We are forever hear ourselves debate reasons why cannabis is a forbidden U.S. product. Some say the restrictions are based on 1930’s attitudes, other say it’s because of taxation and regulations. Have any of you considered ownership? Who will own the cannabis that you consumed?

Our current mindset tells us that when we smoke a joint, buy a lid, or grow a tree; it is ours. That may have true at one time, but it may not be true now. Article I of the American Constitution allows for us to patent and claim ownership to those things we made or discovered. Life items were not allowed to be patented. How could a government morally allow the patent of natural grown or produced items?

In the 1970’s this changed. Corporations were allowed to claim plant-life. Seeds of all sorts, seeds from the corn, soy, and flowers that had been on the earth for years, were listed as the property of big corporations. The company known as Monsanto is said to own the largest number of seeds in the world.

As the owner, Monsanto modified many of their seed. Some of this modification was to make a plant resistant to weeds and insects. Other changes allowed for bigger yields. Something else about Monsanto is that it is also the company that produced Agent Orange to kill vegetation during the Vietnam era, and a lessor version under the Scott’s brand called Roundup; that we use around our homes.

Roundup was then blended with seeds to make them Roundup resistant. This allowed farmers to spray their gardens, without killing the wanted modified plant material http://www.monsanto.com/weedmanagement/pages/roundup-ready-system.aspx . It became necessary for farmers to only use Monsanto seeds and use Roundup herbicides http://www.motherjones.com/politics/1997/01/no-way-around-roundup .

By now, you are wondering way I am presenting this conversation as a marihuana discussion. We all hear that there is only one place in this country where the federal government is allowing cannabis growth. This one place is the University of Mississippi http://articles.cnn.com/2009-05-18/justice/government.marijuana.garden_1_marijuana-drug-abuse-cameras?_s=PM:CRIME . In fact, the University of Mississippi is the only place in North American where legal seeds can be obtained. I would love to know who supplies the seeds for University of Mississippi’s gardens http://www.cannabisculture.com/articles/1322.html .

Our government, as well as other groups has stuck their hands around the roots of the cannabis plant. With the help of government, G W Pharmaceuticals http://www.ukcia.org/medical/gwpharmaceuticals.php , Bayer Incorporated http://www.bayer.ca/files/sativex_fs_fd_091289_e.pdf have developed and patented cannabis based medications. Think of the medications Marinol and Sativex. I have no doubt that these companies are using the same seeds that you used in your garden. I would bet that they have taken, modified, and patented their seeds. Like was done to wheat and soy farmers, Monsanto would love for you to plant a garden outdoors. Once your garden is contaminated by their patented stain, they will take you to court for patent infringement http://www.percyschmeiser.com/ . There are already companies selling, patented, modified seeds; marketed as “feminized” http://bigbudsmag.com/grow/article/monsanto-GMOs-feminized-seeds-autoflowering-marijuana .

Would you be surprise to hear that these large companies are paying people to travel the world collecting various cannabis seeds, I wouldn’t. After all, if you control the seeds, you control the market. It has been done with the foods we eat, and plants used for medicines, why would cannabis seeds be any different? I predict that the reins on cannabis will lessen as the ownership of seeds tightens. If you think our government won’t let this happen like me say that both Associate Justice of the U. S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas and United States Attorney General, John Ashcroft were employees of Monsanto before receiving their Bush appointments. Before being picked by Gerard Ford to be the Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld was the president of the G. D. Searle; a pharmaceutical company that was purchased by Monsanto. http://www.celsias.com/article/ex-monsanto-lawyer-clarence-thomas-hear-major-mons/

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto%27s_High_Level_Connections_to_the_Bush_Administration

http://ppjg.me/2010/02/28/farmers-fight-to-save-seed-and-the-doj-provides-cover-for-monsanto/

http://www.organicconsumers.org/articles/article_3329.cfm