That's Natural! New Year 2015

That’s Natural!

Advocate for Food & Medicine Freedom

New Year 2015

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“Only the educated are free.” - Epictetus

Serving Colorado Since 2005

Finding Our Way to a Peaceful and Healthful 2015 Roaring Fork Food Policy Council Reports

Food Safety Modernization Act Affecting Small Farmers

National Young Farmers Coalition The USDA Has Machine Guns?

Chile Chili Festival 2015!

Non-Aggression Principle:

Natural Cancer Treatments with Cannabis

Embracing Peace in Our Political Decision Making

Gut micro-biome and Immunity

Movie Review: BOUGHT

Give the Gift of REAL Grass-Roots Journalism!

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From the Publisher PUBLISHER: Tisha T. Casida Contributing Authors: Gwen Garcelon Kate Greenberg Richard Smith Steve Thompson Poornima Wagh To subscribe, please send $50 (check made to Tisha Casida) or 2 ounces of .9999 fine silver or $100 worth of tradeable goods (please contact us for this option) to: Tisha Casida PO Box 8944 Aspen, CO 81612

That’s Natural! is a free news-magazine serving the Roaring Fork Valley. It is published quarterly, 4,000 + copies are circulated to over 100 locations in Pitkin, Eagle, and Garfield Counties. We serve small businesses with their marketing needs and specialize in marketing programs that capitalize on Sustainability - products and services that help people, the environment, and the community. Join our email list for weekly reports and information!

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Here we are, in our ninth year, getting settled in the Roaring Fork Valley - where That’s Natural! will be basing as we grow our publication and vision to protect Food and Medicine Freedom in Colorado.

The past four years have been an education for us - in how governments, especially federal legislation, can have impacts that trickle down and affect small farmers, producers, businesses - and ultimately - the individual consumer.

We are advocating for solutions - at the State and local level of government. We are working with people and organizations that are spending precious time and resources on fixing these problems. Are you a farmer or producer that has been harmed by legislation, rules, regulations, licenses, etc.? We want to hear from you.

In our New Year’s edition, we plant the seeds for a productive and prosperous 2015! I hope that this finds you excited about your opportunity to create your next year in a way that embraces your local food economy. If we start with our food security - we will watch our lives flourish - as we can declare freedom - and focus on all of the amazing things that make our lives worth living.

In Food and Medicine Freedom, Tisha Casida

That’s Natural Definitions Nutrient-Dense: Foods containing a large amount of nutrients (proteins, vitamins, minerals, and more) that are available for the body to be able to digest. More importantly than the food item being “natural” or “organic” - it is so important to have food with nutrients inside of them that make them a beneficial part of your diet. Oftentimes food sourced locally automatically has more nutrients because of how the food is grown, raised, and/or produced.

Food Freedom: Having the right and ability to consume anything you want for food. Also having the right to grow your own food and process your own food without asking for permission (licenses, fees, registration) from government.

Medicine Freedom: Having the right and ability to take any products or engage in activities (massage, acupuncture, yoga, etc.) to positively benefit one’s health without asking for permission from government. If you are not harming anyone else with your choice, then it should not ever be a question of if you can or can’t do it.

The nutritional, health, environmental, and political information in this newsletter is based on personal experiences and research by the author(s). The author(s), editor, and publisher do not offer medical advice or prescribe the use of diet as a form of treatment for sickness without the approval of a health professional, nor do they accept any responsibility for your viewpoints being expanded or changed. If you do use the information contained in this newsletter without the approval of a health professional, an attorney, or a mentor that you deem worthy of your consciousness, you are prescribing and directing yourself, which is your constitutional right (that we encourage you to exercise), but the author(s), editor, and publisher assume no responsibility.

Declaring Your Food Freedom Tisha Casida

Food Freedom is about more than the ability to choose what you want to consume, or what you do not want to consume. Food Freedom is also about having the means and ability to feed oneself - regardless of constraints put upon the food supply and the centralized food chain.

The beginning of all of our life’s goals and dreams, begins with good health. Food is medicine, and the ability to choose what we eat, as well as have food that is full of substantial nutrition to nourish the needs of our body, is the greatest liberty. Good health, created and maintained by good food - is the foundation for every other success. It is the foundation for survival, and for the ability to thrive in times of angst and chaos.

