"Last Friday, the state of Kansas charged Banda with five felony counts of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute, manufacturing Tetrahydrocannabinol, an oil extracted from marijuana, two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia and one count of child endangerment."

I hope she gets all 30 of those years.

I am I am reading your post after I posted #31.

I am in agreement with you for the reasons I stated in my post.

the state of Kansas charged Banda with five felony counts

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so." -_ Thomas Jefferson.

***

Shona is determined to seek all remedies available to her under the law, including a possible civil lawsuit in federal court against Kansas state officials. It would assert her constitutional right to use cannabis to treat her Crohn’s disease.

Bills have been introduced in the Kansas legislature to allow the medical use of cannabis, but have never advanced. A narrow bill allowing low-THC cannabis oil for treatment of seizures is having a difficult time getting past drug war fanatics in the chamber.

This is the kind of primitive mindset that Shona is fighting now and has fought since the introduction of her book in 2010. Cannabis works for her illness, and it works for countless others in various ways. The Free Thought Project has reported extensively on the many therapeutic uses of cannabis that are being ever more confirmed by medical science.

Shona suffered with Crohn’s disease for eight years, eventually becoming bed-ridden and having to walk with a cane. She underwent 15 surgeries and had “every organ removed that can be removed” from her body.

In 2007, she watched a documentary called Run From the Cure by Rick Simpson, and realized that the power to cure herself was within reach.

Shona began using a vaporizing machine to make her own cannabis capsules, which she took three times a day. Within weeks, she was “completely changed” and was able to resume a full life with her family. She felt compelled to write a journal, and that turned into the book Live Free or Die.

I hope she gets all 30 of those years.

The five charges levied against her by the state of Kansas could amount to more than 30 years in prison, which would essentially be a death sentence, as she would be deprived of the treatment that cures her disease.

Hastert did not face 6 months for raping little boys, he faced 5 years for sexually molesting, not raping, young adult high school boys.

Oh - that's what he did?

He didn't rape them?

Sexually molesting a minor IS just as bad as rape, and if the victims were minors that certainly falls under the category of "statutory rape".

You and whitey - always defending the indefensible.

In the case of Dennis Hastert….definitely, YES. He has suffered a stoke, has a spinal problem, and is confined to a wheel chair. When sentenced in the plea bargain to 1 year and 3 months, rather than the 5 year maximum….the judge ordered him to spend the time in the prison hospital.

Once again - the "Just Us" system is praised by Gatlin.

Yet you want to see Shona serve a virtual death sentence for treating her illness with a non-government approved medicine....

Bizarro World!

the Garden City police raided Banda's home and reported, "approximately 500 grams of suspected marijuana, multiple marijuana smoking pipes, three ‘vaporizers’ that were actively manufacturing cannabis oil and multiple other items related to packaging and ingestion of marijuana were seized from the residence."

500 grams is equal to around 90 grams low-THC cannabis oil.

And you two freaks would be happy sentencing her to death for treating her debilitating disease with something that offered relief and a chance to live a somewhat normal life!

You and whitey are real assholes.

I hope she gets all 30 of those years.

Yet, your "boy" Hastert raped kids and got a slap on the wrist.

I guess that's why they call it the "Just US" system

Yet, your "boy" Hastert raped kids and got a slap on the wrist.

Hastert was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months. The maximum sentence he could have received under the law for sexual molestation was 5 years. Would you rather the state spend millions of dollars and waste one year time to get the additional 3 years and 9 months added on his time….or offer the plea deal? The tax payers will spend a huge amount of money to have him treated daily for the 1 year and 3 months he will spend in the prison hospital. wWhy should they pay triple that amount when he is probably going to die anyway in prison?

You make no sense in your arguments.

Hastert was sentenced to 1 year and 3 months. The maximum sentence he could have received under the law for sexual molestation was 5 years. Would you rather the state spend millions of dollars and waste one year time to get the additional 3 years and 9 months added on his time….or offer the plea deal? The tax payers will spend a huge amount of money to have him treated daily for the 1 year and 3 months he will spend in the prison hospital. wWhy should they pay triple that amount when he is probably going to die anyway in prison?

You make no sense in your arguments.

You could make an even greater argument over the womans 30 year sentence.

If Hastert did it with minors it is rape. Statutory rape.

Sexually molesting a minor IS just as bad as rape …

…. if the victim is a minor and raped, that certainly falls under the category of "statutory rape".

If a minor is sexually molested….the charge will be “sexual molestation.”

You know, you are pretty dense sometimes….well, make that all the time.

…. if the victim is a minor and raped, that certainly falls under the category of "statutory rape".

Yes, but the minor must be raped for the charge to be “statutory rape.”

Still defending perverts I see.

Do you even know what "statutory rape" means?

If Hastert did it with minors it is rape. Statutory rape.

If Hastert did it with minors it is rape. Statutory rape

Then why was Hastert not charged with “statutory rape” instead of being charged with “sexual molestation?”

There is a difference ...

Still defending perverts I see.

Nope, just clarifying the law for you.

Do you even know what "statutory rape" means?

Yep….you obviously don’t.

Do you know the difference between “statutory rape” and “sexual molestation of a minor?”

He didn't rape them?

Nope, he did not.

Under the law….he “sexually molested” them.

Had he “raped” them….he would have been charged with “statutory rape.”

The term statutory rape generally refers to sex between an adult and a sexually mature minor past the age of puberty. Sexual relations with a prepubescent child, generically called child sexual abuse or molestation, is typically treated as a more serious crime.

Keep defending that POS pervert Hastert.

You're one disgustingly sick old man.

500 grams is equal to around 90 grams low-THC cannabis oil.

Oh, that’s your point?

And you are going to ignore the fact that “multiple marijuana smoking pipes, three ‘vaporizers’ and multiple other items related to packaging and ingestion of marijuana not needed to make cannabis oil were seized from the residence."

And you also going to conveniently ignore that the fact that Shona Banda “smoked weed everyday with her son, Joshua Banda, and his girlfriend, Tequila Mader? This is from the testimony of her other son, the 11-year old one.

How conveniently “decent” of you …

Oh, “the poor little woman was ONLY trying to make a little bit of cannabis oil to treat her illness.”

BULLSHIT!

The woman fully deserves what punishment the jury decides she should have …

You go cherry pick and use Wikipedia for the definition you want to find.

But you should to the legal dictionary for the definition of statutory rape.

Statutory Rape –

Sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age.

The criminal offense of statutory rape is committed whenan adult sexually penetrates a person who, under the law, is incapable of consenting to sex. Minors and physically and mentally incapacitated persons incapable of consenting to sex under rape statutes in all states. These persons are considered deserving of special protection because they are especially vulnerable due to their youth or condition.

There you go, pal.

If Hastert had committed “statutory rape” he would have been charged with “statutory rape.”

He did not commit “rape.” He “sexually molested” the boys and he was charged with “sexual molestation.”

Do you know what Hastert actually DID to the boy, the one who made the charge?

You should know before you make a malicious charge….shouldn’t you?

Of course …

Edit: Hyperlink above is not working:
http://legal-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/statutory+rape .

Do you even know what "statutory rape" means?

Definition of statutory rape, from the legal dictionary:

Statutory Rape –

Sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age.

