It amazes me how few peole even know what the DSM is. I know of several schools that have a copy. Just the way your friendly pharmacy company likes it.  More and more children are becoming  pill poppers. LEGAL pills.  
Read this article in Macleans magazine:
                                                         http://www2.macleans.ca/tag/dsm/
Is your child mental or normal? 3 out bursts a week, and they could be diagnosed mental!  Some schools even have a copy of the DSM... WTF!? 

It is one thing to diagnose an adult with a mental illness but a child? Give them a chance to be a kid, that included outbursts and bratty behavior from time to time.  Embrace it, it is a chance to teach a lesson to both parent and child.

If I thought the DSM was helping more than hurting I would probably just go about my business, but it is HURTING. 
More and more children are diagnosed every year - that does not mean they get help. In many cases they get a prescription and nothing more. Well, besides the stigma of being labeled mental. As if kids don’t have it hard enough.

 Then to put them on a medication - for depression? Possibly a psychotropic drug that will cause more long term damage than not.  Because a BOOK suggests it! 

Yep. They sit around a table and make suggestions.  No scientific facts. No X-rays, No blood tests, No test to prove a chemical imbalance - Even Dr.s & Psychiatrists are starting to question the DSM. 

“The result is that people with normal variations in emotion, behavior, and thought can receive a psychiatric diagnosis, leading to stigma and inappropriate treatment.

Because we have to live with a diagnostic system that is provisional—and that will almost certainly prove invalid in the long run—much of the research on mental disorders has to be taken with a grain of salt. “  
Read more:       http://www.neuropsychotherapist.com/dsm-5-handle-with-care/

I guess so, especially when they must  explain to the parent of a child on medication that does them more harm in long run. In some cases the child commits suicide on the drugs they are prescribed to help them. FACT - Google side effects of PROZAC  
I took that crap for too long...      twitch, twitch...

Think about also how your child might feel about YOUR decision to medicate them, when they are 30, they might have an opinion on what you decided regarding their mental state. If they live that long.  Do you think I am being dramatic? 
Research. Look at the rise in numbers with children being medicated and prescribed with such things like Bipolar at the age of 2!  
Perhaps not your children but your grand children? ANY child! We need to speak up for the ones that can’t.

 Calling yourself crazy and having someone diagnose you as crazy are two very serious and different things. It could affect the child forever. 
I have several cartoon ideas and I plan on drawing them all. 

WE ARE NOT CRAZY!   
WE DONT NEED the DRUGS! 
We just need MORE TLC.

xox   <><

Ignorance is bliss... ? How about when it is killing our kids? Still feeling blissful?

How about when you get a F*&^% twitch that drives crazy? Did you know it was a common side effect of one of earliest “mood” drugs approved by the  “who’s, who’s”
and pushed to the millions as ‘mama’s little helper’.  And tongue* darting...  lovely.
Twitches that never go away.   They made a pill to try,  but that just paralyzed motor skills.

Today's Guest Blog is from Jeff, a young man that friended me on FB.  I talk to many people about Crones, from what I have learned, it is serious discomfort and often situations where life is 'interrupted' because of it.  I was so thrilled when I got Jeff's e mail and more so the fact that he is 26 and gets it! He is looking after his health and his own body -and he helped educate his Dr.s.
Speak up! It is your health, I think Jeff is lucky - he appears to have figured out early, how to do what is best for his body.. too many of us don't 'get that' until much later and too much damage done. 


I started using cannabis in grade 9.
 Then for the next few years I was your average 'rebellious' pothead teenager, or so I thought. Also around the beginning of high school I began having a lot of issues with my tummy. Okay, that is an understatement; SHIT was bad and getting worse! After telling my family doctor three times that I was often in pain and getting bouts of bloody diarrhea, he decided I should see a specialist. 
My first appointment with the specialist I was told I probably had crohn’s disease. 
After a bunch of tests no person should have to go though, it was confirmed I had a severe case of crohn’s. The next couple years I did a lot of research and tried many different medications to control my symptoms.

