Insequent

No need for apologies, in my opinion. It wasn't much of a tangent. You make a very valid point with the video. Also with your statement about withdrawing from the toothless agreement. I reckon there are so many layers to the whole thing, when the tipping point is reached, there's a good chance it's going to be very unpleasant. For everyone. Maybe.

(I should have qualified I was referring to continental America, as opposed to corporate USA, to highlight my point about the creation of borders and how the corporate entities use this to divide the people). You're so right, Sal; while this system is in place, we're all fucked, even from the moment of birth. So many people find this a hard fact to accept, much like the character, Pile, in the video Thunder posted. Yet it goes to the very heart of our problem. And if anyone here still thinks it's a farfetched conspiracy (as Thunder has expressed, hopefully nobody), they should have a look at their birth certificates and driver's licenses, then ask why their names are written in capital letters.....

I'm not sure boycotting the US will get you anywhere, nor that Trump is the actual problem (though he is a very handy mouthpiece). I tend to think the multi-national corporations and global business are where you need to look if you want to get to the root of the corruption. They are the ones who control the $$, therefore they control the media and the governments, law enforcement and military. America, or any country for that matter, is only a separate entity by virtue of the fact we are taught to view geographically separate peoples as different from "us". The world which allows for the free flow of corporate money across these borders, without hindrance and without tax, facilitates the growing disparity between the wealthy and the poor, representing a disparate world to that of the flow of humanity. Think about that one: Multi-national corporation money can more and more flow freely across any border, but you and I can't. Their media enables the power brokers the ability to maintain the division of the populace and keep us at each others' throats. They keep us bickering over the symptoms of their actions so they are left predominantly unhindered to continue business as usual. If we are able to see through the tactics of those who control the wealth, viewing the multi-national corporations and their political mouthpieces as the "them", and the people who inhabit the countries as the "us", perhaps we would have a greater chance at securing our children's future in a healthy world.

Ah man, she is gorgeous. I can really feel the love you have by the way you wrote about her, Skellum. Easy to see why she trusts you. Beautiful, mate. Thanks for sharing. And welcome to the forum, Ginj..

Of ALL other medications general practitioners can prescribe, nothing comes close to this level of regulation. I spoke to one oncologist who made the comparison with prescribing one of the most toxic chemo drugs called Doxorubicin, widely used for treating breast and bladder cancer, lymphoma and leukemia. It is less arduous to prescribe the chemo drug. He "suggested" the regulations surrounding MC prescription was quite simply to discourage widespread use as much as possible by making it so difficult to effect. And here's how nice this chemo drug is; side effects often include hair loss, vomiting, rashes, bone marrow suppression, mouth ulcers, serious allergic reactions, damage to heart muscle leading to heart failure, acute (often life-threatening) infection of the bowel and treatment-induced leukemia (yup, as with most chemotherapeutic drugs, it can actually cause the disease it is used to treat). It's mechanism of action is to interfere with certain DNA switches which regulate cellular reproduction. Here's the real kicker.... This chemo drug is on the World Health Organization's "List of Essential Medicines". That means it is considered one of the most effective and safe medicines in the world of modern medicine...

