Wednesday, September 14, 2022

The Human Trafficking -Cannabis Industry Hype by Mark Rose

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 The Human Trafficking -Cannabis Industry Hype

You may have seen recent news reports hyping up human trafficking in the cannabis industry. And while it's true that a small amount of illegal cannabis is finding its way into legal dispensaries, I'm here to tell you that the hype is just that—hype.

I should know. I paid a heavy price by losing my Dispensary Grateful Meds in Nederland Colorado because of legislation that was passed in 2010. Prior to that I operated my dispensary using the caregiver model that was voted into our State constitution in 2000 by the people of Colorado, I opened my dispensary  June 1 2009, I think there was 4 dispensaries then. This was well before the state-licensed medical cannabis industry was born. And then of course legalization for personal use later. I had predicted back then that there would be a domino effect and once other States saw that the sky was not falling in Colorado they flipped. I also said that it would be legal Federally in 10 years, people laughed at me. Well it has been past 10 years but there is a bill in Congress for legalization of Cannabis.

Of course a few months after I opened my doors and was lucky enough to get a lot of exposure and my business exploded. A little while after that people saw that I was not getting arrested and that is when the famous Colorado Green Rush started. There is a bigger back story regarding what was going to happen before I opened my doors, 1 of the 3 dispensaries in the State got together a lot of us growers, I should mention I have been hustling smokes my whole life. They wanted to create a monopoly and I felt like I was getting cut out because I did not have anything on paper and I had a arrest record and mostly not in the lucky sperm club, although I was willing to put in my share. But the whole idea of us being exclusive for the whole State seemed to be against everything in my being. Cannabis has been very good to me my whole life, it subsidized my income since I was a teenager. It became a fulltime job many times. So that is why I opened my dispensary and was not hiding it like they had all been doing for the previous 7 years. The next meeting I went to it was agreed since I had started my own dispensary that everyone should, it was every man for themselves at that point. And that is when the real battles played out in the legislation because they wanted to regulate it and were going to no matter what, suddenly the system they had been using for years was obsolete. I was on the side of the people, the patients, yes I owned a dispensary but I was at every hearing fighting for patients rights.
There was blowback I believe because of what I pulled destroying the monopoly plans that were in place, I know a lot of lobbying had been done and I embarrassed a few politicians. That is why I believe they had that felony exception where if you had a felony you could not own or work in the cannabis business. So I've seen firsthand how well regulated and carefully monitored the legal cannabis industry is. There's no way that large amounts of illegal cannabis are getting into dispensaries undetected.

The Real Problem with Illegal Cannabis

So if human trafficking isn't the problem, what is? The real problem is prohibition of any kind. As long as cannabis is illegal at the federal level, there will always be a black market for it. And as long as there's a black market for cannabis, there will always be a risk of human trafficking in it. But it should be asked, was this problem better when Cannabis was illegal? Back when the billions of dollars made from the sale of cannabis in each State annually went to places like Mexico and Columbia. My whole argument when testifying at Colorado's State Legislature regarding legalization was about keeping the money local. When I lived in Nederland where I started my dispensary I preached about keeping the money circulating locally. I believe that on a national scale also, there is no need for us to be importing Cannabis or letting foreign folks that are here illegally have grow operations in our National Forests or middle class neighborhoods.

Cannabis prohibition creates an incentive for criminals to traffic low-quality, unregulated cannabis into states where it's legal. They can sell it for much less than licensed dispensaries because they don't have to comply with costly regulations or pay taxes. This undercuts licensed businesses and drives up prices for consumers, which only further fuels the illegal market. And do not get me wrong, I am all about the private grow and that growers have the right to sell their cannabis at a fair price for the time they put into it. But let's face it not every grower is righteous, I have seen people pull some pretty bad things to be able to dump their crop which should not have been sold because they do not know what they are doing as a grower, or they are just plan Greedy.

