A Life of it's Own - The Truth about Medical Cannabis

New Farm Cinemas

Monday 28 November at 7pm

Director: HELEN KAPALOS 

A Life of Its Own aims to provide clarity and understanding of one of Australia’s most stigmatized and controversial issues – medicinal cannabis.

Award-winning journalist, Helen Kapalos, takes the audience on a wide-ranging voyage of discovery about medicinal cannabis, addressing the complex issues facing its use. The film was inspired during the making of a network news TV story which detailed a young man's difficult decision to use cannabis for his terminal illness and to ease the debilitating nausea he experienced following chemotherapy – made all the more poignant because the young man’s father served for decades as a drug-squad police chief.

In the weeks after the story was aired thousands of people came forward speaking of their own experience with medicinal cannabis. The story had unwittingly unearthed a silent majority - personal stories of patients suffering a range of illnesses, from intractable epilepsy to rare genetic diseases.

Against the anecdotal evidence of benefits, the film discusses the lack of clinical evidence, the limitations of present drug regulation, the rise of a black market in medicinal cannabis, and the ongoing social stigma.

The testimony of medical professionals, scientists, lawyers and politicians brings a balance to the debate. Of particular impact is a rare insight into the medicinal cannabis research being carried out in Israel. This country is now recognized as a world leader in the development of specialized strains of medicinal cannabis, and their use in the treatment of a wide range of maladies.

Currently the climate around medicinal cannabis is shifting, with Australia moving towards limited reform. A Life of Its Own demonstrates there is still a gap between legislation, and the reality for many people whose lives are affected by the issue. Around the world the debate is being mobilised by those who've experienced success from the plant as medicine - with calls to make the wider community aware of its therapeutic value.

Thank you HEMP STORE 

 The Hemp Store have kindly donated hemp products to the value of $140 for our lucky door prize.

* DR Bronner's Organic Lip Balm Pepermint 
* Hemp Body Butter 250ml 
* Hemp Twine 
* Sativa Coin Purse Steel Blue 
* Green Hemp Soap Unscented / unscented 
* Green Hemp Soap Lavender 
* Green Hemp Soap Lemongrass 
* Harvey's Australian Hemp Seed Oil 
* Harvey's Hemp Seeds 500g 

Hemp is a multi purpose product with over 25,000 uses including clothing, fuel, medicine, building materials, paper and more. Hemp Seed is full of omega 3,6,9 and high in proteinHemp is fantastic for the soil/eco systems. 

By making conscious decisions when we purchase we can change our planet, its people, our health and our future!

You can browse the Hemp Store's selection of Hemp Products. There is also a retail store that is open 7 days a week and is full of all things hemp. 

If there is anything you need in hemp, please click the green button to contact Alex and his staff.

HEMP STORE WEBSITE: 

http://www.hempstore.com.au

Protest and March

Tuesday 19 April 2016

9.30 am Queensland Health Building.

11.30 am March to Parliament House 

Wednesday 20 April

10 am at Parliament House

We are protesting against beauracratic delays by Queensland Health when doctors already have TGA approval to treat their patients with cannabis under the Special Access Scheme. 

We are also protesting against unjust state drug laws that put patients and carers at risk of being charged under the Drugs Misuse Act when they are growing their own cannabis or obtaining it from the illicit market 'out of necessity' for medical use.  

Patients should not have to choose between breaking an unjust law or suffer pain and disability. 

Online Event: VIRTUAL Cannabis Health Summit  

Free Online Event: Register now for free

Date:  23-24 January 2016

Green Flower, a US Media company will be streaming this two-day event FOR FREE and will bring together 20+ of the world’s top experts, scientists, physicians, and researchers who have devoted their lives to helping people use cannabis as medicine.

Each expert will have 22 minutes to offer a TED-style presentation sharing the most up-to-date facts, information, and science around using cannabis. 

