Cannabis Times Radio Show – July 20th, 2011

Cannabis Times Radio is back this week with our bi-coastal look at the cannabis reform movement with co-hosts Judd Hardy and Tim Spark.  Judd Hardy is missed on the show tonight but stay tuned for a packed show full of knowledge!

Congressman Steve Cohen opens up our show tonight.  Congressman Cohen is a forth generation Memphian who has dedicated his life to public service.  As a child, he was stricken with polio, but through hard work, he was able to beat this debilitating disease.  The challenges of living with polio as a youngster taught him early in life how to overcome obstacles through persistence and determination, values which would shape his career as a legislator.  Filing to run for office on the same day he first registered to vote, Congressman Cohen stepped onto the path that has defined his life.  He has positively affected the lives of people in Memphis, across Tennessee and across America throughout his career in national, state and local politics.  Congressman Cohen has spent 24 years in the Tennessee State Senate, displaying a strong record of passionate, honest and unselfish service.  Congressman Cohen is here tonight to discuss HB 2306: The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act that he is co-sponsoring, which would allow states to legalize marijuana.  Currently, marijuana is illegal under federal law, even though some states have already established their own laws regarding the drug. If the bill were passed, states could choose to legalize, regulate, and even tax the sale of marijuana. Tune in to learn more about HB 2306, the current hurdles it is facing, and what you can all do to support this bill!

Diane Fornbacher is also welcomed to the show tonight.  Diane has been a cannabis law reform activist for 15 years. She has worked with some of the top reform organizations in the political arena.  She is currently the Vice Chair of the NORML Women’s Alliance, board member of The Coalition for Medical Marijuana in New Jersey, managing editor of SKUNK Magazine and featured as a Tokin’ Female in their 50^th issue.  Diane is also a former writer for HIGH TIMES Magazine.  She is a mother of two young boys and a member of the Parent/Teacher Association of America. When she isn’t working to change cannabis laws, she enjoys photography and writing/performing poetry.  Visit the NORML Women’s Alliance today and join Diane in ending cannabis prohibition.

The NORML Women’s Alliance is a nonpartisan coalition of prominent, educated, successful, geographical diverse and high-profile professional women who believe that marijuana prohibition is a self-destructive and hypocritical policy that undermines the American family, sends a mixed and false message to our young people, and destroys the cherished principles of personal liberty and local self-government.  The NORML Women’s Alliance believes that the fiscal priorities of marijuana prohibition are wasting billions of dollars on a failed policy, marijuana prohibition violates states’ rights, improperly expands the reach of government into the families and personal lives of otherwise law-abiding citizens.  This group of women advocate for an open, honest conversation about marijuana with America’s youth that is void of all propaganda and misleading information, endorses the science-based evidence regarding the therapeutic applications of medical marijuana, as well as the continuation of research into the subject.

Diane stays on air after her interview with us tonight for a special Mother to Mother interview with Mieko Hester-Perez, Executive Director & Founder of The Unconventional Foundation for Autism.  With more than 1 in 110 children being affected by autism, it has become the fastest growing serious developmental disability in the United States.  Currently, there is no medical detection or cure for autism; however, there are pharmaceutical and therapeutic treatments that have proven to be effective in improving the condition.  Among the safest and most remarkable treatments, but highly controversial, is the use of medical cannabis. One courageous California mother is now sharing with the world her autistic son’s triumphant and life-saving journey.  Mieko Hester Perez was faced with watching her son die or trying an untraditional form of medication. Her son, Joey, then on 13 medications at the age of 10 and weighing 46 pounds, was in a battle for his life. Joey, who was diagnosed with autism at 16 months, was extremely aggressive and battled with very challenging behaviors. A legal researcher, Perez had found a number of medical journal articles showing the benefits of medical marijuana for her son and discussed this option with her doctor. Mieko said their doctor had given the recommendation to preserve her son’s life with this controversial treatment. Joey’s doctor provided a recommendation for medical marijuana and a medical marijuana doctor provided the actual license.  Praying for a miracle, Mieko gave her son, who is under doctor’s supervision, marijuana in a brownie the size of a quarter about every three days. Joey, now 11, has gained more than 40 pounds and his behavior is much better. He is down to two medications and one brownie a week.  Mieko believes marijuana not only saved his life but gave her family life.  Mieko has been Featured on Good Morning America, Fox Morning News, The Doctors TV Show, CBS Early, NBC, The Discovery Channel, recently this week on Australia’s 1# morning news show, and numerous publications.  Mieko was acknowledged on 20/20 ABC for inspiring families of this treatment and her follow up interview with Diane Sawyer on World News will air summer 2011.

The Unconventional Foundation for Autism is a non-profit resource organization for parents comprised initially of Mieko, Co-founder Ted Cromwell, Esq. of The Cromwell Law Firm in Newport Beach California, and the Foundation’s legal counsel Jeremy Joseph Esq. of Jeremy Michael Joseph & Associates in Los Angeles, California.  The foundation is geared towards helping parents make informed decisions about their child’s treatment options and supporting the individuals dealing with the Disabilities Education Act. Mieko Perez states she’s not worried about how autism got here; she’s more concerned with the quality of life for our children.  Visit The Unconventional Foundation for Autism today and see how you can help support!