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By JOE KLARE
The National Institute for Mental Health (NIMH) describes Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as “an anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened.” These ordeals can include a wide variety of situations: the rigors of war, physical assaults, natural disasters, and horrific accidents — things that shake a person to their very core.
While many doctors remain skeptical, sufferers of PTSD note that they experience relief from their symptoms through the use of medical cannabis. The symptoms often times include frightening thoughts, emotional numbness and depression, withdrawal, tenseness, and difficulty sleeping.
It’s worth mentioning that for veterans, many of whom suffer from PTSD, there has been good news as of late. The Department of Veterans Affairs recently relaxed their rules regarding medical marijuana and veterans — veterans who are legal medical marijuana patients can now use cannabis although VA doctors still cannot prescribe the drug.
In any case, there are a wide variety of strains that might help PTSD sufferers — we’ve divided them into two groups. The first group of strains will help you relax and sleep better, the second group of strains will help relieve your anxiety but won’t put you to sleep.
Anxiety And Insomnia Relief
For the anxiety and sleeplessness associated with PTSD, a heavy Indica will work best. To start off, Grand Daddy Purple is a strain that is definitely worth a try. A very purple bud with an assortment of orange hairs, Grand Daddy Purple can hit you like an anti-anxiety brick. Couch lock (so sleepy that you feel “locked” to your couch) is common with this Indica, so make sure it’s bedtime when you use Grand Daddy Purple — or at least that it’s a time of day when you don’t have anything to do for a few hours.
Blueberry is another great nighttime strain. This Indica-dominant hybrid has a fruity aftertaste, and the buds are sticky and pack a strong punch. Afghani Kush has a hint of spiciness and a slight taste of fruit. It’s great for unwinding at night and relaxing. If prepared right, this Indica will hit you hard and will stay with you for a while. Purple Afghani is a hybrid, but still mostly Indica. It can be used during the day to reduce anxiety, but it won’t knock you out.
Bubba Kush is another couch-lock Indica that is good for nighttime relief. The buds are dense and green with a hint of purple. It will be covered in trichomes that hold the most THC. Also from the Kush family, Purple Kush has a long-lasting effect that is great for getting some rest. Glittering buds give you the full Indica effect, so be prepared to get some rest!
Red Devil is another Indica, but it lands somewhere in the middle in terms of “couch-lock.” It’s a good strain for when you don’t necessarily want to sleep but want to relax with a good movie instead. Heavy with trichomes, Red Devil is lime green in color with bright orange hairs.
A shorter-lasting effect comes from Master Kush and Hash Plant. Although both are Indica-dominant, so for those PTSD sufferers who just want to relax — but not for too long — Master Kush or Hash Plant is the way to go. Your buds should be a bright green with noticeable trichomes. All of these strains, except for Purple Afghani, should help with difficulties sleeping, which is a top complaint of those suffering from PTSD.
Couch-Lock Be Gone!
There are many people who want to reduce their anxiety but, at the same time, want to stay awake so they can perform their day-to-day duties. Let’s delve into the best anti-anxiety strains that don’t put you down for the count.
Grape Punch is one of those rare heavy Indicas that don’t put you out. With a smell and taste like grape bubblegum, Grape Punch packs a heavy punch but still allows you to enjoy your day. Also great for anxiety and social situations is the Sativa-dominant Mango Kush. Frosty with trichomes, Mango Kush smells very sweet and gives you an almost euphoric effect.
A cross between White Widow and Super Skunk, Great White Shark is another strain that can be used during the day for anxiety relief. A hybrid that is mostly Indica, Great White Shark gives a good body high and has a noticeably sweet taste and smell.
From the Sativa side comes a Colorado-born strain named Tangerine. It’s good for general anxiety and depression relief and is a good daytime strain once you get used to the heavy high it brings. Durban Poison is another anti-anxiety and antidepression Sativa that is worth a try. The dense, trichomecovered nuggets of Durban Poison leaves patients with an energetic feeling and allows sufferers of PTSD to leave their shell and participate in their daily activities.
Most Indicas, with their high THC content, will be good for sleep and dream suppression. We also can’t forget concentrates and edibles, which can be bought at most dispensaries and collectives, for those who don’t want to smoke or vaporize. Edibles also tend to have longer staying power when consumed.
If you are a sufferer of PTSD, make sure you talk to your doctor or caregiver regarding which strain might be right for you. As always, experiment and try different strains until you find something that works for you.
http://the420times.com/2010/08/this-for-that-post-traumatic-stress-disorder/

by Phillip Smith,  (Issue #646)

Posted in:

Update: Since publishing this article, knowledgeable parties in Germany have informed us that the press reports we relied on in this article were incorrect. The government at this point is only moving to approve Sativex, a cannabis-based sublingual medication, not smoked or edible marijuana, and it is a step toward approving Sativex, not immediate availability of it. Once we can confirm that information, we will post a new story, as well as linking to it here.
Germany’s health ministry has announced plans to allow the use of marijuana as a medicine. In an August 16 press conference, Health Minister Philipp Roesler told reporters that only changes in ministry policy would be required and that no changes in German law would be needed.

cannabis prescription legally produced in Netherlands (courtesy Marijuana Policy Project)

Although the medicinal qualities of marijuana are increasingly non-controversial in Europe, German lawmakers two years ago rejected a move to legalize medical marijuana. Individual patients have had to go to court to win the right to be prescribed, a state of affairs that has resulted in only 40 patients in the entire country having medical marijuana prescriptions.
Because medical marijuana is accepted in other European countries, legalizing it in Germany should go “quickly by comparison,” Roesler said.
It is time for Germany to join the club, said health care professionals welcoming the move. “Because it is disproportionately difficult to obtain cannabis as medicine, many patients with chronic pain are currently forced into illegality,” said Eugen Brysch of the German Hospice Foundation. Medical marijuana could play “an important role” in the treatment of the critically ill, he added.
“It’s time to bring cannabis out from the shadows,” said Gerhard Mueller-Schwefe, president of the German Society for Pain Therapy.

