Ootw magazineissue

Who is Big Pharma?

Drugs you should stay away from

Medical marijuana, history & benefitsa

Out of this Oil&Balm

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STORIES WORTH YOUR ATTENTION

“ my

drug dealer was a doctor, doctor had the plug from big pharma, pharma he said that he would heal me, heal me but he only gave me problems, problems

Macklemore

my drug dealer was a � doctor, doctor had the plug from big pharma, pharma i think he trying to kill me, kill me he tried to kill me for a dollar, dollar

Macklemore

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content

01 big pharma 02 drugs 03 aussie out of control 04 quit cold turkey 05 cannabis

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Content

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06 medical cannabis 07 replacement drug 08 out of this oil 09 follow me 10 bibliography

Content

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PILLS PILLS PILLS PILLS

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todays health service can’t always be trusted. our doctors who are supposed to help us, often takes the easy way out and prescribes you medicine that you don´t nececarly need, or that are seriously bad for you.

Investigate before you invest in health services or products.

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Prescription thugs

Opiods

01 Doctors are prescribing more painkillers than ever. Painkillers often lead to addiction. People who become addicted to painkillers are 40 times more likely to abuse heroin.

02 Big Pharma is aggressively pushing their product. Spending more money marketing their drug than research and development.

Opioids is the name of a class of dangerous and addictive painkiller drugs that includes heroin.

So, what is our solutions? First of all we need to fund treatment for the victims. We need to educate doctors the risks of overprescribing painkillers. And last but not least, we need to legalize marijuana. Marijuana legalized states in the US. experience up to 25% fewer opioid-related hospitalizations and overdoses. That is because marijuana effectively treats pain without the risk addiction or overdose.

03 Economic insecurity drives people to abuse drugs. People who make $20.000 a year are 3.4 times more likely to abuse opiod drugs than people who make over $50.000 a year.

Big Pharma

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big pharma who? the pople — behind the pharmaceutical industry Big Pharma is the nickname given to the world’s vast and influential pharmaceutical industry and its trade group, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America or PhRMA. These powerful companies make billions of dollars every year by selling drugs and medical devices.

Big Pharma wields enormous influence over the prescription drug and medical device markets around the globe. In the U.S., the industry contributes heavily to the annual budget of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which is charged with regulating drugs and devices made by those same companies.

The industry demonstrates its power, political might and social influence over the nation’s governments and agencies, its health care systems, its doctors and hospitals, as well as the psyche of the American people.

The global market for pharmaceuticals topped $1 trillion in sales in 2014. The world’s 10 largest drug companies generated $429.4 billion of that revenue. Five of the top 10 companies are headquartered in the U.S.: Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer, Abbot Laboratories, Merck and Eli Lilly.

With the help of staggering profits and 1,100-plus paid lobbyists, the industry has gained powerful leverage on Capitol Hill. From 1998 to 2014, Big Pharma spent

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Big Pharma

nearly $2.9 billion on lobbying expenses — more than any other industry. The industry also doled out more than $15 million in campaign contributions from 2013-14.

But the large amount of cash Big Pharma bestows on government representatives and regulatory bodies is small when compared with the billions it spends each year on direct-to-consumer advertising. The U.S. is one of only two countries in the world whose governments allow prescription drugs to be advertised on TV (the other is New Zealand).

A single manufacturer, Boehringer Ingelheim, spent $464 million advertising its blood thinner Pradaxa in 2011. The following year, the drug passed the $1 billion sales mark. The money in this business appears to be well-spent.

How does Big Pharma work? Critics contend that Big Pharma uses manipulative, ubiquitous and expensive advertising to sway lawmakers, the FDA and the public, which in turn spurs on hypochondria and raises consumers’ health fears.

The American public is not the only sector of society influenced by Big Pharma’s techniques. Doctors, scientists and research organizations, medical journals, teaching hospitals and university medical schools all exhibit disturbing conflicts of interest between their pub-

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licly stated missions and their financial and ideological subjection to Big Pharma.

Doctors conduct research with funds from Big Pharma. Private charities and foundations account for a mere five percent of the estimated $100 billion spent on biomedical research in the U.S. each year. Pharmaceutical and medical device companies contribute approximately 60 percent.

Big Pharma also has a track record of hiring former government workers with valuable connections to gain political clout. The trade group PhRMA has more than 50 current or former staff members who once served in the political arena. Using these connections to pursue industry goals, Big Pharma has a significant competitive advantage over the public interest.

Marketing, research & development, and drug cost. Americans pay more than any other country in the world for pharmaceuticals – in some cases, thousands of dollars more per prescription. Big Pharma says this can’t be helped because of the astronomical costs of developing a new drug.

The truth is U.S. law allows drug companies to set the prices for drugs and protects them from free-market competition. Other countries set a limit on what companies can charge based on the benefit of the drug. The true cost of developing a drug is shrouded in mystery

with many unverifiable figures reported by Big Pharma.

Donald Light, a professor and expert on the pharma business model, said that while companies claim each new drugs costs them $1.2 billion, the true cost is more like 60 million.

The industry also avoids talking about how much it spends on marketing, almost double what it spends on research.

Big Pharma sways opinions. Big Pharma markets directly to doctors, consumers, researchers and institutions. The industry persuades doctors to allow ghostwriting, paying physicians to attach their names to positive articles about a particular drug with the goal of seeing it published in a reputable medical journal.

Often the commentary is little more than an advertisement penned by a company-paid copywriter showcasing a new product. Big Pharma used ghostwriting to promote numerous drugs, including the antidepressant Paxil, the recalled weight loss drug Fen-Phen, the anti-epilepsy drug Neurontin, the antidepressant Zoloft and painkiller Vioxx, to name a few.

In addition, even when a medical reviewer writes a comprehensive assessment of a new drug for a medical journal, it is common practice for those supposedly unbiased professionals to be on Big Pharma’s payroll.

Big Pharma

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These slanted studies appear in medical journals that are widely hailed as collections of unbiased scientific evaluation and separated from the long financial arm of pharmaceutical industry influence. Yet Richard Smith,

them for publication. Drug companies also stage-manage trials to produce predetermined outcomes that will put their products in the best light.

former editor of the British Medical Journal, says, “All journals are bought, or at least cleverly used – by the pharmaceutical industry.”

Medical schools and Big Pharma. Big Pharma has also infiltrated medical schools. Teachers, department chairs and deans are known to sit on drug companies’ boards of directors which in turn influences educational content. Money from Big Pharma supports programs within many medical schools and teaching hospitals, and company reps are given access to young doctors to promote their wares.

The result is doctors not only receive biased information but also learn a drug-intensive style of medicine.

They come to believe that there is a drug for everything and that new drugs (of which they have many free samples) are always better than old ones.

Big Pharma tends to weaken the objectivity of even the most honest health professionals while encouraging them to overprescribe medications. Consider the numbers: 1 Advertising instead of research: For every $1 spent on “basic research,” Big Pharma spends $19 on promotions and advertising.

2 Distribution of free drug samples: The U.S. has one pharmaceutical sales representative for every five office-based physicians.

