Medicines Abdication to a Cannabis Conspiracy

Al Byrne for Patients Out of Time

It’s true enough what the US federal wordsmiths of spin roll out about there being a conspiracy to make cannabis available to the sick in the United States.

There is such a cabal of cannabis crusaders working to undermine the US governments role in determining what medicine(s) they can use, and when, and how. I know most of these peo-ple and let me assure you that they are serious about their goal. (1).

I’m one of the conspirators. Some are half crazy about the wide reach of all governments into their lives, negative as they see it, like Libertarians and the Tea Party stalwarts. Many are politically active, seeing the election of selected politicians the key to a change in the rules of cannabis prohibition regardless of whether they sport a red or blue tie. 21 states their goal, believing just like their adversaries that medical decisions about cannabis are best made by non-medical professionals by opting for constitutional amendments instead of science. The Capitalists have moved into the cabal after surrounding the gathering with a multitude of products to infuse, to eat, to vaporize, to chew, to suck, to rub, to inhale. Their money now challenges the federal governments’ investment in a long running cannabis annihilation project defined by the knowing citizen as a failure.

Some, including me have gone to the courts and demand-ed a change to the prohibited scheduling of cannabis under the rubric of “The Coalition to Reschedule Cannabis.” It took ten years for this Petition to move through the process, designed to delay and obfuscate a reasonable request. This Petition is part of the conspiracy to bring the ill and dying a better, non-toxic, method of restoring their endocannabinoid deficiency. I admit that.

Ten years of delay seems like another conspiracy at work I also admit. (2).

Patients are in the forefront of the plot to free the cannabis plant from its murderers. Some government accounts list “patients” as the real source of the fire that burns joints to relieve pain in other joints and sustains the blow-back of heat that 18 states and DC have brought to the Keepers of discoveries of cannabis receptors in all human organs; the endocannabinoid system; of marvelous healing compounds such as THC and CBD and their acids found in the plant; of the cancer killing; pain deadening; spasticity calming; anti-emetic properties and emotional peace cannabis may provide the ill.

Prohibition in the freest country on earth. Others will claim the patients’ best friend, the nurse, with the leader-ship role in the rediscovery of the plant and its magic clin-ical ways with humans. It is the American Nurses Association (ANA), representing the most revered profes-sion – nurses – that has charged all US nurses to become educated about the therapeutic, nutritional and clinical uses of cannabis.

A series of accredited clinical cannabis conferences is part of the plot to undermine the cannabis cops. It’s simple really. All you have to do is take the best cannabis researchers and clinicians from around the world, put them in a room and let them speak to their astonishing discoveries of cannabis receptors in all human organs; the endocannabinoid system; of marvelous healing com-pounds such as THC and CBD and their acids found in the plant; of the cancer killing; pain deadening; spasticity calming; anti-emetic properties and emotional peace cannabis may provide the ill. There’s been seven of these historic forums each sanctioned by the ANA and the American Medical Association (AMA) as worthy clinical courses meriting attendees coveted CME and CEU credits for professional development. MD’s and RN’s can find the same education on-line and so can you. (3).

I’m writing as a leader of the cannabis conspiracy to brag up my involvement in the plan to “overgrow the govern-ment.” I think that honest therapeutic information about cannabis has been around now for at least 20 years, the time frame of the discovery of cannabis receptors becom-ing known.

What has happened within the US medical community over the two decades has been an abdication of responsi-bility concerning clinical cannabis use.

While I am pleased that the AMA has “accredited” Patients Out of Time’s clinical cannabis forums for med-ical doctors to learn of the science that discredits the federal spin, the lack of AMA leadership in this controversy is alarming. As a start at this critique I offer the fact that

to my knowledge as I write in November 2012 no med-ical school or nursing school in the US offers a course on medicinal cannabis uses, it’s nutritional value, its clinical potential and the interface between cannabis plant com-pounds and our endocannabinoid system.

