Corporate Take Over

The dawn of a new age is upon us in the marijuana industry, where once cannabis was associated with the term ‘reefer madness’, a drug used by “crazed” Mexicans which gave them super human strength and aggressiveness, which threatened the very existence of white America, cannabis is now growing in acceptance by the medical community and mainstream culture. For many years yellow journalism, perpetuated by the likes of William Randolph Hearst and other textile industries who felt the danger of their own products becoming obsolete due to the endless amounts of possibilities and uses the Cannabis Sativa L plant offered to the general public at large, today through years of tireless education and an underground culture which has infiltrated all classes of society the herb which once struck fear in the heartland is seen as having strikingly similar parallels to the times of alcohol prohibition which itself proved to be an immense failure.

Legalization across the board however is simply one step in freeing this demonized plant from the clutches of ignorance and fear. Looming just beyond the horizon is the plans of corporate interest groups, with deep pockets and an eye only to increase their profits at the public’s expense. Industries such as ‘big pharmaceutical’ and ‘big tobacco’ have already set their eyes upon the immense potential for profit that the Cannabis Sativa L plant has to offer anyone with the ability to seize upon its infinite attributes. Long before the medicinal properties of the plant were common knowledge, there were a small handful of loyal freedom fighters working diligently to educate anyone with the desire to learn more about the herb through their writings, lectures and protest. Among the earliest pioneers working to bring their knowledge of the plant to light, was popular writer and marijuana legend Robert Connell Clarke. A man held in the highest regard for such books as Marijuana Botany, which to this day is among the only publications to enlighten the cannabis sub culture by means of looking at the plant through the prism of a scientific and botanical perspective! Surely deriving his impressive and diverse knowledge of the plant from other, more legally and socially acceptable agriculture industries, R.C Clarke understood from a very early point in his career as a marijuana activist the dangers that the ultimate and inevitable legalization of the plant would face in the future and even positioned himself to benefit from the whoring of the plant to those who would be able ultimately capitalize on its industrial riches.

As written by Clarke in Marijuana Botany: An Advanced Study (1981):

At this time it seems unlikely that a plant patent would be awarded for a pure-breeding strain of drug Cannabis. In the future, however, with the legalization of cultivation, it is a certainty that corporations with the time, space, and money to produce pure and hybrid strains of Cannabis will apply for patents. It may be legal to grow only certain patented strains produced by large seed companies. Will this be how Government and industry combine to control the quality and quantity of "drug" Cannabis? (pg.38)

For the thousands of cannabis enthusiast who hung on every word Mr. Clarke wrote for many years, surely none of them expected Clarke himself to align with private interest groups to ensure his prophetic words ultimately became a grim and truly frightening reality! In a tale suited for perhaps one of the best episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone’ that never came to be, in 1998 the inner workings of a nightmare which has unfolded slowly, but surely ever since started to emerge. In Bill Breen’s February 2004 article entitled, “Dr. Dopes Connection” it was written:

In the annals of medical-marijuana history, it was a significant moment: In June 1998, British regulators granted GW Pharmaceuticals a license to cultivate and supply marijuana for research and pharmaceutical development. There was just one problem: Where in the world would Geoffrey Guy, GW's founder and chairman, find a legal source of pharmaceutical-grade marijuana seeds -- enough to grow "tons" of material? Someone in England's Home Office gave Guy a tip: A reclusive Dutch company called Hortapharm, founded by two Californian expatriates, might be able to help him out.

Those two ‘California expatriates’ were none other than R.C Clarke and his long time associate Dave Watson. Who were two of the early pioneers of the Dutch cannabis seed industry whom had traveled to Holland in the early ‘80s, nearly broke and cash strapped, to sell seeds to a man with more intestinal fortitude than either Clarke or Watson possessed combined between the two of them named Nevil Schoenmaker. In 1984, Nevil posted what would be the founding of Holland’s first mail order cannabis seed bank in High Times magazine. Known as ‘The Seed Bank’, Schoenmakers modest idea soon turned into a lucrative and successful empire of selling selectively bred high quality cannabis seeds on the black market (though a completely legal enterprise in Holland) to thousands of cannabis enthusiast the world over. For many years, Nevil served the interest of his large clientele base by thumbing his nose up to the prohibitionist elite, including the Drug Enforcement Administration and their counterparts in other countries by playing a pivotal role of absolutes in bringing a large part of today’s most popular and far reaching strains of high quality cannabis to the masses. One would be hard pressed to walk into the gardens and clandestine grow operations of any cannabis grower today without finding strains ultimately derived from Schoenmakers ‘The Seed Bank’ so many years ago. Despite the increasingly popular trend of renaming already well known and established varieties of cannabis, a large percentage of widely cultivated strains of cannabis today are made up of a very select group of professional bred lines. Varieties such as Northern Lights, Skunk#1, Haze and White Widow are industry staples, forming the building blocks of nearly all popular varieties of cannabis today.

In the aforementioned Bill Breen’s 2004 article entitled, “The Cannabis Conundrum” he wrote of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s backed Hortapharm that:

At a secret location in southeastern England, GW Pharmaceuticals has built what might well be the most high-tech pot palace on the planet. Surrounded by electrified razor wire, video cameras, and motion detectors, the greenhouse sprawls across more than an acre of land. At any one time, more than 15,000 marijuana plants are growing under its 14-foot ceiling, with its banks of lights. Inside is a sea of green, comprised of some of the world's most potent strains of pot: Hindu Kush, White Widow, Skunk, Northern Lights. Outside of the Netherlands, GW is the only commercial organization in Europe licensed to cultivate cannabis on this scale.

These varieties of cannabis surrounded by high tech security apparatus’s were all acquired by GW Pharmaceuticals by Clarke and Watson based Hortapharm BV. The ultimate destination of these varieties would be GW Pharmaceutical flag ship product, Sativex, a cannabis plant based medicinal product derived from highly potent strains of marijuana destined for an untold numerical clientele of sick and dieing patients afflicted with numerous terminal and treatable illnesses from AIDS and cancer, to glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, with many other medicinal applications in between! With nearly the entire modern gene pool of marijuana varieties today making themselves up in one form or another, including but not limited to hybridization, to the strains mentioned above, Clarkes long prophetic words of government and private industries merging with the legalization movement in order to control the Cannabis Sativa L plants destiny became the eighteen wheeler of doom which is headed down the highway of hope for millions of cannabis enthusiast the world over. In a February 2005 article written by Brian Preston of Walrus magazine with GW Pharmaceutical king pin Geoffrey Guy, it was written that:

There is no question that GW plans to enforce its patents on Sativex, which is a precisely dosed medicine. Warns Guy: “To protect our extensive investment, we have sought to identify and patent certain inventions throughout the growing, extraction and manufacturing process. My comments to Mr. Lucas were made as a friendly and, hopefully, helpful gesture as I did not wish him to invest a great amount of effort into obtaining approval for a product as a prescription medicine only to find that he did not have the freedom to operate in the first place. (Preston, pars. 1-12)

A strikingly similar revelation to the prophetic words of R.C Clarke nearly thirty years ago, who ultimately set himself up in a position to capitalize on the potential for industrial domination of the cannabis plant upon its inevitable legally and socially accepted status once the clutches of prohibition ultimately collapsed through means of public education and medical and scientific review. With the continued existence, and ever increasingly popular trend of cannabis seed banks originally pioneered by the Dutch, in particular Nevil Schoenmakers, the problem of controlling the already widely acquired high quality cannabis seed still needed to be addressed. A potential problem considering the nearly three decade’s worth of breeding of Dutch cannabis seed which flourished under Holland’s once climatically accepted judicial and legislative system who was among the only countries to view the use of soft core drugs such as cannabis in a tolerant light. The answer would come in the form of engineering a new trend, under the guise of propaganda and greed, known as ‘Feminized Seed.’ Feminized Seeds are made through several means, most popularly by using chemicals to stress a selected female clone into making male flowers in order to pollinate itself, eliminating the long standing role of the male cannabis plant! For many years the ultimate goal of the marijuana enthusiast was the acquisition of ‘sensimilla’, a Spanish term meaning “without seed.” The process of acquiring sensimilla is a relatively simple concept, to obtain the highest quality of cannabis, the weeding out of traditional male plants from the garden before they were able to ultimately shed and pollinate their female counterparts would ensure a higher quality product, with less hassle for the consumer, ultimately bringing in more money and enjoyment to the clandestine cultivators and marijuana enthusiast. Though a widely credited process to another Dutch cannabis seed company known as the ‘Dutch Passion’, this process was in fact originally used by Nevil Schoenmakers of ‘The Seed Bank’ many years prior to the late ‘90s re-opening of “Pandora’s box” as one Scott Blakey, aka Shantibaba of Mr. Nice Seeds, (the original breeder of “White Widow”) put it some time ago now.

With Dutch Passions re-introduction of the feminized seeds process to the public in the late ‘90s, the “general public” whom acquired specialized Dutch bred seed was made aware of a seemingly revolutionary process of “cannabis breeding.” A process which seemingly took the hard work of selecting an “elite” female, which was then propagated ad infinitum by means of asexual reproduction from a package of seeds which often times yielded an approximate fifty percent male to female plant ratio to a, too good to be true acquisition of a feminized product, often times sold at an astronomically higher price than its traditional bred counter parts, in the feminized form of selectively “bred” cannabis seed which was presented to the public as a more refined product to justify its price and means. The feminization trend really started to take off around 2004, when what seemingly appears to be an ingenious plan to corner the market started to take shape. A long trusted website known as Heavens Stairway, (a seed merchant company based out of Canada) was raided by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and its subsidiary websites used to promote the seed company in Overgrow.com and Cannabisworld.com were all shut down in an attempt to stifle the cannabis seed industry. Left in the wake, was Heavens Stairway’ chief competitor Gypsy Nirvana who ran the UK based Seedsdirect.com, which would later morph into Seedboutique.com, which itself uses a cannabis forum known as Icmag.com to increase seed sales under the guise of an internet message board. In reality, the internet message board is a carefully moderated cannabis forum which presents propaganda to its users in order to increase seed sales. For some time, the chief drawing power of the forum other than the demise of its former competitors was Dave Watson, also known as Sam the Skunk man (along with a colorful array of other alias’s as well). For years, Watson painted himself a legend in the industry, responsible for nearly all the strains popular today in today’s modern marijuana culture, however his propaganda drawing power often times came at the expense of Nevil Schoenmakers, the true pioneer of the industry who is in reality responsible for a great deal of the selective breeding and marketing of today’s most famous strains of cannabis. Long ago forced out of the industry after being arrested while visiting family in Australia, at the request of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Schoenmakers’ noticeable absence was seized upon by Hortapharms’ Dave Watson as an opportunity to paint himself in a very flattering light, often times at the expense of Schoenmakers own accomplishments, all of which bear a striking relation to an article written by Bas Barkman and Gert Hague for Dutch actualities magazine, “HP/De Tijd” entitled “Thanks to Uncle Sam”, which primarily focused on Mr. Watsons connection with the DEA and the numerous raids of competitor cannabis cultivators by law enforcement officials throughout the years in Holland and his alleged compilation list of the world’s leading experts on cannabis which was given to Australian authorities!