3 Sponsorship of symposiums and medical conventions: Drug and medical device makers spend lavishly on doctors, including covering meals, travel, seminars and conventions that sometimes look more like vacations.

Many medical journals, including the esteemed Journal of the American Medical Association, actively vie for the attention of Big Pharma advertising dollars, billing themselves as the best way for drug companies to reach their professional readership.

Big Pharma and researchers. Then there are medical researchers, who are hardly immune to Big Pharma’s financial power. Because drug companies sponsor clinical trials that researchers are paid to administer, too often the academics and scientists are hired hands who supply human subjects and collect data according to the instructions from their corporate employers.

Sponsors keep the data, analyze it, write the papers and decide whether and when and where to submit

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Big Pharma

In most states, doctors must also take accredited education courses, called continuing medical education (CME). The pharmaceutical industry provides a substantial proportion of the billions spent on CME annually and continues to use that support as a marketing tool.

In addition, academic centers are able to receive royalties from Big Pharma on any drug or technology they help to create and patent as a result of research, sometimes underwritten with government funds. Columbia University, for example, received nearly $790 million from licensing agreements with biotech and pharmaceutical companies during the 17-year life of its medical school’s patent on a method for synthesizing certain biological products.

Who is Big Pharma? The majority of drugs and medical devices have ties to a small group of parent companies. Prescription drugs and devices manufactured by these companies bring in billions in profits but may leave consumers with serious adverse side effects. The suffering experienced by users of the drugs and devices is hard to quantify.

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Big Pharma

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“ they

said it wasn’t a gateway drug, my homie was takin’ subs and he ain’t wake up the whole while, these billionaires, they kicked up paying out congress so we take their drugs murderers who will never face the judge and we dancin’ to a song

Macklemore

about our face goin’ numb ” but I seen homies turn grey, noses draining blood I could’ve been gone, out 30’s, faded in that tub that’s Prince, Michael and Whitney, that’s Amy, Ledger and Pimp C, That’s Yams, that’s DJ A.M, god damn they’re making a killing

Macklemore

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drugs you should — stay away from

xanax vicodin adderall ambien zoloft 16

Drugs

keep calm and pop a xanax What is Xanax? Xanax (alprazolam) is a benzodiazepine. Xanax affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with anxiety. It is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders and anxiety caused by depression.

Xanax is habit-forming, misuse can cause addiction, overdose, or death. You can not use the drug while pregnant, the medicine can cause birth defects. Your baby could also become dependant on the drug which can cause life-threatening withdrawal symptoms in the baby after it is born. It can also pass into breast milk and may harm a nursing baby.

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drawal symptoms. If you use Xanax long-term, you may need frequent medical tests.

Common side effects are drowsiness, feeling tired, slurred speech, lack of balance or coordination, memory problems, and feeling anxious.

Other serious side effects - depressed mood, thoughts of suicide or hurting yourself, increased energy, risk-taking behavior, tremor, seizure, pounding heartbeats or fluttering in your chest.

Selling or giving this medication away is against the law. Do not stop using Xanax suddenly, or you could have unpleasant withDrugs

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it’s my vicodin, and you can’t have any

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What is Vicodin? Vicodin contains a combination of acetaminophen and hydrocodone. Hydrocodone is an opioid pain medication. Acetaminophen is a less potent pain reliever that increases the effects of hydrocodone. Vicodin tablets are used for the relief of moderate to moderately severe pain. Hydrocodone can slow or stop your breathing.

Narcotic pain medicine is habit-forming, even at regular doses. Misuse of narcotic medicine can cause addiction, overdose, or death, especially in a child or other person using the medicine without a prescription.

An overdose of acetaminophen can damage your liver or cause death. If you use narcotic medicine while you are pregnant, your baby could become dependent on the 18

Drugs

drug. The first signs of an acetaminophen overdose include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, sweating, and confusion or weakness.

Later symptoms may include pain in your upper stomach, dark urine, and yellowing of your skin or the whites of your eyes.

Overdose symptoms may also include extreme drowsiness, pinpoint pupils, cold and clammy skin, muscle weakness, fainting, weak pulse, slow heart rate, coma, blue lips, shallow breathing, or no breathing.

just give me an adderall, and I will change the world What is Adderall? Adderall contains a combination of amphetamine and dextroamphetamine. These are central nervous system stimulants that affect chemicals in the brain and nerves that contriute to hyperactivity and impulse control. Addrall is used to treat narcolepsy and ADHD.

dextroamphetamine could be fatal, overdose symptoms may include tremor, coma, vomoting, seizure, muscle twitches, rapid breathing, confusion, hallucinations, panic, agressiveness, mucsle pain and dark colored urin.

These symptoms may be followed by depression and tiredness.

Adderall may be habit-forming, never share this medicine with another person, especially someone with a history of drug abuse or addiction. Using this medicine improperly can cause death or serious side effects to the heart.

This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert. Other common side effects are stomach pain, loss of appetite, wight loss, mood changes, headache, insomnia and dry mouth.

Some stimulants have caused sudden death in certain people. Adderall is not approved for use by anyone younger than 6 years old. An overdose of amphetamine and Drugs

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I love having insomnia, said no one ever What is Ambien? Ambien (zolpidem) is a sedative, also called a hypnotic. Zolpidem affects chemicals in the brain that may be unbalanced in people with sleep problems.

Ambien is used to treat insomnia. The immediate-release tablet is used to help you fall asleep when you first go to bed. The extended-release form, Ambien CR, which has a first layer that dissolves quickly to help you fall asleep, and a second layer that dissolves slowly to help you stay asleep.

Ambien may impair your thinking or reactions. You may still feel sleepy the morning after taking this medicine, especially if you take the extended-release tablet, or if you are a woman. Wait at least 4 hours or until you are fully awake before you do anything that requires you to be awake and alert.

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Drugs

Zolpidem cause a severe allergic reaction. Allergic reaction symptoms: difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. The recommended doses of zolpidem are not the same in men and women, and this drug is not approved for use in children.

Some people using this medicine have engaged in activity such as driving, eating, walking, making phone calls, or having sex and later having no memory of the activity.

Zolpidem may be habit forming. Serious side effects: chest pain, fast or irregular heartbeat, feeling short of breath, trouble breathing or swallowing, or feeling like you might pass out.

I used to care, but I take a pill for that now What is Zoloft? Zoloft (sertraline) is an antidepressant in a group of drugs called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). The way sertraline works is still not fully understood. It is thought to positively affect communication between nerve cells in the central nervous system and/or restore chemical balance in the brain.

Zoloft is used to treat depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD).

Some young people have thoughts about suicide when first taking an antidepressant. It’s important to stay alert to changes in your mood or symptoms.

Serious side effects may include: mood or behavior changes, anxiety, panic attacks, trouble sleeping, feeling impulsive, irritable, agitated, hostile, aggressive, restless, hyperactive (mentally or physically), more depressed, or have thoughts about suicide or hurting yourself.

Zoloft is FDA-approved for children with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).

It is not approved for treating depression in children.

This medication may impair your thinking or reactions. Be careful if you drive or do anything that requires you to be alert.

