2$ TRILLION + @ decade U.S. Drug War Boondoggle

NOT counting the consequences of market perversion.

http://www.drugwarrant.com/2011/05/national-drug-intelligence-center-fails-intelligence-test/#comments

The U.S. government claims that 'illicit drug use or abuse' costs $189 billion annually, though it's PROHIBITION rather than the drugs' pharmacological effects- e.g. prohibiting and the consequential incarceration is officially spun as 'drug induced incarceration'.

All of this does not even mention the costs of protecting MORE dangerous substances, such as Virginia Bright Leaf Tobacco cigarettes and alcohol, from far safer substances as Coca Leaf and MJ, let alone the perversion of Coca Leaf and Opium into concentrated dosing of cocaine and heroin.

Coca is the safest stimulant, and was banned by the USDA largely over its promotion as a ‘Tobacco habit cure’

http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2011/04/coca-as-tobacco-habit-cure.html

And such Tobacco’ has killed some 100 million in the last century.

So when we look at the govt report above and see nearly $2 trillion spend per decade on the drug war boondoggle, that does not even include the costs of such market protectionism.

Hillsdale's Omission

"government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem" - Ronald Wilson Reagan

So when will Hillsdale College, with Imprimis, and their Allan P. Kirby Center for Constitutional Studies & Citizenship ever address that greatest cause of government over-growth- that costly, cigarette-pharma market protection mercantilist scheme called the 'war on drugs'?

Or shall it continually pretend, as the does the 'Heritage' Foundation, and the rest of the cookie-cutter 'new right', that this 'drug war' is somehow 'moral'



Freedom of Medicine and Diet
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2007/07/freedom-of-medicine-and-diet.html

"Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now. Thus in France the emetic was once forbidden as a medicine, and the potatoe as an article of food. Government is just as infallible too when it fixes systems in physics. Galileo was sent to the inquisition for affirming that the earth was a sphere: the government had declared it to be as flat as a trencher, and Galileo was obliged to abjure his error. This error however at length prevailed, the earth became a globe, and Descartes declared it was whirled round its axis by a vortex. The government in which he lived was wise enough to see that this was no question of civil jurisdiction, or we should all have been involved by authority in vortices. In fact, the vortices have been exploded, and the Newtonian principle of gravitation is now more firmly established, on the basis of reason, than it would be were the government to step in, and to make it an article of necessary faith. Reason and experiment have been indulged, and error has fled before them. It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself. "

Drug War Tobacco-Pharma Criminal Mercantilism
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2011/03/drug-war-tobacco-pharma-agricultural.html

Drug Statutes Are Worse Than Most Realize
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2011/01/drug-statutes-infinitely-worse-than.html

The Drug War Promotes Drug Abuse
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/03/drug-war-promotes-drug-abuse-over-drug.html

Drug War Perverts Safest Stimulant into Drug of Abuse for Sake of Protecting the Most Dangerous Stimulant
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2011/04/coca-as-tobacco-habit-cure.html

Key Points of the unconsitutional and immoral 1906 US Pure Foods and Drugs Act
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2011/04/harvey-wileys-1906-us-food-drugs-act.html

Top anti MJ Researcher's 180 degree turnaround
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2010/12/top-anti-researcher-180.html

Criminal Virginia Bright Leaf Cigarette Conspiracy- More Consumption, Taxes, Fires...
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/04/criminal-virginia-bright-leaf.html

Adulterated - Misbranded Virginia Bright Leaf Cigarettes
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/04/adulterated-tobacco-cigarettes.html

Drug Policy Guilt Out- DISTRACTION

Guilt out consumers while distracting from scrutinizing the scam of prohibition violating human rights and pubic health



http://www.ulule.com/the-front-line-behind-your-line-widening-the-view-of-drug-use-in-a-globalized-world/

About

This image has massively circulated in Mexico in the last months. It was a call to stop the war in Mexico. This image has inspired us to pitch this project and contibute in our way to stop it.

You’ve heard the story before. Recreational drug use is a scourge of the Western World. Drug users are jeopardizing their health. Public education campaigns continue to intensify the focus on the cost to individual lives.

But that’s an old story. And is it the whole story? Surely there are other costs?

What if we rewind the story? What if we start the story in Latin America, the source of the drug industry, where it continues to thrive? What are the social costs there?

In Mexico alone, close to 40 000 people have died in the last four years as a result of the drug war.