Among the greatest propaganda based operations conducted through icmag.com was the idea of “elite clones”, varieties such as Train wreck, OG Kush, Bubba Kush, the White etc. which may or may not have had a small following on their own in select portions of the United States, but which were presented online as varieties obtainable by “clone form only.” Mysterious members, whom had yet to establish any kind of reputation for themselves at the forum, were made heroes by the administration of Icmag.com nearly overnight. Backed by a legion of anonymous handles, all praising the qualities of these clone form only varieties, it did not take long for the entire message board, made up of genuine and honest individuals, to fall into line, tripping over themselves in an effort to obtain these “incredible” strains of cannabis. The main problem however was only the newly minted “hero’s” appeared to have access to these lines, and with the nature of the cannabis industry itself lending the majority of users to hide behind cleverly concocted alias’s in order to protect their true identities and thus remain free of prosecution, the prospect of sacrificing ones private information in order to obtain these clone only varieties remained the only distant possibility of obtaining said “elite” lines for the majority of users at the website. The answer for the masses to satisfy their propaganda gained desires came in the form of feminized seed, which the owner of icmag.com, Gypsy Nirvana, capitalized on swiftly. These elite clones were “selfed” or feminized, and “shipped” to the UK based Seedboutique.com, Nirvana’s chief seed operating center, making previously unobtainable “elite clones” available to the public worldwide whom had worked themselves up in a feeding frenzy based on propaganda supported by the administration which was propagated at the icmag.com forum.

What was initially a hill, soon became a mountain, as more and more respected Dutch Seed companies who offered seed bred by traditional methods of sexual reproduction soon switched their business model up to accommodate the public and their pocket books by offering feminized seed! Leading us into the current situation today, where more than twenty different companies are now offering feminized seed simply to accommodate the supply and demand letter of reality, all of which cam ultimately trace its roots back to the propaganda based machine of the widely popular Icmag.com website. However along with the popular trend of feminized seed, loom un-seen and potentially dangerous repercussions, which Australian geneticist and legendary breeder Shantibaba described as a potential “genetic crisis” waiting just beyond the horizon. In a 2008 article for Treating Yourself Magazine, Shantibaba wrote:

The concern that should be made aware is the fact that natural male plants and their pollen will be moving out of production in lure of chemically treated feminized males. This will cause repercussions with breeding in the long run and possibly cause serious diseases or infertility to future generations. At this stage there are no long term studies so it in impossible to foresee or predict. But for the moment people run to buy feminized seed and companies who cannot select special natural male plants based on traits and genetics like their female plants get it easy…by only having to use females treated with solutions. It will slowly cause regulations to fall and any who can follow a procedure the ability to produce female seed on their plants without needing seed companies any longer.

The future repercussions of serious diseases and infertility, based on the increasingly popular trend of feminized seed is not something one should take lightly when dealing with a plant that, prior to the feminized seed trend, was successful in spreading itself across the globe for thousands of years via means of natural male to female sexual reproduction. A particular concern of many individuals in modern times is the introduction of a method known as “terminator technology” originally credited to the infamous Monsanto Corporation. A website known as ethicalinvesting.com elaborated on “terminator technology” with the following:

Monsanto is in the process of acquiring and patenting their newest technology, known as "Terminator Technology." This technology is currently the greatest threat to humanity. If it is used by Monsanto on a large-scale basis, it will inevitably lead to famine and starvation on a worldwide basis.

Billions of people on the planet are supported by farmers who save seeds from the crops and replant these seeds the following year. Seeds are planted. The crop is harvested. And the seeds from the harvest are replanted the following year. Most farmers cannot afford to buy new seeds every year, so collecting and replanting seeds is a crucial part of the agricultural cycle. This is the way food has been grown successfully for thousands of years.

With Monsanto's terminator technology, they will sell seeds to farmers to plant crops. But these seeds have been genetically-engineered so that when the crops are harvested, all new seeds from these crops are sterile (e.g., dead, unusable). This forces farmers to pay Monsanto every year for new seeds if they want to grow their crops.

In less rich countries, hundreds of millions of people rely heavily on small farms which produce foods for the region. If these farms begin to use Monsanto's terminator technology, and cannot afford to buy new genetically engineered seeds from Monsanto the following year, many of the people in the region may starve. Under normal circumstances, food could be brought in from other regions. However, many of those other regions will likely have the same problems with famine due to Monsanto's terminator technology.

The ultimate fear of many within the cannabis industry today is the application of technology similar to Monsanto’s “Terminator Technology” to the cannabis plant. A process which could corner the cannabis market further by outside special interest groups whom are looking to capitalize on the increasingly social and legally acceptable marijuana movement by offering products which, through means of lobbying efforts and patents, may become the majorities primary option as the legalization movement progresses. In a September 1998 article by Vanessa Thorpe for ‘The Independent’ entitled, “Cannabis: a year that changed minds” Dave Watson of Hortapharm and his colleague Etienne de Meijer were quoted as working on, “seeds that will produce a one-off, female, seedless crop of plants with no psychotropic effects (or THC highs, to the layman) for the consumer.” Later in the article, Watson and de Meijer went on to explain:

There will be no generational deterioration and no genetic difference between each plant because they will be bred from themselves: they will be cloned. "You can clone a plant 10 times," explains Mr. de Meijer, "and every time it will be exactly the same." Mr. de Meijer has developed his own technique of "self-progeny" - or "selfing" - where he turns half of one female plant temporarily into a male. Fertilizing a plant with itself in this way means the same genetic make-up can be reproduced."I can make 20,000 clones with 'selfed' parents in two weeks," he says. "Humans may degenerate from inbreeding, but these plants do not. I'm sure I am the first person to apply this method of inbreeding to cannabis and I found the selfing process was amazingly simple."But the unique research has no market in Holland. "Because the sale of the drug is tolerated in coffee shops, there is no interest - though people don't really know what they are buying," says Mr. Watson.

With Vanessa’s Thorpe’s article on Watsons connection with feminized seeds in 1998, which coincides with Dutch Passions re-opening of Pandora’s box also in the late 1990’s and which ultimately ties in with Gypsy Nirvana’s propaganda campaign at Icmag.com to offer the public alleged “elite lines” through means of the feminization process, one has to wonder just how deep Hortapharms connections run in the marijuana industry itself in connection with cornering the Dutch cannabis seed industry and ultimately providing lines of alleged highly select varieties through the feminization seed trend in an effort to stifle the global cannabis seed trade with varieties of cannabis which may open the door for genetic bottlenecking through means of inbreeding depression, which may also lead to serious diseases and even infertility later down the line!

Recently, an article posted online at kpfz.org dated September 9th, 2010 entitled “Proposition 19, Monsanto and GMO Terminator Cannabis” alleges that:

George Weiblen conducts his research under a permit granted by the DEA to import Cannabis from outside of the U.S. The two sources from which these imports come from are the Kenex corporation based in Ontario Canada and the HortaPharm corporation based in Amsterdam. These two corporations are two of the very few entities which have acquired a DEA permit to import Cannabis into the United States. The history and role of these corporations illustrate the potential of Genetic Engineering in the global Cannabis market.

Kenex corporation initiated its research program on industrial hemp in 1995 in cooperation with Ridgetown College of University of Guelph in Ontario. A research license was granted by Health Canada to proceed with the program. The scope of the project was expanded in 1996 making it the largest hemp research project in Canada.

It is interesting to note that Kenex’s research program on hemp was initiated at the University of Guelph, which is also home to 24 ag-biotech research facilities, and is heavily funded by the ag-biotech industry, including research funds from Monsanto corporation, Bayor Incorporated, Dupont, Syngenta and Dow Chemical corporation to name a few.

Information which seems to tie in R.C. Clarke and Dave Watsons Dutch based Hortapharm BV with the Monsanto Corporation, which makes one wonder if the feminized seed trend perpetuated by Icmag.com, whom Dave Watson can be tied into, is all actually an attempt to stifle the global cannabis seed trade by offering the public inferior lines of cannabis through the feminized seed trend which are marketed to the consumers as the next big thing under the guise of chasing the sensimilla dream through what is purported to be an all female seed crop derived from “elite” mother plants. By narrowing the field of availability of the traditionally bred Dutch cannabis seed market, which for years was taken for granted by growers who always assumed they could just go buy more seed next year, with no need to make seed of their own for the next season, the currently popular trend of feminization is an excellent means to corner the global seed market by offering the public inferior products at inflated prices, all the while laughing all the way to the bank!

Labeling a funeral, a party, is just one of many ways in which marketing is commonly used to promote ones goods and services. With the increasing demand for feminized seed, which leads to intersexed or hermaphroditic varieties which can theoretically easily pollinate localized and indigenous populations of cannabis through anemophily, the opportunity for agricultural interest to then seize control over crops accidentally or otherwise pollinated by genetically patented strains becomes another tool in which corporative interest use to further monopolize an already shrinking gene pool. A reality which has already played itself out in courtrooms across Middle America with other popular agricultural crops such as maze, where cultivators are sued and suffer financial hardship due to the discovery of genes on their property from crops protected by genetic patent which one way or another managed to find themselves into the seed these unsuspecting farmers used to plant their garden or farm with that season. Just say no to feminized seed! Can GW Pharmaceuticals or another entity hold patents to the very strains you hold so dearly to heart? And in the process control who, when, where and how these varieties are made available much like with other agriculturally patented crops such as soybean and corn? As the marijuana legalization movement pushes forward, these questions and many more will be answered as society progresses towards a more mature stance on cannabis.