Drugs

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aussie out of — control Just because a drug is legal and prescribed by a doctor does not mean it is 100% safe, and it is this public misunderstanding of the addictive and deadly nature of some pharmaceuticals that needs to be addressed.

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Aussie out of control

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While the media has been focused on Australia’s meth addiction, prescription drug addiction continues to fly under the radar, taking almost as many lives.

The Australian Medical Association has recently declared prescription drug addiction a “national emergency,” as Australia is currently in the same situation as America in regards to unprecedented harms being caused by the abuse of prescription medications. Australia’s rate of prescription drug addiction was reported as second highest in the world last year, only after the United States, and afflicts 3-4% of the population.

The spotlight has been so focused on methamphetamine’s impact on Australia’s communities, that medical professionals are worried that prescription drug addiction is out of the public’s radar, while at the same time asserting the problem is even greater in magnitude than the ice epidemic.

The harm caused to society by the widespread abuse of prescription drugs is second only to the harms of alcohol abuse.

The president of the Addiction Chapter of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, Dr Frei, asserts that education and laws surrounding prescription drugs such as oxycodone have not kept pace with increased

availability of these drugs. Without changes in legislation and public education, problems will only continue to grow and statistics of prescription drug misuse and addiction in Australia will continue to stagger.

Prescription Drug Abuse Statistics, In Australia, two categories of prescription drugs are most commonly abused: Benzodiazepines and Analgesics. Benzodiazepines are minor tranquilisers and are most often prescribed by doctors to relieve anxiety or help people sleep. Benzodiazepines include drugs under the popular brand names Valium, Xanax, and Serepax.

Analgesics are medications used to relieve pain.

Opioid analgesics such as codeine and oxycodone are the most commonly abused analgesics due to their ability to create sensations of euphoria. Those who are prescribed strong medications such as opioids or benzodiazepines can become dependent on these drugs without intentionally misusing them, as tolerance can develop and people will need to take more and more over time. However, prescription drug addiction occurs most frequently with the non-medical use of prescription drugs. Non-medical use is when people take prescriptions outside of their intended use, including taking a drug not prescribed to you, taking more than prescribed, or crushing, chewing, or otherwise misusing a prescription medication.

Aussie out of control

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Approximately 4.5% of Australians 14 years or older have used tranquilizers or sleeping pills including benzodiazepines for non-medical purposes at some point in their life. The non-medical use of analgesics is even more common, as almost 8% of Australians over the age of 14 have abused analgesics at some point in their life and 3.3% have done so in the past 12 months. Among young Australians aged 14-24 the average age they first try an analgesic for non-medical use is 15 years old.

Of people who reported using opioid pain medication, 30% were using the drug for relaxation, 25% to get high, and more than 10% to relieve emotional distress.

This means while people may first be prescribed opioids to deal with pain, a large percentage begin to misuse the drug which can lead to dependence. They may start by taking a higher dose than prescribed, and as people become addicted to the feelings of euphoria caused by misuse they may begin crushing and snorting, or even injecting the drug to intensify the high.

Pain medications are the most commonly used drug, either licit or illicit, among 12-17 year olds. Four percent of 12-17 year olds take analgesics from home without permission and 3% buy them. This trend is especially frightening, as the younger people are when they experiment with addictive drugs, the more likely they are to develop drug addiction in the future.

In needle exchange programmes, the number of people who report that their last drug injected was a pharmaceutical opioid increased from 7% in 2007 to 27% in 2010. At Sydney Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, monthly visits for injection of crushed and dissolved opioids now exceed that of heroin.

Oxycodone abuse and addiction, the rise of addiction to prescription opiates has been particularly noteworthy and devastating. From 2002-2009 the amount of oxycodone prescribed in Australia increased 180%. In a similar trend to America, widespread prescription and use of opioids also leads to increased harm, including prescription drug addiction and overdose.

The population of those struggling from prescription drug addiction often differs from the stereotypical drug user and includes people from all social classes, those who are considered high functioning individuals, and those who have more social support. Once addiction takes hold, the consequences are similar to those of any addiction and can be deadly.

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Aussie out of control

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Prescription drug addiction causes overdose and death. In the late 1990’s, hospitalisations due to opioid poisoning were predominately related to heroin, but by 2008 prescription opioids accounted for 80% of opioid-related hospitalisations. In Victoria, opioid analgesic ambulance calls in 2012-2013 increased significantly from the prior year. Metropolitan Melbourne saw a 55% increase and there was a 21% increase in regional Victoria.

However, opioids are not the most common drug resulting in an ambulance call. In Victoria, benzodiazepines are the 2nd most common drug involved in ambulance attendances, after alcohol. In Victoria, prescription drugs were involved in 82% of overdose deaths in 2014. Benzodiazepines such as Xanax, Serepax, and Valium were most commonly involved in toxic deaths and opioids came in a close second. Commonly deaths were due to an overdosing on a combination of drugs, and benzodiazepines contributed to deaths involving alcohol, opioids, illicit drugs and antidepressants.

Aussie out of control

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drug—induced deaths in Australia 2001 statistics Benzodiazepines (Valium, Xanax), anti-anxiety medication

SUICIDAL

ACCEDENTAL

21 %

28 %

31 %

25 %

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

Antidepressants (Prozac, Zoloft)

ACCEDENTAL

SUICIDAL

11 %

23 %

28 %

28 %

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

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Aussie out of control

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Opium, heroin & other opioids (Morphine, Vicodin, Oxycodone), pain relief medication

ACCEDENTAL

SUICIDAL

39 %

29 %

22 %

17 %

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

Psychostimulants (Ritalin, Adderall), amphetamine medication

ACCEDENTAL

SUICIDAL

8%

7%

2%

1%

MEN

WOMEN

MEN

WOMEN

Aussie out of control

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what happens when you — quit prescription drugs cold turkey If you’re taking a prescription drug and find that it’s not working for you — or that the side effects are too much to handle — then your best move would be to consult the doctor who prescribed the medicine and ask how to safely wean yourself off it. The thing you don’t want to do, generally speaking, is cut the drug cold turkey.

Depending on the type of medicine, dosage, and how long you’ve been taking it, you’ll need time and professional guidance in order to determine how to taper wean, experts say. But while it can be tempting to toss your prescription and expedite the process, there are serious risks to stopping abruptly.

Xanax (anti-anxiety medication) After taking an anti-anxiety medication such as Xanax for an extended period of time, your body can develop a physiological dependence on it. A Xanax detox isn’t fun, but that shouldn’t lead you to stop cold turkey. If you do, you’re putting yourself at risk of serious withdrawal symptoms including seizures, blurred vision, depression, insomnia, and uncontrollable shaking. A 2009 study published in The American Journal of Forensic Medicine and Pathology determined that abruptly quitting anti-anxiety medications in this drug class can even be fatal.

