds up the death of the patients."

Dudley also said that her party would support clinical trials, to either "prove or disprove" claims made on the use of cannabis in cancer treatment.


Millions of people with life-threatening diseases like cancer and HIV are legally denied access to a medicine which they could be growing themselves for free, so it is easy to understand why so many people feel that they are quite literally being legislated out of their own health and well being without their consent.

These compulsory studies which are required to work towards approval of drugs are governed by rigid laws, even stricter by -laws, heavy fees and loads of red tape making it an expensive and cumbersome task to pursue. No clinical studies can be under taken while cannabis remains illegal in South Africa, yet somehow pharmaceutical companies are managing to be granted cultivation and research licenses under The Medicines and Related Substances Act No 101 of 1965, which hypocritically provides for pharmaceutical research with cannabis.

In April 2014 US pharmaceutical giant Plandai Biotechnology Inc filed a petition with the Attorney General from the South African Department of Health to obtain a license to permit the company to commence clinical research on the therapeutic and medicinal benefits of cannabis.

Legal limitations have previously prevented researchers from conducting methodical and thorough double-blind clinical trials on these and other potential medical applications of cannabis.

By acquiring a research license in South Africa, the company hopes to test its Phytofare Cannabinoid Extract at several qualified medical university research facilities with the goal of eventually gathering concrete human clinical data and government drug acceptance in the US and elsewhere.

The Vice President of Plandai Marketing Jamen Shively said as a society, the company has relied far too long on anecdotal evidence and the few limited trials that have taken place involving medical marijuana.

"Plandaí is committed to bringing cannabis research to the forefront as a potential treatment or cure for various diseases and conditions," Shively said.

"We believe solid research, conducted under full legal authority by top independent facilities, is the key to ending prohibition and allowing patients to benefit from the medical benefits of marijuana without feeling like criminals or addicts."

Now that more and more scientists are beginning to discover that we all have cannabinoid receptors in the brain and body, there really ought to be a moratorium on government drug policies in respect of cannabis.

 

 

 

 

“Making people criminals for taking psychoactive substances is in itself criminal, for one is dealing with, at worst, a vice but not a crime.” – JP van Niekerk, Managing Editor – South African Medical Journal.

 
 

10.2  WHAT DOES THE SOUTH AFRICAN CONSTITUTION SAY?

Reading the South African constitution is a lot like reading the Bible with lots of confusion and unclear explanations which the average man in the street cannot really understand; and much in the same way as people seek out bible verses to suit their own individual causes so too can we look at our constitution and conclude our own interpretations.

FREEDOM OF RELIGION, BELIEF AND OPINION

Section 15 (1) Page 8 states:

15 (1) Every-one has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion.

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION

Chapter 2 Bill of Rights Section 16 (1 a-d) Page 9 states:

Everyone has the right to freedom of expression, which includes:

(a)  Freedom of the press and other media

(b)  Freedom to receive or impart information or ideas

(c)  Freedom of artistic creativity; and

(d)  Academic freedom and freedom of scientific research

THE COMMISION FOR THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND LINGUISTIC COMMUNITIES

Section 185 (1) (a) Page 105 states:

The primary objects of the Commission are to promote respect for the rights of cultural, religious and linguistic communities.

APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

Section 233 Page 136 states:

When interpreting any legislation, every court must prefer any reasonable interpretation of the legislation that is consistent with international law over any alternative interpretation that is inconsistent with international law.
 1.       HOW TO MAKE THE CANNABIS OIL

In the meantime, under the current legal status of cannabis, and while we wait in anticipation (hopefully not in vain), for the powers that be to dictacte our freedom, no one currently has the legal right to administer cannabis, each of us is therefore liable to take responsibility for own health and produce the oil on our own steam and to test our own tolerance levels, and therefore establish the perfect individual and personal dose. This is true freedom to control our own state of health.

The reality is that there are many people are producing various cannabis medicines but the truth is that you really do not know what is in these products and the only way to be totally sure of what you are consuming is to grow the plants yourself and produce your own medication otherwise you will need to put your trust in another human being who really is no more qualified than yourself.

Education is the key issue to teach yourself about your options and to take control of your own health.

There are many different types of extraction methods using different extraction solvents, for instance, alcohol, butane gas, various distilling apparatus, ice and water, glycerine, various oils and so on.

Cannabis and its components are insoluable in water and are in fact fat soluable, and therefore the chemicals which we desire to extract for medicinal purposes cannot be effectively extracted with water.

11.1  ALCOHOL EXTRACTION – THE RICK SIMPSON STORY

If Dr William Brooke O’Shaughnessy was the Father of Medical Marijuana back in the 1800’s then certainly Mr Rick Simpson must become the great grandson of Modern Medical Marijuana and probably the most well known method of extraction today is the Rick Simpson Oil (RSO) and indeed the Rick Simpson story is one well worth reading, and we give thanks for his works and sufferance he has had to endure and which has had a profound influence on my own health as well as my studies, and there is simply no denying all the thousands of ill people he has helped and continues to help to cure themselves with this natural medication which remains illegal in many parts of the world, and ridgedly controlled in those parts where prohibition laws have been relaxed.

RUN FROM THE CURE: The Rick Simpson Story - A Film by Christian Laurette

15 August 2011 at 23:08


After a serious head injury in 1997, Rick Simpson sought relief from his medical condition through the use of medicinal hemp oil. When Rick discovered that the oil (with its high concentration of THC) cured cancers and other illnesses, he tried to share it with as many people as he could free of charge – curing and controlling literally hundreds of people’s illnesses.

 But when the story went public, the long arm of the law snatched the medicine – leaving potentially thousands of people without their cancer treatments – and leaving Rick with unconstitutional charges of possessing and trafficking marijuana!

Indian hemp is also the term that was used to describe marijuana before it was demonized through racist means and done away with in the 1930's by corrupt lawmakers.

 "Throughout man's history hemp has always been known as the most medicinal plant in the world. Even with this knowledge hemp has always been used as a political and religious football."

  Hemp Medicine´s Emperor´s Political Exile in Europe

- a message from Rick Simpson   

On November 25th, 2009, one day before I was crowned the Freedom Fighter of the Year 2009 at the Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam, I received a word that I have been raided again by the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Canada’s federal police force). I contacted Tim Hunter at the Amherst attachment and asked if I was being charged. Of course, he refused to give me straight answer. All he would say was that the RCMP wanted to talk to me. 

 After openly growing hemp in my backyard this past summer and announcing this fact to the public on Tom Young´s open line talk show in June, how could the RCMP not be aware of my activities? The truth is they knew exactly what I was doing. RCMP officers were even sending people that needed help to me. I can only surmise that the purpose of this raid was to keep me from returning to Canada. 

 If I return home, I will be arrested and put in jail without bail or medicine. I am not afraid of their jails but I cannot go without my medicine, the system has nothing that could help me with my conditions. So for me to return to Canada would be like committing suicide. I would be thrown in jail and denied my medicine and a short time later you would hear in the news that Rick Simpson died of natural causes. I cannot tell the people of Canada who are depending on my presence to help their medical conditions how sorry I am. But it was not me who caused this situation. 

 It seems the goal is to keep me from returning home and they succeeded. But to what end? All hemp magazines on this planet are now telling their readers how to heal themselves with this wonderful medicine. If governments want to live in denial, it will be short-lived. We are gaining tens of thousands of followers every day. You cannot stop the truth. 

For me, going to the Cannabis Cup was a great adventure and I would like to thank Greenhouse Seeds for making this trip possible. To stand before hundreds of people and be crowned as the Freedom Fighter of the Year was a great honour. But it is an honour that comes with a price. Most people who have worn the tricorn hat have gone to jail for spreading the truth. 

 To have this honour bestowed on me and to join the ranks of people like Jack Herer and Eddy Lepp has given my life even more purpose. 

 Jack Herer believed as I do that the key to hemp´s complete legalisation is in the magnificent medicine this plant can produce. Once the public becomes aware of the fact that properly made hemp medicine can cure or control practically any medical condition; who then will stand against the use of hemp? 

 I must also mention the great work done by Steve Hagar and High Times magazine. Cannabis cures cancer right on their cover. It is so refreshing to know that the system has no control over hemp publications. What a shame that so-called free press and news media refuse to print the truth.

 I must also tip my tricorn hat to the Weed World out of the UK. They were the first hemp magazine to cover my work. They even released a special edition in September 2009 featuring a number of articles that I wrote about hemp medicine and other aspects of the hemp movement. I must also acknowledge the great work done by Bayer & Romsy Hemp Cosmetics and Konoptikum hemp magazine of the Czech Republic. This publication has also done much to spread the truth about hemp in Europe. 

