Captain Cannabis - Art

The Captain Cannabis online comic (www.captaincannabis.com) is a series of 13 webisodes presenting the adventures of Halburt Lighter, a.k.a. Captain Cannabis. Equal parts cynical comedy, life-affirming realism and superheroic fantasy, this mind-altering animated comic book feature delivers an enlightening jolt of THC-infused social commentary.

Verne Andru is the creator and writer of Captain Cannabis. His previous experience includes working on the legendary cult classic Rock & Rule, one of the many heavy metal-infused animated films that were so prevalent during the 70’s and early 80’s. Since then he’s worked with heavyweights such as Hannah-Barbara, Disney and Industrial Lights and Magic.
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Andru was able to step away from his magnum opus long enough to share a few words with Culture Magazine about life, the universe, and Captain Cannabis.

How would you describe Captain Cannabis to some of our readers who might not have heard of your art?

This is the story of a down and out roadie named Halburt Lighter. Through a series of misadventures, he and his girlfriend end up in Vancouver, where a spacecraft shows up to help Earth. Okee, the alien on the spacecraft, has a magical plant he calls “herb.” When Hal smokes it, he is able to manifest what he thinks about in real life. I’m eventually going to combine all of the webisodes into a feature film I’m going to call 420.

He reminds me of DC’s “The Green Lantern,” with an emphasis on the green, only he can control reality. Isn’t the alien also a main character?

I wanted Captain Cannabis to look very professional, so I had to split the project into pieces to keep down costs. The next part of the series will deal with Okee’s backstory.

Captain Cannabis has some deep, occult roots. I’ve noticed a lot of references to Buddhism, Hindu religious beliefs, Gnostic philosophy and Tibetan mysticism.

Yes, the point is that we are a spiritual consciousness stuck in a physical body. Right now many people just want things for themselves and don’t care about anyone else. When you get into the higher realms of spiritualism there is a point where you have to ask, “What is the real  truth?” Okee and Hal ask this question.

Okee is meant to illustrate the struggle our consciousness has to rise above the material world. He represents the inherit weakness of man and keeps falling into matter. That’s our struggle.

Halburt Lighter, aka Captain Cannabis, is going through the illumination phase of becoming enlightened. In the first comic he’s just a basic guy who doesn’t think beyond his next joint or beer. He goes through a spiritual awakening by smoking pot.

How does Captain Cannabis reflect your personal beliefs about the subject of medical marijuana and the legalization movement? Why is something so useful still illegal?

One thing people don’t understand is that hemp, the parent plant of marijuana, is the reason that Western culture exits in North America. The first industry in the colonies was building ships, which needed hemp for rope. Because it expanded and became financially viable, this allowed Europeans to come over and invest in America. Back then hemp and marijuana grew everywhere. It actually required a lot of work to eradicate.

Why is it illegal? Money. You can grow cannabis anywhere. Because of that you have a product that is uncontrollable. Well, why do we have laws? To control us. The question is; what jurisdiction does the DEA have? It’s under the control of the IRS, not the FDA. It has nothing to do with food…it’s about money.

That’s a disturbing thought.

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Cannabis and the Military - The Weird

After World War II many experts in the CIA and the military agreed that fighting the Cold War against communism meant understanding, and engaging in, psychological warfare operations. This included studying the effects of psychedelic pharmaceuticals, including cannabis, on the human mind for the purposes of using the plant as a weapon.

In 1950 the CIA began project BLUEBIRD. Declassified documents relative to BLUEBIRD indicate that the government wanted to explore subjects as hypnotizing a person into betraying their moral principles, inducing an unwilling person into performing tasks against their will, mind controlling people into crashing planes or wrecking other vehicles while operating them, altering the personality of captured enemy spies and creating total amnesia in operatives for enhanced operations security.

