Agritek Holdings Inc. (AGTK)

[neophyte184]

I particularly like the third article. It demonstrates why big pharma is working OT to maintain current DEA scheduling of marijuana, since that single move of reclassifying marijuana as a medicinal substance would have profound implications on their bottom line.

But they know their empire will ultimately topple, and I'm sure they already have a plan in place to take over a major portion of the marijuana industry once the GOP is no longer able to use their lobbying blood money to subjugate the natural substance in favor of their factory produced chemical concoctions.

That is why having a piece of this sector is so important IMO. When it happens, those owning a nice chunk in this sector will make a killing through the buyout process that will most assuredly occur with the hedge funds and big pharmas finally dipping their feet into the waters.

GLTA,

Neo






:From NORML.org:
Members Of Congress Condemn Obama Administration's Crackdown On Medicinal Cannabis Providers
Study: Alcohol Is "More Than Twice As Harmful As Cannabis"
Survey: Cannabis Use Associated With Reduced Intake Of Prescription Drugs
Recent Action Alerts:
Tell The Obama Administration to Halt Its Attack on Medical Marijuana
Tell Your Representatives to Co-Sponsor HR 2306: The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011
Massachusetts Legislature Considers Medical Marijuana Measure

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Members Of Congress Condemn Obama Administration's Crackdown On Medicinal Cannabis Providers"No longer should the federal government's laws supersede the wishes of local citizens who have decided that their fellow neighbors ought ... to legitimately use medical marijuana"

Washington, DC: Members of Congress are urging President Obama to halt the Justice Department's crackdown on California's medical cannabis providers and are calling on the Administration to reschedule the plant in recognition of its therapeutic utility.

On Friday, nine members of Congress -- Reps. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Sam Farr (D-CA) Bob Filner (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Pete Stark (D-CA), Mike Thompson (D-CA), and Lynn Woolsey (D-CA) -- sent a letter to the President "to express [their] concerns with the recent activity by the Department of Justice against legitimate medical cannabis dispensaries in California. .... [These] actions ... directly interfere with California's 15-year-old medical cannabis law by eliminating safe access to medication for the state's thousands of medical cannabis patients."

Earlier this month, United States Deputy Attorney General James Cole, along with the four US Attorneys from California, announced plans to escalate federal prosecutorial efforts targeting the state's medical cannabis dispensaries and providers. Since their announcement, US Attorneys have sent eviction notices to the landlords and the financial institutions of several cannabis providers throughout the state.

The Representatives' letter to Obama states: "During your presidential campaign you repeatedly pledged to end federal raids against the individuals and collectives authorized by state law to use or provide medical cannabis. ... By pursuing the same harsh policies that have been in place for years, we fear that the federal government will push legitimate patients back into the uncertainty and danger of the illicit market. For these reasons, it is more important now than ever to reschedule marijuana as a legitimate controlled substance for medicinal purposes. ... No longer should the federal government's laws supersede the wishes of local citizens who have decided that their fellow neighbors ought to have the right to legitimately use medical marijuana."

The letter concludes, "We respectfully request that your administration reschedule marijuana ... administratively, or publicly support the adoption of legislation that would change the federal statute to achieve this goal."

In July, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration formally denied a nine-year-old petition calling on the agency to initiate hearings to reassess the present classification of marijuana as a schedule I controlled substance without any 'accepted medical use in treatment.'

For more information, please contact Keith Stroup, NORML Legal Counsel, at: [phone]. The full text of the US House members letter to President Obama is available online at: http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/letter.pdf.

--- Study: Alcohol Is "More Than Twice As Harmful As Cannabis"London, United Kingdom: Alcohol consumption causes far greater harms to the individual user and to society than does the use of cannabis, according to a review published online in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, the journal of the British Association of Psychopharmacology.

Investigators at the Imperial College of London assessed "the relative physical, psychological, and social harms of cannabis and alcohol." Authors reported that cannabis inhalation, particularly long-term, contributes to some potential adverse health effects -- including harms to the lungs, circulatory system, as well as the exacerbation of certain mental health risks. By contrast, authors described alcohol as " a toxic substance" that is responsible for an estimated five percent "of the total global disease burden."

Researchers determined, "A direct comparison of alcohol and cannabis showed that alcohol was considered to be more than twice as harmful as cannabis to [individual] users, and five times more harmful as cannabis to others (society). ... As there are few areas of harm that each drug can produce where cannabis scores more [dangerous to health] than alcohol, we suggest that even if there were no legal impediment to cannabis use, it would be unlikely to be more harmful than alcohol."

They concluded, "The findings underline the need for a coherent, evidence-based drugs policy that enables individuals to make informed decisions about the consequences of their drug use."

For more information, please contact Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director, at: [e-mail]. Full text of the study, "Popular intoxicants: what lessons can be learned from the last 40 years of alcohol and cannabis regulation," will appear in the Journal of Psychopharmacology.

Survey: Cannabis Use Associated With Reduced Intake Of Prescription DrugsBerkeley, CA: Survey data collected from the members of a prominent Berkeley, California medical marijuana collective indicates that most patients reduce their intake of conventional medications following their initiation of cannabis therapy.

The results of an anonymous survey found that 66 percent of respondents said that they consumed cannabis as a prescription drug substitute. Many respondents said that they preferred cannabis because it possesses fewer health side effects than conventional medications.

Some 70 percent of respondents said that they used cannabis to treat a chronic condition, such as diabetes or arthritis. Just over half said they used marijuana for pain relief, including arthritis, migraines, and accident-related injuries.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents said that they possessed health insurance coverage.

For more information, please visit: http://www.berkeleypatientsgroup.com/. ---