Will marijuana play a role in the future of American politics?
If people let government decide which food they eat and medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under tyranny.
– Thomas Jefferson
“Ready or not, marijuana is fueling massive change and has become a mainstream topic of significant importance to people of all ages in most households across America,” says Dr. David Bearman, expert in the history and role of marijuana. “Right now, all but four states have legalized at least some form of medical cannabis and the legalization of recreational use is growing faster than ever before.
“While neither political party has made marijuana a major centerpiece for discussion, marijuana politics stands to make a major difference in state and national political outcomes in the next elections.”
Dr. Bearman says that medical marijuana matters to the young, middle aged, and the old.
“It is more widely used, enjoyed, and appreciated than any of its detractors is willing to admit. There are numerous political candidates seeking to reform federal marijuana policies - from pushing to protect state laws to advocating marijuana's reclassification from a Schedule I drug like heroin to Schedule III drug so long term studies can be done on the drug's medical benefits. Cannabis reform is now occurring on multiple fronts.”
An August 2016 study published by Harvard Medical School identifies over 20 million people use medical marijuana in the United States.
A partial list of the known medical marijuana uses now includes:
- As an appetite stimulant in AIDS and chemotherapy patients
- To relieve pain (and its use is being recommended to doctors in lieu of prescribing opiates)
- To help treat inflammatory bowel diseases like Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
- To treat chemotherapy-related nausea and vomiting
- To treat muscle spasticity and pain in multiple sclerosis
- To reduce the growth of cancers
- To treat cancer-related pain not managed by other pain medication
- To treat drug-resistant epilepsy, particularly in children
- To treat psychiatric disorders (e.g., anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance use disorders, and bipolar disorder)
- To reduce the symptoms of conditions in the autism spectrum disorder
- To reduce the side effects of treatment for Hepatitis C (nausea, fatigue, muscle aches, and depression).
- To reduce the symptoms of autoimmune disease (e.g. Rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, fibromyalgia, Restless Leg Syndrome, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome)
- To help people get to sleep, get better quality sleep and awaken without a drug hangover
Although marijuana can help relieve the symptoms of many medical conditions and is used as medicine most states, its use is still prohibited by federal level. In something of a Catch-22, the DEA and FDA complain that there is no data from large, long-term, well-designed studies. In order to say that, they have to ignore at least 20 tincture of cannabis/Nabixamol studies that have been done in the UK.
These double-blind studies can only be legally done with the government’s cannabis, and the government rarely approves such studies. Why? Marijuana was made illegal in 1970s for political reasons and similar political reasons remain. The DEA seems more concerned with job protection than science or truth. The Federal Drug Administration continues to have concerns about potential risks versus benefits.
Forty-six states have passed laws, contrary to federal laws, to allow the use of marijuana for medical conditions. States have also made the move to decriminalize recreational marijuana use by adults or have similar measures on upcoming ballots.
“Medical and recreational marijuana is going to energize large portions of the voting populace, particularly among students, those looking for alternative health care options, and minorities,” Dr. Bearman says. “The growing awareness that marijuana is medicine is forcing change.”
One thing is for certain. Any attempts by Donald Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stamp out further legalization efforts is going to be met with a loud public outcry. Their efforts would also be unconstitutional because of the states rights guaranteed by the 9th and 10th amendments as well as the 1925 SCOTUS decision in Linder v. United States that confirmed the regulation of the practice of medicine is a right reserved for the states.
Drugs are Not the Devil’s Tools
Dr. David Bearman
Color $65.00 B&W $45.00
Revised and updated November 2017
8 ½ x 11, 498 pages
Entertaining, lavishly illustrated and full of amazing stories, Drugs are NOT the Devil’s Tools takes the reader through the history of drugs and the origin of the onerous United States drug laws.
Dr. David Bearman shows how, through intertwining motives of discrimination and greed, often under the guise of morality, how those in power have created a drug policy that is completely dysfunctional. He details how drug laws have been very effective in further marginalizing discriminated-against groups and have been a total failure in every other respect.