The criminal offense of statutory rape is committed whenan adult sexually penetrates a person who, under the law, is incapable of consenting to sex. Minors and physically and mentally incapacitated persons incapable of consenting to sex under rape statutes in all states. These persons are considered deserving of special protection because they are especially vulnerable due to their youth or condition.

There you go, “Princess.”

The woman fully deserves what punishment the jury decides she should have …

Yet you continue to defend a perverted POS who screwed boys while a wrestling coach.

Your sense of morality and decency are all messed up.

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so." -_ Thomas Jefferson.

Thomas Jefferson never made this statement, you asshole.

You really stop to blindly grabbing something off the internet and posting it as Gospel.

In doing so, you are continuing to show yourself to be an idiot.

Stop, at least sometimes, and do some fact-checking to determine the validity of what you post.

Yet you continue to defend a perverted POS who screwed boys while a wrestling coach.

He never screwed boys, he sexually molested boys.

There is a legally defined difference….you know that by now, I have pointed it out to you.

I am not defending him, I am showing you to be the idiot you are for not knowing what you are talking about.

Your sense is all messed up....in fact, you have none.

Do you ever disobey laws you think are stupid? I do.

No. If I disagree with one, I'll try to change the law... or, like with the NYS SafeAct, I left the state and took my guns with me...and I'll spend my NYS pension in another state.

Fuck Cuomo. He just cost NYS several million dollars due to his insolence.

You can't see the slippery slope associated with picking and choosing what laws you agree with? The dude in Florida, today, thought the same way as you. He didn't feel murder laws were morally right... so he killed 5 people at the airport.

He never screwed boys, he sexually molested boys.

Good grief, are you freaking serious?:

WTF Do you think he did with them you arrogant defender of perversion?

He never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.

Good grief, are you freaking serious?

WTF Do you think he did with them you arrogant defender of perversion?

The prosecutor said Hastert fondled the boys and performed oral sex on them….that was by legal definition, “sexual molestation” and not “rape.”

If Hastert had performed sexual intercourse with them in the anus….that would have been “rape” by legal definition and also “statutory rape” by legal definition because of their ages. The prosecutor never said or charged that happened.

So, asshole, listen up…I will tell you one more time: He never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.

YES! “Good grief, I am freaking serious!”

What Hastert did was bad, bad….terribly bad. But he did not “rape” the boys as the charge on your yellow meme states.

You obviously have great difficulty understanding all of this….so I will repeat if to you for maybe the third time on this thread.

Definition of statutory rape, from the legal dictionary.

Statutory Rape –

Sexual intercourse by an adult with a person below a statutorily designated age.

The criminal offense of statutory rape is committed when an adult sexually penetrates a person who, under the law, is incapable of consenting to sex. Minors and physically and mentally incapacitated persons incapable of consenting to sex under rape statutes in all states. These persons are considered deserving of special protection because they are especially vulnerable due to their youth or condition.

There you go, Sport….that should finally clear all of this up for you.

YES! “Good grief, I am freaking serious!”

We know ... you disgusting PIG; you are well known to agree with yukon's blow jobs as a minor thing.

Tell me why …

Tell me why …

He never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.

"...oral sex with a minor”.

Oral sex is not sex?

Thanks for clearing that up Bill Clinton

The prosecutor said Hastert fondled the boys and performed oral sex on them….

Oh - and you really think that's all he did?

It's what he admitted to. The guy is a perverted, sick, child molester, and you want me to have sympathy for him?

...sexual molestation charges were never filed and will never be filed against Hastert….and you do know why, right?

Tell me why …

Plea deal and he is a member of a protected class - not a mundane. You really think if Joe Six-Pack coerced kids into sex he would have gotten a lenient sentence like the one Hastert got?

The "Just Us" system at it's finest.

He never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.
"...oral sex with a minor”.
Oral sex is not sex?
Thanks for clearing that up Bill Clinton

That is correct: “He never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.”

Yes, dummy…oral sex is sex.

But oral sex is not sexual intercourse….according to the legal definition.

“Screwing” is sexual intercourse….oral sex is not sexual intercourse.

He [Hastert] never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.

Thanks for clearing that up Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton is a lawyer, he knew EXACTLY what he was saying when he said: “I never had sexual intercourse with that woman …”

By “legal definition, he DID NOT.

He was spinning….just as you always do. But he was legally correct.

Oral sex is NOT sexual intercourse….oral sex is not “screwing.”

He [Hastert] never screwed the boys, he sexually molested the boys.

The guy is a perverted, sick, child molester, and you want me to have sympathy for him?

WHAT”

There YOU said IT; MOLESTER!

He sexually molested the boys, he did not screw them….he did not have sexual intercourse with them.

He did not rape them as your yellow journalism meme states.

No, I don’t want you to feel sorry for the guy. I want you to recognize what legally happened, use the correct legal terms to make the CORRECT charges…..not sound like some old eighteenth century biddy.

The prosecutor said Hastert fondled the boys and performed oral sex on them….

Oh - and you really think that's all he did?

It's what he admitted to.

And BTW....never attribute another FALSE QUOTE to Thomas Jefferson AGAIN.

...sexual molestation charges were never filed and will never be filed against Hastert….and you do know why, right?

Tell me why …

Plea deal and he is a member of a protected class - not a mundane.

See, you don’t know what you are talking about. You don’t even know the facts here….none of them.

There was NO plea deal for Hastert….there were NEVER any sexual molestation charges filed.

He was never charged with sexual molestation because the statute of limitations had expired on any possible sexual molestation charges.

Prosecutors noted the statute of limitation on any sex-abuse charges have long since expired, making banking charges the only ones they could pursue.

NO PLEA DEAL….GOT IT NOW?

Really “Princess,” don’t you feel severely embarrassed?

You should.

You have just finished making a complete ass of yourself on this thread….You never even knew what charges were and were not brought and why.

The "Just Us" system at it's finest.

For you, it is the just the “U” in “dUmmy….”U” at your finest.

Have you NOW finished making a complete ass of yourself….AGAIN?

Awh, I wanted him to argue with me and go to where he copied it to declare that as an authoritative source, so I could bitch slap him some more with the truth. Maybe he will step in his shit again….and I can still do it. We shall see …

It looks like he's gone into his oft used pretend it never happened mode.

when it occurs within the ruling class

lol ~ there must be a public park you can camp in for 60 days, piss and shit all over it while you've quit your job.... to bitch about people with more money than you.

It looks like he's gone into his oft used pretend it never happened mode.

Right.

The Conspiracy Plan Fact Evasion Zulu 3 Mode....oft used by reptilian humanoids when they feel “demons” are hounding them with truth.

"Shona began using a vaporizing machine to make her own cannabis capsules, which she took three times a day."

And, according to testimony from her 11-year-old son, Shona Banda “smoked weed everyday with her 18-year-old son Joshua Banda and his girlfriend Tequila Mader".

During sentencing, the federal judge pressured Hastert into admitting he molested the boys. I would have told the judge it was none of his business -- and it wasn't. But Hastert faced a maximum of 5 years in prison, and probably thought that discretion was the better part of valor.

"Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America's medical leadership does not support the use of 'medical marijuana' in people with IBD."

Maybe they need to take the pot in suppository form.

It never fails to amaze me the depths you will sink to in your convoluted effort to defend perversion, especially when it occurs within the ruling class or its enforcers.

