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Youth Day 2019

In South Africa we celebrate Youth Day on June 16th every year.

This year ii teamed up with Sister Fadwah a fellow community worker in Hout Bay.
Sister Fadwah is actively involved in HIV testing in communities so it was a lovely collaboration for us to join forces and bless our Sisters with much needed sanitary products which ii managed to secure as a sponsorship.

Is Cannabis and Hemp still safe after absorbing heavy metals and toxins?

How does Cannabis clean up the earth and still remain safe to consume?

The fact that Cannabis sativa L, can eat up radiation is now being used to try to convince people that these plants are toxic. Already we are witnessing producers of CBD medications trying to convince us that CBD extracts from 'Hemp' are far safer than medicines produced from the female Cannabis plants because they claim that 'Hemp' does not absorb heavy metals and other toxins.  

If you look at the study of phytoremediation then you will learn that Cannabis which includes Hemp is able to absorb any heavy metals and toxins in the soil and air for that matter without causing any damage to plant growth, yield or fibre quality. 

This is because Cannabis basically takes up the toxins and recycles it in such a way that it is no longer dangerous and then uses the recycled products to further feed itself and carry on growing strong and this is why there are no accounts of any one being poisoned through phytoremediation in Cannabis. We have always known that Cannabis absorbs, destroys and converts toxins and heavy metals into other molecules which are no longer harmful. 

How is this possible?

Everything about the Human Companion Plant is magical and mystical and Cannabis sativa L, is a highly evolved plant and the entire plant has a unique and selective uptake program which together with other extraordinary capabilities such translocation, bioaccumulation, phytostabilization, phytoextraction, phytotransformation, contaminant degradation and storage of these new harmless substances ensures that the plant can transform and convert many different toxic contaminants found in the air, soil and water into more environmentally friendly substances which it then actually uses for its own growth and development.

In plain English this means that Cannabis is able to control the expression of the micronutrient it creates from the toxic heavy metals and other contaminants in a completely mysterious style…completely unknown to man-kind or explainable by scientists. 

People really need not worry about the fate of the toxic heavy metals in the plant tissue, because Cannabis is able to demobilise contaminants by reducing their bioavailability. When we move on to advanced studies in this field you will learn how Cannabis uses its own bacteria and other fungi in nature to achieve this healing and cleaning function of phytoremediation without any ill effects on itself. This is why ii always say that in order to save our planet we should be looking at mass planting of Cannabis and mushrooms.

Cannabis sativa L, including Hemp and Marijuana have both been acclaimed as the most excellent “Hyperaccumulator” plants which means that both have amazing capabilities to absorb, degrade and store most toxins and heavy metals found in the air, soil and water everywhere on Earth today and which was largely not really a problem just over 100 years ago…just before pesticides and potent fertilizers were created. 

It is said that Cannabis including hemp can absorb these toxins from up to 5 km away. Many other plants mostly wild weeds and small herbs have these same capabilities but scientists have noted that Cannabis sativa is the best candidate for this job. Even sunflowers can eliminate elements of radiation. Mustard is another example. So now it follows that if plants absorb poisons and heavy metals from the air, soil and water then surely these plants will not be fit for human consumption? 

These plants including Cannabis also have the capability of absorbing radiation and ii have read many reports about this and it is said that Cannabis can destroy up to 95% of radioactive contaminants within a 24 hour period.  That is pretty impressive but definitely not surprising. You don’t need me to tell you where all these toxins and heavy metals and radioactive toxic substances come from…we all know that the products which corporations make like pesticides (glyphosate) and certain fertilizers (arsenic) are no good and full of bad stuff you really would not want to put into your body.

So this is the explanation of how Cannabis is able to achieve heavy metal cleansing without creating any problems for the end consumer of the Cannabis plant.  If you do not believe me then think about this…with all the spraying of Cannabis crops in rural Transkei, Swaziland and even Lesotho, which continues to this day by the way, when all of the crops were being sprayed by SAPS using the likes of “Kill-O-Max” to destroy the plantations including the grower’s food crops…do you really think that those infected plants did not land up on the street being sold in any case? 