Additionally, did you know:
- We all have cannabis receptors in our bodies
- Cannabis was legal in the US until 1943 and only removed because the powers that be wanted to get rid of hemp and create a market for nylon and other petroleum-based products
- The American Medical Association opposed the removal of cannabis from pharmacies
- There is no such thing as cannabis addiction
LOVE YOU BOOK INTERVIEW – PINK PEARL PR
Why I Wrote ‘Love You’ – Lorna Jane Clarkson
Australia's iconic award-winning technical fashion brand designer, Lorna Jane Clarkson, releases her fifth book, Love You.
Fresh from the first leg of her book tour, we sat down with our one and only leading lady and wellness pioneer, Lorna Jane Clarkson, to gain a personal insight into her latest book, ‘Love You’.
Interview Questions:
What is Love You about?
Essentially ‘Love You” is about the incredible power and positivity you can bring in to your life when you decide to love and believe in yourself.
Why did you write Love You?
LOVE YOU is my 5th book and surprisingly not one that I set out to intentionally write.
For the past 18 months I’ve been running an Active Schools program for young girls where we teach the importance of loving and believing in yourself and the more I spoke about this message and saw how much it resonated not only with the students but with their teachers and their parents – I just knew that it was something that ALL women would benefit from.
I wanted to write about self-love because I wanted to inspire women to stop and think about where they are going with their lives, to instil in them the importance of taking care of themselves and to show them that they CAN bring about positive change in their lives.
I believe that self-love is important because everything good in your life starts with how YOU think and feel about yourself and I want to encourage ALL women to invest in themselves, back themselves, challenge themselves and ultimately love and believe in themselves enough to create a life that they love.
In this book, I talk about self-love and self-belief, the importance of authenticity and that making mistakes is inevitable and ultimately how we learn and move forward in life. I share the real stories of my personal journey (warts and all!), the daily rituals that keep me on track despite my busy schedule and what I do to take care of myself both physically and mentally so that I can live my life at 100%.
How did you come up with the title?
Honestly, I’m usually at least half way through a book before the title starts to emerge and it’s not until I begin writing the introduction (which is usually after I have decided on all of the content) that I start to seriously think about what the title should be.
I decided on LOVE YOU because I wanted the message to be crystal clear to the reader as soon as she saw the book. I also wanted her to feel loved when she received the book – so the title also serves as an “I love you” message from me and the Lorna Jane team.
Why do you think self-love is so important?
I know from my own personal experience just how important self-love is, because how you think and feel about yourself has a direct impact on your life. Without self-love, you can’t have self-belief and without self-belief and self-confidence it’s almost impossible to reach your full potential in anything that you do.
I think right now is the perfect time to focus on YOU and what you are doing with your life instead of getting caught up in what everyone else is doing and comparing their seemingly perfect lives with yours. Social media and our obsession with celebrity is taking our focus away from being WHO we are and taking our attention away from what we want to do with our lives. I think we need to stop seeking likes on social media and start to like ourselves. Spend less time looking at other people’s lives and start working on where we want to go with our own lives instead!
When you decide to love and believe in yourself, your whole world changes for the better and I want every woman to know this and understand how she can take back her power.
Why was this book difficult to write?
Honestly, it was tough to write because it was so personal. It’s a well-known fact that the media can be tough on people in the spotlight and I have certainly felt that over the last few years. There are more and more ‘click-bait’ headlines and they often lead to or report on unfounded and misleading facts. I haven’t spoken about it publicly before, but these were difficult times for me that played havoc with my self-confidence. I felt too scared to do or say anything, especially when I learnt that ‘no comment’ wasn’t really an option either.
I started to doubt myself and what I was doing with my life and had to find a way to re-gain my own self love and self-confidence as well as the fearlessness and ability to be open and honest that I had lost. When I was writing this book I started thinking about all the other women out there that may have gone through something similar in their lives causing them to lose their confidence, and wouldn’t it be great if I could somehow use the stories of my journey to help them overcome their fears, find self-love and get back on track to creating an amazing life for themselves.
