COULD ONE PLANT SAVE THE EARTH? By Howard Anshell What if you could wave a magic wand and come up with a single plant that could help save the rain forests, power our cars cheaply, reduce pollution drastically, and preserve the precious knowledge that is crumbling away in libraries throughout the world? Sounds far-fetched, doesn't it? What if that very same plant could help ease the suffering of cancer patients, and actually prevent certain kinds of blindness? What if it could even feed the world's starving peoples more efficiently than any current food source, and clothe them in materials that would last far longer than what they now wear? If this all sounds like a fairy tale to you, let me tell you right now that no magic wand is necessary. A plant that can do all these things, and more, exists right now and grows in virtually every country of the world. That plant is Hemp -- Cannabis, known in the U.S. primarily as the intoxicant Marijuana. Most people are aware that, in our passion for paper goods, we have cut down too many trees already. Terrible damage has been done to the earth's fragile environment, particularly the vital rain forests of the world. A great deal of this destruction is caused by the world's ever-growing need for paper products. Not only are trees -- which supply a great deal of the oxygen we breathe -- being chopped down, but it takes tons of toxic chemicals to turn the pulp of these trees into paper. Ironically, the paper we have so diligently plundered our planet for is basically temporary. It is disintegrating so rapidly that libraries and universities all over the world are warning of the consequences. What is needed, then, is a source of pulp fiber that is cheaper, less polluting, and more durable than wood. Hemp is that fiber, and it's annually renewable. As a matter of fact, hemp was the source of much of the world's paper until this century. Most people don't know it, but the original draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. Later, it was copied onto parchment for the final draft, but the hemp draft still exists more than 200 years later. Many books even older than that, printed on hemp paper, are still in existence today, whereas wood paper dissolves in less than a single century. But what of the cost? Is hemp cheaper to produce than wood paper? An acre of hemp can produce as much pulp as four acres of trees. Furthermore, the growing of hemp does not deplete the soil in the same manner as trees. Hemp can be grown annually, whereas trees take decades to replace. And hemp requires only one fifth of the chemicals to turn the same amount of pulp into paper. Thus, much of our irreplaceable rain forests could be left standing. The hemp plant's own natural production of oxygen, and the fact that it grows easily in many adverse climates, would help to reverse global warming. The oil extracted from hemp seeds can also be used to replace potentially dangerous linseed oil as a base for paint. Hemp could help to alleviate the "Greenhouse Effect" and cut water pollution. Hemp is also an extremely efficient plant to use for biomass instead of corn, the most popular source of biomass today; it can yield as much as eight times the methanol. In our search for cleaner fuels, methanol has been the most promising, but it currently costs more than gasoline. If hemp methanol could cut costs by that much, it would make the cleaner fuel cheaper so more people would use it. Hemp could help reduce auto emissions. Furthermore, hemp fiber can be used to make clothing. As with paper, hemp was, until this century, one of the primary sources of cloth, from the coarsest canvas (which was named after Cannabis) to the finest silk-like garments. There are still a few countries in the world which use hemp fiber for clothes; its durability is over 20 times greater than that of cotton. Perhaps even more astonishing is the seed of the Cannabis plant. It is a more efficient source of protein than the soybean. Mass production of hemp seeds alone could do a lot toward easing the tragedy of hunger. Hemp seeds can be made into a nutritious porridge, brewed into a tea, sprouted, or even used for animal feed. Hemp could help feed and clothe the world's starving children. Since the hemp plant is a weed which easily grows where most other plants, especially food crops, wither, it is an ideal plant to use in efforts to refoliate arid land and to retain topsoil. Hemp can help fight drought. If you're an environmentalist, or just care about solving the world's ecological problems, you should support efforts to legalize cannabis-hemp for industrial purposes. But there is another important use for the Cannabis plant, and the fact that our government is blocking this use should encourage every single American. I am speaking of the important and immediate medical relif that hemp can provide. Cannabis has been used as herbal medicine for a myriad of conditions throughout world history. right now, in particular, we know of at least two extremely serious situations in which marijuana is the most effective medicine available. The first concerns cancer patients. Modern treatments for many kinds of cancer often involve the use of chemotherapy in order to kill or reduce the cancer. An unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy is that it causes severe nausea in the patient. Even Marinol, the government's synthesized THC drug, has to be swallowed to be administered, and the hardest thing for someone with severe nausea to do is to swallow something! For that matter, even when Marinol can be used, it is relatively ineffective; although THC is the primary active ingredient in Cannabis, it is augmented by dozens of other active ingredients, mixed as only Mother Nature can, each of which contributes to the overall effect. Only actual marijuana can help these people -- it alone relieves the feeling of nausea. Sometimes it even actually stimulates their appetites, enabling them to gain the considerable advantage of regular nourishment. Some AIDS patients can benefit similarly. The other medical use of Cannabis that is widely known is as a treatment to prevent the advance of glaucoma, a disease of pressure in the eyes, which ranks among the leading causes of blindness. Many glaucoma patients do not respond to other methods of therapy, and for them, pot is the only thing standing between them and the loss of their eyesight! NORML -- the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws -- has already fought for the right of cancer patients and glaucoma sufferers to use medical marijuana. They have even won a court case in the Drug Enforcement Agency's own courts; a DEA judge decided that marijuana should be reclassified as a recognized medicine, so that thousands of people who so desperately need it can obtain it legally and under controlled conditions. Unfortunately, the bureaucrats of the DEA have refused the judge's request to reclassify it, thus adding needlessly to the suffering of