All of those plants made their way out of the rural and into the cities and still to this day no one has ever died from whole herbal plant derived Cannabis and this is because of the plants natural capability to perform the function of removing the evil from its tissues to promote its own health and prevent disease in humans and animals. It is very interesting that the Greek word ‘phytoremediation’ means literally to remove an evil from a plant.

29 June 2023,

Greetings everyone ii just wanted to update this paper with some more informative proof of what ii am trying to teach in this paper from 2019,

In my collaborations with my beautiful friends of The Qure Analytics, ii would like to add the content of a recent enquiry (December 2022) on this topic of phyto-remediation in Cannabis sativa L, that ii believe confirms what ii am trying to relay above. 

Vee Bush <vee.bush@gmail.com>	Dec 6, 2022, 12:29 PM
to Ilse

Hello dear Ilse ii hope you guys are well and enjoying your garden to the max this season!

Iv been meaning to ask you this question for some time and you dont have to answer right away coz ii know how busy you are and it is not urgent!

I wanted to ask you if you do a lot of testing for heavy metals in ganja and if so are the results frightening? and do many people ask for heavy toxicity tests? im just curious because of my studies on phytoremediation properties of the plant and ii was just wondering what the situation is like in the field of testing. when you have chance il be so grateful for any pearls of wisdom sending lots of love to you both and your beautiful family xxx

Ilse Ferreira <ilse@qure.co.za>	Tue, Dec 6, 2022, 4:13 PM
to Brenda, me

Hello Sista Vee

Thank you so much for your email and lovely wishes.

That is a very good question and quite an interesting concept. I suppose if one grows indoors in a non-soil medium, it lessens the chances of accumulating heavy metals in the plant considerably. We do not ask whether samples were grown indoors or outdoors and therefore cannot make an exact correlation.

I have asked Brenda for feedback on your question and she said that by far most of the time on our heavy metal testing, there was nothing to be alarmed about. Here and there have been high-ish chromium and copper results, but above the Qure suggested levels in only a couple of cases. 

We never had dangerous levels of Arsenic, Lead, Cadmium or Mercury.

I hope this helps. Please let me know if there is anything else we can help with.

Cheery bye

Ilse

Ilse Ferreira

DIGITAL COMMUNICATOR

Updated 29 June 2023 with love sista vee

Why does Cannabis make us laugh?

Is the EC system responsible for human laughter?

One of the 5 simple questions which science still cannot answer is “Why do humans laugh?” because very little is known about how the brain produces laughter. If you look on the net you will find some studies where thousands of people have been studied and it turns out that laughter actually has nothing to do with humour. It seems reasonable that the main reason there are not many studies on laughter is probably because laughter is not really a medical problem so people don’t go to the doctor if they are laughing and feeling great about life although certain brain damage conditions and certain forms of epilepsy can cause uncontrollable laughter and smiling sometimes even Parkinson’s and certain forms of schizophrenia. Even though the frontal lobe of our brain controls our emotional responses scientists admit that different parts of the brain are involved in laughter so they really just don’t know exactly why we laugh but they do know that there is no exclusive ‘laugh centre’ of the brain. So yes laughter is common but because of lack of understanding remains one of the most mysterious and puzzling of human behaviour.

Laughing is not something we actually decide to do it happens unconsciously just like sneezing hence the expression “that’s nothing to sneeze at” which actually means that is nothing to laugh at. Some researchers claim that when we laugh we actually want to sneeze but this is not always possible and people cannot laugh and sneeze at the same time but this still doesn’t tell us exactly why we laugh and apparently it seems to take a lot of practice to make ourselves laugh convincingly. We can consciously mimic laughter like ‘Ha Haha!’ and produce a fake laugh but we cannot consciously produce laughter.

Laughter also gives us a powerful insight into our unconscious because it literally just bubbles up from inside of our cores under certain circumstances. There are even people who are not able to laugh out loud and this condition is called Aphonogelia which a very rare neurological condition. And it is a known fact that certain anti-depressants can cause what is known as ‘emotional blunting’ by suppressing some people’s ability to laugh and cry and this is one of the reasons why these drugs also bring on suicidal thoughts in patients. So clearly the natural high achieved from laughing is much safer than any chemical high. We also use laughter as a message we send out to other people because we generally do not laugh when we are alone…except if you are like me and you have 5 grandchildren who keep me in giggles.

