Transcript

Century of Lies / December 05, 2010

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(Chaotic music)

Young Man: You’re just kidding right? You didn’t really sell your baby for reefer money did you?

Young Woman: That’s Ok, I’ve got another one on the way! Light?

(music)

(Inhales)

(All laughing)

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The failure of Drug War is glaringly obvious to judges, cops, wardens, prosecutors and millions more. Now calling for decriminalization, legalization, the end of prohibition. Let us investigate the Century of Lies.

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Alright, welcome to this edition of Century of Lies. I am Dean Becker. We’ll have a couple of guests with us today. We’ll hear from Doctor Robert Melamede but first up we’re going to hear from Wanda James. She’s working with an outfit called KushCon, which is going to sponsor a major event a little later this month up in Denver. Are you with us, Wanda?

Wanda James: I am with you. How’re you doing tonight, Dean?

Dean Becker: I’m good. Good to hear your voice. Yeah, Wanda, if you will, tell us a little bit about this event, a little summary of what’s going to happen.

Wanda James: Well, this is the largest cannabis lifestyle convention in the world. We’ve got over 300,000 square feet at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver from December 17th to the 19th.

KushConII is going to be one the largest set of cannabis lifestyle conventions to take place. It’s being sponsored by Kush magazine and dailybuds.com. It’s open to the public and family friendly.

We’ve got 450 vendor booths that will be there, everything from dispensaries, to growing, apparatuses and equipment, to a live glass blowing show. We’re sponsored by Jammin’ 101.5 here in Denver and 10[7].1 Hot. We’re sponsored by them and we’ve got so much happening that it’s just going to incredible. Michael Lerner has done an amazing job at creating what we think is just going to be an event to bring the cannabis industry together.

Dean Becker: Right. Speaking of which they’ve been making great strides, not just in California but in Colorado and Washington State and Oregon and many of the Eastern States are now bringing to pass laws or consider laws for at least medical marijuana.

I guess what I’m saying here is that there is a momentum and it just needs to be picked up and moved a little faster right?

Wanda James: Oh, it is a tremendous momentum. When we have events like this that are happening, you know, one of the things that we were able to do. We were able to put ads on the sides of the RTD buses here in Denver that says, “Have Kush day” advertising the event. So, all over Denver Metro now are these RTD buses saying, “Have a Kush day” and RDT approved the advertising.

So, it just goes to show that this so called “taboo” plant and this “taboo” lifestyle is coming to end, I think, in public perception, which then does make it harder for law makers and law enforcement to continue the war on this industry.

And when you look at how much this industry is bringing to cities and the states that allow medicinal marijuana, Here in Colorado a convention like this is going to be generating millions and millions of dollars.

Dean Becker: Right and the hysteria, the hundred year old reefer madness hysteria is finally dying down and people are beginning to talk about the logical common sense factors involved, are they not?

Wanda James: Well, they definitely are and it’s hard to argue when you have a young mother that is battling breast cancer that maybe has another child going, “I need this to be able to eat and control nausea, while I go through this treatment and allow myself to still be a mom, instead of being drugged up from whatever the latest outcome from Pfizer is.” It’s hard to argue with person.

It’s hard to argue with young men and women coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq that are suffering from severe PTSD. They’re saying is the only thing that helps them though this and makes sense for them and in non-addictive and allows them to continue being human beings is cannabis versus Oxytocin of Percocet.

Dean Becker: I have several friends and I mean, I just turned sixty-two and a lot of my friends are starting to have many of these same maladies and the fact is, I’m based in Texas and it is totally illegal here for any or all of us.

Yet, many a few of the elected officials around these parts understand this, do not want to be part the jihad, if you will, to arrest all these folks but the hysteria lingers still in many of the states across this country.

Hopefully, this event in Denver, the KushCon conference, will give folks a chance to educate themselves more. I think that it is through education that we develop the courage to speak this truth a little bolder no matter where we are, right?

Wanda James: It’s absolutely true that and it is also true that being able to give people cover. I work in politics here in Colorado and we have a tremendous congressman, Congressman Jared Polis that speaks openly about the business of marijuana and the idea that anybody that stands in the way of being able to bring industry and dollars and jobs to America right now should be voted out of office.

You know, it’s amazing that we have to give politicians cover to be able to be outspoken. I think we all know politicians that we’ve all spoken to that are passively in favor of what’s going on in real life and it’s ridiculous but they are afraid to step out and say it because they will be voted out of office.

So, we’ve got to be able to give them cover and at an event like KushCon we will have congressman Jared Polis speaking and we’ll have a number of, a number of people speaking including Matt Cook, who was the Director of the Department of Revenue of the marijuana division here in Denver, which is pretty amazing when you have the city, the state and the industry trying to come together to figure out what’s going to work because Colorado understands that this industry is here.