Perhaps you are surprised? We know, these are facts and numbers that rarely reach people in the West World, including recreational drug users themselves who may be otherwise socially responsible. It is time to change. Raising awareness is a good place to start.

CAMPAIGN AIM

In a globalized world where purchasing choices often drive social change, we must help Western drug users to widen their view. They must see the global and social costs of their choices.

Our social advertisement campaign aims to open a debate about the ethical consequences of using drugs in a globalized world. Drug users need to feel the impact of their choices. They need to experience the daily fear inflicted on innocent civilians as a result of their purchasing choices.

CHANNEL AND TACTICS

A short high quality video, optimized for internet dissemination has the potential to have a huge impact. We will leverage social media to help mobilize and focus the efforts of the many civilians in Latin America and elsewhere who are at the breaking point in this process. The following video will serve as a focal point to underscore the stakes and mobilize people to action.

The video...

The one-minute video is a parallel montage of two actions that happen in two different spaces: a nightclub in a Western country full of Westerners and a nightclub in Mexico full of Latinos. We will combine these two spaces intercutting them using the flashes of the stroboscopic lights to create the feeling that both actions happen at the same place and time. We will only reveal at the end of the video that both actions actually happened in two different nightclubs. These are two different worlds that are divided by the line of a border, but are tightly linked together in the drug world.

The action...

In the North American nightclub, people are dancing. Someone cuts a line of cocaine on a small mirror and sniffs it. We ask the question: “What’s behind your line?” The drug user is experiencing an altered state of mind and suddenly collapses on the dance floor. People stop dancing. Friends help him to stand. He smiles again. They laugh and continue dancing.

Meanwhile in another nightclub in Mexico, people are dancing. Suddenly, masked men break in with machine guns. People freeze. We can see the fear in their eyes. We see feet running, amidst bullets bouncing on the floor. A young man collapses. On the empty dance floor, the corpse is left with blood running from the nose. We answer the original question: “In Mexico only, more than 40 000 innocent civilians have died as a result of the drug war. Behind your line is the front line.”


---

This work altogether ignores prohibition which creates the problems of violance and abuse via shifting markets to concentrated forms of drugs and drug taking.

Entities producing such jesuitical nonsense are simply about guilting out the more gullible for the sake of maintaining status quos.

http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/07/drug-policy-environmentalism-from-asses.html

Freemason T Roosevelt Approved Wiley 1906 'Pure Food and Drugs Act'

Freemason Theodore Roosevelt
establishing USDA authority to steer agricultural-pharma mercantilism, via 1906 U.S. Pure Foods & Drugs Act of Harvey Washington Wiley


Freemasonry responsible for treasonous subversion of freedom of diet and medicine for tobacco-cigarette/pharmaceutical racketeering: 100 million lives and countless years of the waste of the drug war

http://limasons.blogspot.com/2006/07/theodore-roosevelt-president-and-mason.html

By W:.Patrick Bellotti, Past Master Meridian Lodge 691

THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1858-1919)
Twenty-sixth President (1901-1909)


Theodore Roosevelt is known as one of the greatest American Presidents this country has known. He was primarily known as a great conservationist and started the National Park System. He did renovations to the White House and imprinted a “can-do” attitude which helped the population face the challenges of the new 20th Century.

Among all these things, Theodore Roosevelt was also an active Mason who exemplified the spirit and brotherhood of Masonry while serving as President. He believed in Masonry until his death.

I did some research and thought I would share some of these facts with you in this Blog.

THEODORE ROOSEVELT’S MASONIC RECORD

Brother Theodore Roosevelt was initiated: January 2, 1901, Matinecock Lodge No. 806, Oyster Bay, New York. Brother and President Roosevelt visited the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania (in its present home, the Masonic Temple at One North Broad Street) on November 5, 1902, for the Celebration of the Sesqui-Centennial of Brother George Washington's Initiation into Freemasonry. Governor of New York, 1899-1901. Brother and President Roosevelt issued an Executive Order, dated, October 17, 1901 changing the name of the "Executive Mansion" to the "White House".

Theodore Roosevelt, said in 1902, "One of the things that attracted me so greatly to Masonry . . . was that it really did live up to what we, as a government, are pledged to -- of treating each man on his merits as a Man"

The following is an excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt’s obituary which was published upon his death. His obituary further validated his love and commitment to Masonry.