“The Function of the Apyrene Spermatozoa.” American Association for the Advancement of Science. New York. 13 Oct.,1916. Vol 44. Pg 545. Web.http://books.google.com/books?id=QwcuAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA544&lpg=PA544&dq=%E2%80%9CThe+Function+of+the+Apyrene+Spermatozoa%E2%80%9D&source=bl&ots=fsdJOpTRtv&sig=HjiKr_q4SNRAtRJMXPw8vMgZnT8&hl=en&ei=lxsCTOSvK470NYK7vTs&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=3&ved=0CBoQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%E2%80%9CThe%20Function%20of%20the%20Apyrene%20Spermatozoa%E2%80%9D&f=false

Barkman, Bas and Hage, Gert. “Thanks to Uncle Sam.” HP/TIJD. May 1998. Print.

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Weed World Magazine issue 91. (Special thanks to Shanti and Phil).

Thank you Jesse, that was one of the best lunchtime reads i have had in a long, long time.....keep up the awesome work.....cheers K

Hi Jesse,

You have done a brilliant job presenting this body of work on this forum.
Thanks for putting it all together. I found it paints the whole picture perfectly.

Complete with citations, I love it.

Regards
BP

RCClarke What Has Become of You?

Awesome read Jesse!

Most of us in this industry are businessmen of one sort or another. For the most part the cannabis movement understands that a fair price for medicine is one of the reasons we do the work we do. Most here IMO would agree making a profit is not evil.

What is evil is selling humanity famine and profiting from it.

What is evil is taking medicine people can produce for themselves and making them buy it from an exclusively sanctioned government source.

What is evil is screwing over uneducated farmers who work harder in a year then most suit and tie types do in a decade.

What is evil in the year 2010 is the American DEA, Hortapharm and its owners ( Robert Connell Clarke author Marijuana Botany and Sam the Skunkman aka Dave Watson ), and the corporate and financial institutions that take medicines from plants and make patients buy them in the form of a pill. Just my opinion based on the facts.

KB 8)_~

Robert Connell Clarke is proof that the keeper of a bright mind will sometimes possess a very dark heart. He really is like Darth Vader. 8(

Here is something posted over at "the super evil fortress of darkness" yesterday, similar in subject matter. I niether endorse or oppose what i am reposting here, although i hate monsanto and their practices, i dont hate science nor progression, just motives based totaly around gaining as much profit as is possible.
The real problem is that this has already been done to every aspect of most ppls lives already. Its a way for the elite class to fleece or shear the efforts/labors of the working class. The real problem is the plutocracy that exists under the guise of capitalism, the world is yet to see capitalism or communism in their true forms, just illussions of such systems whilst the elite class continues ruling behind the scenes, reguardless of which public puppet system and figureheads are in place to placate the masses. Black markets were and are the last pockets of power/wealth to be held back from these pos elites and it seems they now want them too.
A system based on greed and infinite growth cannot sustain itself in a finite world forever. The whole house of cards will come crashing down eventualy and most wont even see it coming
UNITED we stand, DIVIDED we will fall
much respect
moonunit


the repost
link
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=188555



Everybody got to read this.
Link
http://community.kpfz.org/node/17












PROPOSITION 19, MONSANTO, AND TERMINATOR CANNABIS
radicaljusticeman | September 9, 2010 - 2 days 9 hours in Guerrilla RadioProposition 19 Drug Policy Alliance MPP NORML George Soros Monsanto Bayer GW Pharma HortaPharm GMO Terminator Cannabis
PROPOSITION 19, MONSANTO, AND TERMINATOR CANNABIS

An article by D.M. Murdock written in August 2010 and entitled “Why hemp could save the world” states:

“Hemps prohibition has led to untold suffering around the globe. If we—the global human population—had been able to grow the miracle plant hemp (Cannabis genus) locally and to use it for local industries and businesses, including and especially for fuel, we would never have needed to be addicted to oil, for one, an addiction that is at the root of much misery. We would never have allowed ourselves to be lorded over by international oil-mongers whose crimes against humanity have become legion, including wholesale invasion of other lands and slaughter of countless people.”

“None of this oil-related horror—along with the deplorable degradation of the environment globally—would have occurred if hemp had not been prohibited but had been used wisely and intelligently as a major foundation of human society. Indeed, hemp-based economies could still save the human world, while hemp planting could go a massively long way in rescuing the natural world as well.”

“It is said that hemp has up to 50,000 uses, from fiber to fuel to food, but I'll just provide a taste here:”

“In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food, fuel, and medical purposes.”

“Hemp is one of the faster growing biomasses known, producing up to 25 tons of dry matter per hectare per year, and one of the earliest domesticated plants known. “

“One highly important use of hemp has been in detoxifying nuclear waste, as demonstrated by experiments in the Ukraine, for example, on the site of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Moreover, hemp fuel could actually replace the dangerous and costly nuclear power industry.”
SEE: http://www.examiner.com/freethought-...save-the-world

The agenda of the government in its policies against Cannabis have always been to deprive the people access to the plant, while maintaining control over it for the governments own self-interest. This self-interest extends to a multitude of industries including the prison and military industry, the petroleum, timber, cotton, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as the entirety of the banking and corporate establishment which has become empowered through disconnecting people from their one true source of independence and sustenance, the Earth. Cannabis prohibition has served to redirect human evolution from that of a decentralized agrarian lifestyle and natural economy, to a centralized petro-chemical military dictatorship controlled through the artificial economic will of private banks and other trans-national corporate interests.

The next stage in continuing this control, is in the regulation, licensing and taxation of Cannabis cultivation and use through the only practical means available to the corporate system, which is through genetic engineering and patenting of the Cannabis genome.

To achieve this end, the foundation is already being laid in the form of California’s upcoming initiative on the 2010 ballot. This initiative is called Proposition 19: The Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010.

The leading advocate for Proposition 19 is the organization known as the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA). The DPA is the leading organization spearheading the reform of Cannabis policies in the United States, and has been made up of some of the most powerful and influential characters in today’s global petro-bio-chemical-military-banking-industrial complex.

Some of the Directors of DPA include the following:

Paul Adolph Volcker is an Honorary Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) whose career is closely associated with that of the Federal Reserve Bank. He was president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York from 1975-1979, governing board member of the Federal Reserve in 1979, and was Chairman of the Federal Reserve from 1979-1987.

Volcker is believed to be a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and served as Undersecretary of the Treasury from 1969-1974 before his time with the Federal Reserve. Volcker is chairman of Wolfensohn & Co. and has ties to Chase Manhattan Bank. He is also linked to the Brookings Institute, as well as being an Honorary Trustee at the Aspen Institute, chairman of the Group of 30, and on the board of the Institute for International Economics.

Frank Charles Carlucci III is an Honorary Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and has been a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since at least 1995. His government service included positions as Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1980-1982 and Deputy Director of the CIA from 1978-1980.

Carlucci is a director on United Defense Industries (the United States' largest defense contractor), which is owned by the Carlyle Group, a merchant bank based in Washington, D.C., of which Carlucci is the chairman. Carlucci joined Carlyle in 1989.

Before returning to Government service, Carlucci was Chairman and CEO of Sears World Trade, a business he joined in 1983. He was President Ronald Reagan's National Security Advisor in 1987 and Secretary of Defense from 1987 to 1988.

Nicholas Katzenbach is an Honorary Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and became General Counsel of the IBM Corporation from 1969 until 1986.

Mathilde Krim is a standing Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and was a Trustee for the Rockefeller Foundation in 1980.

George Soros is a standing Director of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and is Chairman of Soros Fund Management. Soros was among the highest paid hedge fund managers in 2009, taking home about $3.3 billion. At the end of 2009, he owned about $6.95 billion distributed among 697 stocks.

Soros’ top 5 investment shareholdings are in gold, Petrobras petroleum company, Hess Corp petroleum company, Monsanto corporation, Citigroup Inc., and Suncor Energy Inc.(petroleum company).

That’s right, George Soros, who is famous for being one of the most powerful and influential persons in world economics and whose speculations alone are said to have ‘broke the Bank of England‘, is one of the key directors for the organization that is leading the charge to regulate, control and tax Cannabis in California. All the while George Soros is one of the major shareholders in the worlds largest GM Seed bio-technology corporation known as Monsanto.

The Monsanto corporation brought you things like Agent Orange, Terminator Seeds, Monsantos Round-up ready Herbicide, and Genetically Modified and Patented Organisms made from Soybean, Corn, and Cotton to name a few. Genetically engineered crops entered the market in 1996 and to this day around 90% of all Soy, Corn, and Cotton grown in the U.S. have been Genetically Engineered and patented by a handful of bio-chemical corporations, with Monsanto owning 90% of all GMO patents.

The value of the Cannabis plant as an industry, without factoring in the value of Cannabis as a food or medicine, was estimated to be in the billions in 1938 by an article published by Popular Mechanics Magazine at that time, so its no wonder why one of Monsanto’s major shareholders would have in interest in advocating for one of the main tenants of prop 19, which is to “Make cannabis available for scientific, medical, industrial, and research purposes” and to “adopt a statewide regulatory system for a commercial cannabis industry”. Prop 19 is doing nothing less then opening the floodgates for Monsanto and other petro-chemical, GMO seed and pharmaceutical corporations to commercialize, regulate, control and tax Cannabis through genetic engineering, patenting and licensing.

Monsanto and the Drug Policy Alliance are not the only entities leading the charge to regulate Cannabis through genetic engineering. As published in the September 2009 issue of the Journal of Experimental Botany, Researchers from the College of Biological Science of the University of Minnesota have identified the genes in the Cannabis plant that produce tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC), claiming in a press release that it is “a first step toward engineering a drug-free Cannabis plant”. George Weiblen, an associate professor of plant biology and a co-author of the study, said “Cannabis genetics can contribute to better agriculture, medicine, and drug enforcement”.