Eventually the military began investigating ways of using cannabis to nullify an enemy without firing a shot. One scientist, Dr. Edward Domino, used a cannabis concentrate called “Red Oil,” which he developed by using it to get monkeys and dogs so stoned they couldn’t move. Since paralyzed solders can’t pull triggers, the military knew they were onto something, and BLUEBIRD evolved into project MKULTRA.

The CIA divided MKULTRA into three portions. One group studied ESP. Another studied how to control the mind of a person remotely. The final group studied hypnosis for the purposes of brainwashing subjects. They used a cornucopia of chemical concoctions to further this aim, including heroin, morphine, mescaline, magic mushrooms, alcohol, sodium pentothal and even cannabis. Interesting as it is, we’ll never know exactly what the CIA discovered since all documents pertaining to MKULTRA were annihilated by the director of the agency at the time, Richard Helm.

Meanwhile, Dr. James Ketchum, a scientist stationed at center for the U.S. Army Chemical Corps in Maryland, began experiments on soldiers in the 60’s that expanded upon large portions of Dr. Domino’s previous research. Soldiers were given massive doses of cannabis extracts and studied closely. Experiments revealed that when under the influence soldiers became confused, apathetic and eventually completely immobilized. Some had conversations with invisible entities lasting for days.

Dr. Ketchum eventually created a compound that could be sprayed upon enemy combatants to render them invalid. “Paradoxical as it may seem,” he said, “one can use chemical warfare to spare lives, rather than extinguish them.” By 1975 officials claim that both the CIA and the military had abandoned studying cannabis because it wasn’t predictable and powerful enough to suit their purposes, so they focused on LSD.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) afflicts many military veterans of armed conflicts, resulting in many negative debilitating psychological effects including insomnia, rage disorder, anxiety, avoidance, etc. One group, the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies, studies PTSD and possible treatments for it, including using cannabinoids, an active compound in cannabis.

According to one report written by Lee,  “Researchers found that people with PTSD had lower levels of anandamide, an endogenous cannabinoid compound, compared to those who did not show signs of PTSD…innate to all mammals, anandamide triggers the same receptors that are activated by THC and other components of the marijuana plant.”

In other words, veterans with PTSD are missing a compound that cannabis replenishes. Without this compound, mental issues result. If the body can’t produce it, thanks to PTSD, cannabis can help. This is great news for all military, especially since new legislation allows military veterans to use cannabis without risking their benefits. What began as a weapon is now a medicine, and the many medical cannabis patients who have been healed by the plant probably aren’t surprised.

REFERENCES

Weinburger, Sharon. “Army’s Hallucinogenic Weapons Unveiled.” Wired, www.wired.com/2007/04/the_secrets_of_/

Rahn, Bailey. “Cannabis and Post-Traumatic Stess Disorder (PTSD).” Leafly, www. leafly.com/news/health/cannabis-and-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd/

Marks, John. The Search for the Manchurian Candidate: The CIA and Mind Control, Times Books, 1979.

Hidell, Tom A. “CIA’s Greatest Hits: Project MK-ULTRA.” Illuminatirex, CIA's Greatest Hits Project MK-ULTRA Illuminati Rex.html

"Edgewood Arsenal Chemical Agent Exposure Studies 1955–1975". United States Department of Defense, Force Health Protection & Readiness, Medical Countermeasures website. Retrieved 2013-06-19.

 Researchers tested pot, LSD on Army volunteers Richard Willing, USA TODAY, 4/6/2007

Lee, Martin A. “Synthetic Pot as a Military Weapon? Meet the Man Who Ran the Secret Program”. Alternet, Synthetic Pot as a Military Weapon_ Meet the Man Who Ran the Secret Program _ Alternet.html

Is Cannabis a Cure for AIDS? - Cannabis

Just recently the Journal of Leukocyte Biology published an abstract entitled, ”Attenuation of HIV-1 replication in macrophages by cannabinoid receptor 2 agonists,” which references a series of experiments conducted by scientists at the Temple University School of Medicine Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that indicates infection by the HIV-1 virus (responsible for AIDS) can be slowed down by the introduction of an agonist that hinders the disease by way of activating CB2 receptors. Cannabinoids, one of the active ingredients of cannabis, is one such agonist.

