"Kratom has no psychoactive effects and no physical dependency – it’s just a harmless plant. Despite being an overwhelmingly better alternative to opioids, the DEA, FDA, and CDC continue to propagate kratom as dangerous. They’re wrong."
"Hermine and Tom had used their front-yard garden to grow vegetables and other plants for 17 years. Miami Shores told Hermine and Tom to destroy their garden or face fines of $50 per day. Unable to bear the cost of the fines, they dug up their garden. In today’s decision, the court upheld the vegetable ban, concluding that it is rational for government to ban 'the cultivation of plants to be eaten as part of a meal, as opposed to the cultivation of plants for ornamental reasons.'"
"As the family sat quarantined in their own living room while the police searched through their most private and intimate belongings, Bob’s wife Addie had a terrible thought: This must have something to do with the family’s tomato garden." Continue reading →
"A farmer faces trial in federal court this summer and a $2.8 million fine for failing to get a permit to plow his field and plant wheat in Tehama County." Continue reading →
"The city council felled an entire stretch of this Urban Food Street, even preventing residents from collecting the fruit before the destruction." Continue reading →
"By elevating your blood alcohol content to approximately 0.08 per cent, you’ll give your body 'a small elevation of pain threshold' and thus a 'moderate to large reduction in pain intensity ratings'. The researchers explained: 'Findings suggest that alcohol is an effective analgesic that delivers clinically-relevant reductions in ratings of pain intensity, which could explain alcohol misuse in those with persistent pain, despite its potential consequences for long-term health.'" Continue reading →
"Organic farmers in Argentina are finding bitcoin to be a compelling solution when selling their produce through a website called Tierra Buena. The website has been highlighted in a new short film by Jacob Hansen. The film tells the story of how Nubis Bruno (one of the people behind the exchange site, Conectabitcoin) helped local farmers by creating the website as a means to sell their produce online in exchange for bitcoin or litecoin (and Pesos). The existence of Tierra Buena doesn’t signal a pending economic revolution in Argentina, or anywhere else. However, it is a great anecdote of how digital currencies can be genuinely helpful." Continue reading →
"The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been after 50-year-old Trudeau, originally from Massachusetts, for several years after he made millions flogging what he claims are natural cures for serious and potentially fatal illnesses. The ruling at the end of last month was the latest round in more than a decade of legal battles that began with a suit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. Trudeau was slapped with a $38 million fine in 2011 after allegedly scamming customers for decades. FTC put the value at $37.6million as to how much consumers were defrauded by 'deceptive infomercials' that Trudeau filmed in order to plug his book - The Weight Loss Cure 'They' Don't Want You to Know About." Continue reading →
"Phages are an excellent way to combat antibacterial resistance because they adapt to morphing bacteria, whereas antibiotics don’t. Phage therapy has been used successfully to treat acne, and even MRSA. If phages can be controlled, they may become the ultimate antibacterial weapons against the latest deadly superbugs, such as CRE.The Journal of Infection reported impressive success rates with phage therapy in humans, in the range of 80 to 95 percent. The good news is, you already have this wonderful army living in your body, right where nature put it—it’s built-in!" Continue reading →
"Oregon is one of seven states with laws that permit the production of industrial hemp, a non-intoxicating relative of marijuana grown for its sturdy fiber and seeds. Elsewhere in the country, hemp advocates have reacted to the federal government's new position on cannabis by moving ahead with legal hemp production. Kentucky's top agriculture official said the Cole memo is all he needs to move forward. India is the largest market for Canadian hemp by weight, though the United States buys more hemp seed than any other country, generally for food and beauty products. China, also a major international exporter of hemp, tends to produce hemp that's used for textiles." Continue reading →