The only marijuana magazine bringing you the stories of other pot smokers and smugglers.

Quick Hits (page 4)

Hey man, wanna score some cannabinoids?

By: Wired News

An Israeli pharmaceutical company is working on a drug mimicking cannabis' chemical constituents -- cannabinoids -- to offer marijuana's therapeutic benefits without the buzz.

The new type of synthetic cannabinoid is "equivalent to ... the best-quality marijuana," says Dr. George Fink, vice president of research at Pharmos, which presented its new bicyclic dextrocannabinoic compounds at the BIO CEO and Investor conference in New York in February.

The cannabis plant contains over 60 cannabinoids. When you smoke (or eat) pot, the cannabinoids bind to two cannabinoid receptors in the body, called CB1 and CB2. CB1 appears to enhance appetite, reduce pain and ease muscle spasms -- and it is also the receptor that produces the psychotropic effects smokers want.

However, getting stoned is not what the pharmaceutical industry wants for its clients. Pharmos' synthetic cannabinoid shuns CB1 to bind almost exclusively to CB2. So, unfortunately for some, there's no getting wasted. "I wouldn't call the 'high' an adverse side effect," Fink says. "The serious side effects are those which prevent people getting on with their normal work."

What you get instead is CB2, with its own box of tricks: CB2 is expressed by immune and inflammatory cells and acts as an anti-inflammatory. "It shows very good activity in animal models for multiple sclerosis, and also seems to be a good analgesic for pain ... as well as being effective in inflammatory bowel diseases," Fink says.

Pharmos' cannabinoids are derivatives of a compound discovered by Hebrew University of Jerusalem professor Raphael Mechoulam and licensed to the company.

Mechoulam is a founding father of medicinal marijuana research. In 1964, he was the first to isolate marijuana's active ingredient, THC. "I am a chemist working in natural products, and these are important natural products, the one drug of abuse used most widely in the world," he says.

In 1992, Mechoulam and colleagues identified the first cannabinoid in the brain and called it anandamide, after the Sanskrit for "internal bliss." Since then, more have been found. "The cannabinoids in the brain seem to be very central to the functioning of our body," Mechoulam says.

Dr. Paul Mallet, a behavioral pharmacologist researching cannabinoids at Australia's University of New England, is interested in Pharmos' new compounds. Mallet's research is funded by the Australian Research Council. He also manages the Cannabinoid Science mailing list.

"Other pharmaceutical companies have produced synthetic chemicals that activate both CB1 and CB2 receptors," he says. "They have also developed ... chemicals that selectively block either CB1 or CB2 receptors. However, the development by Pharmos of chemicals that selectively stimulate the CB2 type of cannabinoid receptor is an important breakthrough."

The U.S. government is also supporting cannabinoid research. Dr. Steven Childer of the department of physiology and pharmacology at Wake Forest University is conducting work on cannabinoids in the brain, for example. The National Institute on Drug Abuse is funding part of this research.

Childer welcomes Pharmos' specific CB2 cannabinoid, calling it preferable to natural THC because of its lack of psychotropic effects. But he is uncertain if such compounds could bring all the therapeutic benefits cannabis has to offer.

"They probably would not be effective in treating problems originating in the central nervous system ... treatment of nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy, loss of appetite (for example, in AIDS patients), CNS motor diseases and certain types of pain," he says.

Pharmos expects to begin Phase I clinical trials in mid-2003, and it could take another five years before trials and regulatory procedures are completed.

One point stressed by all involved is that the development of cannabis-based medicines should not be linked to the thorny issue of legalizing marijuana. Says the Hebrew University's Mechoulam: "The medical thing should be looked upon separately, whatever anyone thinks about marijuana. If it is a good medicine, then chances are it will be approved, with certain legal constraints."

Click here for more Quick Hits.

Tan 'n' Trends

Growin' Our Own (page 4)

Vietnamese Weed

By: Pistolero

It was summer 1971, the Vietnam war was still raging. We lived in a small town south of San Jose Calif. Most of us had already served our time or were just returning from SE Asia. The Hippie culture was still going strong but not the same as when it first started. Weed was easy to get, lots of good quality Mexican and a few exotic strains could be found. Thai stick and all kinds of hash were available. Acapulco Gold, and the great Mexican Sativas were easy to get. Seems strange now but there wasn't a lot of Vietnamese weed around. You would think with all the guys returning there would have been lots...but that wasn't the case. Not a lot of people were lucky enough to get to smoke some of this great weed. Its some of the most powerful weed that I ever smoked. This is not a weed you sat around and smoked all day. In fact just having some to smoke was a miracle.

I'll never forget the first Vietnamese weed I ever smoked. It's everything you've ever heard and more. I was just lucky and a friend gave me a little. I've been smoking since 1966 and there's only a few strains that stand out as the absolute best. The Vietnamese, some African and some greenhouse out of Arizona about 1971 also (man that's another story ). Paranoia was one of the effects of the Vietnamese LOL. You were so stoned you would be paranoid about it...everyone sees you and knows you're stoned as hell. If they look at you they know LOL. It was an overpowering high. I was sitting at home on a nice summer morning and I see a buddy that I hadn't seen for about a year walk to the porch and knock on the door. He was home on leave from Vietnam for 30 days and then was going to Thailand for a year. He said he only had a few moments but he wanted to come by to say hi and give me something. Well he hands me 3 rolled joints, not real big - more on the smaller size, he said he brought it back for me from the Nam. We talked a few minutes and he hit the road. I'd see him again and party with him before he went back. It was a trip seeing him out of the blue like that, I had dropped him off at the airport when he went over, he had hitched a ride on a military transport. He was in the army but it was pretty common then to hitch a ride...didn't cost anything and you could wait until the last minute to get to your station and blame any lateness on the Air Force LOL.