The best way to ensure nutrient-dense food is to get as much as you can from farmers and producers within a 300-mile radius.

That’s not to say that salt, sugar, pineapples, and coffee aren’t at the top of the list of important food items - but your meat, your produce, and if possible, your grains, would be best sourced closer to you - from producers that you can meet and talk to. Not that are hidden amongst concrete and steel walls out in the middle of nowhere.

In Colorado, with a diverse landscape and diverse seasons for crops and animals, the State has ample opportunity to capitalize on its resources and do so while enriching local agricultural communities, farmers, ranchers, and the economy. In this way, agriculture feeds more than just human be-

ings - it feeds and is the catalyst for trade.

In the oldest sense - food storage and exotic spices - could be the entire meaning of a tribe’s or a peoples’ ability to create transactions - and to prosper. Food was (and is) a medium of exchange, and the ability to grow and raise food that is nutrient-dense, that can feed people, and maintain their health - is the ultimate resource.

As energy prices fluctuate, and the national political economy continues to destabilize, I think it is important to look at diversifying one’s investments to include local food systems. Understanding that most people do not have the time or means to actually physically grow and produce their own food - by tilling the soil, planting seeds, weeding, harvesting, storing, etc. - I do think that there is an opportunity to invest locally with farmers and producers who are producing already, and who could use the influx of capital.

irresponsible and unsustainable actions of twelve private banks, misleadingly called the “Federal Reserve” (with no direct oversight from Congress), it makes sense for families with any assets to be looking for ways to park their capital as well. An investment of anywhere between $1,000 to even $1,000,000 can be more tactile, secure, and morally responsible with a farmer or producer in one’s community - versus worthless paper sitting in a bank account or a piece of stock that could be worth nothing at a moment’s notice.

That’s Natural has created a database of hundreds of farmers, ranchers, and producers in the State of Colorado. I want to use this medium to connect investors with local food systems. In this way, we fund local food, while having investors profit with a direct and tangible investment into the land that can provide a very important resource for their family - food that is clean and healthy.

Land, agriculture, and food are the most important pieces of a civilization’s existence. Why not be a part of the forwardthinking investment opportunity that takes this notion to the next level, by having an organized plan for you to invest with a farmer, rancher, or producer. Depending upon the level and type of investment, and the needs of both parties, payment and security can be in the form of property, food, or a combination of currency.

People all over the country are looking for places to “park” their capital. While the dollar continues to be devalued by the

Declare your Food Freedom with me at: www.ThatsNatural911.com

Homeland Security – Where’s Scrutiny Over GMOs? That’s Natural! Reports

If you are concerned about the safety of the nation, and are worried about how to protect citizens from bodily harm from terrorists – you should really feel that same way about the injection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the entire nation’s food supply by private companies and public partners that have deemed this infusion of un-tested foods onto our dinner tables “safe” and “necessary”.

I mean, changing the genetic make-up of the very food we eat that becomes part of our own DNA, is a pretty big deal – maybe citizens of our “free” country deserve a choice?

So, even though GMOs have been “approved” by the all-knowing anointed intelligence agencies of American’s government, like the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), we have to remember that this agency approves “drugs” that have very damaging side-effects (including death – like what’s vocalized on all those pharmaceutical drug commercials with puppies running through a field of flowers and dancing people pirouetting down the beach). A real “test” of how genetic modification may have

long-term consequences on our agriculture industry as well as the health of our citizens has not been completed. You and I are the guinea pigs - we are the test.

The harbinger of corruption at the federal level of “protecting the people” through the office of the FDA is Michael R. Taylor, who worked for the FDA as the deputy commissioner for policy in the 1990’s, then went to work for Monsanto as Vice President of Public Policy, and then came back, under President Obama, as the Deputy Commissioner for Foods: From www.fda.gov: “Mr. Taylor is leading FDA efforts to: develop and carry out a prevention-based strategy for food safety; plan for new food safety legislation; ensure that food labels contain clear and accurate information on nutrition”.