untold numbers of people who are already going through the agony of these diseases. Patients are forced to obtain the one drug that helps them illegally. The DEA's spurious reasoning is that letting anyone smoke marijuana, even for medical reasons, sets a bad example for young people. This kind of callousness is absolutely unconscionable. What kind of "example" is it for kids to see that a government agency does not act to save people from dying or going blind, when a mere stroke of the pen could prolong thousands of lives? Is it a better "example", then, to be more concerned with how things might appear than with the real suffering of real people? Out of all the cancer patients and all the glaucoma patients that exist in this country, there are, as of this writing, only five certified legal users. Five! Inaction and red tape on the part of the DEA, largely fueled by ignorance and myth, have stymied the efforts to aid all the rest of these thousands of chronically and terminally ill patients, while ignoring even more who suffer from other diseases that marijuana could help treat. No one has ever been known to have died from an overdose of pot. We should not stand for it! How can this continue in the U.S.A.? Whether or not you think marijuana should be allowed to be smoked for personal pleasure -- and that's a whole other story -- we should all stand up for those who need it as medicine. We can help those who need this relief today, and at the same time help to heal the earth's ecosystem. Write or call your State and Federal Representatives and Senators and tell them how Hemp can help the environment. Moreover, demand that marijuana be made legally available for doctors to prescribe. Or, write to NORML, and we will forward your letters to the people who need to see them. And join NORML! (Reprinted from Vol. 3 No. 118 (1991) of The Truth Seeker, Box 2832, San Diego, CA 92112 USA, send $1 for sample issue.) ------------------- Here's a list of national/local contacts in the Hemp Movement for more information or to get involved: N.O.R.M.L. 1636 "B" Street, NW, #3 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 483-5500 Colorado N.O.R.M.L. 137 W. County Line Road #500 Littleton, Co 80215 (303) 470-1100 Hemp information, lawyer referal, lots of other info. Hemp Initiative Project Jon Baraga 1015 S. Gaylord # 181 Denver, Co 80209 (303) 470-1100 ext. 511 They need petitioners for the 1992 Colorado Hemp Initiative. No More Drug War Foundation P.O. Box 18780 Denver, Co 80218 Rocky Mountain Hemp Network Connie Barr-Rowe P.O. Box 150804 Lakewood, CO 80215 (303) 239-6410 or 470-1100 ext. 611 (leave msg) General Hemp info., coalition of people with illnesses requiring hemp for medicine. Lots of legal hemp products such as clothing, nutritional hemp products, etc. Sustainable Futures Auga Das, director (303) 470-1100 ext. 711 Your one-stop shop for hemp-seed oil, hemp-seed cake, instructional hemp videos. Auraria Hemp Club Student Union Building Room 230-C, Meets every Monday 3:30-5:00 PM Headed up by a knowledgable herbalist, lots of good info and videos. Hemp Educational Media Productions Rt. 7, Box 373 Golden, Co 80403 Hemp videos, information, activism. San Diego County N.O.R.M.L. Box 171396 San Diego, CA 92197 (619) 571-0088 .END COULD ONE PLANT SAVE THE EARTH? By Howard Anshell What if you could wave a magic wand and come up with a single plant that could help save the rain forests, power our cars cheaply, reduce pollution drastically, and preserve the precious knowledge that is crumbling away in libraries throughout the world? Sounds far-fetched, doesn't it? What if that very same plant could help ease the suffering of cancer patients, and actually prevent certain kinds of blindness? What if it could even feed the world's starving peoples more efficiently than any current food source, and clothe them in materials that would last far longer than what they now wear? If this all sounds like a fairy tale to you, let me tell you right now that no magic wand is necessary. A plant that can do all these things, and more, exists right now and grows in virtually every country of the world. That plant is Hemp -- Cannabis, known in the U.S. primarily as the intoxicant Marijuana. Most people are aware that, in our passion for paper goods, we have cut down too many trees already. Terrible damage has been done to the earth's fragile environment, particularly the vital rain forests of the world. A great deal of this destruction is caused by the world's ever-growing need for paper products. Not only are trees -- which supply a great deal of the oxygen we breathe -- being chopped down, but it takes tons of toxic chemicals to turn the pulp of these trees into paper. Ironically, the paper we have so diligently plundered our planet for is basically temporary. It is disintegrating so rapidly that libraries and universities all over the world are warning of the consequences. What is needed, then, is a source of pulp fiber that is cheaper, less polluting, and more durable than wood. Hemp is that fiber, and it's annually renewable. As a matter of fact, hemp was the source of much of the world's paper until this century. Most people don't know it, but the original draft of the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper. Later, it was copied onto parchment for the final draft, but the hemp draft still exists more than 200 years later. Many books even older than that, printed on hemp paper, are still in existence today, whereas wood paper dissolves in less than a single century. But what of the cost? Is hemp cheaper to produce than wood paper? An acre of hemp can produce as much pulp as four acres of trees. Furthermore, the growing of hemp does not deplete the soil in the same manner as trees. Hemp can be grown annually, whereas trees take decades to replace. And hemp requires only one fifth of the chemicals to turn the same amount of pulp into paper. Thus, much of our irreplaceable rain forests could be left standing. The hemp plant's own natural production of oxygen, and the fact that it grows easily in many adverse climates, would help to reverse global warming. The oil extracted from hemp seeds can also be used to replace potentially dangerous linseed oil as a base for paint. Hemp could help to alleviate the "Greenhouse Effect" and cut water pollution. Hemp is also an extremely efficient plant to use for biomass instead of corn, the most popular source of biomass today; it can yield as much as eight times the methanol. In our search for cleaner fuels, methanol has been the most promising, but it currently costs more than gasoline. If hemp methanol could cut costs by that much, it would make the cleaner fuel cheaper so more people would use it. Hemp could help reduce auto emissions. Furthermore, hemp fiber can be used to make clothing. As with paper, hemp was, until this century, one of the primary sources of cloth, from the coarsest canvas (which was named after Cannabis) to the finest silk-like