Expert Speakers include:

Steve DeAngelo - Harborside Health Center

Uwe Blesching - Cannabis Health Index

Donald Land PhD - Steep Hill Labs

Dr. Gregory Smith - Medical Cannabis For Health Care Providers

Dr. Dustin Sulak - Healer.com

Joel Stanley - CW Botanicals

Heather Jackson - Realm Of Caring

Dr. Jordan Tishler - Inhale MD

Mary Lynn Mathre - Patients Out Of Time

Dr. Sunil Aggarwal - Physician-Scientist

Mara Gordon - Aunt Zelda's

Dr. Bonni Goldstein - Canna-Centers

Alison Ettel - Treat Well

Nurse Heather - Cannabis Nurses

Deborah Malka - MD, PHD

Bryan Krumm, CNP - PTSD Expert

Martin Lee - Project CBD

Constance Finley - Constance Theraputics

These growing pool of experts are on the frontlines of cannabis-based treatments.

Dr. Bonni Goldstein is a pediatric physician who’s treated more than 400 children with medical cannabis for epilepsy, autism, cancer and psychiatric illness. She has also studied the effects of THC and CBD on the developing brain.

Bryan Krumm, with more than 25 in the psychiatry field, has firsthand experience treating PTSD with cannabis. After using this plant to transform his own life, he helped design the New Mexico medical cannabis laws and is currently working with almost 1,000 PTSD patients.

Dr. Dustin Sulak has personally treated thousands of patients with medical cannabis and has developed many revolutionary techniques to achieve substantial health benefits while consuming a tiny amount of cannabis.

Important topics are covered such as:

Epilepsy, autism, cancer & cannabis
Cannabis and pediatrics
Treating PTSD, anxiety, and depression
The ins and outs of CBD
Better dosing strategies
How different delivery methods work
The future of medical cannabis
And much more!

Register to acces the entire event for free right now. Simply head on over to

www.CannabisHealthSummit.com  

Venue: Rosehill Gardens, Sydney

Date: Saturday and Sunday, May 14th and 15th 2016

The second ‘United in Compassion' Medicinal Cannabis Symposium is being held in conjunction with the inaugural 'Hemp, Health and Innovation' industry expo this event will have something for everyone. 

International Speakers 

Dr Jeffery Hergenrather MD - USA is a general practitioner specializing in cannabis/cannabinoid medicine since 1999 and in private general practice the medical use of cannabis since 1977. 

He is a founding member and current president of the Society of Cannabis Clinicians, a non-profit corporation dedicated to quality patient care, educational programs, and clinical studies.  He is a member of the International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) and the International Association for Cannabinoids in Medicine (IACM).  Additionally, Dr. Hergenrather works as an expert witness and consultant to local governments in industry in creating safe access to cannabis medicines.

Professor Cristina Sánchez - Complutense University Madrid, Spain

Cristina Sánchez graduated in Biology at Madrid Complutense University in 1994. She started her scientific career as an undergraduate student at the laboratory of Dr. Ramos and Dr. Fernández-Ruiz (School of Medicine, Complutense University), where she first took contact with the field of cannabinoid research. Once graduated, she moved to Dr. Guzmán’s laboratory (School of Biology, Complutense University), where she studied the effect of cannabinoids on lipid and carbohydrate intermediate metabolism first and on cancer cell proliferation later. She obtained her PhD with Honors in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Complutense University in 2000. During her postdoc at Dr. Piomelli’s laboratory (University of California Irvine, 2000-2003) she studied the involvement of another group of bioactive lipids (lysophosphatidic acid and related compounds) on pain initiation.

In 2004, Cristina returned to Spain with a “Ramón y Cajal” contract (aimed at repatriating Spanish researchers from abroad) and she started coordinating a new line of research within Dr. Guzmán’s laboratory. In particular, the goal of her research is to understand and exploit cannabinoids as potential antitumoral agents in breast cancer. More recently, she has also focused her attention on new cannabinoid receptors and their possible involvement in cannabinoid antitumoral action in breast cancer and other type of tumors.