Yeah! Of course he is going to do all of this effectively with absolutely no bias towards genetically modified foods, the flagship of Monsanto – where he worked and probably has some ties, not to mention “stock” options. Sure. This is called the “revolving door”. So are we giving the government

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and corporations the right to control your garden? We already have. Now it’s time to take it back.

And of course, the protection of multinational companies like Monsanto from constitutional law and from being responsible for human carnage with their practices through judicial review (see the “Monsanto Protection Act”) – is a testament to the fact that we absolutely have to take this fight in our own hands at the county and State level of government.

If we talk about “Homeland Security”, then can we talk about the very soil, water, and air that feeds the 307+ million Americans who exist here?

It is obvious that things are out of hand in Washington, D.C., and my guess is that our best bet is to buy local, know your farmer, spend more money on food and less money on policy, and vote with our wallet – the one vote we have left to make an immediate difference.

Non-Aggression Principle - Embracing Peace in Our Political Decision Making Tisha Casida

Most of us have grown up with some type of moral or ethical code that guides our decision-making. One of these wellknown mantras of good behavior is “The Golden Rule”, also known as the “ethic of reciprocity”. I am paraphrasing here: ‘Treat others as you would like to be treated’ or ‘Don’t treat others as you would not like to be treated’.

This is a way for most people, historically, to make judgements about good and bad behavior. As the human race, most of us enjoy or dislike similar things. We enjoy having an ability to act freely, and we dislike being detained or made slaves. We enjoy accumulating forms of property and wealth, and we dislike having our things taken away from us.

As a member of the so-called “Millenial” generation that is watching our country move in various directions politically, economically, and socially, it reminds me of the importance of embracing a moral and ethical code in decision-making, especially when it comes to government action and the use of our country’s resources to be a “player” on the global economic stage.

The Non-Aggression Principle is another maxim, like the Golden Rule, that projects that one should not use aggression against another human being unless it is in self-defense. Simple enough, right? Why would I be aggressive towards another person, unless that other person is trying to harm me? Well, unfortunately, with the bureaucracy we face as individuals, entrepreneurs, small-business owners, farmers, producers, etc., it is easy to get caught up in the aggression and use of force by government - and this aggression towards us may be a bad and dangerous use of force.

Let’s take the example of federal income taxes. Income taxes, specifically at the

federal level of government, are a way for the federal government to tax your labor (arguably your property), and then use this money to fund various pet projects - many times and most often not directly benefiting the person being taxed. If someone doesn’t pay their federal income taxes, they can be fined or jailed. The government uses force and aggression to collect these taxes in the name of “the greater good and general welfare”. However, since around only half of Americans pay federal income taxes, this leaves a greater burden on those who are working and paying for the “general welfare” of all people (and corporations) in the United States.

Government can use force and aggression to extort money from individuals who have committed a “crime” with no victim. Is this a good and beneficial use of aggression and force? Using the nonaggression principle, one would come to the conclusion that if the taxpayer is not outwardly hurting others by paying taxes and fees levied in their own State instead of giving their hard-earned money to the federal government (which can then take those funds and use them for other States, for creating and perpetuating wars, and to fund a Health Care system that is generally not any more affordable or transparent than the mess we have now), that they should not be hurt for their actions. I am not saying you shouldn’t pay taxes - I am saying, why aren’t we paying taxes to our State instead of the federal government?

Wouldn’t this be a more efficient and effective use of our money - keeping it closer to home, where there is more transparency and accountability for what is done with this money?

Have you seen uses of force and aggression by government agencies on people who have not been aggressive or forceful to the government? If I am a soap-maker, and

I want to sell my soap with eucalyptus oil and call it “Breathe Better”, is it right and just that I could be attacked by the Food and Drug Association (FDA) for making this claim? Is it right and just that I have to follow the same rules and regulations that Pfizer has to follow in bringing a drug to market? Is it a good use of force to have government agencies aggressing individuals, entrepreneurs, small business owners, farmers, ranchers, and producers with these requirements that then stymie and crush the ability of people to be free in what they produce and what they bring to market?

I believe that there is a time and place for the use of aggression and force by the government. However, I think that most of what the federal government is doing, through these agencies that purport to “protect” the American public, actually hurts the ability of people to be healthy, to be creative, and to be free. This use of aggression and force by the government goes against the non-aggression principle.