garments. There are still a few countries in the world which use hemp fiber for clothes; its durability is over 20 times greater than that of cotton. Perhaps even more astonishing is the seed of the Cannabis plant. It is a more efficient source of protein than the soybean. Mass production of hemp seeds alone could do a lot toward easing the tragedy of hunger. Hemp seeds can be made into a nutritious porridge, brewed into a tea, sprouted, or even used for animal feed. Hemp could help feed and clothe the world's starving children. Since the hemp plant is a weed which easily grows where most other plants, especially food crops, wither, it is an ideal plant to use in efforts to refoliate arid land and to retain topsoil. Hemp can help fight drought. If you're an environmentalist, or just care about solving the world's ecological problems, you should support efforts to legalize cannabis-hemp for industrial purposes. But there is another important use for the Cannabis plant, and the fact that our government is blocking this use should encourage every single American. I am speaking of the important and immediate medical relief that hemp can provide. Cannabis has been used as herbal medicine for a myriad of conditions throughout world history. Right now, in particular, we know of at least two extremely serious situations in which marijuana is the most effective medicine available. The first concerns cancer patients. Modern treatments for many kinds of cancer often involve the use of chemotherapy in order to kill or reduce the cancer. An unfortunate side effect of chemotherapy is that it causes severe nausea in the patient. Even Marinol, the government's synthesized THC drug, has to be swallowed to be administered, and the hardest thing for someone with severe nausea to do is to swallow something! For that matter, even when Marinol can be used, it is relatively ineffective; although THC is the primary active ingredient in Cannabis, it is augmented by dozens of other active ingredients, mixed as only Mother Nature can, each of which contributes to the overall effect. Only actual marijuana can help these people -- it alone relieves the feeling of nausea. Sometimes it even actually stimulates their appetites, enabling them to gain the considerable advantage of regular nourishment. Some AIDS patients can benefit similarly. The other medical use of Cannabis that is widely known is as a treatment to prevent the advance of glaucoma, a disease of pressure in the eyes, which ranks among the leading causes of blindness. Many glaucoma patients do not respond to other methods of therapy, and for them, pot is the only thing standing between them and the loss of their eyesight! NORML -- the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws --has already fought for the right of cancer patients and glaucoma sufferers to use medical marijuana. They have even won a court case in the Drug Enforcement Agency's own courts; a DEA judge decided that marijuana should be reclassified as a recognized medicine, so that thousands of people who so desperately need it can obtain it legally and under controlled conditions. Unfortunately, the bureaucrats of the DEA have refused the judge's request to reclassify it, thus adding needlessly to the suffering of untold numbers of people who are already going through the agony of these diseases. Patients are forced to obtain the one drug that helps them illegally. The DEA's spurious reasoning is that letting anyone smoke marijuana, even for medical reasons, sets a bad example for young people. This kind of callousness is absolutely unconscionable. What kind of "example" is it for kids to see that a government agency does not act to save people from dying or going blind, when a mere stroke of the pen could prolong thousands of lives? Is it a better "example", then, to be more concerned with how things might appear than with the real suffering of real people? Out of all the cancer patients and all the glaucoma patients that exist in this country, there are, as of this writing, only five certified legal users. Five! Inaction and red tape on the part of the DEA, largely fueled by ignorance and myth, have stymied the efforts to aid all the rest of these thousands of chronically and terminally ill patients, while ignoring even more who suffer from other diseases that marijuana could help treat. No one has ever been known to have died from an overdose of pot. We should not stand for it! How can this continue in the U.S.A.? Whether or not you think marijuana should be allowed to be smoked for personal pleasure -- and that's a whole other story -- we should all stand up for those who need it as medicine. We can help those who need this relief today, and at the same time help to heal the earth's ecosystem. Write or call your State and Federal Representatives and Senators and tell them how Hemp can help the environment. Moreover, demand that marijuana be made legally available for doctors to prescribe. Or, write to NORML, and we will forward your letters to the people who need to see them. And join NORML! (Reprinted from Vol. 3 No. 118 (1991) of The Truth Seeker, Box 2832, San Diego, CA 92112 USA, send $1 for sample issue.) ------------------- Here's a list of national/local contacts in the Hemp Movement for more information or to get involved: N.O.R.M.L. 1636 "B" Street, NW, #3 Washington, DC 20009 (202) 483-5500 Colorado N.O.R.M.L. 137 W. County Line Road #500 Littleton, Co 80215 (303) 470-1100 Hemp information, lawyer referral, lots of other info. Hemp Initiative Project Jon Baraga 1015 S. Gaylord # 181 Denver, Co 80209 (303) 470-1100 ext. 511 They need petitioners for the 1992 Colorado Hemp Initiative. No More Drug War Foundation P.O. Box 18780 Denver, Co 80218 Rocky Mountain Hemp Network Connie Barr-Rowe P.O. Box 150804 Lakewood, CO 80215 (303) 239-6410 or 470-1100 ext. 611 (leave msg) General Hemp info., coalition of people with illnesses requiring hemp for medicine. Lots of legal hemp products such as clothing, nutritional hemp products, etc. Sustainable Futures Auga Das, director (303) 470-1100 ext. 711 Your one-stop shop for hemp-seed oil, hemp-seed cake, instructional hemp videos. Auraria Hemp Club (Fastest Growing Club on Campus.) Student Union Building Room 230-C, Meets every Monday 3:30-5:00 PM Headed up by a knowledgeable herbalist, lots of good info and videos. Hemp Educational Media Productions Rt. 7, Box 373 Golden, Co 80403 Hemp videos, information, activism. HEMPwear, etc. 1090 S Wadsworth Unit D Lakewood, Co Colorado's first Hemp-only emporium...hemp-clothing, fabric & textiles;Hemp-seed-oil and nutritional products;Hemp bracelets,etc., including Jack Herer's "The Emperor Wears No Clothes"...the book that spawned the 90's HEMP Movement, 188p, extensively footnoted/documented. H.E.M.P. (Help End Marijuana Prohibition) 5632 Van Nuys Blvd.,Suite 210 Van Nuys, CA 91401 (213) 392-1806 Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp (BACH) P.O. Box 71093 Los Angeles, CA 90071-0093 (213) 288-4152 information on getting started in the legal hemp business;economic information on hemp. Extensive information on the 50,000 commercial products which can be made from hemp. Hemp Institute P.O. Box 65130 St. Paul, MN 97204 (612) 222-2628 Cannabis Action Network P.O. Box 54528 Lexington, KY 40555 Drug Policy Foundation 4801 Mass Ave. NW #400 Washington DC 20016-2078 (202) 895-1634 American Hemp Council P.O. Box 71093 Los Angeles, CA 90071-0093 (213) 288-4152 T.E.A.C.H.