Why did you feel the need to share so many personal stories in this book?
I think that it’s important for people to know what it really takes to live with passion and purpose – of course I want to inspire women to follow their dreams like I did, but I also want them to know that it can (and will) be hard sometimes.
I think by telling my ‘own’ personal stories it allows me to share with the reader what I believe are the key ingredients to move forward towards success in their lives. What it actually takes to step out of your comfort zone and make change. And that it’s perfectly okay for people to think that you are crazy!
In this book I also talk about the daily rituals that I know have carried me through the most difficult times. That taking care of your health both physically and mentally is always important, and that anything truly is possible when you make the commitment to LOVE and believe in yourself every day.
My stories teach you that nothing worthwhile is easy. Building something important takes time. That without passion you will never begin, without courage, you will falter and without drive and determination you will never finish.
What is it really like to work with your husband Bill?
Everyone is saying ‘surround yourself with good people’ so it confuses me when they’re surprised that so many of my friends and family work with me at Lorna Jane! I mean why wouldn’t you want to chase your dreams and build something with the people that you love?
Right now, the official count is – one best friend, one brother-in-law, a school friend of Bill’s, two sister-in-law’s, one brother, one husband and one dog … and quite honestly, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I love working with my husband and YES we do argue (a lot!) but it just never seems to affect our personal life or how we feel about each other.
I think that the people you spend time with is important – and It’s nice to know that you can trust each other, that there is a genuine human connection and that we have each other’s best interests at heart. Working with family certainly works for me, but I’m not going to say it will work for everyone!
What is your ultimate dream for females around the world?
I think that right now is an amazing time in history for women, and I want every one of them to know that they have the power to bring positive change into their lives, to reach their full potential, to be fearless and make a difference big or small in the world.
To pre-order your signed copy, visit Lorna Jane.
Lorna Jane is available to buy in stores in Vancouver, Calgary and Toronto, in 45 Sport Chek retail locations across Canada, online at sportchek.ca and online at lornajane.com
Join the conversation!
#movenourishbelieve
#lornajane
Facebook: @lornajaneactivecanada
Twitter: @LornaJaneActive
Instagram: @lornajaneactive
About Lorna Jane
Lorna Jane began in 1989 when Lorna Jane Clarkson sewed her first one-off design
at her home in Brisbane, Australia. Since then, Lorna Jane has transformed her fashion vision into a world-leading activewear brand with over 250 stores worldwide and a connected community of over 3 million women embracing Lorna’s personal philosophy of Active Living.
The technical fashion label designed for women by women provides the perfect mix of fashion and function. Lorna Jane delivers active, innovative and inspirational activewear that aims to inspire all women to lead an active and fulfilling life.
We all love a good quiz! So, in honor of PCOS Awareness Month (September) and to bring attention and answers to the 116 million women living with distressing symptoms of irregular menstrual cycles, weight gain, infertility, acne, hair loss, increased facial hair growth--vastly because of hormone imbalances, Dr. Fiona McCulloch has created a quiz that will help pinpoint your symptoms to determine which factors are most important to treat in your presentation of PCOS.
The quiz is available online and in her book, 8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS. Sample portions are below.
A veteran speaker and easy-to-understand academic, in an educational and eye-opening interview, a PCOS sufferer herself, Dr. McCulloch can also discuss:
- What the main signs are of PCOS and how a woman would know if she has it
- What the best diet is for a woman with PCOS
- How PCOS changes through a woman’s lifespan and it looks like in teenagers, reproductive years or after menopause
- What the different types of PCOS are and how to know which one you have
- If women with PCOS can get pregnant and what is unique about their reproductive health
- If there are any supplements or natural treatments that can work for PCOS
SAMPLE SECTIONS OF THE PCOS QUIZ:
Inflammation Quiz
Inflammation is a key factor. All women with PCOS have it. As you’ll see below, you will either have moderate or severe inflammation.