If I am not hurting anyone with the tomato that I grow, the soap I make, the cookie that I bake - then why on earth would anyone try and hurt me? Especially my government that I fund as a taxpayer and give permission to - to create our infrastructure, engage in defense, and administer a justice system.

I urge you to take a look at the ideas of the non-aggression principle, and how using this for decision-making could change the way we allow our government to use aggression and force on us, as well as on other countries. I believe in peace, and I believe that using this as a model, we can make more sustainable decisions about how we operate as communities and States in America.

Legislation Nation

Food Safety & Modernization Act That’s Natural! Reports

In sometimes having a law that “aims to ensure” the safety of something, one may find themselves the victim of bureaucracy, and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) of 2010 certainly has the ability to create victims out of small farmers and producers who must attempt to follow federal guidelines.

First of all, let’s all agree that there are people who get sick from eating tainted food. This can happen at an office party, or, this can happen with a USDA-certified and approved food producer. Just because companies are acting “legally”, doesn’t mean that they have the public’s best interest in mind - that is just what we would hope.

“He that lives upon hope will die fasting.”

- Benjamin Franklin

The FSMA creates broad regulatory guidelines for how food is grown, harvested, and processed. This includes an annual $500 registration fee to help pay for the FDA inspections and other activities to ensure compliance. This also includes the requirement that food producers create a “written preventative controls plan” - for the producer to prove what hazards there may be and how the producer will ‘combat’ those hazards to prevent anything bad from happening.

If you are Tyson or General Mills or Monsanto - this is already a part of your legalese, and not that big of an issue. If you are a one-man or one-woman show - who is raising your own chickens and

The USDA Has Submachine Guns?

That’s Natural! Reports

Why on earth would an agency charged to “regulate” agriculture need machine guns? Or any guns for that matter? Isn’t there something horribly wrong with this picture? Can There is something called the ‘Testeryou imagine farmers Hagan provisions’, or ‘exemption’ - that and ranchers doing would limit the ability of federal investiga- anything on their tors to force very small operations to com- property that would ply with the entirety of these regulations, require this particular while still “ensuring” public safety. This government agency is very important - and something that to have these highis still being talked about in Congress. If powered weapons? you visit www.farmandranchfreedom.org - you can sign on to the letter that they are Unless a farmer or sending to the FDA to amend the current rancher is physically regulations. harming someone else - physically beating And although this is a good effort to get or using force against behind, you can join us at That’s Natural! another person for to work directly with county and State any reason other than officials - to exempt small farmers, ranch- self-defense - there is ers, and producers from these regulations absolutely NO REAand bypass much of the redundancy SON that weapons and insurmountable access to federal should ever be used representatives and regulators, who are by any government thousands of miles away from the impact agency against its own of their actions. citizens. And there are already law enforceSign up for the email list at www. ment agencies charged ThatsNatural911.com, and let’s work to take care of such together to stop bad uses of the federal a situation - like the government and get behind truly support- County Sheriff. ing local farmers and producers who we depend upon for nutrient-dense, highquality, and safe food. eggs and then selling your products at the farmers’ market - this registration fee and compliance with creating this plan could be a monumental hurdle to profitability.

It could cost you time, money, and may end up completely stopping your ability to sell. This is devastating to individuals, small farmers and small producers.

Gut micro-biome and Immunity Poornima Wagh

AG Watchdog

We have people screaming about gun laws for the safety of citizens - what about the applicability of these gun laws that already exist for our own government officials? Shouldn’t they have to follow the same laws? Isn’t the government made up of individuals just like you and me? What makes somebody who works for the government any better, smarter, or capable of managing a weapon used for mass killing?

I hope you take a moment to sign this petition at the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund (farmtoconsumer.org) - and stay involved in this debate. There is absolutely no reason that ANY government agency or official should have these weapons that could be used against our own citizens. It is frightening - and we can stop it.

How Can You Feel Lonely with 100 Trillion Constant Companions?

The idea that microorganisms are to be “divided and conquered” is now an outdated view of our world. We not only live with them and are surrounded by them, but we depend on them for our very existence.