(Therapeutic & Ecological Applications of Cannabis Hemp) 2833 Frankford Ave., Panama City, FL 32405 (904) 763-6812 Medical information, Petition for Herbal & Medical Rights to immediately end federal and state prohibition of herbal and medical use of cannabis sativa(l), also known as hemp. Family Council on Drug Awareness (FCDA) Box 71093 Los Angeles, CA 90071-0093 (213) 288-4512 Many educational pamphlets, including "10 Things You Should Know About Marijuana...", "Marijuana & Christianity", "10 Things Every Parent, Teenager & Teacher Should Know About Marijuana...", "Marijuana & The Bible", etc. @ 30 cents apiece. Freedom Fighters c/o High Times, 211 E. 43rd St New York, New York 10017 DIRECTORY OF B.A.C.H. REPRESENTATIVES NATIONAL OFFICE: 213/288-4152 POB 71093, LA CA 90071-0093 BRITISH COLUMBIA Ucluelet: Chris Bennett 604/726-7239 Vancouver:Charles Crossland 604/874-5435 Paul DeFelice 604/229-4338 CALIFORNIA Los Angeles:Chris Conrad 213/288-4152 Fresno:Chuck Corcoran 209/277-1319 San Francisco:Peter King 415/826-0787 San Diego:John Storey 619/274-0034 Santa Cruz:Roland Wilson 408/423-4974 Arcata:Aaron Rose 707/442-8689 Sacramento:Matthew Russell 916/444-0718 GEORGIA Atlanta:Kathy Alterman 404/928-0827 James Bell 404/739-1870 HAWAII Hilo:Roger Christie 808/969-9712 IOWA Des Moines:Carl Olsen 515/243-7351 KENTUCKY Louisville:Randy Davis 502/895-7757 LOUISIANA New Orleans:Gary Kohibach 504/899-8417 MAINE Lincoln:Collin Stuart 207/794-6941 MASSACHUSETTS Pittsfield:David Estrom 413/443-4957 MICHIGAN Kalamazoo:Carl Stelter 616/372-7208 MINNESOTA St.Paul:John Birrenbach 612/222-2628 MISSISSIPPI Jackson:Chris Donovan 601/355-4920 NEW JERSEY Stanton:Sally Miller 908/236-2048 NEW YORK Buffalo:Marilyn Craig 716/873-0255 Staten Island:Ross Elakman 718/273-5649 OKLAHOMA Tulsa:Michael Thompson 918/775-6041 OREGON Portland:Patty Collins 503/289-9298 Steve Orgel 503/236-9231...232-1128 Eugene:Cat Hecate 503/485-3579 SOUTH DAKOTA Alexandria:K.C.Hague 605/996-0086 SOUTH CAROLINA Ft.Mills:Richard Wetzel 803/548-4768 Claude Moore 803/474-2192 TENNESSEE Pulaski:Kenny Breeding 615/565-3898 TEXAS Austin:Tom Thacker 512/825-3317 VIRGINIA Crewe:Sandy Hayer 804/645-8816 WASHINGTON Seattle:Mike Miller 206/481-8830 SOURCES OF LEGAL,NON-SMOKING HEMP PRODUCTS Hemp Textiles,Clothing: (Free sample w/$10 donation to BACH) BACH POB 71093, LA CA 90071-0093 Stoned Wear(tm) Division of Sativa Creations, Inc Order Line: 1-800-544-0577 x 13 (Dealer Inquires Welcome) Joint Venture Hempery 604/737-8539 POB 2006 Main Stn. Vancouver BC Canada V6B 3P8 Hemptek Industries 619/436-7835 POB 27809 Dept HT-4C San Diego, CA 92198-1809 Kashiri Dyeworks 415/647-5046 Berkeley, CA 94704 Hemp Twine: (Free sample w/$10 donation to BACH) Wholesale: Schermerhorn 213/946-8366 (120 twine balls/carton $72) POB 3885 S.F.Springs,CA 90670 Norman Supply Co.(#60 Parcel Twine and Spring Twine) 818/349-3120 18709 Napa St. Northridge,CA 91324 Sterile Hemp Seed: (Free sample w/$10 donation to BACH) Wholesale/Retail: Elmwood Pet Supply 706 Elmwood Ave., Buffalo, NY 14222 Bloomington Pets, CA 714/877-5391 Elliot Pets Supply, CA 714/824-5011 Minn-Dak Ltd, MN 701/746-7453 Hemp Fiber: Twinrocker Papermaking Supplies 317/563-3119 POB 413, Brookston, IN 47923 Danforth Int. Trade 203/668-7486 3156 Rt. 88, Point Pleasant, NJ 08792 CNNP&ABP Import Export Corp:Henan Native Produce Branch (Chinese Hemp sacks, yarn, and rope No.69 Wenhua Rd., Zhengzhou, China. Tel. 33582, Telex:46047 HNTPB CN HEMP RESOURCES: BACH Cambridge Pharmaceutical Laboratories, Inc. 617/864-6660 POB 748 Cambridge, MA 02139 H.E.M.P. 213/392-1806...818/377-5886 House of Hemp 503/232-1128 POB 14603/2111 E. Burnside St. Portland, OR 97204 FAX:503/232-0239 Institute for Hemp 612/222-2628 POB 65130, St.Paul,MN 55165 Key Fiber Co. 415/647-5046 NORML 202/483-5500 NORMLColorado 303/470-1100 Nature's Way Hempery 201/291-1619 Sampler $10 San Diego County N.O.R.M.L. Box 171396 San Diego, CA 92197 (619) 571-0088 What The Law Says: Custom Regulations of the United States, Official U S Custom House Guide, 1987. Marijuana Statutory Provisions Sec. 302.58-CR-360.(a)MARIHUANA. The term 'marihuana' means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa(l.), whether growing or not,the seeds thereof,the resin extracted from any part of such plant:and every compound,manufacture,salt,derivative,mixture or preparation of such plant,its seeds or resin;BUT SHALL NOT INCLUDE the mature stalks(except the resin extracted therefrom),fiber, oil or cake or the STERILIZED seed of such plant, which is incapable of germination.[Controlled Substances Act USFDA (1970) Chapt. 22,Sec. 802-15.] 5 Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help legalize hemp/marijuana 1. Talk about hemp/marijuana today to friends, family, co-workers and everybody. Just say you think hemp/marijuana should be made legal again. You'll be amazed at how many agree. Talk about medical marijuana, free choice and non-smoking commercial hemp (rope, paper, fabric, fuel, oil, food, etc.). Be proud of what you believe. This is America. Remember, you're in good company: Both Washington & Jefferson were hemp farmers. People needing legal help should call NORML. 2. Photocopy Literature to pass out and send with your letters. Always keep it handy. You never know who or when somebody will want it. Give it out at meetings, events, campuses, etc. 3. Write letters to your elected officials (see scripts below), newspapers, magazines, TV & radio stations. Be brief. Be clear. Don't mix issues. Better yet, write at least one letter every month, and every time there is an editorial or commentary on marijuana or "drugs." Respond to articles and events or just state your opinion. They'll read it, even if they don't publish it. 4. Help out a local group. Come to meetings. Make phone calls, do office work, fold and mail literature, etc. Share your special skills (like computer, data entry, research, speaking, organizing, art and other talents.) If there is no group, start one. It's easier than you think. The groups listed at the bottom of this page are glad to help. 5. Donate money to active groups like NORML, BACH, HEMP, the American Hemp Council, Freedom Fighters and others. Contribute supplies or postage. All groups need access to free or cheap printing service. Donate books and magazine subscriptions to schools and libraries, maybe even buy an ad or billboard space to get out the message. It's better to spend a little money now to re-legalize hemp/marijuana than