George Weiblen conducts his research under a permit granted by the DEA to import Cannabis from outside of the U.S. The two sources from which these imports come from are the Kenex corporation based in Ontario Canada and the HortaPharm corporation based in Amsterdam. These two corporations are two of the very few entities which have acquired a DEA permit to import Cannabis into the United States. The history and role of these corporations illustrate the potential of Genetic Engineering in the global Cannabis market.

Kenex corporation initiated its research program on industrial hemp in 1995 in cooperation with Ridgetown College of University of Guelph in Ontario. A research license was granted by Health Canada to proceed with the program. The scope of the project was expanded in 1996 making it the largest hemp research project in Canada.

It is interesting to note that Kenex’s research program on hemp was initiated at the University of Guelph, which is also home to 24 ag-biotech research facilities, and is heavily funded by the ag-biotech industry, including research funds from Monsanto corporation, Bayor Incorporated, Dupont, Syngenta and Dow Chemical corporation to name a few.

The University of Guelph Impact Study in 2007 states:

“Multi-national companies like Monsanto, Syngenta, Bayor Crop Science, and Semex have set up in Guelph because of the ability to closely interact with research and the ease of access to human, capital, and government resources, as well as the ability to attract investment.”

The University of Guelph has recently genetically engineered and patented the genome of a pig, which they have trademarked the EnviroPig. The University of Guelph has also recently partnered with the Monsanto corporation to genetically engineer a Glyphosate-resistant ragweed, and has contributed significant research and development into genetically engineering strains of Soybean crops. Some of the first Genetically Engineered Canadian bred Soybeans were developed at the University of Guelph, including the GMO Soybean strain called ’OAC Bayfield’. GE Soybean research at the University of Guelph has been vitally important to the growth of the GMO Soybean industry.

On January 2, 2003, the Guelph Mercury reported the following:

“Since the Canadian hemp ban was lifted in 1998, researcher Peter Dragla of the University of Guelph's Ridgetown College has been selecting and breeding hemp plants to meet industry needs. Now, besides working on varieties with lower levels of tetra-hydro-cannabinol (THC)… he's striving to develop hemp breeds with larger seeds.”

After Kenex corporations Hemp industry was born in a partnership with the Ridgetown college of the University of Guelph, Kenex became Canada’s largest Hemp producer and Supplies Hempseeds for food to companies like Nutiva, based in California.

One of the only other international companies which has acquired a permit to import Cannabis into the U.S. from the DEA is known as the HortaPharm R&D company based out of Amsterdam.

HortaPharm was founded in the late 1990’s by a man named ***

*** is credited for developing some of the most widely used Cannabis strains in the world, including his famous strain called Skunk #1 which was imported and used in George Weiblens research to develop GE Cannabis strains at the University of Minnesota.

An article from: http://www.cannabisfarmer.com/web/node/39 reports the following:

“Are your expensive Dutch female (Cannabis) seeds hard to clone, or when you try to breed them, all you get are hermaphrodites?”

“Thank Dr Frankenbeanstein, aka the Skunkman,.”

“At a 1997 Vancouver Hemp conference, ** spoke of his research. His main focus was to stop growers from cloning nor being able to create any seeds from strains being bred in Amsterdam. The funding for this research came partially from the Dutch Government, the rest from the DEA. *** had been busted for growing in Santa Cruz California on March-20-1985 and resurfaced in Amsterdam to start his seed company Cultivator’s Choice. DEA supported the *** application for a license to grow for research in Holland, even though they should have been extraditing him back to Cali for his 1985 Santa Cruz grow bust! DEA endorsement was so strong that he was the first to be granted a permit in Holland when several universities and domestic research groups with PHD’s and legitimate reasons for research were denied! The Dutch government even supplied three greenhouses for Watson to do his heinous experiments, while normal Dutch growers lost all of their equipment and had to serve murder-like sentences at that time! Dutch seed companies have become the Monsanto of the cannabis seed industry, and hope to make us all seed junkies at $20 a seed.!”

“The license gave *** control over what researchers are allowed access to pedigreed seeds of predictable quality! The object is to patent up every possible combination of cannabinoids with efficacy for every possible disease they can treat, and every possible genetic sequence! Once ready to make the move, they will shut down every medical cannabis grower for patent fraud”

“Monsanto terminator technology is being applied to Cannabis at Hortapharm in Holland.”
SEE: http://www.cannabisfarmer.com/web/node/39

The following article published in the UK Independent on September 27, 1998, Interviewed *** on the intent of his research in Cannabis with his company HortaPharm:

"It looks like dope, but really it's hope," explains ***. What he means is that many of these plants have been specifically bred not to produce an intoxicating resin or hashish. Indeed, HortaPharm hopes to thwart the aims of the average recreational user.”

The team is already close to finding their own commercial Holy Grail - seeds that will produce a one-off, female, seedless crop of plants with no psychotropic effects for the consumer. Why, you might ask, would they want to do that?

HortaPharm is only interested in developing female plants that are sterile, but this is not just to protect their genetic copyright. "If a plant is not kept busy producing seeds, all its energy can go into resin production," says Dutch colleague and biochemist Etienne de Meijer.

*** believes the bright future of (Cannabis) is contained in the greenhouses of HortaPharm and GW Pharmaceuticals.

At his Amsterdam glasshouses, he nods conspiratorially at the healthy- looking garden produce. "Don't say anything yet, but we are also working on putting THC into tomatoes," he confides. Then he cackles reassuringly: "Only kidding!"
SEE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/ca...s-1200871.html

***n has stated "HortaPharm has built up over many years the most extensive 'Living Library' of Medicinal Cannabis varieties in the world”.

In July 1998, Speaking at the International Cannabinoid Research Society conference in Montpellier, Dr Geoffrey W Guy, Chairman of GW Pharmaceuticals, said that HortaPharm will provide GW with exclusive access to its entire range of cannabis varieties for the development of medicines. The worldwide rights acquired by GW for an undisclosed sum cover varieties grown to date with certain exceptions and all varieties to be bred in the future. Plant registrations arising from the Dutch breeding program will be owned by GW pharmaceutical.

Under the agreement GW Pharma will be responsible for the development of specific drug delivery technologies to administer the pharmaceutical grade medicinal cannabis. This work will include a vaporizer for which HortaPharm has a patent pending.

In addition GW Pharma will fund HortaPharm's botanical research and HortaPharm scientists will
assist in the UK Glasshouse propagation, cloning and cultivation program.

***, CEO of HortaPharm has stated “As soon as Dr Guy's clinical research indicates the exact desired composition our scientists can breed and register new medicinal varieties".

An article published by Cannabis Culture Magazine in May 2002, states:

“GW's miracle pot may soon be among the first cannabis plants ever patented. Although some industrial hemp genetics have been copyrighted as intellectual property, Guy is seeking to register marijuana varietals distinguished by specific morphological characteristics, such as color, leaf size and shape, and smell.”

“According to preliminary information provided exclusively to Cannabis Culture, GW's medical devices will revolutionize the way cannabis is ingested. Cannabis extracts blended in precise ratios will be packaged in a "canister" that joins to an electromechanical device that delivers controlled aerosolized doses of plant-derived cannabinoids without delivering harmful combustion by-products.”

“The canisters and delivery devices will be dispensed by pharmacists, and closely monitored by pharmacists, doctors, and GW itself.”

“"Pharmaceutical companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars researching and producing medicines, but as soon as those medicines are given to patients, they can be improperly used," Guy explains. "Patients might use too much, too little, or they might divert their medications to other people. For medications like cannabis that are controlled substances, it's essential that medical personnel be able to monitor dosage patterns. Our devices are like a digital camera that records details of time, date and other particulars every time it is used."“

“"Physicians will be able to monitor patient usage remotely," continued Guy. "People won't be able to tamper with our devices, even though they are portable and easy to use. You'd need a metal saw or a blowtorch to get into one of them. These controls answer concerns of those who worry that our extracts will be used inappropriately. And, these devices can be adapted for other medicines, ensuring patient safety and medical efficacy."“

“Dr Guy and his representatives have engaged in high level discussions with the DEA, FDA, the Office for National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), National Institute for Drug Abuse (NIDA) and senior state officials in California and Maine.”

“"We've made some progress in the US," Guy says. "We've commenced pre-clinical research in laboratories and other research in a university. This research is aimed at cell protection properties, general pharmacology, and the enhancement of effects afforded by beneficial synergy created when cannabinoids are blended together rather than isolated. The DEA has approved importation of our extracts into the US. They haven't said no to us on anything we've asked so far. They are playing it by the book. We look forward to continued progress."“

“"GW occupies a lead position world-wide," concludes Guy. "We are uniquely placed to become the first company to achieve regulatory approval for prescription cannabis-based medicines."“
SEE: http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/articles/2400.html

In an interview with Cannabis Culture Magazine, the Chairman of GW Pharma Dr. Geoffrey Guy said “We deserve to make a fair return on our investment, and that's why we pursued patents for our plants, extracts, processes, and delivery devices."

In 2009 in Canada, GW Pharma has succeeded in "artificially manipulating" and Patenting a “Novel Reference Cannabis Plant” with a "knock out gene" that uses “monogenic mutation" to "block the cannabinoid biosynthesis in Cannabis sativa”. This technology is being used to artificially engineer the levels of medicinal compounds in the plant.
SEE: http://www.faqs.org/patents/app/20090035396

In May of 2003, GW Pharma and Bayer Incorporated had reached a Marketing Agreement on Pioneering a New cannabis-based medicinal extract product called Sativex.

Bayer reportedly paid $60 Million to GW Pharma to obtain exclusive rights to market Sativex in the UK, And reportedly paid $14 Million for the marketing rights in Canada.

“Bayer corporation is also one of the largest biotechnology and GM producers in the world and has brought to market genetically engineered strains of rice, corn, rapeseed, and canola. Bayer is the world's leading pesticide manufacturer and the world's seventh largest seed company. Bayer CropScience is responsible for the majority of GM field trials in European countries. Bayer's GM crops are mostly "Liberty Link" - designed to be resistant to its "Liberty" herbicide. In 1925, Bayer was one of the chemical companies that merged to form the massive German conglomerate IG Farben, which was the largest single company in Germany and it became the single largest donor to Hitler's election campaign. After Hitler came to power, IG Farben worked in close collaboration with the Nazis, becoming the largest profiteer from the Second World War.”
SEE: http://www.gmwatch.org/gm-firms/11153-bayer-a-history

“An examination of internal Bayer company documents by The New York Times reveals that the company was engaged in unsavory, probably criminal marketing practices. The documents reveal that Bayer continued to sell contaminated blood plasma causing thousands of hemophiliac patients to be infected with AIDS. The company continued to sell the contaminated blood in Asia for over a year when it had already introduced a safer, heated blood plasma version in the US and Europe in February 1984.”