Your body is made up of more than 100 trillion microbes that must be properly balanced and cared for if you are to be healthy.

geographic location, and even ancestry.

This system of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa living on your skin and in your mouth, nose, throat, lungs, gut, and urogenital tract, is referred to as the “human microbiome.” It varies from person to person based on factors such as diet, health history,

This army of organisms also makes up 70 percent of your immune system - “talking” directly to your body’s natural killer T-cells so that they can tell apart your “friendlies” from dangerous invaders. Your microbiome also helps control how your genes express

When your microbiome falls out of balance, you can become ill. Those organisms perform a multitude of functions in key biological systems, from supplying critical vitamins to fighting pathogens, modulating weight and metabolism.

themselves (called epigenetics). So by optimizing your native flora, you are actually controlling your genes.

Your microbiome is closely intertwined with both of your brains—yes, you have TWO! In addition to the brain in your head, embedded in the wall of your gut is your enteric nervous system (ENS), which works both independently of and in conjunction with the brain in your head.

Take charge of your health and focus on your gut’s microbiome for optimal wellness!

Just Say NO to Chicken from China Tisha Casida

There’s something awesome about being on the frontier of globalization - with the opportunity to see trade increase amongst individuals all over the world while improving the standard of living and quality of life of millions of people who have struggles much worse that most of us in America.

And then there is something horrifying about globalization, where the United States has decided it’s a good idea to ship chickens to be processed in China, which then return home to consumers here in the U.S. There is something extremely wrong with this - and although I don’t have an economic model for why this is so, I think I have my suspicions.

First of all, markets are manipulated using currency exchanges, tariffs, rules and regulations, and international treaties - so that there is really no such thing as “free trade”. Even here in my own little valley of the world - if I, Tisha, want to bake cookies and sell them to willing buyers on the street corner in Aspen - there’s a host of rules I am supposed to follow (and licenses I am to procure) before I would ever think of doing such a thing. If trade were free - I could go and do this. But there is no such thing as free trade - here - or in most parts of the world where an American wants to do business.

Beyond not having “free markets”, our country has a federal government that subsidizes and penalizes industries. Subsidies to corn growers helped create the nearpoison: high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS - most likely genetically modified?). And since HFCS was so cheap (thanks to subsidies), more food manufactures used this in place of cane sugar. This helped bring about a storm of childhood obesity, among other health problems, for millions of people. This is the type of spaghettilaced bureaucratic decision making that is made at the federal level of government, that can have drastic and painful effects on individual consumers - not to mention small farmers and ranchers that are trying to compete.

Lastly, and in the case of the chicken-swap happening with the U.S. and China - this is completely and totally “politics”. It has no economic or health benefit - it is merely a quid pro quo - a gift from the U.S. government to the Chinese government - to show good will (to “help” China get access to the chicken market in the U.S.). And I promise you, this will do absolutely nothing for consumers, taxpayers, and the future generation of Americans.

So now, we have chicken meat being shipped to us from China for human consumption (have you heard about the

many cases of very bad events with food processing in China?). I have ‘beef ’ with our own USDA certification process for meat , who knows what is actually happening half a world a way. There is so little oversight from any bureaucratic agency, that it should frighten the most adamant believer in government intervention.

What should we do? Scream in horror to our federal representative Scott Tipton who has basically zero ability to stop this?

No - we should investigate locally who we can purchase our meat from. Vote with your dollar. Right now! At this very moment you can make a conscious decision to purchase your meat from a Colorado producer - who you can trust, who you can visit, and who you can personally thank for protecting your life and limb with meat products that aren’t tainted and are full of the nutrition your body needs.

Resource: The Curious Case of the Chinese Chicken Import-Export Business by Joe Klock - Newsweek (September 28, 2014)

National Young Farmers Coalition Kate Greenburg

Founded in 2010 by three young farmers, the National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC) represents, mobilizes, and engages young farmers to ensure their success.

With three farmer-driven chapters in Colorado and over 24 nation-wide, NYFC is building a movement through which young farmers can find land and capital, share knowledge and make their voices heard.