Have a look at the QLD Health web site regarding doctors prescribing... It really is worth trying to read through it in order to really understand just how hard they're making it to get access to MC. https://www.health.qld.gov.au/public-health/topics/medicinal-cannabis/clinicians/prescribing#qh Here's a "brief" outline Initial consultation Provide clinical evidence Queensland Health approval Find a product TGA approval Import/export licence and permit Report patient progress Now when you read through what has to be satisfied at each step, most doctors are just not going to spend the time doing this. Average time most GP's have for a consult is about 6 to 10 minutes. The time taken to complete the consult dictated by state health would take at least 30 minutes, but would most likely come closer to an hour. Steps 2 to 6 will take anywhere from 2 months to "god knows how long", given you are dealing with the efficiency (ineptitude) of an Australian government department. And before a doctor can even consider prescribing, here's the prerequisite: The authorized single-patient prescriber must: participate in product education prior to the initial administration of the product and remain up-to-date with evidence based practice (if possible or available) ensure the medicinal cannabis product is stored in accordance with the manufacturers specifications and meets the requirements of the security standard if they are dispensing the medication from their practice prepare a medicinal cannabis management plan (if they are dispensing) under the medicinal cannabis approval notify Queensland Health when a medicinal cannabis management plan is made, by submitting the notification form comply with the requirements of the medicinal cannabis approval (including but not limited to): not dispense medicinal cannabis for medicinal purposes to any unapproved patient. not exceed the approved maximum daily dose in accordance with that specified in the medicinal cannabis approval. not vary the approved route of administration. not vary the medicinal cannabis product without the relevant approvals. conduct a medication review prior to initiating medicinal cannabis for therapeutic purposes and in any reassessment of the patient(s) receiving medicinal cannabis. retain a copy of the all relevant documented approvals to prescribe medicinal cannabis in the patient’s clinical record. report any adverse events to the TGA and to the State, as specified in their respective regulations and/or approvals include processes to identify any misuse/abuse/diversion by the patient in any reassessment of patient(s) receiving cannabis for medical purposes. clinically reassess the patient as to the appropriateness of treatment at least once every 3 months, or more frequently if required. Compare the outcome with the stated goal of treatment to determine whether treatment with medicinal cannabis should continue advise the patient that if their medicinal cannabis product contains THC then they cannot drive or operate heavy machinery. provide a treatment report to the chief executive at 3 monthly intervals comply with any conditions imposed on a TGA approval relating to the medicinal cannabis product (s) being used Other conditions may apply, depending on individual cases. Not surprisingly, none of the doctors I have spoken to in my area (7) are prepared to go through this process.

This is short 26 min extract from the full hearing (below). To me this vid epitomizes the fact the legal status of cannabis has nothing to do with health and everything to do with money and power, and clearly shows us why the debate still exists. The discourse is littered with blatant subterfuge and obfuscation. Since this hearing, I believe Professor Hart has now changed his position to support legalization of all drugs. (The Australian government currently spends about AU$1.7 billion on the illicit (excludes alcohol and tobacco) drug problem. This amount equates to 0.13% of GDP, and 0.8% of all government spending, or less than $100.00 per citizen. Of the two things most needed to help those with illicit drug problems, about $156 million is directed at prevention and $36 million to harm reduction. Treatment gets $362 million and law enforcement, $1.2 billion. Education gets some apportionment of the remaining $23 million.) Professor Hart is a neuroscientist and educator who advocates for drug policy based on scientific evidence, truth and justice. Dr Volkow: Current director of The National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), appointed to this post by President George W. in 2003. As director she is tasked with ensuring the effective translation, implementation, and dissemination of scientific research findings to improve the prevention and treatment of substance use disorders and enhance public awareness of addiction as a brain disorder (emphasis added). This is an interesting directive, given the last 40 years of research has presented no scientific evidence to support the "addiction is a brain disease" model. Her agency has an annual budget in excess of a US$1 billion. Dr. Throckmorton: Deputy Director for Regulatory Programs for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). He shares the responsibility for overseeing the regulation of research, development, manufacture and marketing of prescription, over-the-counter, and generic drugs in the United States. He is committed to ensuring that the benefits of approved drugs outweigh their known risks. The FDA's Regulatory Program's department has an annual budget in excess of US$4.3 billion. I'll leave everyone to make up their own minds about these two individuals' and their respective agencies' real agenda(s). I'm too biased to even get into a conversation with people about it most of the time because I have a very difficult time controlling my anger over the issue. They're speaking bullshit. They know they're speaking bullshit and we know they're speaking bullshit. They continue to speak bullshit despite scientific evidence which exposes their bullshit. The most I will concede, (and only under extreme duress and with an incredibly weak attempt to offset my bias), is perhaps they truly believe the bullshit they peddle. I think it more likely they maintain their rhetoric in order to secure their prestigious positions of power, propagate the war on drugs and ensure the continued flow of money in their direction. I'm sure there is an irony in this; their continued sprouting of bullshit in the face of evidence could very well be used as an example of addiction. (I may stand corrected on the definition of "irony", but I'm pretty confident with "bullshit") As Senator Gerry Connolly repeatedly points out, the regulations regarding cannabis are incredibly skewed despite all evidence. The information now freely available about both negatives and positives of cannabis abound. The almost fanatical zeal with which these regulations are defended almost screams there's something else to it. What are they really scared of? Given the amount of political donations and lobbying against cannabis law reform by big pharma, the private health sector, law enforcement and prison guard unions, the private prison sector and the alcohol industry, perhaps they should be dragged before congress to help shed some light. Full 2+hr hearing Dr_Carl_Hart_Congressional_Testimony_6_20_2014.mp4

It's interesting to note, studies into the effects of driving under the influence of cannabis show a couple of things which most would find surprising and many more would refuse to disbelieve. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2722956/ At the very least this serves to further highlight the stupidity of laws regarding the legal status of alcohol and cannabis. (RC, I often find myself transfixed by your avatar. It is incredibly relaxing to watch.)