“The documents examined by the Times provide evidence of unrestrained corrupt practices by a pharmaceutical industry giant. According to The Times, records suggest that the reason for continuing to sell an AIDS infected blood product, was to get rid of inventory and "the company hoped to preserve the profit margin from 'several large fixed-price contracts.'“”
SEE: http://www.ahrp.org/infomail/0503/22.php

In 2007 Monsanto partnered with the patent holder of Sativex, Bayer, in a long-term agreement to cross-license their technologies.

"According to chairman of the Board of Management of Bayer CropScience Dr Friedrich Berschauer the agreements are an important step for Bayer as they could significantly broaden the availability of its LibertyLink technology outside its core cotton and canola seed business."

""At the same time, the agreements enable us to facilitate the development and commercialization of new technology solutions in the future," he said."
SEE: http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Fin...cide-tolerance

While corporations like Bayer and GW Pharma are building patent monopolies over Cannabis strains, processes and medicinal compounds, an ongoing propaganda campaign in the U.S. continues to serve their Cannabis monopoly interests.

Before the reefer madness campaign of the 1930’s, relatively few peoples utilized the psychoactive properties of Cannabis through smoking in the U.S. Hemp was outlawed in part because the white farmers of the 1930’s did not even know that the outlawing of the mysterious new menace called “Marijuana” was the same plant they were growing in their fields. Throughout history, this psychoactive knowledge of Cannabis has come and gone and those who have had a deep understanding of botany, especially of psychoactive plants were often accused of being either savages or witches. Reefer Madness not only created a hysteria against Cannabis, but it widely proliferated the knowledge of Cannabis’s psychoactive properties and attracted a new underground culture around the plant. This new culture has been heavily influenced by both the mainstream and the underground media.

For example, there are 60 different cannabinoids in the Cannabis plant. Many of which have been identified, genetically isolated and patented by both the U.S. government and other international companies for their medicinal properties. Though the underground and mainstream media in the U.S. around Cannabis tends to be exclusively focused on the psychoactive effect that is produced from the plants chemical compound known as THC. This has helped to create a culture of Cannabis plant breeders in the U.S. who produce strains with a very high yield of THC.

While THC has been conclusively shown by scientific studies done by the Medical College of Virginia, researchers from the University of Madrid, and researchers from the SETH group to contain definite cancer-destroying properties (SEE: http://www.globatron.org/contemporar...in-tumor-cells), the Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research in 2006 also states that “A high dose of delta9-THC, the main Cannabis component, induces anxiety and psychotic-like symptoms in healthy volunteers.”. That same journal also states that “These effects of Delta9-THC are significantly reduced by cannabidiol (CBD), a cannabis constituent which is devoid of the typical effects of the plant.” The conclusions of these studies show that cannabidiol (CBD) has anti-psychotic properties which naturally balance out and reduce the reported psychoactive and anxiety-like effects of high doses of THC.

Unfortunately, because of media-hype and plant breeding techniques used in the U.S., there is little knowledge of or desire to breed Cannabis strains that contain a more harmonious balance of CBD to THC levels. This has left the common population with strains devoid of CBD and with artificially high levels of THC. Studies have shown that breeding Cannabis with high levels of THC selectively reduces the amount of CBD over time. DEA eradication has created an environment devoid of natural Male Cannabis pollen in the air. This has forced the over-production of THC in today’s Cannabis strains, decreasing the amount of CBD in strains that are accessible in the underground market.

Cannabis underground cultural media sources like “High Times Magazine” have also helped to proliferate breeding techniques such as genetic cloning rather then harvesting and saving seed. This has left underground growers dependent on genetic clones from other sources and without a reliable seed supply. Some of the gods of this underground Cannabis culture are people such as the Skunkman aka David Watson, who is also one of the only people to have acquired a DEA import license. In the late 1980’s the DEA targeted High Times Magazine in operation “Green Merchant” to compile lists of potential growers and make raids on their gardens.

The combination of DEA eradication and cultural media manipulation has allowed corporations like Bayer and GW Pharma to attain a patent monopoly over Balanced THC to CBD Cannabis strains. GW Pharma is undertaking a major research program in the UK to develop, patent and market distinct cannabis-based prescription medicines with both High THC and High CBD compounds. The cannabis for this program is grown in a secret location in the UK. As of at least 2003, GW Pharma has been granted an import license from the DEA and has imported its first cannabis extracts into the US.

The following report dated September 23, 2009, is an excerpted article from Cannabis Culture Magazine and chronicles some important history, background, and intentions of Bayer and GW pharmaceuticals in the cannabis industry:
SEE: http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/node/19879

“Patented Pot vs. the Herbal Gold Standard by David Malmo-Levine”

“How patented marijuana strains and medicines may threaten the re-legalization movement, curb information sharing, set up a monopoly for certain breeders and medicine producers and limit users to a more expensive and inferior product. Their economic value to the pharmaceutical houses which produce them will be directly proportional to the severity of the prohibition against the use of cannabis.”

“During the last decade a split has developed within the marijuana community. One group is comprised of those who believe that the community's interests are best served by patenting marijuana strains and marijuana medicines in order to make them safer, more effective, more legitimate, more understood or, perhaps most importantly, more readily accessible since they will be legally available. The other group consists of those who believe natural cannabis medicine and strains are the "gold standard"; the safest, cheapest and, largely because of the ease with which it can be titrated, the most effective form cannabis medicine will take. This second group denies any real advantage of marijuana patents to the consumer, challenges any claim of exclusive rights of the first group to sell a particular strain and opposes the exploitation of a combination of patents and prohibition to force consumers to settle for an inferior product.”

“Within the first group we find those such as Britain's GW Pharmaceutical, who (with the help of pharmaceutical-giant Bayer) is now selling their whole-plant cannabis spray Sativex. This group also includes the Toronto-based Cannasat Therapeutics, The Nevada-based Dynamic Alert Ltd and various other smaller operations. These companies are looking to patent cannabis medicines, strains of cannabis or both - if they haven't already done so.”

“Even the US government has gotten in on the action. Patent #6,630,507 was awarded to the US Department of Health and Human Services in 2003, and states that cannabinoids are neuroprotectants and anti-inflammitory agents, useful in the prevention and treatment of stroke, trauma, auto-immune disorders, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and HIV dementia as well as many other diseases.”

“GW Pharmaceutical was granted a license to grow cannabis for medical research in 1998 and it's partner Bayer was granted a patent for Sativex in 2006. Sativex comes in a 5.5 ml spray bottle for $102 U.S. Dollars, which supplies about 51 sprays - enough for an average ten day supply. It is now available in Canada for MS and cancer pain, and has most recently become available in Britain and parts of Spain for use in the treatment of some other symptoms and syndromes.”

“GW Pharmaceutical has even patented a strain of cannabis called "Grace" in Canada. It was patented in 2005 under the Plant Breeders' Rights Act. Under this 1994 Act, all plant species (except algae, bacteria, and fungi) are eligible for "protection" (exclusive rights to sell) for 18 years. Medicine patents last between ten to twenty years depending on the country.”

“Proponents of plant and medicine patents contend that there's no controversy, that patents encourage innovation as it covers the costs of research and development, that standardization and research are impossible without patents, that patents create products superior to traditional botanical medicines, that crude plant drugs are more dangerous and less effective than patented plant products and that patenting cannabis medicines will speed up their legalization - or at the very least expand the number of people who have access to cannabis medicine. The evidence proves otherwise.”

“Ethan Russo, an employee of GW Pharmaceuticals , writing for the on-line journal "Cannabinoids", listed the benefits of pharmaceuticalized cannabis medicines in his article "Cannabinoid Medicine and the Need for the Scientific Method". They are; 1) pharmaceuticalized cannabis products will gain widespread trust of physicians and medical consumers, 2) crude herbal materials can't be standardized, 3) crude herbal materials are full of micro-organisms and 4) most of the non-GW Pharmaceuticals strains of cannabis have no CBD in them.”

“In our view none of Russo's claims are accurate; 1) the pharmaceutical industry is currently losing the trust of consumers as herbal medicines make a comeback, 2) "crude herbal materials" can easily be standardized without patents if the herb is legal 3) properly grown organic cannabis is relatively free of microbes and metals, and 4) if cannabis were legal, those high CBD strains would be more easily attainable among all breeders.”

“Dr. Geoffrey Guy of GW Pharma stated in 2005:
"To protect our extensive investment, we have sought to identify and patent certain inventions throughout the growing, extraction and manufacturing process. My comments to Mr. Lucas were made as a friendly and, hopefully, helpful gesture as I did not wish him to invest a great amount of effort into obtaining approval for a product as a prescription medicine only to find that he did not have the freedom to operate in the first place."“

“Even before GW and Bayer had secured their patent on Sativex, Dr. Guy was already threatening to sue Philippe Lucas of the Vancouver Island Compassion Society for infringing Sativex's imminent patent with VICS's "Canna-Mist" spray. Just type "Bayer" and "patent" into Google (over two million sites) if you want evidence of Bayer's habit of suing at the drop of a hat for all sorts of patent-related matters.”

“Evidence of an attempted Canadian medical marijuana monopoly began back in 2000, with a leaked, unpublished document entitled "Draft Statement of Work for The Development of a Comprehensive Operation for the Cultivation and Fabrication of Marijuana in Canada". The plan called for a seed monopoly - "a licit source" only - and the eventual phase-out of all but a pharmaceutical "inhaler" device. According to the anonymous source who leaked the document, the first version of the plan also called for cannabis strains to be patented "as if they had been genetically modified". It appears that GW Pharmaceutical and Bayer have now done so with the Cannabis strain "Grace".”

