In my first article, I chose to focus on growing hemp in America and the countless positive ways the hemp plant is beneficial to us. The example of Mike Lewis and Growing Warriors in Kentucky provided inspiration and creative solutions for returning veterans and their families as they transition back to civilian life.

But what of the returning veterans who are coming home with PTSD and are unable to deal with the emotional aftermath of war? Perhaps medical marijuana is an answer.

Often lumped together, hemp has less of a stigma attached to it than its sister plant, marijuana. Hemp is the male cannabis plant, marijuana the female. For those who don’t know the hemp plant does not contain the active ingredient THC that induces a high for the user. However, that is not all THC can do.

The controversy surrounding cannabis is one that will continue until, state by state, the average person educates themselves through the process of legalization. It was not long ago that both mainstream celebrity physicians Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Sanja Gupta denounced the use of medical marijuana.

The cannabis plant was demonized and reefer madness reigned in the minds of middle class America. Both have since done their research and publicly stated they were mistaken. In fact, the use of marijuana for medical purposes was endorsed 100% by each of them. Sanja Gupta produced a television special showcasing his investigation and the miraculous cures he has witnessed with people suffering from a variety of illnesses.

One of the cases covered by Gupta is that of seven year old Charlotte Figi, a little girl who suffers from a rare form of epilepsy named Dravet Syndrome. Her condition caused her to experience more than forty seizures per day. As a result, her speech was impaired, she could not walk or even feed herself. With Charlotte’s first dose of cannabis oil, her seizures stopped for seven days. The cannabis strain used to treat her has been named “Charlotte’s Web” in her honor. It is low in THC and high in CBD or cannabinoid content.

In a short period of time Charlotte has caught up with her peers. She can walk, ride a bicycle, and feed herself, all on her own. Her young life has been transformed, virtually overnight, all from the use of cannabis oil. She is one of many who benefit from the use of the marijuana plant.

Rick Simpson, founder of Phoenix Tears and the creator of cannabis oil, is currently traveling from country to country to spread the word about the healing properties of the cannabis plant. In 2003, Rick began extracting the oil or resin from marijuana and freely giving it to people. It can be used topically, by ingestion and through vaporizing. The resin is the medicine and will make you well without getting you high. Research shows that the active ingredient in marijuana, THC, kills cancer cells. This has been proven in countless ways and can be seen in the videos above and in the documentary on Simpson and his work called, “Run From the Cure.”

Think about that for the moment: Run FROM the Cure. The cure is currently worse than the illness itself. I watched both of my parents die from cancer at an early age by today’s standards. They suffered terribly from the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. My father was a physician. At the end of his life he said that, given the choice, he would not undergo the treatment.

Reached in South America, Rick Simpson writes, “Personally I do not feel that any government even has the right to regulate this plant’s use and that indeed these governments committed a criminal act when they outlawed the medicinal use of cannabis in the first place.

I think that it is ironic that the American government and other countries send young men and women to invade foreign lands. When in truth, these wars are being fought over nothing more than money and resources and then these same governments have the nerve to deny badly damaged veterans the use of the only medication which could help them. When I was young I used to think that the US was the greatest country in the world, but today I believe that your country and also the country of Canada and many others are being run by nothing more than criminals and I hope that both the American public and the Canadian people will soon wake up and rid themselves of those who have been causing them all this grief. If properly produced, hemp oil is the greatest and most harmless natural treatment that anyone could take for any condition I know of. It is non- addictive and no one has ever died from its use. So what right does any government have to deny its free medicinal use to the public, when most people already know that any laws or restrictions preventing from using this medication are based on corruption? If we want to give our species a future it is time for us all to stand together and bring an end to this crime which has been committed against the human race and to make this world a better place for us all.”

With legalization in Colorado, people are allowed to grow six plants for personal use. When marijuana is legalized across the country, all Americans will be able to grow at home. Simpson offers instructions on how to produce his oil on his website www.phoenixtears.ca He feels it is best to make your own rather than purchase oils that may have little or no healing value. Imagine the changes in our economy if large pharmaceutical companies and a major portion of the medical industry at large are made obsolete from the use of cannabis oil to treat illness? Combine that with the elimination of GMOs and a return to natural growing practices and our lives and our economy will be transformed.

