Grow Journal - week 7

The ladies are almost done..another week probably..all in all, Lush Lighting makes some really great lights. LED is the way to go for sure for indoor gardens. Fuller light spectrum makes for better growth as well as increased resin production which is great when making tinctures and oil. Also, the worms are doing well, they're still working through the first section, or should I say eating through the first section. At some point, and I don't know when that is, we'll add another tray on top and begin feeding them there. We have four trays total I believe. 

And now for the ladies:

Filly Bean

day 47

day 50

Vortex

day 47

day 50

Timewreck

day 47

day 50

The Flav

day 47

day 50

Pennywise

day 47

day 50

Orange Vision

day 47

day 50

The Garden

I love growing things! We are all connected energetically..the earth, plants, the universe..all of us. Growing anything puts your energy into that life. Growing medicine that heals is the most satisfying thing I've ever done, whether it's herbs or cannabis. Cannabis has saved my life and brought my health under control. Anyone who still believes that cannabis isn't safe to use either recreationally or medicinally is buying into a lie that has destroyed lives through incarceration and ultimately death in the case of people suffering from cancer and other life threatening conditions. All those years ago, profits were preferred over people, and we haven't learned that lesson yet because prohibition is alive and well, even in states where it's either legal completely, or medically so. Laws enacted to protect patients are circumvented by local cities who continue to buy into the lie by delaying the opening of legal dispensaries and other roadblocks they put in place. Cynicism has triumphed over truth and patients suffer in the process.

Growing my own medicine has been such a blessing. I have always preferred truth over propaganda and to be able to heal myself this way when doctors were unable to do so has been so gratifying. We all possess an endocannabinoid system that has been depleted over time because we no longer consume hemp. Without replenishing the cannabinoids in our bodies, an imbalance occurs and we become ill. Not only can hemp (and cannabis) heal our bodies, but it can also save the earth. 

The insanity must stop. We must end prohibition. 

~ Blessed Be ~ 

Enough already..

Robert Duncan went to prison Monday for working in a collective/dispensary in Northern California. The owner of the operation was sentenced to five years, Duncan to two. The business is legal in California, but that didn't matter to the feds. They prosecuted them and now they're serving time for something that is legal in that state. Oregon legalized dispensaries last summer. Applications began this month. Will it matter? Will they go to jail too? 

When is this going to stop? When are states going to stop letting the federal government arrest people for following state law? Where are the lawsuits on behalf of residents who are doing everything right, yet still lose everything? Where is the outrage from governors and legislatures? Law abiding citizens are helpless in the face of federal abuse. And that's what this is. Abuse. The feds have known for years that medical cannabis is legal in many states. Why haven't they taken steps to solve the parity issue between state and federal law? Why is it okay in their estimation to ruin lives? The cost to taxpayers is enormous to incarcerate everyone and then to deal with them when they come out of prison, jobless.

The whole situation is beyond ridiculous. No one should go to prison for a plant, especially one that has so much use, whether medicinally or industrially. Industrial hemp could have been so beneficial to our country, let alone the world, but the lie was told and sanity went away, replaced by a profit motive so great that honesty and integrity went right out the window. Isn't it about time that we got some of that back?

Two states have legalized cannabis. Washington is in the process of screwing over patients, which many of us saw coming during the I502 battle. Here's the thing..we didn't get medical cannabis laws passes so that we could get high. We did it so that we could get well. I realize the Washington State Liquor Control Board doesn't agree with that and views patients with disdain, but that's not based in reality. Patients will suffer in Washington if this happens. So, I hope someone steps in and stops these fools. Otherwise, patients will be in real trouble there. Things seem to be going better in Colorado, but there's always time for shenanigans to occur.

