Pubdate: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 Source: Quesnel Cariboo Observer (CN BC) Copyright: 2010 Arthur Topham Contact: http://www.quesnelobserver.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1260 Author: Arthur Topham Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v10/n677/a01.html MUST BE GOOD FOR US Editor: Re: The raw and ugly side of life, Observer, Aug. 19. Bravo to Bert de Vink! Finally some common sense respecting the positive, beneficial aspects of this most amazing gift to Humankind from the Creator. Marijuana, had the current group of banksters and oil industry owners not wanted to replace hemp with their petrochemical products starting back in the 1930s, would not have received the negative publicity that it did. All the efforts of big industry and government to create a state of fear and loathing with respect to the cannabis plant was intentional and planned. In order to discredit anything the media must first malign it and make people fearful and that is precisely what the establishment did to this plant. The reasons for its steady and ongoing popularity with people are well established and varied just as the plant itself is: . It acts as a soothing balm for the mind and releases a person from the confining and restricting mental controls that are imposed upon us by the state, the media and those in business who wish to keep control over society. . It works as a pain reliever for the many many people who suffer from various debilitating diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, etc. . It is a spiritual sacrament and is an important aid in helping individuals to transcend the boundaries imposed upon them by a society that promotes unhealthy lifestyles, greed and environmental degradation (to mention but a few). . It offers people a healthy alternative to drinking alcohol and hard drugs as you mention in your article. . All of this is but a part of the overall benefits from the plant as a whole. Its fiber alone is worth its weight in gold in terms of the multiple, natural uses that it contains. The fact that this benign plant/medicine has been so desperately controlled by the government is living proof that is MUST be good for the people. Until it is legalized and people are totally free to grow it and use it as they see fit we will know that we are living in a police state and under a totalitarian regime. Arthur Topham Cottonwood, B.C. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D