  

Our brains make us laugh without us asking it to so it’s great to know that laughter is at least still for free, contagious and thoroughly healthy for our bodies and our relationships with other humans. Everyone in the world understands laughter which makes it part of the universal human vocabulary which doesn’t require to be learnt because all humans are born with the capacity to laugh. As babies we laugh long before we speak. It is a form of communication to bond with parents and caregivers and even babies who are born blind and deaf are still able to laugh. Laughter definitely seems to be universal and it seems obvious that the same things crack us all up and it is not uncommon for a group of people who speak completely different languages to find the same thing amusing and laugh at it together. It is fact that we have been laughing for millions of years before speaking and ii have seen many documentaries focusing on the ancient Bushmen people of Southern Africa and you could say that laughter was their main form of communication and from there small words were created over time. So definitely laughter can be considered an ancient and primitive form of communication.  Laughter being non-verbal involves emotional expression through sounds and yes some people myself included make some really odd sounds which in fairness sound more like animal calls than anything close to our normal speech. People who study laughter are known as Gelotologists in the field of study known as Gelotology. Some of these researchers justify that the reason we laugh is to do with evolution because before we could speak laughter was a simpler form of communication but still this does not explain exactly why we do it.

Cannabis is now famous for uplifting the mood and everyone knows that Cannabis makes us laugh but why? Is it possible that the answer to the question as to why exactly humans laugh lies with Cannabis and our EC systems? We know that inside of our brains we have a substance which completely imitates the activities of the plant derived THC this substance is known as Anandamide which means “the bliss molecule” and is the human version of THC. The first reason why Cannabis makes people laugh is because it is our natural THC Anandamide which naturally controls the production and release of our feel good hormones Serotonin and Dopamine as well as the endorphins and oxytocin which is known as the ‘love hormone’. These are the hormones which activate the laugh mechanism in different parts of the brain.

Dopamine deficiency is an actual condition which ii refer to as ‘laughter deprivation’ and ii find it really interesting that scientists make statements that we can boost our dopamine levels simply by choosing healthy foods like avocado, dark chocolate, green tea, turmeric and black pepper.  All of these plants contain various Cannabinoids also found in the Cannabis plant and all which also interact with our THC receptors. Cannabis and laughter both together also stimulate the production of endorphins which is another group of hormones which flood our whole body with a feeling of lightness and general wellness. Endorphins activate our opiate receptors and offer pain relief so yes laughter is literally a pain killer because just like Cannabis it reduces our perception of the pain. Endorphins also tune into the immune system so by laughing we release these hormones and are able to recover from disease and allow the body to resist infections. Our EC systems and Cannabis controls and stimulates the release of these hormones. 

Here again we can see the link between the regulatory role of our EC system over our hormonal system and the vital chemicals from the Cannabis plant we require for ultimate health.

The second reason why Cannabis can make us laugh is because of the fact that Cannabis is a vasodilator it automatically increases blood flow to the areas of the brain concerned with emotions and expression. We know that there is a link between laughter and healthy functioning of our blood vessels because laughter itself also acts as a vasodilator which helps protect us against strokes and heart attacks. So both laughter and Cannabis act as vasodilators. It is also interesting that when people have strokes no matter how damaged the brain is the person is still able to laugh.

In my opinion laughter is an element of consciousness and also an aspect of our personalities and ii find it interesting that scientists are still not really able to explain the human personality and neither can they explain why we laugh. The main reason for this is that scientists have never really looked at things like the EC system because they have never studied Cannabis before. With evidence like this it seems certain that our natural THC also controls our laughter and is actually responsible for our personalities because our EC system and Cannabis controls our DNA. Over the years ii have often said in jest that without Cannabis a lot of people would not even have a personality and now we are actually looking at scientific breakthroughs in this field of study. Right now at Hebrew University Professor Mechoulam is working towards proving that our Endocannabinoids are also responsible for the perfection of the human personality. These studies will no doubt prove that people with healthy and positive personalities also have healthy natural Endocannabinoid levels and further ii believe that it will prove that all of this is genetic and that Cannabis through its regulation of our EC and hormonal systems can contribute to human personality development and some of us even believe that this is also what will encourage and promote human greatness.