Not quite the whole story

By Stephen C. Webster
Exclusive: Cooper to release City of Odessa from $40 million civil suit
Barry Cooper, a former Texas police officer who turned against the drug war and executed a reverse-sting operation against the Odessa police department, will walk free on all related charges, an attorney for Ector County announced Tuesday.
Cooper, perhaps the nation’s best-known drug war activist thanks to his “Never Get Busted” DVDs, set up a fake marijuana grow house in Odessa, wired it for sound and video, then used an anonymous letter to bait police into a Dec. 2008 raid.
The letter was delivered to a local church, which eventually turned it over to police. Not long after that officers came crashing through the door.
Cooper, his wife Candi and another individual who assisted their operation were all arrested two months ago on the Class B misdemeanor charge of Making a False Report to a Peace Officer in relation to the Odessa sting. Candi’s arrest took place at the family’s apartment in south Austin and Barry turned himself in days later at the Texas capitol building, with a typical showman’s flare.

A detailed report on Cooper’s arrest was featured by RAW STORY.
The decision against prosecuting Cooper was made by Ector County Attorney Cindy Weir-Nutter, who had not returned a phone call at time of publication.
“The statute in Texas requires that the false report be made during an investigation, and there was no ongoing investigation,” she told The Odessa American. “You have to be able to prove all elements of the offense beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“The county attorney’s office did not believe they had enough facts or evidence to convict Barry or Candi,” James Gill, Cooper’s Austin-based attorney, told RAW STORY. “In other words, they did not commit any crime.”
“We’re very excited that the county attorney’s office has decided in this way,” he added.
“We knew we were right,” Cooper told RAW STORY. “We knew we designed that sting to where we weren’t breaking any laws and we knew that when the Rangers came and tricked Candi and forced me to turn myself in … We knew they were wrong too. We’re thankful that a prosecutor had enough guts to say, ‘This isn’t right.'”
Cooper added that he would now drop the City of Odessa from a $40 million civil suit he filed against numerous entities and individuals, including the Williamson County Sheriff’s Department, the Odessa Police Department and the Texas Rangers.
“[Odessa] decided not to prosecute us so there’s no point in dragging them through this lawsuit, but we’re going to turn it up on the Texas Rangers for false arrest and retaliation, because it’s clear that’s what they did.”
“It’s about time we had some good news,” Candi Cooper said. “We have been through it lately. To hear this, it’s very wonderful for our family.”
Odessa resident Tammy Grimes, who was also charged for her supporting role in the sting, said she was “extremely excited” at the outcome.
“I’m very thankful for the good work that [Weir-Nutter] and her staff did,” Grimes said. “I’m very happy and pleased.”
The Texas Rangers may yet refile the charges in Odessa. The maximum penalty for Making a False Report to a Peace Officer in Texas is six months in prison.
Both Coopers are still being prosecuted by Williamson County for the same charge in a different case, where Barry claims to have caught a police officer stealing $45 from a reportedly suspicious package, as part of another “KopBusters” sting carried out in 2009.
That officer, Cpt. George Nassour, had Cooper served with civil suit papers on the evening of August 24, alleging slander and libel.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2010/0824/barry-cooper-fights-law-wins-odessa-drops-kopbusters-charges/

August 23, 2010 – Hilo, Hawaii
Video by David Corrigan
Over 200 supporters of Roger Christie rallied at the Mooheau bandstand in Hilo, Hawaii on Wednesday. Christie, who founded the THC-Ministry in Hilo where he says he shared the sacrament of cannabis with members, was arrested in July for running what federal authorities called a “large scale” marijuana business.
The situation has apparently mobilized followers of Christie’s beliefs, who see the ministry bust as an assault on their freedoms. During the rally, speakers directed angry remarks towards law enforcement, and the few county police officers who were quietly monitoring the gathering from the bayfront parking lot. After the bandstand rally, marijuana advocates marched to the Hilo federal building to protest Christie’s incarceration.
Christie is currently being held federal detention center without bail, where he awaits an April 2011 trial. In all, 14 people were arrested for their alleged connections to the THC-Ministry.

VIDEO: “Free Roger Christie” rally in Hilo

by Domenick Yoney (RSS feed)

Motive Industries has announced that they will unveil Canada’s first bio-composite-bodied electric car this September at the EV 2010 VÉ Conference and Trade Show in Vancouver. Dubbed the Kestrel, the four-passenger compact forgoes some of the traditional fibers used in composites for a green car (*ahem*) technology that is renewable – hemp.
The bio material is derived from hemp mats produced by Alberta Innovates Technology Futures (AITF), which gets its stash from Vegreville, Alberta (industrial hemp, i.e., Cannabis sativa L, is legally grown in Canada under license from Health Canada and must contain less than 0.3 percent THC). As well as having the impact resistance of fiberglass composites, the hemp version has the added bonuses of being lighter and cheaper – two important qualities for battery-powered vehicles.
Engineered for a program called Project Eve that helps Canadian firms produce electric vehicles and components, the Darren McKeage-designed cannabis car will undergo prototyping and testing later this month. Hit the jump for Calgary News broadcast discussing the new composite, including footage with company president Nathan Armstrong.

http://green.autoblog.com/2010/08/20/going-to-pot-motive-to-unveil-cannabis-composite-kestrel-w-vid/