 Presently, I am staying with friends in Europe but it saddens me to be unable to be with my family and loved ones during Christmas. For the time being, it seems I will be seeking asylum in Europe. This may not be a bad thing since seminars about hemp oil are being arranged in many countries. I hate to go begging but if anyone out there has an extra few dollars they can donate to us, it would greatly ease the burden on me. Of course it costs money to live in Europe and we are expending a great deal putting on seminars and spreading the word. So any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

 They say everything happens for a reason, so I will simply put my head down and continue forward. To anyone in Canada or the US requiring help, simply follow the information we provided at www.phoenixtears.ca. Almost anyone can produce this medicine without difficulty, if they follow the instructions. Again, I apologize to everyone for not returning. But as you can see, my hands are tied.

We are at the dawn of new age in medicine and a new day for mankind. Not only can hemp save the world, it can eliminate a great deal of human suffering and can even put an end to starvation. What are we waiting for? Join with me and let us put an end to this madness. It can only survive if we continue to sit on our backsides and do nothing. Stand up and be counted and let us give ourselves a chance to heal. 

For more information on the Rick Simpson (RSO) extraction method please visit www.phoenixtears.ca

11.2  A NOTE ON SOLVENTS

I have the utmost respect for anyone who successfully manages to produce pure and potent cannabis oil for medicinal purposes as I personally know exactly how hard it is to do so.
 
I am however extremely concerned with the solvent of choice, and this is expressed with no disrespect to Mr Rick Simpson, in my quest to make the perfect natural cannabis medication, over the years I have become increasingly concerned with the poisoness content of solvents like alcohol, naptha, which is also used as paint thinner, and even butane gas.

 
Not only are these solvents poisoness but are also highly flammable and incredibly dangerous to work with due to the dangerous fumes which are present during this process of extraction. Some solvent components like hexane and benzene may also be neurotoxic. I fear that twenty years down the line people are going to start reporting that their cannabis oil killed them or caused some medical disorder which in fact was caused by a poisoness solvent in the process.

 
According to many manufacturers, naphtha and pretroleum-ether are considered potential carcinogenics, and some products which are sold as naphtha may contain added impurities for example those of Coleman ® fuel, which may have harmful properties of their own.

Cannabis oil which is produced with an alcohol extraction is usually concentrated by evaporating the solvents that were used in the extraction process.
The more concentrated the extract becomes, the more difficult it is to remove the residual solvent and in this case, applying more heat will increase solvent evaporation, but at the same time the valuable components like the cannabinoids and terpenes may also be damaged or lost resulting in a lower potency of oil.

11.3  COCONUT OIL EXTRACTION

A lot of unnecessary confusion exists upon the subject of saturated fats, even among so called professionals.


Most of my research has been studying what other researchers have discovered about coconut oil and fats and oils in general as well as sugars, in conjunction with my own studies of cannabinoids and this fascinating natural combination and arrange and summarize this information in a style that is easy-to-read and understand by the general public, and does not create confusion, but provides the truth so people may make informed decisions regarding their own state of health.


Sifting through the untruths, especially those found on the internet, and to determine what is logically acceptable, and what I myself can prove and attest to from personal experience is also part of the research process.

Due to the current legal status of cannabis it would not be appropriate to document my experiments in this paper, however I do feel morally obliged to share my humble recipe and highlight the reasons for my train of thought.

Medical studies are written in such a language that is very difficult for most people to understand unless they have medical training.

This causes a lot of confusion and misinterpretation and is one of the reasons why there is so much skepticism and misunderstanding in the fields of health and nutrition.


Bob Marley say “Explain it to me like I am a baby so that I know that you understand what you are saying!”


I have had the opportunity of seeing how both cannabis and coconut oil affects people in a clinical setting. I have seen many people use both oils and many other valuable healing oils, and have witnessed live how it affects their everyday lives. There are many positive reports from numerous studies on this subject, and more and more people are realizing the benefits of studying natural healing methods.

Many people have experienced incredible improvement from a wide variety of life threatening health disorders. 
 
11.3.1  WHAT IS THE SECRET OF COCONUT OIL?
The coconut palm (Cocus nucifera) and the cannabis plants (Cannabis sativa and indica) have both been condemned and persecuted throughout the ages despite their many highy beneficial medicinal properties and this has prompted me to pursue this avenue of study in my quest to find the perfect natural extraction solvent for medicinal marijuana.
For over sixty years coconut oil was the victim of mass media anti-coconut oil campaigns, condemning coconut oil as being the number one cause of heart disease and high cholesterol because of the high saturated fatty acids.
As the truth continues to unfold, more and more people are beginning to realize the real health benefits of coconut oil, just like the current situation with the cannabis plant and the proven medicinal benefits for a variety of killer diseases and many immune and endocrine disorders for which conventional medicine says there is no cure as yet, well now we all know that there are cures, natural cures, and sadly some are illegal.

The truth is that not all saturated fats are created equally and the emphasis is on the word “created”.

Some saturated fats occur naturally, mostly in coconut and palm kernel oil, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state by way of the man-made process referred to as hydrogenation.

The process of hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, to make a liquid fat hard, and producing rancid and thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and monetary profits.

Pure virgin coconut oil, containing no hydrogenation, containing up to 92% saturated fat - the highest amount of saturated fat content found in any kind of fat ever.

Continue reading below..
Unlike animal fats, tropical oils - palm kernel oil (not to be confused with palm oil), and most abundantly in coconut oil – contain saturated fats that are called oils but depending on room temperature can be solid, semi-solid, or liquid, and do not contain any cholesterol at all.

Like all fats, coconut oil is also a blend of fatty acids.

Coconut oil contains an unusual blend of short and medium chain saturated fatty acids, primarily lauric acid (up to 44%) and myristic (up to 16.8%) acids. It is unusual because this combination of short and medium chain saturated fatty acids is not found in any other souce of nature, just as the unique combination of cannabinoids found in the cannabis plant is not found anywhere else in nature, making cannabis and coconut a match made in heaven in more ways than one to produce a truly remarkable natural medicine with serious healing properties for a massive variety of medical disorders.

Up to 50 percent (on average 43 percent) of the fat content in coconut oil is a saturated medium chain saturated fatty acid found mainly in coconut oil and is called lauric acid.

Lauric acid is also present in human breast milk (6.2 % of total fat), cows milk (2.9% of total fat), and goats milk (3.1 % of total fat).

Nursing mothers would do well to consume coconut oil while breastfeeding as the increase in lauric acid would greatly benefit their baby’s immune system.

Saturated fats are known as saturated because all available carbon bonds are tied up with a hydrogen atom, which basically means there are no openings for rancidity or product spoilage.

Unsaturated fats are fats that have had carbon added to them under heat process and results in rancidity and an unhealthy product which causes many heath disorders for example cancer and heart disease.

A great deal of research has established the fact that lauric acid is used by humans to destroy viruses, and various pathogenic bacteria and microbes such as yeasts, fungi, bacteria, parasites, and moulds.
The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-protozoa properties, and acts as a highly effective natural immune system booster.

Monolaurin is a monoglyceride that can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:

 

·        HIV, herpes

·        Measles

·        Influenza virus

·        Various pathogenic bacteria

·        Protozoa such as giardia lamblia

Lauric acid is a powerful virus and bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid than any other known substance on Earth.

Capric acid is another coconut saturated fatty acid present in smaller amounts, and has recently also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.

Coconut oil is the main source of Monolaurin in our diets.

11.3.2 THE BENEFITS OF MEDIUM CHAIN FATTY ACIDS

Fats and oils are composed of molecules called fatty acids. Three fatty acids joined together form a triglyceride molecule.

Some fatty acids are smaller than others. Medium-chain fatty acids are smaller than long-chain fatty acids. Likewise medium-chain triglycerides are smaller than long-chain triglycerides.

The size (medium or long chain) of these molecules is very important because of the fact that our bodies process and metabolize different size fat chains differently depending on its size, so basically our body’s process medium and long fatty acids in different ways with different outcomes either way.

Mostly all of the fats and oils in our diet are composed of long-chain fatty acids, whether they're unsaturated or saturated.

There are only a few dietary sources of medium-chain fatty acids, the primary source being tropical oils, particularly palm kernel oil but most abundantly found in coconut oil.

Because the medium-chain triglycerides are smaller than the long-chain triglycerides that are in most fats and oils, they are digested quicker.

In fact, they don't even need pancreatic digestive enzymes to break them down. By the time they enter the intestinal tract, they are already completely broken down into free fatty acids, while long-chain triglycerides still need the digestive enzymes to break them down.

What's important here is that the long-chain fatty acids, when they're finally broken down, will be absorbed through the intestinal wall.

From there, they are packaged into lipoproteins and released into the bloodstream. So the long-chain fatty acids go into the digestive tract and then into the bloodstream.

As they circulate in the bloodstream they supply the fat that collects in fat cells, the same fat that collects in artery walls.

With medium-chain fatty triglycerides in coconut oil the process is different.
They are digested quickly, so pancreatic enzymes are not even needed, putting less strain on the digestive system, allowing the pancreas to do what is its function, to control and regulate blood sugar, instead of processing unhealthy fats.