 Around the time I was diagnosed with crohn’s, marijuana for medical issues seemed to be in the news more, I saw AIDS and cancer patients getting relief from many of the same symptoms I was suffering from.  After googling ‘marijuana & crohns’, I found Michelle Rainey (R.I.P). Her website really inspired me to view the cannabis I had been smoking for years as the medicine it truly is. I realized for many years I had been mainly smoking it before eating or when I felt 'crappy' and would conserve it better than most teens. 
After that realization I spoke to my family doctor on many occasions and three gastrointestinal specialists about the Health Canada medical marijuana access program (MMAR), they all had similar opinions that cannabis has no medical value for my condition. 

How could I be denied the only thing that brings some relief from terrible symptoms caused by this nasty disease? I did eventually find a specialist who at the time was only seeing patients in similar situations to sign their MMAR paperwork. Then after two years of 'monitored' use my family doctor finally agreed with me enough to start signing my yearly renewals. Even with my MMAR I still don’t have reasonable access to medicine.
 I am glad to have a doctor that will sign, but he still doesn’t understand that I need much more than 3 grams per day to be able to make strong enough extracts to effectively control my disease, and then the issue of MMAR not allowing those extracts.  Until very recently I have not been able to grow myself because I rent and can’t find a grower wanting to grow for a small prescription. As of right now (03/03) I am waiting on my first production license(PPL), but I am stuck trying to decide if it’s worth setting up a grow now because Health Canada is taking away PPL’s on April 2014. Unfortunately, right now cannabis is the only thing keeping me able to work, yet a large portion my income is going to cannabis. 

 The main symptoms I treat with cannabis are abdominal cramping, nausea, diarrhea and low appetite.  There has been many times where cramping and diarrhea have been so extremely painful, and then just a couple of puffs will sooth my stomach to the point I am able to eat and continue living.   In addition to the symptoms cannabis helps, I also find it very useful in minimizing some of the side effects of many prescription drugs I have been on.  When I was on Remicade, I would get extremely stiff and sore joints and muscles after every injection for about 2-3 days, cannabis would help reduce the pain to get me though those days.  At the end of last year I decided to stop taking Remicade because it was only giving me a couple weeks of partial relief every two months, and has way too many potential side effects that I am terrified of. Although I may not be in complete remission yet, my disease is fairly well controlled with cannabis alone.  I am now taking a small dose of RSO every night, and use medibles during the day and vaporize or smoke for immediate relief as needed. 

Recently after meeting a few cannabis activists that were touring from the west coast, I felt driven to get more involved. Now I am helping to arrange more cannabis friendly events and protests around my hometown, Kitchener. My dream is to one day be more involved in medical cannabis by owning or working for a local compassion club or vapor cafe.   I am constantly meeting many great people in the ‘cannabis community’ and I am genuinely proud to be involved in it.   I hope one day everyone who needs cannabis has access to it.

 Jeff 

https://www.facebook.com/pot.forpain 
 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crohn's_disease -General info about Crohn’s disease
http://www.michellerainey.com/     >  Michelle Rainey’s website

I have said it before.
Walk in my shoes, learn what we have learned about Pharmacetuical drugs and then tell me you would not give your child Cannabis under the same circumstance! 
Watch this link and tell me this mother or father is wrong 
- LISTEN to the DR.  then .. imagine it is your child.
http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/parents-choose/50b663372b8c2a5d91000184
I am so tired of hearing this argument. 
WE live it. WE see it's miracle and  I <3 these parents! 
SHARE - teach! Sooner or later Dr.s will have to agree. 
AS PARENTS we must demand what is best for our children. ASK them - what would they do if it was their child?   
 The next time someone says - but there are medications for nausea - yes there are and while you are at it - LOOK up the side effects!!  Dr.s have no problem prescribing  drugs to children - but have issues with a PLANT? *  That has never caused OVERDOSE or DEATH.
WHAT parent in their right mind would give their children an opiate that they can become addicted to or even die from?  I'd rther watch my child laugh and happy than be a zombie on the sofa- TRUST me - I saw him for far too long sit and suffer and not play because he was in pain. UNTIL he tried cannabis. 
TALK to your Dr. 
The choice is Clear- Cannabis!!! 
I feel great about this news! Can you tell?  I drew this cartoon last week in bed and finally felt good enough to paint it today ;-))) - so Thank You God!  xox <>< 