a lot of money later to stay out of jail. Whatever you do, Start Doing It Right Away! Studies show that if you don't get started within a day or two, you might not ever get around to it, and we have to act today to build the momentum we need to re-legalize hemp/marijuana tomorrow. Letter/phone scripts: President Bush 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington DC 20050 (or) Senator___________________: Senate Office Bldg., Washington,DC 20510 (or) Representative____________: U.S. House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear_________________________, Please take whatever action is necessary to legalize personal use of marijuana and see to it that everyone who needs it for medicine receives it immediately. Also, you must know that the barriers to commercial use of hemp for paper, fabrics, fuel and so on hurt our economy, and must be removed immediately. It just doesn't make any sense to punish farmers and people whose businesses don't have anything to do with drugs at all. Sincerely, +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ + State Senator___________________: State Senate 200 East Colfax Avenue Denver, Colorado 80203 (or) Representative:__________________: House of Representatives 200 East Colfax Avenue Denver, Colorado 80203 Dear_____________________________: Please act immediately to legalize personal use of marijuana and see to it that everyone who needs it for medicine receives it immediately. Also, you must realize that the barriers to non-drug, commercial use of hemp for paper, fabrics, fuel, and so on, hurt our businesses and the state economy. They must be removed immediately, because if other states do this before we do, Colorado will lose its competitive edge in bringing in new businesses and the jobs and tax revenues that come with it. In addition, it is a waste of tax money to enforce prohibition laws when we have so much real crime to deal with. You say you are for a strong Colorado and America. Well, do something about. Sincerely, ================================================================= Phone Script: Hello, by name is____________________and I'm calling to register my opinion with (Senator, Representative, etc.)_________________. I think it's time to re-legalize personal use of marijuana and see to it that everyone who needs it as medicine receives it immediately. Laws that block commercial use of hemp for paper, fabrics fuel and so on hurt our economy and the environment. They should be completely eliminated. It doesn't make sense to punish American Farmers and people whose businesses don't have anything to do with drugs. I want to know what (Sen.,Rep.,etc.) ____________________ is doing about this problem.(Give them your address and ask for a written reply.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--==-=- =- Here's a list of local organizations which are glad to help you get involved: NORML Colorado 137 West County Line Road #500 Littleton, Co 80126 303/470-1100 Rocky Mountain Hemp Network 470-1100 x 611 Hemp Initiative Project 470-1100 x 511 Great Tee-shirts, need volunteers for Ballot Initiative Drive This is the Colorado Hemp Information Hotline. Simply dial from your touch-tone phone, and punch in the desired extension for tons of great recorded information. Of particular interest is a 10 minute recording of Hugh Downs ABC 20/20 broadcast about the many uses of commercial hemp for paper,fiber,fuel,medicine,food, etc. Also contains a brief summary of the 1937 conspiracy which led to the current hemp prohibition.(ext.477) From your touch-tone phone dial: 303/470-1100 for Hemp Info + desired extension: Ext. Message: 111.......Initial Greeting 123.......Person with AIDS Speaks Out On Hemp 124.......Leave YOUR "War On Hemp" Horror Story 222.......FAX Mailbox 411.......Information 422.......How To Leave A Message 423.......How To Send A FAX 424.......How To Receive Our FAX Newsletter 431.......An Introduction To NORML 441.......How To Get Involved *442.......How To Join NORML-Colorado *443.......Coming Events 444.......Chapter Mailing Address 445.......National Office Information 446.......Legislative Alert Signup 447.......Other Organizations 448.......Recommended Reading 449.......Chapter Meetings 451.......Current News 452.......Marijuana and Medicine 453.......The HEMP Patrol 454.......Colorado RoundUp 456.......WECOF:Freedom Fighter Radio Network 461.......Legal Information 462.......Lawyer Referral 463.......State Laws 464.......Urine Testing 471.......Hemp Information 472.......Marijuana And Health 473.......Fuel & Energy 474.......Paper 475.......Fiber 476.......Food & Seed Products *477.......Hugh Downs' ABC 20/20 Program On Hemp 481.......General Information 491......."The Emperor Wears No Clothes" By Jack Herer 492.......High Times Magazine 511.......Hemp Initiative Project-Leave A Message 512.......Hemp Initiative Project:Legalize in '92! 611.......Rocky Mountain Hemp Network 711.......Colorado Made Legal Hemp Products (Oils,Foods,etc.) IT'S TIME TO TAX HEMP! Look at The Denver Post--Oct. 18.1991 *"$48 million, 366 jobs hit by state budget ax" *"As many as 7,000 more layoffs by 1998" *"Higher education funding shaved by 3%" *"Gov. Romer advocates tax increase for education" *Youthful offenders face more overcrowding,less help" *"$200 million education shortfall only months away" *"$4 million cut from State Department of Health" Colorado taxes alcohol, tobacco, lottery, and gambling, BUT ONLY DRUG KINGPINS MAKE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PROFITS ON MARIJUANA SALES! The government's war on hemp has turned millions of law-abiding Americans into criminals with the stroke of a pen. As a result, America now has the HIGHEST number of prisoners per capita than any other nation on earth! Advocates of Omnibus Crime Bill pending in Congress promise to DOUBLE the number of prisoners in the next 20 years! Will we continue to build prisons instead of schools, subsidize deadly tobacco while we criminalize harmless hemp, waste hundreds of millions of tax dollars on police arresting marijuana users while essential services are cut? Facts About Hemp: *Hemp is the oldest known cultivated plant on Earth, grown for over 12,000 years. *George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp for medicine, food and fiber. *The Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence were written on paper made from hemp. *Hemp is a medicinal herb effective in treating:glaucoma,epilepsy,migraines,AIDS wasting syndrome Chemotherapy side effects, MS, MD, Anorexia, etc *One acre of hemp produces 4.1 times the amount of paper as one acre of trees and with far less pollution. *Half the world's trees are cut down for paper.These trees are needed to replenish the ozone layer. *Hemp seed is second only to soy beans in percentage of protein. Diesel engines run on hemp seed oil. *Hemp prohibition is an attempt by petrochemical and pharmaceutical monopolies to eliminate the world's premier renewable