By the time MCFAs (medium chains) enter the intestinal tract they are already completely broken down into fatty acids.

As a result, they are immediately absorbed into the portal vein, and sent directly to the liver, where they are used as a source of fuel and are stored as energy instead of body fat.

Therefore, they bypass the lipoprotein stage, and they don't circulate in the bloodstream to the degree that other fats do.
Therefore, they do not supply the fat that collects in fat cells or the fat that collects in artery walls. They produce energy and not body fat and definitely not arterial plaque.
Despite sixty odd years of being convinced otherwise, most people now agree that these manipulated trans-fatty acids in various products are best avoided in our diets.
 
Coconut oil does not in any way cause heart disease and coconut oil does not contain any cholesterol at all.
 
This is proven by simple virtue of the fact that we can prove that MCFAs (medium chains) are not present in the bloodstream to the degree of LCFAs (long chains).

 
The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, since lauric acid is also found in human breast milk (up to 6 %), and in hospitals to feed the aged and critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems.
 
Because coconut oil is so easily digested by the human body, coconut oil naturally and effectively provides a quick and easy source of nutrition, and improves absorption of other nutrients.  It is for this reason that coconut oil has been recommended in the treatment of malnutrition in many third world countries.
Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes and professional sports men and women, and those who just want to enhance their overall health because of its remarkable effect on the immune system.
 
There is also no evidence from multiple studies that the populations of any of the tropical islands are or ever have been, in any way negatively affected by the high saturated fat consumption in their diets through coconut oil, which is recorded at between 30 to 60 percent of their dietary intake.

 
11.3.3  THE MEDICAL BENEFITS OF COCONUT OIL

Here are just some of the benefits of coconut oil:

·        Promotes a healthy cardiovascular system because medium chain fatty acids do not contribute to arterial plague because of the way they are absorbed by the body.

·        Regulates the metabolism and controls appetite and therefore weight gain, making coconut oil a valuable remedy in the fight against diabetis and obesity.

·        Coconut oil is a very important immune system booster because of its anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

·        The medium chain fatty acids cause the body to store fat as consumable energy in the liver instead of as fatty cells in the tissues which long chain fatty acids do.

·        Coconut oil is an ancient skin care product keeping skin healthy and maintaining skin longevity.

·        Coconut oil is known to support proper functioning of the thryroid gland which makes it a suitable natural anti-obesity remedy.

11.3.4  HOW DOES COCONUT OIL HELP FIGHT DIABETES
Your body automatically sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy, via the portal vein, therefore the majority of the small and medium chain fatty acids do not even end up in the bloodstream, as opposed to long chain fatty acids (LCFAs) which are absorbed into the intestinal tract as they need the pancreatic enzymes to break them down, and are then released into the blood stream.
This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates. 
But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.
Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream.

Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, but without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption.
Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions as well as hypoglycemia should immediately realize the benefit of a fast-acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body.
 
Sugar and insulin conditions such as diabetes and hypoglycemia is fast becoming an exploding health epidemic across the world and especially in regions where there are more fast food outlets than green grocers and fast food has become cheaper than fruit and vegetables.
 
In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 diabetes.

  11.3.5  COULD COCONUT OIL PREVENT OBESITY?
 
It is estimated that people who live in the United States, have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight and the UK is not far behind also breeding a nation of ‘fatties’. 
In South Africa the statistics are not looking much better and despite the fact that so many of our people live in extreme poverty we are still faced with an increase in obesity especially in that sector of the nation which constantly and almost addictively continue to invest in the fast food industry and their cheap and unhealthy food products.
We are all well aware that obesity affects our quality of life and is linked to so many health disorders.  One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to regulate our metabolism and is therefore useful in metabolic control, appetite and weight control as well as thryroid function which is directly related to weight control and energy consumption by the body. Due to its metabolic effect coconut oil is able to increase the activity of the thyroid gland.
Back in the 1940s, some American farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock. It didn't work and instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active, and hungry.
Many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that by simply replacing LCFAs (long chains) with MCFAs (medium chains) in the diet results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition. 
 
New studies, in fact, suggest the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena, with keen interest, with several studies showing that medium chain fatty acids can enhance physical or athletic performance.
 
Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process would automatically accelerate. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and the entire immune system performs better. 
11.3.6  COCONUT OIL AS SKIN CARE
If you really want to see the benefits of coconut oil first hand just use it on your skin.
Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight and stressed muscles.
However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.
Coconut oil is brilliant for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and helps to improve the appearance of the skin with its proven anti-aging benefits. In fact, physiologist and biochemist Dr Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant, due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation.
 
Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore longevity of the skin. One only has to look at the beautiful skins of the people who live in the region of the tropical islands to believe this, where there are no reports of skin cancer.
When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother by encouraging regeneration of skin cells.
 
As a topical application it seems to be able to benefit almost any skin condition. I wouldn't say that it can cure every single type of skin condition, but I have seen a wide variety of conditions improve-and sometimes completely vanish-with the use of coconut oil.
It can help speed healing of cuts and burns; there's a long tradition among the people of the islands of using coconut oil as a sunscreen. It is also great for fungal infections such as ringworm and athlete's foot. People have shared with me how they have used medicated treatments without success, but when they used coconut oil it did the job immediately and effectively.
 
11.3.7  COCONUT OIL AND HEART DISEASE
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S and many other countries and heart disease is often a very silent killer.
 
The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one-third of heart attacks are fatal. 
 
Despite the propaganda, the truth is that it is in fact the unsaturated fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as the world has been led to believe.
 
Another very important fact is that it is the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils that encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness, where coconut oil actually helps to promote normal platelet function.
 
There is absolutely no truth in the belief that coconut oil causes or even contributes to heart disease. In fact, if we really want to protect ourselves from heart disease we should in fact be using coconut oil instead of products like sunflower and canola oils in our diets.
 
The main reason why people think of heart disease when anyone mentions coconut oil doesn't have anything to do with science and medicine, but in fact, has everything to do with marketing and money.
 
For over sixty years already, people have been concerned that saturated fats could raise cholesterol levels and increase risk of heart disease.
The soybean industry realized this was a perfect opportunity to make a profit.
They reasoned that if they could convince people that all saturated fats were bad and caused heart disease people would eat more vegetable oil.  The most abundant natural source of saturated fats is coconut oil.
So the soybean industry spent millions on an anti-saturated fat and anti-tropical oils publicity campaign.
Special interest groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest joined in and started producing alarming new stories about the dangers of saturated fats, and they created the term "artery clogging fat" in reference to coconut oil.
Sadly science and good health often take a back seat to profits as has been seen on more than one occasion throughout our history.
11.3.8  OSTEOPOROSIS

There is now sufficient evidence to prove that coconut oil also helps prevent osteoporosis.
One of the most remarkable things about coconut oil is that it helps improves nutrient absorption, especially in the way it improves absorption of minerals such as calcium and  magnesium and this is what makes coconut oil an important method to aid in prevention of osteoporosis.
Coconut oil also increases absorption of some of the B vitamins, the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, K, which are required for bone formation, beta-carotene, and some amino acids.
11.3.9 COOKING WITH COCONUT OIL
 
As a result of my studies to-date in search of the perfect natural cannabinoid extraction solvent to produce medicinal cannabis oil, I am now convinced that I will not easily cook again with any other oil other than coconut oil especially for frying.
 
Olive oil should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage. But it is wonderful as a salad dressing with garlic.
 
Polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower, and canola, are probably the worst oils to ever use in cooking.
 
These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double carbon bonds.
 
Many people believe that frying creates trans-fat. That is not the only problem and although some trans-fats are created, these are relatively minor. There are far more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils than trans-fat. Acrylamide is a toxic compound found in the deep brown grime like compound which forms on the surface of fried foods, and eating too much acrylamide can result in liver cell damage and certain types of cancers. There is also a high association between the levels of omega-6 fats in cell membranes and the risk of heart disease.
It is important to be aware that trans-fats do not occur naturally in nature in plants and only occur in small amounts in animal fats and dairy products, known as vaccenic acid.  Trans-fats are man made through the process of hydrogenation as discussed at the beginning of this chapter.
Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation, and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fats.
Most of the vegetable oils we use today are GMO (genetically modified). This would include over 90 percent of soy, corn, and canola oils.
Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3.
 