It's time for Congress to end cannabis prohibition and finally bring this burgeoning industry out of the shadows. Only then will we be able to fully address the problems of human trafficking and the illegal cannabis market. Until then, the hype surrounding human trafficking in the legal cannabis industry is nothing more than a distraction from the real issue at hand.

                                                                                                  by Mark Rose

Tuesday, September 13, 2022

Psychedelics and Dissociative Drugs in the Treatment of Mental Health Disorders by Mark Rose

Psychedelic drugs have been used for centuries by many cultures for healing, religious and spiritual rituals. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in their therapeutic potential for a variety of mental health disorders, including anxiety, depression, addiction, OCD and others. A number of these drugs are currently in clinical trials and may soon be approved for use by the FDA. This could potentially revolutionize the way we treat mental illness.

How Psychedelics Work

Psychedelic drugs work by altering neurotransmitter activity in the brain. This can lead to changes in perception, mood, cognition and consciousness. The exact mechanism of action is not fully understood, but it is thought that they may help to reduce symptoms by increasing levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters. Serotonin is a key neurotransmitter involved in the regulation of mood and emotions. Increased levels of serotonin have been shown to reduce anxiety and depression.

Psychedelics in Clinical Trials

A number of psychedelics are currently being studied in clinical trials for their therapeutic potential. One such drug is psilocybin, which is the active ingredient in magic mushrooms. Psilocybin has shown promising results in the treatment of depression and anxiety. In one study, two thirds of participants reported significant decreases in symptom severity after just one dose of psilocybin. Another psychedelic drug that is being studied is ketamine. Ketamine has shown promise in the treatment of treatment-resistant depression. It is thought to work by increasing levels of glutamate, another important neurotransmitter involved in mood regulation. 

MDMA treating PTSD should be legal in 2023

The potential benefits of psychedelics are vast and far-reaching. If these drugs are approved for use by the FDA, it could potentially revolutionize the way we treat mental illness. These drugs offer hope for those who have not responded to traditional treatments. It is important to note that these drugs should only be used under the care of a qualified medical professional.

                                                                                               by Mark Rose

The Promise of Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy by Mark Rose



Psychedelic drugs have been getting a lot of attention lately as a potential treatment for mental health disorders. In particular, psychedelics like psilocybin (the active ingredient in magic mushrooms) and MDMA (also known as Ecstasy) are showing promise in the treatment of conditions like anxiety, depression, and addiction. And while these drugs are still illegal in most states, that may soon change. 

In 2017, Colorado became the first state in the nation to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic use. Since then, other states like Oregon and California have followed suit. In November of 2020, voters in Oregon will decide whether to become the first state to legalize MDMA for therapeutic use. If the measure passes, it would be a major victory for psychedelic-assisted therapy.  

Psychedelics work by causing changes in consciousness that allow patients to confront their fears and traumas in a safe and controlled setting. Under the supervision of a trained therapist, patients can explore the root cause of their disorder and start to heal. For many people, this is a much more effective treatment than traditional therapies like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). 

There is still a lot of stigma around psychedelics, but as more and more research is conducted, that is starting to change. The FDA has already approved clinical trials of MDMA-assisted therapy for PTSD, and psilocybin is not far behind.

If these drugs can help people suffering from mental health disorders lead happier, healthier lives, then it's time to start changing our laws to reflect that reality. 

Psychedelic drugs have the potential to revolutionize the way we treat mental health disorders. If these drugs are used correctly, they could help millions of people around the world heal from conditions like anxiety, depression, and addiction. It's time for our laws to catch up with the science and allow these promising treatments to be used legally and safely.

                                                                                            by Mark Rose

Republican Party has been moving in a more extreme direction in recent years. by Mark Rose

 It's no secret that the Republican Party has been moving in a more extreme direction in recent years. They've become increasingly tolerant of racist and sexist language, they've been trying to roll back voting rights, and they've been using increasingly aggressive rhetoric. But now it seems that they're taking things one step further by adopting some of the tactics of fascism. Fascist regimes typically seek to gain complete control over the government and the population. They use violence or the threat of violence to intimidate their opponents and consolidate power. And they belittle or attack minorities, immigrants, and other groups that they perceive as threats. Trump has embraced authoritarian dictators around the world and shown contempt for our allies. And he's repeatedly threatened violence against his opponents.