When Cannabis is consumed THC literally tickles the brain in a way which causes amusement and then laughter. Just by virtue of the fact that Cannabis naturally makes you feel better people will automatically be more prone to laughing. When our bodies become stressed or diseased our natural THC becomes depleted and the Cannabinoid receptors become blocked. This is why we need to supplement our EC system to continue functioning at optimum levels with the chemicals such as THC found in the Cannabis plant. Is it possible that the actual reason why we laugh is not to only make ourselves feel better but to actually inspire positive feelings in other people and in so doing we are actually able to heal one another? We only have this one chance at life so surely we deserve to have a bit of laugh and to experience our own version of happiness? In our pursuit of happiness we must be careful not to succumb to ‘destination addiction’ where we see this idea that happiness is a destination and can only be found in the next place, the next job or the next partner and so on. Until we give up this notion that happiness is somewhere else it will definitely never be where we are. 

Why does our memory fail us?

Can Cannabis help filter us to filter painful memories and fear?

One of the greatest scare tactics involving Cannabis use is loss of memory…so how do we explain this 30 second short term memory loss in certain people because not everyone experiences this lapse of memory when using Cannabis. Numerous scientific studies on this subject have revealed that it is now accepted by physicians and psychiatrists that the short term memory loss is most definitely only short lived and will pass within a few minutes in most people. Just as there are no deaths ever recorded from Cannabis there is also no proof of anyone ever permanently losing their memory from using Cannabis. 

The truth is that Cannabis actually does help us to forget certain memories because if you think of millions of thoughts rushing through our brains then surely there must some kind of a filter system and ii believe that Cannabis helps us to recycle unwanted thoughts and memories especially the bad stuff we don’t even want to remember for example all the negative images we have to endure on social media platforms or on the late night news.

When THC interacts with our GABAergic neurons in the hippocampus region of our brains it acts as an inhibitor of the Cannabinoid receptors on these brain cells which affect our memory. This Cannabis induced inhibition of the GABAergic brain cells can in certain people lead to changes in memory concerning painful emotions and memories which doctors refer to as aversive memories and fear. In plain truth this means that bad memories are specifically targeted by Cannabis to be shifted into our brains recycle bin. 

You can take a look at studies by Jimok Kim and Bradley Alger in the journal Nature Neuroscience where these professors confirm that the GABAergic synapses do express Cannabinoid receptors. This mechanism of changes occurring because of Cannabis induced inhibition and subsequent reduction in Endocannabinoid levels is precisely what allows selective modifications of aversive memories in the hippocampal networks of the brain which controls our memory centre.

There is another memory study by a group of scientists and ii reference (Marsiacano et al. Nature 2002) where they have looked into the Cannabinoid receptors expressed in the basolateral amygdala complex which is a region of the brain which scientists know to control the elimination of these aversive memories.

“We propose that endocannabinoids facilitate extinction of aversive memories through their selective inhibitory effects on local inhibitory networks in the amygdala.” ~ Giovanni Marsiacano

The other interesting thing about Cannabis is exactly what one can actually remember specifically in terms of detail. When ii was studying traditional healing with the isi-Xhosa nation in rural Transkei South Africa ii came upon a very apt expression which best describes this now well-footed medical idea.  “Ukhumbula yonke into okomntu wentsango” Which directly translated in English says: “He remembers every little detail like a Cannabis smoker”. In my opinion this is why people who use Cannabis tend to be more creative and productive and ii believe that this is because Cannabis assists us to retrieve and retain positive memories in graphic detail even long after the original idea was conceived while sieving out all the negative fear based memories.

One of the most common side effects of pharmaceutical drugs is memory loss.