According to many CBD Researchers the following are a list of conditions that the use of cannabinoids has been shown to improve: Acne, ADD/ADHD, Addiction, AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer’s Disease, Anorexia, Antibiotic Resistance, Anxiety, Atherosclerosis, Arthritis, Asthma, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, Cancer, Colitis/Crohn’s ,Depression, Diabetes, Endocrine Disorders, Epilepsy/Seizure, Fibromyalgia, Glaucoma, Heart Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Inflammatory Disorders, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, Kidney Disease, Liver Disease, Metabolic Syndrome, Migraines, Mood Disorders, Motion Sickness, Multiple Sclerosis, Nausea, Neurodegeneration, Neuropathic Pain, Obesity, OCD, Osteoporosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Prion/Mad Cow Disease, PTSD, Rheumatism, Schizophrenia, Sickle Cell Anemia, Skin Conditions, Sleep Disorders, Spinal Cord Injury, and Stress Stroke/TBI.

The clock is ticking on our survival. We have only just begun to understand the healing properties of the cannabis plant and all that can be gained from reintroducing both hemp and marijuana into our culture, our economy and our lives. We are being asked to re-examine our ideas and our value judgments as we strive to improve life for ourselves and future generations. Most importantly, I believe, we are being asked to make a stand in support of our human family and against the corporate state. Corporations are NOT people. Profit margins should not dictate our choices and deter us from a holistic approach to life. We should not turn over to corporations the growing of hemp and medical marijuana so that these crops can become infected with GMOs and devoid of their life affirming properties.

I look forward to the day when people are inspired by a moral certitude to take back all that has been taken from us. Corporate greed is the reason why the cannabis plant, a plant that grows by the side of the road in various countries around the world, was made illegal in America 70 years ago. It is not the only right we need to take back, but it is a great place to begin.

FULL DISCLOSURE: While writing my previous article, “Growing A New Economy in America,” I met and was considering collaborating on a project with American Seed and Oil Company. Throughout the end of August to early November of this year, numerous red flags popped up causing me to disengage and ultimately break all connections with this company. Upon doing a simple Google search of the two men I dealt with on a regular basis, I found that one has a history of fraud with the SEC that includes him paying a fine of $110,000 in 2010 and being barred from working with penny stocks for one year. The other seems to be widely known to front companies under 17 different names and post bogus press releases online to attract investors with false profits and unsubstantiated information. It is my opinion that they are attempting to repeat this pattern in their efforts to grow hemp and medical marijuana in Vermont and elsewhere.

For the past six months they have been active in the state of Vermont, publishing press releases that are misleading and making promises they are unable to deliver. In my opinion, any and all farmers who are considering growing hemp should avoid American Seed and Oil Company. A far better and safer approach is to join in cooperation with other hemp farmers to create a cooperative movement and grow and market their crops on their own, without a middle man. I encourage farmers to do their own research into this company. At the very least, read all of the press releases American Seed has put out to the public and form your own opinion. Do your due diligence.

As someone who provided American Seed and Oil Company with some of its first validation through my article, I cannot remain silent knowing what I now know. In my opinion, they continue to create an illusion with smoke and mirrors while attracting people to use and prey upon.

Because this industry promises to be a financial boom for the economy, it can attract the seedier side of life, determined to capitalize to the max with little investment or work. Do your research before getting involved with characters like this. That is my opinion. Take it for what it is worth.

Mia Feroleto is a well-known art advisor, activist and artist who lives in Vermont. She was the creator of A SHELTER FROM THE STORM: ARTISTS FOR THE HOMELESS OF NEW YORK and ARTWALK NY, now a national event that opens well-known artists’ studios to the public to raise funds for the Coalition for the Homeless and other causes. Feroleto is a committed animal rights and animal welfare activist.

She is determined to maximize visibility for the arts and our cultural world and is currently developing the Adopt An Artist Program to send artists to destinations around the globe in order develop their art. In addition, she is creating a sustainable, creative community in Vermont. She can be reached at mia..

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