Pubdate: Thu, 19 Sep 2013
Source: Trinidad Express (Trinidad)
Copyright: 2013 Trinidad Express
Contact:  http://www.trinidadexpress.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1093
Author: Sarah Parks

CANNABIS A WRONGLY PROSECUTED PLANT

WHAT most people know about cannabis also known as marijuana is that
they were born in a world where the American government leads the way
in levelling prosecution of the plant? Most people have no personal
experience with marijuana. Most people have no personal eye witness
accounts of the effects of cannabis (medicinal or hallucinogenic) from
which to draw from to testify of the effects of cannabis on the human
body.

Most people don't know that the human body produces cannabinoids, a
class of diverse chemical compounds that activate cannabinoid
receptors on cells that repress neurotransmitter release in the brain.
These receptor proteins include the endocannabinoids (produced
naturally in the body by humans and animals), the phytocannabinoids
(found in cannabis and some other plants), and synthetic cannabinoids
(produced chemically by humans). The most notable cannabinoid is the
phytocannabinoid 9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary
psychoactive compound of cannabis. These receptor proteins have host
of positive effects on living tissue. Most people are acutely ignorant
to the fact that cannabis is recorded as one of the oldest positive
medicinal plants used on the planet. Most people don't know that
ironically the United States is among the top six countries in the
world leading the way in cannabis research. The other five top
countries spearheading cannabis research are Canada, Israel, Czech
Republic, United Kingdom and The Netherlands.

Sure enough, patent number 6,630,507 states unequivocally that
cannabinoids are useful in the prevention and treatment of a wide
variety of diseases including auto-immune disorders, stroke, trauma,
Parkinson's, Alzeheimer's and HIV dementia. The patent, awarded in
2003, is based on research done by the National Institute of Health,
and is assigned to the US Department of Health and Human Services. So
while the US prosecutes private citizens for possession and
consumption of marijuana that government is readying to profit from
sale of substances present in the plant.

That the use is working feverishly to patent substances originating
from marijuana makes complete sense. Worldwide how many people die of
overdose of cannabis? Answer, zero. Previously the US position on
marijuana was that the plant contained no medicinal or useful
purposes. That position is now dying as logic and research taking
centre stage around this wrongly prosecuted plant.

Of course people like SC Israel Khan and SC Dana Seetahal don't want
marijuana decriminaliwed or better legaliwed. The greater the number
of instanced of illegal this or that thing or behaviour the greater
the demand for the "services" of legal people.

Taking away probation laws on marijuana means taking away demand for
legal representation in court for simple possession or use of
cannabis, which means taking away a strong source of revenue from
judicial workers. Simple possession or use of cannabis is the largest
market of cases connected to drugs in T&T's legal system.

T&T's judicial workers want to "eat ah food" too. So some in the
judicial system will protect their revenue streams at all cost.

Sarah Parks

via e-mail
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MAP posted-by: Matt