Omega-6 fats are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago.
This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6 to omega-3 ratio that controls many delicate biochemical pathways in the body, which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases like Muscular Schlerosis and Parkinsons’.
Coconut oil is the only oil which has proven to be stable enough to resist mild heat-induced- damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss, thyroid and immune function.
So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes, especially where frying is called for.
11.3.10 THE CANNABIS AND COCONUT CONNECTION

Diabetes and many other dietary related conditions, including conditions of the endocrine system for example Alzheimers (degenerative brain disease) and Crohn’s (inflammatory bowel disease), are on the increase due to dietary problems within society and the intentional manipulation of foodstuffs by scientists and manufacturers to include substances which are less than healthy to the human body, for the sole purpose of generating increased profits.
Many research projects are currently underway in this field of study. Studies are showing that coconut oil is proving helpful in preventing liver disease, kidney disease, Crohn's disease, cancer and many infectious illnesses such as the flu, herpes, bladder infections, and candida, to mention just a few.
Studies are now being conducted to test the effectiveness of coconut oil against serious illnesses such as HIV/AIDS and cancer, and preliminary trial test results are proving to be very promising, this is due to the immense immune system boosting properties of coconut oil.
The combination of Cannabis and Coconut would seem to be a definite winning combination with superior health benefits particularly in respect of so called dread diseases and diseases involving convultions and seizures, dietary conditions like obesity and diabetis as well as disorders of the nervous system such as schitzoprenia, parkinson’s and altzheimers.
Professor Mike Cawthorne, Director of Metabolic Research at the University of Buckingham who has been conducting animal studies said:  “Overall it seems these molecules (cannabinoids) increase energy expenditure in the cells of the body increasing the metabolism”. This raises hopes that marijuana based treatments may be developed to treat obesity and diabetes.
The American Journal of Epidemiology published studies showing that “Obesity rates are lower by a third in people who consume cannabis at least three times a week, in comparison to those who did not use cannabis at all, and the most important finding is that cannabis consumers seem to have a better carbohydrate metabolism than non users.”
The American Journal of Medicine has published similar reports and has admitted that “Cannabis seems to have a two-faced relationship to weight and three prior studies have shown that marijuana users are less likely to be obese, have a lower risk for diabetes and have lower body mass index measurements.  These trends occurred despite the fact that they consume more calories.”
In a research study by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2005 and 2010 on 4600 men and women it was found that marijuana users also have higher levels of high density lipoprotein which is known as ‘good cholestrol’ and protects against heart disease.
The paradoxes between the attitudes towards coconut oil and cannabis oil are too similar, but we give thanks at least that coconut oil is not illegal.
There are many similarities between the healing properties of both cannabis and coconut oil as highlighted before; anti cancer, immune boosting properties, anti-fungal, anti bacterial, anti microbrial and metabolic regulation properties to name but a few similarities between these two previously condemned sources of natural healing.
Another interesting similarity between cannabis and coconut is that neither have any serious side effects and only a few cases of coconut allergies have ever been reported and these reports are rare and scarce, and each are actually believed to be peanut related allergies instead of coconut allergies.
Most people who are allergic to peanuts and other nuts are able to consume coconut as an alternative.
No one has ever died from a coconut other than from having it fall on their head, and this analogy is often used when discussing shark attacks, as evidence indicates that more people have died from coconuts falling on their heads than from shark attacks.
In cannabis culture we often state profoundly that the most dangerous thing about cannabis is getting caught with it or having a ten kilogram bale land on your head.
Both cannabis and coconut are made up of unique combinations of chemical constituents which are unique to each plant and not replicated anywhere else in nature and the fact that these unique components have such similar healing properties convinces me that this is definitely one of the many secret natural and herbal combinations provided by Mother Nature to heal a variety of medical disorders.
The ability of coconut oil to to increase the absorption of some of the B vitamins and in particular the fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E and K, together with the fact that cannabinoids are fat soluable gives clear evidence to the fact that coconut oil has the ability to increase cannabinoid extraction, because it is a saturated fat, and therefore produce a more potent product through total cannabinoid extraction. The human brain is 60 percent fat and this leads us to contemplate further the fact that cannabinoids are fat soluable and coconut oil is a highly saturated fat, that this combination certainly seems to be all about fats and fat absorption by the body and brain when considering the medicinal benefits of both plants and how they work on the body.
Because coconut oil is the only oil stable enough to resist mild heat induced damage which results in virtually no loss or damage to cannabinoids, coconut infused cannabis oil is more potent and definitely more pure which is the winning combination we are looking for when assessing the effectiveness of a truly natural cannabis oil which is extracted with a natural solvent.
All my experiments with extracting and baking with cannabis and coconut oil have proven beyond any shadow of doubt that coconut oil makes the cannabis more potent each and every time and this is because the cannabinoids practically jump into the coconut oil and this proves the natural affinity of natural saturated fats and the fat soluable components of cannabis.
I am now totally satisfied that coconut oil is the perfect pure and natural cannabinoid extraction solvent and encourage combining these two medicines  to produce one health remedy for a variety of medical conditions.
Cannabis oil extracted with coconut oil is lighter in color than oil extracted with alcohol which is dark and thick like treacle.  This is because the alcohol strips all the water soluable parts of the plants as well, including the chlorophyll giving it this dark color. Coconut infused cannabis oil is amber in color, because it only extracts the fat soluable components of marijuana(the cannabinoids), so you can be sure that you are getting pure cannabinoid extraction without all the water soluable parts like the chlorophyll concentrate (not chlorophyll in general), because chlorophyll also has highly beneficial medicinal properties in other applications. Chlorophyll concentrate in cannabis oil has produced some cases of diarrhea and upset gastric systems which are common side effects of chlorophyll. In less vulnerable patients they might feel brief spells of queasiness which is the action of the chlorophyll. This does not happen when using coconut oil because the chlorophyll is not stripped in the extraction process and second coconut oil is not readily absorbed into the gastric tract.
It seems obvious that medical marijuana is based on fats and lipids and this is why the products produced by coconut oil extraction are more pure and more potent because coconut oil is the highest source of saturated fat in nature.
People, including doctors and nutritionists simply don't know much about coconut oil because they haven't ever studied it, because we have been programmed by a system that is profit driven, that coconut oil is a bad saturated fat and causes heart disease, when in fact the complete opposite is actually true. It is the unsaturated fats which are causing the increase in heart disease. The same situation prevails with regards to cannabis education.
Most of the instruction that student doctors and other medical professionals receive after graduating from medical school is provided by the pharmaceutical industry and, therefore, is very prejudiced and very rarely if ever include natural healing remedies.
It seems strange that conventional medicine refers to Herbalism and Traditional Medicine as “alternative medicine” when in fact pharmaceuticals have only been around a little over a hundred years.
It now seems that cannabis and specifically medical marijuana is the future medicine straight from the past, which makes me think of the actor Michael J Fox (Back to the Future trilogy) who was diagnosed twenty two years ago at the age of 30 with Parkinson’s Disease and in fact has set up a research foundation to forward progress on this condition, and he has managed to maintain a ‘back with a future’ status for over twenty years and one cannot help but wonder whether his treatment involves medical marijuana, as the Michael J Fox Foundation has not come up with a cure as yet, although it has been revealed that the Foundation is close to developing a cure and there are many rumours that this development involves a pine nut oil and urban legend follows that it is in fact Rick Simpson Oil which they are investigating. May JAH bless their work!
The Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research is the world’s largest privately funded foundation for Parkinsons research with over $250 000 invested todate. The Foundation has only one goal “Find a cure for Parkinsons and get out of business”.
Cannabis and coconut oil can be used in cooking and baking, on the skin, on the hair as well as consuming a few teaspoons of liquid coconut infused cannabis oil a few times a day, and the taste is not unpleasant at all. It is the perfect pure and natural extraction and delivery method especially for people who do not care for smoking.
 
Genesis 1 vs 29 – 31
 And God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it.  They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground, everything that has the breath of life in it –   I give every green plant for food:  And it was so.  God saw all that he had made and it was very good."
11.3.11 THE CANNABIS COCONUT OIL RECIPE
 
INGREDIENTS:
 
Pure Virgin Coconut oil (Recommend any organic  coconut oil)
Dry Cannabis – best quality seedless bud you can get hold of
Time, patience and positive vibrations
 