In no way did I ever defend Hastert’s perversion. What he did was repulsive. He should have been sent to jail for sexually molesting “at least 4” young adult boys in high school. But unfortunately his heinous acts were not discovered until after the statute of limitations had expired.

You started this discussion by posting a lie..

You posted the meme that stated:

Former Speaker of the House faces 6 months in jail for raping 5 little boys.

You had to know that was an outright lie because you hawk news sources and could not have seen factual news of the charge and sentencing.

I will repost the summation originally posted by misterwhite, a wise man distinguished for his great knolwledge, sound judgment and a sage philosopher whose wisdom you should carefully listen to as he presented the factual truth in hope that you can finally comprehend where you went wrong and how idiotic you have been during the discussion on this thread.

The statute of limitations had expired. Hastert was neither charged nor convicted of raping or molesting kids. He pled guilty to structuring bank withdrawals and was sentenced to fifteen months in prison, two years' supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.

During sentencing, the federal judge pressured Hastert into admitting he molested the boys. I would have told the judge it was none of his business -- and it wasn't. But Hastert faced a maximum of 5 years in prison, and probably thought that discretion was the better part of valor.

You tried at one time to close out the thread by once again presenting….a what?

Another flat out lie….a spurious quote you fictitiously credited to Thomas Jefferson.

"If a law is unjust, a man is not only right to disobey it, he is obligated to do so." -_ Thomas Jefferson.

It is spread all over the internet that the quote you posted has never been found in any of Thomas Jefferson's papers. The best deduction to be made is that perhaps it is a paraphrase of Jefferson's statement in the Declaration of Independence, "...whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government...." Such a paraphrase is really stretching it and would be taking some radical liberties with the original version.

Deckard, There is no one crazier outside an insane asylum than you. Your bizarre statements prove this to be true.

Aren't Dickhard and suckeroo just made for each other?

without question ...

Doesn't matter - you two statists are identical in your submissiveness to the State.

“A Foolish Faith In Authority Is The Worst Enemy Of The Truth”

“A Foolish Faith In Authority Is The Worst Enemy Of The Truth”

This quote is much better apropos for your deraignment:

“A Foolish Trust In Yellow Journalism Is Your Worst Enemy Of The Truth”

Meet Shona Banda

Heroine of Deckard, et al.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shona Banda found a miracle substance which cured her Crohn's disease in 2013. It's effectiveness is proven by medical science.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kHxp0X-RQs

Shona Banda | Crohn's Diease Cured With Use Of Cannabis Oil

WegotaFBpagetoo OnFB
Published on Jun 7, 2013

Shona Banda, survivor of Crohn's disease and author of 'Live Free or Die', available at http://www.Authorhouse.com, talks about what she has gone through in her life with battling Crohn's disease, and how she has recovered. She used Cannabis oil in a VAP. Watch and she will explain.

In Run From The Cure, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SeQPqk

[...]

[...]

Now for some evidence-based cannabis-Crohn's research

At the Meir Medical Center in Israel, 21 Crohn's patients who were getting little or no results from orthodox medical treatments were separated into two groups for a double-blind control study. One group of 11 were given two marijuana cigarettes daily with 23% THC and 0.5% CBD (cannabidiol), while the control group of 10 were given hemp placebo cigarettes.

After eight weeks, five of the treated subjects showed remissions, while another five had significant improvements without steroids. All 11 could eat and sleep better without side effects. Less than half of the placebo group showed only minor improvements.

This study was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Keep in mind that significant results were obtained using the least potent application of medical marijuana - smoking. Shona ingested makeshift cannabis oil.

Sources for this study include:

Shona's nine-minute video with the vaporizer and capsule demo: http://www.youtube.com

Shona's two-and-a-half-minute, more polished presentation: http://www.youtube.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.ccfa.org

http://blog.sfgate.com

http://blog.norml.org

www.facebook.com

- - - - - - - - - -

That's right, she cured that Crohn's disease 2013. As proven by medical science.

http://www.naturalnews.com/043718_Chrons_disease_cannabis_Shona_Banda.html

Shona Banda cured her terminal Crohn's disease with cannabis

by: Paul Fassa
Natural News
Friday, January 31, 2014

[...]

She managed to see Rick Simpson's Run from the Cure video documentary and was motivated at first but soon became despondent. Although she had been smoking marijuana to ease pain and help her sleep and eat, she had no way of making the oil, which required a pound of marijuana to produce the two ounces of cannabis oil she would need to heal.

Shona lives in the medical marijuana-unfriendly state of Kansas with her husband and two young children.

[...]

Now for some evidence-based cannabis-Crohn's research

At the Meir Medical Center in Israel, 21 Crohn's patients who were getting little or no results from orthodox medical treatments were separated into two groups for a double-blind control study. One group of 11 were given two marijuana cigarettes daily with 23% THC and 0.5% CBD (cannabidiol), while the control group of 10 were given hemp placebo cigarettes.

After eight weeks, five of the treated subjects showed remissions, while another five had significant improvements without steroids. All 11 could eat and sleep better without side effects. Less than half of the placebo group showed only minor improvements.

This study was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Keep in mind that significant results were obtained using the least potent application of medical marijuana - smoking. Shona ingested makeshift cannabis oil.

Her miracle substance not only cured Crohn's disease, it reversed it. As proven by medical science.

http://naturalsociety.com/marijuana-reverse-woman-crohns-disease/

Marijuana Helps Reverse Woman’s Crohn’s Disease, Replaces Pharmaceuticals

by Paul Fassa
Natural Society
Posted on August 20, 2014

[excerpt]

She was inhaling small amounts of marijuana from a vaporizer to help reduce her pain and increase her appetite. It’s less irritating to the lungs and throat while producing less tell-tale pot aromas. Her husband pointed out that the marijuana vapor residue inside the glass globe cover looked like cannabis oil. So Shona started scraping it out and putting it into capsules for consumption three times daily.

After a very few days, Shona could walk without a cane. Soon she began eating and sleeping better and putting on weight. It wasn’t long before she was completely weened off all her pharmaceuticals. Now she is very healthy and active. Her journal of this journey became her published book Live Free or Die. You can view her YouTube testimonial video and her ‘'how to’ video.

[...]

The Israeli Study

At the Meir Medical Center in Israel, 21 Crohn’s patients who were getting little or no results from orthodox medical treatments were separated into two groups for a double blind control study. One group of 11 were given two marijuana cigarettes daily with 23% THC and .5% CBD (cannabidiol) while the control group of 10 were given placebo cigarettes of marijuana without THC.

After eight weeks, five of the treated subjects showed remissions, while another five had significant improvements without steroids. All 11 could eat and sleep better. Forty percent of the placebo group showed only slight improvements.

This study was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Keep in mind that significant results were obtained using the least potent application of medical marijuana – smoking.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Shona was just a medical patient, taking her prescribed medicne.

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/shona-banda-medical-marijuana-legal-nightmare-continues

Mother Who Used Medical Cannabis to Treat Deadly Disease Had Her Son Taken Away, Faces 28 Years in Prison

Shona Banda's drug-war nightmare comes from using cannabis oil to treat her Crohn's disease.

By Phillip Smith
AlterNet
November 17, 2015

You don't want to be a medical marijuana patient in Kansas. You could face, arrest, prosecution, imprisonment, and the loss of your children. Just ask Shona Banda, who endured the latest chapter of her ordeal Monday.