Dean Becker: Right and as you know, as it resonated, the situation over Prop 19 in
California did open that dialog, did give some cover, as you say to some of these politicians to dare to speak what they know to be true but have just been afraid to do so.

It’s a good thing now; you mentioned the congressman will speaking.

(A very loud sound…)

Dean Becker: Hello? Hello. Can you name us a couple of others that who will be speaking at this event?

Wanda James: Absolutely, like I said, uh um. I just lost my paperwork. Matt Cook from the Department of Revenue will be speaking. Ron Corry and Warren Epson, is two of the best known attorneys, two of the best known attorneys here in Colorado. Um, hold on one second, I’ve got my [unintelligible]—

Dean Becker: Ok, Alright. Give me a second here to kind of talk about this. Once again, I am Dean Becker you are listening to the Century of Lies with the Drug Truth Network.
We’re speaking with Wanda James, she’s handling PR for the KushCon convention, which is going to be in Denver on December 17th through the 19th. I will be attending. I will be reporting on this, on your behalf friends and let’s see. Wanda, are you back?

Wanda James: I am. I am.

Dean Becker: I appreciate it.

Wanda James: I’m very sorry about that.

Dean Becker: It’s fine. It happens. It’s live radio folks. I’m glad we had that in there.

Wanda James: (Laughs)

Dean Becker: We need to talk, if we will about that there’s going to be a number of bands that will be appearing as well?

Wanda James: Absolutely, we are doing a full on concert series that we are really excited about on Friday night, Saturday and Sunday. So, we are looking at bands. Excuse me. On Friday and Saturday night we’re going to be having the Flowbots, The Dirty Heads, Mickey Avalon, Asher Ross, Mix Master Mike from the Beastie Boys and Aaron Lewis of Staind. Then on Sunday night, we have what we’re calling “Old School Night” WAR and Santana lead singer, Gregg Rolie.

Dean Becker: Wow. Wow. Wow. It sounds like some fun. It does.

Wanda James: It’s going to be great. It is absolutely fantastic and you’re going to be seeing the new inventions in growing. The GrowBots will be there with their forty foot trailer with a hydroponic system. It’s going to be amazing.

Dean Becker: Right, As I understand it, following Eric Holder’s ruling or statement that Feds were no longer going to arrest those following state laws for medical marijuana it increased the number of dispensaries by some several times over, did it not?

Wanda James: It absolutely did and what was interesting about that was when that statement came out people felt like ok, we’re entrepreneurs and Colorado has always been the place in a place that has grown entrepreneurs.

We have Celestial Seasonings, Crocs and a number of other large companies that have started here. So, people felt like, well, this makes sense to us. Medicinal marijuana makes sense. We know there is a curing property to this plant and the industry took off.

Dean Becker: Right and there are even some cities or municipalities there that have even lightened up on their laws beyond what the Colorado medical marijuana bills did right?

Wanda James: There’s been some. Some of them have been—

Dean Becker: Telluride? Telluride?

Wanda James: Yes. Telluride and a number of other cities. What the Colorado law allows is for different cities to determine how they would like to see medical marijuana in their surrounding areas and in their cities.

I think that it makes some sense for some of the communities because it allows places like Denver, Boulder, that are a little bit more liberal to be more open to what is happening here with medicinal marijuana.

Dean Becker: Alright. Once again folks we are speaking Wanda James working with KushCon up in Colorado. Now Wanda, we’ve got a minute or two left. I wanted to ask if it’s possible to still learn more and schedule airfare between now and then,
At least on the day this originally airing is a couple of weeks off but 300,000+ square feet and you had 20,000 or so appear at your last convention. How many do you anticipate?

Wanda James: You know we would like to see 50-60,000 people there is – what’s interesting about this is the type of press that it’s getting coming on the heels of what did happen with, you know, Prop 19 in California even though it did not pass. People become very aware of what is happening in the US and the marijuana prohibition movement – or against prohibition movement.

I think people are now very open to seeing what this all about and the fact that we have so much happening here and we are also seeing that there is not a better place to finish up you Kushmas list with all of the unique buying opportunities that there is going to be.

Dean Becker: (Laughs)

Wanda James: This is a global coming together. This is a global opportunity to really see this new industry in effect, you know, there’s so much that you are going to see and anybody who thinks that they are walking into something they saw in college with very little happening. This is just not going to be that type of convention.

It’s going to be very exciting, very exciting. And by the way, there is no medicinal marijuana on site at all.