After he left I decided to go pick up a couple of friends and take a nice drive out around the dams and smoke one these babies. I picked up two of my brothers-in-law and another friend. Always nice and mellow out around the dams, a good place to get high...no cops. We stopped and picked up a couple of 6 packs and we were on our way. I didn't tell them what kind of weed I had, but after we had a couple of beers and were cruising along I whip a joint out. Everyone says 'all right! "LT" way to go!' Two guys were very experienced smokers and one was a beginner. Well I fire that baby up take a big hit and pass it. The joint makes it back to me, and again a big hit and pass it. One more time and I notice one guy passes it, next time around no one wants to smoke anymore. I still had a decent roach so I put it in the ashtray. Its quiet as hell and no one is speaking. These guys were ripped (so was I). I could see my two buddies in the back seat through the rear view mirror. The guy next to me is really stoned. I figured it was time to liven things up a bit. As I'm driving down the road I get a really devious thought. Should I or shouldn't I? Well.........I did.

I'm doing around 20 miles an hour and look into the rear view mirror and say "oh shit there's a cop on our ass, don't turn around and look maybe he will just pass and go on", their eyes got about as big as silver dollars. Now my three friends are freaking out, they are so paranoid it's unreal. I can see it in their faces. I'm trying my hardest not to laugh. The two guys in the back seat are getting lower and lower in the seat, I guess they thought they could hide or disappear that way LOL. I drive about a mile down the road and then........ its time for the "Coup De Grace", I say "damn he put the lights on us". Up ahead is a pullover so I start to slow down and pull into the spot when all of a sudden I say "fuck him, he will never take us alive" and peel out back onto the road, floor it and haul ass. By the looks on their faces they were terrified LOL. By this time I have tears rolling down my face because I'm trying not to laugh out loud. It was the most hilarious sight from my view LOL. Finally some one turns around and looks......no cops....no nobody just us. The profanities started coming.....man were they pissed at me LOL. Its a wonder they didn't drag me out of the car and beat the hell out of me...I wouldn't have blamed them LOL.

The guy who was the beginner smoker never did really turn into a smoker like the rest of us already were. I think the Vietnamese weed scared him so bad he was afraid of any weed afterwards, man that is not a weed for beginners LOL. After everyone was done being pissed at me we all laughed our asses off for the rest of the day. By that evening everyone we knew had heard about it and were laughing their asses off also. Of course I got my paybacks in due time. We were all practical jokers and loved to mess with each other. I knew I'd never get away with it without something being done to me sooner or later LOL...just the way it worked. And again that's another story. The 60s and early 70s were a smoker's paradise. The selection of fine weed was astounding. Ah.....the good old days.

Click here for more Growin' Our Own.

Pipeline (page 4)

B52s in the Land of Temples

By: Joseph R. Pietri

B52 in flight Nepal has become a textbook example of failed American foreign drug policy. Once again we will watch the US Government create anti-American hatred, as well as terrorism, by backing a despot heroin dealing king and royal family instead of the people of Nepal.

On November 24th the cease fire fell apart when the People's Movement attacked an army convoy. Attacks occur all over the Kingdom. On November 26th the king declared all Maoists to be terrorists in the hopes of American support! He also declared a state of emergency, announced curbs on freedom of movement and expression, and gave authorities powers of detention and search! The US Government has already pledged ten 'Huey' gun ships for the Nepalese Army. Mind you this is the same Nepalese government who has allowed the Pakistani ISI ( Bin Laden protector and creator of the Taliban) as well as Kashmiri terrorists to operate from Kathmandu!

Democracy is a sham in Nepal. You either vote for the king’s man or vote for the King’s man! Guess who wins? If a straight election were ever held in Nepal the Maoists would win by a landslide! Nepal is finally waking up from a thousand years of feudalism. Nepal has an 80-90% illiteracy rate and 80-90% landless serfs. Communism has to look great to these people. The King of Nepal and the royal family have lived off the blood of the Nepalese people for centuries.

Today Nepal finds itself eight times poorer than in 1970. Children are sold to brothels in India. Indentured slavery is the norm in Nepal. Can you imagine being born an indentured slave? I’ve waited for King Gyanendra to finally show himself for what he is - the Black Prince who will stop at nothing to preserve himself. Nobody believes the official account of the June 1st royal massacre! He thinks with America the Global Policeman on his side he will crush the opposition. So I find myself in a unique situation where I can point out and show the world the US Government creating terrorism!

The People’s Movement in Nepal clamors for freedom. Under the royal family there has never been any freedom in Nepal so I can only imagine what it must be like to be living under marshal law! With America's support the King will dispose of all his enemies. But out of the oceans of blood will a Nepali warrior arise and take his revenge out on Uncle Sam? This is how the US Government creates hatred and gives birth to terrorists. Lets face it, the King of Nepal has outlived his usefulness. It’s time for a change. The people of Nepal cry out for freedom. Eventually the people will overthrow the king.

Joseph Pietri http://www.kingofnepal.org

Click here for more Pipeline.