The Garden City mother faces five marijuana-related charges, including three felonies, and had her 11-year-old son taken away by the state after the boy piped up during an anti-drug class at school to say that his mom "smokes a lot."

Shona Banda uses marijuana, and makes no bones about it. She has publicly said she uses cannabis oil to treat her Crohn's disease and even authored a book about it: Live Free or Die: Reclaim Your Life…Reclaim Your Country!

[...]

Those dirty, no good, rotten, bad guys. She was just a medical patient, taking her medicine, and in violation of her constitutional rights, they came along and arrested her, charged her with crimes, and took away her minor child for no reason other than to be evil and mean.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

And Shona sued those evil, no good, rotten bad guys and cited the Constitution and the law as interpreted by the U.S. Federal court.

Shona Banda v. Kansas et al, U.S. District Court, District of Kansas, Complaint for Civil Rights Violations (42 U.S.C. § 1983), Declaratory Relief and Injunctive Relief, filed March 24, 2016

[excerpt]

27. Plaintiff has a liberty interest specially protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment that embraces a right to make a life-shaping decision to use medical marijuana to preserve bodily integrity, avoid intolerable pain, alleviate symptoms and ameliorate the extreme and debilitating symptoms of Crohn’s disease from which she suffers. Plaintiff’s due process and liberty rights at issue here are substantive, are not explicitly enumerated in the Constitution and are protected through the Ninth and Fourteenth Amendments to it.

28. Plaintiff’s right to use cannabis medicinally is “deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition,” and “implicit in the concept of ordered liberty,” such that “neither liberty nor justice would exist if they were sacrificed.” Raich, supra, 500 F.3d at 865.

Powerful, powerful stuff, that.

https://www.scribd.com/doc/280962268/Shona-Banda-v-State-of-Kansas-Civil-Rights-Complaint

Powerful, powerful stuff.

A heroine for the downtrodden, defending the people from the evil, no good, rotten, government bad guys.

To be continued....

Shona used cannabis oil to successfully treat her Crohn's Disease - statists like you and the other freaks here who condemn her actions believe that the fed.gov owns her body and she should suffer rather than seek relief from a non government-approved medicine.

Such is the belief of slaves.

Looks like another Hastert fan and pedophile enabler has reared its ugly head.

Shona used cannabis oil to successfully treat her Crohn's Disease - statists like you and the other freaks here who condemn her actions believe that the fed.gov owns her body and she should suffer rather than seek relief from a non government-approved medicine.

Such is the belief of slaves.

Read on, grasshopper.

Say Goodbye to Shona Randa

Sharon, by her own free will, chose to live in the state of Kansas. She could have lived in a state with different laws, but she chose not to.

http://kslegislature.org/li_2016/b2015_16/statute/021_000_0000_chapter/021_057_0000_article/

Kansas Statutes Annotated

21-5703. Unlawful manufacturing of controlled substances. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to manufacture any controlled substance or controlled substance analog.

[...]

21-5705. Unlawful cultivation or distribution of controlled substances.(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute any of the following controlled substances or controlled substance analogs thereof:

[...]

(5) For any violation of subsection (a), the severity level of the offense shall be increased one level if the controlled substance or controlled substance analog was distributed or possessed with the intent to distribute on or within 1,000 feet of any school property.

[...]

21-5706. Unlawful possession of controlled substances. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess any opiates, opium or narcotic drugs, or any stimulant designated in subsection (d)(1), (d)(3) or (f)(1) of K.S.A. 65-4107, and amendments thereto, or a controlled substance analog thereof.

[...]

21-5706. Unlawful possession of controlled substances.

[...]

21-5709. Unlawful possession of certain drug precursors and drug paraphernalia. (a) It shall be unlawful for any person to possess ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, red phosphorus, lithium metal, sodium metal, iodine, anhydrous ammonia, pressurized ammonia or phenylpropanolamine, or their salts, isomers or salts of isomers with an intent to use the product to manufacture a controlled substance.

(b) It shall be unlawful for any person to use or possess with intent to use any drug paraphernalia to:

(1) Manufacture, cultivate, plant, propagate, harvest, test, analyze or distribute a controlled substance; or

(2) store, contain, conceal, inject, ingest, inhale or otherwise introduce a controlled substance into the human body.

[...]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

https://ecf.ksd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2016cv1075-34

Banda commenced this action alleging that, because many states have decriminalized marijuana possession, she has “a fundamental right [to] medical cannabis.” (Dkt. 1, ¶ 25). She alleges that the prohibition of marijuana possession in Kansas violates her constitutional rights.

However many states decriminalized marijuana possession, Kansas is not one of them. Of course, this overlooks possession within 1,000 feet of a school with intent to distribute, and manufacturing a Schedule I substance. What Banda is charged with is criminal in all states.

Banda cited Raich v. Gonzales, 500 F.3d 850, 855 (9th Cir. 2007). An inane legal claim, followed by a non-supporting case citation, is just an inane legal claim.

With respect to Banda’s substantive claim, they argue that Banda’s substantive due process claim fails because no court has recognized any fundamental right to use marijuana, and in fact caselaw holds to the contrary. See Raich v. Gonzales, 500 F.3d 850, 855 (9th Cir. 2007) (federal law “does not recognize a fundamental right to use medical marijuana prescribed by a licensed physician to alleviate excruciating pain and human suffering”).

http://www.leagle.com/decision/20071350500F3d850_11349/RAICH%20v.%20GONZALES

Raich at 866:

We agree with Raich that medical and conventional wisdom that recognizes the use of marijuana for medical purposes is gaining traction in the law as well. But that legal recognition has not yet reached the point where a conclusion can be drawn that the right to use medical marijuana is "fundamental" and "implicit in the concept of ordered liberty." See Glucksberg, 521 U.S. at 720-21, 117 S.Ct. 2258 (citations omitted). For the time being, this issue remains in "the arena of public debate and legislative action." Id. at 720, 117 S.Ct. 2258; see also Gonzales v. Raich, 125 S.Ct. at 2215.

As stated above, Justice Anthony Kennedy told us that "times can blind us to certain truths and later generations can see that laws once thought necessary and proper in fact serve only to oppress." Lawrence, 539 U.S. at 579, 123 S.Ct. 2472. For now, federal law is blind to the wisdom of a future day when the right to use medical marijuana to alleviate excruciating pain may be deemed fundamental. Although that day has not yet dawned, considering that during the last ten years eleven states have legalized the use of medical marijuana, that day may be upon us sooner than expected. Until that day arrives, federal law does not recognize a fundamental right to use medical marijuana prescribed by a licensed physician to alleviate excruciating pain and human suffering.

https://ecf.ksd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2016cv1075-34

Banda v. Kansas et al., MEMORANDUM AND ORDER,

MEMORANDUM AND ORDER

The possession of cannabis is illegal in Kansas. K.S.A. 65-4105(h)(1). The pro se Complaint filed by Shona Banda alleges that, during a 2015 school presentation in Garden City, Kansas about the effects of marijuana, her minor child told school employee Tyler Stubenhoffer that Banda and other adults in the residence, were “avid drug users and there was a lot of drug use occurring in his residence.” (Dkt. 20, at 3). According to Banda, she uses marijuana or cannabis to treat her Crohn’s Disease. This information was relayed to the Garden City Police Department (GCPD), which went to Banda’s house to investigate. A warrant was issued and cannabis was removed from the property. The State of Kansas commenced a criminal prosecution of the defendant on June 5, 2015. These charges include endangering a child and manufacturing a controlled substance, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Banda’s minor child was found to be a child in need of care and removed from the home.