INSTRUCTIONS:
1.     Grind the dried cannabis into a fine powder
2.     Use only enough oil to cover the cannabis amount used, usually around 100 ml of oil to 10 grams of cannabis.
3.     Pour the pure virgin coconut oil into the pressure cooker on the lowest heat setting which should be just under 100 degrees celcius.
4.     Let the oil heat up and add a pinch of cannabis powder when the oil starts to fizz add the rest of the cannabis powder.
5.     The oil must never boil or bubble therefore you have to keep a constant eye on the pot stirring at regular intervals.
6.     If the oil starts to bubble reduce the heat immediately, the oil must never boil or bubble.
7.     Continue with this process for six hours always checking the heat and keeping it on constant low heat, use a wooden spoon to stir at frequent intervals.
8.     After six hours turn the heat off and let the oil cool.
9.     Once the oil has cooled strain it through a fine mesh sieve using the back of a teaspoon to press the oil through.
10. Store the oil in glass jar and keep it in a cool dry place.
11. Coconut oil naturally solidifies at room temperature and all you have to is place the glass jar in some warm water and let it melt, you can also use it in the solid form as butter.
NOTES:
If you do not have a pressure cooker there are other options like using two pots inside one another (one larger than the second).  Or you could also use seal cap glass jars inside a pot of water, but then you must raise the bottles so that you do not create a heat spots under the jar, the heat is the most important factor and you must stand around your pot the full six hours, if you have to stop cooking just turn the heat off completely and continue when you are free to do so, this is not ideal because a lot of the process has to do with the energy that you yourself are putting into the pot, do not leave the oil on the heat unattended you will damage the cannabinoids and lose potency.  Even street marijuana is expensive and this is a valuable lesson learnt. You can research these options on many of the websites I have used in the research of this paper.
Coconut oil has a smoke point of 171 degrees celcius so at 100 degrees and less it can not produce any dangerous fumes because it will not create smoke at this temperature so this recipe can be followed while cooking on gas, electricity even fire and anyone can make their own medicine with this recipe.
DOSAGE
This is where personal responsibility is of paramount importance.  If you have never used cannabis before it is essential to start on the smallest possible dose gradually building up to increased dosages.  Your body will need to adjust to the stimulation of the Endocannabinoid System which usually is only felt after the first three to four times of taking it, whereafter you will feel the effects.  Speak to people who have used cannabis to get an idea of what to expect because no two people are alike and no two cannabis plants are alike.  It is recommended to start with a half teaspoon three times a day building up to tablespoons as soon as you have established your own personal cannabis tolerance levels. The most responsible thing to do is educate yourself and if it is possible to open dialogue on the topic of medical marijuana with your doctor or health care provider then definitely this is the first point of call.
1.     NUTRITION AND DISEASES OF CIVILIZATION
The term ‘diseases of civilization’ was once used to describe the many plagues of the past and ancient times, but in this day and age  it now applies to chronic conditions which are still considered to be of unknown origin and which have now become leading health problems in industrialized countries.
The incidence of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure and many other diseases continue to advance progressively and relentlessly, and are hastened by the interaction of old and new environmental risk factors that happen to coexist in industrialized and developing countries.
Some of the reasons contributing to the diseases of civilization are increased accumulation of environmental pollution, overcrowding in continually growing cities, increase in cigarette smoking, alcohol, increased sugar and fat consumption, as well as disintegration of the social infrastructure which directly affects lifestyle.
The nervous system is the most metabolically active organ in the human body.  The human brain never rests and even in a state of coma where respiration has to be controlled with machinery and intensive care equipment the brain will even then ultimately only lose about 50 percent of function.
Because of this situation the human brain also has one of the highest rates of free radical and lipid generation.  The human brain consists of sixty percent fat. The brain consumes 20 percent of all oxygen and 25 percent of all the glucose, at 2 percent of body weight.
The first mention of the connection between diet and behavior was by George M Gould MD in 1910.  In 1935 it was recognized that hypoglycemia could mimic anxiety, neurosis, hysteria, neurasthenia and even psychosis. So this is not new information.
In a 1973 study of hypoglycemia Dr Wendel and Beeb found a 74 percent incidence of hypoglycemia with anxiety associated schizophrenia. 60 percent of the survey members with families had hyperactive children, and the parents either had diabetes, obesity or alcoholism reported, all of which are sugar consumption problems.
Their research also showed that 75 percent of prisoners in the US were hyperactive as children.
So, why does sugar and carbohydrates play such a big role on brain function and psychological function?
When there is a sugar excess in the body the brain automatically releases insulin to combat this situation which in turn leads to hypoglycemia.
When the blood sugar drops the body automatically responds to get the sugar level up because it needs the sugar for energy metabolism and the brain then stimulates the adrenal gland to produce two hormones, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine.
These hormones are what make you feel anxious when your blood sugar drops.  They also stimulate the brain to increase activity.  When the brain becomes hypoglycaemic it releases a neurotransmitter called Glutamate and this is the primary neurotransmitter for excitability, making it the main thing that turns the brain’s activities into high gear.
Therefore the two hormones, Epinephrine and Norepinephrine together with Glutamate produce and increased state of hyperactivity in the brain. You will see later on that Glutamate is the G in MSG.
12.1  CRIME AND NUTRITION
In a study involving probation (parole) violations it was noted that 56 percent of offenders were on poor diets and committed anti social behavior.  When placed on a healthy low sugar and low fat diet only 8 percent violated their parole conditions and 61 percent showed a decrease in anti social behavior.
This represented a tremendous change in behavior just by changing the diet and this study also showed a dramatic reduction in suicides when on a healthy diet, so there was a high association between a high sugar high fat diet and suicidal behavior.
In another US study of prison systems in five US states it was found that the more violent the offenders the more nutritional deficiencies were found.  Offenders were tested for many deficiencies but mainly of Magnesium, Zinc and Vitamin B6.
Violent offenders showed between five and nine deficiencies in all five states but when the diet was changed there was a 43 percent reduction in serious crime by offenders who previously consumed a high sugar high fat diet.
When looking at how nutrition affects the actual brain function they studied the EEG function of the offenders to detect brain wave abnormalities.  When changing their diets they went from average 14 to 2 abnormalities in those with serious offences.
The EEG improved considerably and they proved that even marginal deficiencies could cause criminal behavior to surface.
“A hungry man is an angry man” – Bob Marley
These tests were also done on children and in one case a child went from 6 to 0 abnormalities just with a vitamin supplement.
Selenium is a mineral trace element which plays an important role in metabolism, liver functioning and is also an important anti-oxidant.
Studies have revealed that selenium deficiencies cause depression and periods of confusion.  When you increase the selenium intake (227ug/d) there is a significant improvement in mood.  More recent studies show that selenium plays a major role in brain function so its deficiency is very detrimental to the brain.
12.2  SUGAR CONSUMPTION AND BEHAVIOR
In the 1900’s Americans consumed 4 pounds of sugar a year, nowadays an average of 129 pounds a year is consumed effectively a 2500 percent increase in sugar consumption.
Multiple large and well controlled studies have shown that an increase in sugar consumption results in an increase in anti social behavior, criminal and violent behavior and we are consuming more sugar than ever before
57 percent of this sugar comes from processed foods which are hidden in our foods.  The leading source of sugar in the American diet comes from fruit juices and sodas representing 43 percent and wherever you go especially where there are young people, they are all drinking sodas and if you look at the advertising campaigns they are all targeted at the youth.
Here in South Africa, things do not look much better and a recent study the first of its kind in the country and known as the South African National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and was compiled by the Human Sciences Research Council.
They conducted surveys and interviews with more than 25 000 people across 500 different areas in South Africa.
The findings showed that 19.7 percent of South Africans were consuming an excessive amount of sugar and almost 21 percent reported a family history of high blood sugar.
The average person consumes 17 teaspoons (70g) of sugar and similar sweeteners. Nutritionists say that we should not be exceeding 10 teaspoons of sugar per day.
In the US, since 1974 consumption of sodas has doubled and teenagers are drinking an equivalent of 54 teaspoons of sugar a day, just from sodas.
Another study from University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill found that adults aged between 40 and 59 years old increased their intake of sodas by 250 percent between 1972 and 2001.
People over the age of 60 years old had increased their intake by 300 percent, so it’s not only the young people on the sugar rush.
We now know that when you increase your sugar intake we dramatically increase free radical activity in the brain and it produces cross linking of the proteins and all of the cells, the bottom line is that it makes every cell in your body age much faster especially your brain cells.
It is estimated that 50 percent of people in the US have reactive hypoglycaemia which means that the blood sugar drops rapidly because of the over secretion of insulin release due to the high sugar intake and the sugar drops so low that you start to develop symptoms of anxiety and anger and you start to feel weak and you feel that you have to eat something quickly before passing out and indeed some people do pass out and even have seizures from reactive hypoglycaemia.
This also results in permanent brain damage.  Numerous studies have shown there is a strong connection between alcohol abuse, hypoglycaemia and criminal behavior.
If you look at the most violent felons in America they have hypoglyceamia and alcohol abuse and we know that violent felons when they drink alcohol their blood sugar levels drop dramatically because they are getting a reactive effect from the alcohol. These spells are very dangerous and you can have seizures and die and most people sadly do not know this.
Alcoholics drink alcohol because it is a tremendous source of energy so when their blood sugar drops they drink some alcohol to feel better the brain releases the insulin, the hormones and the glutamate and then the sugar drops and they take another drink and so it goes on in a never ending circle.
When hypoglycaemia is treated 71 percent achieve sobriety, to think that Alcoholics Anonymous generally achieves only 25 percent sobriety.  So by treating one condition another condition is also taken care of, just by changing the diet.
It is no secret that alcohol causes most acts of violence including road rage, car accidents and domestic violence because alcohol produces the same effect as sugar.