* Note: Not all Dr.s I have been blessed with the best. ♥ .
Talk to your Dr. Help educate them. 
They are ONLY human. <super smart but still human ;-)
<><

I just read that Jenny McCarthy said she once had sex with a tree while on pills. Nope, can't say as I have ever heard anything even remotely close to that from anyone who smokes.  Tree ?
 AND Cannabis is Illegal! LOL
Well not for long! Still beaming at the recent legalization news in the USA.  It's time! You can't hide the truth for long and thanks to Jenny (who I must admit LOOKS fricken fantastic) for sharing her "drug experiences" and all those who continuously show us their alcohol induced stupidity comas (been there done that) The choice will become clearer with every puff.  
A TREE??  I mean I love Tree's but that takes Tree Hugger to a whole new meaning - LOL - thanks to my FB friends  who also shared comments this a.m. - Gives wood a whole new meaning!  Barking! Will it take over planking! LOL - Oh the cartoon opportunities are endless!  Of course my idea came 'naturally' the moment I read it!

Parents! Ask yourself one thing? Would you rather have your kids with the munchies or barking up the wrong tree? LOL- OH I crack myself up! ;))

3 - THREE more sleeps! - Getting the ZEN DEN ready today .. ready to return for some serious R&R and I have my drawing paper by my bed side! 

Want to read more about Jenny:  
http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/playboy-girl-jenny-mccarthy-mccarthy-high-on-drugs-mccarthy-sex-with-tree/1/228553.html
I think I've read enough xox

More and more older people are turning back to cannabis! Why? Because although old they are far from stupid!  As we age we go to the Dr. and are given pills for our aches and pains.. they come with age for  most of us. That is life, happy to still be a part of it. 
Unfortunately, as we continue to age we are prescribed more pills for each ache and pain, sleep problems, stress, tired-- the list is endless.  Chemical cocktails, add to this already deadly mix- the fact that we forget! Accidental overdoes is a common problem with the aged.
That does not just happen to older people- it can happen to us all when not feeling well or distracted. It is not a problem with cannabis.  There is a 'home' in Isreal where Cannabis is handed out to patients who need it and benefit from it and because of -LIVING proof- it is becoming even more common. The next generation under the boomers - I was born in 64
are watching our parents being drugged for this and that. No wonder so many are turning back to something they KNOW makes them feel better- Still gives them a desire to live! Watch this short vid. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0VG3prgCDc
*if you click the CC box on the bottom you will get subtitles!
 It is just one of many examples! It is NEVER too late to try and feel better and that is our right! Share this with your parents! 
*Moderation. As much as I talk about anti booze- I do know several people who have always been able to have 'a drink'.  A drink after a long day - to take the edge off.. relax, unwind with a glass of wine. A (ONE) drink. EVERYTHING in moderation! My husbands dad was well into his 80's and said a shot of rum- kept his blood flowing. One shot - that was it. Usually in his evening coffee.  He died because of complications due to a car accident, it was not the rum - and he was by far one of the 'SHARPEST' pencils in the box. KEEP IN MIND, studies show that alcohol is more damaging to the body and brain than marijuana.
*the bong- Storm and I went to a great little new store  - http://www.thekockydog.ca/
nice to not have to drive to TO. for stuff.. any how I spotted this bong (a giant penis) and had to giggle! I said "who buys this..." and Storm said -"NOT YOU!"  LOL  so I thought I'd have fun with this toon! Of course I thought of the sippy cup* my friend Sue has a photo on FB with her and this cup and it makes me crack up every time I see it. Life is about having fun and feeling good. Not work, work till you die. So have a laugh and educate your elders about Cannabis!  <><   XOX