Alaska is set to vote on legalization this summer, and many more states, including Oregon, will have legalization initiatives on the November ballot. Washington DC decriminalized cannabis in limited amounts yesterday, instituting a $25.00 fine for up to an ounce. Imagine that..sanity in our nation's capital. Even Italy understands the travesty that cannabis laws have on people because they're poised to let 10,000 of their citizens out of prison for cannabis violations.

So much would be solved if the federal government would come out and say, once and for all, that cannabis laws should never have been instituted, that cannabis is safe, and that everyone who is currently incarcerated will now be released with their records expunged. It's the only fair thing to do at this point. The truth about cannabis is coming out daily now and the federal government's denial of the truth only makes them look dictatorial and small. Legalization is favored by the majority of citizens now, and those numbers would rise substantially if the government would be honest about this plant.

People suffer when governments lie. We've had too much of that in our history. It's time the truth was told. Cannabis is safe. Cannabis heals just about everything. Hemp can heal the earth. Stop the insane lie that has destroyed so many lives. I think we reached critical mass on this years ago. How about we do something positive for a change?

They Can't Be Serious..

And here we go. Washington State Liquor Control Board, in its infinite lack of wisdom, is proposing to allow over 200 possible pesticides on cannabis sold in the new retail outlets. I guess that's one way to control people..make them sick, or worse. And rumor has it they're trying to gut the medical cannabis law as well. No home grow..just pesticide-laden cannabis sold to consumers. Great work, people.

In case anyone was confused on this issue, when voters vote yes on a new law, city, county, and/or state officials cannot then try to circumvent in some way the new law. Oregon's legislature said yes to dispensaries and several cities, including Medford, said no. So the state's attorneys issued a letter stating they couldn't do this. Since it looks like we will be legalizing soon, this is a positive omen. 

I have to believe the problems we're beginning to see in Washington, similar to those in Colorado, are a reflection of those in power disagreeing with the new law. These are the same people who disagreed with the medical cannabis laws, so none of this is really surprising. The nonsensical 5 nanogram DUID limit is an example of giving something, yet making it impossible to have. If it were actually based on fact, then fine, but we all know it's not. So let's lock up some more people for doing something legal.

Oregon has published the rules for dispensaries for comment. One problem I see with it is that it does not require dispensaries to send their cannabis for testing to an independent lab. I would imagine with all the comments I know have already been made, and the comments pending, this will be changed. I wouldn't feel comfortable buying anything from a dispensary that did its own testing. That's why Washington's 200+ pesticide rule is so nuts.

Look, bugs aren't okay, because you know..fecal matter and all. But pesticides aren't okay either. We have to stop thinking in terms of acceptable loss. Elevate the standards for once. (I was going to say, set standards high, but that was too punny.) People with compromised immune systems cannot ingest fecal matter or pesticides. Nor should anyone else. So let's make sure the labs are doing their jobs correctly and require dispensaries to use them. And no icky stuff..please.

I've read that patients in Washington are organizing and responding to the proposed new rules. Please reconsider some of what you're proposing. And leave patients alone. Leave the dispensaries alone. If anything, make life better for patients. When people are that ill, and nothing else works, cannabis makes the difference between health and illness. And sometimes, between life and death. 

#Peace4Patients.. and everyone else..

Mr. President, patients need your help..

Dear President Obama,

It's me, your unabashedly supportive cannabis patient and adoring fan. And I mean that. I knew you'd be our president when you spoke at the 2004 Democratic National Convention. Seriously..my husband and I were watching the convention and you were the keynote speaker. As we listened to your speech, I got uncontrollably teary and I said to my husband, you know what? He's going to be our president one day. And as much as I love Hillary, I voted for you in Oregon's primary in 2008. My boys voted for you and my husband voted for you. It was the coolest feeling ever! I joined the Democratic Party then as well. I had always registered as non-partisan. I really couldn't take sides, even though my heart was always with the Democrats and what they stood for. At least, I couldn't until you came into view. You see, we share basically the same views on most everything. Everything except for cannabis, it seems. I say, it seems, because although you seem to not support legalization, you also seemed to support the medicinal use or at least you seemed to support state law. In any event, the Ogden memo was nice, and then proved to be something else.