The most aggressive effects of this, is in people who have abnormalities of the temporal lobe of the brain.  The temporal lobe is also the elaboration centre for your emotions, particularly in respect of anger.
When people with temporal lobe damage become hypoglycaemic they become enraged, for example the typical behavior displayed in cases of road rage, people who in a moment of rage can kill another person or pick up a knife and stab somebody to death.  Things that are minor which we would just shrug off, but they don’t, because it triggers their temporal lobe and they become angry and lose all control.  The Americans already have a name for this behavior and they call it The Dis-control Syndrome.
It is not really even a conscious action, it is because their blood sugar has been lowered which affects their brain function and literally drives them like wild animals.  If we put an electrode in that same centre of the brain the person would surely jump up and attack whoever is closest to you and try to kill them and there is no scientific way to stop it. These are just some of the radical effects nutrition can have on behavior.
Sugar is not the only thing that can cause hypoglycaemia.  Aspartame and Monosodium glutamate (MSG) both stimulate insulin release and bring on hypoglycaemia.
This is the bitter sweet paradox about the artificial sweetener Aspartame and these are FDA studies from the US.  One of the problems is that it causes weight gain.  Everyone is drinking them because they think they are going to lose weight but actually it causes weight gain in a lot of people and that is because it makes you hypoglycaemic and so you tend to eat and snack and nibble and you end up putting on weight.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) will do exactly the same thing.  Food manufacturers love this which is why they put so much of it in foodstuffs because it makes you hungry and you eat more of their food.  We also know from studies that MSG can induce intense rage.  Tests have been carried out by injecting microinjections directly into the brain of lab rats.  In some cases the rat killed the cat which highlights the intensity of the rage that is almost uncontrollable.  These are American and European studies.
When you are hypoglycaemic and you add MSG at the same time, a tremendously magnified effect of excitotoxicity (brain hyperactivity) is induced.
It happens in society all the time.  When you are out drinking a coke and eating some doritas, which are very high in MSG that is why they taste so good, your blood glutamate level rises and brain activity increases, blood sugar drops, and in susceptible people, which is a lot of people, you can fall into severe rage.  So of course this is a profound effect and excitotoxicity destroys brain cells.
We also know that several amino acids can also make you hypoglycaemic such as glutamine, Ammonium sulfate, L-cysteine, Titanium dioxide, Sodium nitrite, Sodium benzoate to name but a few, can all produce profound hypoglycemia.
So we now know without doubt that dramatic changes in blood sugar can also produce dramatic changes in the brain and causes anti-social behavior.
Dr Ron Prinz, University of Florida in 1980 was the first person to study behavioral effects of sugar systematically in children and he found that children eat 40 percent of their calories from sugar and when he looked at the top consumers of these children, the top 25 percent of the children, they display poor levels of attention and were hyperactive.  These are the children who were probably bouncing off the walls and would be prescribed some ritolin to calm them down.
Dr Jane Goldman at University of Connecticut in 1986 did an interesting study administering sugar equal to the amount of one coke and noted a decline in mental performance by 30 minutes and after an hour those on the sugar made twice as many mistakes as those who had not consumed sugar.
So clearly sugar has a lot to do with how well you can think, and the harmful effects tend to subside after about an hour and a half after you drink a cooldrink.
There is a strong connection between the endocrine system and nutrition, and there is a strong association between sugar intake, behavior and also brain serotonin levels.
SSRI drugs Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors are typically used as antidepressants when treating depression, anxiety disorders and some personality disorders, and function to increase the brain’s serotonin levels in some people and in others it will make the levels go down.  These people could commit suicide or murder, for instance studies done on the US children who were shooting each other at school, revealed that all these children were taking SSRI medications.
Seratonin levels are associated with carbohydrate levels and again studies have shown that you can create killer rats by lowering brain serotonin.  Potato crisps are powerfully hypoglycemic, and has the same effect on the body as sugar, perhaps this could explain why the Irish are so mean, sometimes.
In 1985 Egger & Carter of Feingold Association studied 76 hyperactive children who were placed on a low carbohydrate diet, which also eliminated food dyes.  82 percent of the children improved and 28 percent went back to normal, simply by changing their diets. These were children who were very hard to control.
The highest reaction was to Tartrazine and Sodium benzoate which are very common food additives.  The most commonly reactive foods were soya beans 73 percent, cow’s milk 64 percent and chocolate at 59 percent.
In this day and age we see an array of soya bean products even present in baby food so we are now feeding the baby soya as well as the mother.
In 1982 a study on college males who were screened for any pre-existing psychiatric history, drug use or medical conditions which might have affected the outcome of the study was undertaken
They were given a questionnaire on aggressive behavior, hostility, anger and aggressive acts and in the answers they found that there was a very strong relationship between aggressive answers and hypoglyacemia.
Tryptophan is the amino acid which is converted into serotonin and regulates the brain’s ability to resist aggressive acts as a more calming neurotransmitter and it is the neurotransmitter most connected with depression and suicide and when it gets too low you have high suicide tendencies and high depression and high aggression.
Corn is very low in tryptophan (corn flakes, corn starch, corn flour and so on).  So if you are eating a lot of corn you are limiting your brains ability to produce serotonin and you will no doubt be suffering from depression and suicidal tendancies.
Tyrosine is also an amino acid and is the precursor to epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine in the brain. Dopamine has to do with motivation and epinephrine and norepinephrine has to do with attention (paying attention) and concentration.
Low levels of tyrosine are associated with depression and sensitivity to stress so increased tyrosine consumption reduces stress.
  12.3  VITAMINS AND BEHAVIOR
Niacin (Vitamin) B3 forms nicotinamide adenine dinucleaotide (NAD) in the body.  Deficiencies result in the condition known as pellagra and psychriatic symptoms are very common in this condition.  Pellagra is commonly described as the “the four D’s”
Diarrhea – Dermatitis – Dementia - Death.
Niacin deficiency is increasingly being associated with psychriatric conditions and there is even a nicacin-responsive schizophrenia which has been identified.
When you increase niacin intake the schizophrenia goes away simply by changing the diet.
Vitamins C, D, E, K, A, B and the carotenoids are associated with behavior and brain function. Deficiencies result in Beri-beri, insomnia, depression, memory failure, chronic fatigue and personality changes.
If you eat a lot of carbohydrates it depletes your vitamin B1, and that is how you end up with a thyamine deficiency, which is also closely related to magnesium deficiencies.
A national nutritional survey of adolescents in the US showed that 60 percent were deficient in iron, 57 percent for vitamin A, 43 percents for vitamin C, 39 percent for vitamin B1, 30 percent for protein and 16 percent for riboflavin.
For a first world country this is a lot of deficiencies and these are critical nutrients that operate the brain and control your behavior, so these are not uncommon problems. Alcohol also inhibits your brain’s ability to produce thyamine.
A New York study looked at 1.1 million public school children and found that by giving them just a single multivitamin dose significantly increased their academic performance when sugar was also removed from the diet.
Katherine LTucker of USDA Human Nutrition Research Centre on Aging produced one of the more famous studies in 1990 and found that deficiencies in thiamine and riboflavin not only impaired neuropsychological performance but also altered EEG patterns in a significant number of adults.
A study of 260 adults under the age of 60 years old revealed an association between the status of vitamin C, riboflavin, vitamin B12, folic acid and concept learning.
Concept learning is one of the more sensitive measures of brain functioning and clearly the brain is very sensitive to these deficiencies.
12.4  FOOD ALLERGIES
A lot of people are allergic to foods without even knowing it because they do not find physical symptoms like rash, stomach cramps, swelling and so on.  But most foods have subtle symptoms like lethargy, stupor, disorientation, paranoia, delusions, hallucinations, agitation, rage, panic attacks, criminal and anti-social behavior and even seizures.
The immune system reacts intensely to certain food components, which triggers an equally intense reaction in the brain so the brain is also activated and releases toxic components like glutamate and this is what causes neurological dysfunction and long term brain cell damage.
One of the most interesting associations with food allergies is schizophrenia and in a Swedish study it was found that 88 percent of the people who were studied were allergic to wheat, 60 percent to cow’s milk, 50 percent to corn and 100 percent to gluten and gliadin which is added to most breads, cakes and pastries.
In the study they created two groups of schizophrenias and put one group on gluten free diet and almost all of them returned to normal.  And as long as they avoided gluten they were normal and the minute they got back on even with a small amount they became fully schizophrenic again and had to be hospitalized. Case after case after case, so, it shows, that mental conditions can be rectified just by changing the diet.
Vaccination is also causing many neurological effects, ADD (Attention deficit disorder),  ADDH (Attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity), Althzeimers, autism and many others, and the reason for this is that when you vaccinate a child you not only activate the immune system and turn on the brains’ immune system, the reality is through vaccination the immune reaction goes on for years, non-stop, resulting in an inflamed brain that will not calm down and this is what contributes to brain dysfunction.
Food allergies also affect hypoglycemia and it was found that juvenile offenders drank more cows’ milk than non offenders. Most people do not know that soya is a leading candidate for food allergies but we have millions of people eating and drinking as much soya as they can because they have been misled to believe that it is a healthy source of protein and helps against breast and prostate cancer of which there is absolutely no firm evidence, however, there is evidence that soya will make breast cancer grow faster.
All of these studies prove without a shadow of doubt that we are negatively altering the way the brain functions through our diets.
Environmental toxins like aluminum, mercury, lead, fluoride, MSG, aspartame, pesticides, herbicides, industrial solvents, food dyes and excessive vaccination all lead to interference of brain function and behavior.  Recent studies revealed that scientists have even found traces of pesticides on the North Pole, proving that no one on the planet is safe from pesticides.
Now is the time we must all seriously reassess our nutrition by educating ourselves on what we are consuming and how our diets affect our mental, physical and spiritual health.
Hosea 4 vs 6
“My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge for they have rejected knowledge”