Vicodin (prescription painkillers) The reason that opiod-based painkillers are being blamed for the worsening heroin epidemic in the U.S. is that they sometimes lead patients down paths of addiction, driving them to pursue heroin as a cheaper and more potent alternative to pills such as Vicodin. But part of the abuse problem has to do with the fact that an opiod detox can be an excruciating experience, especially if you quit the drug all at once, which has been known to cause physical pain, anxiety, muscle aches, diarrhea, and even suicidal thoughts. There is some evidence that therapy — combined with medically supervised use of the opiod-blocking drug buprenorphine — can help patients effectively transition off opiods with limited withdrawal symptoms, according to a 2013 study published in JAMA Psychiatry.

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Quit cold turkey

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Adderall (amphetamines, ADHD stimulants)

Zoloft (antidepressants)

Cutting a prescription stimulant like Adderall cold turkey might not have the same physical withdrawal symptoms as dropping opiods or benzodiazepines, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s a good idea to stop it completely without tapering. Again, the extent of an individual user’s withdrawal symptoms will vary depending on length of use and dosage, but generally, ditching it all at once causes a mental crash. Adderall pumps dopamine into the brain, allowing people with attention deficit disorders to focus and helping people with sleep disorders like narcolepsy stay awake. That said, abruptly quitting can make you feel fatigued, irritable, anxious, excessively hungry, and possibly depressed, Mental Health Daily reports.

When doctors prescribe a patient antidepressants, they typically caution users against going off the drugs cold turkey, because like with anti-anxiety medication, it can be dangerous to stop taking the pills without weaning. About 20 percent of people who try to quit antidepressants after a period of at least six weeks experience “antidepressant discontinuation syndrome,” a condition that can lead to depression, nausea, irritability, dizziness, anxiety, light-headedness and electric shocks known as ‘brain zaps,’ according to The Chicago Tribute. What kind of antidepressant you’re on will also influence the severity of withdrawal. The Tribune reported that, “Paxil and Effexor are associated with some of the worst withdrawal symptoms because they clear out of your system quickly, leaving little time for your body to adjust to the sudden drop in the neurotransmitter serotonin. Prozac, meanwhile, takes a long time to leave your body, diffusing the withdrawal effects.”

Ambien (sleep aids) Sleeps aids can be physically and psychologically addictive, making it difficult for people to sleep naturally after extended use. Cutting prescription sleep aids such as Ambien cold turkey could lead to rebound insomnia (making it more difficult to fall asleep than before you started taking sleep aids) and can even cause seizures.

Weaning yourself off sleeping aids can take weeks and even months but it’s the best way to get off them safely, with the least symptoms. In an article for Psychology Today, Dr. Matthew Edland gave an example of one tapering process.

If you’re looking to drop a prescription drug completely, it’s always best to consult with a physician first to determine the best tapering approach for you.

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“ big pharma is spending millions to shut down medical marijuana. drug companies are worried because marijuana is an alternative to painkillers. the makers of the drug fentanyl, spent $500.000 to fight marijuana legalization in Arizona. the drug was linked to Prince’s death. they’re not the only ones, purdue pharma (oxycontin), jannssen (nucynta), reckitt benckiser (neurofen) also fund anti-marijuana activism.

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Attn:

in fact, drug companies spent more ” than $880 million on fighting weed over the past decade. in 2013, the 17 states with medical marijuana saw painkiler prescriptions drop. it’s time for pharmaceutical companies to take responsibility for the opioid crisis. the opioid crisis; there’s growing evidence that cannabis can fight this epidemic. unfortunantly, addiction itself doesn’t qualify you for a medical marijuana card.

Attn:

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“ everybody wants to be off their pills, but if you don’t have pain, you just have an addiction. and if you want to try this method, you’re gonna have to do it illegally. we’re talking about a substence that will not kill you, and we’re asking to use that substence to eliminate a deadly substence that will kill you. it’s a fact that 78 americans die from opioid overdoses each day, and that is just in America. there’s no time to waste.

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Attn:

the myth that marijuana is a gateway ” drug, ignores the fact that 80% of today’s heroin users started out on prescription painkillers. the real gateway drug is available at your local pharmacy. no matter what opponents say, marijuana is significantly safer, and less addictive than opioids. people might think that using marijuana is just replacing one drug with another, but CBD is a non-psychoactive ingredient, so users can get treatment without even getting high. it’s the ultimate harm reduction drug.

Attn:

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HERB HERB HERB HERB

“ cannabis

is illegal because it can treat cancer, ptsd, seizures anxiety, glaucoma and depression

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Anonymous

which means � no money for pharma companies

Anonymous

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05

cannabis ~

cannabis sativa

cannabis ruderalis

Cannabis is a flowering plant that includes three species, sativa, indica and ruderalis. Cannabis grows wild in many of the tropical and temperate areas of the world. It can be grown in almost any climate, and is increasingly cultivated by means of indoor hydroponic technology.

The main active ingredient in cannabis is called delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC. This is the part of the plant that gives the “high”. There is a wide range of THC potency between cannabis products.

Cannabis is used in three main forms marijuana, hashish and hash oil. Marijuana is made from dried flowers and leaves of the cannabis plant. It is the least potent of all cannabis products and is usually smoked.

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Cannabis

cannabis indica

The hashish is made from the resin (a secreted gum) of the plant. It is dried and pressed into small blocks and smoked. It can also be added to food.

Hash oil is the most potent cannabis product, it´s a thick oil obtained from hashish, and can also be smoked. Usally we refer to this oil as dabs, you melt a wax clump of hashish oil and smoke it.

Cannabis is usually smoked in handrolled cigarettes (known as joints) or in a special waterpipe (known as bong). Can also be smoked with a small pipe, or dry bong.

You can consume cannabis in a lot of different ways like sublingual, vaporizer, oral ingestion, topical application, or dispersion.

~ effetcs DAY

NIGHT

cannabis sativa

cannabis indica

mind dominant

body dominant

anti-anxiety

sedating

anti-depressant

relaxing

activating

muscle relaxant

uplifting

treats accute pain

increase alertness

reduce nausea

increase energy

increase appetite

enhance creativity

increase dopamine

Cannabis

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the history of cannabis ~

1910-1920’s Immigrants from Mexico and the West Indies popularized the practice of smoking marijuana.

“ Reefer

makes darkies think they’re as good as white men

”

- U.S. drug enforcement chief, 1929

But not everyone likes the drug or people who use it. Many demonize new immigrants and people of color, with their portrayal of marijuana and foreign culture.

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Cannabis

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Opponents replaced cannabis with marijuana to make it sound more mexican

1930-1950’s The anti-marijuana propoganda film “Reefer Madness” is released in 1936.

The following year, marijuana is effectively criminalized by the Marijuana Tax Act. The Narcotic Control Act of 1956 sets the minimum sentence for marijuana posession at 2-10 years.

Cannabis

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05 1971 President Nixon declares The War on Drugs, restrictions get even tighter. Marijuana is classified as a Shedule 1 drug, meaning the government says it has a high potential for abuse and no accepted medical uses.

Despite the harsh restrictions, marijuana begins to become destigmatized by America’s Baby Boomer youth generation in the 60’s and 70’s. Both hippies and soldiers use the drug, and by the 1980’s the Boomers were parents. Even though 45 mill Americans had tried marijuana, they feared that marijuana use among teens would lead to heavier drugs.