US Attorneys like the one in California appear hell-bent on not respecting state law and, in turn, patients. DEA and other law enforcement agencies appear to look upon raids as a way to increase department funding. All at the expense of patients who are following their state laws and who simply want to get well. As legalization continues throughout the states, which it surely will, at some point, you guys are going to have to figure out how to reconcile federal laws with state laws. Or how about this? Take cannabis out of the federal drug registry completely, and let states decide from there. Unless of course you want to go ahead and legalize federally. That would be the simplest thing to do. That gets the federal government out of the way of states who want to legalize. Fix the IRS and banking laws that interfere as well. Then fire any US Attorney who doesn't comply and continues to harass everyone. That should apply to law enforcement as well, particularly those idiot cops who did the roadside cavity search in Texas.

And now for why you need to take a thoughtful and compassionate look at cannabis as medicine. There are amazing stories of healing out there..google them. This is what I went through and continue to go through. I've probably had Rheumatoid Arthritis for most of my life. It went undiagnosed until 2001. I was severe for almost twelve years. I have taken all kinds of meds for it, including methotrexate (5 years until it damaged my liver), sulfasalazine, Enbrel (7 years), Humira (the last 4 years), various anti-inflammatory drugs, and narcotics. I retained so much fluid in the beginning and over time that my weight increased dramatically. I was always waif-like, so this was really disturbing..excruciating pain and weight gain. None of my doctors believed the whole fluid retention thing..they told me to eat less and exercise more. I ate nothing and exercised when I could because frankly, I couldn't walk very well. The fatigue was similar to mononucleosis fatigue. For my doctors to not believe me was emotionally devastating. I knew I would tread water and never get better. So I did what they wanted and took the drugs. And every day I suffered beyond description. My feet were so swollen that wearing shoes, not to mention walking, was difficult. My energy would happen in short bursts, leaving me exhausted. By 1pm, I was done. Except that we owned a business and I couldn't be done. We put in 98 hour work weeks for the first six years of our business. I experienced excruciating pain 24/7. I don't know how I survived that.

In September 2009, a flare began that would last a little more than a year. Flares are awful because they're far more intense than what your daily pain level would be. They typically last for a short time..a day, or a week maybe. For this to go on month after month was ridiculous. Honestly, I didn't think I would live through this. Eventually it was going to take its toll. So, six months after the flare began, I decided to get my OMMP card. I submitted my medical records for review and received my appointment. You don't get one of those if you don't qualify, so I was encouraged. Upon receiving my card, I began growing. Or I should say, my husband began growing. I wasn't able to help at that point..existing was difficult enough. After the first harvest, I began processing my cannabis into tincture and capsules. I designed a treatment regime that I could track and began medicating. I also vaporized cannabis as well as used raw leaf in smoothies. Within 2 months, much of the fluid was gone (TYSVM!!) and I began looking like myself again. I had immediately stopped the narcotic I was taking when I started the treatment regime. I also began discontinuing the anti-inflammatory drug I was on. I couldn't believe that I was so much better so quickly. I had been researching everything I could find on the endocannabinoid system and I was convinced that properties in cannabis balanced that system and when that happens, health returns. And that's what happened with me. By the end of September 2010, my flare was over. My garden was almost ready for harvest, but I had been medicating during the summer with cannabis given to me by other patients so that stopped the flare. I just didn't have the concentrates yet that would give me the best results. But when I did, my health began to return. 

Mr. President, I know there are really important things that need to be addressed in our country. I understand the obstruction that's happening and I know people may think that cannabis is really not all that important in the broader scheme of things..but it actually is. Patients, growers, dispensary owners are all being targeted in states where they shouldn't be. People with cancer are using cannabis oil and curing their cancer! Children with severe epilepsy are living normal lives for the first time ever! We have a wonderful child here in Oregon, Mykayla Comstock, who is in remission from her cancer because of cannabis oil. We're all healing because of this plant.