CB2 receptors work by stimulating immune system of the human body to heal itself from, among other things, cellular decay, reducing tissue inflammation and managing pain. While THC only stimulates CB1 receptors in such a way as to create a psychoactive sensation (also known as, “being high”), CB2 receptors can capture the therapeutic chemical properties of THC and use them for the good of the human body. This stimulating can also apparently help fight AIDS.

One of the ways HIV-1 does it deadly work is by infiltrating macrophages, a common type of cell found within most human tissues. After infecting tissues samples with HIV-1, scientists noted tissues samples with increased CB2 function were able to partially fight off the virus. Although the team remarked in their abstract that this doesn’t exactly mean that smoking cannabis can cure AIDS, the presence of cannabinoids is clearly a factor in preventing HIV-1 infection and increasing CB2 receptor function to the point of bolstering the immune system against the disease.

Dr. Patricia E. Molina, a scientist at the Louisiana State University, recently published a study within the pages of the scientific journal Aids Research and Human Retroviruses that described how for 17 months her research team administered high doses of THC (another active ingredient in cannabis) to rhesus monkeys infected by SIV, a disease similar to the HIV-1 virus dangerous to humans.

Their findings clearly indicated that monkeys with THC in their system not only fared better than their non-THC peers, but in some instances were beating the infection. As the HIV-1 virus in their bodies destroyed cells, the CB2 receptors responded by increasing cell growth, preventing the virus from infiltrating the blood stream and doing further damage.

Dr. Molina had not expected this result when she had originally began the experiment. “When we started the study, we thought [THC] was going to increase viral load [the amount of the HIV virus that is present in the gut],” Dr. Molina said in an interview with Leaf Science. Instead, THC did the opposite of her expectations. “It adds to the picture and it builds a little bit more information around the potential mechanisms that might be playing a role in the modulation of the infection.”

Despite this evidence and more, a serious scientific study cannot be conducted within the United States because our federal government still considers cannabis to be a Schedule I drug. It is impossible to test an illegal drug on humans, so whether or not cannabis truly does fight cancer is still largely theoretical until the law changes and further studies can be done in an effort to fight a disease that still kills thousands of Americans across the country every year.

www.ireadculture.com

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4470723/

Is Cannabis a Cure for Cancer? - Cannabis

            As mainstream medical science continues to explore the healing properties of cannabis, research indicates the plant has several properties that reduce the risk of cancer in people who smoke it. Some scientists believe cannabis could even be cancer’s proverbial silver bullet.

            Most cannabis smokers will admit that while cannabis is great for what ails them, it certainly can’t be good for the insides of their lungs. However, experiments performed at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) suggest smoking cannabis might actually prevent lung cancer.

            Dr. Donald Tashkin is a pulmonologist at the UCLA. He has studied the effects of marijuana smoking since the 1980’s. Agencies, institutes and think tanks across the country often reference his work.

            He performed a study to determine if there was a link between lung cancer and smoking cannabis. Although marijuana does contain the same chemicals in tobacco that cause cancer, Dr. Tashkin discovered that chemical compounds in cannabis protected the human body from tumor growth.

            While patients who smoked tobacco were twenty times more likely to develop lung cancer than non-smokers, cannabis smokers showed no increased risk. Dr. Tashkin believes the THC, one of the psychoactive components within marijuana, kills aging and unhealthy cells before tumors can form.

            In another scientific study performed in Spain, research scientists at Madrid's Complutense and Autonoma Universities separated 30 laboratory rats with brain cancer into two groups of 15. One group was given infusions of THC to treat their affliction.

            The first untreated group died in two weeks. 9 of the THC-infused rats lived longer than a month, and 3 of the rats were cured. Scientists believe that THC causes cancerous cells to die prematurely, leaving healthy cells unharmed.