Dean Becker: Right. Ok. With that, I think we are going to go ahead and wrap it up. Oh, Wanda, if you will, is there are website where folks can learn more?

Wanda James: Yes, there is. I was just getting ready to say. So, the event is KushCon at the Colorado convention center in Denver and the address to get your tickets is www.kushcon.com. You can see the RTD buses there. You can see the GrowBots there and you can see all of our headliners and you can purchase your tickets.

Dean Becker: Alright, Wanda James. Thank you so much.

Wanda James: Thank you so much. We appreciate it. Bye, Dean.

Dean Becker: Bye bye.

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(Uplifting holiday music)

Lift up your glass and toast a tune
To Everlasting wars
Bow down before the generals and US drug czar
Don’t make a fight
They know what’s right
Pay history no mind
Oh, tidings of bombs and kicked in doors

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Dean Becker: Ah, it’s never too early to start the Christmas bumpers. But anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. That was Wanda James with KushCon.

We do have with us now, on-line one my favorite guests of all time. A gentleman who understands the human condition and especially with its involvement with the cannabinoid system. Doctor Robert Melamede. Are you with us, sir?

Doctor Robert Melamede: I am. Thank you.

Dean Becker: Dr. Melamede, thank you so much for being with us. I don’t know how much of that interview you got to hear but you’re going to be attending the KushCon event, aren’t you?

Doctor Robert Melamede: Oh yeah, absolutely.

Dean Becker: Tell us what you’re going to be bringing to that event, please.

Doctor Robert Melamede: Well, Cannabis Science is one of the sponsors of the event and what we’re going to bring is the philosophy and the opportunities that Cannabis Science offers for, on one hand helping people and the other hand moving the movement forward and on the other hand being a good sound investment for novel future opportunities.

Dean Becker: Right, and let’s talk about that because when you get down to it, this black market scenario that we’ve operating under for nearly a hundred years has severely limited and curtailed and denied proper studies, proper progress in their regard, has it not?

Doctor Robert Melamede: Well, it has yes. Although at this point in time, there are more than sufficient basic, fundamental scientific studies that show really that the cannabinoid system is an all pervasive, really balancing act, homeostatic mechanism for health in all humans and in fact, all vertebrates.

So, with that knowledge you should be listening to the kinds of anecdotal reports that we’re hearing, anecdotal simply because they haven’t been investigated in conventionally accepted scientific fashion.

Nevertheless, all of those reports are consistent with what the modern science says as well as what historically cannabis has been used for thousands of years. We now understand the reasons that people are saying the same things. Why in Earth with the government and policy makers befall to a condition that ignores those possibilities, ignores what people are saying, ignores the will really of the people that have voted in all of these states.

How could the Feds continue with a policy that says it has no medical value, number one and on the other hand really instead of spending billions on a Drug War, why haven’t we done some of the clinical trials that at this point, really suggest that cannabinoids have a very fundamental role in controlling cancer.

Dean Becker: Yeah, and I guess I miss-phrased my question because I am aware of the hundreds of studies that have been done on the efficacy, the truth, if you will, about marijuana being a medicine but the studies and the clinical trial that you’re speaking of, what I was probably trying to say.

The fact of the matter is, I hear it’s good for head injuries for stoke as you say, for cancer and perhaps multiple sclerosis and so forth that has shown strong indications that it works but we haven’t done sufficient trials to “legitimize and put this in Walgreens, right?

Doctor Robert Melamede: Right, the government instead of embracing the opportunities provided by the novel way that this plant can tap into our own pervasive cannabinoid system, instead of looking down all those opportunities, they just focus and stand behind the absurdity of the statement that medical—marijuana has no medical value.

This is absolute lunacy. You’d have to be an idiot to look the scientific literature and come to that conclusion. We see states now giving people the opportunity to experiment on their own and you seeing the results, it just further demonstrates that there’s something really fundamentally flawed going on in our government that they can’t come to such an obvious correct decision and instead persistently stand behind the absurdity of prohibition and that there is no medical value.

Dean Becker: Right and it kind of ties in. I want to share this with you. I’ve been sharing it with everybody I come in contact with and that is the fact that we have for years called these people proponents of everlasting Drug War as drug warriors but the old they are Drug War addicts, refusing to face the problems they create with their habits and unwilling to go to intervention. It has many of the aspects of a genuine addiction. Does it not?

Doctor Robert Melamede: You are absolutely right. There are people who are benefiting from this and it’s part of their mindset and part of their financial structures. So, and some of them just don’t have the mental ability to change their minds this is the whole Flip-Blip story.