Our grassroots network - now over 50,000 farmers, ranchers and supportive consumers and growing everyday - directly influences our work at the federal level. We successfully developed an FSA micro-loan program for beginning farmers; advocated for beginning farmer education and land conservation funding in the 2014

Farm Bill; sparked 70 letter-writing parties to generate over 1000 comments on the FDA’s proposed Food Safety rules; and are rallying to add farmers to the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness Program.

Here in the West, we are also tackling the complex issue of water, drought and resilience by building farmer-to-farmer networks and promoting stewardship practices at farm, agency and policy levels.

We recently released a short film in partnership with the Lexicon of Sustainability titled “RESILIENT: Soil, Water and the New Stewards of the American West.”

NYFC envisions a country where young people who are willing to work, get trained and take a little risk can support themselves and their families in farming. We

support practices and policies that will sustain young, independent and prosperous farmers now and in the future. The movement is growing. We need you to help us build a better, sustainable future for agriculture. Join us today at youngfarmers.org or email kate@youngfarmers. org for more information.

Roaring Fork Food Policy Council Gwen Garcelon

A few years ago I watched a documentary called The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil, about how Cubans re-invented their entire agricultural system after being cut off from their oil supply in 1989, coming almost entirely from the USSR. Their economy was in a free-fall and they had no way to grow food using the petroleum-dependent agricultural methods that were the norm there, and world-wide. They were literally starving and began to grow food on every plot of land imaginable – eventually employing the best practices of permaculture, animal and land management, water conservation, etc.

This was one of many wake up calls around the need to get out in front of the coming necessity to reclaim our local food systems while using energy, water, land and nutrients more sustainably. Another one was when Lester Brown of the Earth Policy Institute, at an AREDAY summit in Aspen in 2011, emphatically stated that food is the weak link in our ability to sustain ourselves amid growing climate, social and financial uncertainty. He urged greater security through local organizing to build greater connectivity within local food systems.

In January of 2012 the Roaring Fork Food Policy Council (RFFPC) was born out of a series of community gatherings and forums, and the commitment of two local organizers – Dawne Vrabel and me, Gwen Garcelon. There was an expressed desire

for more collaboration and capacitybuilding among the diverse and committed people and entities invested in local food.

In the past two years there have been many connections made, relationships built, new endeavors undertaken, and all the while a consistently increasing demand for healthy, land and water-friendly, locally-grown food. Given the economic, jurisdictional, and geographic complexities of the region, we felt it was time to explore in earnest what kind of infrastructure and services are uniquely needed within our local food system. What could we do now to lay more foundation for the future?

To that end, the RFFPC is in the middle of a Needs Assessment process to better understand and recommend specific infrastructure, services and strategies possible through a “food hub” to increase access to local food. We likely don’t have the land or water to grow enough food here to meet our population’s total food needs, but we can find ways to meet a significant portion of those needs. There are models in our midst, like the thriving school garden at Colorado Rocky Mountain School in

Carbondale that produces 30% of what its students eat.

An essential part of this process is collecting as many existing local food resources as possible – to create a baseline of what is being produced here and who is involved.

If you are a farmer, rancher, food product producer or processer, caterer or chef sourcing local food, community or school garden, grocer or distributor, please fill out the brief form under “Get Involved” on the RFFPC website at www.roaringforkfood.org.

Together we are building the power of community through the galvanizing energy of cultivating and sharing food while re-connecting to each other and to the land.

The

Feed

Colorado Nullified Federal Law with Amendment 64

A Win for Food & Medicine Freedom!

Cannabis and the Natural Medicine Revolution

Getting Big Pharma Out of Natural Cures & Personal Choice Warning: We are not licensed doctors and we are not approved by any government agency to be able to tell you that anything treats or cures anything.

This is merely an opinion, and we encourage you to break through the big-government and big-pharma matrix to do your own research and learn about positive ways to protect your health.

That’s Natural! Reports Many of our medicines are based on plant compounds, including aspirin (from willow), menthol (from mint), and quinine (from the Cinchona tree). Plants, and medicines made from them, have been an integral part of native and indigenous cultures for thousands of years. Synthesizing part of the plant to treat sickness and disease, is nothing new to society.