Banda commenced this action alleging that, because many states have decriminalized marijuana possession, she has “a fundamental right [to] medical cannabis.” (Dkt. 1, ¶ 25). She alleges that the prohibition of marijuana possession in Kansas violates her constitutional rights. The Complaint names as defendants Stubenhoffer and Garden City Unified School District 457; the GCPD and its Chief, James Hawkins; the State of Kansas; Governor Sam Brownback; and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF) and its Secretary, Phyllis Gilmore.

All of the defendants have moved to dismiss the action. (Dkt. 19, 21, 25, 28). The court notes that in addition to their legal arguments, the DCF defendants have also presented factual contentions in support of their motion, and that Banda has not denied any of the following allegations of facts submitted by the defendants. Those facts indicate that Banda’s son told the police that his mother produces marijuana extract pills which she sells to clients at the rate of 20 for $100; that her residence is frequented by card games in which all of the participants smoke marijuana, and that the son had been invited to smoke as well.

Defendants DCF and Gilmore seek dismissal arguing subject matter does not exist given the Rooker-Feldman doctrine, which supports dismissal of federal actions seeking to overturn state court decisions, see Bolden v. City of Topeka, 441 F.3d 1129 (10th Cir. 2006)); the need for abstention under Younger v. Harris, 401 U.S. 37 (1971) in order to avoid conflict with ongoing state court proceedings; and the “domestic relations exception” recognized in Vaughn v. Smithson, 833 F.2d 63, 65 (10th Cir. 1989). With respect to Banda’s substantive claim, they argue that Banda’s substantive due process claim fails because no court has recognized any fundamental right to use marijuana, and in fact caselaw holds to the contrary. See Raich v. Gonzales, 500 F.3d 850, 855 (9th Cir. 2007) (federal law “does not recognize a fundamental right to use medical marijuana prescribed by a licensed physician to alleviate excruciating pain and human suffering”). Finally, the defendants are protected by Eleventh Amendment immunity.

Defendants Brownback and the State of Kansas also argue that Banda’s claims are barred by sovereign immunity and Younger abstention. Further, they argue, Tenth Circuit precedent precludes relief on the merits. See Rutherford v. United States, 616 F.2d 455, 457 (10th Cir. 1980) (“selection of a particular treatment, or at least a medication, is within the area of governmental interest in protecting public health” and the government has “authority to limit the patient’s choice of medication”).

Chief Hawkins and the GCPD have moved to dismiss under both the Rooker-Feldman doctrine and Younger abstention, on the grounds that Banda has no substantive due process right to use marijuana, and under the doctrine of qualified immunity.

Noting that the only allegation against the school involves the presentation of a drug program and Stubenhoffer’s decision to send Banda’s child to the principal’s office, USD 457 and Stubenhoffer have moved to dismiss the action against them as impermissibly vague and conclusory under Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555 (2007), and barred under the doctrine of qualified immunity. The defendants note that school officials have an affirmative duty under Kansas law to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in cases of a child in need of care. K.S.A. 38-2226(g).

Plaintiff Banda has filed no response to any of the defendants’ motions, all of which present prima facie valid arguments for the dismissal of the action. Accordingly, the present action is hereby dismissed pursuant to D.Kan.R. 7.4 and for good cause shown.

IT IS ACCORDINGLY ORDERED this 27th day of December, 2016, that the defendants’ Motions to Dismiss, (Dkt. 19, 21, 25, 28) are hereby granted.

___s/ J. Thomas Marten______
J. THOMAS MARTEN, JUDGE

So much for Ms. Banda's civil suit. It would also seem any defense to the criminal prosecution has been effectively destroyed.

Of note, in 2013-14, when praising the illegal product she sells, it was claimed that her product cured and reversed Crohn's disease. In 2015-16, facing criminal prosecution, it is claimed she is still taking her medicine and to stop would be life threatening.

The specific offenses on the Arrest Warrant are:

KSA: 21-5601a — Endangering a Child.

KSA: 21-5703 — Unlawful Manufacture of Controlled Substances

KSA: 21-5705 a 4 d2 C — Possession of 450g-30kg of Marijuana with Distribute Certain hallucinogenic in 1000 ft of School

KSA: 21-5709 b 2 — Use Possess w/intent to use drug Paraphernalia into human body

KSA: 21-5709 b 1 — Possession of paraphernalia w/intent to Manufacture/Plant/Cultivate controlled substance

From the Arrest Warrant: [S.B. are the initials of the minor child.]

ACCUSED: Shona Ann Banda

I, Detective Clint Brock #418, being duly sworn, depose and state that I am a Detective with the Garden City Police Department (GCPD) and have been in law enforcement for 11 years. Routine duties of my employment include the investigation of violations of federal and state laws. The following information set forth in this affidavit is known to me personally, or was reported to me by other law enforcement officers.

On March 24, 2015, the Garden City Police Department received a referral report from the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) regarding S. B., 03/09/2004, of 1209 N. Ninth Street, Garden City, Finney County, Kansas. S. B. resided at 901 Conkling, Garden City, Finney County, KS with his mother on the date of the initial incident, Shona A. Banda (Shona), 06/18/1977, of 901 Conkling Street, Garden City, Finney County, Kansas; S.B.'s Joshua Banda (Joshua), 10/14/1996, and Joshua's live-in girlfriend, Tequila Mader (Tequila), 04/24/1996.

On or about March 15, 2015, a USD 457 counsellor documented that while learning about marijuana at school, S. B. told the class "my mom smokes.. .a lot!" The counsellor noted that S. B. went on to describe his knowledge of various strains of marijuana and appeared to have too much information related to the drug for his age/maturity level.

On March 24, 2015, at approximately 2:52 PM officers of the Garden City Police Department and representatives from DCF responded to 901 Conkling, Garden City, Finney County, Kansas in an attempt to investigate the safety of S. B. They made contact with Shona Banda, who denied permission to enter her house to ascertain the safety of the child. As a result, the residence was secured pending investigation and application for a search warrant.

On March 24, 2015, Detective Clint Brock conducted an interview with S. B. at the Finney County Law Enforcement Center. During this interview S. B. appeared to be in soiled clothing, his hair appeared not to have been washed for several days and he had an odor to him.

During this interview, S. B. did exhibit unusual and specific knowledge regarding marijuana and its use which seemed atypical for a child of that age. S. B. told Detective Brock that he resided at 901 Conkling with his mother Shona, his brother Joshua and Joshua's girlfriend Tequila. S. B. told Detective Brock that Shona, Josh and Tequila all smoke marijuana from a tie-dye colored glass smoking pipe on a daily basis in the basement of the residence.

S. B. stated the pipe is usually left on a table in the basement next to a clear Ziploc bag containing marijuana. S. B. stated the last time he saw marijuana at the residence was the evening of March 23, 2015.

S. B. further slated that Shona "extracts" cannabis oil from a glass dome which S. B. referred to as a "vaporizer". He stated there are three of these vaporizers in the kitchen of the house. He further stated that Shona frequently uses a spatula to remove the residue from the inside of the dome and places it into a syringe and then injects it into gelatin caplets.