Dean Becker: Quickly tell us that “Flip-Blip” story.
Doctor Robert Melamede: (Laughs)

Dean Becker: Folks need to hear it.

Doctor Robert Melamede: Blips and Flips. Backward looking people and forward looking people. Intrinsically, we know that cannabinoids or endocannabinoids in pot and that we all make, that they regulate, literally, everything in your body and among the everything that we regulate is open mindedness. If you think about what that open-mindedness means, it’s that you can hear something and learn something new, something that doesn’t fit with your old way of thinking because you are able to embrace it because it makes sense. That essentially means that you have to forget the old, in a sense.

So, that what cannabinoids are fundamentally involved with, replacing old memories with newer, better memories. That is one of the many things that it does. So, it’s natural in population that there will be people with above average or below average with respect to open-mindedness as regulated by the endocannabinoid system.

I believe that the backward looking people are people that can’t embrace change because they can’t rewire successfully because of the stress for them. So, they tend to live in a world where their world views are more oriented towards looking backward and they want to recreate that past in the future.

Whereas forward looking people embrace unknowns; they are flexible and are able to embrace the chance and that’s because they are cannabinoid endowed. So, I think the Drug War is on a cannabinoid deficient people and I think they natural collect in government.

Dean Becker: (Laughs)

Doctor Robert Melamede: Because by being backward looking, they have a common vision. It may not be a very forward looking vision but it is a common vision that gives them strength because they are all dealing with trying to create a future based on the past that has already happened. So, it’s fear of the unknown.

Dean Becker: You know, Doctor Melamede, your thought about forward and backward looking people. I gives me – I want to talk about this situation. We have thousands upon thousands of our soldiers coming back from Viet— not Vietnam but Iraq and Afghanistan.

Doctor Robert Melamede: Yup.

Dean Becker: Many of them have great stress, head injuries and PTSD as they call it and I would envision that the horrors that they faced keep them looking backward, towards that event. Whereas, I’ve heard it said that marijuana for many of them does, in fact, help them to face down this lion and to move on.

Doctor Robert Melamede: Cannabis Science did a study actually, of around 1500 Vets. 300 of whom qualified as diagnostically being identifiable as PTSD sufferers and they all with very high correlation, indicted that cannabis was good for the most important symptoms.

For example, not being to sleep, having intrusive memories, having like an aggressive anger. So, we know that from their point of view, it seems to be the best thing there is.

We know that today there are more veterans from suicide then are dying in Afghanistan and Iraq and that is just incredible outrage but out current polices are fostering that because if they are in chronic pain, instead if cannabis, we turn them into narcotic addicts.

So, a life of constipation and addiction tends to make you more depressed and they are already often wounded. So, they cascade into a situation where they’re then given antidepressants and a lot of these antidepressants happen to have the side effect of suicide. So, our current policies are literally killing the Veterans.

Dean Becker: Yeah.

Doctor Robert Melamede: Because we will not acknowledge the medical value of marijuana. It’s insane.

Dean Becker: It is indeed. Again my friends, we are speaking with Doctor Robert Melamede. He will be speaking at KushCon. You know the truth of this matter and yet too many in government embrace the lie and in fact support eternal Drug War. I don’t know how to say this except

Doctor Robert Melamede: Well, it’s because there Blips. You see, that’s the whole point. These people are naturally un-high people and they don’t understand getting high. So they can only view it from they’re un-high perspective and for them it’s a dangerous horrible thing.

They can’t get over that. They can’t replace that information with new information because they are intrinsically cannabis deficient. We’re really looking at a genetic war right now. Between people who live better because they are higher versus people who don’t like you to be that way.

They are so self-righteous and certain of themselves that they are willing to put you in jail because you don’t do what they tell you, you should do. Even, though it’s the opposite of what know you should do.

Dean Becker: Yeah. Alright, now Doctor Melamede, you are now President of Cannabis Science?

Doctor Robert Melamede: Yup.

Dean Becker: You guys are on NASDAQ or something out there, right?

Doctor Robert Melamede: Yes, we’re on the NASDAQ bulletin board and –

Dean Becker: Now, we’ve got to wrap it up. We’ve got about twenty seconds here. Please, point them in the right direction to learn more.

Doctor Robert Melamede: You can go to our website cannabisscience.com and there is a lot of info there or you can go on to my YouTubes, if you go to “doctorbobcannabuzz” or punch in Dr. Bob or Melamede. I have about 30 YouTubes out there that explain the science so that people can understand how unique and important this is.

Dean Becker: Alright Doctor Robert Melamede. Once again, thank you so much. I’ll see you at KushCon.

Doctor Robert Melamede: Alright, I’m looking forward to it. Take care, buddy.