Cannabis, an annual, flowering herb, has several compounds that could be very beneficial to medicine and the treatment of various diseases. The cannabis plant has been used medicinally for over three thousand years. In Colorado, where medicinal and recreational use of marijuana is now “legal”, we can use this openness and opportunity to explore more about this particular plant’s medicinal effects.

Cannabis plants can be processed into oils and other compounds - which can then be used without having to smoke and inhale

smoke to be able to ingest the beneficial parts of the cannabis plant.

“Glandular trichomes” on the plant contain cannabinoids (CBD) that are non-psychoactive. Cannabinoids have the potential to act as an anti-inflammatory agent in the body and are also potentially anti-psychotic.

Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is the component that can make people feel “high” and CBD are being researched in different ratios for treatment of various ailments.

Cannabis has been used to treat nausea, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder, cancer, and is being researched to treat other illnesses - both physical and mental. It is completely natural, with no known sideeffects, and no reported overdoses or deaths from the medicinal use of this plant. This is something to consider, and remember… why on earth would our government make it illegal to use this plant for the treatment of sickness and disease?

What is interesting about the cannabinoids in cannabis, is that human beings are actually pre-wired through our Endocannabinoid System to use compounds in cannabis to heal. What is truly exciting about using cannabis to treat cancer, is that it appears that these treatments target only the cancerous and sick cells, and have no negative effects on healthy cells. So, unlike traditional Western treatments for cancer (chemotherapy and radiation) - that kill almost everything and make the patient feel very sick, perhaps treatment(s) with cannabis could prove to target only the cancer.

In our THC Feed, we will continue to explore the research and success stories of using this plant to treat sickness and disease.

We will also work with local and State officials to make sure we protect our Medicine Freedom - our natural right to use natural medicines.

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Movie-Review & Screening:

BOUGHT

BOUGHT: The Hidden Story Behind Vaccines, Big Pharma & Your Food Rating: NR Run time: 90 minutes Director & Writer: Bobby Sheehan Producer: Bobby Sheehan, Sara Feldmann Sheehan, Jeff Hays

“We’ve gone from looking at things scientifically, to looking at what’s best for the industry.” - Dr. Toni Bark, MD

Image From: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bought-the-movie

Big Pharma Watch Dog - Richard Smith Money, also known as the root of all evil, is undoubtedly the driving force that runs the world today. Thus, it is the driving force behind every industry; and yes, medicine and our food is controlled by an industry, more accurately, a profit driven industry. BOUGHT explains why and how our food and medicine is just like any other corporate driven industry. Padding the profit margins and producing for the shareholders takes priority over the health and well being of the consumer.

BOUGHT is 90 minutes, jam-packed full of facts and unique perspectives from whistleblowers, former sales agents, doctors, scientists and professors. The information they share is powerful; for instance, one topic the film explores throughout the documentary is the recent epidemic of chronic illness in adolescents. We learn as the film goes on the various connections that food and current medical standards have in perpetuating chronic illness. We also learn how the federal and local governments have safeguards in place to

protect corporate entities, like pharmaceutical companies, from facing liability due to vaccine harm. Vaccines are a major focus in the film, and it provides some compelling evidence and thoughts as to why the link to autism and various other neurological disorders should not be ignored. The film notes how yearly profits are extremely high for pharmaceutical companies, particularly for the four companies that are the major vaccine producers. Safety concerns are easy to ignore when profits are in the billions. For example, Johnson&Johnson was forced to pay over $2 billion in fines for improper marketing of a drug, a drug for which they made $44 billion in profit.

Another major focus of the film is GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Like many documentaries before, Monsanto is noted as a usual suspect. BOUGHT however, does not solely focus on the nefarious company, but mainly on the fact that the governing laws surrounding GMOs are too heavily influenced by industry and regulation of this industry is

THE QUIET GIANT IN NAVAJO ACRYLICS

controlled by the same corporate executives who are also set to gain profit. BOUGHT admits that the answers to the real long term effects of GMOs on our health are still unclear, but this is mainly due to how the industry is protected from doing real research to prove safety. Yet another example how regulation is always profit driven is the fact that 64 other countries have GMO labeling laws while the U.S. has yet to set a national standard. Perhaps the food industry in those 64 other countries are not bought.