S. B. stated that Shona keeps this "extract" from the domes in an Ovaltine container in the freezer in the kitchen or in a "hidden closet" in the basement behind the washing machine. A small cutout cupboard type area was located behind the washer but no items of evidentiary value were located in that location.

S. B. stated that Shona and Tequila drove to Colorado Tuesday, March 17, 2015 to buy marijuana from a person who grows the marijuana at his residence. He stated they returned on Friday, March 20, 2015. S. B. saw the marijuana they purchased and described it as being in a bag approximately four inches in diameter.

While describing the "vaporizer" Shona uses to "extract" cannabis oil, S. B. drew Detective Brock a picture of the "vaporizer" depicting a base with an electrical cord with a glass dome on top and a tray in the approximate center of the dome.

During the interview with S. B., Shona arrived at the Law Enforcement Center. She was escorted to an interview room where Detective Brock conducted a non-custodial interview with her. She again denied permission to enter her house and stated that there was nothing "hidden" in the house. Shona then showed Detective Brock a YouTube.com video that she participated in that depicted the "vaporizer" she uses. Shona stated that she ingests the cannabis to help her cope with the symptoms of Crohn's disease.

The Youtube.com video depicts Shona placing suspected marijuana in the vaporizer and the dome fills with a smoke. After a period of time, she scraped the inside of the dome with a spatula and collected a small amount of "cannabis oil" which she states is then placed into "a tiny little gel cap". The video image of the "vaporizer" closely matched the picture drawn for Detective Brock by S. B. during the interview earlier.

On March 24, 2015 a search warrant for the residence was requested and granted by the Honorable Judge Wendel Wurst.

During the service of the search warrant at 901 Conkling Street on March 24, 2015, at approximately 6:42 PM the residence was in disarray with dirty clothing piled in the bedrooms and hallways of the residence. There was an odor of burnt marijuana and tobacco smoke throughout the residence.

While serving the warrant, approximately 500.9' cumulative grams of suspected marijuana, multiple marijuana smoking pipes, three (3) "vaporizers" that were actively manufacturing cannabis oil and multiple other items related to the packaging and ingestion of marijuana were seized from the residence. The items that were taken from the residence were within easy reach of S. B. with most of the items being on the kitchen counter, kitchen table and basement common area of the residence.

According to a map produced by the Finney County / Garden City GIS department the map is located within 1000 feet of the Buffalo Jones Elementary School located at 708 N. Taylor Ave., Garden City, KS.

The previously described items used in the manufacture of the cannabis oil were present in the kitchen of the residence. They included raw leaf marijuana, die vaporizers on the kitchen counter, the finished oil and gelatin capsules were also located on the counter and in the refrigerator.

The items of suspected marijuana tested presumptive positive for the presence of THC and were sent to the KBI for further testing.

On April 27, 2015 Detective Brock met again with S.B. this time at the police west substation, 1302 Summit Street Apt. C, Garden City, Finney County, Kansas. During that interview S.B. was asked clarification questions as to the interview that he had previously given. S.B. was asked again about the day at school when the counsellor was conducting a presentation about drugs. S.B. said the presentation was about the dangers of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. S.B. said during the presentation the counselor never said anything bad about his mother, that the counselor was being nice to him and that he is S. B.'s favorite teacher, S.B. stated that he [S. B.] did not say anything about how smoking marijuana is bad during the presentation, but that he [S. B.] thinks that it is bad. S.B. was asked where he sleeps when he is at Shona's residence of 901 Conkling Street, Garden City, Finney County, Kansas. S.B. stated that he sleeps in the same bed as his mother.

S.B. was asked again about the vaporizer process that Shona uses to extract cannabis oil from the marijuana plants. SJB. stated that Shona uses an electric boxlike item with a glass dome and a brass plate to hold the marijuana. S.B. said Shona will leave the marijuana in the vaporizer for approximately three hours and the oil will start to gather up on the globe. S.B. said Shona then uses a small spatula to take it out and put it in little gelatin capsules. S.B. said Shona will use either a spatula or a syringe to put the oil into the pills.

S.B. was asked how much marijuana was usually kept at the house at 901 Conkling. S.B. said that Shona usually keeps approximately three (3) pounds of marijuana at the house at a time. S.B. stated the marijuana was kept in a large Ziploc bag. S.B. stated that Shona has a number of people that give her marijuana.

S.B. stated that when Shona goes to pick up the marijuana from people that his brother, Joshua Banda will sometimes accompany her but the majority of the time it is his girlfriend, Tequila Mader that accompanies her. S.B. stated that when Shona goes to Colorado to get marijuana she brings back two pounds at a time in a large Ziploc bag.

S.B. was asked how often Shona extracts the cannabis oil using the vaporizers and he stated that she does this every day. S.B. was asked how long each day Shona does this and he stated all day.

S.B. was asked if Shona continues extracting the oil when he is at home after school and he said yes.

S.B. was asked what was on the kitchen table and he replied grinders. S.B. was asked what they were used for and he stated that when Shona gets the bags of marijuana she uses the grinders to separate the seeds from the marijuana and she puts the marijuana in a large glass jar on the table.

S.B. stated after the marijuana is separated she puts the marijuana into the vaporizers to make the oil.

S.B. was asked if Shona smokes any of the marijuana and he stated that she, Joshua Banda, Tequila Mader, his cousin Devin and his friends come to the house and they all smoke it. S.B. said there are about seven people that come to the house and smoke the marijuana on a regular basis.

S.B. said they have a weekly game of cards in which the people come to the residence and during this game they smoke marijuana throughout the game from a glass pipe. S.B. stated that he participates in the card game and he stated that the second hand smoke really hurts his lungs. S.B. stated that while the people at the card game are smoking the marijuana on some occasions he is passed the marijuana pipe and they point at him, S.B. said he backs away from it and they continue to pass it around. S.B. said they have the card game every Thursday night at the residence. S.B. stated that he does not like it when they smoke marijuana around him.

S.B. stated that Shona has smoked marijuana around him approximately every day for the last two years that they have lived in the house on Conkling Street. S.B. was asked if being around the marijuana smoke has ever made him sick and he said yes. S.B. said that it makes him feel like he is going to puke, that it makes him feel nauseous. S.B. stated that when he is around the marijuana smoke he feels like he can't think straight and feels sick. S.B. stated that he thinks that it is bad that Shona smokes marijuana.

S.B. was asked where in the kitchen of the residence the marijuana was kept. S.B. said that it was in a cabinet above the counter. S.B. said that he had access to the marijuana because it was just kept in a bowl in the cupboard. S.B. said there was a lot of marijuana in the bowl and that he has thought about throwing it out of the window.

S.B. was asked if there was marijuana on the kitchen table and he said yes, along with a glass pipe and a grinder. S.B. said they leave it on the table even when he is at home and that they smoke marijuana out of the pipe. S.B. was asked where they eat if the marijuana is on the kitchen table. S.B. stated that they just push the pipes, grinders and marijuana to the side of the table while they eat. S.B. was asked if any of the marijuana ever gets into his food and he said yes and that it gets on his plate. S.B. said when this happens he just does not eat. S.B. said he will just sit at the table until everyone else finishes their food and leaves the table then he will leave without eating. S.B. was asked if he goes to bed hungry sometimes and he said yes.