            In October of 2003 the medical journal Nature Reviews published an article written by world-famous cancer treatment research scientist Dr. Manuel Guzman that discussed in great detail the antitumor effects of cannabinoids.

Cannabinoids are one of the principle chemical compounds found in cannabis.

            Dr. Guzman discovered in study after careful study that cannabinoids selectively target cancerous tumors, destroying them, and at the same time even protect non-cancerous cells from harm.

            Another study conducted by scientists at the California Pacific Medical Center of San Francisco also found that THC, in many experiments, destroyed cancerous brain cells without harming the healthy ones.

            The Italians are also part of the march to cure cancer with cannabis. In July of 1998 research conducted at the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that cannabinoids prevented tumor growth in cells of patients afflicted with breast cancer.

            During the 90’s the federal government used $2 million taxpayer dollars to conduct research on cancer in mice and rats. Conducted by the U.S. National Toxicology Program, conclusively determined that THC protected cells from cancer.

            Upon reaching this conclusion, the federal government hid the results. The report was leaked to AIDS Treatment News and the results were later published in the national media, but despite the positive results, the federal government has yet to conduct further research.

            As the country gets greener with legalization, many people can attest to the beneficial effects of cannabis for treating their symptoms. If more knew about the research that indicates cannabis just might cure cancer, the legalization effort would attract greater numbers.

http://ireadculture.com/healing-of-the-nation/

DJ Short - Cannabis

           

            A decade ago writing about cannabis was scary business, because anything related to the substance could get you robbed, killed or thrown in jail. A lot of the professionals related to cannabis were very secretive people, because they knew that since they were somewhat famous, the federal government would love to incarcerate them for a million years as a lesson to others.

            This mentality extended to shutting down cannabis collectives that had made the mistake of hosting press interviews or making too much money. When federal troops raided the world-famous Oaksterdam University up in Oakland, California, it was the culimantion of an extended effort by the government to slam down on an industry that was a threat to their allies, the Sinaloa Drug Cartel.

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/obamas-war-on-pot-231820/

             Apparently, according to whistle blowers connected to an operation known as Fast and Furious, the Mexican cartels that sold cannabis lost so much money to their nonviolent, American rivals that were growing the stuff for patients cheaply up in the states that they appealed to our government to raid the collectives in order to protect their profits.

            All across the country, growers were arrested and put in federal prison as if they were drug dealers straight out of Miami Vice. Shops were raided, small businesses were smashed out of existence, and many very normal, well-meaning people vanished into the prison industrial complex. What made things worse is that because co-ops were kind of illegal, they had to deal in cash only. As a resul they were frequently robbed. Some people were even shot buying cannabis in these otherwise peaceful, very nonviolent clinics. 

            So meeting with the legendary DJ Short was not a calming experience. I had to meet him at a co-op up in San Bernardino, California, the most violent county in the USA (where I grew up), to perform the interview. Out in the parking lot, an armed guard led everybody to their cars. Inside the place, the owners greeted me, ran a background check to make sure I was legit, and then let me talk to DJ Short after mentioning the many loaded semiautomatic assault rifles that had prepared in case local gang members decided to raid the place. Don't worry, they said. I was safe.

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DJ Short’s Cannabis Cultivation Workshop: The Place to Go to Know How to Grow Some of Mother Nature’s Best Medicine

Since his first experiences with cannabis in 1973, DJ Short has been on the front lines and in the trenches, bringing education and information to the struggle as a soldier, scientist and leader. His Cultivating Exceptional Cannabis Workshop is more than just a solid course on growing quality cannabis; it is also a lesson in morals and ethics…a philosophy that is obviously in short supply throughout today’s corporate America.

DJ Short’s lessons are solid science, as evidenced by his world-respected “Blueberry,” a legendary strain that took 1^st Place at the 2000 Cannabis Cup in Amsterdam. His book, “Cultivating Exceptional Cannabis: An Expert Breeder Shares His Secrets” is required reading for anyone who is serious about being a successful, informed cannabis breeder.