1. I have pain in my body, such as neck pain, back pain, knee pain, or headaches.
2. I have skin rashes, such as eczema, psoriasis, rosacea, or allergic dermatitis.
3. I have chronic digestive problems, such as bloating, diarrhea, ulcers, reflux, or indigestion.
4. I have asthma or allergies.
5. I’m constantly tired and lethargic.
6. I eat a diet that is not based on whole foods and contains many processed foods and sugars.
7. I have a family member with an autoimmune disease.
8. I have been formally diagnosed with PCOS.
If you have answered yes to five to eight of these, it’s likely you have severe inflammation. If you’ve answered yes to one to four of these, it’s likely you have moderate inflammation.
Hormone Balance Quiz
1. My cycles are or have been thirty-five days or longer for significant periods of time in my life.
2. I’ve had polycystic ovaries on ultrasound.
3. I ovulate late in my cycle—around day eighteen or later.
4. I’ve needed to take medications to help me ovulate.
5. The medications intended to help me ovulate didn’t work on at least one occasion.
6. I’ve had a high anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) reading on a blood test.
7. I’ve had a high luteinizing hormone (LH) to follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) ratio on a day-three blood test.
8. I have had low progesterone readings on bloodwork.
If you have answered yes to any of these, you have the ovulation factor to a significant
degree.
Thyroid Quiz
1. I feel cold compared to others around me.
2. I feel tired a lot or exhausted without reason.
3. I do not lose weight easily, despite dieting and exercising.
4. I am constipated.
5. I have dry, flaky skin.
6. I’m losing hair: It is brittle, coarse, and dry. Or, I am losing the outer
eyebrow hair.
7. My nails are brittle.
8. I’m depressed or anxious.
9. I have chronic muscle and joint pains.
10. I feel pressure or swelling in my neck, have difficulty swallowing, and my voice has become hoarse.
11. I have a family member with thyroid disease or an autoimmune disease.
12. I have high cholesterol that does not respond to diet changes or medication.
13. I have unexplained changes in my weight, unrelated to my lifestyle.
14. I have changes in my memory and concentration.
15. I have had abnormal thyroid testing results (including autoimmune thyroid antibody testing) or am taking thyroid medication already.
If you have answered yes either to number fifteen alone, or to ten to fifteen of these, you have a significant thyroid factor. If you haven’t been tested, you should be. If you have answered yes to five to nine of these, you have signs of a moderate thyroid factor and lab testing is warranted. If you have answered yes to one to four of these, you have some signs of a thyroid factor and lab testing is warranted.
One of the most awesome things about the human body is its ability to heal itself. So many, especially women, spend hundreds of dollars trying to attain perfect skin. Like everyone else, I see the importance in skin care and attaining great skin is very important to me. That's why when I was presented with the opportunity to check out Samantha Dench's book, "Skin Deep: Demystifying Skin Care Solutions to Achieve Healthy, Glowing Skin", I jumped at the opportunity.
This book is filled with gems and tips on how to attain your best skin ever! The author, Samantha Dench is very qualified to speak and write on this topic. As Samantha is a licensed esthetician and spa owner.
After reading this book, I learned so much invaluable information and my skin has been showing it. As a health enthusiast, I loved Samantha's message of taking care of your skin from the inside out. She is also a believer that great skin care starts with what you put into your body. We've all heard that the keys to great skin is exfoliating, cleaning, toning and moisturizing, but 'Skin Deep' goes much deeper into this topic to really help with getting a routine that will work for you and provide the best results for healthy, glowing, beautiful skin. She also helps you navigate the world of estheticians and helps you find the best skin care expert for you. Did I mention she also tackles anti-aging?
Check out Samantha Dench's book today by clicking the link:http://skindeepil.com/skindeep-book/ ! If you're in the States, you can also visit one of Samantha's Illinois or Texas locations!