“Colonel Roosevelt was a member of the local lodge of Masons, and never failed to keep up his interest in it. He had made a habit for many years of visiting Masonic lodges wherever he went, as a member of the Oyster Bay lodge, and, returning, to tell his brother Masons here of his visits. He found Masonic lodges when he was in Africa at Nairobi, and in South America he found a lodge on the Asuncion River. The Masons here knew from Colonel Roosevelt of the doings of Masonic lodges in all parts of the world. The members of the local lodge suggested a Masonic funeral yesterday, but this was dropped when the wishes of the family became known.”

While a member of Matinecock Lodge, Theodore Roosevelt resided and raised his family in a beautiful home there which he called Sagamore Hill. I recommend that any Mason take the tour of this beautiful home which is brimming with historical significance. Today this residence is run by the National Park Service which gives public tours.

If I sound biased about Theodore Roosevelt, it is with good cause as I am proud to say that in 2001 I was a recipient of the Theodore Roosevelt Award and I personally was given a tour of his home. It was a fascinating and unforgettable experience for me which I will never forget.

For a more in depth study of Roosevelt’s Lodge service, you can read the web page taken from the web site for Matinecock Lodge which is located in Roosevelt’s hometown of Oyster Bay, New York. I put this web address here for your convenience.

http://www.matinecock.org/portal/desktopdefault.aspx?tabindex=2&tabid=23&item=10

Masonic Justice? LIFE for 2lbs MJ

Continuing Cigarette-Pharma Racketerring Human Rights Violations by Louisiana

“All I gotta say is that State Judge State Judge Raymond S. Childress of Covington, LA - the judge who imposed this sentence - should be disbarred for violating the 8th Amendment'­s prohibitio­n of cruel and unusual punishment­. Yep, I said it.”

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2011/05/fourth_marijuana_conviction_ge.html#incart_hbx

He didn't fare too well after moving to St. Tammany Parish, however. A single such conviction on the north shore landed the 35-year-old in prison for the rest of his life.

State Judge Raymond S. Childress punished Hood under Louisiana's repeat-offender law in his courtroom in Covington on Thursday. A jury on Feb. 15 found the defendant guilty of attempting to possess and distribute marijuana at his Slidell home, court records show.

Hood moved from eastern New Orleans to the Slidell area after he admitted to separate charges of distribution of marijuana and possession with intent to distribute marijuana on Dec. 18, 2009, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. He received a suspended five-year prison sentence and five years' of probation for each -- which was precisely the same penalty he got in that court after pleading guilty to possessing and intending to distribute marijuana on Feb. 22, 2005.

When Hood switched homes, he also requested a new probation officer based in St. Tammany. Authorities granted the wish, and the officer, Dustin Munlin, drove to Hood's place for a routine visit on Sept. 27, 2010.

Munlin found nearly two pounds of pot throughout the house, according to court records. He alerted Sheriff's Office deputies. They arrested Hood, who apparently shared the King's Point house with his mother and young son.

Prosecutors later charged him with one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana.

At Hood's one-day trial, the evidence presented by the prosecution included a digital scale and about a dozen bags that had contained marijuana before being seized from the house, testimony showed. Deputies also found $1,600 in cash and a student-loan application with Hood's name on it inside of a night stand.

Jurors deliberated for less than two hours and convicted Hood of a reduced charge, which usually carries no more than 15 years' imprisonment. Assistant District Attorney Nick Noriea Jr. then used Hood's past convictions on Thursday to argue that he was a career criminal worthy of a severe punishment.

Drug offenders in the state are subject to life imprisonment after being convicted three or more times of a crime that carries a sentence exceeding 10 years.

Added- :8:49 PM

Childress is Jesuit law educated- continuing the pharmacratic inquisition as a means of collecting paychecks

Judge Raymond S. Childress graduated from Bogalusa High School in 1969, attended Southeastern Louisiana University and graduated in December of 1972 with a B.A. in History. He attended Loyola University Law School in New Orleans, graduating in May of 1979. After being admitted to practice law in October 1979, he went into private practice.

Judge Childress' practice was varied, including insurance defense, plaintiff personal injury, domestic relations, real estate, criminal defense and two years as an Assistant District Attorney in St. Tammany Parish.

Judge Childress ran unopposed in 1998 and was sworn in as District Judge, Division "A" in the 22nd Judicial District Court in October 1998. He serves on the Louisiana District Judges Association Executive Committee. He presides over Drug Court in Washington Parish and currently chairs the 22nd JDC Family Court Committee.