Lucy Haslam

“My first experience with medicinal cannabis was when my husband and I encouraged our 23 year old son to smoke a cannabis joint.

We were not being irresponsible parents......we were desperate parents who had struggled to watch our son suffer needlessly through years of gruelling chemotherapy.

His battle with cancer had led him to a very dark place where constant nausea and vomiting was stripping away any quality of life he had left.

Medicinal Cannabis was a last resort ........... and it was miraculous!

Dan wanted the same relief for others who were suffering as he did. Together we learned that it was also a life changing medicine for many others including young children with intractable epilepsy and numerous other seriously debilitating diseases and pain disorders.

A new found interest in cannabis quickly taught me that I was grossly misinformed as was my husband, a police officer of more than 35 years. We had formed opinions based on a historical campaign of scaremongering and propaganda. The level of deception surrounding the harms of cannabis are unfathomable and a result of human greed and protectionism.

It is now time for humanity to be smart about medicinal cannabis.

Dan wanted unnecessary human suffering reduced by allowing the legal access to reliable and safe medicinal cannabis. He wanted medicinal cannabis patients to be supported by the medical and legal systems. Dan’s dying wish was for the truth about medical cannabis to be recognised by Australia.

It is my intention to make that happen through the work of United in Compassion. With support from Australians we can make this a reality based on compassion and science rather than fear and dishonesty.”

Justin Sinclair - Herbalist, Pharmacognosist & Educator

M.HerbMed (USyd) BHSc (Nat)(UNE)
ND DBM DRM Dip Nutrition 
MNHAA MATMS

Justin has spent decades exploring the diverse field of herbal medicine, both from a scientific and traditional perspective.

Working in education since 2003, Justin has taught a wide variety of subjects including medical sciences such as anatomy, physiology and clinical pathology and has worked as a consultant to industry since 2006.

Key areas of study in his Masters degree with the Faculty of Pharmacy at Sydney University were toxicology, pharmacognosy, analytical phytochemistry, medicinal botany and pharmaceutical technology. 

His current clinical interests include pain management, mental health disorders and herb drug interactions.

Over the last decade, his research interests encompass medicinal cannabis, cannabinoid based pharmacology, novel drug development, full spectrum plant extracts and plant based pharmacology for pain, inflammation and immune modulation.

Associate Professor Dr David Caldicott - B.Sc(Hons)-[N.U.I.], MB.BS(Lond.), FCEM, Dip Clin Tox

Consultant Emergency Physician,
JMO Supervisor, Emergency Department, Calvary Hospital, Canberra
 

Alice O’Leary-Randall, B.A., L.P.N

Alice is a senior spokesperson for the medical cannabis movement.  In 1976 her late husband, Robert C. Randall, became the first person in the U.S. to legally receive medical cannabis.

The couple co-founded the medical cannabis movement in America, assisting patients and educating the American public about the therapeutic potential of cannabis. In 1980 they co-founded Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics, the nation’s first non-profit organization devoted to medical cannabis issues. 

They worked side-by-side on the issue until Robert’s death in 2001. At that point Alice embarked on a nursing career to fulfill her desire to work in hospice. She was a hospice nurse for six years, retiring in 2012. She has returned to the medical cannabis movement and continues to educate and celebrate the contributions of many brave individuals who courageously fought for medical access to cannabis. She is the author of Medical Marijuana in America: Memoir of a Pioneer and a frequent contributor to Huffington Post and Cannabis Now Magazine.

More international speakers - to be announced....

Inaugural 'Hemp, Health and Innovation'

Industry expo

Come and look, feel, taste, and experience the excitement of over 80 exhibitors, showcasing everything from Hemp fibres, clothing, bedding, beauty and health products, medicinal hemp products, building materials, hydroponic equipment and supplies for industry and home hobbyists alike, innovative products and so much more.

Gain valuable information and awareness of the amazing benefits the Hemp plant has to offer now and into the future.

Learn how to grow your own produce, even where space is limited, fresh and free of chemicals. Discover new and innovative products.