Considering that all living creatures on earth, canines and sponges, birds and snakes share the common system of endocannabinoid production I used to wonder if some doc somewhere would notice. Then one did. His name is Petzel and he is the leader, a medical doctor, of the Veterans Health Administration. In July 2010 a Directive, VHA 2010-035, was issued under his signature that said clearly – cannabis is a medicine.

Now there is a federal conundrum. The largest health care system in the US, a federal agency run by medical professionals says cannabis is medicine, in writing. The drug czar, a cop, says cannabis is poison.

The news made the first page of the NY Times! All VA facilities began treating Vets that used cannabis legally under state law without a problem. Suicides dropped! (4).

Where are the VA doctors in this issue? Is it medicine or not? If it’s medicine for Sgt. Black why isn’t it medicine for Sgt. White?

Answer: Sgt. White lives in Virginia, Sgt. Black lives in Maine.

So where are the VA docs, why are they silent about prac-ticing medical treatment protocols based on geography? “First do no harm” does not apply if you are an MD working for the US federal system? Why is the AMA mute? If it’s medicine for a wounded Vet in Arizona why not in Idaho? Idaho Vets did not measure up? Idaho Vets don’t hurt like guys from other states? Idaho Vets are like Nam Vets so let’s screw them over like we did those guys?

Why is the media such shills for national indecency? Unethical medical practice is ok? Medicine is doled out based on where the Vet lives not the Vets wounds? This is not news? I know I’m an old guy in a new world but shit what happened? Where are all those young and old jour-nalists that used to give a damn about the world they “report” about?

Why did the docs let cops and lawyers steal their work? When did we start issuing lawyers medical and nursing degrees? When did the law change about who gets to make medical judgments to folks with no knowledge, no license, only the ability to “make laws” and pretend they know what they do? Why does law enforcement sit at a table dis-cussing what type of symptom cannabis can be used for as though some county sheriff is medically enlightened? Why not put drilling teeth into a Senator’s job description?

As a member of the VFW I was told the VFW has at this point no position on some Vets getting cannabis to treat TBI, PTS, other wounds, pain, while other Vets are denied, prohibited from receiving the same medical proto-col. As a member I could begin a resolution process to see if the VFW would actually speak up about such callous mistreatment of Veterans of foreign war. An estimated three year process. I reminded the VFW representative that while we spoke a Vet blew her head off, and would again and again every 80 minutes. I was told a supervisor would call to help me find another way for the VFW National Commander to reset the balls he left somewhere. That was twelve days ago. No call.

As a member of the American Legion I have written the Legion leadership multiple times requesting the organiza-tions aid in seeking an end to this medical debauchery being practiced on wounded Vets. Never has any staffer ever answered up. They did send a request for dues though. The Legion might have a great baseball program for kids but when they grow up and become soldiers, make that wounded soldiers, the Legion has no program at all to insure equal medical treatment for those they claim to represent.

But dear readers do not be too concerned. Veterans Day is behind us for another year, your plastic yellow ribbon will survive the days to the next, the Virginia Governor an Army Vet will ignore the 800,000 Vets in his state that are denied cannabis a medicine. He wants to be the President you see. Many other governors will as well. Congresswomen, male Representatives and thousands of political staffers will find other more meaningful tasks than unethical Vet care to banter about like fiscal cliffs and hem lines and the demise of Twinkies, but not the death by own hand of the troop that died while you read my essay.

The AMA, the media, the VA, MD’s – what about you?

1-www.medicalcannabis.com

2-www.drugscience.org

3-www.medicalcannabis.com has a direct link to the University of California’s School of Medicine, San Francisco and a series of on-line accredited courses on the nutritional, holistic, clinical uses of cannabis and the state of the art science concern-ing the Endocannabinoid System (ECS) found in all living crea-tures excepting insects.

4-Institute of the Study of Labor, Bonn Germany, February 2012. WSJ, Shea. (Medical cannabis states in the US report anoverall 5% lower rate of suicide, the Bonn study was a range of 5-11% dependent on age group of the deceased).