Dana Beal STILL Incarcerated

in Wisconsin, Cures Not Wars legalization activist-Ibogaine scholar, being held on $50,000.00 ranson (bail), since the local agents of cigarette-pharma market protection racket mercantilism kidnapped (arrested) him and his driver Lance Ramer (who now has stomach cancer), January 4, 2011


Dana Beal at the May 2010 Cures Not Wars Event

From Aron Kay:

DANA STILL NEEDS FUNDS SO HE CAN CONTINUE TO BE IN TOUCH WITH THE WORLD OUTSIDE THE IOWA COUNTY JAIL....

CHECKS AND MONEY ORDERS CAN BE SENT TO HIS LAWYER

BRYON WALKER
POB 10
LA FARGE, WI 54639

YOU CAN SEND LETTERS TO DANA VIA

IRVIN DANA BEAL
1205 NORTH BEQUETTE ST
IOWA COUNTY JAIL
DODGEVILLE, WI 53533

ENVELOPE MUST HAVE THE SENDER'S NAME AND A RETURN ADDRESS, OR THE PIGS WILL WITHHOLD THE LETTER

Cures Not Wars Protest March May 7, 2011

Banning the Safer Plants

What the politicians need acknowledging

Opium, Cannabis and Coca Leaf are safer substances then the 'licit' substances of Alcohol, Coffee and Tobacco

Opium versus alcohol.

Cannabis versus alcohol.

Coca Leaf versus Coffee and Tobacco.

In each major category of intoxicant used by our species, there appear to be one or two drug plants that researchers have noted, are more controllable, hence safer, than all the other plants or synthetics in that category. Coca leaf stands out among all the stimulants, licit and illicit, as the easiest to control and the one least likely to produce toxicity or dependency.

Prohibition PROMOTES HARD (Concentrated) Drugs
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2011/04/harvey-wiley-father-of-drug-problem.html

Prohibition PROMOTES HARD Drug Abuse
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/03/drug-war-promotes-drug-abuse-over-drug.html

Drug Warriors Ignore Pharmakokinetics
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/03/drug-warriors-ignore-pharmacokinetics.html

Drug War Criminal Mercantilism Public Health Subversion
http://freedomofmedicineanddiet.blogspot.com/2008/03/criminal-mercantilism-public-health.html


Drug experts say alcohol worse than crack or heroin
http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/01/us-drugs-alcohol-idUSTRE6A000O20101101

Continuing Delaying Legalization

I just saw the Republican Presidential candidate debate from South Carolina.

I heard two candidates address the drug issue, in this order- Ron Paul and Gary Johnson.

As so prefaced by the moderator:

Ron Paul would legalize "cocaine" and "even heroin" *if* the States allowed it.

Gary Johnson would legalize Marijuana and tax it like alcohol and or Tobacco, though despite admitting that 90% of the problem was prohibition, could not mention the word 'legalization' nor even 'decriminalization' for anything else, with only the mention of 'harm reduction' for other substances -- frankly a diverse array of substances.

None could bother to mention "Coca" nor "Coca Leaf" nor "Coca Leaves" nor "Opium"

That lapse, IMHO maintains ignorance of how prohibition monopolizes the "cocaine" and "opiate" markets for these drugs most problematic forms, particularly injections and "crack", while really only truely 'banning' the safest and most benificial forms.

That lapse is quite a remarkable omission, given the implications of health care (let alone court-incarceration) costs; it bespeaks a reality of protecting multi-billion dollar MARKETS -- aka Coffee, Tobacco and pharma, by governments of controlled fraternalists, propping up a multi-billion dollar cigarette-pharamecutical racketerring enterprise for protecting the markets such things notably as the 100 million deaths from the most dangerous -- Virginia Bright Leaf Tobacco, from the foreign market threat of safest stimulant -- South American E. Coca, involving a Washington, D.C. Federal Triangle powerhouse law firm heavily involved with pharamecutical and Tobacco industrial interests, indeed being the law firm coordinating the cigarette industry legal defense with other law firms, the previous employer of the current U.S. AG Eric Holder now coordinating the DOJ's attacks upon Medical MJ, and even advising the private Drug Policy Foundation and other drug policy reform organizations.

Johnson's end of comment about such matters should be a health rather then a court matter sound promising.

However, that he can acknowledge prohibition's harms, while limiting its repeal to only MJ is not.