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Cannabis

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=

The Anti-Drug Abuse Act sets new mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana. Repeat offenders can face life sentences for multiple nonviolent misdemeanors. The policies continue under President Bush, Clinton, and into today. 2010 - 52% of all drug arrests were for marijuana, 2001-2010 - 88% of marijuana arrests were for possesion.

The “Just Say No� campaign demonizes marijuana arguing that it’s as dangerous as heroin or cocain.

African-American people are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than whites, despite simular usage rates.

=

In 2015, there are signs of hope for marijuana. Though Schedule 1 status can make studies difficult, there is promising research that says marijuana can be useful in treating glaucoma, epilepsy, cancer, and more. As of June 2016, 25 states and Washington D.C., and around 15-20 other countries have legalized cannabis for medical use. Recreational marijuana is now legal in 4 states and D.C.

Cannabis

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the history of cannabis in ~ Aussie The first record of common hemp seeds brought to Australia was with the First Fleet at the request of Sir Joseph Banks, in the hope that hemp would be produced commercially in the new colony.

For 150 years the early Australian government actively supported the growing of hemp, and the consumption of cannabis in the 19th century was believed to be widespread.

It was popular as a medicine, and was widely used by famous authors like Marcus Clarke. He wrote a short story “Cannabis Indica“ under the influence of cannabis.

Until the late 19th century “Cigares De Joy” (cannabis cigarettes) were widely available, these claimed to “give a immediate relief in cases of asthma, cough, bronchitis, hay-fever, influenza and shortness of breath”.

Like many developed nations Australia first responded to the issue of cannabis use in the 1920s. The 1925 Geneva Convention on Opium and Other Drugs saw the use of cannabis restricted for medicinal and scientific purposes only. Cannabis was grouped with morphine, cocaine and heroin, despite cannabis´rare use as medicine in Australia at the time.

Most drug-related laws enacted by jurisdictions of Australia during this time were related to opium, but as a result of pressure from the United Kingdom, Australia began implementing local laws consistent with the Geneva

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Convention. In 1928 the state of Victoria enacted legislation that prohibided the use of cannabis, other states followed slowly over the next three decades.

As in other Western countries, cannabis use was percieved as a significant social problem in Australia.

New drug control laws were enacted at the state and federal level, and penalties for drug offences were increased.

In 1938 cannabis was outlawed as a result of the “Reefer Madness” shock campaign. This campaign introduced the word “marijuana“ to Australia, describing it as both “an evil sex drug that causes its victims to behave like raving sex maniacs” and “the dreaded sex drug marijuana”. The campaign was only moderately successful amungst the Australian people, it failed to instill the generation with false negative effects of the drug and its impact on society. It did not stop an increase in demand and usage.

The 1960s saw an increase in the use of cannabis, heroin and LSD as part of political and social opposition to the Vietnam War, and this resulted in most Australian states gradually moving to a prohibitionist and criminal-justice orientation. Politicians from Qeensland and NSW supported Nixon´s War on Drugs in America, calling for a crackdown on Australian youth culture. In 1975 these politicians launched a Nixon-style war on drugs in Australia.

In the late 1960s organised drug trafficking developed in Sydney with the arrival of US servicemen on

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leave from the Vietnam War, and the local drug markets expanded to meet their requirements. The 1970s were considered the first “decade of drugs”, because of the growing financial capasity to support drug use and an increase in young people affected by unemployment. As a result, the 1970s were also the decade of Royal Commissions and inquiries to deal with the “drug problem”.

In 1964, with the discovery of hundreds of acres of wild hemp growing in a valley in NSW, authorities responded with a massive eradication campaign. However, the Baby Boomers of the 60s responded to the “evil threat” in a very different matter than the previous generation. Groups of surfers and hippies flocking to the Hunter Region in search of the wild weed described in reports as “a powerful psychoactive aphrodisiac”. These groups became known as the Weed Raiders - legendary characters bearing tales of plants up to three metres tall.

In 1973 tribes of hippies attended the Aquarius Festival in Nimbin, NWS. When police tried to arrest revellers who were openly smoking marijuana, the crowd of 6.000 rioted. Nimbin is home to the Hemp Embassy, founded by activist pioneer Michael Balderstone, and the MardiGrass annual festival dedicated to cannabis which began in 1993.

In 1977 there was again talk of decriminalisation of cannabis in NSW, following nine US states. The Joint Committee upon Drugs of the NSW Parliament recommended the removal of jail sentences for personal use of cannabis. The NSW Premier outlined a plan to remove jail sentences for people convicted and for possessing cannabis for personal use. He said that cannabis use was widespread and that “tens of thousands of parents whose sons and daughters smoke marijuana” would not

want their children to carry “the stigma of being a jailed, convicted criminal”.

The disapperance of a local political and community leader in Griffith, NSW in July 1977 placed the issue of illicit drug production, organised crime, and police corruption before the public. This was due to Mackay´s revelations about a large-scale marijuana growing in the Riverina area. His inquiries led to the largest cannabis seizure in Australian history at Coleambally November 1975.

The plantation spread over 31 acres and was capable of producing 60 tonnes of cannabis.

Things were different in Qeensland, in August 1976 NSW Police conducted a predawn raid on the Tuntable Falls Co-operative, located just south of Nimbin. A few weeks later the Cedar Bay Commune, located in northern Qeensland, was raided by the Qeensland police “using a helicopter, a naval patrol boat and four wheel drives they rounded up the members of the isolated community. Finding only small quanity of marijuana, the police discharged firearms into water tanks and burned down the hippie´s houses before they left.” Joh Bjelke-Petersen defended the police action declaring he was “tough on drugs”. His accomplice in the Cedar Bay raid John Howard, later served as Prime Minister from 1996-2007.

In terms of broader population, cannabis was not widely used in Australia until the 1970s. Legislation reflected increased usage of cannabis. I 1985 the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse was introduced. Prior to 1985, it was concluded that cannabis use amongst Australians rose from the early 70s throughout the 80s.

A poll conducted by The Mercury in October 2011 showed that 71% of Australians want cannabis

Cannabis

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legalised, another poll done by The Daily Telegraph showed 56.5% think it should be legalised. An online poll by the ABC television show The Drum in November 2012 showed that 70% of Australians supported the legalisation of cannabis for recreational purposes.

Currently there is increasing interest in hemp in Australia. A recent case in the media details a hemp grower on the northern beaches of Sydney who has legally grown 500 plants in his backyard. Richard Friar - the hemp evangelist, is a firm believer in the world-changing potential of cannabis, which can be used in everything from food to fabrics and building materials. In December 2009, Friar applied to Food Standards Australia New Zealand for permission to sell the seed for human consumption - approval is expected. In 2012, hemp seeds and protein are available for purchase in health food stores, but with labeled “not for human consumption�.

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug in Australia, with a reported one-third of all Australians

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aged 22 or older (33.5%, about 5.8 million) having tried cannabis and 1 million using it in the past years. It is estimated that 750.000 Australians use cannabis every week, and aproximately 300.000 smoke it on a daily basis.