Tell me about your anonymity amongst the mainstream culture, despite your legendary status in the cannabis community.

Every once in a while I google my name, and one time I found an abstract written by a professor called, “Transgressive Segregation,” and it was all about human beings manipulating genes to make bunnies glow in the dark, and how it was so Frankenstein, and how that was so extreme, but then he used me as another example of an extreme, and how you have me, DJ Short, but I’m not a DJ in a conventional sense, I don’t spin vinyl, I spin genetics. He uses this phrase, and I’ve used it ever since, he says that I “…possess a paradoxical anonymous celebrity status.”  The professor is an English Professor from Penn State.

So he’s a little like Aldous Huxley?

I would imagine so, because that piece got published in a book put out by M.I.T. I was really quite flattered.

Tell me more about what you do.

Aside from living and breathing, I breed cannabis. I also teach about the merits and benefits of quality cannabis. My goal is to increase the quality of cannabis, but not necessarily the potency. When I lecture on the quality of cannabis, though, I begin with ethics. When someone asks me why I do this, I say that it’s all about the healing.

When I began breeding it was to satisfy my own head. I developed my palette early on by sampling all the cannabis strains going on from the land races of ancient yore. There’s nothing out there like those strains. We are getting closer with Hash. We can have A-Grade Hash, but I seriously question whether we can have A-grade bud outside of the tropics.

Combing your teachings with ethics is very reminiscent of the Greek concept of knowledge. That with all understanding, you had to start with ethics.

When people come to learn from me they are often seeking information, but they also really want enlightenment. The knowledge I possess from sampling the great works of yore, the trial and error I’ve seen, well, as people did for me in my time, I try to do now.

One of the things I really attribute to my success is just being born at the right time. I started smoking herb in 1971. It was beneficial to me in that those who came before me paved the way, they made the mistakes that I didn’t have to make.

Back then, there was a tremendous variety, of because of the work of the people before me, quality was an issue. That’s why I’m here and that’s what I teach.

A very special thanks to The House of Holland Collectives in Riverside, which was kind enough to host this interview. Check out www.houseofholland.com.

The Cannabis Film Festival - Film

Kellie Butterfield Dodds is the proud CEO and founder of the 2^nd annual Cannabis Film Festival, an event held in Garberville, California on April 23^rd and the 24^th that presents movies featuring cannabis, whether it is a documentary, comedy, drama, short film or anything in between. “This is my baby. I am very grateful that I am able to present a ‘Hollywood meets Humboldt’ festival that presents cannabis with a level of professionalism that is a different face than the usual weed events,” says Dodds.

When Dodds moved from the Los Angeles corporate world to Humboldt County, deep in the nexus of the Emerald Triangle, she was already an accomplished businesswoman with a few successful multimillion dollar enterprises on her resume. “I relocated with my partner and spent twenty-five years enjoying the culture out here,” she says. “I wanted to bring a different perspective.” That means presenting an event that shows films which present cannabis in a sophisticated manner that draws respect as opposed to the usual cartoonish events that present cannabis as a punch line to a joke. “Last year we presented a film called Midnight Delight, set in an afterhour’s party at a lounge in some metropolis. People meet, smoke and joint, and just communicate.”

Set in the verdant evergreen that is the forested Eden of Northern California, the 2^nd Annual Cannabis Film Festival offers participants, vendors, attendees and celebrities to enjoy an event that is as close to nature as it is far from the city. “The event is still very Humboldt, very casual. We’re not black tie yet, but there is an open invitation to anyone in the industry” Dodds says. “I am modeling this after the Sundance Film Festival, but set in an open air town that is very natural, very beautiful. You get to walk around in the fresh air, eat great food and hang out with fun people next to a redwood forest.”