S.B. stated that Shona usually goes to bed around 8:00 or 9:00 at night and that she smokes marijuana before she goes to bed each night. S.B. was asked if he feels sick sometimes when he goes to bed at night and he said yes. S.B. was asked if he ever asked Shona not to smoke marijuana and he said yes, but she ignores him and turns away from him. S.B. said Shona will just get up and go downstairs to smoke marijuana. S.B. said Shona also takes the cannabis pills twice a day.

During the second interview, S.B. was asked if Shona had smoked marijuana since the police served the search warrant at the residence and he said yes. S.B. said Shona had marijuana hidden in a hollowed out Moby Dick book in the living room that was not located by the police. S.B. said Shona got a pipe from someone and used that to smoke the marijuana.

S.B. was asked where Shona gets the money to buy the marijuana that she uses. S.B. stated that she doesn't have money, she begs people for the marijuana.

S.B. was asked if Shona sells the marijuana extract pills to anyone and he said yes. S.B. said Shona sells the pills to a number to a number of people that she refers to as "clients". S.B. said Shona delivers the pills to the clients in Garden City. S.B. stated that one of the clients is a male subject that is in a wheelchair. S.B. stated Shona sells him the pills, packaged in a small Ziploc baggie, for one hundred dollars ($100.00). S.B. said Shona usually puts twenty (20) pills in each Ziploc baggie for sale.

S.B. said Shona also sells lotion that contains cannabis oil at the Nature's Way store. S.B. said Jan Olson runs Nature's Way and that Shona has given her cannabis oil pills. S.B. was asked what Shona does with the money she gets from the sale of the pills and he said she tells him she is paying the bills with it

S.B. said Shona has a thing on Facebook and she is having people give her money. S.B. said Shona has received about thirty seven thousand dollars ($37,000.00) from it. S.B. said Shona has used the money to buy a new car. S.B. said Shona has been telling people she was arrested to get money from them.

On June 2, 2015 the KBI indicated that each of the items that were submitted for testing returned positive results for the presence of THC.

Based on the information stated above, the affiant is requesting the listed charges for Shona Banda in this matter.

/s/ Cliint Brock
Affiant

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN TO before me this 3rd day of June, 2015
/s/MARK C JOHNSON
Notary Public
State of Kansas My Appt Exp. 5-22-2018

Well, legally it is looking grim. However, she still has that oft-cited medical scientific proof of the efficacy of marijuana.

Recall,

Now for some evidence-based cannabis-Crohn's research

At the Meir Medical Center in Israel, 21 Crohn's patients who were getting little or no results from orthodox medical treatments were separated into two groups for a double-blind control study. One group of 11 were given two marijuana cigarettes daily with 23% THC and 0.5% CBD (cannabidiol), while the control group of 10 were given hemp placebo cigarettes.

After eight weeks, five of the treated subjects showed remissions, while another five had significant improvements without steroids. All 11 could eat and sleep better without side effects. Less than half of the placebo group showed only minor improvements.

This study was published in the journal Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Keep in mind that significant results were obtained using the least potent application of medical marijuana - smoking. Shona ingested makeshift cannabis oil.

Sources for this study include:

Shona's nine-minute video with the vaporizer and capsule demo: http://www.youtube.com

Shona's two-and-a-half-minute, more polished presentation: http://www.youtube.com

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

http://www.ccfa.org

http://blog.sfgate.com

http://blog.norml.org

www.facebook.com

With all those sources, what could possibly be missing? I suppose one more source could be added and quoted. When all else fails, read the actual report. Apparently that was not included through some oversight which I will hereby correct.

http://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(13)00604-6/pdf

CLINICAL GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY 2013;11:1276–1280

Cannabis Induces a Clinical Response in Patients With Crohn’s Disease:

A Prospective Placebo-Controlled Study

TIMNA NAFTALI,^* LIHI BAR-LEV SCHLEIDER,^‡ IRIS DOTAN,^§ EPHRAIM PHILIP LANSKY,^** FABIANA SKLEROVSKY BENJAMINOV,^* and FRED MEIR KONIKOFF^*

^*Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Meir Medical Center and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Kfar Saba; ^‡Tikun Olam for Promotion of Medical Cannabis, Tel Aviv; ^§IBD Center, Department of Gastroenterology, Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv; and ^**Laboratory of Applied Metabolomics and Pharmacognosy, Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel

[excerpts]

DISCUSSION

Although a significant body of work suggests that cannabinoids suppress inflammation¹⁴ and many patients with IBD self-medicate with cannabis, there are no placebo-controlled trials assessing its efficacy in inflammatory disease. This might be owing to reluctance to use an illegal drug. This was a placebocontrolled trial to critically assess cannabis use for treating Crohn’s disease.

The primary end point of this study was induction of remission. Although 5 patients in the study group and 1 patient in the placebo group entered clinical remission, the difference did not reach statistical significance, possibly because of the small sample size. However, our data showed that 8 weeks of treatment with THC-rich cannabis, but not placebo, was associated with a significant decrease of 100 points in CDAI scores.

In this trial, cannabis induced clinical remission in 50% of patients. Taking into account that our participants had longstanding Crohn’s disease, with 80% nonresponse or intolerance to anti–TNF-a, this result is impressive. In this trial, the observed improvement was solely symptomatic, with no objective evidence of reduction in inflammatory activity. In addition, patients relapsed 2 weeks after cannabis treatment was stopped. Therefore, based on the available data, one cannot argue that cannabis is a successful treatment for the inflammatory process in Crohn’s disease. Thus, until further studies are conducted, cannabis should be reserved for compassionate use only in patients who have exhausted all other medical and surgical options. Because this was a pilot study, probable efficacy data were unavailable, therefore power calculation could be based on estimation only. With a significance level of 5% and a power of 80% to detect a significant difference of 100 points in CDAI, we would need a sample size of 12 patients in each group, or a total of 24 patients.

[...]

Although this was a placebo-controlled trial, complete blinding of patients was not easy to achieve because of possible psychotropic effects. We tried to minimize this limitation by recruiting only patients naive to cannabinoids. However, at the end of the study period, most of the subjects were able to tell correctly whether they were receiving the study drug or placebo. Future studies with oral administration may overcome this problem due to slower absorption.

In this study, we chose to administer cannabis by smoking because this route induces a rapid increase in blood cannabinoid levels.¹⁵ During smoking, the acids are decarboxylated to the active free cannabinoids, which may explain why ingesting cannabis orally is less effective than smoking.¹⁶ Nevertheless, because of the known harmful effects of smoking on the lungs, the efficacy and safety of oral cannabis should be investigated further.

[...]

All patients in the study group expressed strong satisfaction with their treatment and improvement in their daily function. It should be noted, however, that our patients were treated for only a short period. It is well known that cannabis dependence exists and patients might have difficulty weaning after prolonged cannabis use, even when the IBD is in complete remission. Therefore, until further data are available, long-term medical cannabis cannot be recommended. Although the long-term side effects of cannabis are not negligible, other treatments for Crohn’s disease, such as steroids, purine analogs, or anti–TNF-a, also carry the risk of significant side effects, some even life-threatening. Additional studies will be needed before the exact effect of cannabis in IBD, whether antiinflammatory or only symptomatic, can be determined. However, the potential benefits should not be ignored only because of concern for possible side effects. Taking into account that Crohn’s disease is a chronic debilitating disease that sometimes severely may compromise patients’ quality of life, the ability to provide symptomatic relief judicially, in carefully selected patients, should not be overlooked.