Overdose:The term drug overdose (or simply overdose or OD) describes the ingestion or application of a drug or other substance in quantities greater than are recommended or generally practiced. An overdose may result in a toxic state or death.
I have had what you 'might' call a Cannabis overdose, Actually I had this 2 times in all my cannabis experience. The first many years ago in Jamaica when I ingested a cake that was made with Cannabis. I swear could feel the blood moving through my veins. The other about a year ago when I had a POWERFUL 'cookie". Both times I was not sick, I did not have to go to the hospital, I felt uncomfortable in the sense that I did not feel 'myself' 
Both times - I slept it off. Waking the next day to feel incredibly  rested.
I'm sure I just consumed too much. Still - Not toxic or near death! 
I asked recently if others experienced this and what they suggest we do to help 'bring us back' to feeling comfortable. Some of the suggestions I know do in fact work for me anyhow... brushing your teeth, drinking fruit juice, coffee. Going for a walk and getting some exercise- occupying your mind doing something you enjoy - and before you know it you will come out of that uncomfortable stage and feel relaxed and better. Always REMEMBER: No one has ever died from cannabis,  if anything it only lasts a couple of hours and you will be fine when it passes.  When I asked for suggestions I had a few say 'WHY? - Just ride it out and enjoy the full experience.' I like Cannabis to keep me functioning. I'm not into the couch lock-stoned feeling myself.  
Now... if you told me you took a pill overdoes. I would not be making any such suggestions! I would be on the phone with 911! 
I am not encouraging anyone to use Cannabis... No that's not right, I guess in fact I am. How can I not? I do hope I am in fact educating some to at least see if it is an option. I am not telling you to get it and use it illegally. THAT will never solve the problem. Insist, demand and be educated and provide research. If you are in pain- do your research!!! See if Cannabis is an option for your illness - Does it not make sense to try to get relief from something that won't kill you? Sadly with it being illegal you have to be careful - hard to try - to see if it helps you. Most people I know when faced with a situation where the are tired of feeling sick on pills.. find a way. The more people that inform & educate Dr.s the sooner this silly prohibition against one of natures medicines has to come to an end! 
You can not deny facts forever. Or LIVING Proof.
xox<><
If you use recreationally... then vote. Stand up for yourself. 

Once Cannabis is introduced to you as a medicine and you can't believe that you can experience the extent of relief from a plant you can't help but step back and think - WOW! 
These past five years has been transforming. Especially in the kitchen!!  I now use Sage for a mouth wash- I'm prone to cankers- well I USE to be! Now when I feel one starting - rinse with a sage tea and it's gone before it gets worse. Honey and cinnamon are a daily  spoonful taken in the a.m. to assist with arthritis, I have rosemary, basil and more on my window and plan to keep them there all year long!  
Looking back I can't help but feel cheated - WE had it right a long time ago, we ate healthier not processed, we medicated FIRST with plants.  We are always hearing about someone that is getting flesh eating disorder, some sort of stomach ailment, pain from pills- been there done that.  I for one feel    better -(twitch aside) than I have in years! 
I have a new book - medicine in the garden and I plan on using it FIRST before I put  toxic chemicals into my system . I KNOW pills sometimes help but I no longer believe it should be my first choice but rather - my last resort.    
So, in the past when I might have said to a friend in need- "Not feeling well ? Want one of my pain pills?"  WE all do it! We do not like to see those we love suffer.  Instead now I will inform them on Cannabis - and try to help them seek other alternatives. I will never offer a friend a pain 'pill' again  realizing now, I might just be offering them a future of addiction and other problems.   
From pill popper to plant pusher!!!!  Which would you rather be? 

TOP 10  Plants & Medicine
Top 10Cannabis (Cannabis sativa) 
Used medicinally for thousands of years, today it is used in the treatment of sleeping disorders, autoimmune diseases and glaucoma.
Coca (Erythroxylon coca) 
Cocaine was widely used as a local anaesthetic in the 19th century and coca leaf tea is taken for altitude sickness in South America.
Daffodil (Narcissus spp.) 
Galantamine hydrobromide, a compound derived from daffodil bulbs, is being used to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna) 
All parts of this plant, especially the berries, contain the extremely toxic chemical atropine. Atropine is used to relax the muscles of the eye and to stop muscular spasms.
English yew (Taxus baccata) 
The leaves of this yew are used in the synthesis of compounds called taxols, which are used in the treatment of breast cancer.
Fever tree (Cinchona succiruba) 
A native of Latin America, the bark of the fever tree produces quinine, which is used to treat malaria.
Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea) 
Digitalis has been used since the 16th century to treat heart disease and its derivatives are still used in modern medicine.
Opium poppy (Papaver somniferum) 
Opium derivatives such as morphine are still used as powerful painkillers in hospitals.
Rubbertree (Hevea brasiliensis) 
From rubber gloves to waterproof sheeting and prophylactics, latex plays an important role in health care and medicine.
Willow (Salix spp.) 
The bark of the white willow contains acetyl salicylic acid, commonly known as aspirin. It has been used for pain relief for 2,000 years.