The Cannabis Film Festival is a way for filmmakers to present their art with both the people who enjoy their art and the people who present it. Dodds has worked to go beyond the normal cartoonish cannabis movies to show films that present cannabis in a positive light that will serve to entertain as well as inform. “It is an opportunity for local film makers. We are a festival for independent film makers that want to attract distributors and supporters. One of our judges is also a producer in Hollywood that helps in the event. We have very professional criteria for how we judge films,” she says. “We offer an award for the best film based on what the judges pick, and then there is a viewer’s choice award where the audience votes. Afterwards, everyone hangs out with the creators and provides feedback.”

Dodds is assisted by a group of people known as “Team Awesome,” including her partner Cheryl Voutour, who has spent a decade farming organic cannabis in the Humboldt area after moving from Orange County, where she was successful in the mortgage industry. Also included is Bobby Black, former Senior Editor of High Times Magazine, and presenter during the awards ceremony.

What makes the even unique in comparison to other Hollywood awards ceremony is that it will be 420 friendly. “We have a huge smoking area and even a doctor on site who will qualify you.” Existing to woo industry executives with the big bucks to fund films and mentor young creators, Dodds is proud of the event’s incredible VIP lounge. “We only have room for one hundred people in the lounge, and we offer lavish accommodations, luxury catering and a professional dining experience.” 

Her dream is to expand the two day event into a weeklong affair that could someday be presented internationally. “We learned a lot in our first year. We built a commodity that is now valuable. Next we are going to turn it into a global event,” Dodds says.

You can find additional information, including ways to participate in the event as a film maker, vendor or more, at www.cannabisfilmfestival.com. 

The School of Dank - Cannabis

The School of Dank event in Seattle, Washington is a three-day event that brings medical cannabis patients and experts in the field together to discuss growing methods and cultivation techniques. Other topics include cloning, soil preparation and recipes for edibles. There’s even hands-on instruction and glass-blowing demonstrations by local artists.

Presented by Jinxproof and hosted by SubCool, the School of Dank is an event with heart because all proceeds will go to benefiting autistic children. Last year’s 2011 School of Dank, also presented by Jinxproof, brought in $13,000 to help autistic children and their families living in the Pacific Northwest of America.

SubCool, author of The Dank and The Quest for the Very Best Marijuana, is also legendary for his many strains that have won awards all around, including The Void, Deep Purple, Agent Orange and more. Many of his strains have ended up in the pages of High Times. How did this legend in the field of cannabis botany end up teaching at the School of Dank?

“I found out that Jinxproof, had a child who was autistic,” SubCool says. “When I ended up talking to him, I learned a lot about their day-to-day struggles and how difficult it is to raise autistic children.”

In addition to conversations with Jinxproof, he also met a lot of other parents with children who also suffered from autism. Their first-hand testimony made him realize how important his teachings were. “I’ve read letters, notes and referrals from people telling stories about what it’s like to deal with the economic challenges they face," he says.

Taken as an edible or in the form of a tincture, cannabis is cheaper and safer than the pharmaceuticals whose side effects are sometimes worse than the symptoms. SubCool is proud of the fact he’s saving hard-working parents from losing money they don’t have for chemicals that don’t work.

 “I met one woman who had really bad arthritis. When I showed her how to make her own tincture she was able to save money and grow her own medicine,” He says. “I’ve always enjoyed being a guest speaker, so when they invited me to teach other people I was honored.”

While SubCool is best known for his books and strains, he’s almost famous for his YouTube show, “The Weed Nerd.” Each bi-weekly episode features recipes, advice and more. SubCool’s incisive logic, humorous attitude and straightforward teachings are worth watching every episode for, but despite the breadth of his knowledge the man remains humble. “It’s just me getting high and talking about weed. It’s really mind-blowing how I’ve gotten 1.6 million hits on YouTube for just hanging out and acting like an idiot.”

Jinxproof is proud that this year’s event will feature even more glass blowing panels, tutorials and demonstrations that the year before. “Bob Snodgrass is going to be here, and he’s a legendary glass blower from Portland, Oregon.”