Australia has one of the highest cannabis prevalence rates in the world. Although recreational cannabis use is illegal in Australia, the country has largely avoided a punitive drug policy focusing on harm-minimization strategies and a treatment framework embedded in a law-enforcement regime. Indeed, in recent years politicians have lent increasing support towards the legalization of marijuana, with senators and politicians from both majority sides of the cabinet - throwing their support behind the legalization of medical cannabis.

On February 24. 2016, Australia legalised the growing of cannabis for medicinal and scientific purposes at the federal level.

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a recent survey

by Roy Morgan Research shows

91%

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of Australians 06 are supportive of medical cannabis

Medical cannabis

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medical~ cannabis

4000 B.C Cannabis was already in China as a source of cloth, rope, fiber and cooking oil.

2700 B.C The earliest medicinal records from Chinese physicians were recommending a tea made from cannabis leaves to treat conditions like gout and malaria.

1213 B.C Cannabis pollen is found on the mummy of Ramesses II. Prescriptions for cannabis in Ancient Egypt include treatment for the eyes (glaucoma), inflammation, and cooling the uterus, as well as administering enemas.

1000 B.C Bhang, a cannabis drink generally mixed with milk, is used as an anesthetic in India. Cannabis begins to be used in India to treat a wide vareity of human illnesses.

Medicinal cannabis or medical marijuana, can refer to the use of cannabis and it´s cannabinoids to treat disease or improve symptoms.

Since cannabis is the only plant on the planet that yields both a drug and useful fiber, it´s no surprise that it has been used for thousands of years. The cannabis plant is said to have originated in Asia over 12.000 years ago, specifically Northern China and the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan.

Cannabis is considered to have been among the first plants to ever be cultivated by humans, next to wheat and barley.

Over time this plant has been used for spiritual and medicinal purposes, food, rope, clothing, fuel, and much more.

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800 B.C The Scythians brought cannabis to Europe through Russia then into Germany.

700 B.C The Venidad, one of the volumes of the Zend-Avesta, the ancient Persian religious text written around the seventh centuary BC purportedly by Zoroaster, the founder of Zoroastrianism, and heavily influenced by the Vedas, mentions bhang and lists cannabis as the most important of 10.000 medicinal plants.

600 B.C Hemp rope appears in southern Russia.

100 B.C First evidence of hemp paper, in China.

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850 A.D Vikings take hemp rope and seeds to Iceland.

130-200 A.D Greek physician Galen who became the most famous doctor in the Roman Empire and whose theories dominated European medicine for 1.500 years prescribes medicinal cannabis.

1300 A.D Ethiopian pipes containing cannabis suggests the herb has spread from Egypt to the rest of Africa.

1533 A.D King Henry VII fines farmers if they do not raise hemp for industrial use.

1619 A.D In America the Virginia Assembly passed legislation requiring every farmer to grow hemp.

Hemp was allowed to be exchanged as legal tender in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland.

1788 A.D The first cannabis seeds arrived in Australia on the First Fleet at the request of Sir Joseph Banks, who marked the cargo “For Commerce”.

1804 A.D Governor king wrote to Sir Joseph Banks describing the ten acres of cannabis he was cultivating the Lowlands of the Hawkesbury and the Nepean rivers.

1842 A.D Irish physician O´Shaughnessy publishes cannabis research in English medical journals. He began to use it with patients suffering from rabies, rheumatism, epilepsy, and tetanus.

1996 A.D California, the first American state to ban cannabis use in 1915 became the first state to then re-legalize medical cannabis use for people suffering from AIDS, cancer, and other serious illnesses.

1988 A.D American DEA administrative law Judge Francis Young finds, after thorough hearings, that cannabis has a clearly established medical use and should be reclassified as a prescriptive drug. His recommendations is ignored.

2003 A.D Canada becomes the first country in the world to approve medical cannabis nation-wide.

2003 A.D - present Numerous other countries have now followed Canada´s lead and have now access to cannabis for medicinal use. These include Australia, 25 American states and D.C, Israel, North Korea, Portugal, Spain, Argentina, Uraguay, Chile, Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, Italy, Iran, Netherlands, France, Romania, Colombia, Jamaica.

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why ~ medical cannabis?

There´s no doubt that the natural world is a treasure trove of biologically useful compounds and cannabis is one of the most powerful healing plants on the planet.

Cannabis has been found to suppress cancer, reduce blood pressure, treat glaucoma, alleviate pain and even inhibit HIV to name a few. It is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic (pain relief), anti-emetic (relieves nausea and vomiting), appetite stimulant (induces hunger) and neuroprotective.

The negative misconceptions of cannabis are dispersing and it is time to embrace the benefits of this plant and give every Australian in need the opportunity to benefit from it´s brilliant healing properties.

“We are at the dawn of a new age in medicine and a new day for mankind. Not only can hemp save the world, it can eliminate a great deal of human suffering and can even put an end to starvation. What are we waiting for?” - Rick Simpson.

There are over four hundred compounds in cannabis, including cannabinoids, terpenoids, and flavonoids.

Each has specific medicinal attributes, which combine synergistically to create a holistic effect, so that the therapeutic impact of the whole plant is greater than the sum of it’s parts. About eighty of these compounds are only found in cannabis plants.

Cannabinoids relieve symptoms of illness by attaching to receptors found throughout the body - in the brain, organs, connective tissues, glands and immune cells. These receptors are named the endocannabinoid system (named after the plant that led to it’s discovery).

The cannabinoid system performs different tasks, but the goal is always the same - homeostatis (the maintenance of a stable internal invironment.)

There are 3 types of cannabinoids: Herbal: occur naturally only in the cannabis plant (phytocabbinoids). Endogenous: produced naturally by humans and other animals (endocabbinoids). Synthetic: cannabinoids produced in a lab.

Cabbinoids and disease. A lot of diseases actually are all just different symptoms of the same underlying root cause. They all develop because of a deficiency of cannabinoids. All vertebrates have an endocannabinoid system that regulates all bodily systems and helps every single cell type communicate with each other. A

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healthy body creates a steady stream of endocannabinoids to feed its internal cannabinoid receptors, and help everything in the body to work properly.

A lack of well-fed receptors in any location will through off normal bodily activities and cause cells to malfunction. The cabbinoids in cannabis have the ability to replace a lack of endocannabinoids in a patient to feed this untapped bodily system and help the body to work better.

Active ingredients in cannabis: Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is the best-known substance in cannabis, and is the cannabinoid most responsible for cannabis’s psychoactive effects, but is just one of the roughly 80 cannabinoids found naturally in cannabis. Clinical trials and the experiences of hundreds of thousands of patients have shown that strains of cannabis that include THC provide important medical benefits for individuals suffering from pain, glaucoma, MS, nausea, and wasting disease. The appetite stimulation result from consuming THC is effective in treating individuals suffering with the side effects of chemotherapy and AIDS therapies. While THC does cause cannabis’s “high,” patients use cannabis for relief, not for euphoria.