Certain pharmaceutical drugs are known to cause memory loss as well as other intellectual and perception problems. In fact, most of these drugs start with ‘anti’ for example antihistamines, antidepressants, antibiotics, antipsychotics, anti-hypertensives, anti-epileptics, anti-cholesterol, anti-inflammatories, antispasmodics even sleeping tablets and other sedative-hypnotics available. The problem is that all these other drugs affect our Acetycholine levels and this is what leads to symptoms resembling dementia like confusion, blurred vision, hallucinations, delirium and indeed memory loss. Acetylcholine is the main neurotransmitter concerned with memory and learning function. There is a natural decline of Acetylcholine production which is normal with old age and this is why seniors are more at risk of memory loss. And this is only exasperated by the chronic damage caused by years of unknowingly consuming dangerous drugs prescribed by our doctors to whom we look to for medical guidance and protection when we become ill in the first place.

Over the years ii have found that patients who use a daily dose of Cannabis oil seem to be far more medically protected from the harmful side effects of pharmaceutical drugs especially in respect of liver damage. Patients being treated with chemotherapy and radiation also greatly benefit from the neuroprotective healing properties of Cannabis which help to combat cellular destruction caused by so many of these treatments.

There is a really awful drug called scopolamine which is used to treat conditions like Parkinson’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, motion sickness, nausea, vomiting and dizziness. It is also known as ‘devils breath’ and is regarded as one of the most dangerous drugs in the world. It inhibits free will and blocks memory and can even lead to death. This mind control drug is the feature of many movies where you can witness crowds of people literally being turned into zombies and succumbing to instructions to do things they would not normally do. There are even stories of people becoming psychotic after using scopolamine transdermal patches for motion sickness. 

It is not only prescription drugs which cause memory loss a lot of over the counter medicines will do the same because they block this important neurotransmitter known as Acetylcholine which is primarily concerned with our memory. Some names you can relate to are Advil (pain and insomnia), Benadryl – Diphenhydramine generic (for allergies), Nytol (insomnia), Sominex (insomnia), Tylenol (pain and insomnia) and even good old Zantac which we use for acid reflux.

There are many reports of fairly large research studies proving that seniors who use certain over the counter medicines like Benadryl are at a far greater risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s with memory loss being noticeable within 60 days. So you can only imagine how after a life time of consuming these drugs how their side effects slowly eat away at our memory and sometimes it is simply too late and the damage is too great and this is why we need to teach young people the truth about Cannabis and longevity from a young age. We must not wait until we are old and sick before we start to realise the importance of the benefits of inviting the human companion plant into our lives. 

Cannabis and end of life care

Can Cannabis play a role in palliative care?

In my life ii have been using Cannabis to save people’s lives from some of the most horrific medical conditions even ii have ever seen and while Cannabis has already saved millions of lives in medical miracles over the years Cannabis is also the most effective and safest medicinal option in palliative care. Patients suffering with symptoms of incurable conditions benefit immensely in respect of treating nausea, vomiting, headaches, pain, fatigue, insomnia, lack of appetite, constipation and diarrhoea, muscle wastage, anxiety d depression. Most of the time doctors will prescribe a different drug for each of these symptoms where Cannabis will take care of all of them as a comprehensive treatment with no side effects or organ damage.

With palliative care comes end of life care and this is where Cannabis also serves as an adjuvant medication which means that it offers treatment mostly to suppress any secondary tumour formations and secondly to boost the immune system from the harsh effects of chemotherapy and other radiation treatments. Terminally ill patients and people at the end of their natural lives need care which is designed to make them as comfortable and as clear minded as possible. Today end of life care generally consists of pain killers and more pain killers which only make people more nauseous and more depressed and confused.

On a spiritual level Cannabis can also help us to deal with our questions and fears about death and transcending to the afterlife. It is the psychoactive effects of THC which can induce feelings of euphoria and relaxation in certain people while in others who have heavy hearts it can bring about feelings of paranoia and fear. Death is never easy because we really don’t know much about it but one thing is for sure that death is always going to be part of life and this is why it is so important to address our spiritual health while we live. It is the psychedelic properties of Cannabis which can help us to achieve such enlightment. THC can take us to levels of consciousness we are not able to reach without psychedelics and it is true that Cannabis is not the only plant which can offer end of life assistance many people use magic mushrooms as an example for this same purpose as humans have been doing for spiritual rituals for thousands of years.