1:30 AM update:

http://www.wepolls.com/r/153407/Who-won-May-fifth's-GOP-presidential-primary-debate

186 votes Texas Rep. Ron Paul 70%

58 votes Former Godfather Pizza CEO Herman Cain 21%

15 votes Former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson 5%

6 votes Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum 2%

4 votes Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty 1%

2 votes None of the Above 0%

Vote on this question

With Ron Paul, the candidate that would legalize cocaine and even heroin if the States allowed it at 70% and Gary Johnson who would only legalize Marijuana at 5%- "cocaine" and "heroin" are hardly the devil words they used to be, being largely replaced with "prohibition".

Obama's Continuation of Tobacco-Pharma Criminal Mercantilism- More

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/05/04/exclusive-doj-plan-to-arrest-state-licensers-tax-dispensaries-could-doom-medical-marijuana-industry/

[excerpt]

A recent letter from the Department of Justice (DOJ), threatening state employees in charge of implmenting medical marijuana laws with prosecution, has forced some governors to re-evaluate and even veto popular legislation -- all seemingly in violation of what the medical marijauana community thought was a cease-fire with the federal government.

Facing the threat of seeing otherwise innocent state employees thrown in jail, lawmakers are responding in an entirely human fashion: what Allen St. Pierre, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), called "the old need to CYA -- cover your ass."

Ultimately, the administration's confusing legal position has led to a stagnation of medical marijuana reform efforts, with some states simply deciding it's not worth the risk.

It also represents a significant change in momentum for the prohibition reform movement as a whole, and one that's taken them almost entirely by surprise.

In 2009, Attorney General Eric Holder's Justice Department issued a memo stating that it would not prosecute medical marijuana patients, suppliers or caregivers in states that have passed voter initiatives to legalize the drug's use -- so long as they were all abiding by that state's laws.

Earlier this month, however, the Justice Department sent a letter to the governor of Washington, warning that state employees may be prosecuted if they are in any way involved in the licensing of production or distribution of marijuana.

"The prosecution of individuals and organizations involved in the trade of any illegal drugs and the disruption of drug trafficking organizations is a core priority of the Department," department attorneys wrote. "This core priority includes prosecution of business enterprises that unlawfully market and sell marijuana."

"Any" without regard to efficacy nor safety, to say nothing of U.S. AG Holder's previous lip service to USC 10th Amendment values - the U.S. Department of "Justice" is guilty of reckless endangerment for the sake of cigarette-pharma racketeering.

Oklahoma's Contempt for the U.S.C. 8th Amendment

This U.S. State, the one with the highest penalties for growing MJ of an upwards of 99 Years Imprisionment.

Brett Wilkins writes:

http://morallowground.com/2011/04/26/oklahoma-lawmakers-approve-life-imprisonment-for-making-hashish/

...the Oklahoma state legislature have approved a bill– House Bill 1798– that would make hash-making a felony and punish first-time offenders with a minimum mandatory sentence of two years in the slammer, and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Get convicted a second time, and your sentence will be doubled and you can kiss suspended sentences or parole goodbye.

Life in prison for processing a plant that has been used for medicinal purposes for nearly 5,000 years? Yup, Oklahoman lawmakers are one smart bunch. That’s why they overwhelmingly voted in favor of House Bill 1798; it passed the House by a vote of 75-18 and breezed through the Senate, 44-2. This, by the way, is the same House that voted to outlaw Shari’a law in a state where about 0.16% of the population is Muslim.

Mark Woodward, a spokesman for Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs (because marijuana is soooo dangerous), told the Associated Press that the bill should “send a message” that illegal drugs won’t be tolerated in the state.

Indeed. Soooo dangerous. Such an 'offense' mandating such sentences, in comparision to those say for:

Whatever happened to the U.S.C.'s 8th Amendment?

Obama's Continuation of Tobacco-Pharma Criminal Mercantilism

Harassment of MJ suppliers and dispenseries;
PLUS permitting pharmaceutical MJ

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/04/20/big-pharma-set-to-take-over-medical-marijuana-market/

Dr. Grinspoon's Warning About The Pharmaceutical Industry

Excerpt of presentation the final day of the 40th anniversary NORML conference held April 21-23, 2011 in Denver, Colorado

Government-Media Supresses Info of Cannabinoids Kill Cancer Cells

This fits with Donald Tashkin's Reversal on MJ
Forwarded to me by Barry Chamish:

Cannabinoids Kill Cancer And Our
'Government' Has Known for 36 YearsBy GSA
4-25-11