1.      CONCLUSION AND FINAL MOTIVATION
The EC System is indeed a very complex system operating throughout our immune, nervous and endocrine systems and all of the body’s organs, tissues and cells. As a recently discovered physiological system it is clear that more research and clinical trials is necessary in order to fully understand the potential of the EC System.
Over and above regulating our internal and cellular homeostasis, cannanbinoids also influence a person’s relationship with the external environment.
On a social level, the consumption of cannabinoids clearly changes human behaviour, and often promotes the meditation of sharing, humor, positive vibrations and creativity.
Studies have now revealed that cannabinoids act as neuromodulators in the way in which they regulate brain cells for a variety of physiological processes including motor learning, neuronal and synaptic plasticity, neurogenesis, as well as appetite control and pain sensation.
With the fusion of neurogenesis (growth and development of neurons), neuronal plasticity (how experiences reorganize neural pathways in the brain) and motor learning, cannabinoids may very well directly influence a person’s open-mindedness and ability to move beyond the restricting patterns of thought and behaviour patterns from past situations.
In order to cope with our fast changing environment it is essential that mankind reconsider these old patterns.

Most importantly, studies of the activity of the endocannabinoid system turned out to hold therapeutic promise for a wide range of different medical disorders and pathological conditions, ranging from mood and anxiety disorders, movement disorders such as Parkinson's and Huntington's disease, neuropathic pain, multiple sclerosis and spinal cord injury, to cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, stroke, hypertension, epilepsy, glaucoma, obesity/metabolic syndrome, and osteoporosis, to name just a few.
As more and more research studies are being released through the emerging science of Cannabis Chemistry and Medical Marijuana, one thing is very clear, a fully functional cannabinoid system is essential for health, as all evidence indicates that the EC system and the cannabis plant both have a very profound effect on the human body.
Research has already shown that just small amounts of cannabinoids from marijuana can stimulate the body to make more endocannabinoids and build more cannabinoid receptors.
This is exactly why so many first-time marijuana users do not feel any effects the first few times they consume but by the third or fourth time, their bodies would have built more cannabinoid receptors and will be ready to respond.
More receptors increase a person's sensitivity to cannabinoids; therefore smaller doses have larger effects, and the individual has an improved baseline of endocannabinoid activity by consuming just a tiny dose of cannabis on a regular basis.
Scientific research including patient testimonials both indicate that herbal marijuana has superior medical qualities to synthetic cannabinoids, and it would appear that man simply cannot quite replicate the purity and potency of herbal cannabis.
In 1902 Thomas Edison said, "There were never so many able, active minds at work on the problems of disease as now, and all their discoveries are tending toward the simple truth that you can't improve on nature."
Cannabinoid research has proven that this statement still holds true to this day, hence the failure of big pharma industry to successfully patent the cannabis plant and thus it remains illegal until the day that the pharmaceutical industry is able to synthesise cannabinoids in the abscence of the psychoactive effects.
Whilst many medical practitioners will cringe at the idea of recommending herbal remedies, let alone smoking any of them, many doctors today are in fact aware of the medicinal healing properties of cannabis and everyone should be urged to discuss this very serious matter with their health care practitioners to find the best solution for their personal medical disorders. It is possible for conventional and natural medical practitioners to work together for the overall healing of the people.
More and more doctors are beginning to realise the truth about cannabis, however, they lack the scientific research to adequately administer this medication and as such so much more research is required. It seems certain that pretty soon medical practitioners will be forced to learn about medical marijuana from their own patients.
It is obvious that we need to increase pressure on governments and more and more people are starting to demand safe, natural and inexpensive medication that stimulates our bodies’ own natural ability to self heal and to help our people improve their quality of life.
Stories of US families having to uproot their homes and relocate to states that have legalized medical marijuana, where their own states have failed, in order to save their children’s lives are hugely heartbreaking, not to mention countries like South Africa where millions of  people are suffering from dread diseases and the numbers increase at alarming rates. We give thanks for the Medical Innovation Bill which gives us hope for reconsideration of the current legal status of cannabis.
There is currently an explosion of scientific research on the the therapeutic potential of cannabis, with no lack of evidence, and in fact more evidence than you can find on some of the most popular remedies of convential medicine.
Evidence now shows that marijuana is actually an amazingly tranquil substance that in fact poses no risk of overdose and only a slight risk of addiction, alike to that of craving coffee or chocolate.
Many experts also now believe that the psychoactive properties of marijuana are most likely to only be short lived and in fact do not pose any risk of long term brain damage.
Cannabinoids are curently being investigated for the treatment of many types of brain cancers, following the profound discovery which suggest that CB1 receptor activation by endogenous (naturally produced by the body), synthetic or cannabis derived cannabinoids may promote brain neurogenesis, which basically means that brain cells may be regenerated within the body.
What does the Bible say about Cannabis?
The Holy Bible is filled with references and interpretations relating to cannabis, the holy herb as well as annointing oil explanations and recipes.  We can continue debating about Hebrew translations for the word cannabis till the cows come home because it doesn’t really matter. Everyone knows how easy it is to manipulate the scriptures to justify our own opinions;
The following bible references are however, very accurate about the view point of JAH, and straight to the point, there cannot really be any misunderstanding of what God’s intentions are as written up in the book of life and starting in the very first chapter of the Holy Book, Genesis 1 vs 29 – 31 (KJV).
“And GOD said “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.  And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat; and it was so”.
And GOD saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.”
Surely, if when GOD stood back at the end of a day in the times of creation, and felt that things were “very good” then we can only imagine that things must have been pretty close to perfect, so at the end of the sixth day, GOD, felt that his creation and purpose for herbs of all species was “very good”, and then mankind decided to prohibit nature and rob mankind of the tree of life and many other valuable plants which JAH put on earth to heal the nations.
And then again in the very last chapter of the bible in Revelations 22 vs 2 (KJV)
“In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
No mention of prohibition of cannabis or any other plants is made in The Ten Commandments Exodus 20 vs 1 – 17.
GOD seemed to anticipate prohibition and in Ezekiel 34 vs 29 (KJV) God says:
“And I will raise for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more”.
And again in 1 Timothy 4 vs 1-3 (KJV) God predicts some prohibition and sufferance amongst His children.
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spritis, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”
We are even warned not to make judgment of those who consume certain plants and those who do not, according to Romans 14 vs 1 – 3 (NIV)
“Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters.  One person’s faith allows them to eat anything, but another, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables.  The one who eats everything must not treat with contempt the one who does not, and the one who does not eat everything must not judge the one who does, for God has accepted them.”
Let’s be fair and reasonable
It is very true that many medicines are only made up from certain parts of plants containing specific chemicals, where in fact the other parts of the same plant are toxic for example Foxgloves (Digitalis), which contains chemicals used in medicines to treat certain cardiac conditions, but the entire plant if consumed it has toxic effects.
Many potent chemotherapy cancer drugs have also been developed in this way by taking natural plant compounds and altering them and then testing it to create significant medical drugs for the purpose of sale.
Some of these drugs (US) include taxol (first derived from yew leaves); vincristine and vinblastine (from rosy periwinkles); camptothecin (from Chinese Xi Shu tree); colchicines (from crocuses) and toposide (from the May Apple).
All of these plants are poisonous, which makes us wonder why the powers that be chose to use poisoness plants for cancer cures when GOD has given us Cannabis which is pure and non toxic to animals or humans with absolutely NO side effects.
There is absolutely no evidence to prove that any part of the male or female cannabis plant is in any way toxic and the entire plant can be eaten as is grown including the roots.
Many people believe that the potential of cannabinoids is being intentionally ignored by the pharmaceutical industry because they are not able to patent the chemicals in the cannabis plant.
And whilst no one doubts the intelligence of the people of these industries, and we do not doubt that they are working around the clock to find alternative avenues for developing synthetic cannabinoids.
What we do doubt is whether they will have much success in replicating the natural cannabinoid combinations as found in herbal cannabis, and it seems certain that synthetic cannabis products lack the potency and purity of herbal cannabis, because cannabinoids do not work the same as when they are isolated and separated from each other.  