Nice, Skellum. I found a wild one at the back of my property a couple of weeks ago. I'm gonna pinch a pad off it and pot it up. Watch out for those little hairy spines on the fruit. They be real buggers to get out of your hands....

Love ya work, Sal. This is awesome.

That spot on the coast you're at looks like heaven, Skellum. Looks like you've got a perfect place to heal your soul , mate and you're only adding to the sense of paradise with your garden. I can almost hear Mother Earth sigh with contentedness. And I am envious.

Awesome. 12 noon is good for me.

Hey RC. Just tried to follow this link and came back with a "410 Gone" error. Not sure what that means, but nothing there.... Azazias, I have been using mainly smoked MJ and some edibles for the last 10 or so years to self medicate for PTSD and chronic pain. I find the Indica-dominant strains very effective for helping with anger, making the real dark times bearable (sometimes a great deal better), excellent for relaxing and helping with sleep and almost always got rid of the nasty anxiety. When I needed to be awake to tend to basic every day things like domestic chores, getting dinner, studying or being an engaged father for my kids, I would use a Sativa-dominant strain. I learned fairly early on to avoid the Sativa when anxious. I initially started using cannabis responsibly to help with some trouble with codeine dependence. I found it wonderful for this and got the added benefit of finding it helped with the pain I used the codeine for. As RC has suggested, do the reading. There's a lot of material out there and you're also bound to get lots here too. If you haven't seen this site http://reset.me/ have a gander. And this http://www.responsiblechoice.com.au/ Both are excellent reference sites. And welcome to SAB. These all be a most excellent bunch of peoples here. Peace.

Hi ya Gem. Thanks for posting this. I've not listened to PULP before. Thanks so much for the introduction to them. The first song I came to when I searched them on YouTube was "Common People". Love 'em.

Happy birfdee for yestadee Yetz. Good health and I hope you're wrapped in Peace, Love and Happiness.

Hey Alchemystic. I reckon Terrence Mckenna should be taught at school, as a module in a subject named "Environmental Consciousness and How To Save the World". It should be taught to every year level just as math and English are. There are those in the education system already bringing the topics into the classroom (I'd love to see kids thrown the challenge of disecting and analysing some of Terrence's shorter dialogues). Love the piece, man; that is some awesome work. I doubt you'd find too many folk here who would disagree with the message and it's importance. I think one of the great things about sharing your work here is, through the discourse we may come up with better and more effective means of spreading the message. And while the enemy are those who would rather save capitalism and forsake the earth, the real challenge is getting the message through to those who don't know about it, are not interested in hearing it and don't really care. I have a friend I've known for near 40 years. She's a good mother, honest, caring etc, your average suburban house wife and mum. I made a comment to her about the extent of environmental damage done by the Mt Whaleback iron ore mine in WA and she couldn't believe I would be concerned for that. It isn't that she supports mutinational companies destroying the environment and poisoning the earth for the sake of making money; she just doesn't give a fuck. She doesn't think it's important or that it is doing that much damage anyway. I found her final comment on the subject a bit strong and it did surprise me; "Fuck the tree-huggers. They're a bunch of hippies who are too lazy to get real jobs, pay taxes and contribute to society and they cost us money and jobs, they're a public nuisance and they get in the way of progress. All for what? Just to save a couple of trees and some fucking endangered gnat or rodent" These types of people are the challenge because they're the majority and they're the ones raising the next generation. They have no interest in listening to Terrence or his message, nor any hope of actually understanding his language (Though I admit I have a thesaurus web site open when I'm listening to or reading him). We're spreading the message and raising awareness, though I think everyone would agree the change is not happening fast enough. It's harder to make some people worry more about the environment than the ecconomy, and you can't blame them because that's the main focus of this society. I hope this thread keeps going strong.