In addition to some of the most gorgeous glasswork you’ve ever wanted to lay your lips on, the School of Dank will also feature games, raffles, auctions, bong pong and more. Jinxproof and SubCool have spent the last year preparing, and the one thing they don’t want to do is host an event that feels cheap.

“I won’t name names, but there are a lot of for-profit cannabis events that just end up being a bunch of people in a room smoking pot,” Jinxproof says. “There should always be some sort of goal in mind, whether it is to educate people about cannabis or to teach them how to grow it.”

www.facebook.com/SubCoolSchoolofDank

www.subcoolschoolofdank.wordpress.com

www.snodgrass.net

https://www.youtube.com/user/subcool420

Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja - Film

Square Grouper: The Godfathers of Ganja is a 2011 documentary that details the thrilling life and times of the cannabis smugglers operating throughout Miami, Florida during the 1970’s. Amongst the dealers and smugglers featured in the documentary is Robert Platshorn, a.k.a. “Bobby Tuna,” a man responsible for transporting millions of dollars worth of contraband from South America to South Florida using everything from yachts to DC-3’s to do so.

Platshorn and a majority of his business associates were eventually arrested in 1978 during a highly-publicized series of raids as part of a joint FBI/DEA operation that targeted a majority of the smugglers operating throughout South Florida. Demonized by the authorities and media as “The Black Tuna Gang,” Platshorn and the rest of his cohorts were declared to be the most sophisticated organized crime syndicate the government had ever encountered, and were eventually found guilty. He was sentenced to 64 years, the largest amount ever handed down for smuggling cannabis.

28 years later Platshorn was out of prison and author of “The Black Tuna Diaries,” his own enlightening account of the time he spent as a smuggler in South Florida and the subsequent, highly publicized, arrest and trial. He’s also a cannabis legalization advocate, published author, director for NORML and the lead spokesperson for “The Silver Tour,” dedicated to informing older members of the voting public about how cannabis legalization can positively affect them.

After Proposition 19 was voted down in California back in 2010, Platshorn researched the facts to figure out why. “I looked at the exit polls,” he says, “but despite all of the bullshit about how the growers and dispensaries didn’t want it, it didn’t matter, they didn’t vote.” Platshorn noticed that seniors voted 65% against Proposition 19, mostly because of fear or misinformation. “There was only one group talking to seniors and that was the beer lobby in California. They scared seniors by saying there would be stoners and drunks on the road,” he says.

Platshorn’s background in journalism prepared him for the first step, which was equipping his target audience with the facts they needed to know about medicinal cannabis. “Most seniors weren’t really talking about marijuana. They didn’t even know it was good for multiple sclerosis or so much else.” He started his tour out in Florida, but it wasn’t easy. “There wasn’t even a senior community that would let me talk to them. I would call them up and offer to bring a doctor or a nurse, but they just said no.”

After reading about how doctors in Israel had studied the benefits of cannabis to the point that many modern rabbis had declared the plant kosher for people of the Jewish faith, Platshorn approached temples across the state to discuss it. ”Pretty soon I had rabbis all over asking me to talk about my message. Many of the temples I spoke to have a lot of seniors. Those shows cost me $1,500-$2,000 to put on, but we are a 501c3, tax exempt.” 

He’s quick to point out that his work is entirely free of charge. “I’ve never made a penny.” Seniors were also interested in cannabis is because it is an affordable alternative to mainstream pharmaceuticals. “When they found out that they didn’t need Ambien or Lunesta, and that they could smoke cannabis instead, this really surprised them.” The people Platshorn speaks to are also interested in how cannabis can be used to treat other mental disorders. “They are terrified of Alzheimer’s,” he says. “I’ve got a lot of calls from senior communities about that.”

www.mmjconference.com

www.thesilvertour.org

http://www.magpictures.com/squaregrouper/