“There are many herbal medicines that have successfully fought off attempted patents and monopolies. The anti-bacterial neem tree and even the vision-producing ayahuasca have all been subjects of patent attempts. Neem tree activists have used defenses such as "traditional knowledge" and "prior art" and "community heritage" in order to legally protect their healing tree from monopoly. Unfortunately, the patent on a strain of ayahuasca remains in effect to this day.”

“Cannabis monopolies are nothing new. One can argue that the prohibition of Moses's holy kanneh-bosm annointing oil - found in Exodus 30:32 - a prohibition for people other than priests and kings - was a type of cannabis monopoly. When botanical medicine became popular again in the fourteen hundreds, women healers were first called "unschooled" and later called "witches" to prevent them from competing with the newly emerging male pharmacists. The same thing happened in the mid eighteen hundreds, except this time instead of "witches", these botanical healers were called "quacks".”

“The modern version of this monopoly began in 1910 with the Flexner Report - a report that succeeded in closing down all the naturopathic and herbal medicine schools by the 1930's. This report was partially engineered by the Rockefeller Foundation. The removal of these schools would assist the Rockefeller family in protecting their investments in pharmaceuticals from botanical competition. The Rockefeller Institute and Rockefeller Foundation were also key players in the development of the sciences of genetics and molecular biology - the fields in which the concepts of patenting of life-forms originated. Standard Oil - now Exxon/Mobil and a host of other oil companies - was the Rockefeller Foundation's source of income. Interestingly, in 1927 Standard Oil became business partners with Bayer - the marketer and distributor of Sativex in Canada.”

“Bayer had much to do with the development of the Codex global anti-herbs and anti-vitamin regulations. This was instituted in 1961, coincidentally (or perhaps not) around the same time as the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs was instituted and the first Plant Patent Act was created.”

“What we know for certain is that nobody should have a monopoly on the emerging herbal health-care economy - especially corporations like Bayer and Exxon, who have had questions raised about the amount of influence they have welded in geopolitics, and what they've done with that influence.”

“When the modern patent was issued in the 1400's in Italy, they were for "new and inventive devices". This soon turned into a big money maker for kings and queens, who would issue patents for such things as salt. After a public outcry, James the first of England was forced to revoke all existing monopolies and declare that they were only to be used for 'projects of new invention'. It can be argued that a similar reform is due again today.”

“Perhaps lessons can be learned from those within the medical profession who have tried to pass off discoveries as inventions, and those who have not. Jonas Salk, discoverer of the polio vaccine, famously rejected attempting a patent, explaining that it was like attempting to patent the sun. This is seen by some to be his most "winning story" - what he lost in potential revenue he gained in reputation and positive influence on the world.”

“Joseph Lister was an English professor of surgery who discovered - or popularized - "antiseptic" surgery. He invented a carbolic acid spray as a method of preventing infection, but considering the fact that he didn't invent the spray bottle nor carbolic acid, he didn't bother attempting to patent his spray. He alerted the world to his discovery in the British medical journal The Lancet in 1867, and was eventually made a Baron - the first doctor so honored. They even named the first mouthwash after him - Listerine.”

“William Thomas Green Morton was a dentist from Boston. He discovered - or popularized - the fact that ether was a good anesthetic. He was successful in patenting his technique - on November 12th, 1846 he was granted U.S. Patent No. 4848. But he could not collect any money as it was merely the use of an agent already well known. His apparatus was not essential to anesthesia - fabric soaked in ether was all that was necessary. He died broke and his reputation suffered for "nostrum mongering" - for being a huckster and an opportunist.”

“George Washington Carver refused to patent any of his discoveries, saying, "God gave them to me, how can I sell them to someone else?" Ten years after his death, the United States government acquired the Missouri farm which was Carver's birthplace and dedicated it as a national shrine. The Carver epitaph reads: "He could have added fortune to fame, but, caring for neither, he found happiness and honor in being helpful to the world."“

“Perhaps one day those who are currently attempting to patent cannabis medicines and cannabis strains will wake up to the fact that a good reputation is worth much more than a patent, and the gift of a new strain or new technique given to the world will return the most precious form of good karma upon the giver, while the person who attempts to "patent the sun" - patent a gift from nature or a traditional medicine bred and developed over thousands of years - will eventually suffer the worst forms of infamy. It is up to the entire cannabis community - especially the activist community, to see that sharing is rewarded and hoarding is punished.”

“GW adopts an aggressive approach to securing intellectual property rights to protect techniques and technologies involved in the development program. Protection is sought in the areas listed below:

• Plant variety rights
• Methods of extraction patents
• Drug delivery patents
• Patents on compositions of matter for delivery of cannabis
• Methods of use patents
• Design copyright on devices
• Trademarks”

“GW States on their website:
“In the last few years our intellectual property portfolio has developed considerably. The patent portfolio has more than doubled in size and comprises 42 patent families, within these families there are numerous granted patents both in the UK and in various territories around the world. GW has also developed a trademark portfolio of 21 UK registered trademarks with equivalent marks registered in many other territories around the world. GW also holds nine registered design rights and nine plant variety rights.””

“It appears that "Patents on compositions of matter for delivery of cannabis" means "Patents on cannabinoid ratios".”

“Their ratio is 51% CBD and 49% THC:

Guy’s publicly-traded company has developed three types of medicine made from cannabis extracts: a high-THC extract called Tetranabinex, a mostly-CBD extract called Nabidiolex, and the 51-49% mixture of CBD and THC, called Sativex.

CBD began to be studied in the 1960's. Research into it's anti-psychotic (or anti-THC overdose) qualities go back to the 1980's.”

“As stated in Neems court challenge data:

“The issuance of a patent is prohibited if the patent would have been 'obvious' in light of prior art. The standard for patentability requires that the differences between a patentable invention and its prior art must be great enough so that a person with ordinary skill in the art would not consider the invention to be obvious at the time of patenting. Neems Patent No. 5,124,349 was found to not meet this standard.”

“An Indian government challenge in the United States led to the revocation of a patent on another Indian plant, turmeric, whose medicinal qualities have been known for centuries. That challenge was accepted as a result of India showing that the knowledge had been found in the Indian pharmacopoeia.”

“In the United States, prior existing knowledge to deny a patent is accepted in terms of publication in any journal, but not of knowledge known and available in oral or folk traditions.”

“This narrow view of prior knowledge has been responsible for any number of patents for processes and products derived from biological material, or their synthesis into purer crystalline forms.”

“A Third World Network expert group recommended in 1998 that developing countries apply a broad concept of 'prior art' to ensure that patents are granted to actually 'new' inventions, and to stick to the need of novelty of the process itself as a condition of granting a patent. The developing countries were also advised to deny patents for new uses of a known product or process, including second use of a medicine or for incremental additions to get a new patent on a prior one.”

“The expert group advised developing countries to define and interpret 'novelty' according to generally accepted concepts, namely, any prior disclosure whether written or not destroys novelty. Knowledge like use of medicinal plants diffused within a local or indigenous community should also be deemed prior art and patent denied.”

“And writing such a rule into their legislation would prevent patenting of knowledge or materials developed by and diffused within local or indigenous communities.”

Due to the high proliferation of pollen inherent in growing industrial Hemp, possibly the greatest threat posed to natural Cannabis strains is in the commercialization of artificially engineered industrial Hemp strains. The following document from the University of Kentucky in 1998 reports that France already holds Patents to industrial Hemp genetics, and is importing Hemp strains into Canada.

SEE: INDUSTRIAL HEMP: GLOBAL OPERATIONS, LOCAL IMPLICATIONS
http://www.uky.edu/Ag/AgEcon/pubs/res_other/hemp98.pdf

One has to wonder, if Monsanto’s Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Proposition passes in California this November, where are the strains going to come from to provide for the “statewide regulatory and commercial industry” called for in the initiative? In the initiative, the only legal Cannabis strains protected by law, are those derived from licensed dealers. If this new industry is to be in accordance with federal law, the only legal seeds that can be attained are from corporations that hold DEA permits for Cannabis importation into the U.S. These permits have been monopolized by Corporations like Kenex, HortaPharm, and GW Pharma, all of which appear to be heavily influenced by the bio-tech seed industry.

The only other legal source to obtain Cannabis seed is from within the United States, exclusively in the University of Mississippi’s Cannabis research program. The UM website describes it as follows:

“Since 1968, the University of Mississippi has maintained the nation’s only legal marijuana farm through a grant from the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). In that time, the project has provided marijuana and its compounds to researchers around the country conducting HHS-approved studies of the plant, its chemical components, and their potential beneficial and harmful effects.”

“Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly joined the project when he came to Ole Miss in 1976 and has been Marijuana Project director since 1980. In the ’80s and early ’90s, ElSohly’s work focused on analyzing marijuana samples seized by the DEA to develop a marijuana “fingerprinting” system that is still being used to trace crops to their sources globally. The responsibility of analyzing the material for the DEA also provided UM researchers the opportunity to study a wide variety of plants leading to a better understanding of the many chemicals found in Cannabis.”

“In recent years, with some support from NIH, ElSohly and other UM researchers have studied Cannabis to develop new medicines and new ways of delivering the chemical compounds in marijuana, particularly tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), to treat a range of chronic conditions—from nausea due to chemotherapy for cancer patients to neuropathic pain for multiple sclerosis patients.”

“UM has patented and licensed to a pharmaceutical company a THC suppository to deliver to cancer patients the potential medicinal benefits of marijuana without the undesirable side effects.”
SEE: http://www.research.olemiss.edu/Chan...uresForKillers

El Sohly also has a contract with Mallinckrodt, a giant chemical and bio-tech company that plans to market a THC-extract pill as an alternative to Marinol.
SEE: http://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2009/04/07-18
Monsanto has purchased and/or merged with Mallinckrodt.
SEE: http://cti.itc.virginia.edu/~meg3c/TCC401/A_Case.pdf

The following is an article found in Cannabis Culture Magazine published in February 2000, entitled “Genetically Modified Medpot” and reports that UM’s cannabis genetics are allegedly derived from Monsanto.
SEE: http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1322.html

“Pharmaceutical companies may seize control of Canada's medical marijuana supply.”