resource for medicine,food,fuel,fiber,paper,and energy. *Read"The Emperor Wears No Clothes" By Jack Herer for the authoritative historical record on hemp. Get Involved. Join NORML! Call Our Free Hempline 303/470-1100. Hear more about the Colorado Hemp Initiative. Call 470-1100 then press 512.To Volunteer to become a Petitioner for the Hemp Initiative Project press 511 and leave a message. We only need 50,000 signatures to get hemp on the November '92 ballot! We can do it! 55% of Coloradans favor re-legalization now! Wait until they learn the truth about hemp for paper-fiber-fuel-food-medicine! How Dangerous is Marijuana Compared to Other Substances? # of Deaths Per Year Tobacco................................340,000 to 425,000 Alcohol................................150,000+ Aspirin................................180 to 1,000 'Legal'Drug Overdoses..................14,000 to 27,000 MARIJUANA..............................0 (Figures from 1988 federal Bureau of Mortality Statistics) "Prohibition...goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and make a crime out of things that are not crimes...A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded." ABRAHAM LINCOLN, December 1840 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Please print this and make copies...pass it on to friends...Post copies on public bulletin boards in supermarkets, laundromats, etc. And upload it to every BBS you can! Let's spread the word about hemp! -=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- DEBATING MARIJUANA LAW: The most common arguments against ending marijuana prohibition are as easy to refute as they are to summarize: 1. Marijuana alters consciousness. 2. We have so much trouble with alcohol, tobacco and bad driving; why make matters worse? 3. Ending prohibition will "send the wrong message." 4. Some people just can't cope with marijuana use. 5. Marijuana smokers have no motivation. 6. What about the children? Anyone who advocates hemp/marijuana reform will hear these statements time and again. But these engaging yet specious arguments cannot hold up to rational scrutiny. Let's look at them individually: 1."Marijuana alters consciousness." Granted;but how is that bad? People who argue against getting on this natural herb often suggest getting "high on life" or "high on God." This says that getting high is not, in itself, wrong. The real issue is freedom of thought. Eating chocolate, drinking coffee, watching TV, drinking beer, smoking cigarettes, even prayer and meditation alter consciousness. Who gave prohibitionists the power to dictate to the rest of us what we can or cannot do for fun? Will they ban these pastimes one day, too? Neither the U.S. Constitution nor the Bible prohibits marijuana use. In fact, the Bible says God gave man "all" the seed bearing plants to use and the Declaration of Independence specifically declares that we have a right to the "pursuit of happiness." But people who make certain choices are now persecuted for doing so. 2."We already have so much trouble with alcohol, tobacco and bad driving; why make matters worse?" If you think we have an alcohol problem today, just remember the "Roaring Twenties," when competing liquor outlets used to send carloads of gangsters out with machine guns to settle their differences. The criminal violence caused by Prohibition (the 18th Amendment) were so much worse than the effects of drinking that the American people soon voted in the 21st Amendment, and liquor was re-legalized. Society has since learned to cope with alcohol use, just as we have accepted marijuana use for thousands of years. People are quick to adapt, and most knowledgeable sources agree that marijuana smokers are generally peaceful, law-abiding people. In fact, they are often among the nicest people you'll meet. Drinking can lead to reckless driving. You shouldn't drive when using common medicines like antihistamines, either. This is a matter of common sense and personal responsibility. No one should ever drive if they are not fully alert and capable of doing so. Also affecting public safety, alcohol and tobacco carry health risks that marijuana does not have. Some 500,000 people a year die from using tobacco or alcohol, but not one single person ever died from smoking marijuana in all of history. In fact, cannabis has hundreds of proven medical uses. Society might set age limits on marijuana use, as we have for alcohol and tobacco, but it is criminal to have set prison terms. 3."Ending marijuana prohibition 'sends the wrong message'--that we condone drugs." Prohibition is not about sending messages: It's about sending people to jail. And prison cannot rehabilitate patriotic Americans who believe that the marijuana law is unconstitutional and immoral. Marijuana is not a manufactured drug: It's a natural herb. Some people enjoy smoking, others don't. It's just a matter of taste. A difference of opinion: And that's what democracy is all about. Experts predict that marijuana use will level off soon after prohibition ends and people will reduce their use of hard drugs. So, the real message of prohibition is this: Despite all the safeguards in the Constitution, petty tyrants still spread lies and take away the freedoms of others. If we want society to send the "right" message, we must do it through honest educational programs about personal freedom and responsibility. Ending prohibition will be the first part of that lesson. 4. "Some people just can't cope with marijuana use." That;s right: About 10% of Americans have addictive personalities and they should avoid marijuana. Each of us has the right to say "no" to marijuana: But the 90% of us who can control our appetites also have a right to say "yes," if we so desire. Let's not ruin our lives with hysterical laws that do nothing to solve the real problems facing society. 5."Marijuana smokers have no motivation." Blaming marijuana is just a cop out. The Beatles wrote many of their finest tunes while being quite open about smoking pot. Judge Douglas Ginsburg was nominated for the Supreme Court and many members of Congress, as well as successful professionals and working people have smoked marijuana. When a person loses motivation, there are usually many factors to consider. They need our understanding and help. Arresting them and putting them in prison does not solve these problems: It makes matters worse. Most people prefer to smoke marijuana for relaxation or creative inspiration during leisure hours--not when they have work to do. And if marijuana smokers are so unmotivated, how come it takes urine tests, blood samples and hair analysis to tell who smokes it? The simple fact is that most marijuana smokers are highly motivated and productive citizens. 