It's clear that the Republican Party is increasingly willing to use whatever means necessary to grab power. And that should be cause for concern for everyone who cares about democracy. Trump while president has seemed to embrace every authoritarian dictator in the world, and belittled our allies. Using violence or the threat of violence to gain power is the definition of fascism, and we cannot deny that this is happening within the Republican Party. The people who have been elected into office via these tactics are not interested in democracy or working for the people. They are only interested in gaining and then clinging to power at any cost.
This is a grave threat to our democracy, and we must do everything in our power to stop it. Otherwise, we will find ourselves living in a dictatorship sooner than we think.

 The Republican party is in decline, and its unwillingness to accept a loss in the 2020 election is evidence of that. Trump supporters have clung to the lie that Biden did not win the election, despite all evidence to the contrary. Now, they are taking President Biden's call for an end to fascist tactics in the republican party as a call for civil war. This is incredibly dangerous and shows just how far down the rabbit hole the Republican party has gone catering to the MEGA crowd. The republican party's talking points are lies and conspiracy theories instead of facts and reality. This decline is sad to see, but it is also scary. The Republican party has become a party of lies and conspiracy theories, and that is not a party that true conservatives want to be associated with Republicans. 

The word Republican used to describe an American political party that was once defined by fiscal responsibility, a strong national defense, and a commitment to personal liberty. A party that believed in the notion of American exceptionalism and stood as a bulwark against the advance of socialism. All of that changed when Donald Trump came onto the scene and Republican became synonymous with racism, bigotry, ignorance, and xenophobia. For many Americans who still identify themselves as Republican, the rise of Trump has been a source of shame and embarrassment. They can no longer in good conscience call themselves Republican and they cannot in good conscience vote for the Democratic Party.

This leaves them in a quandary come election time. However, there is a solution. They can vote for a third-party candidate. By voting for a third-party candidate, they can send a message to the Republican Party that they are no longer willing to support a party that has Lost Its Way. If enough Republican voters abandon the Party in this way, it will be forced to change its ways or face oblivion at the polls. So, if you are a Republican who cannot in good conscience support the Party any longer, remember that you have options come election day. You can help to save the Republican Party by voting all the MEGA supporters out, in the future there will be a chance to vote for more third-party candidates. But for now republicans that truly believe in democracy, women's rights, everyone's rights, the rule of law, our constitution, our Nation's Secrets, will need to suck it up and vote Blue or not vote at all this November.

Biden has done so much for our country in the short two years he has been in office. After Trump pulled us out of international deals and agreements, Biden was able to quickly get us back on track. He also passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which will help to stabilize the economy after Trump tanked it. But it wont be instantly! The PACT Act was also a huge accomplishment, as it addressed the needs of our service members who were exposed to burn pits and other toxins. Biden also signed the CHIPS and Science Act, which helped to reduce gun violence in our country. Overall, Biden has been an amazing president and has accomplished a lot in a short amount of time. We are lucky to have him as our leader in this point in our Nations History!

It seems like a never-ending cycle since Watergate, maybe before I do not know. But since I was in High School I have observed this over and over. The democrats come in to clean up the messes that the republicans have made. Then things go well and the electorate gets bored and votes the republicans back in. They rob the treasury and tank the economy. And then a democrat comes in, and takes the heat for the mess and fixes it. Watergate, Iran-Contra, recession by Bush sr, Recession by Bush jr, Iraq War,- these are just a few examples. And now we are facing another republican disaster with trump. It's time for a change. We need to break this cycle and vote for someone who will represent all of us- not just the rich and powerful. Please take the time to vote this November and please vote for reason, vote for republicans that are not buying into the lies of Donald Trump but please no more MEGA disasters. Trump has destroyed the Republican Party are we really going to let him destroy our Country too?

                                                                                                          by Mark Rose