Tetrahydrocannabinolic Acid (THCA).THCA actually has drastically different properties. Unlike THC, THCA is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid found in raw and live cannabis. As marijuana dries, THCA slowly converts to

THC. Heat expedites this conversion in a process known as decarboxylation, a fancy word that describes what happens when you heat the plant. THCA is reported to have anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory abilities, which show potential to inhibit the growth of cancerous cells. Its anti-spasmodic properties help subdue muscle spasms which may explain how it assists in controlling seizures. THCA also appears to help with chronic immune-system disorders Cannabidiol (CBD), Cannabidiol is a non-psychoactive compound, but it does contribute to making the body feel calm and relaxed. CBD can actually counter the psychoactive effects of THC; therefore a strain of cannabis with a balance of CBD and THC can be useful. Scientific and clinical studies are unlocking CBD’s potential as a treatment for a wide range of conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, alcoholism, MS, chronic pain, schizophrenia, PTSD, antibiotic-resistant infections, and other neurological disorders. The media has widely reported recently cannabis with significant amount of CBD appear to be particularly effective in treating seizures, while its anti-cancer properties are currently being researched. CBD directly activates serotonin receptors, causing an anti-depressant effect. CBD rich strains are now been grown for medicinal use.

Cannabinol (CBN), Cannabiinol is largely a result of THC degradation or oxidation. Therefore only traces of this cannabinoid exist in fresh flowers. The research

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~ ~ for CBN is still lacking, but some early studies have suggested it could stimulate bone growth. If this proves to be correct it could help in the treatment of osteoporosis, and also aids broken bones to heal quicker. Another benefit of CBN is it’s anti-bacterial properties. According to an Italian study from 2008, CBN “showed potent activity against MRSA” (the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that in recent years claimed the lives of tens of thousands of Humans) when applied as a topical. Topical uses also have shown promise in treating burns and psoriasis. CBN contains only 10 percent of the psychoactive potency of the original THC. Cannabigerol (CBG), Cannabigerol is the starting point for many cannabinoids in cannabis, including THC and CBD. They all begin as CBG then are quickly converted to other cannabinoids. It also has a number of medical properties that researchers are just starting to uncover.

CBG has been shown to relieve interocular pressure, which may be of benefit in the treatment of glaucoma.

It is also showing hope as a treatment for inflammatory bowel disease, although more research is needed.

Cannabichromene (CBC), Cannabichromene is typically found in significant quantities in freshly harvested, dry cannabis. To date, the compound has not been subject to rigorous study. According to a 2009 review of CBC, “CBC exerts anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (a

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general term that refers to anti fungal and anti bacterial) and modest analgesic activity.” CBC has also been shown to promote anti-cancer activity in malignant cell lines and to possess bone-stimulating properties. More recently, a 2011 preclinical trial reported that CBC influences nerve endings above the spine to modify sensations of pain.

Terpenes or terpenoids are molecules that give cannabis it’s unique and compelling fragrance. Various researchers have emphasized the pharmacological importance of terpenes. THC, CBD, and the other cannabinoids have no smell. The fragrance of different cannabis strains depends on which terpenes predominate. The terpenoid profile can differ significantly from strain to strain and it’s the combination of terpenoids and cannabinoids that endows each strain with a specific medicinal flavour.

Patients who abandon a suitable strain for one with higher THC and/or CBD content may not get more relief if the terpenoid profile is significantly different. Around 200 terpenes have been found in cannabis, but only a few of these oily substances appear in amounts substantial enough to be noteworthy. Just like cannabinoids, terpenes are oily compounds secreted in the glandular trichomes. The terpenes in cannabis have given the plant an enduring, evolutionary advantage. Pungent terpenoid oils repel insects and animal grazers while others prevent fungus.

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~ Terpenoids and cannabinoids increase blood flow, enhance cortical activity, and kill respiratory pathogens, including MRSA. Research reports that cannabinoid-terpenoid interactions “could produce synergy with respect to treatment of pain, inflammation, depression, anxiety, addiction, epilepsy, cancer, fungal and bacterial infections.�

Flavonoids often occur as pigments in fruits and flowers. Over twenty flavonoids are found in cannabis and they provide additional therapeutic effects including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anxiolytic. Cannflavin A and B are flavonoids found only in cannabis. Flavonoids have become popular in nutrition and medicine for their antioxidant benefits.

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medical marijuana ~ consumtion Herbal vaporizers. Cannabis may be inhailed using a vaporizer. The device extracts the active ingredients at a temperature at which the medicine dissolves without burning the plant material, allowing the patient to inhale the active ingredients without smoke.When inhaled the effect is almost instantaneous (after a few moments/minutes). This method is preferred if instant relief is necessary. This is also useful for patients who cannot swallow due to nausea.

Sublingual delivery. The sublingual (under the tongue) delivery method of an oil or tincture provides another rapid onset of action as the medication is readily absorbed into the blood system. Tinctures are usually prepared in a base of alcohol, oil, or glycerol. Many concentrated tinctures are taken by dropper under the tongue. Other tinctures may be in a spray container and sprayed in the mouth to be absorbed in the oral cavity and thence into the bloodstream. Many patients who never smoked cigarettes are more comfortable with this delivery method.

Oral ingestion. Taking cannabis by mouth is much slower. This differs from person to person and is dependant on the individuals metabolism, as well as the “condition� of the stomach during consumption (empty or full).

This method is harder to control the dosage and is recommended the patient starts on a small dose and builds up over a period of time (days) to the desired level. The maximum concentration of cannaboids in the bloodstream appear 45 minutes to 2 hours after consuming. In addition to pills, other options include edible cannabis products such as in tea, butter and cookies. The advantage of the oral route is that it will last much longer, so a patient does not have to medicate as frequently.

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VAPO RIZER

OIL

OIL

BUTTER

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Topical application. Topical cannabis medicines are applied directly to the skin, entering the body tissues and allowing direct application to effected areas. Cannabis oils can be infused into a balm, lotion, ointment or rubbing alcohol solution. Topical cannabis preparations usually only provide local relief and do not produce a psychoactive effect. These are used for anti-inflammatory and analgesic (pain relief).

Dispersion. The medicine is absorbed then dispersed into the arterial system and transported throughout the body. Their concentration rises the quickest in tissues with high blood supply levels such as the brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys. They are next absorbed through structures referred to as cannabinoid receptors that can be found literally all throughout the body. Located in the brain, liver, spleen, within bone marrow, and all throughout our skin cells amongst various other bodily structures. Unlike almost every drug out on the market that is used to combat hunger, depression, injuries, cancer, and many other issues there are almost no reported negative consequences to the body when ingesting cannabis.

BODY LOTION

LIQUID

Responsible use of cannabis. Adults should only use cannabis medicinally as part of a healthy, balanced and responsible lifestyle. Medicinal cannabis users should be well informed about its effects on themselves and others. These effects include legal risks, health risks, and personal consequences. Avoid cannabis use that puts you or others at risk, such as when driving.

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medical marijuana could literally ~ replace these 5 prescription drugs

A new study published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review found that people are increasingly substituting prescription medication, alcohol, and illicit drugs with cannabis, signaling a shift in the public’s understanding of marijuana’s medicinal benefits.