Sadly it seems that until such time as cannabinoids can be synthesized in the absence of the main psychoactive ingredient THC, the cannabis plant is doomed to remain illegal as it cannot be replicated and therefore cannot be patented. Cannabis must be free and it should not be too far off in the near future when there will surely be more people consuming cannabis than not and perhaps then a conscious and passive revolution will take place to free the Holy Herb.
The medical and pharmaceutical industry has always been seen as trying to convince the public that the best way in which the benefits of cannabinoids, whether synthetic or natural, are to be brought to patients, should be through proper research using quality controlled, safe, legal, pharmaceutical grade preparations containing known dosages of the compounds.
All of this requires time, effort and money, which may come from companies or independent organisations such as charities or governments. And, obviously, this investment needs to be repaid by way of sales of a safe, effective new drug. Governments seem to be continuously blocking research efforts with ongoing and tiring prohibition laws.

Recently a representative from Cancer Research UK was asked to comment on legalization of cannabis for medicinal purposes and this was the response:

“As things currently stand, cannabis is classified as a class B drug in the UK, meaning that it is illegal to possess or supply it.
It is not for Cancer Research UK to comment on the legal status of cannabis, its use or abuse as a recreational drug, or its medical use in any other diseases.  But we are supportive of properly conducted scientific research that could benefit cancer patients.”
And what does Cancer South Africa have to say?
CANSA (Cancer SA) wholly supports the World Health Organization in its guidelines for the control of cancer pain and to this end CANSA believes that there are adequate medicines available for the control of pain such as morphine.
“CANSA is also of the opinion that there are sufficient medicines available in South Africa for the effective treatment of nausea, vomiting and other conditions related to cancer including end-of-life care.” – CANSA
This is the official response from CANSA’s CEO Sue Janse van Rensburg in regard to the recent debate which unfolded on CANSA’s facebook page dated 6 March 2013:
“Re:  The Use of Cannabis to Treat Cancer
CANSA shares your concerns regarding cancer treatment that appears to be ineffective, side effects experienced as a result of treatment as well as the cost of treatment. However, at this point in time clinical research has produced no evidence proving that there is a more effective alternative.
Although we empathise with your concerns and respect your right to investigate and choose treatment that suits you, we will not be drawn into a debate regarding this matter for the following reasons:
Firstly, CANSA is a non-profit organization that specializes in the prevention and early detection of cancer and support to those affected by cancer – CANSA has never been involved in treatment aspects. This is therefore not the correct platform to lobby for change with regards to legalizing the use of cannabis.  It is recommended that you take up the matter with the Medical Control Council (who register drugs for treatment) and the Department of Health (who are responsible for legislation re these matters).  CANSA receives no funds from pharmaceutical companies or treatment and is therefore not biased with regards to our response. Our findings are based on scientific evidence.  We also respect the fact that cancer patients have the right to investigate all treatment options.
Secondly, CANSA cannot be seen to endorse the use of an illegal substance – as you are aware, the use of cannabis is currently prohibited in South Africa.  It is thus irresponsible to allow posts to be placed on our social media and content platforms which illustrate “How to Make Cannabis Oil” and promote the use of it.
Thirdly, CANSA bases its Position Statements and Fact Sheets on evidence based research.  This has led CANSA to believe that there are serious harmful side effects to the use of cannabis, which should be weighed up against the possible benefits you describe.  However, if you are aware of any scientific based studies re the use of cannabis to treat cancer which are to the contrary, please forward it via email to: info@cansa.org.za for the attention of CANSA’s CEO, Sue Janse van Rensburg. CANSA will revise its Position Statement and Fact Sheets if clinical evidence is provided.  It is important to note that not everything placed on the internet, which can be googled, is based on scientific research or from a credible source.  CANSA will investigate all the links and queries you posted.  We stand by our current Position Statement & Fact Sheets re Cannabis at this point.  www.cansa.org.za/files/2013/02/Fact-Sheet-Cannabis-Feb-2013.pdf
CANSA will not be drawn into further debate online, regarding this issue.  Please direct all queries you have to info@cansa.org.za for the attention of CANSA’s CEO.  Future posts in this regard will be removed – should posts be placed on our social media platforms despite this, we will regrettably have to remove you from the group.
We ask that you kindly lobby for change regarding this matter on appropriate platforms.
Kind Regards
Sue Janse van Rensburg
CEO CANSA (and cancer survivor of almost 30 years)”

Despite being made to believe that we live in a free and democratic society, across the world our governments took it upon themselves to declare nature illegal.  Perhaps the powers that be should just arrest GOD already and be done with it.
So, is it possible that medical marijuana could be the single most useful natural remedy in the treatment of the widest range of human dis-eases and medical disorders?

Could marijuana be that extremely vital part of preventative healthcare, and the natural source of an adaptive support and defence mechanism in our ever increasing toxic, carcinogenic environment in which, we now find ourselves?
We need to try to humble ourselves to nature but at the same time we must also have space to respect technology and respect the marvelous progress made by medical professionals that have saved many lives.  The idea of a new world (a free world) is where traditional and conventional medical care givers and professionals should humble themselves and find a way to work together for the greater good, which might not be possible in a profit driven society where the currency of survival is money, and in our current system money can only be made by making a profit.  Humans are the only species which pays to live on the planet, and they keep telling us that the planet is in so much debt and the question has always been “Who exactly are we in debt to?”
All natural remedies have some specific health benefits that are truly remarkable, but none are likely to cure everything, and so people shouldn't expect it to. People must and should take responsibility for their own state of health and meditate pon which cures and remedies are best for them by seeking this knowledge from professionals and ancient teachers with knowledge and often divine wisdom as is the case with many traditional healers from various cultures across the world.
Let us imagine a world where cannabis is no longer prohibited and is controlled at some regulatory level such as in the case of alcohol with an age restriction for instance, imagine that every adult would be permitted to grow at least three female cannabis plants for personal consumption. (Medicinal and recreational purposes).
What would this world look like? Months after legalization of cannabis in some US states studies are now being under taken to establish the effects of relaxed prohibition in the modern world.  Some states have experienced economic growth and many patients of various medical disorders are now well on their way to recovery as free citizens and are no longer considered criminals. Other states have reflected a mild increase in various crimes and in other states marijuana growers have changed crops to the opium poppy for instance as they are experiencing loss of income with cannabis legalization.
In a world where cannabis laws are relaxed we can expect to see a lot of happy people, smiling, laughing happy people due to increased mood, and certainly less paranoia will exist amongst smokers across the globe, after all it is not paranoia unless they really are after you. The prisons would not be full of peaceful people who were sentenced for cannabis crimes, and violent offences would be down because the healing effects of cannabinoids would counteract the toxins our bodies encounter and the metabolic regulation properties would ensure that our bodies process fats and sugars properly which means that people will be less aggressive and display less anti social behavior patterns which we see so much of now which is directly related to our diets and alcohol consumption.
One would think, in a world where cannabis is free that food manufacturers would immediately stop using toxic food additives to increase appetites and start adding cannabis to their food products as this would surely ensure increased sales without the toxic effects we are currently experiencing and already know that cannabis can eliminate. Adaption by the advertising industry will also be interesting and no doubt humerous.
The idea of a medical marijuana dispensary has quickly spread across America as state after state legalizes medical marijuana and this is a natural development in the process as people will look for a dispensary system to provide for distribution needs.
There will not be many sick people any more and the general quality of life will certainly improve due to overall increase in health. What about the pharmaceutical industry then? They too will have to make the cannabis leap into the new world and start growing, the truth is there can never be enough cannabis and once we are free to consume there will no doubt be shortages, as with all herbal remedies it is common knowledge that one needs an incredible amount of plant material to produce just a small amount of oil, so really everyone is a winner and you might even say that money does in fact grow on trees, everyone including the governments and big corporations, everyone will have to start growing cannabis because everything will be made from cannabis.  Our cars, the fuel it uses, our homes, our buildings, our clothing, our toiletries, our medications, there is not much that hemp cannot be used for in all walks of life, imagine growing cannabis in your own vegetable garden, the path to a healthy lifestyle where everyone seems to win and big business will still survive, just by changing their meditation somewhat.
Meanwhile as each year passes we are seeing a voting public which are more familiar with and less fearful of cannabis.
My Master is blessed with high wisdom and one of the most mystical things he has said to me is “Sister, if we really wanted to be free, we would have been free already!” He also says “Iron sharpens Iron” and perhaps if we really all believe that cannabis should be free then maybe the time is upon us to take each others hands and stand up together for freedom and certainly current developments across the world are indicating that what we are witnessing now is not normal revolutionary behavior, this is passive conscious resistance on a global scale.
 
JAH Will Be Done!