Today, I'm healthier than I've ever been. I still have RA, but it no longer controls my life. It's a nuisance now, and that's doable. I'm still on a couple of RA drugs, but everything else is gone. Cannabis allowed me to do all of this. It balances the immune system, and so much more.


Cannabis is a safe and effective treatment for everything. It never should have been made illegal. Legalizing it would stop the arrests and incarceration of people who are doing nothing wrong. At the very least, resolve the conflict between federal and state laws so that states who have legalized as well as those that only have medicinal cannabis laws won't have the issues they currently face. That helps patients in the long run.


I sit here, tears streaming down my face, imploring you to take up our cause. It's emotional when we finally have something that actually heals us when nothing else has. We believe we're safe because we're following state law, only to discover we're not safe at all. Patients need your compassion, your thoughtfulness. We need you to stand with us and clear the way for our healing. We need you to listen to our stories and not view them with that dreaded "anecdotal" label that diminishes our experiences, relegating them to the proverbial dustbin. We need you to take us seriously.

Respectfully,


Jan 

Legalize..just respect patients in the process..

Washington State has written their cannabis rules. Most will need legislative approval. Personal growing has been banned. Evidently this would apply to patients as well. Current law allows up to fifteen plants. Once again, legalization is accomplished at the detriment of patients. Not everyone buys their meds at a dispensary. Many of us grow our own. Oregon just decided to legalize dispensaries, which will help the existing dispensaries that started under the guise of "clubs". We voted no last time on dispensaries. But that didn't stop enterprising dispensary owners from opening businesses. Depending upon where they opened, some were harassed and raided, and some weren't. It probably would have been better to wait until they were legal, but those of us who really understand the benefits of cannabis on our health sometimes become exuberant and do things anyway. I'm not talking about drug traffickers here. Some of these dispensary owners are patients themselves. They only want to help people and have taken the risk to do so.

I have said many times that I believe in ending prohibition. It was based upon a lie anyway and countless lives have been ruined to further that lie. But to legalize at the expense of patients doesn't make sense. We don't have to make patients' lives more difficult by allowing the recreational laws to influence or apply to the medical laws. Patients use cannabis to become healthy. I know for some this seems odd. But that's why we do it. And it works! We get healthy! I'm living proof of this.

Also, current law allows patients or caregivers to possess 24 ounces of useable cannabis. The new rules would drop that amount to 3 ounces. Here's the problem with that. Many patients process their cannabis into other forms for medicating. Some make oil, tincture, or capsules to medicate with. This takes more than 3 ounces to do. Expecting this from patients doesn't make sense and could change the course of their return to health. Some patients also use raw cannabis in their diet. They include it in smoothies and juice. The health benefits of raw cannabis are only now being discovered and the news is great! I use raw leaf and small buds in my morning smoothies. Ingestion in some form is typically more effective than smoking for many conditions. Using raw cannabis, for example, doesn't even result in a high. And now growers are creating varieties that are higher in CBD and lower in THC which will also have less of a high. Tinctures made from high CBD varieties are what parents are giving to their kids with constant and severe seizures. It stops them. (Watch Sanjay's special)  Smoking or vaporizing is optimum for some kinds of pain as well as muscle cramps. It's great when you need to relax and to clear your mind of troublesome thinking as many survivors of PTSD have discovered. And yes, you'll get high from that. And you'll feel better. Trust me on this. I'm a survivor and cannabis has helped calm my mind without the resulting side effects of an anti-depressant.

The point is, patients figure out what works for them and then they get well. Colorado left patients alone. I hope Oregon does as well when we legalize. I know letting go of long-held beliefs is at the bottom of these decisions. Sanjay Gupta's special aside, people still believe in the whole "reefer madness" propaganda.  It's not easy to suddenly believe that cannabis is a safe plant that should be available to everyone.