Of the 473 adult cannabis users surveyed by the Centre for Addictions Research of British Columbia, more than 86 percent of respondents reported giving up one or more of the substances for pot, with the majority (80.6 percent) forgoing pharmaceuticals for the non-toxic alternative. Those under 40 were also more likely to substitute all three for cannabis, demonstrating its dynamic appeal for both recreational and medical purposes.

People suffering from chronic pain might be particularly inclined to use cannabis instead of prescription medication in light of recent studies that establish its effectiveness at treating pain, improving the quality of patients’ lives, and posing no risk of serious adverse side effects. But there are numerous studies that support the idea of marijuana as a safer, more effective alternative to dangerous, addictive pills for a range of illnesses.

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Xanax (anti-anxiety medication) Not everyone can treat their anxiety with cannabis. For some, smoking pot causes acute anxiety and paranoia, but that effect is often connected with the type of marijuana that the user consumes. Whereas sativas, which are associated with cerebral highs, can sometimes induce anxiety (especially for infrequent users), indica strains of marijuana have been shown to reduce anxiety.

Vicodin (prescription painkillers) Multiple studies have determined that marijuana is an effective treatment option for people suffering from chronic pain. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 44 Americans die each day from painkiller overdose.

Adderall (amphetamines, ADHD stimulants) Just as people who suffer from anxiety should be wary of using certain strains of cannabis to treat their disorder, people who want to replace their prescription stimulant with marijuana should be aware that sativas (as opposed to indicas) are more effective at treating ADHD and ADD.

Replacement drug

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Ambien (sleep aids) Using marijuana to treat sleeping problems is one of the most common applications. Studies and anecdotal reports suggest that it is safer and similarly effective at treating insomnia than prescription drugs such as Ambien, for example

Zoloft (antidepressants) Many medical marijuana patients (and several studies) have found that cannabis serves as an effective treatment option for depression. While it might not be right for everyone, research has shown that smoking pot has less serious side effects than those that have been attributed to taking anti-depressants.

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out of this oil & balm Medical marijuana are about to become legal in Australia, but the process creating a cannabis system will take a while, and patients are gonna have to wait before they get access to medical cannabis products.

Out Of This World’s vision is a fair medical market, where patients have the right to choose their medication. We have made 4 sample products, 2 CBD oils and 2 body balms. The samples are made of the non-psychotic ingredients in cannabis, which means the products will not give you the “high”. But they will help you with pain and other discomforts.

If you’re intrested in testing one or more samples, go to our website (link in chapter 9), and donate a tweet and we will send you the samples. cannabis oil mixed with superfoods & vitamins.

1: Coconut & Cacao - lowers blood pressure, enhances circulation, improves digestion, physically improves your mood, helps with inflammation, sleep, pain, irritability, joint pain and more.

2: Elderberries & Cramp Bark - reliefs menstural pain, immune system enhancing, calms nerves.

Cannabis balm mixed with superfoods & vitamins.

1: Coconut & White Willow Bark, 2: Elderberries & Chamomille - calming, reliefs pain, and sore joints, uplifts your mood and increases bloodflow and circulation, menstural relief.

Out of this oil

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08

“ cannabis

oil can stop a epilepsy seizure in less than 30 seconds studies show that marijuana can treat epilepsy without any serious side effects

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Attn:

the non-psychoactive � ingredient CBD reduces seizures by 50% some epilepsy patients are completely seizure free thanks to cannabis 65 mill people worldwide currently live with epilepsy

Attn:

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09

follow me ~ For more information about prescription drugs and medical marijuana, check out our websites, or follow us on social media. We publish articles, videos and more everyday informing people to make a social impact.

Starting conversations around issues that matter and meeting our audience where they live: on phones, screens and on social media.

Attn: and Out of This World are brand partners with Netflix, see our recommended list of documentaries about these important issues.

www.outofthisworld.com

www.attn.com

@aoutofthisworld @attn

@attnoutofthisworld @attn

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Follow me

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“Prescription Thugs” In this follow-up to his film BIGGER FASTER STRONGER, director Chris Bell turns his camera on the abuse of prescription drugs and, ultimately, himself. As Bell learns more about Big Pharma, an industry he had been brought up to trust, he falls down his own hole of addiction.

“Super High Me” Stand up comedian and marijuana user Doug Benson documents thirty days of pot free living and thirty days of non-stop use to compare the effects of both.

“The Culture High” Scours the deep-seated roots of this morally induced Marijuana campaign and reveal the fascinating path it has taken to get to where it is today.

“The Union” BC’s illegal marijuana trade industry has evolved into a business giant, dubbed by some involved as ‘The Union’, Commanding upwards of $7 billion Canadian annually. With up to 85% of ‘BC Bud’ being exported to the United States, the trade has become an international issue. Follow filmmaker Adam Scorgie as he demystifies the underground market and brings to light how an industry can function while remaining illegal. Through growers, police officers, criminologists, economists, doctors, politicians and pop culture icons, Scorgie examines the cause and effect nature of the business - an industry that may be profiting more by being illegal.

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10

Macklemore “Drug Dealer (ft. Ariana DeBoo)” October 11, 2016

Kyle Jaeger “What happens when you quit prescription drugs cold turkey”

www.genius.com

April 21, 2016 www.attn.com

A film by Chris Bell “Prescription thugs” April 18, 2015 www.netflix.com

Facebook video “Big Pharma wants to stop medical marijuana” October 3, 2016 www.facebook.com/attn/videos

Pharmaceutical industry “Big Pharma” www.drugwatch.com

Facebook video “Getting clean with marijuana part 03” August 29, 2016 www.facebook.com/attn/videos

Richard Anderson “Pharmaceutical industry gets high on fat profits” November 6, 2014 www.bbc.com

Facebook photo “Why cannabis is illegal” www.facebook.com/anonymous

Drugs information “Xanax”, “Vicodin”, “Adderall”, “Ambien”, “Zoloft” www.drugs.com

“What is cannabis?” www.ncpic.org.au

Article movie “The real history of drugs episode 5: marijuana” October 12, 2015 www.attn.com

“Prescription drug addiction in Australia is out of control” September 15, 2015 www.thecabinsydney.com.au

“Drug induced deaths, Australia, 19912001” July 15, 2003 www.abs.gov.au

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“Cannabis in Australia” October 16, 2016 www.en.wikipedia.org

Bibliography

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“History of cannabis” www.medicanaaustralia.com.au

“Why medical cannabis?” www.medicanaaustralia.com.au

“Methods of consumption” www.medicanaaustralia.com.au

Netflix photos www.prescriptionthugs.com www.btl.co.za www.addiction.com www.abcda.es

Photos & illustration

by Marika Andersen Editorial design

by Marika Andersen

Kyle Jaeger “Medical marijuana could literally replace these 5 prescription drugs” October 12, 2015 www.attn.com

Published October 24, 2016 Gold Coast, QLD Australia

Facebook video “These kids should have legal access to marijuana” October 12, 2016 www.facebook.com/attn/videos

Netflix documentaries “Prescription Thugs”, “Super High Me”, “The Culture High”, “The Union” www.imdb.com

Bibliography

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