It is really difficult to evaluate this type of Cannabis healing other than taking the patient’s own reports into account and a lot of the time patients simply pass on and their families wonder whether they were in pain. Most patients and their families and carers report that Cannabis medicine is very valuable in assisting with the emotional and physical trauma associated with terminal illness and imminent death. And it is not uncommon for patients to gain such incredible healing that they are able to be discharged from hospice and actually go home and do things for themselves like bathing and housework and this sense of independence allows them to pass in peace at home. Many terminal patients have confessed that this is their ultimate dying wish and it is the pleasure of our human companion plant to grant this wish. 

In my work ii have been called to administer Cannabis medicine on the death bed because the patient requested this treatment in order to ‘let go’. It is both heart-breaking and illuminating to witness this type of self-medication at the end of life and patients have told me how they felt that they were ready to pass on and some have given me vivid visions of their experiences and this can only confirm the positive healing effects of Cannabis in our physical life cycle from birth to death. Like abortion euthanasia, assisted dying are controversial subjects and all ii can offer is that each one of us is responsible for our own lives and the quality of life we wish to experience and part of this responsibility is our own deaths and transition to the spiritual realm.

Who is the true Ganja Queen?

Ma Gu ~ The Ancient Cannabis Goddess ~ A mythological history of Cannabis and longevity…

From a young age since ii started my healing career ii have been referred to as ‘the ganja queen’ by people ii have helped to access Cannabis medicine over the years and ‘queen’ is a reference to Rastafari spirituality. But please let me introduce you to the true Cannabis Goddess and her name is Ma Gu which literally means Hemp. In ancient times more than 5000 years ago the Chinese, Japanese and Koreans appointed an Asian guardian for Cannabis and her name was Ma Gu and she became known as The Hemp Goddess and The Immortal Hemp Maiden and today we continue to respect her as The Goddess of Cannabis. Most of the mythological stories surrounding this goddess involve her work with the poorest of the poor, healing the sick and cultivating the natural world as either a goddess or a priestess.

Legend states that before she was immortalized she had freed thousands of slaves who had worked for her evil father and she taught them how to farm sustainably. Her youth and beauty became symbols of the health and healing of the entire universe which she was believed to protect and to this day she is regarded as the guardian of vitality throughout East Asia. We can see throughout history that it was the Chinese who seemed the most keen to preserve her memory and this is displayed widely in Chinese art where she is famous for healing with peaches and Cannabis.

In fact she was known to serve tea with Cannabis for longevity and this is how she healed the symptoms of menopause and became the symbolic protector of women in Chinese mythology and to this day her birth day is still celebrated on the 6^th day of the 6^th lunar month.

This is how Ma Gu was immortalized as a goddess possessing the elixir of life… the goddess who healed with Cannabis. This is also the first reference to Cannabis and the Feminine Divine which embraces the consciousness of the human companion plant. On a spiritual level the Chinese have always believed that Cannabis can protect us against demonic possession by increasing the “second sight” which is a reference to the pineal gland our third eye and the burning of hemp seeds was associated with cleansing rituals and it was the goddess Ma Gu to whom the people were praying which also gives us a better idea of the value the Chinese placed on the Cannabis plant by aligning it with the goddess of healing and surely only a highly valued goddess could be entrusted to care for our companion plant.

There is a great article titled Beliefs about Aging and Longevity in Ancient China by Joges Candra Ray an Indian researcher who wrote about the fact that the ancient Soma ritual drink of importance was in fact Cannabis. Personally ii find this interesting as this work dates back to 1939 which is the exact same year in which language specialist Sula Bennet confirmed that Kaneh-bosm an ingredient in the biblical Holy Anointing Oil mentioned in the book of Exodus is in fact Cannabis.

Soma is also a plant and is the name of the intoxicating and holy drink which the ancient people of India and surrounds believed could cure disease and offer immortality and Cannabis was the active ingredient of this drink. According to ancient Chinese scripts it is all about rejuvenation and it would be unfair if ii fail to mention that in 2009 it was recorded that the worlds oldest women Fulla Navak 122 years old from India smoked Cannabis every day and praised our human companion plant for her personal longevity.