“A source within the Ministry of Health, who wishes to remain anonymous, has provided documents and information to Cannabis Culture, describing how Canadian pot is to be grown for upcoming medical trials. The documents call for 185 kg (408 pounds) of pot to be grown in the first year, and double that amount for the second through fifth years.”
“The thirty-five page guideline document, with the weighty title, Draft Statement of Work for The Development of a Comprehensive Operation for the Cultivation and Fabrication of Marijuana in Canada, is still open to revisions. It includes proposals for how marijuana should be grown, processed and fabricated. Included in these guidelines is the potential to give a notorious pharmaceutical company exclusive rights for selling seeds to the budding medpot industry.”

“Mississippi schwag”

“According to the document, "the acquisition of seed will be performed by Health Canada during the project initiation stage. The prime contractor can choose to provide their own seed so long as it is from a licit source."“

“Which presents a problem. How many licit seed sources exist? In North America the only licit source is the University of Mississippi. Concerns about the effectiveness of notoriously schwaggy U of M bud prompted Dr Kilby of the Community Research Initiative of Toronto to state that he would prefer clinical marijuana come from another source (see CC#22). It would seem that Health Canada recognized these concerns when it began looking for private contractors to do the job.”

“Yet will the bud really be any different than that produced by the University of Mississippi? Cannabis Culture's anonymous source within the ministry gave us the scoop.
Advertisement”

“"Scheduled labs around the country which are already growing marijuana are using seeds from the University of Mississippi," reported the official. "The genetics come from Monsanto."“

“Health Canada spokesperson Jeff Pender knew of the recent guidelines document that had been released, but denied knowledge of where the seeds will come from.”

“"Where would a potential grower get the seeds from?," repeated Pender when I asked him this question. "I'm not really sure. I guess? I could find out for you. I imagine growers could order seeds from the US."“

“Pender eventually suggested that the National Institute on Drug Abuse, which also gets its cannabis from the University of Mississippi, might be a source for contracted growers looking to buy licit seeds. If the unnamed source at the Ministry of Health is correct, all of these seeds would originally have come from Monsanto.”

“Monsanto's marijuana”

“The US-based Monsanto corporation became infamous last year when the public discovered that the huge pharmaceutical company was responsible for producing Agent Orange during the Vietnam war, for producing and selling Roundup to be sprayed on South American villages, for experimenting with dangerous genetically modified foods, and ? most recently ? for creating the dreaded "terminator" seed.”

“Terminator seeds are genetically engineered to produce a plant that will not produce viable seed, meaning that growers would be forced to go back to Monsanto each year to buy more seed stock to replant. Governments and public alike became wary of the concept when it was discovered that the terminator seed could possibly cross the species barrier, possibly spreading infertility among the plant kingdom like a disease.”

“Cannabis seeds from Monsanto are almost definitely genetically engineered. Genetically engineered plants can be patented, and it is in Monsanto's best interest to hold a patent on any seed they sell. Seed patents ensure that companies like Monsanto can continue to profit from seeds from year to year, as farmers are legally bound to buy patented seeds from the patent holder rather than simply store them from the last year's crop.”

“Pharmaceutical schwag”

“Interestingly, low-potency pot of the kind produced by Monsanto seeds at the University of Mississippi is exactly the kind of product the Ministry of Health is asking for from contractors. The guidelines ask specifically for "standardized marijuana cigarettes with THC content of between 4% and 6% and weighing [about] 850 mg."“

“Which means the cigarettes to be used for clinical trials will be phatties containing over three-quarters of a gram of schwag bud each! These fat joints will deliver about twice the tar per dose as marijuana currently available from experienced growers, which reaches between 8-10% THC.”

“The Health Canada document seems concerned that smoking can cause harm, and promises to explore other methods soon after the initial trials are run. Yet the product they choose to use is guaranteed to maximize the risks and problems associated with smoking. Could it be that the Ministry of Health is creating its own excuse not to use smoking as a delivery method?”

“Our anonymous source within the ministry assures us that the government plans to eventually only allow the use of inhalers, similar to asthma inhalers.”

“"The inhaler gets rid of any small industry that might develop, by regulating the delivery system. The other idea that didn't go through was to develop a seed system that would allow cultivars from across Canada which would then be grandfathered. What this means is that once the cultivated varieties were tested they would be introduced just the same as if they had been genetically modified."“

“Patented seeds and dose delivery methods could mean complete pharmaceutical control of medicinal cannabis sometime in the near future.”

The Cannabis legalization movement is heavily influenced from major shareholders in the Monsanto GMO seed industry. Mr. George Soros is the prime example. Soros is not only a major financier of DPA as well as being on the Board of Directors of the Drug Policy Alliance, but has also financed many different Cannabis legalization organizations across the country including the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP). Soros is credited with putting financial muscle behind many of the state initiatives easing marijuana laws — beginning with a 1996 California ballot question to allow marijuana use for medical purposes. From 1996 to 2000, Soros backed medical marijuana questions there and in Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Colorado, Nevada and Maine.

An associated press article dated August 27, 2008 reports that a measure that would ease Marijuana laws in 2008 was on the ballot in Massachusetts largely because of billionaire financier George Soros.

Keith Stroup, founder of NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has stated
"All of us owe George Soros a great deal of gratitude".

If California’s Control Cannabis Proposition does not pass this November, Monsanto’s funding will undoubtedly legalize Cannabis for corporate exploitation sometime in the near future. This will Inundate the medicinal and industrial Cannabis market with artificially engineered and patented Cannabis strains from the only DEA permitted sources available: GW Pharma in partnership with Bayer Inc. and HortaPharm, Kenex corporation, and the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana program, all of which appear to be influenced heavily by the GMO seed industry.

Since the only licit sources of Cannabis are derived from interests in connection with the bio-tech industry, this will force anybody who wishes to grow natural non-patented and non-engineered Cannabis strains to attain their seeds from ‘illicit’ sources.

Other then exposing the imminent threat that Cannabis legalization organizations are posing to natural Cannabis strains in collusion with trans-national GMO seed companies, our responsibility towards this sacred plant compels us to attain natural variety Cannabis seeds and protect them from genetic contamination. Just like the Mayans have learned with Maize, artificial genetic contamination is causing the extinction of natural plant varieties around the planet:

FIGHTING GMO CONTAMINATION AROUND THE WORLD:
http://www.grain.org/seedling/?id=575

As we can learn from the Mayans in the foregoing article, the concept of saving seeds is sacred and central to their spiritual and physical way of life. The same is true for cultural and religious practices all around the world, whether you’re a Christian, Buddhists, Hindu, Muslim, Jew, or just a plain old Human Being, the concept of saving seed is as old as human society itself. If corporations like Monsanto, GW Pharma, Bayer and HortaPharm are allowed to carry out there interests, they will hold the genetic copyrights to all Cannabis strains on the planet. GW Pharma and HortaPharm have stated their intent to engineer Cannabis strains similar to Monsanto’s terminator seed technology. Their strains seem to be artificially manipulated to produce "one-off sterile females" which prevents reproduction of harvest-able seeds. These are the kinds of strains that are waiting to be controlled, regulated, licensed and taxed after the potential passage of proposition 19 in California and many similar initiatives across the United States being funded directly by Monsanto shareholders.

This investigated report was written and compiled by Conrad Justice Kiczenski. Conrad is 19 years old, lives in Lucerne, California, is an organic gardener, and is the host and producer of Guerrilla Radio on KPFZ 88.1 FM in Lake County.

For more information about Conrad and his radio show Guerrilla Radio, SEE:

www.ustream.tv/channel/guerrilla-tv
www.radicaljusticeman.podomatic.com
www.guerrillaradiokpfz.podomatic.com
www.community.kpfz.org/blog/15
www.konocti.org/cms/guerrillla-radio
www.myspace.com/radicaljusticeman

Hi Jesse,

Good read but you have to take care of some comments you make like:
"to sell seeds to a man with more intestinal fortitude than either Clarke or Watson possessed combined between the two of them named Nevil Schoenmaker"

Those are personal opinions which can not be put into a text and can not be proved. You just show there your personal preference and you are not neutral.

Bushpig said:

Hi Jesse,

You have done a brilliant job presenting this body of work on this forum.
Thanks for putting it all together. I found it paints the whole picture perfectly.

Complete with citations, I love it.

Regards
BP

Click to expand...

Hi Bush,
I spent so much time writing yesterday, that I started to develop a head ache ha! I wanted to make it a point to get the story as I see it across, so its nice to see others feel the picture has been painted to a point of recognition.

Hi Jesse,

Good read but you have to take care of some comments you make like:
"to sell seeds to a man with more intestinal fortitude than either Clarke or Watson possessed combined between the two of them named Nevil Schoenmaker"

Those are personal opinions which can not be put into a text and can not be proved. You just show there your personal preference and you are not neutral.

Click to expand...

Hi Joaquin,
Thanks for the advice, though the point of the write up is to express my own thoughts on the subject, not someone elses. If you had been following Nevil's post throughout the last month or more, you would know he refused to work for the Drug Enforcement Administration though the characters in question above can be definitively tied in with the DEA and that is only running skin deep! And with their (Hortapharm/Clarke/Watsons) connections with big pharmaceutical, also a point within the write up, and the potential harm this may lead to the entire cannabis community and general public based off making a buck, at the expense of everything else apparently, its quite apparent that Clarke and Watsons moral and ethical development can easily be called into question. Do I have a biased opinion (personal preference) when the future of the plant is threatened? You can bet your bottom dollar on that one my friend, which is also why Ive posted regularly in the threat of the feminized seed trend as well, because somebody has to stand up and say something, before its too late!

kylebroflovski said:

Awesome read Jesse!

Most of us in this industry are businessmen of one sort or another. For the most part the cannabis movement understands that a fair price for medicine is one of the reasons we do the work we do. Most here IMO would agree making a profit is not evil.

What is evil is selling humanity famine and profiting from it.

What is evil is taking medicine people can produce for themselves and making them buy it from an exclusively sanctioned government source.

What is evil is screwing over uneducated farmers who work harder in a year then most suit and tie types do in a decade.

What is evil in the year 2010 is the American DEA, Hortapharm and its owners ( Robert Connell Clarke author Marijuana Botany and Sam the Skunkman aka Dave Watson ), and the corporate and financial institutions that take medicines from plants and make patients buy them in the form of a pill. Just my opinion based on the facts.