xox <><

"There is no question in my mind that the oral route for an anti-emetic, a pill, is the absolute worst route for the patient who has a lot of anticipatory nausea and vomiting. . . . The smoke route is in some ways ideal. Certainly when we want a drug to be absolutely sure, general anesthesia, we put it on the face, they breathe it across their lungs, it's in their bloodstream immediately."
 ~Dr. Steven Sallan

Nausea and vomiting, whether due to chemotherapy, AIDS treatment, abdominal surgery, or another cause, can be effectively remedied through the use of medical marijuana. Clinical trials and patients' experiences indicate that smoking medical marijuana can both relieve nausea and stimulate the appetites of patients with nausea, reducing the risk of unhealthy weight loss in patients with conditions like cancer and AIDS.

I can tell you first hand that Cannabis is helping me with this. When I got sick 3 years ago I lost so much so quick people did not recognize me, that was o.k. and I needed to lose some weight but there are times when you keep losing and it makes you weak. Still just the thought of food some times makes me sick. I could easily go without eating. I can only eat some days after I medicate.  I'm not a Dr., I don't know why it works- all I know is IT DOES! Thank God it does!   For people who are very sick -  just the thought of a pill and a mouthful of water can be a daunting task!  
So the next time you see someone light up - or someone makes a sarcastic remark...  let it go- It is NOT thier fault they have been lied to for decades. Just focus on WHAT is making you feel better. That is all that matters. Not what a stranger thinks, or family for that reason, it is your life and you deserve to feel better. What ever it takes. There is a reason Cannabis has BEEN used as a MEDICINE  for a very long time.. It works.
xox <>< 

You made your bed now your going to lie in it..  
Well it's true. Sooner or later it's going to catch up. Like anything over time  you have to be careful. I will admit I am the first one to say in the past when I have been prescribed something I took it. Simple.  Not anymore. 
This twitch has also become a blessing! Especially now with looking into and considering  surgery (in the brain region) - yes, a blessing. I have started to eat healthier- cut out a lot of red meat and try to eat little "fast food', don't drink alcohol (yes I still from time to time crave a cold beer on a hot day and do indulge, but no where like I USE to) but now I am really careful with medication I take. I READ the side effects and try to decide IF I really need the medication and outweigh the options. 
I just got over a cold and was thinking I should go to the Dr.s but sometimes you just have to let it run it's course- sometimes all your body needs is rest and good food. 
That is all the medicine you need. Other times you DO need mediation.
It really is sad that so many people THINK Cannabis is so bad for you but never take into consideration prescribed medications. The cartoon says it all. FACT.  
Ask yourself - have you ever been on a medication that says - do not take alcohol while using this drug? And you have? I have. 
Have you ever taken a medication that says 'do not operate heavy machinery or operate a vehicle' and then drove? I have. Millions do. Daily. 
So my blessing is in the form of education and realization, after all - It's not too late - I'm still breathing! LOL So before you make your bed... be careful. Research - check out your options. Cannabis may not be for you but WHY wouldn't you TRY it before you try some of these other incredibly toxic and many time addictive prescriptions?  It is common sense.
It is my life, my health and I want to choose what is right for me. 
What is right for ME has nothing to do with you or anyone else for that matter. 
Today make your bed! Clean sheets! Cause you never know..
OH - should you overdose on Cannabis - PLEASE try to choose Healthy MUNCHIE options.  xox <><