But as we legalize, please leave patients alone. In the mean time, we need to reschedule cannabis federally so that research can begin in earnest. We did this in Oregon and rescheduled from Schedule 1 to Schedule 2. Cannabis is a safe plant and should be scheduled even further down the list, if not removed completely. Stop trying to control something that is a personal decision. I still use Humira for my RA, but cannabis is what put my disease into clinical remission. I was so ill for so long that it may take time to discontinue the Humira. I also take Sulfasalazine, although it's been reduced by half. It would be nice to only take that one. The Humira scares me. I was also able to discontinue the anti-inflammatory drug, the narcotic, both blood pressure pills, and I'm down to 1 Metformin, which is also ending soon. This would have not happened without cannabis. I have no problem with western medicine. I just wish medical schools also included natural medicines in their curriculum. My medical experience has been lop-sided and would have been richer if I could have had meaningful conversations with my doctors about all forms of medicating. They shouldn't have to fear losing their medical license for talking to me about cannabis. So I don't tell them. And that's sad. It's not what I want. 

Prohibition must end. Simple as that. No one needs to freak out about it. States with existing medical cannabis laws must either leave them alone or make them better. States without medical cannabis laws need to enact them. And for pity's sake, keep the pharmaceutical companies out of this. It's the whole plant that heals. Not an unreasonable facsimile of, which is what these pill factories pump out. If what they produce isn't what we do in our kitchens, then it's not medicine. Sorry about that. A guy in front of a booth at Hempfest this year stopped me and try to sell me some cannabis oil. I thanked him and said I make my own. And you know what? He got a really odd look on his face. And it didn't seem like he was puzzled. It seemed like he understood what I was saying.

States should take a lesson from my experience at Hempfest and never underestimate the empowered patient. Because guess what else we are? Voters. Yes, we vote, among other things like raising families, holding down jobs, and helping our communities understand the truth about this wonderful plant. We're chatty like that..

Legalize..just respect patients in the process.
 

Stop taking children away from legal cannabis users

Evidently CPS workers don't understand the idea of legal cannabis users. So let me explain this to you.

States pass laws. Sometimes they involve cannabis. Get used to it. We've been lied to all this time about the safety and efficacy of this plant. Parents who use cannabis are not criminals, especially if they've been granted a legal way to use it such as for medicinal purposes. There's nothing here to protect a child from.

In the case of Washington state, they legalized cannabis for recreational purposes in addition to their existing medicinal cannabis law. The law protects parents from this type of harassment. Why would CPS in Washington state tell Billy Fisher that he shouldn't have custody of his daughter because he's a cannabis patient? Have they lost their minds? He wants custody to save her from an unsafe situation she's been in. Here's a guy who actually wants to take care of his child! He wants to protect her and give her the best life possible. He loves his little girl. And CPS wants to prevent him from doing so based on a lie.

Billy Fisher uses medicinal cannabis because of a degenerative disc condition. The state wants him to go into treatment and have two years of UA's during his follow up care for his so-called cannabis dependency.

Thanks for waiting..I had to scream for a bit.

Cannabis is NOT addictive. Those of us who use it medicinally or otherwise are not addicts. We're not drug traffickers. We're not criminals. We don't deserve to have our kids taken from us for using a safe plant to deal with our medical conditions. Because if we get to lose our kids for this, then so should anyone who drinks alcohol or uses prescription drugs. Especially in a state where it's legal recreationally.

There will be a rally hosted by Serra Frank from Moms for Marijuana International on the steps of the Spokane County Courthouse on October 3rd. It starts at 11am with a press conference beginning at 11:30. The link below gives details for anyone who can attend in support of Billy and his daughter.

We need to stop this travesty before it goes any further. #Peace4Patients

The Fight for Lilly Fisher