KB 8)_~

Robert Connell Clarke is proof that the keeper of a bright mind will sometimes possess a very dark heart. He really is like Darth Vader. 8(

Click to expand...

Hey Kyle,
Thanks for checking in brother, you touch on great points, and I myself wonder what has happened to R.C Clarke. This is a man I think we all had great respect for, but in terms of recent developments throughout the years and his long time association with Sam the Skunkman...

originally posted by Moonunit
Here is something posted over at "the super evil fortress of darkness" yesterday, similar in subject matter. I niether endorse or oppose what i am reposting here, although i hate monsanto and their practices, i dont hate science nor progression, just motives based totaly around gaining as much profit as is possible.
The real problem is that this has already been done to every aspect of most ppls lives already. Its a way for the elite class to fleece or shear the efforts/labors of the working class. The real problem is the plutocracy that exists under the guise of capitalism, the world is yet to see capitalism or communism in their true forms, just illussions of such systems whilst the elite class continues ruling behind the scenes, reguardless of which public puppet system and figureheads are in place to placate the masses. Black markets were and are the last pockets of power/wealth to be held back from these pos elites and it seems they now want them too.
A system based on greed and infinite growth cannot sustain itself in a finite world forever. The whole house of cards will come crashing down eventualy and most wont even see it coming
UNITED we stand, DIVIDED we will fall
much respect
moonunit

Click to expand...

Hi moon,
Despite previous postings, I must say I like the change in direction of turning over a new leaf. The bread of your post in regards to the Prop 19, Monsanto and GMO terminator Cannabis is something I too thought was an interesting read, something which reminded me quite a bit of my own postings here at MNS, which I ultimately incorporated here in this write up and had originally posted yesterday as well which was followed up by a few other repostings subsequently afterwards.

Indeed, united we stand! Divided we fall! And I think its time we all hop on the same boat as Shanti suggested in order to fight what is looming on the horizon properly!

Something I think we should take into consideration is the presence of a known DEA associate at "the super evil fortress of doom" at Icmag. Being perhaps the largest online cannabis forum in the world, with thousands of growers and enthusiast world wide participating, to consider he has only the best intentions is thinking too positively in a situation which could easily have far greater, negative, reaching repercussions! And knowing that my original attempts to warn the forum of this very idea resulted in a complete cover up by Admin and moderators alike is something Ive taken rather seriously ever since.

Kangativa said:

Thank you Jesse, that was one of the best lunchtime reads i have had in a long, long time.....keep up the awesome work.....cheers K

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Hi Kanga,
Thanks for stopping in my friend, as I believe this subject is indeed quite important and ties in with a few different threads and subject matter here at the forum. Wanting to touch on a plethora of topics which may all ultimately be linked, but which may get lost due to the nature of responding to threads in general, I wanted to at least attempt to put something together that others can understand and themselves use in the future.

I think ultimately we all care a great deal about the future of the plant which has given us so much to be thankful for in life, and that any threat, potential or otherwise, is viewed very seriously. Ultimately the last thing we should do is overlook the train which is headed right for us!

JessE said:

Hi Kanga,
Thanks for stopping in my friend, as I believe this subject is indeed quite important and ties in with a few different threads and subject matter here at the forum. Wanting to touch on a plethora of topics which may all ultimately be linked, but which may get lost due to the nature of responding to threads in general, I wanted to at least attempt to put something together that others can understand and themselves use in the future.

I think ultimately we all care a great deal about the future of the plant which has given us so much to be thankful for in life, and that any threat, potential or otherwise, is viewed very seriously. Ultimately the last thing we should do is overlook the train which is headed right for us!

Click to expand...

Hi Jesse....No worries mate and again thank you for spending the time to do this subject.
Yes mate you are so right, so many people are concerned about the future of this wonderful plant and its people like you that I hope will open the eyes of people who dont understand what is happening.
Save a seat for me on that train mate

GM hemp

Hi Folks
Thanks Jesse for sharing this info ,I found it a very interesting read.I read some other articles over at Treating yourself mag forum regarding R C Clarke ,Ed Rosenthal Skunk/bubble man et al. Ice Wars was the name of the article a story about cornering the bubble hash industry .I found it quite disturbing to learn that a couple my "heroes " would do this!
The threat of destruction of the fabric of ones life by law enforcement can be phycologically oppressive and good men have been turned .Fortunately not all!
Elmer.

This is the same old song and dance of the plutocracy, they will stop at nothing to achieve their goals, and with so many sleep at the wheel, lulled by the propaganda, never to wake until they are stripped of everything.

You are called to be a "watchman on the wall", so keep the information coming, because it is midnight and most are asleep.

hmm

Now I've known this story of sam, and the dea for sometime. What I can't understand is this. With people knowing this, and it being verified from so many different sources. Why would you even bother talking with him? Besides being a pompous ass. WTF are people thinking? I wonder how many have shared personal info with him> Then to get visited by Leo. I mean come on folks. Wake up...Just wake up. This is one reason why I left that sight. Shit there is alot of good info there if you put on your boots, and wade thru the crap, but dea. Leo there?

Jesse wether this info comes from you, or someone else. It is good to get it out there. Scuzzy sam, but it is disheartening to hear about clarke working with him. For some reason this phrase comes to mind

"Luke I am your father." ...Ns

JessE said:

Hi moon,
Despite previous postings, I must say I like the change in direction of turning over a new leaf. The bread of your post in regards to the Prop 19, Monsanto and GMO terminator Cannabis is something I too thought was an interesting read, something which reminded me quite a bit of my own postings here at MNS, which I ultimately incorporated here in this write up and had originally posted yesterday as well which was followed up by a few other repostings subsequently afterwards.

Indeed, united we stand! Divided we fall! And I think its time we all hop on the same boat as Shanti suggested in order to fight what is looming on the horizon properly!

Something I think we should take into consideration is the presence of a known DEA associate at "the super evil fortress of doom" at Icmag. Being perhaps the largest online cannabis forum in the world, with thousands of growers and enthusiast world wide participating, to consider he has only the best intentions is thinking too positively in a situation which could easily have far greater, negative, reaching repercussions! And knowing that my original attempts to warn the forum of this very idea resulted in a complete cover up by Admin and moderators alike is something Ive taken rather seriously ever since.

Click to expand...

Hi m8, i stand by all my previous posts and dont believe i have changed my stance , i deleted my posts from "that" thread here because the thread was going nowhere( just the same as threads on the same topic have always reguardless of the venue of discussion), just rehashing the same old arguements, with fanatics of either point of view at each others throats. I am in the middle, i take the best of both points of view, and end up copping crap from both camps, but it worries me not as my goal is to learn, not to be righteous in some virtual arguement lol. Im more into learning then confrontations, hence the reason i mostly sit on the sidelines and listen
Funnily enough i actualy agree with alot of things you say, but dont think for a second that the dea only hang at icmag, they are on every single herb site no doubt, so your warnings go for every herb site, and online herb community. Ppl do need to be careful indeed.
On the monsanto front, i totaly agree, they are totaly driven by profit and growth, and i dont believe( as shanti does)that any living thing should be patented. Its wrong on so many levels. Monsanto truely are the evil empire, as they wish to control the worlds food supplies and almost do, and their tactics are disgusting.
Fear not though, as the heirloom vegetable scene thrives, and for those willing to grow their own food, there are plenty of genetic options free from the hand of the likes of monsanto ect. The big companies only really tend to breed their lines towards monoculture mass cropping efficency , so they only effect those dependant on the system for their food. Imagine if like in the medetarian , most ppl filled their available space with food crops( yard ect, no lawns), and stopped buying from big biz. Not only would it be great for the enviroment( food traveling from the backyard to table burns alot less energy then a vege imported from china), but it would kick the corps in the nuts, a small kick but a kick never the less.
I am a huge advocate of growing your own food, herbs and being as self sufficent as possible. Its is scary that if the food supply suddenly stopped and folks couldnt buy food anymore, at any price, that most would starve, beg or steal. Most of the modern western world has no idea how to live if the system that feeds them was to stop, cities would be filled with starving , materalistic beggers and thiefs, the parasites and parasitic industries of the world would be exposed and dumped on thier asses, i certianly wouldnt be trading my food to a fashion designer to come and design me some clothes, or an accountant to come and count my food, nor an advertising exec to come and make my food more appealing to me, aint happening. Folks like brittany spears would be doing more than singing for their supper i can tell you lmao
The problem is the entire system, its based on bullshit, pipe dreams and pixie dust and most are to into their pixie dust and pipe dreams to see the reality of the world.
much respect
moonunit

A while back I watched Strain Hunters Africa on YouTube, and Arjan said something about getting seeds for Sam The Skunk Man. Then gave some speech about how fem seeds would save the world , and I almost puked. From what I hear they just planted some greenhouse seeds in Africa, then pretended to find the fields. It was disturbing to watch, and know people are fooled by that garbage!

Funnily enough i actualy agree with alot of things you say, but dont think for a second that the dea only hang at icmag, they are on every single herb site no doubt, so your warnings go for every herb site, and online herb community. Ppl do need to be careful indeed.

Click to expand...

I just thought I'd jump in on this point. Sure leo is watching everything we post, but he is not a moderator here. I wouldn't give ICMAG my email address. If LEO was looking through your emails, what would he find out about you?
N.

Less than two months and We have a Vote Here. It may be legal after that. It already is legal for Me. Ill be watching the federal reaction. But when Money is involved, the Federal government usually likes to get in on the action. Ask Sam.

Money money money....must be funny....in the rich mans' world ...

....................

Care takers

As a person of an indigeonous heritage I grew up believing that we are only another part of a greater web of life of which we are only a small component.The Idea that men can own the patent of a part of that web is folly .Our lives are a moment in the passing of time.
The fact that Darth Soros is involved in prop 19 is a very bad omen !He is responsible for the suffering of untold amounts of people across the globe .With his manipulation of markets triggering disease and famine .While showing seemingly no regard for human dignity.
I wonder sometimes what is better, the decline of the US or the rise of China? Either way we must continue to resist .Knowledge is power ,but dissinformtion is so easilly promoted and can take a lot of filtering ! phew.
Stay strong brothers and sisters and be proud.The truth will be revealed.