6."What about the children?" An excellent question. What kind of world are we making for our children: One full of prisons, secret police and intrusive laws that encourage them to spy on their own parents. I say, let's build them a world that respects each individual while it educates them about the responsible use of freedom. This is precisely why we must repeal prohibition. Not only will it protect the rights and liberties that generations of Americans have fought and died for: Hemp will also provide our children with a healthy environment and a sustainable economy to live in. Throughout history, hemp has been a help to our human society. It now holds the key to our future. HEMP FOR HEALTH Compiled by the Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp (BACH) HEMP HAS A LONG, PROUD HISTORY OF MEDICAL USE AND HUNDREDS OF THERAPEUTIC APPLICATIONS. For more than 3,500 years, Hemp has been (depending on the culture or nation) either the most used or one of the most widely used plants for medicines. This includes: China, India, the Middle and Near East, Africa and Europe. From 1850 to 1937, Hemp was America's prime medicine for more than 100 separate illnesses or diseases. Research by Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, etc. indicates that when Cannabis Hemp is legally available, it will directly replace some 10%-20% of all prescription pharmaceutical drugs and that probably 40%-50% of all medicines could use derivatives of the cannabis plant. _______________________ HEMP FOR HEALTH-Medical uses of Hemp include treating back pain, asthma, glaucoma, epilepsy, cancer, muscle spasms, migraines, tumors, stress, depression and anorexia. It is an antibiotic and expectorant, useful in muscle ointments and to treat arthritis and rheumatism. Hundreds of other therapeutic uses are likely, but hard-to-get permits are required to use it, and the federal government banned research into medical use of Hemp, so millions of people continue to suffer needlessly, and a valuable herbal medicine with minimal side-effects is held hostage by out-of-date- laws. Cannabis users statistically live one or two years longer than non-users. Hemp offers affordable health care for America. ________________________ HEMP HELPS ASTHMA-Medicines based on hemp would be most beneficial to young people, bringing a lifetime of relief and adding years to their lives. Asthma symptoms could be permanently reduced. Hemp eases the symptoms of epilepsy and prevents glaucoma from developing, bringing effective relief to those unfortunate enough to suffer from these illnesses. _________________________ HEMP FOR CANCER-Hemp reduces the nausea suffered by chemotherapy patients. This same characteristic has also recently been utilized by AIDS patients and is sometimes indicated for motion sickness (sea sickness.) __________________________ HEMP SAVES EYES- Medical Hemp would benefit some 90% of victims of glaucoma, a blinding disease. Cannabis does not cure it or reverse the loss of vision, but can halt the glaucoma sufferer's progressive deterioration of eyesight. ___________________________ HEMP FOR ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM-A traditional treatment for these ailments is to soak cannabis in alcohol and apply it locally in a poultice. ____________________________ HEMP RELIEVES STRESS-Cannabis reduces mental agitation and ulcers. One out of two American marriages end in divorce and domestic violence is on the increase. Studies indicate that these problems often result from the stress and depressed sex drive associated with the fast pace of modern life. Hemp is well known for its ability to reduce stress and promote relaxation, and has long been regarded as an aphrodisiac, yet it is not available on the open market. _____________________________ CANNABIS WAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE AMERICAN PUBLIC in 1938 against the advice of the medical community. Hemp was moved from the Class 2 schedule of drugs (having demonstrated medical value) and listed as Class 1 (dangerous substance with no known medical value) by the Nixon administration in 1970-despite all evidence to the contrary- and was retained as Class 1 by the Bush administration in 1989. In 1972 the Nixon-appointed Shafer Commission urged that cannabis be re-legalized, which was not done. Still, medical research continued--often with remarkable results. Cannabis was shown to help treat numerous health problems with very few side effects. Eleven states went on to adopt laws authorizing prescription use of medical marijuana. ______________________________ MORE RESEARCH IS NEEDED--At the 1975 National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) Asilomar Conference, participants were amazed at the documented results of marijuana research and agreed that a massive national research project was in order. Instead, all federal research grants were terminated in 1976 and subsequent private research has been heavily restricted. By late 1983 the Reagan/Bush administration had destroyed large amounts of data compiled in government sponsored marijuana research and put out a feeler to private and state universities to destroy their own records. Most refused to do so. In September, 1988, DEA Administrative Judge Francis Young concluded that cannabis should be rescheduled as Class 2 and made available for medical use. It has not been. Write to your representatives and ask that Hemp be re-legalized for use in America. There are thousands of other uses for Hemp: textiles, paper, fiber, food, fuel, medicine and more. ______________________________ FOR MORE INFORMATION we recommend that you read "The Emperor Wears No Clothes," by Jack Herer and "The Medical Marijuana Papers" by Dr. Tod Mikurya. For more information on hemp or to support the re- legalization of hemp/marijuana, send $1 + SASE to:Business Alliance for Commerce in Hemp (BACH) P.O.Box 71093, L.A. CA 90071-0093. THE EMPEROR is available at HEMP etc. 1090 S Wadsworth, Unit D, Lakewood. They also have a nice line of legal non-smoking Hemp products such as clothing, hemp-oil, hemp based foods, etc. For More Information Call 303/470-1100. HARVARD MEDICAL REPORT ON MARIJUANA --excerpted from the Harvard Medical School Mental Health Letter, November 1987 Although still illegal, marijuana has become a commonplace part of the American social scene, used regularly by millions and occasionally by millions more. A realistic view of this drug is now more important and easier to achieve. The use of marijuana reached a high point in the late 1970's and early 1980's, and has been declining ever since. In a 1978 survey, 37% of high school seniors said they had smoked marijuana in the last 30 days, and 11% said they used it daily. By 1986 the number who said they had smoked it in the last 30 days had fallen to 23%--lower than in 1975--and the proportion of daily users had dropped steadily to 4%. The trend among people\ aged 18 to 25 is similar. More people over 25 may now be using it occasionally, and young people are still experimenting with it. The main active ingredient of cannabis is delta-9- tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). one of more than 60 related chemicals found in the resin that covers the