In summary, in this controlled pilot study, cannabis treatment was not superior to placebo in induction of remission. However, cannabis provided a significantly higher rate of clinical response without any alarming side effects. The strain of cannabis used was specifically rich in THC, but other cannabinoids may be beneficial as well. Future larger controlled studies should look into the role of cannabinoids in controlling inflammation and symptoms in IBD.

[...]

Note: "Although this was a placebo-controlled trial, complete blinding of patients was not easy to achieve...." Or, as a double-blind study, it was a failure and not blind at all.

It sounded so much better when they left out the actual report.

http://www.cghjournal.org/article/S1542-3565(13)01783-7/pdf

Letters to the Editor, Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Vol. 12, No. 5, 898-900

The Holistic Effects of Canabis in Crohn's Disease

[excerpt]

Evidence for an anti-inflammatory role for cannabinoids in the treatment of gut inflammation is limited to mouse models, and importantly, has focused on the nonpsychotropic cannabinoids cannabidiol⁶ and cannabigerol.⁷ The authors in the present study used tetrahydrocannabinol, possibly suggesting that the observed benefits may relate to the psychotropic effect of tetrahydrocannabinol over any anti-inflammatory effect.

Before the widespread use of cannabis for Crohn’s disease, specifically tetrahydrocannabinol, a larger trial demonstrating improvements in endoscopic measures or objective end points (ie, c-reactive protein or fecal calprotectin) in addition to CDAI is needed. Furthermore, long-term safety must be documented, particularly in view of the adverse side effects reported in the present study.

CONOR LAHIFF, MD
ADAM S. CHEIFETZ, MD
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts

- - - - - - - - - -

Weeding out the Facts: The Reality About Cannabis and Chron's Disease

[excerpt]

This was the first controlled study evaluating cannabis, a widely used recreational drug, in Crohn’s disease. Although these results appear promising, they must be interpreted cautiously. Despite being cannabis naive, most patients could distinguish their assigned therapy and essentially were unblinded. This was also a very small study that was underpowered, and the authors acknowledge that larger-scale trials are needed to clarify the effects of cannabis in Crohn’s disease.

The various amounts of cannabinoids in cannabis strains have been an impediment to their study in clinical research. In this prospective study, the investigators standardized the THC in cannabis cigarettes and tested placebo cigarettes to confirm undetectable cannabinoid levels. However, a previous 2011 study from Australia found serum THC levels to be higher when cannabis was consumed with alcohol versus cannabis alone.³ Alcohol consumption and other factors that might affect THC bioavailability were not reported in these patients, and serum measurements to confirm consistent THC delivery were not obtained.

One significant limitation of this study is that the results were based on subjective parameters and were obtained during active use of a known mind-altering drug. Although there was an improvement in clinical status after 8 weeks of cannabis use, the CDAI includes variables such as general well-being, abdominal pain, and body weight.⁴ Cannabis is widely used for symptomatic relief of many gastrointestinal-related issues—chronic pain, anorexia, and nausea—which all contribute to general well-being.⁵ Endoscopic data were not collected, and there was no difference in objective inflammatory markers to indicate disease modification. Given the rapid rebound of CDAI scores to pretreatment levels after the 2-week washout period, it seems more plausible that cannabis ameliorated the symptoms of Crohn’s disease, rather than actually modulating the disease. Additionally, the psychoactive effects of cannabis presumably could have contributed to the improvement in scores of the cannabis group during therapy.

[...]

This study introduces the idea of cannabis in the management of Crohn’s disease, but is insufficient to support the authors’ suggestion of using cannabis to achieve clinical, steroid-free benefits. Further trials are needed to clarify whether cannabis attenuates inflammation or simply alleviates symptoms. Most concerning to us is the misguided promotion of mass media for cannabis as a primary therapy to induce clinical remission, whereas current data only implies a complementary role to conventional treatments. There is not enough evidence to use cannabis to treat patients with Crohn’s disease or other inflammatory gut disorders outside of approved clinical trials.

[...]

MICHELLE P. VU, MD
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California
Department of Digestive Diseases
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California

GIL Y. MELMED, MD
STEPHAN R. TARGAN, MD
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, California

- - - - - - - - - -

Reply. We would like to thank Vu et al for their interest and insightful comments concerning our article.1 As stated in their letters, there is quite significant experimental evidence of the use of cannabinoids in rodent models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This evidence refers not only to cannabidiol (CBD) but also to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).² In fact, in the study by Jamontt et al,³ THC was superior to CBD in reducing inflammation of the gut. Apart from the experimental rodent models, rich anecdotal evidence of the benefit of cannabis use in human IBD has accumulated.This justifies a careful and scientifically sound look into the question ofwhether cannabinoids can be used as part of the treatment of IBD.

[...]

The patients in our study responded to cannabis treatment with both a reduction of CDAI and an improvement in their quality of life. Whether this reflects a reduction of inflammation or only amelioration of symptoms such as a reduction in pain and improved appetite remains unclear. However, from the point of view of the patients, a marked symptomatic improvement and ability to resume normal life is not trivial, even if inflammation persists.

[...]

Because cannabis is a naturally occurring plant and cannot be patented, there is no pharmaceutical industry backing cannabis studies, so the budget is limited. Therefore, we could not afford very expensive tests such as blood cannabinoid levels. However, we know that none of the patients in the study consumed alcohol regularly so there was no effect of alcohol on blood levels.

We fully agree with the commentators that before cannabis can be recommended for the treatment of Crohn’s disease further larger studies are required.

[...]

To make the placebo as reliable as possible we made it as similar as possible to the study drug, and we only recruited patients who were naive to cannabis. However, it is true that maintenance of the blindness was difficult. We intend to overcome this difficulty in our next study by using oral cannabis. Thus, blood levels will increase more slowly and the psychotropic effect will not be as obvious.

[...]

In their letter, Herfarth et al expressed a concern that physicians who will only read the abstract will come to the erroneous conclusion that cannabis is a successful therapeutic approach in Crohn’s disease. We think we can grant our fellow physicians the credit of being able to realize that a preliminary study that included 20 patients does not provide enough evidence to change clinical practice. However, it does provide evidence to trigger a further look into the therapeutic potential of cannabinoids.

In conclusion, we join Vu et al in stressing that the evidence that has been gathered to date, although intriguing, is preliminary and not sufficient to justify wide use of cannabis in IBD. On the other hand, in view of the currently available armamentarium in the treatment of IBD, we cannot afford to overlook the possibility of another form of treatment, whether it will be proven in the future to actually reduce inflammation or only to induce symptomatic relief.

TIMNA NAFTALI, MD
FRED MEIR KONIKOFF, MD
Meir General Hospital
Kfar Saba, Israel
and
The Sackler School of Medicine

Darn, the medical scientific proof of marijuana curing Crohn's disease went to being "a preliminary study that included 20 patients" and "does not provide enough evidence to change clinical practice," and is "not sufficient to justify wide use of cannabis in IBD." That would be the opinion of those who conducted the study.

If heroin were decriminalized in the US, overdoses would plummet and so would its use. This is not an assertion, it is fact.

Total bullshit. Even with the invention of NARCAN, saving those low-life scumbags over and over again, cheating a well deserved death, heroin overdoses STILL are on the rise.

As the populace gets more dysfunctional and entitled, the more they will abuse drugs, regardless of legality.