It almost feels hopeless to think that our health and well being are bought, but hope is not lost as long as we continue to be vigilant in seeking food and medicine freedom.

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Featured Artist: Al Bahe

The more that this gentle man speaks, the more intrigue that is created. His unassuming presence is punctuated by flashes of inspiration that let you know he has defined his artistic direction. His art and his life are inseparable. His Native American roots, and his experiences growing up in Northern Arizona with his eight siblings, all contribute to who he is. Al and his family settled in Shonto, Arizona where he studied at the Indian School and stood out among his peers.

Following his service in the Marines, Al’s talent prompted tribal elders to award him a scholarship while he attended the Art Institute in Santa Fe. His style was already mature, but credentials do help a career. Studies at Northern Arizona University prepared Al even further.

Today Al has returned to his roots and paints eight to ten hours a day in his studio in Shonto, Arizona. Al’s art is exhibited and collected by fine museums around the country, including the prestigious Heard Museum in Phoenix. He is a content human being, alone with the land, his family, and his art.

Please contact Stephen Thompson to purchase this original fine art painting.

719-369-0623 Art Exchange • Aspen • Santa Fe

“Like My Father Warriors” (artist self portrait) 42”x40” Acrylic and collage on canvas

That’s Natural! Friends & Finds We believe that every human being has a right to health, education, the arts, and to be a part of the local economy. We believe that entities and products that encourage this should be promoted. We believe that educating the public about the inherent truths of our health, our education, our culture, and our economy is paramount to our rights as citizens. We believe in resilience and the power of a free market economy. We believe in the power of a consumer. And we believe all of THAT is very NATURAL! That’s Natural!

Barn Dog Ranch Raw Goat Milk & Goat Milk Products Olathe, CO 970-417-0468

www.chewbite.com Carbondale Co-Op 559 Main St. Carbondale, CO 81623 www.carbondalecommunityfoodcoop.org

Half-Pint Naturals 100% Chemical, Petroleum & Preservative Free Products www.halfpintnaturals.com

Tonic Juicery 320 Main St., Suite 102 Carbondale, CO www.tonicjuicery.com

Jody Powell - Naturopathic Doctor Classical Homeopath 1101 Village Rd - Unit LL1B Carbondale, CO 81623 - 970 236 6178

Jubilee Family Farm 5476 5700 Road Olathe , CO 81425 www.jubileefamilyfarm.com

Avon Bakery & Deli 25 Hurd Lane, Avon, CO 81620 www.avonbakeryanddeli.com (970) 949-3354

Big B’s Organic Apple Juice Delicious Orchards Paonia, CO www.bigbjuices.com

The Carbondale Annex Where Farm Meets Table www.thecarbondaleannex.com

Weston A. Price Foundation Dedicated to restoring nutrient-dense foods to the human diet www.westonaprice.org

www.humanfoodproject.com

ZaZa Raw Brownie - AMAZING! It can be difficult and sometimes impossible to find a desert that satisfies ones’ sacchariferous craving while adhering to: gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, raw, vegan, and paleo. However, ZaZa Desserts stands up to the task with their absolutely delicious brownie.

Image from www.zazaraw.com

It is sweet, satisfying, and actually feels good inside of our tummies (versus most other sugar and flour-laden finds). We are impressed, and pleased to say that this company is located in Boulder, Colorado - not only is it a local business that we can support, they are part of the Non-GMO project. A win-win-win for consumers and a That’s Natural! approved bite of goodness!

A SPEN ’ S M OST U NIQUE R ETAIL E XPERIENCE

NOW UNDER TWO FABULOUS BIG TOPS OVER 65 LOCAL ARTISTS AND VENDORS Jewelry : Pottery : Glass : Skincare Chocolates : Candles : Oils & Vinegars : Soaps Photography : Clothing : Paintings : Dog Barkery Oxygen Bar : Fresh Flowers : Heather's Savory Pies : Year Round Farm Stand : ASPEN

315 E. MAIN STREET across from The Hotel Jerome 970.544.2499

BASALT

132 MIDLAND AVENUE in historical downtown Basalt 970.927.3132