flowers and top leaves of the cannabis (hemp) plant. Leaves and flowers can be ground up in drinks or food, but are more often dried and smoked in a cigarette or pipe. The pure resin, known as hashish, can also be smoked, eaten or drunk. New breeding and cultivation techniques have raised the THC content of marijuana smoked in the United States as much as 10 times over the last 20 years, from an average of 0.4% to 4%. EFFECTS: The effects last two to four hours when marijuana is smoked, and five to 12 hours when taken by mouth. Although intoxication varies with psychological set and social setting, the most common response is a calm, mildly euphoric state in which time slows and sensitivity to sights, sounds and touch is enhanced. The smoker may feel exhilaration or hilarity and notice a rapid flow of ideas with a reduction in short-term memory. Images sometimes appear before closed eyes;visual perception and body image may undergo subtle changes. It is dangerous to operate complex machinery, including automobiles, under the influence of marijuana. The main physiological effects of cannabis are increased appetite a faster heartbeat, and sightly bloodshot eyes. NEGATIVE REACTIONS: Although the increased heart rate could be a problem for people with cardiovascular disease, dangerous physical reactions to marijuana are almost unknown. No human being is known to have died of an overdose. Like many other drugs, cannabis produces a toxic delirium when taken at very high doses, especially by mouth. The symptoms are confusion, agitation, disorientation, loss of coordination, and often hallucination; the delirium ends when the drug passes out of the body. The most common disturbing reaction to marijuana is acute anxiety, sometimes accompanied by paranoid thoughts, which may lead to panic. The most likely victim of this reaction is an inexperienced user inadvertently taking a high dose in an unpleasant or unfamiliar setting. The best way to handle the anxiety and paranoia is calming support and reassurance. Cannabis is less potent than hallucinogenic or psychedelic drugs and the user is better able to control its effects. LONG TERM EFFECTS: In recent years the psychological and physical effects of long-term use have caused the most concern. Studies are often conflicting and permit various views of marijuana's possible harmfulness. Two recognized signs of addiction are tolerance and withdrawal symptoms. These are rarely a serious problem for marijuana users: almost no one reports an urgent need to increase the dose to recapture the original sensation, and there is little evidence that withdrawal ordinarily presents serious problems to users, or causes them to go on taking the drug. People suffering from drug dependence find that they are constantly thinking about the drug, or intoxicated, or recovering from its effects. The habit impairs their mental and physical health and hurts their work, family life, and friendships. They often know that they are using too much and repeatedly make unsuccessful attempts to cut down or stop. Those problems seem to occur in proportionately fewer marijuana smokers than users of alcohol, tobacco, heroin or cocaine. Most people who develop marijuana dependency would be would be likely to develop other dependencies because of anxiety, depression or feelings of inadequacy. The troubled teen who smokes cannabis throughout the school day certainly has a problem, and excessive use may be one symptom. BEHAVIORAL EFFECTS: Experiments in the U.S. show no effects of fairly heavy marijuana use on learning, perception or motivation over periods as long as a year. In three major studies, conducted in Jamaica, Costa Rica and Greece, researchers compared heavy long-term cannabis users with non-users and found no evidence of intellectual or neurological damage, no changes in personality, and no loss of the will to work or to participate in society. Much attention has also been devoted to the idea that marijuana smoking leads to use of other illicit drugs: the "stepping stone" hypothesis. There is no convincing evidence for or against this. What is clear is that at many times and places marijuana has been used without these drugs, or these drugs have been used without marijuana. REPRODUCTION: Most recent studies on the health hazards of marijuana concerns its long-term effects on the body. Studies have examined the brain, the immune system, the reproductive system, and the lungs. Suggestions of long-term damage come almost exclusively from animal experiments and other laboratory work. Observations of marijuana users and the Caribbean, Greek and other studies reveal little disease or organic pathology associated with the drug. If there were significant damage, we might expect to find a higher rate of these diseases among young people beginning in the 1960's, when marijuana first became popular. There is no evidence of that. The effects of marijuana on the reproductive system are a more complicated issue. In men, a single dose of THC lowers sperm count and the level of testosterone and other hormones. Tolerance to this effect apparently develops; in the Costa Rican study, marijuana smokers and controls had the same testosterone levels. There is no evidence that the changes in sperm count and testosterone affect sexual performance or fertility. In animal experiments, THC has been reported to lower levels of female hormones and disturb the menstrual cycle. When monkeys, rats and mice have been exposed during pregnancy to amounts of THC equivalent to a heavy smoking human's dose, stillbirths and decreased birth weight are sometimes reported in their offspring. There are also reports of low birth weight, prematurity and even a condition resembling the fetal alcohol syndrome in some children of women who smoke marijuana heavily during pregnancy. The significance of these reports is unclear because controls are lacking and other circumstances make is hard to attribute causes. To be safe, pregnant and nursing women should follow the standard conservative recommendation to avoid all drugs, including cannabis, that are not absolutely necessary. LUNGS: A well-confirmed danger of long-term heavy marijuana use is its effects on the lungs. Smoking narrows and inflames air passages and reduces breathing capacity; damage to bronchial cells has been observed in hashish smokers. Possible harmful effects include bronchitis, emphysema and lung cancer. Marijuana smoke contains the same carcinogens as tobacco smoke, usually in somewhat higher concentrations, and is inhaled more deeply and held in the lungs longer, which increases the danger. On the other hand, almost no one smokes 20 marijuana cigarettes a day. Higher THC content in cannabis may reduce the danger of respiratory damage, because less smoke is required for the desired effect. This is only true as long as no significant tolerance develops and users do not try to get proportionately more intense effect from a stronger form of the drug. END