Below is a repost of an article published on Americans for Safe Access website: www.safeaccessnow.org in November of 2003. The article describes how cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals and also kill cancer cells. Then it finishes off by saying that the US government has known for more than 35 years and that the media which would normally go crazy about a cancer cure story like this, doesn't at all and in fact seem to be burying the story rather than promote it in any way. I for one am amazed at the government's stance on marijuana and their failed war on drugs, which is more like a war on it's own country. I guess too many people get rich off of the war on drugs.

by Steve Kubby, Sierra Times
November 10th, 2003

A new study published in Nature Reviews-Cancer provides an historic and detailed explanation about how THC and natural cannabinoids counteract cancer, but preserve normal cells.

The study by Manuel Guzmán of Madrid Spain found that cannabinoids, the active components of marijuana, inhibit tumor growth in laboratory animals. They do so by modulating key cell-signalling pathways, thereby inducing direct growth arrest and death of tumor cells, as well as by inhibiting the growth of blood vessels that supply the tumor.

The Guzman study is very important according to Dr. Ethan Russo , a neurologist and world authority on medical cannabis: "Cancer occurs because cells become immortalized; they fail to heed normal signals to turn off growth. A normal function of remodelling in the body requires that cells die on cue. This is called apoptosis, or programmed cell death. That process fails to work in tumors. THC promotes its reappearance so that gliomas, leukemias, melanomas and other cell types will in fact heed the signals, stop dividing, and die."

"But, that is not all," explains Dr. Russo: "The other way that tumors grow is by ensuring that they are nourished: they send out signals to promote angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels. Cannabinoids turn off these signals as well. It is truly incredible, and elegant."

In other words, this article explains several ways in which cannabinoids might be used to fight cancer, and, as the article says, "Cannabinoids are usually well tolerated, and do not produce the generalized toxic effects of conventional chemotherapies.
Usually, any story that even suggests the possibility of a new treatment for cancer is greeted with headlines about a "cancer cure" ­ however remote in the future and improbable in fact it might be. But if marijuana is involved, don't expect any coverage from mainstream media, especially since mainstream editors have been quietly killing this story for the past thirty years

That's right, news about the abilility of pot to shrink tumors first surfaced, way back in 1974. Researchers at the Medical College of Virginia, who had been funded by the National Institutes of Health to find evidence that marijuana damages the immune system, found instead that THC slowed the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice - lung and breast cancer, and a virus-induced leukemia.

The Washington Post reported on the 1974 study - in the "Local" section - on Aug. 18, 1974. Under the headline, "Cancer Curb Is Studied," it read in part: "The active chemical agent in marijuana curbs the growth of three kinds of cancer in mice and may also suppress the immunity reaction that causes rejection of organ transplants, a Medical College of Virginia team has discovered." The researchers "found that THC slowed the growth of lung cancers, breast cancers, and a virus-induced leukemia in laboratory mice, and prolonged their lives by as much as 36 percent."
"News coverage of the Madrid discovery has been virtually nonexistent in this country. The news broke quietly on Feb. 29, 2000 with a story that ran once on the UPI wire about the Nature Medicine article," complained MarijuanaNews.com editor Richard Cowan , who said he was only able to find the article through a link that appeared briefly on the Drudge Report Web page. "The New York Times, The Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times all ignored the story, even though its newsworthiness is indisputable: a benign substance occurring in nature destroys deadly brain tumors," added Cowan.

On March 29, 2001, the San Antonio Current printed a carefully researched, bombshell of a story by Raymond Cushing titled, "POT SHRINKS TUMORS; GOVERNMENT KNEW IN '74." Media coverage since then has been nonexistant, except for a copy of the story on Alternet.

It is hard to believe that the knowledge that cannabis can be used to fight cancer has been suppressed for almost thirty years , yet it seems likely that it will continue to be suppressed. Why?

According to Cowan, the answer is because it is a threat to cannabis prohibition . "If this article and its predecessors from 2000 and 1974 were the only evidence of the suppression of medical cannabis, then one might perhaps be able to rationalize it in some herniated way. However, there really is massive proof that the suppression of medical cannabis represents the greatest failure of the institutions of a free society, medicine, journalism, science, and our fundamental values," Cowan notes.

Millions of people have died horrible deaths and in many cases, familes exhausted their savings on dangerous, toxic and expensive drugs. Now we are just beginning to realize that while marijuana has never killed anyone, marijuana prohibition has killed millions.