Saturday, May 7, 2011

CC 2011, Aspen, CO

April 29th, 2011

Drove through everything but hurricanes, humidity, or hail; but that leaves rain, snow, white out, sunny, cloudy, windy, calm & beautiful weather to get to Aspen. Several familiar faces were out and a lot more filtered in today.

Notable figures include a grower who had to close shop due to uncertainty in legislation, who will be speaking at the Wheeler Opera House 3:30am today.

Started off the night catching THE MARIJUANA LOGUES, something I missed last year but am totally stoked to finally see. It was a great way to start off the weekend. Wish I had my equipment out to capture them but they had something mounted at the sound board. I got some clips on the cellie I might put a snipped up.

Also met what I coined the Chicago version of White Fudge; I think they're called White Boys. They'll be playing frequently at the Hunter Bar. I want to see White Fudge & White Boys super group it for a track or two.

I will try to describe my state of mind that evening. I was not amateur, I was so pro I didn't give a fuck. K thnx.

Woke up this morning, after some butter on my bread, a morning workout, and a much needed shower, I'm feeling great. Winning, man, winning.

Then of all people show up in my hotel lobby this morning, the Cannabis Cowboy. The invisible face behind the 18% Indica Outdoor grown in this lovely country. He's working with a group I'll have to follow up and catch their name, for now I know they're working on a very effective cancer treatment. Of course cannabis is the answer. Also has a lovely lotion that can come with or without tincture and still have pretty much the same effects on pain.

More to come, this is just the beginning.

April 30th, 2011

Panel today was a very informative discussion of local issues in relation to the mmj community; there's some discouraging information, some encouraging. There's a successful story about defunding the Colorado Springs Drug Crime department due to their violations of several statutes required for Federal funding. Talk is to do this to the DEA, no simple feat but the evidence is there. The victims are us, and the will to fight is limitless when you're talking about people who's very lively hoods depend on this amazing treatment.

Not all news is good, July 1st is a bad date for Coloradan patients. Harder access, and the constant video documentation of you obtaining your meds! The progress made over the past decade has been backtracked by legislation, fines, and sheer illegal activity by local governments, we have to keep fighting. There are so many unfortunate stories out there about municipalities delaying and requiring fee after fee, licenses, background checks, reviews, and checks they will cash only to turn around and impose a ban on your practice of saving people's lives...

It's all about the ignorance of an establishment that exists out of fear, misinformation, and very little real concern for fellow citizens, even sheer denial of a possible solution to their own health problems.

But the renaissance in knowledge lives strong right now. Even the panelist from the Netherlands was very blown away by the scientific study we are ruthelessly pursuing in targeting strains & combinations that effectively treat a disease by essentially curing their symptoms. She was also skeptical that big pharma will not be happy with a disruption in their business model. One speaker was a little sales-ish, but clearly dedicated, to his current role with a company called Delta 9, who use a co2 process to synthesize pure cannabis oil with remarkable properties. They have began a very audacious research & development process to identify the unique characteristics & practical benefits, of any nature, of all 60,000 existing strains of marijuana. Sounds promising, especially if the knowledge is available and practical applications actually get put to use from it.