Yup, I think that telepathic one was on this doco. It's been a while since I saw it. And the type of tumour Terence had is called a GBM (glioblastoma multiforme). It's one of the most common brain tumours which kills most who get them within 12 months. There's no known connection between plant medicine use and these tumours, and I don't think there's even suspicion of it. When I looked up the 4 types of GBM, I don't think the elements which characterize them are in any way connected with the way tryptamines interact at a chemical level in the brain. We both know I got a bit of a way to go before I would say I was sure of that, though... Sascha and his wife were two of the most beautiful, whacky, brilliant peoples. I know Sasha recovered really well from a stroke when he was 84, but he did develop dementia a couple of years before he died. Anne's still going and is as sharp as ever at 86. I hope I am.

Hey FP, have you seen this one on Shulgin?

Welcome back, man. I didn't get the chance to know you as Incognito, but I look forward to getting to know you now. The incredible mix of peoples in this space really do epitomize the meaning of the word "Friend", being someone who knows everything about you, your faults as well as your virtues, but loves you just the same. Or something like that. I love this place.

Hey Sharxx. I reckon I can make it on that date. At this stage my daughter has training in Ippy on that day, so it works well. Did you have a time in mind?

Thanks so much for posting this, drugo. I've just finished the course. It is short, about 15 to 20 minutes to complete, made up of two short videos (approx. 4-5 min each) and 3 text documents. Video 1 discusses Visions and covered research relating to the possible therapeutic effects for dealing with life, trauma, depression, addictions etc. Video 2 spoke of a small functional MRI study (10 participants with extensive Ayahuasca experience who all received the brew, so "non-blind") observing the effects of Ayahuasca on different parts of the brain, especially the limbic system and visual cortex and the prospect it enables us to "see" our thoughts. Most of the folk on here would already know what is presented, especially if you're familiar with the work done at The Brain Institute in Natal, Brazil. What is impressive about this short course is what it says in easy to understand language. It's aimed at giving someone with little knowledge about Ayahuasca an excellent yet simple introduction to the science behind, and the incredible potential for the brew. For me, the real value of this short course is the information can be utilized as a simple and effective introductory tool to help educate those who don't have any knowledge, like the general public Of course it also serves to entice those who register to view it to perhaps decide to enroll in paid courses in order to access more information. Given the subject and the total cost of all 11 Ayahuasca courses is presently at half price for $59.00 (I assume U.S. $$), this ain't a bad thing. The total time to view all 11 courses is approximately 2 hours and has a different presenter for each, so I assume each of the modules are in the same simple format. I could not view any of the info on each individual module as their site was taken down for routine maintenance while I was looking. I'll log back in later tonight and see if I can glean any more information, then post if there is anything more I can add. OK. As a footnote, the other modules consist of a series of video lectures which all seem to add up in excess of 2 hours, so my initial estimate to complete all 11 Kahpi courses was a tad off. You can buy each individual module for around US$15.00 or the whole set, and apparently a lifetime access to any further lectures, for US$59.00. It looks like excellent value.

I'm sure a lot of you would be familiar with this, as I am, but I've not seen this particular talk before.

(Re-posted from "The Random Thread" ... Thanks ☽Ţ ҉ĥϋηϠ₡яღ☯ॐ€ðяئॐ♡Pϟiℓℴϟℴ) I had a dream the other night. I remember the whole dream quite clearly, which is unusual for me. I either only remember small bits, and then only for a short time. I was laying on my back in a desert, watching a bird slowly spiralling down. As it came closer, I sat up and it landed in front of me, in between two cacti. It was a large bird of prey, an eagle I think. An incredibly large monitor lizard walked from behind me, up to the bird. The bird spread its wings and grew very large. It then leaned forward until its head was at ground level between the cacti, and opened its beak. The lizard lumbered into the bird's mouth, the bird closed its beak, folded its wings, shrank back to its original size then stood looking at me, first through one eye then the other. The cacti started to wilt and small wisps of smoke arose from them. As they seemed to melt, a breeze picked up blowing the smoke into my face. It smelled of the ocean. The bird's feathers started to ruffle in the breeze. The breeze suddenly became a sharp gust of wind and the bird crumbled in a puff of dust which blew into my face almost like a slap. As the dust hit me I flinched and woke up. For a moment after I woke, I could distinctly smell an odour like burnt hair.