Dean Becker: Bye bye.

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Young man: Ok, let’s say drug prohibition does support terrorism.

Older man: And murder?

Young man: And murder.

Older man: Torture?

Young man: And torture.

Older man: Corruption? Bribery?

Young man: And whatever.

Older man: What’ your point?

Young man: Change the law.

Older man: I gotcha. Make it cheap, more available, everywhere. Like soda or cheesy puffs.

Young man: Exactly.

Older man: Cocaine at the playground. Crack stands at the laundromat. Heroin at the minimart. Like that?

Young man: Face it, old man. That’s what we’ve got now.

Please visit leap.cc.

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(Bagpipe music in background)

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the Abolitionist Moment.

Most of us know the truth about drug prohibition and yet most are afraid to speak it. How many Mexicans will have to die before we learn to speak? We have more than 28,000 dead, so far.

How many Drug War orphans do we need in Mexico? We have over 50,000 thus far who are not provided any support from the Mexican government. How many Drug War orphans do we need in the US?

At this point in time, more than 2,000,000 kids in the US have one or more parents behind bars for drug crimes.

How many trillions will we throw into the wishing well of drug prohibition?

Thus far, we’ve spent $1,000,000,000,000 trying to stop the flow of drugs and $10,000,000,000,000 to make it continue.

How many non-violent user drug arrests will be enough? We’ve had more than 38,000,000 US Citizens arrested for drugs, thus far. Marijuana arrests have now taken over the lead from hard drugs with more than 800,000 arrests last year alone.

When will we decide to take away our children’s easy access to drugs? That will only happen when we decide to tax, regulate and actually control the distribution for adults of these so-called controlled substances?

Until such time, our policy will continue to encourage street gangs to prosper by selling contaminated, even deadly concoctions to our children at a mark up 17,000%. How much money do we need to make available to terrorists, if they will only dare to grow flowers on distant mountainsides? When will we decide to destroy the barbarous cartels in Mexico and Colombia?

We must recognize the futility that for every drug baron we bring to justice, another corn farmer will step down from his tractor and to play Who Wants to be a Billionaire? How long will allow the “morals” of ignorance, the superstitious leaders or the outright involvement with trafficking organizations by our elected officials and intelligence agencies to continue until we realize that the Drug War is a fraud of massive proportion?

The death toll from recreational drugs pales in comparison to alcohol, tobacco and legal drugs, obesity, hospital infections, driving and especially Drug War.

What will you tell your kids and grandkids YOU did to help the Hundred Year War on logic and proportion on truth and reality itself?

Please, help to end the madness. Do it for the children.

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(megaphone)

No more oppression. We American adults with free will have the right to use marijuana if we choose to. Enough government profiteering under the guise of morality. Enough with this phony war on drugs!

You know you’re going about this all wrong. If you want to win people over, you can’t just drone on like Ben Stein. You’ve got to have a bit more showmanship, here watch.

(Marching band music)

Now everybody gather round and listen if you would
When I tell you every person needs a way of feeling good
Every kitty needs a ball of string and every dog a stick
But all you need is a bag of weed to really get a kick

1... 2... 3... 4... 5... 6... 7... 8…

A bag of weed, a bag of weed
Oh, everything is better with a bag of weed
It’s the only hump that you’ll ever need
Because everything is better with a bag of weed

Now there you go you’re all getting it now!

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Dean Becker: Well alright, I hope you enjoyed this edition of Century of Lies. I want one again thank, Wanda James of KushCon and Doctor Melamede who is also going to be speaking at KushCon.

You know KushCon is sure to satisfy any medical marijuana aficionado, as well as those just curious about marijuana and its many uses. For those looking for an educational experience, speakers from within the medical marijuana industry and the marijuana movement will continuously conduct discussions through the weekend.

Some of the speakers will include our good friend, the Guru of Ganja, Mister Ed Rosenthal, Congressmen and all kinds of Colorado Department of Revenue folks and attorneys and different folks and as we said Doctor Robert Melamede. You know, he’s my favorite speaker and I think my most favorite expert in regards to the subject of marijuana in particular.

You guys have got to do your part. I urge you to do so. And remember, there’s no truth, justice, logic, scientific fact, medical data, no reason for this Drug War to exist.

Please, visit our website: endprohibition.org

Prohibido istac evilesco!

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For the Drug Truth Network, this is Dean Becker. Asking you to examine our policy of Drug Prohibition.

The Century of Lies.

This show produced at Pacifica Studios at KPFT, Houston.

Drug Truth Network programs, archived at the James A. Baker III Institute for Policy Studies.

Transcript provided by: Ayn Morgan of www.eigengraupress.com